Western Horsemanship Class.
This pattern looks simple, but it actually is difficult. Non horse and non canter people can just ignore this next sentence. Firstly, we start out with a counter canter. I hate that. It takes a well educated horse who knows your cue and body position to pick up the “wrong lead”. We have now went from “B” to “C”. Oh but it isn’t that simple. You have to transition from canter to stop. You have to be in a place where ou can turn without stepping on the cone. From “B” to “C” must be a straight line, so you must stop in the exact place in the sand where you can turn and head straight north…no sloppy diagonal line.
Then there is the confusing language in this instruction describing each lateral movement. Horses have a forequarter (front legs) and a hindquarter (back legs). The instructions were not clear. We were all confused. We had many discussions among the competitors as to which set of legs were to be moved and to which direction. Luckily, I had an amazing mentor in Jenny. She went thru the pattern with me again before the class started.
Horrors! Powder and I were first up. Scream! It is both good and bad to be the first one up in a pattern class. Good is that you won’t watch anyone do the pattern wrong and get yourself confused. Bad is that you don’t get to watch other riders do the pattern correct which sets the pattern in your brain better.
Off we went and of course Powder did it perfectly and my brain remembered everything! When Powder started the counter canter at “B”, I knew thing were going to br “smooth sailing”. Thanks to Jenny for expert coaching and help from the sidelines! Here is the pattern. Try to figure it out!
Let’s return to “C”. Now we need to speed up after we make the sharp turn into a fox trot. Again we have to make a straight line directly to “D”. Our orders are to stop. We must stop at exactly the space in the sand where we can make the turn without stepping on the cone and transition from turn into canter! Whowee!
It is effortless for Powder to canter on the correct lead from “D” to “E”. Now make the turns. One turn is 360 degrees and the other is 270 so you head directly to the judge. Again the point to point has to line up. Which gait to the judge? Don’t blow it at the end and forget to back up!
Powder did the whole thing perfectly.
I remember vividly that Powder and I got the Reserve winner placing in this class. The red reserve ribbon matches my hair and flushed red face! Powder’s mane was braided to prevent her from stepping on it. We did not show with a braided mane. Jenny can braid an entire long mane is about 10 seconds!
