Testing, Testing

This week I went through a "mock show" with Marve. We were alone in the arena and I went through the basic motions of the classes we'll be entering. So basically, we just walked, trotted, and cantered large. I worked on my sitting trot, which is getting better. Then we worked on some simple patterns, both with and without stirrups, for equitation.

You might think it's good I'm practicing, but this process ended up making me feel frustrated. Marve felt like he was going a million miles an hour. When he goes large, he gets fast. It's nothing I can't handle but I know it's going to be a problem in the show when he runs up behind other horses. And here he was going that fast when we were alone! By the end, after cantering, I had a difficult time pulling him back to a trot and then a walk in a timely fashion. That is going to be a problem for equitation.

I'd like to stress that I'm so nervous about this show not because I'm worried about which ribbon I'll get. I couldn't care less about that. (And frankly, since I'm riding in the advanced division now, I don't even expect to get a ribbon at all.) My concerns are entirely safety related. What if I can't slow him down and he freaks out the other horses? What if he freaks out himself? What if I freak out and am not riding very well and I contribute to this big mess? I just want to get through this show and be safe without falling off, running into another horse, or causing an accident.

And yeah, I know entering a pleasure class and equitation class at a schooling show isn't exactly rocket science. But I actually wish this could be a dressage show, instead. Then we'd be riding alone and riding a test with circles, etc. which Marve is way better at than just being allowed to run around the full arena and get all fired up.

Oh, and braiding. I practiced a few times, but still haven't done the entire mane because I haven't had the time. I finally understand the technical side of braiding, which trust me, is a big step. Before I was like, "Is yarn really necessary? Why do I need some little hook thingy to pull the yarn through? Pfffft." So at least I know the basics of how to do it, but now I am struggling with stuff like getting the braids tight enough, keeping them spaced evenly, and so on.

The first time I tried braiding, I ended up totally tangled up in yarn. Each hand felt like it consisted of 5 thumbs and I could not for the life of me get a hold of the yarn to braid it in. Thank goodness one of the teenage girls noticed and was nice enough to come over and show me a simpler way of getting organized to start braiding the yarn. It helped immensely. Yay teenage girl!

The reactions from the other teenagers have been pretty funny. One girl stopped and watched me for a moment, and I explained this was my first time braiding and I was just trying to practice. She said, "Oh, you're doing great! Most of the braids you'll see in this show are pretty bad...yours right there already look like they could be some of the best. You have nothing to worry about."

So I felt a little puffed up and proud about that...until later, two girls on completely separate occasions came up to me. It went like this:

Me: It's my first time braiding, so I obviously don't know what I'm doing. But I'll work on it.
Girl: Hey, it's not too bad. As long as you're not entering showmanship, you'll be fine!
Me: Actually, I am entering showmanship.
Girl: ........Oh.

Haha! Gotta love the stable girls.