Went to the Team Penning...

I watched a bit on Saturday and I have to say, I was totally impressed with the horses and most of the riders.

Almost every horse was of high quality and very responsive. There was one or two who, to me, didn't really have it in their heart to move THAT fast but they were trying to please their riders anyway. These horses would have been happy to be rail horses...or having a really off day...but still they were very nice. I'd be proud to say they were mine!

Another thing that struck me, quite a few horses were in ring snaffles and were paying attention, not running through their heads either. I saw a Kimberwicke and a very short shanked curb but these horses weren't throwing their heads to get out of work, they were just flat doing the job. A couple of horses had gadgets (running martigales and one tie-down) but otherwise, everyone had a good headset and were together and collected, not strung out.

Along with the horses paying attention to their bridles, the riders were really riding, not passengering a bit. One guy, to me, was pretty heavy in the hands and relied a bit too much on spurs (riding in his hands only, not so much his seat and legs) but still, overall, he wasn't flopping around at least. No one seemed to be a sack of potatoes! This is GOOD!

I'm not really a team penning fan but I dropped by because I was bored while my spouse was at another venue. I wasn't sure at first what was going on but as long as it has a horse attched somehow, I'm sooooo there.

It was really a good time to watch...other than the freakin' rain and pollen thing...grrrrr!!