What's on my wish list this week?

Present giving time is coming up. I like to wrap (haha) up all my shopping before black friday. That's when the malls get frantic-crazy and I don't enjoy crowds and lines.

I also have to make sure to have my own wish list in order, because otherwise my family wouldn't know what to get me because I'm so darn picky! Luckily, I eventually get most of the stuff because of the following lucrative months:

Nov: my birthday
Dec: Christmas
Jan: wedding anniversary
Feb: Valentines's Day

Though, sadly, for the rest of the year, it's a desert.

I keep a bookmark folder on my browser labeled 'wish list' which does include links to wanted items and actual wishlists like Dover's and SmartPak's lists with auto-login on, etc. This list method makes it easy to remove the flavor of the month with something more interesting. I add details in the link name such as color or size choice so they know which one to buy. My family can just hop on my computer and see what I want and where to get it - any time of year. (hint, hint)

So here's a sampling of horse related items on my list. Let's face it, it's almost my entire list.

In and out

Two foot, one stride in-n-out, landing the correct lead EVERY time and in the rain. Feels awesome!  

Homemade Birthday

Thursday is my birthday, I'll be 39. Wow.

This weekend, my kid was home from college and we celebrated birthdays since her birthday is Friday (she'll be 18) - I was in labor all of my 21st birthday, haha!

We had a great time getting pedis and dinner out.
From my wish list, she connected with the Facebook duo of Two Socks Designs and Custom Stall Signs and got me this custom designed hat. It has all Sam's markings, my royal blue color and of course, his show name on the back. :)  LOVE IT!!

Leather Elements on Etsy

And in the theme of all things horsey, my younger daughter picked this gorgeous leather cuff from my etsy wish list. My husband got me Hunter Seat Equitation by George Morris because unbelievably, I haven't read it yet!

My bestie friend, Heather - also a horse gal, arranged for this saddle pad to be made from the same Facebook duo of Two Socks Designs and Custom Stall Signs with both sides embroidered (as they should always be!) in the cutest custom Sam caricature. VERY well done on a lovely color TuffRider pad.

Saaaaam.    What?!

Cutest boy ever!

HAVE to see the closeups!

Highly recommend these ladies! The only thing I didn't like was the pad smells like stinky baby pureed carrots, even after washing (no idea why). 

Happy, happy girl!

Wherein I hang on and it doesn't work

On Saturday I came off my horse. For like the 9th time - I had to stop counting.

We were jumping the gray oxer and my intention was to head to big brick next which is straight ahead to the right, hidden behind the oxer's right wing. It's exactly what I did the last time I jumped big brick so successfully.

But I forgot to keep my eyes up the WHOLE time (been working on this) and instead at some point peeked at the jump - because apparently I think I can figure out when we're going to take off - and got a little left behind.

Sam landed low which is happening often lately and I landed low and looking down and when I went to push off his neck to sit up, I realized it wasn't going to happen. Instead of then bailing which the old me would have done, I grabbed around his neck in hopes to hang on until things settled. 

It's all fun and games...

Except that's exactly when Sam turned 90 degrees left toward the barn window. And I rolled right off the side of him. I actually touched my helmet to the metal you see below the windows. Just touched, like barely, because I was already down, just had momentum. Tink.

until your horse decides not to help you out.

And then he was off and ran down the side of the barn stage left to look for hay some horse might have dropped out their window.

I was fine, got right up. Marched over to my unabashed horse and remounted. We schooled some lateral and popped over an 18" jump. Then we did the oxer again, with eyes UP, perfectly. We continued to canter down the rail around the short end then finished with a revv'd canter down the other side. Sometimes, it helps to break loose a little after all that adrenaline. :)

2 Point Challenge

Date	Duration	Notes
10/2 Wed	1:24	Wow, thought I'd be more awsome to start. I did have to work extra hard to keep Sam moving.
10/13 Sun	2:04	With crop in hand, I just kept reminding Sam to keep moving. After a few laps (outside in the sunshine, yay!) he got the point and kept the pace :)
10/19 Sat	2:15	Sam knows the drill now. Burn in my lower calf and a little back twinge made me stop this time. Need to do more sets during the week.
11/4 Mon	2:35	Missed clocking a time the week before. At least there's improvement. I definitely didn't do a good job of working on it during the week. So there's improvement room there. But my cardio outlasted my lower calves, so at least I'm on the right track. :)

Big Brick

Two and a half years ago I started jumping. The first two years were tough. The first year I was learning all the basics, balance, strength and unknowingly using the wrong kind of saddle (Flair) that would double bounce my horse after every jump - making him hump hump hump. 

The second year ushered in a new saddle and new trust building with my horse for a total of 2+ years to finally get to 2'-2'3". But I have arrived. And then I found my next target: big brick.

There's two jumps I do not jump at my barn. The 'stone wall' and the 'big brick'. Big brick is 2'x2' of solidness. I think stone wall is a hair bigger, I need to measure it. Both are mentally scary. If we tap them, it could get really ugly instead of just knocking down a rail. But I've been eyeballing big brick for the last month. Any why not? I've been jumping that 2'3" high by 2' wide oxer all month. Friday, I really wanted to make it happen, so I rode towards it, chickened out with plenty of time and jumped the 'baby brick' (18") instead which is off to the left. Deflated.

Yesterday, all by myself in the jump arena (people at barn, just not in the arena), I jumped it. It was also the first time for Sam. I just kept saying, look up, look up, look up. And then Sam did a serious plant to the base and we had liftoff. 

I'm 99% positive I said 'shit' as we were soaring over, haha. 

I'm pretty sure Sam had the same sentiment as well because on the other side he landed low with his head between his knees (very last year, old saddle style) but I stayed tall and eyes up, instead of diving with him. And I easily had him picked up in the very next stride. SO freaking exciting!!

Sam posing in front of Big Brick

Riding buddy, Amy, says I have to jump it today when I ride later with her. I replied,"Only if I can muster up the nerve again!"

Check! Another goal complete!

One of my goals this year was to jump bareback at any height. I'm happy to say that I've actually jumped about a dozen times now over the last 2 months. But none of them have been higher then 12"and they were Xs. And really, we just focused on cantering over them, hehe.

But today, I was braver and jumped the already set up vertical. It's still technically a canter, but it felt more like a jump because it had some oomph at the takeoff.

Measures at 19"

So I think I can officially check it off my list :D

Goals, 2nd half 2013

1. Successfully show 2' hunters by end of season. (not counting the 2' show earlier this year when I fell off)
• Successfully showed 2'3" and won the LS Division!
2. School 2' 3".
• Schooling 2'3"x 2' oxers!
3. Jump in bareback pad at any height.
• 19" so far!
4. Lose inches off my hips and tummy - enough to nicely fit back into my size L FITS Bekas that were too tight this time last year. Still wearing the XL Bekas I bought after I saw photos of me in the larges o0.
• I've lost 11 lbs since Aug. More inches to go if I want to get into the Larges.
5. Break in my tall boots all the way so I can actually show in them.
• I've decided the Donatellos I have aren't going to get any shorter and they are way too tall for me still. Just got in some Mountain Horses that are short enough… these may work.