Versatility, Thy Name Is Dino

Back in April, Dino and I attended the most redneck horse show of all time, at which we stole blue ribbons from small, innocent children and participated in western gaming classes just for the heck of it.

It was really fun to do something totally no-pressure and completely unlike the competitions we normally attend, and Dino looks adorable in western tack, despite being really confused about the concepts of barrel racing and pole bending.

So when a western-riding friend of mine mentioned that she was going to be doing a western show at a venue nearby in June, and that they had a gaming division, I jumped at the chance to try it again.

And then I decided that, well, since we were going to be there anyway, maybe we should try our hand at some "real" western riding classes instead of just shooting for Not The Slowest Barrel Racers.

Maybe I should, idk, sit up. Pony looks cute though! 

So I bought a new (not ugly) pad and a new cinch is going to be acquired, and we did some purposeful schooling so that I won't look like a complete moron when Dino and I make our western pleasure debut next weekend. My friend came out to the barn yesterday to watch me ride and answer burning questions such as: "Does this tack actually fit?" "Is whacking my pony with the end of my split reins allowed in the show ring?" (no, it is not) "Okay then can I borrow some spurs?" (yes, I can) "Is this slow enough?" "My stirrups are probably too short, aren't they?" "Can I hold my reins with two hands with this bit, because this thing doesn't neck rein?" and, "We're still going too fast, aren't we?"

Definitely too fast.

All told though, I'm feeling as prepared as I can be for our schooling pleasure division next Sunday. In all likelihood we'll probably be lapping the actual western horses in our classes, and the whole concept of keeping the pony's head down on zero contact is definitely not something that we are going to master, but it's going to be FUN AS ALL GET-OUT, and that's what counts!

I'm pumped!