Anticipation

With the CDE this weekend, I'm pretty bummed out that I won't be there competing. It just plain sucks. I also decided not to volunteer, so instead the girls and I will go and spend the day watching and cheering everyone else on. Hopefully I can get some good pictures to share...

I am hoping to get some driving time in with Kat soon too as the next ADT is the end of the month. As always it will be here before we know it and with the changes to be made with how I use his bit as well as being armed with a small jar of Vicks... We will just see how it goes.

I have been looking at the dressage test and trying to wrap my mind around this one. Half circles, lengthened trot, and the halt, wait, back up part is now right. smack. in. front. of. the. judge... I hope Kat keeps his mind in his head for it or at least my swearing at him to a minimum. LOL!

I also looked up the information for the ADT in April. The dressage test is different for that one too. The benefit in all of this, with the test for each one being different? It is keeping my mind and his fresh. We don't work on the patterns of the tests, we work on the elements of it. If Kat doesn't know the pattern, he can't anticipate what's to come and second guess me of what he should be or needs to be doing. It seemed to work really well with him in AJ last month.

I will walk the tests in a big field. I will 'walk the test' on the treadmill at the gym and I'm sure people will look at me strange for it. I did this last month and have tipped my head for my turns, lengthened my stride for lengthened walk and trot, moved my fingers as I slow him down or ask for our back. I may even let Kat walk thru the test once out in the dessert as we practice, but he will only get to walk thru it and probably only once. Next month will be the same, only with a different test.

One thing I did notice that was lacking in AJ was our music. Usually I pick a song and sing to him in the ring. It gives him a tempo to go by, makes me breathe and helps us both to relax a little. I had nothing. I hadn't even thought about singing to him, let alone choosing a song. I have used a lot of different songs in the past. Songs sung by Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Martina McBride, Reba McEntire and several other country artists. Maybe this time I could change it up a bit and use something different. I'm thinking some Ozzy Osbourne or some Motley Crue might do the trick.