Out Of The Mud Horse Show

SeaSpots Appaloosa Club had the first of 3 Out Of The Mud Horse Shows today at Stormy Acres. It was our first time at this venue so we were really hoping for a small turnout. There were about 10 riders, mostly all English and it was a good day, not too cold or windy. We worked out a few kinks and after getting this all figured out we're all excited for March.
We will blast the Kitsap horse world with show info and advertisements and we hope to have a large turnout next month. There is plenty of parking, lots of room for horses inside and outside the arena and just enough room in the aisle for spectators.
We made about $354 before expenses but after dividing certain costs, like insurance, we did all right. The club rented the facility outright so we paid them $150 for today. They made that plus had rented out some stalls for horses so it all came out good.

Mostly there were Friesians but there are 4 living at that stable. Tori took High Point English and won a $25 gift certificate to Olive Garden.

Foal Video

I absolutely LOVE this video.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203123247014504

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203123247014504

 

PNER Convention

Sarah and I went to the PNER Convention in Portland, OR last weekend. They had a lot of very informative classes to take, like lameness, hoof info, nutrition and ask the experts. It was fun and I learned quite a bit.
But I had the most fun at the USED TACK SALE. I bought a LOT of shit!

 

 

 

The red thing is a Pas-a-fier. You install it into a corner of a stall & supposedly they play with it. We'll see if Wifi likes it. I paid $10 for it, its about 30 in stores.

 

On the left are wide trail stirrups with cages to keep my feet from getting stuck if I fall off on a trail ride. I paid $50 for them, I saw new ones for $80.

 

There are some D ring savers I paid $5 for, I had seen similar ones online for 10 but I wanted some and these were there. You use these by hooking them around the stirrup bars and hooking your breastplate to it instead of the D rings on the front of your saddle. I'm sure with enough torque the D rings could be pulled out & its expensive to have them replaced correctly.

 

I got 2 pair of black stirrup leathers, nicer ones for the Bates saddle which I will use with my new Herm Sprenger stirrups with I paid $80 for (including shipping) and am waiting for them to come in the mail.

 

Then there is a water tank heater that goes in the plug, I paid $10 for it. I have a floating one but thought I'd give this a try, see if it works. It might leak.

 

And a soft fluffy ovation fleece girth in size 26 (Wifi size) for $20 and a girth extender $5 to make the girth fit Joey.

 

I also found a green biothane crupper for $15. I've never used one but I'm going to try this. I'll lunge Joey before I EVER  get on a saddle with it. The crupper holds the saddle back so it doesn't slide up onto your horses shoulders and neck when he's sweaty and going downhill.

 

So now I have everything I need to use the Bates on Joey without having to borrow stuff from Delicia.

 

 



I am borrowing a biothane bridle from Tina to try on Joey (for sale for $25). Its red, like this one, except no reins. I'll find some nice comfortable reins to use, I think these biothane ones could cut me if he pulled hard.

And I got me another pair of full seat Kerrits breeches in blue & black, just like my others but half price.

Now that I have so much endurance riding equipment I need to start riding more. This evening I checked out boarding barns in Phoenix, AZ, just in case Lan & I ever decided to move there.


It sucks to fall off

I fell off Joey yesterday at the canter on a trail. SHIT!  Landed hard on my right hip, so hard that its not even bruised just hurts to high heaven. He shied from a stump and I fell off. Doh!

Otherwise it was an OK ride. I'm having a lesson tomorrow, I'll ride him while Delicia rides Wifi.

Have a prospective new boarder but I doubt I'll take her horse on. She wants a place to dump it & only come out to see it once a week or less. I don't want to clean its run. So I'll prolly tell her no. Maybe I should tell her no before she even comes here.  Her horse needs her to pay attention to it.

Horses

 

I'm going to be changing this blog around a bit since now

 

I'M AN IRONMAN

 

 

I've had Delicia coming over for the last 10 days & working with Wifi and they are doing wonderfully together. Wifi is NOT the bucking, rearing, non-work-ethic horse Kate was saying she is. Delicia has been my friend & Dressage trainer for about 6 years and I don't know why I didn't use her in the beginning with Wifi.

 

Here they are in a photo take on Tuesday. Wifi was happy and willing to work, she was forward, her ears were perky and she was ON.

 

And then they were cantering. Nice and balanced, steering perfectly around the circle & not into the trees. They made 3 laps before they stopped and it was beautiful.

 

Delicia was SO happy with her; Wifi did a spectacular job.

 

Then I decided to ride Joey but he was being a pill so I lunged him first and as you can see, he's quite fat.

 

As I attempted to put the saddle on I discovered he is almost too fat (again) for the Passoa saddle. Crap. This happened once before and Delicia had to loan me a girth extender.

Joey wasn't at all thrilled to be getting saddled and he was a jerk. I got the saddle on & at the arena he bolted, took off and ran with the lunge line dragging. After a few laps I was able to catch him so he could run. And run some more.

I wasn't too thrilled about getting on him after that so I was slow and careful, extended the stirrups way down. And when I did finally get on we just stood there, didn't take a step.

After a full minute I just got off. That was enough for me. I'll try it again when other people are in the arena and after hes had time to really stretch his legs.