Argh....

Well today kinda sucked.....  I was so looking forward to it too. I had ridden Tuesday in the rain, but took Wednesday off because of work and the weather being miserable. The 30 minutes it wasn't raining was an option but the footing was just so gross. So then I worked Thursday and Friday... so I was really looking foward to Saturday. Only when I got home from work, Mike told me that the basement had flooded again. Really?!?!?! I swear... I can't catch a break. I hate this flippin house. So I was upset about that... because that means more money that we don't have.... More stress....

So then I got Fleck and hauled to Wishing Tree for grids day. I rode Nike first and he was a good boy. SUCH a good boy. We did grids, which are really hard for him and the rider on him! He jumps with such a bascule and tends to get behind your leg... that it's hard! It was a much different ride than Fleck, and even a different ride than jumping him last time. But it was good for me. It's still the same tactics as Fleck and he makes it a bit more obvious. He's not as sneaky about lengthening his stride on the straightaway as Fleck is. So it was good. Only at one point, he was too sucked back and going through the ground poles I knew it... but we were already "in". So I sorta figured he'd stop. Nope.. he bounced all three jumps and popped me out of the tack. I sat the first one and thought "he'll stop now"... Nope. He threw me off to the side of him over the second.. and then kept jumping. I ended up with my left foot still in the stirrup but hanging off his side over the third jump and then managed to land on my feet, reins still in my hands as he landed off the third. Hee hee...It was....awkward... and embarassing. But... we fixed it after that and I managed to get him in front of my leg without letting him get long so we had two good lines to end on. I rode in Jamie's saddle again and this time I felt all over the place in it. Hmmm...

So then it was Fleck's turn. I had him tied nice and loose to the trailer... so he could get water, etc. Apparently he laid down and rolled while tied and then got back up, no problems. Oops!! So I got him cleaned up and tacked up and rode in Jamie's saddle again. I got on him and... he was lame. Like head bobbing lame. But happy to go forward. So Beth said to canter him around a bit and see if that loosened him up. It worked... I don't know if the saddle was pinching him somewhere? Or the girth? Or what, but after that he was sound. None of the other girls saw anything the whole rest of the ride. Though he did buck a few times on landing... but they all said it was happy bucks because he was ears up and forward and being goofy about it. The footing was a little slick on landing too, so that may have been part of it. Bucking through his changes. Which... he kept landing on the right lead and having to change to the left, and he did. Just about every time... And if I'm correct, that's his harder way. So... he can't have felt too bad. So...we did the same grid exercise and we started off fine. Beth said we were coming in a little bit too the right. She had the poles arranged in touching V's and said we were all getting pulled a little too far to the right because of the orientation. So she put the mounting block in the way so we had to stay left. It worked at first... Then I don't know what happened but Fleck started jumping the ground poles and then getting in wrong for the grid. I tried half halting and he ignored me. Repeatedly. So then I started to get pissy... about the fourth time of him flubbering through it. I mean really??? What the heck? So I got mad at him... and I hate when I do that... Argh. So then I thought.. maybe he can't not jump it because now he's too far off centerline the other way. So I tried getting him closer to the mounting block and he was better but still not great. So Beth took the mounting block away and then he was fine again. .... Doh! Then I felt like an ass... So then we jumped fine the rest of the time and we even added a jump after that he did pretty well.

But... it was still a cruddy day because of the stupid house. And then I felt like a turd for getting mad at Fleck. And then I was upset because I didn't feel like I was jumping all that well in Jamie's saddle. Which.. is a good thing I guess. I mean, I'd rather have a magic saddle even if it was pricey. But if it's not a magic saddle... I'll stick with mine. So maybe that's good news... save myself some money. But argh..... just a frustrating day. So I cried the whole way home. :(

But.... today is going to be a better day. Fleck and I will go do some dressage (We better!!! Showing next weekend and I've only done two days of dressage so far this year!) and then a little relaxing soul improving trail ride.  Then back to work.... Hopefully Mike can get the basement fixed up for cheap.