day three - oconner land

Whew. The day started with a lecture on cross country position, pace, timing, and a little scare tactic right after breakfast followed by line work and a showjumping lesson. Then we were super late for lunch.... everything ran a little over, during which there was a lecture by Succeed, a feed supplement.... (i won a bag with neon pink accents!) .... after which we promptly went back to the barn, had a lecture on studs and boots by max, and THEN we speed tacked up, studs and all, for a cross country into lesson including bombing down the hill they call "the hill from snowy river".

When we were done all that, it was 5:38pm.  We untacked, destudded, bathed, fed, poicked stalls, watered, and THEN went out to dinner.

We went to a hibachi place that was super tasty. And by super tasty I mean, we were all so hungry we would have eaten cardboard, but the meal was actually really delicious.

After dinner, Calvin was struck by the greatest idea of all time...... ice cream. So after asking our insanely nervous and uncomfortable waiter where the best place was, we went around the corner (in down town lexington va, to a tiny little ice cream joint and got fantastic ice cream. Sitting on the stoop outside, we watched and laughed (probably so loud they could all hear us, of course) at the small town life and ll its nuanced inhabitants. I haven't cried (the laugh so hard im going to cry or maybe pee myself kind of laugh) so many times within a half hours time..... in a long while)


anyway. I am sure you want to know more about the horsey part of our day that the ice cream indulgence and laughing at others' expense so here are some photos and side notes:

jen riding the bull. this was monday i believe

thats me.... monday

our first on the ground demo... david with the famous rocket

calving practicing after hours, stretching out his pulled groin issues

the front of our tack stall. sooo pretty

big D enjoying some tasty hay

calvin winning some brownie points

sooo excited for night check! (this was tuesday i think? the days are blurring together already.)

So. it's about 11pm. and i still haven't loaded the amazing photos i took today leading up to our cross country lesson. i seem to be a day behind. hopefully i can wake up and put them up in the morning.... we'll see how that goes. anyway. enough excuses. time for bed!

ps. im not sure if i've mentioned this, but we four have been killing it (read: getting so many compliments its amazing the roof of the barn doesn't blow off from all the hot air it's containing). But seriously, our horses have been rock stars, putting in their all (and enjoying it) and we have been doing our best to do them any sort of justice. We all seem to be well matched with our horsey companions (personality wise if nothing else) and have been learning an incredible amount.

Something to write home about: how much fun we are having (i mean, not to speak for anyone else, but unless the amount of laughter coming from our group is all a big lie.....)

so. tata for now. until the morning.