A humbling and inspiring weekend!

This weekend I was able to start my two goals for the year.

Goal 1: Compete with Smudgie in Agility in the CPE venue.

Goal 2: Start jumping again with Josie (Competing would be too high of a goal at this point)

I have already started Chantex to quit smoking and have been working out for a couple months now to support these goals and for general good health.

Saturday, Smudgie and I headed to Dog Works to do run throughs for the first time. Run throughs are when you pay to run your dog on a course but are not competing. You can go with the course as they have it set up or decide on your own course or if you are like me, you get lost and do a different course than you had decided to do in the first place. I KNOW that I over think riding and agility. I need to relax and let go - it is MUCH better then.

Smudgie was still mellow (for Smudgie anyway) from Thursday Agility Class. The dogs' normal day is being kenneled from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or more. Saturday is following me around the house and sometimes a nap at lunch. Today was following me around and then going to Dog Works. Maybe baby needed a nap?

We get there and she does her warm up stretches. She got her dose of Miles right away. She is CRAZY about him. We find a spot where I don't think the other dog will bother her and I walk the course and decide my route. I start at the tire and have a weird angle to the weaves which end running towards the wall. She gets in the weaves and then decides to skip a pole or two. We try again and again. Finally she gets them and gets much praise and treats. We head to a couple of jumps and then I need to get her to the left entrance of the tunnel and back over the jump to wrap and go to an oxer. The next jump I did a rear cross on her and pushed her to the tire ending. It was great! She did very good bottoms on the A-Frame. I decided not to do the weaves any more. I would rather get them correct than to keep doing them badly. 

Our next run was horrible! Without immediate feedback I am not sure what happened. I am going to put most of it on first time jitters. We are better than how we went.  I think I was nervous about this but will give next week another shot. You can have a bad agility day. But I worry about this meaning how our competing will go. NO! Don't think like that. Training opportunities. How many squirrels did it take to train Wyatt to focus on me? Quite a few.

Afterwards, Miles worked with us on the teeter. I am at a bit of a quandary as the owner wants to work with Smudgie on teeter and that is how she ended up fearful. With Miles' way she is making progress. I had sweat rolling off my forehead when we finished.

It is hard to do sometimes but I like to focus on what all we did well and not dwell on what did not go well. I need to do some rearranging in the house and set up weaves, tunnels and jumps. We (I) need more practice! If the floor was not so cold in the kitchen, I would relocate the pups' kennels into there but no can't do that to them. I keep the house cool enough as it is. Hmmmm what else can I drag upstairs?? I might have a home for the hide-a-bed.

My run on the trampoline went well. While I did not do my floor work, I did move it ;) Having success now. A little weight loss and some tightening up. Pat on the back there!

Dog walks later were a little dicey. Taking Wy and Smudgie is working well. Wyatt has been showing great restraint when Smudgie is all jazzed and yelling in his face. He is the BEST dog.

Very windy so I decided not to ride with a lesson on Sunday. In hindsight I should maybe have taken the chance. Lesson at 2:00 p.m. I left by noon had plenty of time to get ready and get Josie. She cooperated and met me at the gate. HS put out three caveletti (4" and some). We talked about my position. She watched for a while and we tried my right foot one notch shorter as the saddle kept slipping to the right. I have half hole stirrups that I am going to put on the saddle (can't remember if I had to put more half holes in or not but we shall see) and see if that works better. I also need to lengthen my torso as I am collapsing my left hip which makes much sense. It feels tight a lot of the time and the thigh muscle feels pulled at the groin and down. Josie was VERY frisky. She tried bucking a couple of times. I was not in the mood for that. I was nervous enough. It was hard to trust her after that but it got better.

HS had us go over the caveletti at walk then trot. At one point, Josie stumbled and the next time through she thought about taking the other two at once. No, no, no. HS discussed the different jumping positions half seat and two point. We worked on me doing them.  I need to chest out and butt out. On the long side, I would ride in half seat and then post on the ends. We need to practice these transitions in the trot and canter. Also, go across the diagonal with the poles - gives an extension to her trot.

It was quickly identified that Josie and I are are really out of shape. I thought I was pretty good since I had been working out but NO. A few walk breaks and Josie and I made it through the lesson. I have lots of homework.  For my position I want to remember to put leg on when I go to half seat or full seat as she will think that I mean for her to slow. If she is racing around when I am in two point circle her. I do want her to look at the jump with her head up (the bottom of her eye not the top) not totally rounded.

I am inspired in all aspects agility, horse jumping and working out. In a way they intertwine and all will get better. I really need to go get my gait viewed!


"I will define myself . . .I will write my own praises! And no one will tell me what I can and cannot be! Who am I? I am a champion!"

I really believe you can do anything you put your mind to. You have to try. You need to learn and mostly you need not to ever give up!

iLive!

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