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To say the Gymkhana on January 21, 2023 was a shit show would be an understatement. We had so many odds against us including not being able to ride for two weeks due to rain, me throwing my back out the day before, and only having a 10min warmup.
We had three really good rides: Poles I (we got such a good time that it was a higher division AA time), Speed Barrels, and Single Stake Race. We got a 6th in AA division for Poles I, 6th in A division for Speed Barrels, and 5th in A division for Single Stake Race.
We had two rides that were absolute shit: Big T and Quadrangle where we go “no times” on. I’m deciding not to post the videos on here because I’m honestly embarrassed by my mistakes. Please don’t judge…
So what happened if everything started off so well? Let me explain this to you: this was 100% my fault and not Treasure’s fault. I probably should not have ridden in the Gymkhana what with having my back out and having scoliosis…the scoliosis exacerbated every little pain. For those two events that we got “no times” on, I went into the first turn, landed in the saddle in such a way that it made my back spasm, resulting in my right leg clenching onto Treasure’s sensitive spot on his side, which in turn, caused him to run out from beneath me and start bolting. Both times, I brought him back to the finish and told the gate person that we were done. My poor pony was traumatized and was so worried that he did something wrong to cause me to clench onto him even though I kept telling him that it was not his fault.
This goes to show that we are not perfect. I probably asked too much of him way too soon too. This was only our fourth Gymkhana.
What our gameplan is for the next Gymkhana is to just slow everything down. Maybe trot the turns and canter the straightaways. I want to gain his trust again and boost Treasure’s confidence as well as mine. We may not be competitive next time, and that’s okay. The most important thing to me is not the ribbons, but that Treasure has fun and feels like a little king again. Speed will come with time. I also plan on practicing for the next Gymkhana three times the week before (weather permitting) like we used to. He’s going to be fitter, we both will also be more confident that way. I’m also not going to do any heavy lifting the day before so that my back is nice and happy.
Though this Gymkhana didn’t go as well as planned, I am still so proud of Treasure, and I call it a success in that I learned something valuable. We also had three really good runs out of five. Proportion-wise, that is a success for us!
As the saying goes, you win some, and you lose some. This experience has just made me more determined to do things right next time.
I hope that you all are having a great start to your week, and until next time, Happy Trails!
-NotYourAveragePerson