equestrian team meet

Kathy and I mucked stalls at the speed of light today so we could go watch the high school equestrian team meet at the fairgrounds. Dulce's owner, Jillian is riding Dulce and Caesar for one local team (at the high school I attended!) and Louise, the reiner is riding for another high school. 

It was fun to get out and watch all the kids ride. We saw some bareback riding, jumping, trail, reining, and gymkhana. Sadly, we did not get out in time to see Jillian ride Dulce in hunt seat, but we did see her do trail with Caesar.

For the second week in a row, poor Casear is scared of the mailbox. But with practice, I am sure he will overcome this fear. 

Then we Louise do her thing in reining. Since she is a pro, it is no surprise she took first in her class! She was the only horse that did an actual sliding stop and executed near perfect spins. Louise really is such a good horse!

Kathy really liked this horse and his coloring. He was a nice looking horse. 

It was nice to get out and have a relaxing Saturday around horses! I can't believe how many high schools have an equestrian team these days. When I went to high school, we never had such a thing, and it wasn't even that long ago! There is one more meet left this season, unless the team qualifies for regionals.  I think Shyloh wants to be on the team next year. . . what do you say? I just have to find a high school kid to ride her. . .

And I found this at the barn today! Always an adventure in nature!

Praying Mantis!

and the countdown begins!

I am going to Equine Affaire!!!! If you can't tell, I am pretty excited. I have never been, but one year, they had this. . .

How cool! Haflinger heaven! I cannot wait to see what is going to be there this year. And I can't wait to buy lots of stuff for Shyloh! If I could, I would be doing backflips right now!

Me and Shy had a fun day today! The weather was decent, but the sun was out so it warmed up a bit. I took Shy on a trail walk. I decked her out in her rhythm beads and saddle so she could get used to them, then we walked through the fields.

Ready to go!

Once we got out a ways, I put my foot in the stirrup and just put some weight on Shy. . . just to see what she would do. At first, she kept stepping away, but eventually, she stood there. Yay for us!

Can't resist eating grass

She is ready for the trails. . .but am I?

When we got back, Shy and Dulce played around in the arena. She likes having a girlfriend amongst all the geldings. And since they both have some junk in their trunk, the song is most appropriate.

As of today, there are 53 more days until Equine Affaire! Anyone else going?

monday musings by shyloh #21

I got to spend a lot of time outside in the fresh snow over the weekend! It was magical. I was the first horse to make tracks in the snow, too. When I used my nose to clear the snow to get grass, it cleaned it! So the end of my nose is sticky-free from my ball of goodness.  I love being outside! Except when there is snow on the ground and I go back inside, I have so much snow packed under my hooves that they don't even touch the ground! I have to walk so so so carefully until I get to my stall and Allie picks the snow out of my hooves. I slipped once and it was not fun!

It's all mine!

I met a new friend this weekend! Her name is Dulce. She has been at the barn for longer than me, but we never hung out. Until Sunday. Dulce came out into my pasture and we got  along great! It is so nice to have a mare friend. Now we can talk about all the goings on in the barn and gossip about the geldings and the size of of their. . .hooves. . .We went for a run together. I had to be quick to keep up with her, even though she is not a tall Quarter Horse. I was running so fast, I slipped right on my butt! I got up real quick though, kept running, and pretended it never happened. I'm glad Allie didn't see, I would have been embarrassed. 

Bodacious babes of the barn!

New friends!

I also got to hang out with Casi and Ryleigh.  And I met a new boy. His name is Zaylen and he is a 3 year old Paint. He is new to my barn, but I really like him. I just met him while he was in his stall, but he made me go YOWZAH (if you know what I mean, wink wink)!

Hey there good looking!

When I was not ogling the geldings or making new friends or trying to find grass under the snow, me and Allie have been playing this game together. It is fun! All I have to do is touch things and I get grain! Grain! How I love grain! I'd probably do a cartwheeel for some grain if Allie asked me too. . .only if she asked real nice. And if she stopped making me doing circles on the rope again. Boring. Even if it does keep me warmer, being forced to walk and trot and walk and stop and walk and trot, then switch directions and repeat is a real drag.

Not having a good hair day, it happens to the best of us

In other news. . .I overheard someone calling me short! Humph! So to prove them wrong, I have only been drinking out of my bucket that is higher. I used to only drink out of the lower bucket, but now I won't touch it, even when Allie put an apple in the water for me. Short. I'll show them.

I CAN reach!!

And in my efforts to forever befuddle Allie, I laid down to eat my hay. Ha! You should have seen her face when she saw me! I win againnnnn!!