After a rest period of a couple days, Fancy went back to the stable. We rode. Fancy is still a go and then go horse. I’m still trying to figure out how to keep her at the same speed in the flat foot walk and fox trot. We are doing better, but there is not much consistent speed. Also, she takes umbrage at my request to go forward, hollows her back, throws up her head and goes into a ugly lateral gait (pace).
I discover her back is sore and she is in heat. I have finally determined what makes her back sore. She has a big heat and must have big ovaries during her heat. This is causing pain. In the past, her right hip also locks up. This is not good for a fun time in the arena!
Oh Fun! We have a horse show coming up. I’m in pattern classes meant for Western Pleasure Quarter Horses. They are short patterns which doesn’t work out good for a go go gaited horse in her fast breed specific gaits. I tell someone high up in the fox trotter world not to expect us to show off a Missouri Fox Trotter. I decide to enter the Walk/Trot classes. Our canter is not developed enough to start immediately and go slow enough to make the turns in the pattern. I also entered the Reining Class. That has a canter. I love the Reining class, it’s my favorite. The show association has a rule against entries in both Walk/Trot and Canter classes. I beg the entry desk person to let Fancy and I participate and not be judged. I play my “age card” Sadly, they don’t have the rule allowing us aged people to enter any class we went. But when asked that I not be judged, she checked with another show official and said “Sure”. We were IN!
Fancy and I arrived after everyone else as there were about 40 classes before our first class. Parking was tough. Horses were everywhere. There was zero room outdoors to warm up. Thankfully, Fancy was very calm. It must be the arena aspect of a million other horses that make her so anxious.
The show had a half an hour break for lunch so Fancy and I got to ride in the outdoor arena before we had a class. Thank goodness….although Fancy was very calm about everything. Nothing scared this horse all the long show day for which I was profoundly grateful. She was perfect all day except for one little balking episode in each class in which we were entered!
First class was Horsemanship. The pattern was so easy, I could not mess up. Walk, Flat Foot Walk and Fox Trot including a 180 degree turn. Other than the one arguing balk, we did great. We did great at the speeds and the 180 turn. We didn’t place.
Second class was the Reining. Somewhere in there, she had a balk, but overall we ACED the pattern. Our cantering was exquisite. Our rollback was super. At the end, we ran down the length of the arena, sped up and did a slide show-stopper stop. We got a cheer from the crowd when we got back to the gate.
Third class was a Ranch Horse pattern. We did darn good in this class too, except for our balking. We got fourth out of nine entries!
Our fourth and last class was trail horse. Our performance opening and shutting the gate was perfect. There was a pause for her balking protest. We crossed over poles perfectly. Her feet do not hit the poles which costs a negative point for every hit. We crossed the bridge with confidence and no hesitation at all. We got third in this class.
Four classes and I was near death. It was a perfect weather day. The standing around and waiting is the worst part. I got sore from sitting in the saddle. (We will be entering many more classes at horse shows.) We skipped the Walk/Trot Poles and Barrels classes. I would have died.
https://www.naturalhorsemansaddles.com/Deep-Seat-Saddle-p/nh-wes-dsl-custom.htm
After the horse show, Fancy got a few more days off. It was on Monday that I traded saddles via FedEx. Another rider in Arizona was looking for my saddle. Jennifer Vaught told me I needed to buy a Deep Seat light Parelli saddle. Amazingly, the Arizona rider wanted to trade her Deep Seat Light Parelli Saddle for my Natural Performer Saddle. My new saddle came on Thursday plus I got to have a lesson with Erin Patterson with me sitting in the new saddle. I loved the saddle. The shape of the seat sits me back. The seat is suede and the leg panels are rough out leather. I learned that all these three things keep my body in the saddle so much better than my slick saddle. I feel like I’m being cuddled. When Fancy does something bouncy, my saddle sez NO BOUNCE, Stick that rear HERE!
Our lesson was OK with periods of lateral balking gait and non consistent gaits. We improved, but speed control along with Fancy protests are still issues. I think it is similar to a big boulder being in my path. I can get around the boulder, but I would rather blow up the boulder!
Speed control. Why cannot I have speed control?