Taking a break from christmas set up!

Mary Mack

Mary Mack

Thanksgiving day 2

Mary Mack

A great weekend!!!!!

What a really great weekend!!!!!
Everyone had such a great school at loch moy.

I just can't believe how awesome little ava was. She did everything perfectly, on the first try, in perfect form. She also loves water.

Emily did a great job with the horse she is trying out. She rode him at South winds in Damascus.
I recommend it if anyone is looking for a good relaxed but efficient atmosphere to get their horses out.

Dave and I had an awesome date. We had the best food ever at Lucky Corner (as always).
We did a little christmas shopping, all while Maggie raged with Elizabeth.  I think Mags is going through a growth spurt. She has been a bit nutty lately!!!!

Looking forward to this week of thanks with friends and family!!!!

Mary Mack

Watch "Ava at the ditch" on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTLWsBsUS9A&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Mary Mack

Watch "Ava bn fences" on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AO3RolevWs0&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Mary Mack

Mary Mack

Who else

Owns a dog that gets stuck like this. Ten minutes.

Mary Mack

I realize the last photo made it look like I bought a pony due to the high fencing.
Ava, is a 16.1 hand tb mare, 2006.
She continues to amaze me. She was an absolute angel today. I genuinely look forward to riding her every day and have to pace myself not to over due it as she is green and not fit.

Beasty is still on vacay and I think she is over it.

Callie has come back to work from her vacay and is giving me some amazing work!

Summer has been a little star.

And riding Duncan doodles at his first training was a TOTAL blast!!!!!

Maggie had a really great lesson tonight. Her half seat is SOLID!
Mary Mack

Welcome Ava!!!!

A big welcome to Red Hawke eventings newest team member!!!!
Never have I seen a horse pass a vetting so easily!!!
Now if I can actually force my self to re sell her.
Fancy she is indeed!!!!!!
Mary Mack

Oh maggie :(

Mary Mack

Waredaca was....

Interesting.
Packer, Fiesta, and Duncan were all awesome in the dressage.
I was so proud of all three horses!

Then things got a little hectic.

Alexis's boot broke, ending with it being taped with zebra print duct tape.

Poor Alex was second to go in show jumping and the woman before him had a bad fall. He did a great job shaking it off and rode a great solid round with a few innocent green moments.
Alex had a great go xc, respected the terrain and ended third!

Fence three was the bogie fence of the day. The horses were so busy looking at the judges hut, they were startled when all of the sudden there was a little black plank in front of them.
A horrid, evil, little black plank.

Packer conquered it on the first attempt but jumped so damn big that he pushed Alexis up out of the saddle into his neck. She almost made it, trying to regain control for a full minute until finally she had to jump off. I wish I had it on tape because after the initial pissed offniss wears off, it was funny as all get out.

Fiesta was a blaze of confidence going into the show jump ring. It didn't feel like the footing  in warm up worried her at all (it was awful). She came around to  fence three and the poor girl felt shocked. I didn't really react, figured now she knew it was there put my leg on hard but now she was worried. I had to ride quite aggressively which doesn't always make Fiesta feel good.
She did put her big girl pants on though and jumped well for me through the rest of the show jumping...........

We left the box well cross country. That has been her claustrophobic panic inducer at the last two events.
She jumped the first fence well and then I lost her.
This mare is so quirky. She gets worried about the things around the jumps, not the jumps themselves. If I can get her locked on the jump, we are golden. But man running up that hill and hitting the crest was not a good moment for that little momma.

Now to process. The most important thing to me is that the horses I ride are happy. Jumping makes Fiesta happy. Terrain, going through gates, tree lines....not so much.  I will spend time marinating and then Melissa and I can plan. Perhaps we can change her training process? Maybe do hunter paces? Try her as a hunter, either show or fox.....Maybe it's irrelevant and she just had a bad day.

I have those sometimes.

I guess the point is, there is no point.

I still had a great day. Fiestas owner Melissa is awesome. She has become a good friend. Alexis and Alex (and their horses) made me proud.
Alexis made me proud with her attitude. It's alot harder to be mature when things don't go perfect, and then to come back swinging.
And lets face it, with horses things aren't always perfect.
No matter how hard we prep, sometimes moments just happen.
Whats the saying?
Life is 10% circumstance and 90% what you make of it?
Something like that.

I want to learn, I want to be a good person surrounded by great friends, and I want to be an AMAZING horse person. Today I did, was, and got one step closer.

Now I'm going to eat a ridiculous amount of chinese food and snuggle with Maggie and Dave.

Mary Macklin