Without a post for four months, you’d think I’d have nothing to say. As of right now, Alibi is down in Georgia. He shipped down on a 48 hour van ride at the end of May. To say that my new trainer isn’t in love with him would be an understatement. She’s been using him in lessons and has already had a girl who asked if she could lease him. I’m perfectly fine with that if it means I get one of her horses on a free lease! He’s adjusting to the heat, my trainer (I’m going to call her HJ) says he’s been sweating but also drinking a ton. I’m not concerned, I know the HJ would only do the best things for him.
Right now I’m in finals week preparing for graduation this Saturday. It’s been an exhilarating and nerve-racking time in my life and provided I get a B on my last exam Thursday, I’ll be a college graduate! I’m moving back to Georgia to be with my mom and my horse, as well as bringing the newest addition into our home, Callie. Callie is my princess cat that I got in April. She’s a beautiful calico that I rescued from the barn and is loving every minute of indoor cat life. My mom’s dachshund now gets to acclimate to her.
Many other things happened. Alibi was shown twice, once in April and once in May. They were little schooling shows held at the barn I board at, so it was a great chance to test him out over some scarier flowers, bricks, ivy, and lattice especially at the bigger heights while being in our comfortable home environment. At the April show, I showed him in the 2’0 division and my friend Emily showed him in the 2’6 as well as some Western Halter classes. He received all 2nds in Halter, I cleaned up the 2’0 division, and Emily placed mid-range in the 2’6 He was a wonderful boy and kept going long after he was exhausted. The best part was Alibi’s partaking in the 2’6 Jumper Jackpot round. I told Emily to do it with him because she’s lighter than me and isn’t afraid to push him. The class was truly tough with 12 or so entries (a great jackpot!) and a difficult course with fences that turned around on themselves. After all the times were posted, Alibi took 3rd in his Jumper debut!
The May show was spectacular. My equestrian team Little, Jenna, showed him in the cross-rails and the 18″ straight bar. Of her 4 classes, she won three of them and got 5th in her Hunter Fences round because she trotted a fence. It was Jenna’s first blue ribbon ever and I’m so proud of her and Ali! I showed him in the 2’9-3’0 classes. We won our Hunter flat class. He took 3rd in the Hunter Over Fences and I won the Equitation Over Fences. then, i had to leave early and show management would not grant me a refund. I had my teammate Colleen show him in the Hunter Hack and Equitation Flat. Colleen had never ridden Alibi before, much less jumped him before. But I absolutely trusted my horse and Colleen. She didn’t even take one trot step before they asked her into the ring and she laughed and happily asked me what to do in a Hunter Hack class while trotting to the judge. I had to leave so I wasn’t able to even watch the classes, but Colleen called me excitedly to tell me that she won both! I was so proud of my little horse and especially with how far he’s come in a year.
As for his training, I’ve changed up a few things since I last wrote. His bit has been changed to a mechanical hackamore. He LOVES it. He’s quieter to the fences, gets round and supple, and we never lost our lateral movement and bend that I worked so hard for all winter. Even his leg changes come easier. Because it’s not show legal, I’ve been using a jointed pelham. I can’t say that I’m a fan of it on him. He feels stiffer in his neck and back, and I’m not getting the quiet whoa to fences that I do with the hackamore. I’m still on the hunt for that perfect show legal bit to use on him. While he’s in Georgia before I get there, I had HJ put him back in his D-ring snaffle. He’s harder to keep soft in it, but I know that he’ll stop with bad hands if he’s in the hackamore and I didn’t want to risk it.
For now I think that’s all the updates I have. But I plan on writing a story to post here very soon…I want to tell a special one about Alibi and I trail riding this past April.
