Shawn
Community Tutor
The New England Classic and Riding My Horse Today

This morning, I woke up around 8 o'clock and headed to the New England Classic barrel racing and pole bending competition in Northampton, Massachusetts with Josh. The event was held at the Three County Fair grounds again this year. Last year, Josh rode my horse Prince in both the barrel race and the pole bending competitions and didn't do that bad. This year, however, we were both really busy with work and everything else that we didn't have time to prepare for it or to have a vet come out and give use our Coggins shots, which your horse needs to be up-to-date on to be trailered off your property. We are both planning on entering next year though, which should be really nice, especially since we will have our own horse trailer by then. I am planning on buying one in the fall actually, because I am tried of having to ask people if we can borrow theirs.

 

The event was pretty good and we even got to see two of our friends, Candis and her daughter Andrea, whom we hadn't seen for nearly eight months since we moved our horses to the stable we board at now.Josh had seen Candis at his work last week and had told her about the barrel race this weekend so she stopped by with her daughter to check it out. Candis barrel races like Josh does. I have done the barrel pattern before but I am by no means good at it like they are. I have come a long way with horses though, especially since I started out with a fear of horses 3 years ago.

 

After the New England Classic, we stopped at the stable we board our horses at in Hadley. Josh's horse isn't there this month actually since she is receiving further barrel racing training with Doug Leaser in Wales, Massachusetts. We pulled my horse Prince out of his paddock though and rode him a bit today. He is an awesome horse actually. I bought him off of a friend of my family but he came out of the west where he was used primarily as a ranch horse. He actually knows his stuff, for instance, he responds instantly to leg cues and the slightest bit of pressure, he turns in a dime, etc. He is a total love bug too and will come over and snuggle your arm with his face, especially if you have treats. 

 

Does anyone else own or ride horses? How do you say "to ride a horse" and "to board a horse at a stable" in your language?

 

Some photos of my horse and me riding today: 

 

http://italkilessons.tumblr.com/post/86072753971

 

May 18, 2014 4:02 AM