moving | Red on the Right

So we wrapped up last week but having our offer on a new home accepted, and I think the husband and I are still trying to pick our jaws off the floor. Of course with these situations, nothing’s over until the paperwork is signed, but we’re still pretty stoked about how things are going so far. Once it’s all said and done I’ll be sharing pics- but here’s a hint- the blog’s name won’t have to change! 😀

Foster also moved to his hopeful-permanent home on Sunday, but not before taking some photos at our barn. He seemed to remember the barn (since he lived there for 3 years) immediately, since he started playing with the cross ties and licking everyone in sight. His Fosterparent took him on a trail ride and he was a very good boy, then we turned him out in a giant field where he immediately made friends with another gelding. Foster obviously loved having someone else’s face to nibble on and play with!

So now begins the two month trial period, and hopefully the life of a trail horse will suit Foster and the 3 of us (Foster, Fosterparent and I) will be thrilled.

Tonight I have A coming to watch me jump and hopefully not flub all my distances, so I really don’t have anything exciting to report as far as our rides. I left off dressaging on Monday since I was too lazy to put the stirrups back on my dressage saddle and hopped over some 2′ fences, which we mostly did get our distances to, but being 2′, didn’t really make me feel wonderful going into the show.

Saddle has no leathers on it because I finally listed this puppy for sale!

But nonetheless, I’ve been thinking about my typical pre-show week and I’m once again wondering what everyone else does the week before the show. I heard your post-show routines, and loved hearing everyone’s approach!

Here’s my ideal pre-show week…

Monday: Dressage, riding through the test
Tuesday: Dressage it up again (after all, the dressage test can make you or break you at this level!)
Wednesday: Jump! Schooling (preferably) higher than we would at the show (in order to make show jumps look itty-bitty)
Thursday: Foster gets the day off while I spend my day writing uber long lists about what to bring
Friday: Light dressage, focusing on transitions and relaxation. Pack everything humanly possible into truck and trailer

Now, obviously I’m already not sticking to the above plan, having not done dressage since last Friday, and I’ll be riding tomorrow instead of Tuesday, but the above schedule is our ideal. Something I have learned to live by is to not ride through my complete tests the couple days before the show. I find that whenever I try it, I put too much pressure on getting it perfect and get frustrated when things don’t go as planned. Instead, I find my time better spent mentally riding the test, revisiting the pattern in my head and making mental notes about establishing bend in a corner, or allowing him to move forward on a diagonal- that sort of thing.

Foster gets his window opened occasionally, since he has proved to us that the door makes a good foot rest

Foster gets his window opened only occasionally ever since he has proved to us that the door makes a good foot rest

In other news, I’m moving Foster to a new barn next week. Suffice it to say that the current situation just isn’t working out, and I would prefer Foster to be in an environment that supports our competitive ambitions with performance horse feed and footing, and offers a stable (no pun intended) turnout/stall routine. At the current barn, the horses come in only in super hot/cold weather or rain, and Foster and I both miss the routine of knowing when he will be in/out and getting some time to veg out in his stall. I’ll be moving him next Friday, and I sincerely hope we are done moving for some time after that.

For now…