Holes

You know, not that long ago, I'd have been tickled pink to have two horses sitting in prime ribbon position going into the final day of a competition. 

But here's the thing.... My horses are way nicer than what I see on the scoreboard today. 

Let me start with prophet, since my world sort of rises and falls with him... Last night when we arrived, he felt pretty close to amazing, and this morning he felt pretty close to flat. He finally started to put it together when I suddenly realized I'd looked at the wrong dressage test. Here's me halting in warm-up, trying to watch the rider in front of me to learn my test. Once we made the turn onto center line off the grass and onto screening and the glaring sun, it was all I could do to kick him in front of my leg. When I got my test back, our marks ranged from 4-8, which is pretty much how the test rode. One of the 4's was for that damned stretch over center line which I thought was a lengthening (remember, I watched the person in front to me to learn). We ended the phase on a 36.1 to sit in 4th. 

When I went to watch show jumping, the carnage forced me away... The nagging voice in my head kept reminding me I haven't really jumped in a month. Luckily my horse is awesome and carried me around, although he was a little flat to 2 and 3 pulling two unlucky rails which are not characteristic of him. But, again, we haven't jumped in a month - can I really blame him? 

So now I sit here listening to pete snore and making a plan for p to fill the holes I've created by not devoting the time I need to Into his training. This is a familiar pep talk I have with myself as he makes it so easy to skate along... Until its not. 

Flashy and I have been filling so many holes lately that I need to buy an extra shovel. And I like what is happening.... Except for last night where my little naughty kid spent an hour being hard in the back, hard in the sides, hard in the mouth and pretty much saying "f*ck you". This morning he woke up on a better side of the bed, putting in a decent dressage, with marks ranging from 5-9(!), and scoring a 29.1. Definitely left some marks on the table by not pushing for 'more' but that's ok. Show jumping he was quite good to leave them all up and actually get 2 time penalties... My new way of riding him has slowed him down too much!!! So, not much I would have changed about flash's ride, except to get more out of him, but at least I feel like my plan is working. 

So tomorrow both boys have Xc, where flash has a straight forward romp thru the field with a bit of a question at the water, and p has a pretty damned serious preliminary track. Like, for real serious.  I just keep telling myself that this horse has grown up, and does things now cause he's learned to trust me and our relationship, but when I walk up on questions like the one below, I can't help but think of that gangly track baby that wouldn't go down the hill to the puddle at our first event. 

I'm off to walk the boys around in the dark and enjoy this little bit of alone time with my kids.