Charmer's Birthday!!

Happy birthday, Charmer!!
My best boy turns 9 today. :)
I can't believe how much he's grow up in the short year and a half that I've owned him. It's incredible.
He's such an amazing horse. <3

Plans for Showing

I'm really excited for the show season this year. It looks like I'll be doing more than one Del Mar show, which is going to be amazing!! Charmer and I have truly come so far in the year and a half that we've been a pair. Our flat work is excellent, jumping is a breeze, and we communicate well. I really think it's going to be a fantastic year!! *knock on wood*

Here's a list of what we've accomplished recently:

• pretty solid changes both ways over fences
• landing leads
• jumping 2'9'' to 3' comfortably
• framing up on the flat
• keeping good equitation 85% of the time

2012 show season, here we come!!

Why Hello There

Long time no see hear blog.
Well howdy. I fail at blogging... but we all knew that ;)
So here I am. haha...
Happy 2012!!!!
Charmer and I plan to do lots and lots of shows this year since it is my last full show season at home before I go to college.
Hopefully I'll be able to keep this thing up to date-ish and my blog will be dusted off every once in a while.
I think that's more likely to happen if I start using this more as a riding log (which sounds like a really fun idea to be honest!!)

Until next time, I bid thee adieu.
-Emma

My Horse is BUFF

Today, I noticed that Charmer has quite bit biceps/triceps... Pictures tomorrow if I remember!! Ha... I guess that's what happens when a horse gets ridden 5/6 times a week!! But I'm sure climbing mountains once a week helps too! ;)

So anyway.... Horse show this weekend! Yay!! I'm extremely excited. We're sticking to 2'3'', because I don't want to over-face Charmer as he's just getting his confidence back. He's been doing so well at home, it really is awesome. We repainted some poles and put new turf on the quarter round, so everything looks all nice and shiny  He jumped all of these new sparkly, spooky jumps the first time around! With nearly no looking and definitively no over-reacting. Fingers crossed the show goes the same way! *knock on wood*

Testing Bits

Ok... so I'll admit, I'm kind of a bit whore hoarder. I have one horse and ...one, two,  three...... six bits. But I have a funny feeling that that number is about to grow.

Right now, Charmer is in a loose ring french link, which is actually working out pretty well.

But my trainer and I just aren't sure that there isn't something that he'd like just a little bit better (haha pun not intended).

He knows how to give to the bit, but we want him to take the bit and take a feel of my hands. And stretch down to want contact... make sense? :-/ How do I make him take up the contact?


Any bit ideas? What do you guys use on your horses?

Show Results

I know it's been a while... but better late than never, right? :D

So anyway, here is a picture of charmer and all of his lovely ribbons.

That's right folks, we got reserve champion!!! At our first fancy show :)

We have another show this weekend... fingers crossed that it goes well!!

The last time we went to the grounds of the show that's coming up, Charmer crashed into a jump and was emotionally scarred for months afterwards... it didn't help that I was slightly terrified too... But we'll just take it slow and do our best.

I WILL let you know how it goes... even if it's a month and a half after the show ;)

Wordless Wednesday

Horse Show Coming Up

I'm going to a kinda big (for me) horse show in July :D It's the first show I've been two that's more than one day, which I think is going to be awesome because it'll give me a chance to sleep, think, and regroup for the next day.

I'm super duper excited and I hope Charmer and I do well.
I just plan on doing our best and being relaxed and happy. And I really hope Charmer doesn't kill himself in his box stall... he doesn't like box stalls very much... :(

We're not going to have lead changes by then... but who cares!! It'll be an awesome experience for both him and me. It's not a super big deal either since he's been landing his leads pretty consistently.

We're just going to do 2'3'' for this show, but we'll probably school around at 2'6'' for the warm-ups so the jumps in our courses look itty-bitty. :)

Fresh Start

So, this whole consistent blogging thing never really worked out for me. BUT, it is summer, so maybe I'll start posting more. 

This blog is going to become more of a way for me to track Charmer's condition and how we're coming along. I'll probably only post if I find something interesting to write about. xD Or if I had an awesome lesson that I need to document.

Feel free to continue to follow our journey!