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The show didn't go as well as i'd hoped.
In Road Hack and Show Hack he would NOT pick up his lead. I literally went around the ring setting him up for it, asking, transitioning up and then down again when he picked up the wrong lead. He wouldn't switch them either. He was leaning like a madman against my inside leg the whole time we were cantering. I think he was overwhelmed and i was stressed because of his actions. In show hack the judge said this is a show hack horse. He would have placed higher if he'd gotten his leads! Damn. (Since it was a schooling show the judge gives you feedback. I did not agree with much of what the judge said and neither did my coach. One horse was on the wrong lead every time and placed 3rd overall... ?) I believe the judge did not like Boomer's knee action. We did amzingly in pleasure and hunter hack. I came forth in pleasure because i was the only one there who knew what the judge was looking for in a pleasure horse. I truly belive we should have placed higher, her comments were let go of the contact, yet i had no contact. The girl who placed second had her horse in a "frame" with his poll basically at eye level. Definitley not a pleasure horse. Ah well. Riding a big-ass Percheron is not about winning when you go into a hunter show. It's about learning and letting him get a feel for the ring. Our first time in a show ring in three summers. Pretty damn good feeling, even if we didn't place. I do love my horse, so much, he's a star in my eyes. My coach had a good pep talk with my after the show, she said listen we didn't buy him to be a hack horse. He's going to event and he will shine. Just wait, keep doing little shows to prepare yourselves. You'll see. I hope she's right!

He developed windpuffs literally in the show ring, when i came out they were hot and swollen. Definitly due to the footing in the indoor. Our outdoor rings are super soft and sandy whereas the indoor is packed after a long winter of riding. It must have been a shock to his legs. We treated them with some cool hosing and a linament wash. There isn't much to do about windpuffs, but you can deal with the heat and swelling which we did. I gave him Monday off and Tuesday they were still there but not causing him to be off or sore to the touch so i rode.

Jumping lesson Tuesday was FABULOUS. We did all of the hunter jumps which were set up and filled wtih flowers and gates from the show. He was sooo so good and I was good! I was confident and happy for some reason. We did combinations of lines, courses, popped over everything a couple times. He isn't coming into the jumps straight, we need to work on cantering in the ring and going straight. My coach said i need to translate the gorgeous to-die-for canter we have on a 20-m circle into cantering through a course. I totally agree. Everything was better than last week, my position was better, his movement was better, we were in sync and loving life! The jumps were 2'3 -2'6... my coach said she liked seeing me do things between the jumps, adjusting, thinking, working him... and soon when we put the height up everything will fall into place.

I rode the next day and his windpuffs were swollen and sore again, but still, he was not off so i walked and trotted and gave him a linament wash and let him graze for an hour and consume as much "green" as possible. We're getting them ready to move into their grazing paddock so letting him graze is a daily routine.

My ride yesterday was excellent as well. It was flat , he was working with me instead of against me as he does sometimes when we're alone, he moved beautifully, we had a nice big canter around the ring, we explored different areas of the ring. It was a great ride. My position felt okay, better than it usually does when i'm on my own just riding for fun.

I'm off now for another ride!