Bryan & Brittney Austin: October 2011

A quick update

Friday, October 28, 2011 by Monkey and Britter Brit

Well have not blogged as soon as I wanted to this week but it has been a crazy week. Monday had an assignment due so I got up at 7:00 am and spent the whole day at the school until 8:30 pm with classes, research, and getting the assignment done and turned in. Tuesday I got to sleep in a little because I took an exam last week so that I would not have to take it this week. But the day did not end early, instead it went straight from 12:30 pm to 10:30 pm. I had classes until 4:30 pm and then dashed like a mad woman to riding practice at where I got to be a part of the group that had to stay late and wait for the horses that we rode for practice to cool down. Since it is cold outside we cannot just ride them and then let them out into their outside stalls. But instead we have to keep them inside the area until they completely cool down before turning them out. Wednesday I had class all day, went straight to work, and then I came straight back to the school for a review session for the Organic Chemistry test I had today. This is some confusing stuff for sure. Which then I got home about 9:30 pm and started studying for the midterm exam that I had in Animal Science on Thursday. I got up at 6:30 am to study for the midterm, went to classes and took the midterm, stayed after my last class to attend another review session for the organic chemistry test and went home to study more and more for the organic chemistry test. It is crazy how much studying it took to get prepared for the exam. I even got up at 6:30 am again today to study before going in for the test. I still do not feel like I was completely prepared but I felt like I did alright on both exams. I will have to find out for sure before feeling too good about it.

Last weekend was a total blast for sure. I got some pictures and I will have to post them later because I do not have my camera with me at this time but I got to go to Idaho and ride with my Aunt Pat and her friend Rance Butler. I got to follow Rance around and asked him all sorts of questions. I got to ride Weezie, my Aunt's paint horse, and after a while I ended sitting in the truck with Bryan and my Aunt rode Weezie for a while. It was so much fun and so cool to get to ask and apply questions to everything that I have learned already. I have learned so much from my animal dairy and vet science classes that I have got to take this semester and it was interesting to see it applied in real life and see some of the hands on. I really want to go into bovine (cow) science. I have changed from horses just because I love horses but I have fallen in love with cattle too. I think they are so interesting and complicated. It is crazy to think of all the processes that take place in a cows place and I would love to get to work with these gentle beasts. Bryan got to come with me as well and it was great to have him there. I love getting to spend any time that I can with him. I am excited to see him again this weekend. I only have two more classes today before I get to drive home, see Bryan, see my doggies, and hopefully maybe get some work done in the back yard.

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First Equestrian Team Shows in Dillon, MT

Tuesday, October 4, 2011 by Monkey and Britter Brit

This last weekend was a lot of fun and definitely a new experience for me. I have never gotten to compete in a riding show competition before but I got to this last weekend. I am on the Utah State University Equestrian Team as a walk/trot rider. That means that my class that I compete in one that we walk, sit trot, and post trot. It is a lot of fun. You first get to start by drawing a horse's name out of hat. These horses that we ride when we travel to other colleges or universities are the college or university's horses and the first time that anyone on the team gets to ride them. I drew a horse that called Chinook and she was a paint/draft horse mix. She was huge but so much fun to ride. She was smooth to trot with and very easy to get responses from. The only thing was that she was green meaning that she has not been ridden for a long time yet and she is still learning her balance while a rider is on her so she swayed back and forth just a little. But all in all she was a great horse and I really enjoyed getting to ride her. I actually drew her out of the hat for both of the shows that we got to show. This was definitely to my advantage. I got a good horse both shows. I placed third in the first and second show. I know I could have done better in the second show but I was so distracted with all the other riders and trying to avoid them colliding with me. Some of the riders in the walk/trot class are not the best at steering and control of their horse and will cut you off causing you to break gate. Breaking gate means that if you are trotting slowing down to a walk or if you are walking stop all together and you are constantly being judged while in the arena and breaking gate is a no no. The judges judge you on how you ride, respond to the horse, and how pretty you look doing it. I get to wear tight breeches which are the pants for English riding, a show shirt with a collar, and a jacket. Not to mention the oh so wonderful full half leg field boots that go up to your knees. I think I look pretty good in it all for sure. I cannot wait to see the pictures that the rest of the team took and hopefully put them up here soon. Below is a photo of both my ribbons.

Another thing that I forgot to mention is how you actually move up from one class to the next. The classes start from beginner to advanced. They are (beginning with beginner) walk/trot, walk/trot/canter beginner, walk/trot/canter advanced, intermediate, novis, and open. Then from there anyone from novis to open can actually compete in the jumping portion as well. To move up in your class you need to earn 36 points. Points are obtained by placings that are obtained in each show. Since I placed third in both of my classes I earned 8 points. On my way for sure. I would love to point up and get to compete with the canter.

A few weeks ago was Bryan and I's 4 year wedding anniversary. Bryan was sweet enough to send me some flowers at Logan even though we were apart. They were so beautiful and some of my favorites. My hubby is such a sweety. Below are some photos of the beautiful wonderful flowers that were waiting for me at my room when I got back from class on September 15th.

I found some photos that I had taken recently of Gretchen. I really miss her while I have been here in Logan. I miss her sweet personality and her feisty side as well. She is so cute and I love her to death.

Well I am very excited for our next show in November at Bozeman, MT and I really hope to improve massively by then to place even higher in my classes. I am also very excited to go home and see Bryan this weekend. It has been too long. Since I went to Montana this last weekend I did not get to go home and see him so it will be very nice to be able to go home. If only I can make it through the week. I still have tons of homework to do, work on Wednesday cleaning someones home (not my favorite job but it was all I could find in Logan), and two quizzes to take before the weekend. The only reason that I am even up as late as it is, is because I needed to finish my physics assignment that is due tonight before 1 am. Man, gotta love college.

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