With solely somewhat over three months left till the Thoroughbred Makeover, Dom and I are on a cycle of experience/prepare, eat, sleep, work, repeat. We proceed our dressage classes, work on the canter, attempt to get extra of a proper bend in each gait, and do extra sitting trot work. However there are solely so many instances I can go round in a circle, cross a diagonal, make a serpentine, or go down the middle or quarter line earlier than we get antsy and are prepared for one thing new!

I get pleasure from dressage. It gives the problem of precision, builds athleticism in horses, and forces me to be hyper-aware of by physique place, my seat, and the way I’m speaking every motion to the horse. However, I additionally get pleasure from many different driving disciplines and it’s necessary that the horses I produce are calm and assured in a wide range of conditions – whether or not they see a barrel or cow, stroll by way of woods, or soar over a rail. My final objective is to supply horses secure sufficient for me and my husband (who hardly ever rides) to hop on and go for a path experience.

This is the reason Dom and I are making ready for Aggressive Path on the Thoroughbred Makeover. Every month we incorporate extra expertise and new obstacles. Dom has issue backing (seemingly because of Shivers), so we’ve centered on this since I started his coaching. We’ve progressed from backing in a straight line, to backing in an L-shape, pivoting on the hind quarters after which side-passing. He picked up pivoting shortly, however side-passing is a piece in progress.

Subsequent, I launched opening and shutting gates, tarps, and flags. Though profitable at dwelling, when in a brand new atmosphere, Dom misplaced confidence. These obstacles turned new and scary. So, regardless of hours of observe, we made it by way of just a few obstacles at our first enjoyable path class at April’s Minnesota Horse Expo. This was an incredible expertise for us and gave me a baseline to work from.

On the Expo, one impediment Dom struggled with was confidently strolling over logs positioned between two floor poles. So, after dressage observe after I observed wood floor poles subsequent to one another, I used them to observe strolling over “logs.” I separated them at completely different angles, so there was sufficient area for one in all Dom’s toes between every pole.

At first, Dom stared on the floor poles with apprehension, considering I used to be nuts for asking him to stroll over these! He insisted there was completely no method his toes might match. After a number of makes an attempt he gave it a go and far to Dom’s disbelief, his toes match between the poles! Afterward, he walks over our impromptu “logs” extra confidently and with much less hesitation.

Just a few weeks later, we felt prepared for an additional path class and entered the St. Croix Riders Saddle Membership Boots & Brass Enjoyable Present in Baldwin, Wisc.

The path sample was posted the afternoon earlier than the present and included a bridge. I shortly made a makeshift “bridge” and though it was slim and unconventional, Dom match and it might maintain his weight.

I lead Dom to the “bridge,” and positioned his toes on the panel to indicate it was secure. Finally, he stepped up and walked throughout. Then we labored on it from the saddle. With many profitable passes over the “bridge,” we had an opportunity on the present, however with such little observe, I wouldn’t be stunned if it didn’t go as deliberate.

Dom was superb at our second off-property expertise collectively. On the present grounds he was initially nervous however we walked off his power, then supplied hay and water on the trailer the place he stood calmly tied.

We warmed up simply as we do at dwelling by working towards dressage expertise, backing, and side-passing. Then it was our flip!

We walked to the primary impediment: the bridge. This bridge was a set of plastic platforms and regarded utterly completely different from our observe bridge. We tried a number of makes an attempt to cross, however Dom repeatedly prevented it, so we moved on to the subsequent impediment.

We trotted round a pretend cow the place Dom took it huge and stared it down. Subsequent, we trotted over floor poles. Dom was not sure concerning the distance between the poles and broke to a stroll, however we shortly picked it again up and went to the open-ended field. Barely confused, Dom went in and backed out. His toes bought tripped up once we aspect handed a floor pole however we have been capable of proceed the aspect cross for the size of the pole.

A mailbox was subsequent, which was one thing we had by no means practiced. Dom was somewhat apprehensive, however slowly made it shut sufficient so I might lean in, open the mailbox, seize the flag, wave it over head, and return it.

Subsequent was turning a full circle to the appropriate after which to the left inside a field. This proved to be difficult for Dom as a result of he was a lot bigger than most horses on the present and the field was a good squeeze for him. He bumped the sides just a few instances however he stayed calm and tried his greatest!

Then off we trotted weaving by way of the poles for the final impediment. We did it! We completed the path class!

I used to be so pleased with Dom and impressed by how far he had come since our first path class on the Horse Expo! I didn’t care how we in comparison with everybody else as a result of Dom had knocked it out of the park so far as I used to be involved! However then the most important shock got here, after they introduced we had truly positioned fourth. We bought our first ribbon!

We nonetheless have extra work to do. There are numerous extra expertise to observe however we have now come as far as a group. We’ve got constructed an incredible basis of belief in each other, so I can’t wait to see the place we’ll go within the years to return!