Kitty's Surprise!

Sometimes in shows you don't always get your horses best---sometimes you don't get anything out of them and occasionally you get the unexpected joy ride of your life!!!  I went to a horse show this past weekend just to get some more reining experience for my horse--this was her 4th time with everything--remember I don't have sand to practice on....I'm sorta in love with a new horse sport--reining: sliding stops, spins, fast and slow circles, rollbacks, long backing!  It's really fun and takes an athletic horse!  Anyway, 2 of the 3 other times I showing Kitty she reared in her class because she was just too confused with what I wanted.

The reining horses were all doing well and putting on a good show for the reining trainer....The cheers were loud for each horse....Then, It was my turn to go.....I was nervous and excited.  I had been working with her, but I didn't know what to expect.....I paused to say a quick prayer before I entered into that lonely arena. Our spins were first--slower than what I wanted, but no rears.....next our circles...a few mistakes, but nothing big......we move on to the rollbacks....boom huge sliding stop!!!  I'm smiling.  I'm not nervous.  I'm having a blast.  There were 3 times for the sliding stops and she did them...HUGE!  We're done...already? Silence.  No whistling cheers for me as I'm not known in the horse show world, but that didn't matter....WE DID IT!!! NO REARS!!  AND.....Kitty was sliding and it felt so cool to ride that!!!!  It was a personal best for us!  My Dad was volunteering at the gate at that time and overheard the trainer tell his group of girls, "Now, that was a good sliding stop!"  and he shows all over with his horses so that was really neat that Dad overheard that!

Very cool experience!  It won't be soon forgotten!  Amazing horse! Amazing ride!  Thanks for the great surprise Kitty!  :) <3

Keep on Smiling/Liberty work

What have I been up to?  It's the time of the year that just gets really busy so that can make it stressful.  Last week I felt like a failure....I just wasn't succeeding at anything!  And maybe in most peoples eyes, I still haven't truly succeeded this week and one of my ongoing goals (that alot of people can do!) seems to be quite unreachable....but I had a different outlook this week and I'm truly smiling inside and out!  It's funny...we go through life with alot of the same problems and one day they don't bother us and the next they really bother us!  Or it's just one problem after another!  I know we are all faced with problems every day we live.....and I just have to keep reminding myself that God still loves me and is in control.

Perhaps one reason for my smiley face, is that my girls worked really well on our liberty work.  So what's this liberty work stuff?  Basically, it's an advanced way of working with your horse so that eventually you don't need much of anything to control your horse.  Liberty horses don't need bits, halters, or lead ropes-the horse is free from all that stuff!  I think they like it that way too!  Most of you know....my horses are NOT perfect and we are in the very early stages, but I feel somewhat advanced too because they are doing so well for how few times I've done this!  It just takes more time and I like to just get out and ride!  But my girls seem to be helping me out!  Below is Missy getting ready to be warmed up!

Kitty is more than ready for her turn! 

I was trying to take a "my view" pic but I barely get anything....

Here we are trotting together side by side...Missy is on a lead rope but very loose--basically if I need to correct her it's there!  These are both mares too!  One has an attitude problem and the other is the herd leader!  So not exactly easy picks for this, but we're coming!  And we're having loads of fun too!

And whatever ya do...keep trying....keep striving.....and keep smiling!!!  :)