Quick note - Training update!

9/16/10 - Training Update - Week 2 -
Every day, we go to the barn between 8 and 10am. From then on, practice, walking horses, cleaning stalls, grooming horses, turning them out, working-out, washing horses, riding horses, having fun, going in the boat at the lake, etc... starts! It's so fun to be there all day! I've been able to ride Cheval around - Trails, road, arena, in the fields, we can do it all, and BAREBACK! He's so much fun to ride! And just want to say, a big THANK YOU to Tammy (barn owner) for her amazing hospitality. Thank you for opening your home and facility up to all of us crazy vaulters. Without you and your family, this would never be able to happen!

Ok, so for that training update, we've been working pretty hard in this hot, humid weather. Every day we've been working on the barrel, going for a short run, and doing lot's of stretching. Conditioning, too. It's like being in Europe, it feels like Germany, looks like Germany, and we're doing what we'd be doing if we were in Germany. It's great! The only thing that's different is that everyone here speaks English, and Cheval, Pally, Spike, Rubin, Phoenix, Hobie, and Hudson are here. All of out babies :-) They're such good ponies!

Our last freestyle training practice went quite well - I did all of my freestyle parts just about perfectly! The beginning of the freestyle is on it's way to WEG quality, and Devon't Pas de Deux is looking great with Rosey. It's really coming along well. Compulsories are proving a little more challenging, but tomorrow (Friday) we are only going to focus on them. We are also going to try a little different surcingle that proved to do us better before.

Today, we did a lot of compulsory drills, too. Mount, mill, scissors, and 1st half of Flank were the main focuses. And, I'm so excited, I FINALLY got a little sore on my belly button! Now, mine isn't bleeding (not that much) like the other girls were not to long ago, but hey, I finally earned my bruises! I'm so proud of myself! HA! The things I get excited about in this sport, gotta love vaulting!

Today we also did each of our freestyle mounts 6 times, and I did all of my parts 3+ times. That was fun. Devon, and Nanners, I have a nice little bruise on my arm from one of your vice-grips! I haven't figured out who this one is from.... hehehehe ;-)

So... I'll be waking up bright and early tomorrow to training my brain with homework, and then training my body for WEG! WHOOHOO! I had, yet again, another extreme realization that we are GOING TO THE WORLD EQUESTRIAN GAMES!!!!! YAY!

Talk soon! And don't worry, I'm taking some pictures!