Goals...

I had a good ride on Sera last night. I read over the Second Level Dressage tests and we can do all the movements but I worry about my brain retaining the tests! Especially learning four tests that all have similar movements in different orders... they can jumble up together in my brain.

Showing is friggin' spendy. It's giving me a little heart burn to tell you the truth.

I will enter the Cheyenne WY show August 7 & 8 for sure. Not positive we can swing the Estes Park show... that show nickles and dimes ya to death! It closes August 8th which gives me time to think on it.

Anyway, with three weeks til Cheyenne, Sera and I practiced the downward transition from medium canter back to collected... sometimes she likes to keep going strong and the downward transition is u-g-l-y. She was good last night tho!

We worked on our simple changes (canter to walk and from the walk back to canter). We did them down the long side, through diagnonals and serpentines, in figure 8's. She is pretty solid there.

Practiced our backing... she can come up above the bit, shuffle without clear footfalls or go crooked.

And I practiced sitting the medium trot. Hoo boy. That's a killer. Maybe the judge will be kind because she/he will be doubled over in laughter?

Now I'll begin to memorize tests and put it all together... a true test to see if she's on the aids and ready for whatever I ask of her!

After riding, I brought Toe out in the front pasture (near the chickens that he wants to eat... figure they are a good distraction!) and practiced our heeling, sits, downs, 3 and 5 minute stays, figure 8 heeling, swing, stand.... would be great to get his novice obedience title this fall/winter along with his tracking title! Then we can move on to rally ... agility.... and a hunt title.

After having our big ol' Booker dog and I got SO burned out with showing. The conformation ring wasn't my thing and the obedience work I was doing became less and less fun and more and more negative for me and Booker. When you aren't having fun anymore, what is the point? Too much time, money and work goes into it. No reason to be miserable!

I wanna have fun with Toe and experience a little bit of everything. Keep things light and positive. Whatever we really enjoy, we can pursue further. I know tracking is on my list of things to continue with.

Thought it might be fun to get basic titles on him in events I've never done before; see what they are all about.

What are you guys working on this summer? What do you hope to accomplish? Tell, tell!