Yesterday, Copper and I did something I never thought we would do…at least this year. We went to a horse show, and for the first time EVER, competed in a walk/trot/CANTER class!!! It was actually my first time CANTERING in a show EVER!!!
As you may remember, it was only a few short months ago that I took my tumble off of my beautiful Appaloosa. Confidence – severely damaged. I was terrified every time we trotted. I was hyper focused on the great tumble. But I was determined to get back to the place I was with him, and I did.
The time I spent refining my skills and abilities not only helped my confidence but it changed the dynamic between Copper and I, for the better. A new more deeper trust developed between us, a stronger partnership was formed.
The last time I rode Copper in a horse show was a few years ago – in fact it was the Dressage show where Copper decided to stop and “moonwalk” backwards during the test – it was a beautiful move, just not part of the test at all lol. I remember being very hard on myself because my nerves had gotten the best of me, and because of that, Copper took matters into his own hands to get my attention focused on the task at hand. It was the moment I allowed anxiety and fear to take over, and I stopped showing him in riding shows after that. All I would do was compete in “in hand” horsemanship classes, where I was leading him around. I enjoy doing that with him, and we managed to win the in hand Championship last year.
At the end of last year, my trainer and I decided to upgrade our barn’s show team for this year, complete with tryouts and a schedule of shows we would be attending. At the time of the try outs this year, my mother had just passed away, so I wasn’t interested in showing Copper at all this year. So I assisted with the tryouts and helped judge the participants.
I had told my trainer that maybe if Copper was available for me to ride in a show in the fall, I might consider it, but honestly, I didn’t put too much stock in that fleeting thought. I never wanted to take Copper away from one of the young students to ride in a show, but it turns out, he was available this time around.
Deciding to compete with Copper at this show wasn’t an easy decision. First up, was the classes I would be showing in. Because of my age, I wasn’t allowed to compete in the walk/trot/poles class – age restrictions set the max age at 12. I know I look great for my age, but I can’t pass for 12 lol. Since Copper and I don’t “jump”, the only other option for us was the beginner walk/trot/canter classes. The way the classes were set up, I could’ve elected to only compete in the walk/trot classes. I didn’t have to do the additional 2 classes that included the canter. That’s where the great dilemma began for me.
I decided I would give it 1 week of rides before I made my decision. I was on the fence about it until a memory came up on my Facebook feed. It was when Alfie and I did our first English show. I remember how nervous I was but all those nerves went away once we entered that ring. We had fun. We took a huge step out of our comfort zone and did it. And that’s when I decided to do the canter with Copper.❤️
The only thing that was weighing heavy on my mind about the show, my mom. This show was the first one where I wouldn’t be calling her right after to tell her how we did. This was the 1st first of many firsts without her.
Yesterday morning, as I listened to the horses eat their breakfast, I sat in a chair eating my breakfast sandwich and thoughts of my mom started to overwhelm me a bit. I then looked at Copper happily slurping his food, and my heart started to feel better. I quietly said “I love you mommy” and started the mental list of all my riding gear I had to bring.
Now the canter – it’s been the hardest gait for me to learn, as it is with most riders. Being an older rider, it’s really a bit more scary than for the younger ones. I mean, it’s a much more forward gait, meaning you go faster than a trot. To do it correctly requires strength, balance of both you and your horse. Like people, horses have a dominant side, one direction they move better in. Copper, his better direction is to the left. Doing anything to the right requires a lot more assistance from his rider, to help keep him balanced. My canter skills with Copper to the right, are a work in progress. So to my not so surprise, the judge at the show asked us to canter….to the right…twice.😩
Our first pass was…interesting…I didn’t have him positioned correctly and he swapped his lead – that’s where he changes the leg he leads the motion with. Copper has suspension – he’s a bit springy so it sort of feels like you are briefly defying gravity a bit when he does the swap. It was an elegant display of strength and balance on my part as I managed to stay nicely on his back.😆
Our 2nd pass to the right was much better. He picked up the correct lead, broke to trot for a few steps but I was able to have him pick up the canter again.
By the end of the classes, we had taken 3 Fifth place ribbons and a 6th place ribbon. Our walk/trot movements were really good, considering how nervous I was in the beginning. Overall, it was an incredible ride, and something I’m so grateful for doing.❤️🐴
Confessions of an Equestrianoholic 