T minus 2 days ... well, a day and a half really!

What ever happened to weight in the HEEL?  He's jumping well over this 3' jump though!

I am ok with everything but the slipped back leg

Somewhat awkward jump here!

We leave Friday after barn chores!  I have TOMORROW to clean all my tack, clean my house, wash 48 thousand loads of human clothes, wash the truck, clean and reorganize the trailer, pack my clothes, pack my horse's clothes, pack his tack and other assorted show items ... wow.  Hope there's about 48 hours tomorrow, lol!

Believe it or not, I have stuck to plan!  Monday I rode him in the dressage tack and he was super.  I plan to hack in the dressage tack for about 20 minutes Saturday morning, walk my xc course a few times, then get on about 35 minutes before our ride time.  He NEEDS that long to just chill out.  Sadly, it means his gorgeous, shiny, freshly bathed coat will be soaked in sweat, but maybe he'll get something higher than a 5 on the test this time ...

Yesterday I shipped him and Spark Plug to PWF to practice.  Wouldn't you know it, JUST as we put the saddles on the ponies, the heavens opened up with a pop up thunder storm:(  I was MAD!  Waited until a slight lull, then hoofed it to the covered to go ahead and warm up.  STUPID me had a sucky course set.  I had a 1 to 2 stride triple combo down one long side, and jumble of cavalettis lumped together on the other long side, a 2'9 vertical on one diagonal, and a 3' square oxer on the other diagonal.  Have I mentioned the covered is smaller than the home ring, which is 100X200?  What that translates to is neither of the diagonal jumps had a good, clear obstruction free path to them.  I feel like I need to have my own version of Bad Eventer's blog, geez.  I have NO ONE to blame but myself for that sucky course.

Anyway, Tiki was a pill and a half.  Our warm up was not in any way at ALL good:(  He was trotting a million miles an hour, his tail was circling and swishing so much at the canter Nicole was afraid he was just going to take off, and he just KEPT ON swapping half his lead.  I.  Lost.  It.  Little sis has never seen me lose my temper with Tiki, and man I DID.  I yelled at the top of my lungs, "CUT IT OUT SH!+ HEAD!" and smacked the living tar out of him with my hand a few times.  Ugh, SO frustrating!  He ONLY does that crap at shows/other places.  He almost never cross canters at home unless he's had virtually no turnout.

I fiddled around with the 2 outsides and the vertical until finally the rain nearly quit and by that point I knew I was going to have to jump that 3' square oxer.  And did I mention that 3' square oxer was set on a sucky diagonal?  On a short turn?  In a dark, rainy covered ring?  Yeah, well ... cantered up to it and he didn't really know where we were going because I'd just smacked the crap out of him for cross cantering in the corner for the 48th time.  Remember a year ago at the hunter pace on the steeplechase land when he jumped SO high up over one of the jumps I crash landed on his neck and hurt my thumb?  If not, he jumped so awkwardly high over the oxer, my butt flew out of the saddle and I crash landed on his neck and jammed my thumb.  Ow.  Mean 'ol Nicole made me do it about 5 more times, and while it never ACTUALLY felt good, it also never felt quite as BAD as that first time:)

By this point, the rain had quit, so we grabbed the video camera and ran up to the big ring.  I stuck to plan, and jumped around the course I'd previously set.  2'9 vert to start off the left lead, long left lead turn to a 3' gate, right hand turn down a line of verticals 2'9 in to 3' out, right lead to a 2'9 square oxer, left lead rollbackish turn to another 3' gate, left hand turn finishing over a ramped 3' oxer.  Common sense says that in a course marked "Good move up course" that most of the jumps will NOT be maxed out, right?  One can only hope:)  Here is the video proof that I didn't die:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj857Y9aAa4

At the end of the day, I'm VERY pleased with how I rode the course.  I was rhythmic, I kept contact, I had a good release everywhere, and Tiki felt excellent (other than the land off EVERY jump on 2 leads).  He was bold and brave to everything, what more can I ask?  Examining the still shots makes me a little nuts because my position DEFINITELY isn't as "perfect" as it is at 2'6.  I should look exactly the same over 3' as I do over 2'.  Oh well, gives me stuff still to work on!

Today we did trot sets in his HALTER.  That was an experience!  Sort of a hair raising experience, but I stayed on and we live to head to KY Friday!

Tomorrow I will do one final dressage school.  15/20 minutes is all, just want to see some suppleness and some self carriage.  So excited for Friday!  Hope we make good time since Marisa doesn't get off work until 5:00 KY time, boo!:(  And the HP is about 4 hours from her:(  Oh well, we get there when we arrive, not a second later, not a second sooner;)