Today was better.

My body was functioning properly, which made riding so much easier, and fun. I could actually follow my horse’s movement with my body, instead of just sitting there and steering, like I was doing yesterday due to soreness. I didn’t actually start riding today until about 2, due to delays in the ring. My three classes today were Open Low, Sr. Low Handy, and Adult Ami/Non Pro. All 3fts! And let me tell you, the courses at Heart are actually the right height, 3ft looks gigantic to me! I guess it’s usually slightly smaller at other shows.

My first round was going VERY well. The first three jumps were gorgeous, we were on pace and jumping great! Then coming down a 5 stride after the first fence, Willard caught eye of something outside the ring and ran out of the exit oxer. It’s too bad, cause we were at the perfect distance and he was set up perfectly! Almost every horse today had issues with that line, it was spookier then it was yesterday I guess. He went back to it and jumped out nicely the second time.

Our next round, Sr. Low Handy, was not awful. It was definitely an improvement of  yesterday. Our pace and trust is starting to come back, inch by inch. I couldn’t get him back as quick as I would of liked coming to the trot fence, so we weren’t set up in a nice curve to get to the next fence. I’m not going to complain though, it could have been a lot worse.

Adult Ami/Non-Pro wasn’t as hot as Sr. Low. Will got a bit strong and mouthy after the first part of the course, and started dragging me to the base of jumps. We placed fourth out of five in this class. There is some tough competition at this show. And some gorgeous horses. Can’t wait to see what the next two days bring!

Videos coming soon!

Today was an off day for both horse and rider. Last night’s schooling was mediocre, but I was having a hard time focusing and Willard had too much energy. But whatever, we moved on. This morning I got to the show early to hack out some excess energy. Then we did the usual waiting routine, and begun our day with 2’9 schooling rounds. This is the only 2’9 class we’re doing this weekend! It went all right, there were parts of it that were very nice, like the far outside 6-stride, which we could get right for the life of us last night. Other parts, the the white 5 stride weren’t as nice. But, it was a schooling round after all. So no hard feelings.

My second class of the day was my Sr. Low Hunter.

This round was slightly messier than the first round. By this point in the day, my hip was even stiffer then it started out and my shoulder was being a bad word too. As anybody who rides knows, the hip is a vital joint in our sport. So when that seizes up, you’re pretty much screwed. I was riding very stiff today, and I think that’s why it was hard for us to find our pace on course. It’s frustrating, especially coming off such a great show at Beach. It almost makes me regret taking the past 2 weeks off to rest. Was it worth it? Even when the issues come back as soon as I start competing again? I mean, I didn’t completely take them off, but I did only ride twice in those two weeks. Even more frustrating? The two times I did ride, my body felt fine. Of course, once we get to Heart everything falls apart again when I really need it most.

After my classes today I went straight to an appt with my AT, where I was supposed to start my strength training routine again, but because all my numerous issues have returned, we were unable to do anything besides treatment. My quad, hip, lower back, shoulder, and glute were all worked on. Most of which are actually feeling a little better, except for the shoulder.

But you know what? Tomorrow is a new day. A new show day. We’re going to forget about the pace and distance issues we had today, and start anew in the morning. One day at a time.