# Days with Dos



## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

7/28 
2:48 AM
Okay SO I am extremely bored and where I live, its almost 3 in the morning so what better thing to do then start a journal on what happens when I ride which is pretty much...for the most part every day, which is good. 

Okay well today is Thursday and every second and fourth Thursday of the month, one of the places I do gymkhana at has Time-Only's/Time Trials. Since the professional barrel racer pattern is the clover-leaf that is the one we do. I've been getting pretty good times for only been riding for a year and just owning my newest gymkhana/barrel horse for almost 4 moths. My runs are usually between 19 and 21 seconds and that's without me pushing him. My horse is a 4D barrel horse right now but when worked to his full potential is at least a 2D maybe 1D horse. I have never had the thought to push him in gymkhana because he already does so well, but I'm not improving as much as I would like so I get lessons and we do the time only's every second and fourth Thursday. I figure if I push him and myself I can to e 2D which is my goal. I'm not all about the winning, don't get me wrong I like to win who doesn't, but my main priority is just advancing and getting better so pretty much reaching my goal. Since I do gymkhana in two different locations, I move up faster because I get to do so many shows but there is only 4 shows left of this season and I really want to get rated to 3D for now. The only hard thing would be keeping up daily routine of riding trail and running barrels a couple times a week when it starts turning to winter time. I love winter time, but it just sucks when I can't ride and practice when I really want to and many people know how that feels, but I admit, it will be pretty hard to stay conditioned. Wow well I feel like I just wrote a book and even though not all of this has happened today it went though my mind today so that's why I wrote it. Anyways I'm excited for time trials because my best clover-leaf time is a 19 something. We get 3 runs and I'm hoping that I can get an 18 maybe and if not, then each run I want to have improved eve if it's by a few milliseconds. Oooo I am so happy because I ride my moms horse as well in gymkhana and I just got rated 5D on him and he isn't trained for barrels at all so I am pretty pleased with how far he has come and how far I've come since starting riding about a year and a half ago. It's pretty amazing how time goes by so fast. So anyways, this will eb the lat time I make a post that is like a book. I will just get on here and write what I did with my horse that day and etc.


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Okay so time only's were really fun! On my horse I got better times than I have before except I knocked down the barrel which made me slow down a tiny bit but it's okay it's all for practice. On my moms horse, I got better each run. Although, in the beginning when I was warming him up he ran me into a tree but you better believe I corrected him! The thing I really need to work on with him is getting tighter turns and worry about speed later. I need to be consistent with running barrels though because I won't be as good if I don't. I'm currently looking for a new trainer because the one I had before I just felt like I wasn't really learning so once I find one that I can stick with and I learn from I will be sooo much better. I'm really trying to get good enough so maybe in a year or so I'll be good enough to do jackpots and actually some money and even if I didn't win I wouldn't be all depressed about it because it would be a good experience.

All in all, good day. Oh yeah almost forgot, I have been emailing back in forth with a lady that is selling a Martha Josie Circle Y saddle for $500 that I'm hoping I can pick up before my next gymkhana on Saturday because my horse has high withers and it just extremely difficult to fit. I need the ride saddle/pad combo. I'm hoping my deal works out with this lady.

Tomorrow morning I'm probably going to head down to the arena for an hour or two w/t/c through barrels and really focusing on leg cues and making my pocket to the second barrel which is where I always have trouble.


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Okay so today in like a couple of hours, I have to go down to the arena I ride at for gymkhana and pick up rocks to get my hours in for the belt buckle series. It's 8 hours per horse and I have two horses I ride that are in the belt buckle series so I have to get 16 hours and I'm not sure how many I have but I know it's not a lot. Hope I get all my hours in before gymkhana season ends. Only two more shows left  but that gives me more time to get better. I can start working with a trainer once I find one that I feel I learn from and get really good. Also I'm going to work on training my moms horse on barrels. I run him now but he needs a lot of training.


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Okay so this really sucks. Today I have gymkhana but it's a night show so it doesn't start until 3. Well this morning we had plans with this lady to go buy her saddle it's the perfect saddle and I was so excited last night because I could use it later today. This morning my mom and I get up and get all ready, right before we leave my mom calss this lady and asks if she had left yet ( we were gonna meet her somewhere) and the lady said she couldn't now because she was giving a lesson.

It really frustrates me because we talked to her last night and had everything set up and she didn't even bother to call to say she couldn't do it this morning. We had to call her and she said last night after we talked to her that someone called and she set up a lesson. Personally I think it's rude. If it wasn't such a good deal on the saddle I wouldn't even bother with this lady.


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Yesterday night was gymkhana. I got 2nd overall on my horse and my moms horse as well. There were many freak things and just bad things that happened yesterday though. A pony ran off with a little boy and that kid was hanging on for dear life, to make it worse he didn't have a helmet on even after it ran off. Many horses buck that you don't usually see buck. One horse reared a few times. (This is other peoples horses) and sooo many people were tripping in the arena. My friend even had to go to the ER from a bad accident (she's okay, thank god).

Today I went and picked up my Martha Josey barrel saddle. I was so excited because the lady said it was a Circle Y but when we got there she said she think it's a Billy Cook. Either way I know both are good quality saddles so it was all fine and it fits my horse and me soooo good! Unfortunately couldn't ride today 'cuz the weather :-( Hoping I can tomorrow and try running barrels with my new saddle


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

I haven't updated this in a while but I know people don't read it so it's okay but I am soooo excited for gymkhana tomorrow! I just got a new saddle last weekend that fits my horse and me perfect! It's really nice and was fairly cheap ut used, however, the previous owner kept in great condition! 

Anyways, tomorrow is gymkhana and it will be the first time I run my horse in it and the first time I ride in it. Plus, it will be the second time I run him in 3D. I'm really excited.

It sucks, There is this show and then three more left of the season :-(
but that gives me time to practice to get better during our time off, and I might star doing High School Rodeo which starts in September and ends in may And gymkhana starts in February and ends in September so if I do the rodeo, I will always be doing something and it'll keep him conditioned.


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Okay soooo..Yesterday was gymkhana and it was soo much fun! I did really good too!

 I love gymkhana<3

Next weekend I have another gymkhana too and if I am top 5 in my division for my horse I will get a belt buckle at the end of the season. 

Hopefully I'll get a belt buckle 

Once the gymkhana season is over, I'm probably going to start doing jackpots and moving onto bigger competitions. 

Hopefully I'll do well. I want to go watch a jackpot or two before I actually enter one and maybe I'll start high school rodeo in September 

I just want to stay busy keeping my horses conditioned the best I can and becoming an even better rider than I already am.


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Oh I almost forgot...yesterday at gymkhana Was the first time I rode in my new saddle.  it's so comfortable and fits me and my horse so well. I love it!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

After getting home from gymkhana on Saturday afternoon. I noticed something wrong with one of the shoes on my horse I had just ran. I always clean his feet and stretch him out before we start competing and I noticed nothing odd about it. I checked it, and his shoes is halfway off!

I have to meet with a trainer this week for a couple lessons and then two different days this week I wanted to go down to the arena in my area to practice before our next gymkhana on Saturday. 

I'm going to call my farrier today to see if they can be out here like asap because I have so much planned for this week. 

Hopefully they can come out and fix it.


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Went outside to check on my gelding to see if he had lost his shoe, and he sure did.


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Farrier came today put Dos's shoe back on (yay) 

Tomorrows plans:
Go to the local arena around 5-ish to practice my form and technique for running barrels. Need as much practice I as I can get before Saturday. Then if not tomorrow, sometime this week, going to meet with a new trainer and take a lesson to see if this trainer would be a good match for me.

Hope everything turns out ay-okay. 

My goal this next gymkhana is to get my fastest times ever. Hopefully I do


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## tbstorm (Dec 16, 2010)

good luck!!!


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Thank you! I sure hope I can beat my own times. I realized that winning isn't the most important thing unless you know how to ride right so that's what I'm going to do make sure I ride right. Also I like beating my old times. I keep records and videos of each one of my runs to see what I can improve on and how


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## tbstorm (Dec 16, 2010)

Awesome, with an attitude like that im sure you'll go far and get better and better!


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

tbstorm said:


> Awesome, with an attitude like that im sure you'll go far and get better and better!


Thank you! I hope I do


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

So..haven't updated in a while.

8/9/2011: Went to the arena close to where I live to practice running arrels and my turns went really good stayed for a couple hours.

8/10/2011: Went school clothes shopping so didn't ride but did talk to a lady via email and phone about a possible pony we are going to purchase.

Today: Went and looked at the pony we talked to the lady about yesterday. He is soooooo cute and had good confo, was really suitable for my nine year old sister 
The only bad thing is that he cribs so he has to wear a cribbing collar but the lady the more attention we give him the less he'll do and that makes sense. 

Tonight: Around 6:30ish going to the arena to do some time onlys/time trials to do some practicing for cheap. 
The lady we're going to but the pony from is trailering down to the arena by us so she can see my sister ride him in the time onlys and then we will pay for him and take him home!

Tomorrow: Gonna go riding for a few hours with some friends to get ready for gymkhana on Saturday  

Saturday: Gymkhana!!! It's a night show so I have to wash Dos Equis, and then gonna leave him standing tied up until we leave so he doesn't go roll because he loves to get dirty right after I clean him (I think he does it just to make me mad)
Gonna be a good day I know it!
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Side note:
Back to school on Thursday the 18th :-( summer went by way too fast!! 
But I get my schedule on the 16th. Hopefully I get good not mean teachers that will actually put up with me :lol: but maybe not hahaha


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## tbstorm (Dec 16, 2010)

***you go back in August? :O****

the pony sounds nice, post some pics!! 
good luck in your gymK and with your teachers!!


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Yeah August...it's horrible!!!

I will definitely post some pics of the pony after I take some at gymkhana he is a real cutie!!
Thanks I hope I do good 
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Thursday at time only's I was running to the second barrel and I heard a loud sound, looked down, to see the the bridle was around my horses neck :O
I had no control at all and he was just running around the arena but he finally stopped and everything was okay


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## tbstorm (Dec 16, 2010)

ohh snap  im glad everything was okay! where do you stand in racing right now? i dont really understand the whole 1D 2D things!! i know yikes right?


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Okay here the divisions are as follows:


1D 18.999 
2D 19.799
3D 20.799
4D 21.999
5D 23.999
6D 25.999
7D I don't know the time range for this division.

The time increments are by seconds so this is for the cloverleaf pattern or texas barrels (same thing) there are a few different names for this pattern.










There are 3 other barrel patterns that we run and all those times average to get the division you are in. 
Since this is the most common pattern, and the one ran by the pros, it's the one I'm showing times for.

Right now I'm 3D but running 2D times as of my last show. 
If I run 2D times on three of the four main patterns in the next show, I will be placed in 2D.


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## tbstorm (Dec 16, 2010)

ohh okay i see the 1D @D etc. reffers to the time. Ok awesome! i hope you make it!!


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## DustyDiamond (Mar 18, 2010)

Yeah all about time 

Thanks, I hope so too.


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