No-Stirrup November

Yesterday I clocked in my final score for the 2-Point Challenge - made it to 4 minutes (up from 2 at the beginning of October). Not as much improvement as I'd have hoped, but it was still a good exercise to participate in. Thank you to Viva Carlos and Equestrian at Hart for hosting this challenge!

After the 2-point I did some no stirrup work, starting off No-Stirrup November!

Viva Carlos!

I'm starting to see the light at the end of the hectic-life-tunnel. This past week has been quite busy - Halloween was my birthday (the big 27!), hubby's birthday, and that night I picked up a friend from the airport who is staying a few days. We went to a wedding this past weekend, and I'm traveling for business this week. Ugh. Next week should be back to normal I hope!

I'm starting to ruminate on our show season for next year. This year it was all about quantity - we did lots of shows, most of them of the smaller, local variety. At this point I think we need to go to more bigger shows. Since they cost so much more, that means being very strategic and selective, to ensure we are maximizing my show dollars. 

In the meantime, right now I'm thinking this winter is going to be all about me: namely, developing my skills and addressing my weaknesses as an effective rider. Equitation is not really the correct word - I mean more working on my floppy lower leg, proper hip angle, waiting with my shoulders, etc. 

Our (sporadic) lessons since the show have been taken up a notch by our trainer. The jumps are higher, the questions tougher (rollbacks!), and the dressage is more demanding. Laurie is calling it "back to basics" to really make sure our fundamentals are square. I'm enjoying the challenge, and will enjoy more when I'm feeling back to my regular routine of riding.