IEA is hosting their annual horse trial this weekend (with FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY ENTRIES y'all! Eventing is alive and well in Indiana) and since I'm the Hoosier Horse Park Hotel, I got a houseguest last night!
Holly of Party Pony Eventing crashed with me last night, so of course I had to get her on Connor. I think she's only the second third blogger that's ever ridden him besides Austen and Nicole, which doesn't sound right given as many bloggers as I've met (credit L. Williams), but we don't get many visitors to Indiana, haha.
I had been feeling lazy for my own ride before she got there, so I had put him in his Brockcamp bareback pad, and Holly was game to get on a strange horse bareback. You go girl, I definitely would've been too chicken for that!
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| As she got on, I said "I'm sorry for your wallet, you will want one of these bareback pads in about 5 seconds" and she was immediately like "Oh...oh yeah...I want one" haha |
She rode him really well after I told her to shorten her reins several feet, lol. I don't know what it is about Connor, but every single educated rider I put on him starts out with too long of a rein. It has to be something about his neck proportions and being a pony when people are used to riding horses. Makes me feel better about the eight years it took me to learn to ride with short enough reins on him.
She's the third person that isn't me that's ridden him in the past two weeks, and it's just so much fun to see how well-trained he is, that people can get on and do the fun things with him. My barnmate in particular gets to feel feelings on Connor she's never felt on a horse before, and she's constantly amazed.
We wrapped up the evening with biking for margaritas and tacos, as one does on horse show weekends.
Good luck this weekend, Holly!
I think Holly is trying to win the award as blogger who has ridden the most horses owned by other bloggers! Haha.
ReplyDeleteI think I'm at three? Could be four.
DeleteDang, you forgot me already! Connor is a super guy and I can only imagine the difference in the six years since I came. You still need to come ride, the boys.
ReplyDeleteSee, I knew I was forgetting people, that's why I said it didn't feel right! You are correct, and I will update it!
DeleteAwesome! We should try to get another blogger meetup in the works now that the world is safer.
ReplyDeleteThere are a surprising number of bloggers who have informed me they're coming to my house for my holiday open house this year, so...let's do it?
DeleteAh! I love this! Hope you ladies are having a ton of fun out there! You're so generous with your pony Jen.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Holly!!!
Also, as president of the "My Reins are Too Long" Club, I do think it's worse for me on the pony than the horses. It seems like I need a drastically different rein length depending on where her head is. Since mine's supposed to be a hunter, I don't mind her stretching down a little bit, but as soon as I want to collect, it's like a 3 feet change in rein length...
It has to be something like that, yeah, that's good anecdotal evidence for my theory. These are really good riders that definitely ride with an appropriate length on their own horses, but on Connor reins of an appropriate length just feel too short for some reason.
Deleteaw they look great!!! 100% would not be brave enough to ride a stranger horse bareback LOL
ReplyDeleteRight?! Me neither. Although I will say Connor is about as safe as it gets these days.
DeleteSo you are telling me to update your Brain profile ;)
ReplyDeleteShe's already on there under her old name, Marescara! I don't think I've met anyone new recently, dang pandemic.
DeleteIt is so very cool watching other people enjoy your horse! How awesome that Connor has reached teacher status too.
ReplyDeleteGood lord, that’s a lot of entries! Holly looks great on him and he looks like fun. Biking for margaritas and tacos also sound perfect. Now I want to come too! 😁
ReplyDeleteHe was so much fun to ride and I DEFINITELY love that bareback pad. Thanks for sharing him with me!
ReplyDeleteAlso I need a better sports bra to sit the trot, my god.
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