Miss Congeniality

....and the award goes to....MJK Dudes Dream Girl (aka Cierra)!! While she didn't win any physical awards, she won Miss Congeniality in the eye's of the observant.

Cierra went to her first big show, a combined SWBA/ABRA Approved & Palomino Show last weekend! Our trainer took a handful of competitor's and their mounts, and a couple of young horses for exposure. Cierra was there for four days, and appeared to love every aspect of being at a show. She was happy in her stall, content and interested in everything, and well behaved around the show grounds & arena's. People noticed, and even stopped to comment on her demeanor.

Not only did she walk around taking in the show atmosphere, practice in the warm up pen, she also rode in the show ring during open practice several times. Our trainer has never ridden a young horse on a first visit in the show ring, and said it was not the norm. It may sound concerning, but it wasn't. Apparently she was ready. Cierra walked in the show ring, and didn't take one step out of place.

We did take her to a Futurity Show, a brief trailer in/out one weanling class with her breeder, right before we bought her. So technically Cierra had been to a show, but completely different circumstances. 

Of course I brought my camera, and this is what I saw in the warm up ring...

Cierra & Trainer Patty

...and in the open practice show ring...

Cierra & Apprentice Sammy taking a break in the center

Hay, those are my humans!

Riding around like a big girl

Exiting among a sea of Palomino's

...my hubby's girl is growing up, and winning over hearts ~ one dream at a time.

Miss Congeniality

cierra update

Hard to believe it's been over a month since we've seen Cierra. It is only remotely okay, because we know our trainer well and checked in via phone. With the holidays, vacation, and work conflicts behind us - a day finally came that we could go see her. We arrived to find Cierra enjoying turn out time. I had to look twice, yep that's her. She is still very affectionate and had a lot to say, in her own quiet way...

telling secrets

We were not expecting our trainer to be home, but her plans changed. Patty was eager to show us Cierra's progress, who would say no to that? The indoor arena was unusually busy, with some encouragement Cierra took it all in stride. I apologize in advance for the crappy video's, in particular the classic floor shot ending...

The only sticky spot in her training so far was in the very beginning. Cierra got off to a slow start, needing more time then usual to realize that it's not so bad doing what people ask. It took a couple weeks, but she was given the needed time to figure that out on her own, so she could be happy learning. Some things simply shouldn't be rushed...

...as you can see Cierra is coming along nicely! I was surprised Brad turned down a first ride on her, but then again much of this visit was unexpected. He will enjoy that special moment another day. Cierra rode with a quiet mouth and head, ears perked with interested eyes, soaking it all in - and sweet as ever...

one special girl

cierra withdrawl

We miss having Cierra at home, Koda & Nemo included. It's only been one week, but we drove up to see her anyways.  She is starting to learn & adjust to being in school, but I found her quiet and kinda sad. I don't remember this with Koda & Nemo, maybe because we sent them to training together and they lived next to each other? or didn't visit as early? Being in a corner stall, without a next door neighbor doesn't help a sociable girl. She does have neighbors across the aisle. I think they'll eventually move her out of what seems to be the intro-stall, and our next visit will likely find her completely adjusted. Cierra isn't a princess up there, just another horse in for training. Yes, we've spoiled her with attention and growing up is hard...

Cierra

...Brad brushed & brushed & brushed his girl, even tho she didn't really need it. The bite marks she had from home are already filling in, she looked good...

brush lovin'

...the trainers barn feels different this year. Good ol' Howard (her dalmatian) wasn't there to greet us, he passed on from old age over the summer. There is only one horse left that I know, Rasta. You might remember him from previous posts, we've gone trail riding with him a couple times.  I've got nothing to do but take pictures...

Brad & his girl

...must feel good to get out of the stall and go for a walk...

...and enjoy just being together.

she's a big girl now

Cierra has been asking, and finally got to try Brad's saddle on....

 

...first standing still...
 

..then at a walk...

 

...a trot... 

...backing up, and learning to wait until tack is completely off... 

No crow hopping, no bucking, just a wide-eyed wonderful girl! Cierra does bust-a-move when asked to lope, and is just beginning to figure out speed control. She is FAST, and will be super smooth, Brad can't wait to ride her! We are taking her up to our trainers on Friday. She will get her turn, Cierra is a big girl now.

it's a bird, it's a kite, its...

...a flying horse! 

"I'm suppose to fly over the poles, right?"

Cierra's first attempt at going over a pole was too funny! She thought she needed to jump up high to get over it, silly girl. Only took her once to figure out all she had to do was lift her feet, a little. Here are some better training photos from the same day.

getting her ready

This winter we'll be sending Cierra to our trainers, to start under saddle. While my hubby is more then capable of training her himself, we prefer to give her the best education we can - and send her up to Iron Horse. It's hard for us to work the horses in the winter anyways. To prepare, Brad has been spending more time working with her in hand. Between the two of them, I'm not sure who is enjoying it more? It may be Cierra, she is more then ready to go to work. Lately she's been racing to be the first one to the gate, and leaving the boys in the dust - wow, she is so fast!

Brad has increased the frequency, and made the sessions a little longer. The two of them have taken walks away from the rest of us, we've been working with her on standing tied longer for grooming and trailering, continue working on giving to resistance...

backing

...and recently increased what is being asked of her when lunging. Here they are doing the usual lunge...

spending time with Cierra

Last weekend Brad set up a single pole on one side of the arena, and a barrel on the other with enough room to pass between it and the railing. She wasn't sure how to maneuver the pole at first. She got walking over them, but when asked at a trot of course she jumped the pole. It didn't take long for her to realize she should trot over them, and jumping something 4" off the ground is overkill...

over the pole

after the pole

...they worked over to passing between the barrel and the railing, it was a no brainer...

close to the barrel

I must admit I wish my hubby would let me work with her more, but she is afterall his horse. Someday I hope to get/start another young one, but not until we have our own place. I love having a young horse as part of our family, and seeing them develop into good trustworthy horses. Until then, Koda continues to give me plenty of fun things to work on.

I have a short video to share, but Blogger won't load it. I'll post it later, if it let's me.

I like watching the bond between Brad & Cierra, and capturing it - or at least trying to. In another session, she was asked to move out for the first time. After some fast zooming around the human pole, she settled into a nice forward lope. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera with me. Cierra also got her wolf teeth pulled this week. Brad make a make-shift stall in the walk in shelter for her to finish waking up, and the little turd untied the rope and got out on her own! We sure will miss this funny loving girl when she's at school, but until then it'll be fun watching her progress!