Glass Half Full?

So, today was one of those days that tests you a little bit. Like your life outlook. Kind of. I got up and was worn out. I now set at least 8 alarms on my phone. I got up and sat up in my bed for like 10 minutes trying to make myself move. And I finally did. I was kind of missing home and stuff but once I got moving I started to feel alright. And it was one of those days where I decided that I just wanted to look decent. Not that there is anyone up here to care about how I look, but sometimes you just have one of those days where looking nice makes you feel nice. This was one of them. So I straightened my hair for the first time in a while. I put on my faaavorite purple riding pants and one of those teal sports bra-becomes-shirt shirts. And I grabbed my cute sunglasses. And I looked in the mirror and was like, ah, now this is going to be a good day. So off I go to the barn, good song on the radio. Get to the feed room. Hook my sunglasses on my shirt. The big trash can thing that holds the feed is about empty. So I grab a bag of feed, open it up, and heave it up on my leg and dump it in the trash can. Full trash can of feed now. I scoop out two 1/2 scoops for Hickory and Mr. I, my first feed stop of the morning. I reach for my sunglasses. No sunglasses. I feel around on my shirt. Not there. I pat my head. Not there. I a little more frantically feel around my waistband. Not there. I turn and look back at the door. I look on the floor. I move to a different spot and look some more on the floor. I do the whole body pat down again. Not there. Then, I look at the trash can full of feed. I say, outloud, to whoever controls these things, "You're shitting me." Nope. I shove my hand down in the feed and dig around, coming up empty handed. Really???? I already started 5 minutes late. These are my GOOD, CUTE, prescription sunglasses that I love. Out comes the feed scoop. Scoop by scoop I fill up the first bucket, and then a second, and then a third. Sifting through feed searching for the lost sunglasses. When I run out of buckets I start filling up an empty trash can. Scoop after scoop. "You've got to be kidding me. This is ridiculous." And then I strike gold. Three buckets and half a trash can full of feed later. There were my sunglasses, lost in a trash can full of feed. How do these things happen to me? I wasn't quite sure at that point what kind of sign this was for the rest of my day--a little frustrating and irritating, but then it was kind of ridiculously funny, too.

So, then I'm hanging out at the big barn/stadium ring. Martha wants me to bring Mr. I up from the little barn pasture he's in with Hick so the farrier can look at his feet. So, I walk aaalll the way down there and get him and walk him all the way back up to the main barn. And the farrier had left. Haha. Hahaha. Ok, so I take him back. It's good exercise, I tell myself. It's 10:10, I have a cross country lesson at 10:45. Forgot my socks. Run back to the house and grab my socks and a banana. Eat banana, put on socks and boots and chaps. Saddle-check. Hickory's jumping boots-ehhhh. Flies here are ridiculous. Hickory is stomping his feet and moving from side to side, making it extraordinarily difficult to put his boots on his cute little legs. I would get one on and get the first strap on and then he would stomp his foot and the boot would slide down out of place. I was starting to get frustrated. It was really hot, and it's not really good to be late to your 30 min time slotted lesson. And then adding everything else that had already happened, this was starting to push it. I eventually got the boots on and then his bridle. 10:42. It's about a 6 minute walk from one barn to the other. A little faster if you're riding. But wait, I can't ride, because I LEFT MY HELMET AT THE BIG BARN! Gah! So off we go. So, I really had to work to pull that glass half full person out of me as we walked, before I got on. It's not good to get on your horse frustrated and mad and it's not fair to them and won't lead to a good ride.

And of course, once I got on I felt 10 zillion times better. Martha said "Good for you! Getting his hind end working early and not just settling!" about our warm up which was good. We did some stadium jumps to warm up, and Hickory was FANTASTIC! We did the one stride and the purple oxer and the triple bar to the four stride vertical. I think we did probably about as much in our warm up today as we did in all of our stadium lessons, he was soo good! And he was feeling really good and energetic. We headed out onto the grass. First was a wood panel with brush under it, with a long gallop to a log then a short gallop to another log, turn around and come back, jump up the bank and off the other side. Things went well. We galloped and then collected. Before the jump did the hoola hoop thing with my hips to say ok we're not just flat out galloping anymore, time to engage the hindquarters, there's something coming up! He hopped right up the bank but we were a little crooked coming off it. So back up it and down it the other direction. And then again. And then one more time. I need practice on the jumping down off the bank part, balance-wise.

The next part was kind of cool, but needs a little bit of explaining. So the little grass cross country section is flat but it is on a hill raised a little above the stadium ring that it is adjacent to (and there is no fence separating the grass from the sand, you can from one to the other). So, you can set jumps on directly along the edge of this hill so that your landing is downhill. You jump off of flat and land on a downhill. OR you can set your jump at an angle so that when you jump, you land on flat ground on the other side but your first stride will be going downhill. The latter is what we did. Rolltops generally have 2 pieces to them, and this rolltop was of decent size (I'd say 3-6in taller than the one at home) with a little brush/hedge on top of it), but we only took one piece of it, so it was a skinny-ish, with a standard on each side, angled on the hill. It was decently intimidating. And this is how Martha explained it should be jumped, "Take off as normal, then as you are in the air think about sitting straight up and letting your reins slide through your fingers about 1-3 inches and think about as you are over the jump saying ok horse here ya go, I'll meet you on the other side in about three or four strides!" And you gather your reins as you gallop off. And we were to gallop off into the stadium arena, make a big change of rein and loop around back to a second, real "skinny" that was a log with an uphill afterwards, then loop around to the ditch. So we came at the downhill rolltop and had a pretty good approach, Hickory and I both were a little unsure of it but at the base of the jump we ended up hopping over it! The funny thing was, I slipped him rein but we didn't go downhill! Martha said "He's too smart! He said, hey I actually don't have to land and go right down that hill, I can just turn left and keep going on straight ground!" So we did it again and this time went down the hill into the stadium arena. Had a big gallop around with a change of rein and headed to the skinny, which we were to approach with a "coffin canter"--small but bursting with energy. We jumped it, but it was a tad bit crooked so we came at it again. And this time with more of a transition from gallop to coffin canter. I personally was impressed with our coffin canter, it felt really cool to have that much energy packaged up under you. Great jump. Around to the ditch.. eeeeeeeeert. Refusal, I was expecting it. After about 2 more refusals we jumped across it from a standstill. And then the same thing again. Then we jumped it twice with some hesitation but no stopping. Martha said, "Finally! Something I can kick your butt about! We're going to be jumping sooooo many ditches! Prelim horse in the making right here!!"

So, I was really, really happy. Hickory was having a great time, I could tell. He was really excited to be galloping and playing. It was turning into a good day after all! I had a biiig break until I had to do the barn in the afternoon. Then, catastrophe struck again. One of the horses, Riper, wears a muzzle when he goes out in the field. And it's just like a halter, just with the muzzle on the end. I attached the lead rope and led him out and unsnapped his "halter" and let him go. Off he went like a rocket. Hmm. Walked back to the barn and went to hang his muzzle up on his stall. Wait. That belongs on his head. Shit. So I drive my car back over to his field, hop the fence and walk towards him. He says 'nuh uh buddy I am freeeee and gettin FAT!' and takes off. Again. I say outloud, "You've got to be shitting me." As I wade through the knee high grass. "Damn it to hell." I get close again and he takes off. I gave up. I went to start my car and realized I had no keys. I look around my car. Not there. I look at the field. Nuh uh. I took a quick look around at where I hopped the fence and didn't see them. Luckily, I had another set in my purse. No time to look for keys now, three more horses to turn out and 5 stalls to do. I finished up and had another go with Riper. Had to get the muzzle on him. Otherwise he would probably gorge himself on the rich grass, colic, and die, and it would all be my fault. I took him a carrot peace offering. Which he thankfully accepted. Muzzle on. But never found my keys. Oh well, I've got another set, and I did find my sunglasses.

Then I got a surprise phone call from Diane! Which made me very happy! So, yeah, it was a day full of ups and downs, but it all evens out in the end, I guess!