Ramping down

Icon and I have been doing a lot of preparing for tryouts over the last couple of weeks. Last week was our busiest week with 2 sessions of course work along with a class and a shared private. I generally don't like to work him that much, especially since the course work sessions go 3-5 hours, but the opportunities were too good to miss.

So with all of that practice you'd think I feel ready for tryouts, but it couldn't be further from the truth. Especially because for the course work on Sunday Icon and I couldn't get through anything without numerous issues. It was over 90 degrees so my official excuse is that it was just too hot for me and I was moving slow but Icon wasn't bothered so he was moving normal speed and therefore we weren't in sync. However, it certainly doesn't give me a comfortable feeling.

But even so, I'm ramping down the work Icon and I are doing to give him a bit of a break before tryouts. Instead of working on full courses we will be brushing up our foundation skills like rear crosses (ick), threadles, serps, wraps (ickick) and also our ridiculous weakness of turning out of tunnels. I also plan on some fun with the broadjump and of course practicing contacts, but most of this stuff will be a few minutes in the evening before dinner.

I had signed up for a USDAA trial this weekend but scratched at the last minute. USDAA courses tend to be so fast and open... So NOT European... Icon and I have enough trouble with collection when we don't practice going all out like we do at USDAA (and it's SO FUN to do!) so I figure I'm better off just doing a bit of practice instead of the trial. I am trying to rent PP one afternoon on the weekend to set up one last course to run (or maybe two). And besides, scratching 2 dogs from the 2 day USDAA trial saves me enough money to cover my flight to Minnesota and some of my rental car. A scary thought.