Some of my favorite mounted games events are the pairs competitions that MGAA member, Stacey hosts at the Jefferson County, WV Fairgrounds.  For this weekend’s event there I paired up with long time games friend, Leigh Anne, creating the pairs team, Hot Minute, for some laid back games fun. 

The weekend started out with a social Friday evening.  After setting up Possum in his stall I was able to chat with friends, and enjoy some camp time.  In the evening Matt, Leigh Anne and I went for Ledo’s Pizza and were to bed at a reasonable hour, respecting a 6am wake up time. 

Saturday morning we rode in the first heat of the day so we were tacked up and walking our ponies around nice and early.  Somehow I managed to take a spill during this *just walking* time frame.  I think I might have been trying to shift my saddle and I could have possible kicked Possum and he leaped forward in response.  Since I was already in a compromised position, off I went.  Nothing bad.  But still a bit of a shakeup.  Leigh Anne and I did get a good WTF laugh out of it.  I climbed back on and we warmed up.  Possum remained a little tense and didn’t work out of it like I was hoping.  This was not from my tumble, but was how he was from the moment I mounted up. 

The first session was rough.  Leigh Anne looked good but Possum was trying to buck, then he put his head up to avoid my hands.  I realized he was “bolting” with me.  But I don’t think he is aware of going fast yet, so it was more of a runaway lope.  I could still pull him up and or turn him, but it was very lacking in the control and precision I am used to.  It was very much a slow motion bolt.  Annoying.  He also was nervous in the equipment lane which wasn’t too out of the ordinary.  

After session one, Leigh Ann, Matt, and I were able to put our three geldings out in the little paddock for a bit.  As expected the three were too busy eating to care about each other.  This seemed to really help Possum.  He was much more relaxed when I mounted up for session two.  I also added a running martingale.  The combo of pony mental break and martingale seemed to go a long way.  In the first race he hit the martingale and was like “OH” and on we went.  He was so much more focused and ready to work as a team.  Perhaps he just needed a session to settle in, which is not too out of the ordinary for a new games pony, but he better start getting his game face on quicker. 

Leigh Anne rode very well again and Custer seemed to be happy after his lunch break.  She worked on his standing in the ring and made him stand for corrections and gave him a treat on the spot immediately afterwards.  Previously Custer tended to have his head in the way and would move almost sideways into hand offs making it much harder to connect.  Leigh Anne has worked to correct this and we really had some nice handoffs this weekend.  I also think all the dressage lessons she has been taking on him and all of the flat work is really paying off.  The pair showed improvement since the last time we rode on a team together, and Leigh Anne should be happy with the progress.     

After the final competition session on Saturday Brett hosted a clinic.  I decided to join in so that I could see if she had any suggestions for Possum and so he would get another riding session in the competition ring under his belt.  Brett asked us what we each wanted to work on and I asked for her to look at my association.  In competition I have found myself going slower that I do in practice. I tend to slow up because on occasion he bows away from the barrel, and with my hands so busy with the container going slower gives me more time to correct this.  But he also tends to leap forward right about when I get to placement point.  This is very common, and if I were a bit more gutsy like I used to be or perhaps if he necked reined I wouldn’t feel the need to check up as much.  We started the clinic with this and Brett suggested a very dramatic S turn so he can learn the pattern.  This is a common technique and I have no idea why I and none of my usual practice crew didn’t think of it.  On my second run with the dramatic S he was so much better and I felt comfortable and confident at it.  This right here made the clinic worth it. 

While the rest of the students worked on this skill I went over to the equipment lane and rode past, with Possum shying.  Then I allowed him to check everything out, sniffing and nudging with his nose.  When he was done I rewarded him with a treat and then rode past it all again at a trot.  I did this several times getting closer and faster until we were cantering past it just a foot or so away.  I continued to reward him.  I was pleased that this seemed to stick with him for our Sunday session.  He did not bow away in that lane and was not particularly looky.  To me this shows that he is smart and retaining what I am teaching him.  I just need to make a point of finding a way to get things across to him in a way he can truly absorb and retain.  

I took part in a little more of the clinic although the skills the other students requested were not things I needed to particularly work on and find new techniques for.  I’m pretty solid in my flag pulls and have learned ample techniques for it.  Same for litter picks.  I used to do a moving pick up but as I have grown older and rounder I have returned to the older standing pick method and feel pretty solid at it, assuming I lean enough.  Brett agreed with my techniques for both and I decided that Possum had had enough for the day and cut out.  I am very happy I took part.  There are always things to learn, and I am certainly not above it.  I have taken and watched clinics and or been coached by many of the world’s top trainers.  I always find something to absorb.  Even if it’s a technique that does not work for me at this time, it is still valuable and something that might work at a different time and or situation. 

After the riding was complete I joined Matt, Leigh Anne, and Carol Ann for some board games before the whole crew headed out for tacos and margaritas.  We ended up with a much larger group than I originally envisioned and I really enjoyed the time sitting and chatting.  Eventually we headed back to the grounds and a few of us walked just a few yards to the back of the campground and spectated at the tractor pull taking place there.  It was loud and entertaining for a short stint before bed.  

Sunday dawned and we repeated the early rise and warm up before riding into the ring as the first heat.  Leigh Anne and I were in the B final against two other pairs; Alice and Lindsey and the pair of Carly and Tommy.  Possum was really good in this session as well and a complete joy to ride.  He was agile and listened to me, no bucking or slow-mo bolting.  The only race he was problematic in was Hula Hoop, in which he reared away from Leigh Anne while I was in the most compromised of mounting positions.  I did not give us and did manage to get on, while yelling “STAND”!  I believe he wanted to back up and when he hit Leigh Anne’s hand his reaction was to rear.  I have found him to do this multiple times when he wants to get away from being held, or wants to back up.  This is something I am going to have to work on in practice with some friends.  It is completely unacceptable and needs to stop.  Jon and Val both pointed out that, yes he was rearing, and I did good to stick with it.  I needed that bit of confirmation and reassurance as I have admittedly not being feeling super self-assured with my progress with Possum.  And both mounting and rearing are both fear points for me. 

We finished in a healthy second behind Carly and Tommy, which I was pleased with.  Both Leigh Anne and I were there for training and fun and we both felt we got that out of the weekend.  Leigh Anne was super fun to ride with and I am very much looking forward to doing it again.  We laughed a lot and I felt we were both super “whatever” and also extremely encouraging of each other. 

June 10, 2019

We are now officially half way through the 2019 MGAA Mid-Atlantic Series!  Installment four was the first weekend in June at the Grange Equestrian Center in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania.  I was there with Possum, and my team Gone Rogue.  Friday evening after moving in and setting up Matt, Jenny and I went for a little ride out and around the facility and then into the warm up ring, which for this weekend was the lovely indoor.  After a few steps into the indoor Possum came up critically lame.  I dug around and flipped out a nice big rock which had packed into his hoof with the fluffy footing.  Nuts.  We checked back with him an hour later on the grass outside and he jogged out fine.  Close one. 

Saturday morning arrived and we were mounted up and warming up for our 8am start time, and a few steps into the warm up ring and boom, he was off again.  I pulled him out, writing it off in the immediate as a stone bruise and went into the ring on foot to “coach” my team.  They were very supportive and took my coaching like the professional games players they are.  I was stressed about Possum but being able to still be in there and a part of the competition helped tremendously.  Val and Jon were working off only three hours of sleep and rode incredibly well considering. Gone Rogue finished second for the session, with a lot of really nice runs.  

After a session filling the role of referee, a friend who is much more knowledgeable than myself took a peek at Possum and also felt like it was a stone bruise. His soundness on the flat and flexing out soundly seemed to point in that direction. She suggested I grab some poultice from the vendor and pack him in hopes of a sound pony come Sunday.  I’m so thankful to have a friend I can ask for her knowledgeable opinion. By this point I had half talked myself into a much more dire prognosis for Possum and was already lamenting he was going to miss Pairs in a few weeks and finger crossing he would be sound by Nationals in July, if ever.

The lovely vendor had a selection of options and another games friend who just happened to be shopping pointed out her favorite.  So I purchased that, packed his hoof and tapped it closed.  Then I was off to the ring for a round of coaching intermediate team Riptide.

Photo L Horn

I was again on foot for the second session, and my team kicked it up even more, coming out in the lead for the session, just a bit behind in the overall scores.  Go Gone Rogue. It was a strong session and they were all four really on.

By the time the day of riding (or not riding for me), refereeing and coaching was over it was already quite late, and the rain was starting to roll in.  Val and I hung out chatting and were later joined by Matt before we all decided to call it a night. 

Photo: L Horn

I was up early Sunday, and ready to test out Possums freshly treated hoof for soundness.  I tossed on his saddle and rode into the warm up ring.  We walk, trotted, and cantered in both directions and he was solid sound.  Good thing or I was thinking Possum burgers for dinner.  I was done by about 530, way too early to get ready for our 8am session, so I untacked, and put Possum back in his stall. I scooped up some breakfast for him and then went back to camp for my own. 

A little while later our warm up was under way and a thunder storm rolled in.  Everything delayed, the race list was shortened, and we rode into the ring at 9am for our session start. 

Photo: L Horn

Sunday was not as good of a session for Gone Rogue, and we actually finished 5th in it.  I’ll take some of the blame; I was slow, flicked a handoff, and also had to circle a barrel, but I was not the only one having a rough go, and I was only in about half the races.  Some sessions everyone is on and some sessions everyone is not on.  We did hang onto the overall placing and finished the competition in second. We averaged 5th place in most of Sunday’s races which killed us, and kept us 12 points off the win. But the other all finish was solid and I will credit to my four teammates who carried me.

Photo: L Horn

For myself, I was very nervous that I was somehow going to hurt Possum.   A bit over the top I know, but he was attempting to buck, especially when I would push him out.  It was very unlike him and got me into spiral thinking that something was wrong.  I believe it was Val that pointed out that he probably didn’t like the mud hitting his belly, since it was sloppy after that heavy morning rain.  He eventually worked out of it, probably when his belly was liberally coated in mud (Jenny’s observation) and we ended feeling good about our ride. I also think Possum and I were not warmed up from Saturday’s sessions like everyone else and we were feeling a bit fresh and twitchy.  I have never been a nervous player, successfully compartmentalizing the nerves away, but this season I have been feeling it quite a bit more. I do need to recognize that Possum was still much better than he was at MA2 (which was a huge improvement from MA1) and although I was somewhat waiting for a pony explosion, he was fine. 

Photo: L Horn

My hand offs have also gone to crap.  I believe I am not focusing and following through on them like I should be, since I am more focused on my pony.  In the Ring Race, I got the hand off nice and clean from Carly, and then let it flick, like a rubber band being shot right back out of my hand.  We have pairs next weekend and I am hoping to work on some of this “trust yourself” and “just ride your damn pony” and “stop thinking” or maybe “start thinking” stuff there and try to convince myself to stop being such a twit.  Sometimes I tell kids I am coaching “head in the game” and I need to take my own advice.

My team was amazing, of course.  Carly takes home the most accurate award for, I believe, the third team competition in a row this year.  Her leaning and reaches were amazing and that little pony of hers has really come into his own and is racing faster and faster.  Jon was mostly accurate with a few bobbles.  He got “all five things” lined up for nearly every lean and mostly crushed them.

Photo: L Horn

Matt really needs to work on his general steering around turns and steering with his end turn vaults.  He improved throughout the competition but I don’t think he is aware of how wide he is going at times. He also really needs to look to his team when he is riding anchor for instruction to push home, vs looking at the competition (when his team is already yelling for him to push, push home!).  He loses valuable seconds looking to see who he is racing when he could he pushing instead.  I will give him, he is pushing his pony much more effectively.  More so than I have ever seen him do, so go Matt.  Val was her usual rock star self, although BabyFace had some regression.  Thinking about it over the past week, we had him starting nearly every race, which he doesn’t normally do.  He would instantly get worked up as soon as the starting equipment was in Val’s hand, backing into the rest of the team and generally sporting a more intense then normal deer (or lama) in headlights face. So by the end of the weekend Val was starting way behind everyone, somewhat backwards, or shimming side to side up towards the line. Although she was making up that time, it was still time lost.  He also started to Flintstone out at the equipment or at the top of the ring, getting stuck for a second.  He would then turn and fly home, but again, time lost.  I still don’t know how Val pulls off the skills she does on that pony going so fast.  And she was pulling it off. But he had stompy moments and was just not up to his current standard.

Objectively, and my final take aways; I don’t feel Matt is in his strongest position when he goes last. His skills are stronger in other positions and it’s a waste to have him riding anchor.

Photo: L Horn

Second, I don’t feel BabyFace is in his strongest position when he goes first.  Just like with Matt, BF has strengths we were not using and instead we were stunning his poor lama brain. Lesson learned.

Third, I need to man up and stop being a pansy.  “Head in the game Krista, head in the game!”

All notes for the next competition.