Leapin' Lizards!

[Hope C.]

Well, after a looooooooong haul to Minneapolis, Minnesota... driving... from the western end of Montana... then an equally long haul back to the western end of Montana from Minnesota... I subconsciously decided that I was super woman and didn't actually need to rest up after the world's longest road trip, and the day after we got back was up at 8 and out at the barn clipping ponies, riding Al and Parade, and feeding. The next day I was out at the barn riding Parade and making a sale horse video for my trainer... and today I was out at the barn again loading and unloading 2800 lbs of hay, taking a video and photos of Splenda (the crazy horse that everyone except me and my trainer is afraid of)... and tomorrow I will be going to Rebecca Farm to take pictures of a riding clinic some people I know will be riding in, and Sunday I will be at Rebecca Farm again taking pictures of some people I know who will be riding in a lesson thing with an Olympian... Our farrier is probably coming out Monday or Tuesday to put shoes on Sonny and Blue (which is a nightmare because Sonny thinks everyone except me and my family is of the devil and doesn't want some evil doer messing with his feet) and he always comes out early in the morning... and I'm going to be riding in my first Montana Hunter Jumper Association officially recognized horse show on the following Saturday and Sunday... I start babysitting sometime in mid June, and I might be going to the Aspen farms horse show to take pictures (it's a really big deal of a show) which is like a two day drive when you're hauling horses. Thank God I'm done with school already... I just hope I live through June.

I feel a little silly in my English show gear, considering I normally ride in this:


and with English I have to ride in this:

The riding pants are basically skin tight, and let me tell you, I am not the kind of person who is comfortable in skinny jeans, so this is a totally different feel for me... kinda like I'm wearing tights and no pants...

[Saknika]

Man, you're as busy as I am!!! But I bet you'll look fantastic in your English riding gear, so no worries! Just don't wear anything but white underwear... trust me. xD;

[Hope C.]

Haha well my breeches are actually tan and kind of thick thankfully since I'm riding in the hunters and they want tan for some reason or another, so I don't think I have to worry too much about that... at least not until I get really good and move up to jumpers... and even then I'll probably stick with the tan instead of white... much too easy to get dirty when you fall off.

When I showed my mom she was like "boy you sure fill them out well" and I was like uhhhhh... they're supposed to be tight... just fyi... and considering I have never weighed over like... 108 lbs in my life I don't think you reeeeeally need to worry about me ever "filling out" my riding pants too well..

[Saknika]

Haha, so you're just hip-a-licious then! ;D Gotta love it. xD

[Hope C.]

Haha! I have survived the first day!

I was talking to my trainer today about the pictures, and she brought up a very good point. The horse people (my clients essentially, and the people I want to cater to) honestly couldn't care any less about the lighting and the crop and all that technical jazz... all they want is a picture of their horse when the horse looks good, and the best technically sound photo honestly may not be the photo they want because the horse's form looks bad or their release was horrid and they're "pulling on his face" or maybe their leg is too far back or they've got "Katy (chicken wing) Elbows."

Of course, this doesn't mean I'm going to put crappy pictures up when the horse looks good in them or that being on the shadow side isn't going to bother the heck out of me, but I think I need to be a little more lax in my selections and look more at the horse and rider than at the technicality of the picture. It's going to be oober hard for me to live with, but since that's what they want, I suppose that's what I should give them.

[Saknika]

It's the same with the photos I do for bellydance. These girls don't care how well lit or in focus they are, they just want pictures. It is INCREDIBLY difficult not to be super picky, and to just give them what they want; because you naturally only want to show off your best. But I've come to the decision that I keep the best for my website, and just let the girls have anything else they want-- digitally on Facebook with a watermark.

[Hope C.]

Well... I was going to take pictures at the show today after I rode in the 18" hunters, but when it started snowing while I was warming up, I decided it wasn't worth ruining my camera and giving myself frostbite for just a few good pictures... so I decided against it. I think a friend's mom took pics of my ride. I didn't place since there were like 25 people in the class and I had a rail on the first jump, but other than that (and the sleet) it was a really good ride. We left early and some of the riders in our group scratched because it was so miserably cold that we were all literally soaked through, and our ponies/horses were freeeeeeezing and shivering and we decided it wasn't worth waiting. The 2'9" hunters didn't finish until 6:20 and I think hunter went up to 3'3" so we were really glad we left... and "watched movies" (aka put in a movie and promptly all fell asleep) in my trainer's nice warm cabin back at the barn. I'm reeeeeeeeeeally hoping tomorrow's weather is nicer. I did get a picture of me in my show outfit a few days ago when the weather was nice though:

[Bambers]

Yikes to sleet and snow!!

You look great in your show outfit.

[Saknika]

Your outfit looks fantastic on you Esperanza!!! But that really stinks about the crappy weather. :C