Show Woes Update...

Turned out that my earlier show jitters were in vain -- we wound up not going.  There were gawdawful downpours in my area that weekend, and I just don't see the sense in showing in the rain. Call me a wimp if you want, but I only have so much in the horse show budget so it's of primary importance to enjoy the experience as much as possible.  Thus, I am a fair weather horse show-er.  Luckily, my trainer and the other folks who were supposed to show were of the opinion that it was too gross to show, so I felt a bit better.

That being said, now I don't have a warm-up before the Garden State show, so I'm going to have to pull on my big girl pants and just get it done.  To make sure we're prepared, I've scheduled more lessons than normal, and my trainer (bless her heart) has been absolutely demonic (I say this with love) about the courses she's asking us to do.

The other night we did a 4 stride bending line on the right lead from a vertical to a skinny oxer.  By some miracle I managed to do it right the first time, but was not as lucky on successive tries. My mare likes to land left when we're on the right rein, and my trainer had me keeping my outside leg on and applying an opening rein.  Sometimes I managed to execute, other times not. At one point I had too much opening rein and we darn near jumped the standard.  Many thanks to my honest and forgiving mare for saving my bacon on that one!

This morning we did the line from the other direction and added another 4 stride bending line to a vertical. So, skinny oxer off a tight right turn to a vertical, then another vertical with a tight left turn.  Basically, a big, tight left turn with fences strategically placed throughout.  Let's just say our attempts to navigate it were not pretty, but we made it through, though not without a serious case of PTSD.  My trainer says we will not see anything like that at this show.  I cannot begin to tell you how happy that makes me.

So now the Big Day is tomorrow, and I'm trying not to panic.  I've washed everything that can be washed, the show clothes fit and have been ironed, and have packed and re-packed the car to make sure I have everything.

Now I just need to remember to keep breathing and try not to throw up.