This year I was prepared for the Ed Wright clinic and had some very specific goals in mind. Most of the summer, my intention was to take Frosty and basically have Ed help me get him speeded up and sort of give me an assessment of 'if' he thought Frosty has some potential. Now...you have to realize that asking Ed if any horse has potential is a loaded question. Ed believes, as I do...that ANY horse can learn how to be a barrel horse. I mean...come on...the basis of barrel racing is teaching a horse a pattern. Horses are exceptionally good at learning patterns. They are after all...creatures of habit. So ANY horse can be taught to run around a barrel pattern in a proper manner. It's a whole 'nother ball game when it comes to actual talent.
But...as it came down to the wire, it has become apparent that I am losing ground with Moon. We are not as debilitated as we were by the end of last year, when I first met Ed. But things have gotten muddled in my mind and I am kind of back to feeling a bit lost and uncertain when it's time to run Moon.
I wasn't sure if Ed would remember me from last year or not, but he did and we had a nice little visit before things got underway. Since I had a barrel race to go on the same day, Ed got me and a couple of other girls rolling immediately. I explained to Ed that the last time I had run Moon, I had had a full on panic attack at 2nd barrel and felt very uncertain about what I should be doing again.
We started from the basics. Ed had me start at a long trot. Once around the pattern and he stopped me. It was pretty obvious I had no idea of where exactly I should be rating Moon for his turns, so Ed dropped some cones at my rate spots and we went again. That was much better. I hit my rate spots.
Moon and I have come a long way in that regard. MOST of the time. My hands have gotten a whole lot better and Moon is getting good at correctly and appropriately shortening his stride.
What I was missing was including 'shaping' Moon at the same time I was rating. I was rating him, THEN trying to shape him, which of course meant that Moon was entering his turns with a straight body and THEN I was asking for shape. That throws a lot of things off when you are doing it with speed. It was causing Moon to enter the turn with a board straight body and when he did give me shape in the turn, it caused him to have to slow his feet down.
Okay, so Ed got that fixed. Rate and shape at the same time...That was a big improvement.
Next was getting my hand, shoulder and body to follow through the turn and then create the 'snap' at the action point of the turn, which causes the horse to push off in a straight line for the next barrel.
That was a HUGE sticking point for me. I have become entirely locked up through the turn. I get my hand set in what I think is a good position and then I simply don't move again until Moon springs out of the turn. I'm not exactly hurting Moon...but I am not helping him either. I was telling Ed that most of my pictures this year show Moon with a cocked jaw as he is turning the 2nd barrel and sometimes even on the 3rd barrel. I showed him the pictures I had like that. Ed told me that was happening not because I was pulling on Moon, but because I was not riding the turn in rhythm with Moon, so he was hitting the rein and getting bound up. It's not about loosening my hold on the inside rein, it was about lifting my hand off of his neck and letting my arm move in rhythm with Moon.
Ed getting me to shape Moon at the same time that I was rating him helped...but I sure enough struggled with mobilizing my arm enough throughout the weekend. Ed tried to help me mobilize by having me place Moon about 10 feet away from the barrel and facing away. Then he holler instructions at me...walk (away from the barrel), turn left, turn right, trot, walk, turn and runnnnn around the barrel. Not surprisingly, when I wasn't focusing in advance on turning the barrel, my arm and hand were quite mobile.
Ed apologized to Moon for making him have to work that hard. He told Moon he was a very 'neat' horse and that it wasn't his fault that I was a complete dink. LOL...I have to agree with Ed. He's right...Moon doesn't need that kind of crap...but I do and unfortunately sometimes Moon has to work extra hard so I can become a better competitive rider. One thing Ed finds a bit of a conundrum is the fact that Moon is a 'college-educated' horse and yet, I seem to be stuck in 'high-school' mode. The reason Ed finds this a conundrum is because I have done all the training on Moon. The horse is light, responsive and I can place each foot exactly where I want it at pretty much any given time with the flick of a finger...For some reason, I totally lose my 'feel' for the horse at high rates of speed and instead of utilizing the buttons that I, myself, have installed....I went from over-compensating to non-functioning. Ed says I need to have a little more faith in my training and learn to trust myself more. Ed pointed at Moon and told me...'That horse is there for you. He is ready and willing to do whatever you ask him to do and will do it without fail and without reservations...And YOU (he points an accusing finger at me) had better figure it out because he is a r.a.r.e. quality of horse.'
That was about all we had time for before I had to load up and head to the barrel race. I wasn't really planning on running Moon because the air quality was so poor, but he warmed up well and seemed to be comfortable so Ed told me to run him at the race and see if there was any improvement.
One of the things I realized while practicing was that I was sending Moon into the 1st barrel in an unflattering position. Since he has been running so hard...I have taken to sitting down a few strides out from the barrel and telling him 'easy, easy'. Of course, then I just set my hand and let him kind of slide around the turn. It's kind of been working for us...but when Moon's front feet slipped at Westcliffe, I realized that I really wasn't helping him much in the turn. Working with Ed, I realized I needed to go back to riding him in a more proper manner, so I could keep him stood up throughout the turn.
When I sent Moon into the arena to make his run, he was very quiet and relaxed. I realized immediately that he thought we were still practicing. The second that thought went through my mind, Moon realized this was the real deal and grabbed another gear. His ears had been up and he was waiting for me to tell him what speed to pick and the moment he realized this was an actual run, he pinned his ears and squirted forward. I let him roll, but I kept him gathered up. Instead of sitting down like I had been, I stayed up in the saddle and worked on rating Moon the way we had at the clinic. Moon wasn't quite ready to listen to me in competition and we went squirting by 1st barrel. I knew Moon had simply been waiting for the cues he had gotten familiar with (the sit down and the 'easy, easy'). He wasn't rated OR shaped and 1st barrel was an awkward V. Moon started blowing sideways in his run across to the 2nd barrel and for the darned life of me, I could not make myself get my left hand off of the horn and on the rein. About 3/4ths of the way across, I thought, 'You had better do something here dummy or he is not going to be able to get to the right side of the barrel.' LOL
I got my left hand off the horn, got Moon shaping the other way and at the last stride, he got on the correct side of the barrel. He whacked it pretty solidly with his shoulder and I saw the barrel start to tip. In my head, I am screaming to myself...'Don't look, don't look...find your spot.' My eyes dropped to the ground in front of Moon and I kept him moving. He rolled around the turn in perfect time with the barrel that was tipping over. I never looked back, but I heard everyone screaming...'It's up, it's up.' so I just let Moon roll. 3rd barrel was awesome.
Okay...So I have to tell you, I sort of saw out of the corner of my eye that the tipping barrel was basically rolling around the turn with the exact same motion as Moon had in his turn. Everybody said that it looked like it was going to fall over, but when Moon left the turn, it was like the wind from his departure just finished rolling it a full 360* and it stood right back up. LMAO!! How freaking funny is that?
I honestly believe that ONLY reason that barrel did not tip over was because I refused to look at it. Instead of him bumping it and me looking down at it and pulling him up...which would have made him hit it even harder. I MADE myself keep forward momentum going and just pushed him on around it. Centrifugal force!
It was not what I consider a nice run...but Moon ended up with the 4th fastest time...and in his favorite position...one hole out of the money. LOL...I'll take it at this point because at least I MADE myself t.h.i.n.k., instead of just sitting there and letting everything go to hell.
Spooks went in, did his thing and picked up a check and more points. We are holding our lead in the 4D. Which is my basic goal at these runs. However, there is much more I need to talk about when it comes to running Spooks. I don't really talk about him much and there is a lot more to him than I have bothered to mention. *I* did not have Ed 'help' me with Spooks, but he did get a chance to work with the horse...but that deserves a separate post.
When we got back to the barrel race, I gave Moon a chance to eat and rest in the shade. It was hot and I wanted it to cool off a bit before we went back to work with Ed.
To be continued...
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
*Bouncy, Bouncy, Bouncy*
I am bouncing off the walls in anticipation of the EW clinic this weekend....
The only down side is that our air-quality is absolute crap...
The smokey haze is getting thicker and thicker. As soon as I noticed it, I put Moon on all of his breathing 'meds' and he seems to be doing okay, but I have not worked him in it either for fear of aggravating his lungs.
Oh, my gosh...I feel so sorry for all of the people who have lost so much due to the fires this year. It's e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e.!!! I fear we have not even begun to feel the brunt of the devastation. Hay prices are skyrocketing...the price of cattle is bound to take a dump because so many people are going to be forced to sell off...and the roller-coaster ride begins. Soooo sad.
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Back on a brighter subject though...A little time off has done Moon wonders...
That butt of his just keeps getting thicker and thicker. Pretty amazing that a 14y/o horse is just now coming into his prime.
LOL...He's getting a bit of a pudgy belly...
Which is all good with me, 'cause after all of these years of struggling, Moon actually seems to be fairly 'happy'. Healthy on the inside makes for a much more content horse on the outside...I've always known that...it's just taken a hellava lot of effort to make that happen for this horse.
Spooks still looks like Spooks...LOL...
Bad angle on this picture...he really doesn't have a 'belly'.
Anyway...I am most excited for the EW clinic. I think I have my head right again on Moon, but definitely need Ed to yell at me a few times to make it stick. ;-)
The next 3 races are all indoors. I am going to have to get my head wrapped around pushing Moon instead of rating him. LOL
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I went out on a limb...
I know how absolutely wrong this is of me, but I have such a hard time thinking of Spooks as a 'serious' barrel horse. It's totally and completely unfair of me to think about him as less of a barrel horse than Moon...when in fact, Spooks has proven to be exceptionally reliable and consistent, whereas Moon, although more speedy...has proven to be difficult to attain any consistency with.
I decided to give Spooks a shot at some big money. I entered him in the big Utah race that is coming up. I waffled and waffled, but technically, Spooks held his own at the Cortez indoor arena and placed in the 4D, his usual 2-seconds off of the fastest time, against some very speedy horses. He ran so well in fact, that the next day I had to slow him down because he had jumped a division compared to my district members and we gathered points in the 3D instead of the 4D. The last few races I have also had to let him coast so he stayed in the 4D and gathered the appropriate points for year-end awards....
Anyway, I figured that Spooks is good enough and consistent enough that he does rate at least getting the chance to see how he would place at a much bigger race. The fact that these are held at indoor arenas helps him a lot. Spooks gets outrun...but he doesn't really get out-turned. So smaller pens, with his quick turns should be right up his alley.
The darned horse is so lucky, he may just win big. LOL
The only down side is that our air-quality is absolute crap...
Oh, my gosh...I feel so sorry for all of the people who have lost so much due to the fires this year. It's e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e.!!! I fear we have not even begun to feel the brunt of the devastation. Hay prices are skyrocketing...the price of cattle is bound to take a dump because so many people are going to be forced to sell off...and the roller-coaster ride begins. Soooo sad.
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Back on a brighter subject though...A little time off has done Moon wonders...
LOL...He's getting a bit of a pudgy belly...
Spooks still looks like Spooks...LOL...
Bad angle on this picture...he really doesn't have a 'belly'.
Anyway...I am most excited for the EW clinic. I think I have my head right again on Moon, but definitely need Ed to yell at me a few times to make it stick. ;-)
The next 3 races are all indoors. I am going to have to get my head wrapped around pushing Moon instead of rating him. LOL
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I went out on a limb...
I know how absolutely wrong this is of me, but I have such a hard time thinking of Spooks as a 'serious' barrel horse. It's totally and completely unfair of me to think about him as less of a barrel horse than Moon...when in fact, Spooks has proven to be exceptionally reliable and consistent, whereas Moon, although more speedy...has proven to be difficult to attain any consistency with.
I decided to give Spooks a shot at some big money. I entered him in the big Utah race that is coming up. I waffled and waffled, but technically, Spooks held his own at the Cortez indoor arena and placed in the 4D, his usual 2-seconds off of the fastest time, against some very speedy horses. He ran so well in fact, that the next day I had to slow him down because he had jumped a division compared to my district members and we gathered points in the 3D instead of the 4D. The last few races I have also had to let him coast so he stayed in the 4D and gathered the appropriate points for year-end awards....
Anyway, I figured that Spooks is good enough and consistent enough that he does rate at least getting the chance to see how he would place at a much bigger race. The fact that these are held at indoor arenas helps him a lot. Spooks gets outrun...but he doesn't really get out-turned. So smaller pens, with his quick turns should be right up his alley.
The darned horse is so lucky, he may just win big. LOL
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Momma Says...
Sorry, kinda left you guys hanging there for a few days...
I hate August...it's a transition month, like February, ya know? I just want it to get over already, so we can settle into some gorgeous fall weather. I have also been supremely busy trying to locate enough hay to get me through the winter. I gotta tell you guys...it's damned scary this year. Hay is already $200-250 /ton and people just aren't wanting to part with it...because they know it's going to go even higher. The guy I usually buy hay from has NONE! Not a single bale off of his fields, as they shut the water off in May and got no rain until recently. He said if he gets ANY hay, it's mine...but who knows if or how much that will amount to. Certainly not enough to get me through the winter. I do have one semi-load coming from Wyoming, but will need at least another 1/2 a semi load. That equates to about 100 of the 800lb square bales. I'm buying as much as I can get people to part with because who the heck knows what next year is going to be like and if I end up with too much, I know I can always sell the extra.
So where was I?
Oh yea...I called my mom about my panic attack at Salida...
Mom says...'Well, if you thought he was going too fast...He was probably going too fast.'
Funny, sometimes my mom opens her mouth and Ed Wright falls out. Either that or Ed Wright is parroting my mom...
Whatever it is...momma and EW seem to be the only two people on the face of the planet that understand that sometimes Moon just runs too darned fast.
I was trying to draw up this fancy, funky little diagram to show where Moon usually peaks in his run and why that sometimes causes a problem...but it wasn't making much sense. Let's just say that *I* have figured it out and it's back to the EW school of thought...'if he's running too fast, slow him down.'
Actually the timing couldn't be better...EW is going to be here for a clinic next weekend. I was planning on taking Frosty, but will take Moon instead. Frosty has gotten pushed to the back burner this last month and he is...well...he is a tish round again. Not to mention, I just have not been able to get much speed out of him. I still think it's there...he just doesn't know how to r.u.n.!
Time for a new game plan for Frosty...
I have some numbers for people with roping cattle. I will be getting with them and scheduling some tracking time, in the next few days. I think Frosty needs to learn how to run a little before worrying too much more about the barrel racing thing. If he learns to track and chase a cow, he's going to have to run a little harder to keep up to the cow...and chasing something usually makes sense to a horse. Running faster to get to the next barrel, where they just have to slow down to make a turn, doesn't always make sense to them. So first Frosty will learn how to r.u.n...and then we will go back to the barrel racing thing.
Bugs and Moon are going to get some cattle time too. Anything I can do with Moon to take his mind off of barrels is a benefit. For Bugs...I am hoping to see how he progresses with the starting him on cattle and being roped off of and then I am going to have a calf roper give him a spin and see what he thinks. I have no doubt Bugs could and would learn to run barrels, but I still think he would be better serviced as a calf, heel, break-away or even steer wrestling horse. I have been hauling the tubby one with me to a few places and people seem to like him.
Myself...right now, I am hating him. The dink almost killed me yesterday...and I am NOT joking. His little 'pull-back' routine went from annoying to dangerous when he pulled back and the lead rope did not snap. He wasn't even tied. I had just looped the lead rope over the top rail of the corral while I washed the mud off of him and Spooks before heading to a barrel race and when he pulled back, the lead rope crossed over itself and snapped tight.
Guess where I just happened to be standing?
Yep...in the worst possible place...between the fence and a horse having a massive idiot attack. It looked pretty bad for me for a minute or so. Spooks was on one side, darned near ready to pull back himself because of the commotion and a 1300lb, pissed off, freaking out psycho on the other.
I went over the fence quicker than you could shake a stick...however, I'm not quite as agile as I used to be and ended up landing on my head and shoulder on the other side of the fence, when the toe of my boot got hung under the top rail. I didn't really care...just as long as I wasn't between the horse and the fence. That big lug would have squished me flat if he had jumped forward.
Alls well that ends well...The lead rope did not snap this time, Bugs regained his composure, I dusted the dirt and manure off and the fat, red toad and I had a come-to-jesus meeting. From now on, he WILL be tied...with 2 lead ropes and a 3rd attached to a blocker tie. Bugs' little gig is up. I just kinda thought he was a weirdo and 'accidentally' snapping lead ropes when he startled at stupid stuff. He's big and heavy enough, that it doesn't take much. Yesterday, I realized that he is doing that crap on purpose and I will absolutely NOT stand for it.
I do have to chuckle though...Moon went through a similar phase quite a few years ago. I had to do the same thing with him as Bugs is going to get...a very stout nylon halter, extra lead ropes and me...hiding nearby with a buggy whip. It's amazing how quickly they decide that pulling back is a really bad thing when *I* am the one going psycho on their butts with a buggy whip. (evil giggle)...
Well, they are brothers ya know? Moon and Bugs...Yep...I see some very similar characteristics between these two and it's all in the eye. They can be totally relaxed and then you see eyes glint and then narrow and you know they are fixing to do something naughty.
Oh, oh, ohhhhh...I cannot forget to tell this...
There are some mexican race horse guys that are boarding at one of the arenas L and I practice at. I got to talking to them the other day about their horses...Ohhhh my...do they have some NICE race horses...and they take exceptional care of them....Anyway...
I was asking them if I might be able to get their pony rider to pony me on my big bay horse. They said, 'Sure bring him over, we'll help.' I am most excited. This is exactly what the big bay horse needs and *I* didn't want to try it until I had someone who was an experienced pony rider helping me. I don't think the big bay is going to give me a lick of trouble, as long as we get and keep him moving. He's uncomfortable moving out by himself and thanks to Levi, he absolutely HATES the round pen. I do not want to dredge those memories up for the horse, so instead of trying to make him conform to how most horses get started...we are going to conform to what makes the big guy the most comfortable and that is...moving out, with another horse to give him confidence. I think this is going to work fabulously and am dying for Monday to roll around so I can get started.
Thanks to Bugs' freak-out episode...I was late getting to the barrel race I was heading to and wouldn't you know, I drew the gunner position on Spooks. The poor horse was barely warmed up and not quite in the right frame of mind yet when he had to run. It was not our most stellar performance. Picked up a few points...which ties Spooks for reserve in the 4D for this association. Unfortunately, the same gal that I am running neck and neck with in the other association, is kicking my butt in points in this association. I doubt I can catch her, especially since she picked up a whole bunch more points to my few at this race.
I did not run Moon. We have had a lot of smoke in the valley again and his breathing was on the heavy side. I figured Moon deserved a weekend off. We have 4 big weekends left in the season. I want him well-rested, his mind right and me riding him right again...Hopefully we can finish the year with a bang instead of a whimper. ;-)
I hate August...it's a transition month, like February, ya know? I just want it to get over already, so we can settle into some gorgeous fall weather. I have also been supremely busy trying to locate enough hay to get me through the winter. I gotta tell you guys...it's damned scary this year. Hay is already $200-250 /ton and people just aren't wanting to part with it...because they know it's going to go even higher. The guy I usually buy hay from has NONE! Not a single bale off of his fields, as they shut the water off in May and got no rain until recently. He said if he gets ANY hay, it's mine...but who knows if or how much that will amount to. Certainly not enough to get me through the winter. I do have one semi-load coming from Wyoming, but will need at least another 1/2 a semi load. That equates to about 100 of the 800lb square bales. I'm buying as much as I can get people to part with because who the heck knows what next year is going to be like and if I end up with too much, I know I can always sell the extra.
So where was I?
Oh yea...I called my mom about my panic attack at Salida...
Mom says...'Well, if you thought he was going too fast...He was probably going too fast.'
Funny, sometimes my mom opens her mouth and Ed Wright falls out. Either that or Ed Wright is parroting my mom...
Whatever it is...momma and EW seem to be the only two people on the face of the planet that understand that sometimes Moon just runs too darned fast.
I was trying to draw up this fancy, funky little diagram to show where Moon usually peaks in his run and why that sometimes causes a problem...but it wasn't making much sense. Let's just say that *I* have figured it out and it's back to the EW school of thought...'if he's running too fast, slow him down.'
Actually the timing couldn't be better...EW is going to be here for a clinic next weekend. I was planning on taking Frosty, but will take Moon instead. Frosty has gotten pushed to the back burner this last month and he is...well...he is a tish round again. Not to mention, I just have not been able to get much speed out of him. I still think it's there...he just doesn't know how to r.u.n.!
Time for a new game plan for Frosty...
I have some numbers for people with roping cattle. I will be getting with them and scheduling some tracking time, in the next few days. I think Frosty needs to learn how to run a little before worrying too much more about the barrel racing thing. If he learns to track and chase a cow, he's going to have to run a little harder to keep up to the cow...and chasing something usually makes sense to a horse. Running faster to get to the next barrel, where they just have to slow down to make a turn, doesn't always make sense to them. So first Frosty will learn how to r.u.n...and then we will go back to the barrel racing thing.
Bugs and Moon are going to get some cattle time too. Anything I can do with Moon to take his mind off of barrels is a benefit. For Bugs...I am hoping to see how he progresses with the starting him on cattle and being roped off of and then I am going to have a calf roper give him a spin and see what he thinks. I have no doubt Bugs could and would learn to run barrels, but I still think he would be better serviced as a calf, heel, break-away or even steer wrestling horse. I have been hauling the tubby one with me to a few places and people seem to like him.
Myself...right now, I am hating him. The dink almost killed me yesterday...and I am NOT joking. His little 'pull-back' routine went from annoying to dangerous when he pulled back and the lead rope did not snap. He wasn't even tied. I had just looped the lead rope over the top rail of the corral while I washed the mud off of him and Spooks before heading to a barrel race and when he pulled back, the lead rope crossed over itself and snapped tight.
Guess where I just happened to be standing?
Yep...in the worst possible place...between the fence and a horse having a massive idiot attack. It looked pretty bad for me for a minute or so. Spooks was on one side, darned near ready to pull back himself because of the commotion and a 1300lb, pissed off, freaking out psycho on the other.
I went over the fence quicker than you could shake a stick...however, I'm not quite as agile as I used to be and ended up landing on my head and shoulder on the other side of the fence, when the toe of my boot got hung under the top rail. I didn't really care...just as long as I wasn't between the horse and the fence. That big lug would have squished me flat if he had jumped forward.
Alls well that ends well...The lead rope did not snap this time, Bugs regained his composure, I dusted the dirt and manure off and the fat, red toad and I had a come-to-jesus meeting. From now on, he WILL be tied...with 2 lead ropes and a 3rd attached to a blocker tie. Bugs' little gig is up. I just kinda thought he was a weirdo and 'accidentally' snapping lead ropes when he startled at stupid stuff. He's big and heavy enough, that it doesn't take much. Yesterday, I realized that he is doing that crap on purpose and I will absolutely NOT stand for it.
I do have to chuckle though...Moon went through a similar phase quite a few years ago. I had to do the same thing with him as Bugs is going to get...a very stout nylon halter, extra lead ropes and me...hiding nearby with a buggy whip. It's amazing how quickly they decide that pulling back is a really bad thing when *I* am the one going psycho on their butts with a buggy whip. (evil giggle)...
Well, they are brothers ya know? Moon and Bugs...Yep...I see some very similar characteristics between these two and it's all in the eye. They can be totally relaxed and then you see eyes glint and then narrow and you know they are fixing to do something naughty.
Oh, oh, ohhhhh...I cannot forget to tell this...
There are some mexican race horse guys that are boarding at one of the arenas L and I practice at. I got to talking to them the other day about their horses...Ohhhh my...do they have some NICE race horses...and they take exceptional care of them....Anyway...
I was asking them if I might be able to get their pony rider to pony me on my big bay horse. They said, 'Sure bring him over, we'll help.' I am most excited. This is exactly what the big bay horse needs and *I* didn't want to try it until I had someone who was an experienced pony rider helping me. I don't think the big bay is going to give me a lick of trouble, as long as we get and keep him moving. He's uncomfortable moving out by himself and thanks to Levi, he absolutely HATES the round pen. I do not want to dredge those memories up for the horse, so instead of trying to make him conform to how most horses get started...we are going to conform to what makes the big guy the most comfortable and that is...moving out, with another horse to give him confidence. I think this is going to work fabulously and am dying for Monday to roll around so I can get started.
Thanks to Bugs' freak-out episode...I was late getting to the barrel race I was heading to and wouldn't you know, I drew the gunner position on Spooks. The poor horse was barely warmed up and not quite in the right frame of mind yet when he had to run. It was not our most stellar performance. Picked up a few points...which ties Spooks for reserve in the 4D for this association. Unfortunately, the same gal that I am running neck and neck with in the other association, is kicking my butt in points in this association. I doubt I can catch her, especially since she picked up a whole bunch more points to my few at this race.
I did not run Moon. We have had a lot of smoke in the valley again and his breathing was on the heavy side. I figured Moon deserved a weekend off. We have 4 big weekends left in the season. I want him well-rested, his mind right and me riding him right again...Hopefully we can finish the year with a bang instead of a whimper. ;-)
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