Let's get ready to show!

Part of me is so excited that show season kicks off this Saturday!

And then the other part of me--the one driving to the barn in a Benadryl haze at 6:30 this morning--is like, I hate driving. I hate driving the trailer especially. So much brain power. Why does an hour and a half feel like five hours when you're hauling? I hate parking this thing, too. If everyone else could park like responsible citizens it wouldn't be so bad. Maybe. And my horse is probably going to be an asshole on the ground. And he doesn't stay on the trailer when I load him. What an asshole. Doesn't he know how much I hate hauling anyway?

BUT MOSTLY EXCITED!

super excited to braid this thing and make him look even cuter

I have realistic expectations for this debut. He's entered in Training 1 and 3 (because 2 was super long on paper so I didn't even bother reading it to see if I wanted to do it). I opted to pass right over Intro not because Opie is so amazingly advanced, but because I felt like Training gives you a lot more room to set up for each movement which is something he really needs. Basically I opted for Training instead of Intro because my horse isn't amazingly advanced.

As such though, after stalking my fellow competitors, we're going up against quite a few horses showing First already. We've got plenty of basics we're still working on: he curls behind the bit some still, his stretchy trot stretches down but not out, and his canter can be erratic.

Green to the level? More like green to horsing.

that bleach white tail always makes me happy even when the rest of him is
lightening way too fast

That's okay though! While of course I would love to come home slinging blue ribbons left and right, I have grown up goals for him instead. Things like, Stay in the arena. Pick up the correct lead. Maybe do not try to convince everyone you're dying of exhaustion and stop to take a nap halfway through the test.

I actually am feeling completely stress-free about how the riding is going to go. I'm only concerned about how much of a fuss he's going to make about the trailer and the three hour wait time between tests. Please do not make this a miserable experience for me, you naughty fucker.

"please get me my own fly mask
instead of this janky thing i'm wearing."

Is anyone else showing this weekend? Or do you live in the land of warm weather and are already months into show season?