Getting ready for the next show

Saturday morning I drove the MINI down to see Blu.  The drive was uneventful, the best kind, and I was at the ranch by 11:30am.  Sharon and I had some things we needed to accomplish in addition to getting a lesson.  We went through the trailer to make sure we had everything we needed for the show next weekend.  I brought down my show saddle and blankets and such so they could all travel with Blu.  During our lesson  Sharon and I rode together and we each had our challenges, which made for learning opportunities.  We can’t always have the awesome rides that we had last weekend.

Blu would challenge me every once in a while by not doing what I asked.  Which then makes me show him that when I ask he should do as I say because I’m not kidding.  It means I had to use my legs a lot.  It’s a war of wills, to see who will hold out longer to get their way.  I won.

We were in the saddle for a while, too, which was lots of fun.  Though since Blu is young we can’t over work him because younger horses, like kids, have shorter attention spans, and we don’t want him to get bored or dislike what we're doing.  We want him to continue to have fun and be a happy horse.

When we finished our lesson we finished up the trailer packing and we headed home at 5pm.  A good day all around.

So, what show are we going to, you’re wondering?  The Comstock Arabian Association’s Fall show in Carson City, Nevada.    Whoo hoo – road trip!  Of course it means since we’re crossing state lines we need to get our horses a Coggins Test – and wouldn’t you know they’re good for 6 months and the one I had done at Blu’s pre-purchase exam expires on September 7 – two days before we arrive in Nevada.  Grr!

This show is a two judge show and is being held for two Regions (3 & 7).  If you win and earn points it makes you eligible to compete in each region’s annual show while only riding in one class.  Actually I guess it would make more sense to say that while you’re riding in one class, there are two judges standing in the arena, one for each region and they each judge you and you could get a first place by one judge and a third place by another judge and you’d come out of the arena with two ribbons, a Blue and a Yellow and you’d get points related to each placing by the specific judge for that region.  If the Blue was from the Region 3 judge you get points for a first place in Region 3.

I’m still learning about points but from what I understand you get one point for each horse you finish in front of, assuming you place (meaning first through fifth place are the only ones who get points), and if you are first and there are 7 horses in the class you get seven points and if you get third place with 7 horses in the class you get 5 points.  The Arabian Horse Association tracks the points and you bank the points so that in July (when Region 3 Regional’s is held in Reno) you can enter as many classes in that division (Half Arabian Western Pleasure in Blu’s case) as you have points for where each class “costs” 3 points.  So, if I have 12 points I can enter 4 classes.  I believe we can also enter a class if we got a First place, since Blu has a first place, regardless of how many points he ends up with, he can enter at least one class.

Whether my understanding on points is correct, I don’t know.  I guess I’ll find out more if Blu accumulates more points.  Let’s hope so!

I didn’t get any photos from the trip but I couldn’t put up a post without any photos so here are two that crack me up each time I see them.

How’s this for bubble wrapping the boy?  Since he now lives in a stall with paddock he has access to other horses and manages to get himself mysterious little scrapes every once in a while.  The fly mask protects his face and the fly sheet protects his body and the vet wrap on his tail protects the tail.  At night he gets a different set of blankets which include a neck cover (an no fly mask).

This was from April when Blu was at the Rancho Murieta show and was taking a rest.  I remember thinking it was going to be one of the best chances to get a photo of the markings on his belly.  You might also note the wet bedding and the blue water bucket on it’s side.  He’s gotten better since April but he was knocking over his water bucket multiple times a day and soaking his shavings.  I was constantly changing them.