Mounted Patrol Training

All I have to say is WOW, what an incrediable weekend! Marley and got packed up and picked up 2 more friend's horses Thursday afternoon, drove the 2.5 hours to the Wadena County Fairgrounds and tucked in for the night. You should have seen the sea of trucks, trailers, and campers there, talk about getting goose bumps! The weather was cold and raining. Last summer the town was almost leveled by a tornado so the horse barn and stalls where completely new and where really nice. I brought a blanket with to help take some of the chill off in the evenings. Friday am came way to soon. Up at 5 to feed and have breakfast and in the saddle for pretty much the rest of the day other than an hour lunch break. Our first class was a team challenge, this consited of working as a group and encouraging and helping one another over and through obstacles. There was a hula hoop there that we had to hold with a partner and go through the barrel pattern. My partner and I did it so well at a walk we thought we could step it up to faster speeds, but when we tried that our horses where going ever which direction but the direction they where suppose to go! I have a video that I am working on putting together to show everyone and will hopfully have time to get that put together by the end of the week. We took 2 different equitation classes, an obstacle class (Marley kept wanting to jump everything and he was just suppose to walk over it or through it, but by the end of class we where walking through it), a search and resuce class (3 hours looking for people, items, etc in the pouring rain and wind, now that was COLD!), formation riding, and lastly parade practice. Late Satuday afternoon and into Sunday was all our riding tests, and group competions, we did place in 2 out of the 5 competitions we entered (4th & 6th). Pretty good for our first year. And of course the last day you are there the weather gets really nice. I had to share some of the pictures with you guys though and there will be a video coming as soon as I can figure out how to edit it a bit, so it isn't so long :) At lunch on Friday I had my jackets off and had my RAC t-shirt on and it struck up several conversations, most of them though I do have to give the credit to Marley he was the perfect representive for the Curlies! Word spread like wild fire it seemed like that there was a curly horse in the barn and many people have never seen one let alone touched one, so he got really spoiled with attention too! I have to share what my riding instructer told me on Saturday am. He had us in a working, posting trot in a western saddle only for a few min and I thought I was going to die and he could see that so he came over to me when we where done, (he was German) so he says to me "You should have no problem posting for half hour" I was thinking to myself, you are nuts! But, he did set a goal for me, by the end of riding season (this fall) I will be at least attempting to be posting without irons for a half an hour to strengthen my leg muscles. Ok I better quite before I write a book, but we had fun, and a really great learning experience!

Marley & Dana (MN)

**Here is the picture of us jumping we are suppose to be steping over it, but it was fun anyway, doesn't Marley look like a pro! :) Had to share that with you all.**