Post-State Finals Funk

Its that time of year again. The Post-State Finals Funk.

Once again I rode like a moron in Kississimmee.

Maybe not all the time.

The 1st Go was better. I didn't, in the lingo of Ed, "prepare him for the turn" on the first barrel and he overran it like a beast, bowing out almost to the timer line. But, the Ed drills paid off on the 2nd and 3rd which were beautiful.

The 2nd Go was not good. I held him up going to the first and we blew out a little bit, not nearly as bad as the 1st Go. BUT I was petrified. He was so amped and ready to go in the holding pen that I got scared, safetyed up and hit the 2nd AND the 3rd. Ugh.

But, optimistic me, I watched the videos in slow motion and we didn't hit because of a shoulder dropping barrel dive, we hit because he turned too tightly! LOL What a problem to have!

And I think I've got my first barrel figured out. I was watching my videos and we are all out of position for the first barrel. He's dropping to turn 4 or 5 strides out and getting flat on the top side. A trainer friend of mine had pointed it out to me before but... I forgot. (Hi Julie!)

There's a tiny barrel race next weekend in Monticello I want to try to hit if I can talk Brion into going to Plant City without me. We're going to work on our first barrel approach, do some one barrel drills over the next two weeks and see if we can clean this mess up. If we can, then oooo boy look out. Our 2nd and 3rd were Capital B Beeyootiful. Just gotta fix that 1st.

You can tell Bubba feels so good he can't stand it. He was actually loping in place trying to get out in the arena on Saturday. !!! Compare that to all those horses you see that flat refuse to go in the pen. I keep my animal feeling gooooood.

I'm still working on my confidence. Part of the reason I got so scared on Saturday was because I was tired (got NO sleep all weekend) and my legs felt like rubber. I just wasn't feeling strong and balanced and CONFIDENT.

It's funny. I haven't ever really struggled with low confidence in myself. I have a very high opinion of myself (probably too high lol) in most of the areas of my life. Put me on a young horse with a goal in mind and I gots no problems. But, man, strapped on to that Big Red Rocket I lose all confidence in myself. I need to work on that. I CAN ride him. I've done it before!

It might be time for some woo-woo New Age affirmations or something.

Or tequila.

Whichever works. ;)