# All you Lenox fans, she was AWESOME at her first show!



## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

I took Lenox to her first show on Sunday, and haven't had a chance to upload the pictures and videos until today. Molly did okay, but I think she did better last weekend. Lenox was just amazing! Because she's over 5, she had to be shown in a curb bit, so I put her in one for the first time at the show and rode her (she already had the neck reining basics down) and was just stunned at how well she behaved. In the warm-up arena I put her on a loose rein and just trotted and practiced her stop. She slowed her trot down to a lovely WP jog when I put my weight back and wiggled my feet, and stopped on a dime whenever I put my weight back and said Woah. There was a pattern posted for our Horsemanship class, so we practiced it in the warm-up arena. There was a haunches-in, and she picked it up after only a few minutes of a nonallowing rein and a heel pushing her butt over. They didn't end up calling for the pattern, though, but it was good practice regardless.

I don't mind a little critique, but try to refrain from tearing her apart as neither of us have had any training and it was her first show.





 
And here's Molly at the same show; I haven't uploaded her videos yet but here are pictures:

Eating at the trailer


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## SMCLeenie (Mar 3, 2011)

Sounds like you guys had a great time, congratulations! I think your horses are lovely!


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## Wallaby (Jul 13, 2008)

You guys looked great! Lenox looked super relaxed and chill about being at a show. Good for you two!

The only two things I noticed where that in the video you were holding her head awfully tightly and I'm pretty sure you were holding the reins incorrectly. If you had just let her have 6 more inches of rein on both sides, I bet she would have been even more relaxed (and probably had her head in a "nicer" place). I was always taught to hold split reins (which I assume is what you were using?) like this:
http://www.rainbowag.com/graphics/splits.gif
but maybe your way is also correct... I'm pretty sure that in any case you want your fist to be vertical at all times though. 

But anyway, you guys looked great! Good work! I wish I could go to a show.
And I love that first picture of you on Molly, where it's basically a face shot. She's such a cutie!


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## myhorsesonador (Jun 21, 2009)

you guys look great. The WP rider at the begining of your vid poping the crap out of her horses face makes me cringe. >_<


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

You guys look good. Pretty laid back cookie for her 1st show. What type of show is it? It looks like it was supposed to be western pleasure. I don't show so I'm clueless.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Thanks guys! Yeah, I realized how tight my reins are when I played the video back. She wasn't giving me any grief about it like the others would have, so I kind of ignored it. She's a Percheron, we think, I bought her in November. The classes were mostly WP w/t, Western Horsemanship w/t, and the first class was a Jackpot Pleasure w/t with 30 entires :shock:

Myhorsesonador, I know, it was killing me because I saw so many people pulling the faces off these well-trained horses to get them to slow down. This one girl in the practice arena with me had this big beautiful paint, and she was blocking his forward motion with every aid she had, but asking for a trot with her boots/spurs, and when the horse, confused, back up, poor guy got a huge kick to the sides with these big rowel spurs. He bucked, and got another kick, along with a slap on the butt.

ETA: Actually, Wallaby, you are correct on the too-short length, but it's optional when holding split reins whether to hold them with a finger between them or not.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

My mom and I took Lenox and Molly on a hack today on the bridle trails. They were both great!


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## speedy da fish (May 7, 2009)

you are lucky you are so tall, you look very elegant on horseback


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Thank you . It certainly helps to be 5'10" when you're riding a giant LOL!


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