Sunday, January 15, 2023

2023 Adventures

 For someone that was seriously thinking their riding career was over, I've got a pretty crowded summer coming up.  Kiki is moving up to Trainer Z's place in the first week of April so that's going to be exciting!  Trainer Z has a 2022 foal that one of her clients bought so Kiki is going to share a field with a lovely, very fancy liver chestnut filly called Vivian that is just a couple days older than her.  Viv is currently living with the broodmares but they're both due in April and she'll need a new roomie.  The timing is perfect.  The two girls can grow up together all feral and hairy in a pasture with Trainer Z's supervision as I learn how to work with a yearling.

Kiki's future roommate, La Vie En Rose WPF (Delaney PF-Donarweiss GGF x Landsong-Lancaster-Langraf I)

From what I've learned so far, they primarily run around hairy and dirty and focus on growing as yearlings.  She'll be coming up to the barn to practice standing, leading, and grooming.  She's also going to be going to some breed shows so she has to learn how all of that works.  Sure, her breeder was teaching her to trot on a lead at three months but it seems like a skill we should keep working on.  I'm planning to enter Amateur Handler and hire a pro for the classes that actually count.  I don't want to make her look bad when the breeder and stallion's owner are so excited.

From Kiki's Christmas photos.  She's on the left, the buckskin on the right is Ozzy (same breeder but unrelated, the class of 2022 was gorgeous)

Alongside Kiki's adventures to breed shows, there's the true star that has his own show schedule.

Someone tried to pick my pocket during his Christmas photo shoot

Theo will be debuting his Second level freestyle with Trainer Z at the first big show of the season in June.  Once she's got her freestyle scores, all attention shifts to making sure he's ready to do flying changes and trying to get those two scores I need to finish my Bronze.  Today we practiced our canter half passe to flying change and the shoulder in to haunches out that you see in Third 2.  We're pretty sure Third 2 is a better test for Theo so we might as well start there.  A flying change going into the corner can keep the drama to a minimum and he is so strong in the transition from shoulder in to haunches out.  The half passe we're getting figured out, the flying change?  Yeah, it's time for me to wake up big boy Theo.  It's been awhile but he popped a buck today and it was fine.  Time to turn that dial up and unleash all the power he's developed with Trainer Z. 

Dusting off the big boy bridle, Theo is so thrilled

Fall will probably wind up with Theo at the regional championships with Trainer Z, showing off their freestyle.  I will hopefully also be going to the regional breed show championships with Kiki but it's going to be harder to get her qualified.  Theo just needs two freestyles over 65% to qualify.  Given his history in freestyle, his professional choreography, and the fact he's being ridden by a pro, he's got a very good chance of doing that.

I'll be just the owner at a lot of outings but I'm still excited.  My dissertation starts this summer with my proposal being submitted so I know I won't have the time to be a full fledged horse mom.  I'm still grateful for every ride after thinking I was completely done.  I'll still be happy even if I'm just part of the cheering section and holding the drool rag to clean up Theo's bridle before he heads in.

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