Post by Michelle Clarke on Oct 1, 2010 21:02:04 GMT -5
Finally catching my breath after a couple long busy weeks...!
I'm really not one for the show crowd, but I came across a series of shows held by the United States Refined Horsemanship Association. They are very focused on promoting good horsemanship and versatility. There website is here:
www.us-rha.com/
We decided to go last weekend and check things out and even took two horses for the In-Hand, which is based on a series of obstacles. Focus is on how the handler aides, how the horse responds, presentation of the obstacle, willingness, suppleness, relaxation, etc. Lynn took her four year old, Solana, which is a Charro/Quarter Horse cross. Lana does not have many hours under saddle, like ten, but has a lot of good groundwork. She was nice and relaxed, took everything in stride and took second place! I was super proud of both Lynn and Lana to say the least! Here are a few picts of them together:
I took Reina (Hipogrifo and Madonna) and she was...well...Reina! She can be very unconfident in new situations, that is the biggest reason I took her. I did not expect much, but she tried super hard, stuck with me and even when she was unsure - she focused on me. I could not ask for anything more considering that was her first time off the ranch and only second time going in the trailer. We placed fifth (out of five!), but her score was only four points lower than Solana, so not too bad!
We met some very nice folks (especially for the dressage crowd!) and the atmosphere was very relaxed and everyone was supportive. There are two more shows until spring and we'll be taking Lana and Reina back, I may even take Rev next time and ride him around in the schooling areas. I don't think I will be ready to do any riding phases until the spring series with any of my guys; mainly because both Rev and Reina are pretty hot and I want them to be relaxed and confident instead of making it a miserable experience with pressure to perform. They are also adding a Stock Horse and Gaited Horse section.
I'm really not one for the show crowd, but I came across a series of shows held by the United States Refined Horsemanship Association. They are very focused on promoting good horsemanship and versatility. There website is here:
www.us-rha.com/
We decided to go last weekend and check things out and even took two horses for the In-Hand, which is based on a series of obstacles. Focus is on how the handler aides, how the horse responds, presentation of the obstacle, willingness, suppleness, relaxation, etc. Lynn took her four year old, Solana, which is a Charro/Quarter Horse cross. Lana does not have many hours under saddle, like ten, but has a lot of good groundwork. She was nice and relaxed, took everything in stride and took second place! I was super proud of both Lynn and Lana to say the least! Here are a few picts of them together:
I took Reina (Hipogrifo and Madonna) and she was...well...Reina! She can be very unconfident in new situations, that is the biggest reason I took her. I did not expect much, but she tried super hard, stuck with me and even when she was unsure - she focused on me. I could not ask for anything more considering that was her first time off the ranch and only second time going in the trailer. We placed fifth (out of five!), but her score was only four points lower than Solana, so not too bad!
We met some very nice folks (especially for the dressage crowd!) and the atmosphere was very relaxed and everyone was supportive. There are two more shows until spring and we'll be taking Lana and Reina back, I may even take Rev next time and ride him around in the schooling areas. I don't think I will be ready to do any riding phases until the spring series with any of my guys; mainly because both Rev and Reina are pretty hot and I want them to be relaxed and confident instead of making it a miserable experience with pressure to perform. They are also adding a Stock Horse and Gaited Horse section.
