Obstacle Challenge

It was a loooong day.  We got there at 8:00 am but didn't compete until early afternoon.  Ruby was mostly good but it was cold and windy and she picked yesterday to be buddy sour on Candy.  It was quite ridiculous actually.  She got down to business during the actual competition part, however, so I can't complain too badly.  We didn't place because we had one total failure (on my part) and a few refusals but after the competition was over, we practiced and completed each refused obstacle from the ground a few times.

The video isn't very good but it's all that I've got.  From 2:45-5:45 we are just standing and waiting for the second judge to walk over so we could complete the course.  Other random stopping happened when we'd out-walked the judge and had to wait for her to catch up.  The end of the course is around 13:05, the rest of the video is of someone asking me about my saddle - which gets so many more questions than my horse ever does, lol.  If you decide to watch the video, I suggest you mute it unless you like the sounds of wind, random conversations and Candy's screaming for Ruby. And make it full screen if you want to see anything at all. 

Quick rundown of the obstacles:
1. Pole laying across two barrels.  Goal: Pick up one end of pole, walk around second barrel making complete circle without pole falling off of barrel.
2. Walk over/between pool noodles. Advanced horses had to sidepass, long-ways over them yikes.
3. Walk through pit full of empty bottles and feed bags.
4. Walk between noodle-covered, hanging barrels.  (Ruby was all 'You know I can't fit, right???')
5.  Walk into diamond, turn 360 degrees, walk out other side without knocking anything down.
6.  Walk between white plastic sheets.
7. From tree, grab rope which has several empty plastic bottles tied to the end, drag bottles to next tree, hang up rope.  Ruby does a fairly impressive job sidepassing once she hears those bottles.  I held onto the rope as long as her nerves could take, then let it go.
8.  Walk between tires and under pool floaties.
2:45-5:45 waiting
9.  Walk through stacked barrels.  Ruby put her head in front of the tiny opening between the barrels and stood there. Good enough for me for a first time so we moved on.
Petting and waiting for judge (again)
10.  Walk through this pool:

Those balls were swirling around and the pool water was dirty, so the horses couldn't see the bottom.  Ruby was like, I love you but not enough to walk through the pool, sorry.

11. Walk through black tarp cave of death - no problem.
12. Walk through police tape, streamers, scary face. Ruby only hesitated at a mat they had on the ground there.
13. Walk to bucket, grab hula hoop, walk around tree, hang hula hoop back up.
14.  Teeter-totter.  Ruby's never walked across a teeter-totter before so I called it good when she placed both front feet on it and stood for a second or two.
15.  Embarrassing - I couldn't get her lined up to sidepass over that pole but oh well, it's not like we were going to win at this point anyways.  The second set of poles were supposed to be backed through.
16.  Walk between trees and past barrel with face on it.
17.  Walk past table (table had a bubble-maker which was turned on for advanced horses).
18.  Walk through ditch with three different-colored tarps, next to yellow umbrella and sprinkler.  Sprinkler was turned on just enough to drip loudly onto umbrella.
19. Pull rope to lift trash can lid, releasing balloon, drop rope.
20.  Walk under streamers (I originally thought we were to open and close a rope gate).
13:05 All done

After the last rider was done, I took her around by hand.  With encouragement, she walked through the hanging barrels, across the teeter-totter, and went through the kiddie pool. Wish I'd gotten pics of her going through the kiddie pool, though.  She would step with one foot and use it to launch the rest of them over the pool - almost like the part of the canter stride when the first front foot hits the ground, the other is reaching forward and the back legs are being pulled forward.  Eventually I did get her to put two feet in the pool when crossing, but we didn't have a lot of time to work.  It was COLD and getting colder and I still had to make it to a birthday party.

I think she did well for a first time.  Things to do differently next time - ride around without and away from Candy or other calling barn buddies.  I had my hands full as soon as she didn't have obstacles to keep her focused.  Another thing I have to remember is that she is still green so I have to focus on not getting upset when she acts like it.  And that is all.  No, we didn't knock their socks off with our impressive skillz but there's always next time.