I think I should swing by and pick up OGP and her horse. I have that empty slot on my trailer just calling her horses name. It is a crew cab truck and the trailer has a dressing room so lots of room for her.
WG is amazed!!
I am constantly amazed at how many of you are willing to come all that way…long, long drives & distances…just to drink some koolaid with us down here. Coming and hunting and staying with and sharing yourselves with strangers sounds crazy on the surface! Internet strangers no less!! So far we’ve been lucky I think. But WG bows down low in admiration to your braveness to do this with total strangers.! I mean…how do you know we’re all not just crazy people!! …whoa…wait a minute…we are!! :eek:
I think you will find foxhunting hospitality is universal. It’s nothing we have only here in Virginny! It’s everywhere. Thats why I say; go forth - find yer local hunt- enjoy- and spread the word. Like our friends in the Bad Girls tour like to say…don’t take yourselves too seriously, remember…in this case…remember you have a tiara!
WG envisions Hunting Princess chapters all over the US…hell…the WORLD!! Go forth!! Carry on!!!
woooooo hooooooo!!
Awww you guys are so sweet! I’ll hitch a ride with whomever is headed in that general direction, and I would be honored if I could put the big bay dork on someone’s trailer, though I have my doubts after yesterday’s stunt that he will be a good hilltopper. We were capriole-ing through the air like a circus horse (because I insisted that he stay behind a little gray horse and he did NOT feel that that was suitable for a horse of his class and stature). sigh I’m sure there’s hope, just one of those rides that leaves you scratching your head thinking “and why do I do this again?”
On the other hand - did you see that the pics are beginning to be posted on Karen’s site? 86 photos at the time of my posting and it looks like there are many more to come! http://www.klmimages.com/odh_20112_5
I’m afraid I’m still trailer-less, so I can only offer you a ride , OGP. I noticed you’re quite camera shy. While your mount is in several of my photos, you always have your head turned away. Perhaps you’re in the witness protection program?
I’m jealous of your ability to ride out the capriole. I took the pony out on the trail for the first time since early August, but chickened out and turned for home at the first “head up, loud snort” presentation. Sigh. My birthday’s tomorrow, like the cowardly lion, I’m asking for courage!
Hahahha! I did manage to dodge those photographs neatly, didn’t I?
Well, I’d say that “ability” didn’t factor into sticking the caprioles so much as “I can’t fall off again, so I’m going to use every single muscle in my body to glue myself into the tack”, a tactic which has caused me to wrench my back and aggravate old injuries, leaving me unable to ride today. Well, technically I could ride but I’d force my husband to question my sanity still further (I’ve ridden with many injuries in the past, but I am getting older and wiser…I hope.)
Happy Birthday in advance!! Many wishes for a wonderful birthday!
Thanks for the birthday wishes, OGP. My plan for the winter is to strengthen myself as much as possible so I can be more confident of my ability to stay in the tack. Without an indoor, and with winter darkness upon us, I can only ride on weekends, so I’ll need to go to the gym and/or some yoga classes.
It’s awful how those old injuries never really leave, do they?
I hope you spotted yourself in Karen Myers’ pictures. You showed up in a couple, including a nice one with JSwan.
At the risk of sounding like a broken record, hunting has become my complete motivation in riding. When I got on this weekend, I bridged my reins and got into my two point for as long as I could, then posted, then two-point, until my legs were sore. Pony was bored, but she’ll deal with it 
Hinderella-
We used to have to trot in jockey length stirrups for what seemed like hours when I rode in college. Ohhh the pain!
Sounds like you are getting into shape! Hopefully I’ll be at HR in March.
the dreaded short stirrups
AARGH
I had forgotten about those. Can’t do those anymore.
A very useful exercise is trotting with one stirrup. . .Make sure it is in both directions dropping either the inside or outside stirrup.
I’ve been working with no stirrups as much as possible, but I haven’t done the short stirrups thing…I’ve been a leetle teensy bit nervous that bridging the reins with short stirrups on my not-so-long-off-the-track horse might generate some ahem interesting behavior.
I did see the photos…somehow she managed to catch good moments! Usually when people take pictures of me riding it’s at that precise moment when I’ve got one hand floating up to the ceiling or I’m making a ridiculous face. I DO think it’s amusing that you can watch the progression of my equitation from stiff as a board with a braced leg to starting to get floppy. Too bad there aren’t pictures at the end where I think I must have looked like the strawman with no bones. But it was SO easy to not look too terrible on that horse! He was very kind to me
Today I worked on things like “stopping and half-halting when I tell you to thank you very much” in the arena and then went out for a nice hack. I DO think my pony is feeling better, which is fine, it just means that he needs to learn all of these skills when he’s feeling better Now that I know that I’m much more prepared for things like acrobatics.
I think my husband wants to hunt too - he’s asked when his next lesson will be evil snicker. He was pretty sore - I made him two point for awhile. I’m a slave driver…
Here’s an exercise –
Do 5 posts at trot, then swap diagonals; then post 4 posts, then swap; then post 3 and swap; then post 2 and swap; then post 1 and swap - so you’re doing down-up-down-down-up-down-down, etc.
THEN go back up to 5.
THEN do it again, but instead of sitting a spare beat to swap diagonals, STAND an extra beat. So it becomes up-down-up-up-down-up-up-down. etc.
THEN go back up to 5.
THEN do it again, with ONE stirrup.
THEN do it again, with the other ONE stirrup.
You’ll be fit, and more importantly, TIGHT in the tack if you do this. You can do it on trot sets, or, heck, at the walk when cooling down/warming up.
Do it WITH and WITHOUT bridged reins/neck support. (With neck support at first, but go without as you gain balance and strength.)
Remember to keep your abs pulled in. As if you’re pressing your abdominal plate back thru your tummy to your spine.
The husbands will appreciate this for its mental acuity and strength training.
Tell them all the pretty girls foxhunt … Wives rate first, no doubt, but if the wallpaper’s nice, too … : )
Thanks HR. That sounds…painful 
I’m considering using my birthday & Christmas/Hannukah checks to take the pony someplace with an indoor for a month this winter, just so I can ride more often than the weekends.
Thanks HR! It sounds intense for sure (and I’m sure I’ll have to start over because I won’t be able to keep track! Hahaha!) Also sounds like a fun torture lesson for the poor DH. rubs her evil hands together
I didn’t realize you didn’t have an indoor where you were Hinderella. That would seriously put a crimp in my riding, because I ride at all sorts of weird hours and of course, the weather we get in the winter - poo!
I’m moving to the big fancy facility most likely the first week of December. Rubber crumb indoor, indoor wash rack, rubber crumb outdoor, galloping tracks, vacuum, heated viewing room…ahhhhhh…I’m going to be spoiled rotten! They’ll do blanket changes too! Yay! AND to boot, there’s a gal there that foxhunts somewhere…which is really really cool!
Holy Crap!!!
Oh HuntersRest! Surely you jest!!! :eek:
…“keep your abs pulled in…” !!! :eek:
…“pressing your abdominal plate back thru your tummy to your spine…” !!! :eek:
OMG!! It hurts just reading this!!
Fitness? Schmitness! pfffftttt!! gave up on that years ago…Floppy works ya know…as long as the others don’t laugh you’re good!! WELL>>as long as you don’t HEAR them you’re good!! :winkgrin:
Wateryglen, Dahlink,
I’m aghasted that you revealed your secret weapon.:eek:
You run your farm and the 3 horses on your own. You’re an ace with the big tractor on steep slopes. Not to mention your devotion in following the Bassets. You are much fitter than you let on!
Maybe we should add another day to the coth hunts, to have the H.P.s shadow you. You’re amazing!
Blushing…
Nah…just sayin’ that floppy works! and you can quote me on that! That’s why I likes huntin’ !!! You don’t gotta look good doin’ it! Ain’t no judges or scores out there!! All that matters is that you git-R-done and don’t hurt yourself, horse and others whilst enjoying the day!!
Can I hear an AMEN out there?!!!
