CAMP!!!

I've been home for a week and finally found the time to blog. It was AWESOME!! I was really excited because I got to ride Gino. On the first day though... we went outside on the cross country course to do some fitness workouts, and he started bucking like crazy. I only came off once, but I asked to be switched off of him.

The girl riding Splash was also feeling uncomfortable, so I switched onto him! He was amazing the whole week, and it really helped me focus on having fun.

Our schedule at camp goes something like this.

6:30 - wake up, go over to the barn to bring in our horses and feed them

7:10 - First bugle blows to wake everyone else at camp up

8:00 - breakfast

9:15 - at the barn, first group grooms and rides, second group has a lecture, then we switch

12:20 - lunch

1:00 - rest period

2:05 - back to the barn, but in the afternoons we all ride together

5:30 - dinner

6:00 - free period

7:00 evening activity

9:00 - in our cabins, get ready for bed, vesper

10:00 - lights out

Monday morning, we had a flat lesson (I was still on Gino). Gi was awesome, and I was getting really excited about how great the week would be if he kept this up. In the afternoon, we went outside and did trot and canter sets. The trot sets were great - we only had one spook - but the canter sets were disasterous. I came off, got back on, and he wouldn't stop bucking.

Tuesday morning we had a jumping lesson, and I tried to get to know Splash better. We did no-hand bounces - one of my favorite exercises. In the afternoon, we went outside and jumped cross country. Splash absolutely loved it! He was so funny....I tried to take a longer approach to a jump, but he wouldn't let me. He was like "No! The jump's over there!!"

Wednesday morning we went on a field trip to Silverwood, a big eventing barn in Illinois. We walked the cross country course and a person who boards her horse at our barn came and schooled her horse. In the afternoon we played polo. Splash was so funny. He kepy trying to eat the ball :P

Thursday, we had a dressage lesson. Splash was a little dissappointed that we weren't doing something exciting like cross country again, so he was really hyper. We went cross country again in the afternoon, and we both had a blast :)

Friday we had a really fun jumping lesson in the morning. The kids who have lessons on Thursday nights set up a jump course for their lesson and it was... interesting. But really fun!!! In the afternoon we walked to the other side of camp to the big cross country course to school over the bank. Splash refused a few times, but after we got down it once he was great.

Saturday, after camp was done and over, I had my normal lesson with Boomer, one of our newer horses. He was really good, and I think if I spent some time with him we would make a great team.

I volunteered a little during the week, but nothing too exciting...

The next Saturday, I had a jumping lesson on Splash. He was really good! We did a bending line exersice and it was really hard, yet a ton of fun.

This week, I'm going out to the barn every day as lead volunteer. Hopefully I'll get to ride once...but I doubt it :(

Wow.

I haven't written in forever.

The first week of summer was great - I got my braces off, had a great start in swim team, and even started my book report. Then we left for a big Canyon trip for two weeks. It was fun, but I would have rather stayed home.

I FINALLY RODE GINO!!! He was sooo good. He's calmed down a lot since the last time I rode him. He did everything I asked, and ever transition was perfect :)

I just wanted to post before I leave AGAIN....but this time I'm going to camp! It's going to be AMAZING. I'm SOOO excited and I realy hope it will be as fun as I think it's going to be!