State College Classic, Part III

[dragonfly1030]

@jennydylan12 No problem. It's a Roma brand pad--I bought it in the local tack shop. :)

[xDannyx24]

You are a great rider! I love watching Duncan and your other horse! They are very good jumpers! I have a TB mare and I am trying to get her to jump courses, but she runs through them and I just need her to slow down a bit! Are there any thing that you could tell me that might help her?? Thanks so much!

~Danielle!

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you! There's no one universal solution for all horses, but getting her responsive to half-halts and your seat on the flat will aid you over fences. If she's running through the bit, you may need to reassess what bit you're using.

[xDannyx24]

Thanks I will try that the next time I ride her! ~Danielle

[xXxHurleysGurlxXx]

I love how your always matching Duncan! lol I love it! My OTT thoroughbred is the same age as him an we're still working on flat work... :/

he tossed me a month after I got him an its taking untill now to get over my fear of cantering him but we're making progress! but we'll never get as good as you two! :)

[dragonfly1030]

Nah, don't sell yourself short! If you've been watching my videos, you know I get tossed every now and then. As long as you've not broken anything, get back up, dust yourself off, and try to figure out what went wrong. That's really the best solution. Just start quietly again at a pace you're comfortable with, and keep working at it until you feel more confident.

[Phayzzer]

Your doing a great job with Duncun. I'm really enjoying watching his progress. I'm stuck in very, very northern canada with not a horse in sight, so thank you for helping me with my 'fix'!

[dragonfly1030]

That's so sweet of you to say! Thank you! :)

[JesDaOinkHansDaNeigh]

Duncannn! :D

[curtneecro]

i really love all your videos! duncan is beautiful! paint horses are awesome! i have one myself!

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you very much! :) I agree! :D

[HunterJumperQueen27]

love State College!! 1 of my fav shows =P

[dragonfly1030]

It was my second time showing there--this year was my first time with one of my own horses. I agree, I definitely was looking forward to it since the last time I'd been there!

[butterfly1341]

You guys did a great job, and Duncan did awesome, considering it was a new place to ride at. He carries himself very well and you're doing a fantabulous job with him, all the time! :)

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you very much! It was an awesome experience, and he was such a good sport!

[anotherjosephine]

you pulled at his mouth at 3:12,

but i also saw that he was looking outside too, although you couldve used more leg in that. however, it was a fabulous overall round, and very well done on the 7th.

[dragonfly1030]

It may look severe, but he is not a horse that tolerates a handy rider--I did not yank his face off. That was him just snapping back to focus--a little horsey ADD. ;)

[dragonfly1030]

I don't get the impression that you're trying to pass judgment, but be aware that I do not post for critiques or suggestions. You were perfectly fair in what you said, but I did what was required for the moment. I am a firm believer that more leg is necessary than hand, but when that's not getting a reaction--which it wasn't--time for more from column B.

[anotherjosephine]

wasn't intending to pass judgement. well, maybe i DID but i didn't mean to crit, y'know? like i know all horses are different, and maybe he just needs that little tug to say "wake up, we're showing!". i get it (: sometimes my pony needs that too:P

[dragonfly1030]

Yeah, I prefer to ride with more subtle cues, but he can lose focus and/or lean in/out and requires leg and rein support. I hate when it looks obvious--I always try to work from lowest on the intensity scale and up if I'm not getting a response with a cue--but he was a little distracted by the other horses waiting their turn by the in-gate right there. :)

[xxcakeisaliexx]

you are a great rider. and i haven't heard of other people into showing for fun and improvement rather than a ribbon. it saddens me most people care about bringing home ribbons and trophies rather than use showing as learning experiences. i'm so happy how far you have come on your horse after watching every single video of duncan and clue. they are beautiful and amazing. Duncan looks so happy jumping and he's got amazing potential.

[dragonfly1030]

I really appreciate all you've said here and that you've taken the time to watch my videos. I think we all have a competitive nature in us, but it can be detrimental to the bond one has with an animal if it overshadows everything else. They have taught me so much, and they continue to teach me. I'm really thankful for that.

[marimba101]

great ride!!! You guys look awesome :)

[dragonfly1030]

Thanks! :)

[HondaThoru]

All in all a great few days a wonderfull experience and just a fun time i can see why you were so proud of all of you well done and those boys deserve alot of pets and treats.

[dragonfly1030]

Oh trust me, we splurged with the treats! I'm pretty sure we bought out most of the Granny Smith apples in the nearby Wegmans. :)

[patrickisastrat]

Man, I wish I could jump as good as you. I havent juped since May of last year, and that was accidentally. My parents wouldnt buy me the horse after that. He was a Thoroughbred/Quarter Horse, mainly thoroughbred. His name was Lil' Ed. He is a REALLY good jumper, but my parents didnt like him after the "accident". I miss riding him.

[patrickisastrat]

I loved riding him so much, that Ed.

[dragonfly1030]

I'm sorry to hear that. I'm 27 years old and recently got hurt, and trust me, my father (who is not "horsey" at all) was less than thrilled. He thinks I'm nuts when he sees some of the things my horses do in our less-than-spectacular moments. My mom grew up around horses and acknowledges that there is a risk to being around them. Hopefully, something will work out for you in the future so you can pursue your passion.

[MeganLuvsRodney]

my dad and mom are totally opposites my dad who grew up around non horsey people and being non horesiy.. he comes out everyday to c my horse and when i fall off he asked no tells me to get back on.. my mom is like no no she is hurt... lol but i just love your horse and how you ride you are amazing

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you! I'm like a third generation rider, lol. My grandfather (whom I unfortunately didn't get to meet--he passed before I was born) was a great horseman, my mom and aunt both rode (today, my aunt competes in driving), and now there's me. My dad doesn't get the appeal, lol.

[oteink]

Congrats on your first back-to-back overnighter. It looks like you both had fun! Duncan looks confident and chill.

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you! He really took to this place. It was a really nice facility and environment.

[Physdelicdreaming]

Your position is beautiful! I am really glad to see you guys getting better. And Duncan looks like he grew taller! Or is that just the video? Lol! He's buff now from all the riding and even prettier than I remember...keep up the good work!!! ;)

[dragonfly1030]

Haha, maybe I shrunk! :-P Thank you very much for your kind words! :)

[showjumpinluv]

i love how his flying over a fence means he's NOT scared of it. lol my boy straight LEAPS a fence he finds scary. overjumps it by like 2+ feet. he has to make sure it's not going to eat him, of course.

just out of curiosity, what was the total cost of this overnight show? i'm trying to start showing now that i'm almost done with school.

[dragonfly1030]

Haha, well I define "flying" as just sailing over with normal style. Cat leaping would be like what he does when something freaks him out. His refusals here just struck me as miscommunications between us or confusion-related. When he's afraid, BOY does he let me know! :) As for cost--oof--not cheap. I spent about $600 when you factor in the cost of a stall for the week, random fees, and classes.

[showjumpinluv]

oh sheesh. yupp looks like i'm waitin for this kind of shows till i graduate!

[dragonfly1030]

Yeah, I didn't get horses and get serious about showing until I was out of college, had a job, and paying for it all myself. I had to budget for a while for this show, but it was such a worthwhile experience for both us and the horses.

[EquestriansRock]

he is very cute :)

whos your trainer?

[dragonfly1030]

I work with two trainers, Katie Moriarty and Sheryl WIlkins. My best friend Jen also has been a MAJOR help to me.

[ck1791]

You and Duncan look amazing matching in hunter green! You two did great, even when he refused. How did you place? 5/5-favorite =)

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you very very much :D

[USNBRAT91]

You guys looked great in the matching hunter green :) It sounds like you guys had an overall great day in these classes! Your position was right on here! And you bounced back well from the refusals - haha i love your face after he refused at the butterflies! I know that feeling. You're frustrated and all you can do is smile haha. He even bumped you out of the saddle there! :D Nice job yet again!!

[dragonfly1030]

Yeah, I made this ridiculous sound (kind of an ah!/ugh! combination) because I slammed pretty squarely into the front of my saddle; then I laughed because it was just so silly. Thanks! :)

[HunterJumper290]

you did a great job

and he is stunning!!

i love that you told him good boy after he went over that jump!!

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you! I know he would have done it if he realized there were two, and I was so proud of him for jumping them together with such a short approach! :)

[HunterJumper290]

you're welcome.

and yea he did a good job. :)

[yaznted]

I love how you are always colour co ordinated! as ever, brilliant riding! x

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you very much! :) I love putting together outfits for my horse and I for jumpers. That sounds incredibly dorky, but oh well! :)

[yaznted]

haha, to be honest i do the same in general. Teddy has so many different bits and bobs, anything from dressage pads, to bandages that match his rugs and numnahs! :)

[dragonfly1030]

It's fun!  :) I'm working on a red ensemble for us...so far, have the saddle pad and polo.

[yaznted]

Haha cool! Can't wait to see it in a video! x

[Gabitothegreatness]

you guys both look fantastic! awesome job! :) he's such a pretty boy, too, i absolutely love his colour. <3

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you!!

[Gabitothegreatness]

you're very welcome. :)

[freekyhorselover1153]

good job catching your sturrup! beutiful job!

[dragonfly1030]

Hehe, thanks! :)

[courbaba]

he looks very very good :D

you two did amazing !

congrats on all the 7th :D :D :D :D

[dragonfly1030]

Thanks a lot! :) :)

[cowgirlstar768]

your horse is sooo beautiful! i love your position! awesome job!

[dragonfly1030]

Thank you very much :)