Tripp visits his first Horse Show!

The goal today was to head to the horse show that the Shiloh Saddle Club was putting on in Hallsville, MO, walk Tripp around, let him watch the sights, and hopefully he would get used to things happening on all sides of him.
We ended up spending a total of 4 hours out there. Over half of it was halter and pleasure classes. To those who love pleasure classes, I am happy you do. Me personally, I don't. Not that I won't try to get Tripp in one before TX gets here - he needs ring experience. But there just isn't enough get up and go for me with pleasure classes. And I am sorry, but a trot should not be a tall walk! It was much more fun when the speed events started. Especially the little kids! They are so darn cute! Oh yeah, and even tho I didn't ride, this was the first horse show I have ever taken a horse to.

We hopped out of the trailer and that head of his was up higher than you can imagine! He was in major WOW LAND! Since he has that sore spot on the side of him, it was not my intention to put a saddle on him. Just hang out.....

I walked him up and down the driveway, around the arena, we smelled different barrels than his at home, some plastic and others metal, and he was tighter than a taught rubber band the whole time! There were horses going around the arena, and sometimes they had the nerve to come towards him, and while this was happening, other horses with weird things on top of them (aka riders) had the nerve to ride behind him (safe distances at all times). Holy Moly! No way to keep track of them all at the same time! :-)


ACK! Are you looking at me?????





Here! Let me give you my 'smile' look!




The funniest one was not long after we got there. We were standing in the parking lot watching the horses gathering around the arena gate for the next class, and two very small stocky Quarter type pony/horses came around the corner with little kids on them! He snorted, jumped back, and tried to take me with him! He was just trying to save my from the Lilliputions! HA HA!!! (Remember Gullivers Travels?) Of course everyone turns and looks at scaredy cat because of the small horses.
The other funny is the 2 wheeled cart did not phase him!


Hmmmm, two Lilliputions on one horse. What will they think of next?





No time for cart....must get grass!!!






We spent a lot of time just walking around, letting Tripp eat grass, finding some shade and him eating more grass while I sat down, etc.


This is what Tripp would look like if I fell off! HA HA!!!





He settled in pretty good. One older gentleman asked me about Tripp, wondering if he was a mustang because of the brand, so I told him about Tripp and the event. He thinks they are "neat little horses!" and he thought Tripp was handling everything pretty well. :-) Other than that, we didn't talk to anybody. A few smiles, but nothing to invite a conversation. Everyone is focusing on their kids and making sure that all is where it should be. Who knows, maybe they were waiting for a verbal greeting from me. I know most of the little cliques of people watched Tripp quite a bit. I really tried to keep his brand aimed at the people. :-) Something to think about for the next time I do this.....

The speed games had started and we thought there would be some cheering, etc., and that is the only reason we stayed as long as we did. Well, not much cheering, so Tripp wasn't exposed to much hooting and hollering. Oh, he handled the microphone well! We even walked to the other end and hung out right under a speaker. He didn't act like he even heard it. Good!


Tripp watches the speed riders practice...





Then it was time......(insert big dramatic drumroll here) I needed to ride Tripp around the show grounds! So with a little bit of clumsy movement between Brian and I trying to get me up there, we finally succeeded! I hope nobody was watching....we headed to the bottom of the small hill to do this. I had to ride bareback because of the sore on his side - that has dried up quite nicely I might add! May it heal quickly like the others!

Before I begin - Yes, I do realize I was not wearing my helmet. This is why...I had a hat on! :-) That sounds lame, but the other part of that is I had the hat on, thinking I had the helmet on, because I don't normally wear hats because they give me a headache! I felt the pressure on my head, thinking 'helmet.' OOPS!

I started out small circles close by. I was so nervous...that comes from me not wanting to ride in front of all those people who really are not paying attention to me while their kids are doing the speed games. :-) I was a nervous wreck! I didn't mind falling off - okay, I mind a little bit, but I didn't want to fall off and have a loose horse running around. Especially the first time I was there! Not a very good example.

Then we followed another horse into a small pasture close by and I turned off and headed back to Brian thru a small section of woods. I don't have any idea what Tripp saw, but it was something BIG because he snorted and wheeled around.


See Tripp spook....





I was even more nervous now, and instead of heading out of whatever it was that scared him, he kept looking down and snorted and jumped some more. I saw NOTHING that caused this, except for tall grass that was layed over. It was layed over in several different directions and was different shades of color. Could that do it? Don't see why not. I did get him under control and had to make myself stay up there. Then we started riding around the arena and back to Brian.


Tripp carries me around the trucks/trailers/riders.....





Tripp and I going around the arena...





We even stood at the arena rail and watched some of the games.






The only other time he got jiggy with me was right in FRONT of the concession stand where several people were sitting. I really don't know what got him going, but I had to one rein turn him several times to get him to settle down. I thought something was biting his rump the way he was tucking that butt under him. Come to find out, once when he turned his tail touched Brian, Brian put his elbow out a little bit, and that got Tripp all excited. Then after that it was his own tail that was brushing against Brian that got him all stirred up some more. He did get settled down, and of course I was thinking "Great, not a good example right in front of the concession stand." I backed him up a couple times calmly, then I turned him around to let him look at something else, then told myself I had to ride in front of those people to show them that Tripp is a good guy! So I did - and he did great. We moseyed on by, he was eyeballing everyone, I got on the other side of them where we were standing earlier, he turned and watched the arena, I gave him a big hug and hopped off. :-D Yay!

It was time for us to go, and our other goal was to stop at the arena we had visited the Sunday before with the kids. I didn't want to spend much time there, just a few minutes to work on a couple of things.


Tripp and Brian giving me a 'break' before we leave.....




We walked around a little bit, then trotted. He sure is small around the barrel! It almost reminds me of riding my Arabs bareback. They are small too of course....but the great thing is it helps me with my balance.

Okay, my real goal was I wanted to canter him again bareback! And we did it a couple of times going away from Brian. He broke into it nice and smooth. It feels weird...kind of like he is low in the front. That is the only way I can think of to explain it. Oh yeah, after watching the video's I did get a canter towards Brian before the 'incident.' :-) It is amazing what I forget in all the excitement.

I wanted to canter towards him so I could see video to see what I need to do different. On the way towards Brian, Tripp just was not going to canter, and when I pumped up the pressure a little bit, that tail started swishing and he was giving me that flat eared sideways look! I knew there was a butt hop in my future. Little did I know how big of a hop! I like to think of the beginning as "This is Tripp....." and the end is "This is Tripp's Brain on Drugs." I will be putting the video in a separate post seeing as I am having problems getting it to load.

The great thing is I stayed on! That tells me my balance is getting MUCH better! The bad thing is the last hop hurt me. His back bone came into strong contact with my tail bone. When Brian stopped the video it was because I could barely move. It hurt so bad I thought I was going to get sick to my stomach and my breathing was way out of control. It took a few minutes for me to know I was okay....it was just crazy! I have not hurt that bad since I got bucked off another horse I had as a teenager...several times! Damaged my tailbone then too....it has a nice little curl at the end of it where it has been broken. Too much information yet? HA HA!!! Anyways, I am strategically wearing an ice pack.

I did know that Tripp was going to act up at the canter because he let me know more than once. After his little hopping around (you will notice all 4 feet off the ground! Yee Haw!) Brian and I both think he realized that I was really hurt because he stopped in his tracks and did not move until I asked him. I told Brian I had to make him go somewhere after that...I just could not get off after him doing that, and let him think that he can do that all the time. It was against Brian's better judgment, but it was something I had to do. So Brian backed up and I walked Tripp in a small circle. He walked out very nicely, but also like he was walking on egg shells. Like he knew he had to be gentle. Thank goodness! Whew! Okay, I was done for the day. :-)

I am due to have a trail ride with Bob and Judy and Co. tomorrow! I HAVE to feel better! I know Judy's husband Ron is going to be there, and they talked about inviting some more people. Brian made other plans because he thought it was just Judy and I going to celebrate. He is bummed! He could have ridden one of the other horses from Ron's Aunty's place. Another time for sure! He will not let himself miss out on all the fun! :-)
I tried to find a place as close to 1/2 way between us as possible - I have never been to any other trails before because I never had a way to get there. I have had my little stock trailer for 3 or 4 months now and am just now venturing out. I am also learning how to back up the darn thing. Sometimes it looks like I know what I am doing, and other times it doesn't....hee hee

UPDATE: Trail ride changes that probably are working out for the better even tho I am not happy about it. Some of the people that were going to be invited have friends coming in town and Ron wants to ride with them at Knob Knoster. That would leave Judy to haul the big honkin' gooseneck someplace we have never been before, and we don't even know anything about the parking area. Soooooo.....I told her to go ahead and go with the others to Knob Knoster, because I am having tailbone issues. Judy and Co. and I are going to catch up on the 24th. I will also take a couple of days off work to mess with Tripp before TX, so I will head her direction for that too. Brian is glad tomorrow is on hold because he thinks I need to rest it....exactly how do you rest a tailbone? Judy says some of the trails at Knob Knoster are fun but steep, so it probably would not be a good thing for me to give them a try now. I just want to scream! Who knew that staying on a bucking horse would hurt worse than falling off? Argh!

WARNING: Little Miss Hormonal is probably going to be a crab apple on Sunday! Just so ya know........

Until later....Karen and Tripp