Happy Turkey Day!

Just a quick post today. Today is Turkey Day, I just wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on everything that I have to be thankful for.

I am thankful for my amazing family and friends. They have supported me through everything, helping me out and just being there.

I am thankful for my best friend who knows me better than I know myself.

I am thankful for an awesome BO/trainer who takes wonderful care of my horsechild. And let's me ride her horses whenever I want.

I am thankful for my amazing horses. X-Tra, who loves me unconditionally (as long as I keep the food coming) Kaye, who gives me 210% every single ride.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

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Dangerous Riding

Sparked by a post on the Chronicle of the Horse forums regarding dangerous riding. IN that particular thread a video was linked and the question put forth was if that particular ride would be considered dangerous riding. Here's the video in question: Annette Lewis at the 1986 Hickstead Derby

Many people on the forum picked on her bad leg position, the extreme swinging back over every fence. I certainly don't like her leg and body position, but more worrisome to me is the way she cranks his head back. And her lack of control. I'd like present a second video for consideration, the same event, with the same horse two years later: Hickstead Derby 1988 Watch carefully and notice the bit she has in that horses mouth: double twisted wire. A very harsh bit, and the whole course she is fighting with him and sawing on his mouth. She keeps such a strangle hold on him that he has no chance to use his head and neck properly over a fence. And then right about 3:15 she yanks and yanks on him so much that her rein breaks. And she has no control over the horse. Someone tries to stop the horse and he runs the guy over. And yet people don't think this is dangerous. He just has an unconventional jumping style. He was excited and that's why he wouldn't stop. It's called training. Annette has done nothing but hang on that horse's mouth, all he wants to do is get away from her hands.

So let's throw up some other examples. How about this photo of the winner of Poplar Place CCI**. Dangerous riding? Look at the rider's position, straight up and down, and sitting on the horse's back over a solid cross country obstacle. Look at the horse's jumping style, head up in the air, hollow back. To me that's a pair waiting for an accident. Yet she won the event. Now how about this photo. That's Hilda Hick Donahue who was just eliminated at Pau, three fences from the end of cross country for dangerous riding, because of the way her horse jumps. Jumping style looks pretty much the same to me. So how is one dangerous riding, but the other wins an event?

Consistency in judging is obviously not there. Unfortunately dangerous riding is subjective as many things in our sport are. And it's something that can be misused. How about this video? Watch closely at :58. Someone tried to call dangerous riding. That the horse had been chested into the jump. However the horse had pulled both front shoes earlier in the course and he slid downhill. I'd like to know how he could have been chested into the jump when the rider was sitting back and slowing him down.

How about this? Right on the horse' s back over the middle of the jump, hands in her lap and the horse's chin tucked to his chest. If I felt like searching I could find more at other events to prove it's not a one time bad photo.

I'm sure I could find many more examples of dangerous riding. I just found it very interesting how people refused to see the obviously dangerous riding of the video. However I know that some of the people involved are of the run and jump mentality in eventing. The people that think dressage is just that thing you have to suffer through. I'm sure they will change their tune when they hurt themselves or their horse in the future.

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2010 Eventing Dressage Tests

So the new 2010 Dressage tests for Eventing came out earlier this month. I didn't really have a chance to look at them until just this past week. And I have to say so far I am not a fan. Beginner Novice Test A has the goofy center line from the Young Event Horse Tests. I didn't like it then, and I don't like it now. It's just awkward to ride. Plus the two changes in bend are rather difficult in that amount of space with either a green horse or an inexperienced rider. I don't really get the reasoning behind the change. I've heard it's because making the 10 meter half circle off the center line at C is too difficult. Well that argument is lost because you have to do 10 meter half circle to the center line at the end of the test. Others say it's because riding straight down to a trailer (where many judges sit in lower level HTs) is scary to a green horse. Again you have to ride down that center line at the end of the test. And my thought is this. You know that judges sit in trailers. Park your trailer in the ring and ride your horse up to it like you would in a test. Have someone else sit in the trailer, jump up and down in it, generally make lots of noise. I bet if you do that at home your horse won't bat an eye at an event. The USDF Introductory Tests have regular center lines and I haven't heard any problems. Beginner Novice Test B, well I don't really get why we can't do a full circle at the canter. I mean half of a 20 meter circle at the canter, that's hardly any time to show the gait. Oh and suddenly in Test B green horses can ride proper center lines? They don't need to veer off to the rail because a 10 meter half circle is too difficult?

By the time you get to Novice Test A the horse most have really gotten over that whole center line thing as you do two center lines right at the beginning of the test. I actually don't mind Novice A all that much. The canter work is different. Half circle E-B, picking up the canter as your approach B. But at least you still do a full circle at the canter. Novice Test B doesn't bother me until you get to the end. Dressage tests should be symmetrical, and so the walk should split up the trot and canter work. Not in Novice B, the walk doesn't come until the very end of the test. C medium walk. MXK free walk. K medium walk, A turn down center line, D working trot. G halt and salute. I don't like the fact the you begin your center line at the walk. By the time you ask for the trot, you are pretty much immediately stopping him again.

Training Test A isn't a bad test. I've never particulary cared for the stretching circles, but that's just me. Starts to ask for the lengthening at the trot, and even a little at the canter. Overall not a bad test for the level. Now on the other hand, Training Test B I have some issues with. Mainly the fact that it asks for a stretching circle just strides after you have done canter work!

I haven't looked to closely at the Prelim, Intermediate and Advanced tests. And I will mention that I haven't riden any of the tests completely yet. That will happen this weekend after we clear jump standards out of the arena so I can set up the dressage ring. But just from looking at the tests and my own personal knowledge of dressage moevements I have to say I think I prefered the old 2006 tests.

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Dressage is striving for the equation 1+1=One -Author Unknown

Some personal news to share. I went to look at a house this week! It's small, just three rooms and a bathroom. But since it's just me and the cat I don't need a lot of space. It's in pretty good shape structurally, it just needs some updating. So, we're working on the financing stuff and hopefully I'll be putting an offer on the place. Keep your fingers crossed!

Had some good ride this weekend. Both Taryn and I took lunge lessons on X Saturday morning. Of course he had to decide to be a bit of a jerk at first. But he settled down after a few laps. First lunge lesson since before my surgery, and I'll admit I was a little sore afterwards. Need to do lots more lunging, I'm out of shape now! Then it was Taryn's turn, and I was just cracking up. She kept saying that her outside arm (not even the one she was holding on with) was tired. I was just waiting for her to do the YMCA the way she was waving her arms all over the place!

Taryn had to leave early so I rode with Rachel on Airy. Now Airy had kicked Kaye the day before in the hock, so we were taking it a bit easy on her. The two of us had a fun dressage lesson. Worked on leg yields and half-passes. And then moved on to shoulder in and haunches in. Bonnie had us coming out of the corner and doing a shoulder in for half a dozen strides, then a small circle and shoulder in again. Rachel was having some trouble with that, Airy's not the easiest to do laterals with, so they stopped there. Then Bonnie had me try doing a shoulder in from the corner, small circle and then haunches in, which is a movement in the Intermediate dressage test.

Sunday, Bonnie and I worked on cleaning stalls all morning. I was waiting around to see if Taryn was going to come so I could ride with her. After a while though I tacked up Kaye and we had another dressage lesson. Started out working on center lines. And then Bonnie had me try riding the center line in the new beginner novice test A. Which is AXMC. I have to say it's very awkward to ride. I don't know if it's just because I'm used to riding a straight center line. We rode that a few times first going to the right and then to the left. Finally we finished with some canter work. Good lesson.

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Crazy times

Well, it's been insane lately. On my first day back to work after my medical leave, I was rear-ended on my way to Pittsburgh. About $1000 to fix the back of my car. Then two weeks later, on a Friday night I was on my way to Pittsburgh with Mattykins and Joni for a night of dancing at Pegs. And we hit a fucking deer on 60. Almost $5000 worth of damage to the front of my car. I just can't win! So now I'm stuck driving the CRV while my car is currently in pieces at Cartek.

Good news is, the riding has been going pretty well. I've been working a lot on my dressage with Kaye. I've been riding with Taryn, working on laterals and things like that. Had fun the one day doing a half pass left to the rail and then half pass right to the centerline. We also did a fun counter canter exercise the one day. Three loop serpentine at the canter with no lead change. Of course now that Kaye has learned how to do a flying change, she wanted to change leads. I had to work to keep her on the counter canter.

Last week was a gorgeous weekend for November in Western PA. So X and I loaded up in the trailer and went trail riding with Tom and Dalal at Crooked Creek. I had a good time, not sure how much X enjoyed it. I figure we rode about 20 miles or so between the two days. It was unlike anything my pony had ever seen before. We were going up and down hills, through creek beds. All over the place. X was a bit unsure at first, but after a while he settle in and he was actually pretty good. We'll probably do some more trail riding next year, it was nice to get out of the ring a little.

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Getting back to normal

I finally had my follow up appointment last week and I am cleared for normal activities. I can drive again and I go back to work tomorrow, not that I'm terribly excited about that but I do need the money. I'm not supposed to ride for another week and a half, but of course I haven't exactly listened to that completely. Only light riding though I promise!

So of course, once I had wheels again first thing to do was go to the barn. And I got there just in time. Little Boo Boo hasn't been doing well all summer. He got an infection he just couldn't quite shake. He's been on antibiotics off and on for most of the summer. Wednesday he really just went downhill and so Thursday morning Bonnie called the vet and said it was time. I pulled up to the barn just as she was putting him in the struck to go to the vet. Luckily I did have a chance to say goodbye. Afterwords Bonnie brought him home and we buried him under the weeping willow in the front yard. R.I.P. Boo, we miss you already.

Taryn had come to the barn while Bonnie was at the vet and I kept her company while she cleaned some stalls. I'm still not allowed to lift anything too heavy, so no stall cleaning for me yet. After Bonnie came home we went to lunch at Pizza Hut and then it was time to ride. Taryn had a lesson on Bugs and I was dying to get on a horse. No riding for three weeks and I was going crazy. Bonnie suggested that I get on Naughtie as she is pretty smooth and easy to ride. I just walked her, I was taking it easy. I just had to actually ride though. It was so good to get back in the saddle!

Friday morning I was at the barn early. We were headed to Pedro, OH to deliver Tramp to his new home. Taryn tagged along and of course Astrid had to see the pony off, so it was a full truck for the trip. It took us about 6 hours to get there. We got off 71 just south of Columbus and it was two hours on back roads. And boy was it pretty redneck there! The place Tramp went to was literally on top of a mountain. The driveway was about 1/2 mile straight up. The house and barn were absolutely gorgeous. But it was on top of a mountain. I think Tramp will have a good home there. The family was very nice. They have four kids, the oldest is 9. All the kids were very kind to the dogs and cats, so I think they'll be good with the pony. Astrid did not want to leave him. We practically had to drag her out of the stall when it was time to leave. And then we had another 6 hours to drive home. Bonnie got us off the mountain and then I got to drive the rest of the way home. In the rain. Why do I always get to drive the trailer in the rain? We didn't get home until 10:30, still had to feed the horses and then I had to take Astrid home. I didn't get home until midnight. Long, long day!

And then of course I was back at the barn Saturday morning. It was kinda nice though cause we didn't have too many of the kids. Only Astrid, Henry, Ethan and Maeve. Kids all had lessons, and then while Astrid and Henry were riding I took Miss out to the arena for lots and lots of walking. We're hoping that getting some exercise will help her out. We did some cavalettis, getting her to pick up her feet and really build up her muscles. Then after the kids all rode, we went out for a short trail ride up and down the driveway a couple of times. Miss had a ball. As soon as I went into her stall with the saddle she perked right up. She barely even let me get her bridle on, she just wanted to charge right out of the stall. And then she perked up even more when we went outside. She was really enjoying herself as we splashed through all the puddles on the drive.

Today, I was back to the barn. Rode Miss again, and we actually trotted a little bit. The work the day before did her a lot of good. She had such a good appetite. I could tell she was a little tired when I tacked her up today, but she was still excited to go to work. She really likes being ridden. She is not happy just standing around in her stall. So I think getting her back to work a bit will be so good for her. Then after I rode Miss, I got on Kaye. Astrid's been riding her a lot and well, Astrid doesn't make her bend she just kinda lets Kaye go where she will. And Kaye has a tendency to lead with her shoulder on circles and bends if you let her. But Astrid's still learning so it's not really her fault. So we just had a walking lesson where we did lots of bending and circles and laterals. Kaye didn't care for it one bit, she's not so patient with the walking. But it was a good lesson for her. I had to lighten up her sides again. As soon as I put any leg at all on her she just started trotting. No Kaye, inside legs means more over not trot. I spent a good 45 minutes just doing laterals and spiraling circles with her. She was going very nicely by the end though. I can't wait till I can really start riding again. X was starting to go so well and now he's done nothing for a month. And I'm really looking forward to working hardcore on my dressage with Kaye this winter.

Anyways, back to work in the morning. Looking forward to life getting back to normal. But I will admit I'd really like some more time off. Oh well, can't afford it so I guess I'll go to work.

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Surgery

Well, the last two weeks have been fun. The weekend of the 26th I had the weekend planned out. X was getting his new shoes and so I could really start to put him back to work. Saturday I was going to have a jumping lesson on Kaye to get ready for the jumper derby on the 4th. And then Sunday I was taking X on a trail ride with Tom. Well nothing went according to plan. I woke up early Saturday morning with this really sharp pain in my lower right side. And of course me not wanting to admit that something might be wrong, I figure if I ignore it, it will go away. I go the barn as usual. Hurts to clean stalls, hurts to sit down, hurts to really do anything, not that I let that stop me. I cleaned X's stall, took me forever to do. Then Bonnie had me get on Kaye to ride with Taryn. God did that hurt! But I pushed through it and rode. I was even jumping fences, although it hurt like crazy to do so. Eventually though I had to stop, I actually almost fell off because of the pain. Finally I called Aunt Sandy. She and Uncle Ralph drove out to the barn to pick me up and while Uncle Ralph drove my car home, she took me to the Urgent Care place in Beaver. Mom and Dad met us there. I was examined by a PA there and she sent us to the ER for a CT scan to rule out appendicitis. We go to the ER, wait around forever for someone to finally see me. The guy was basically like I don't think you're in enough pain for it to be anything serious. you probably have a ruptured ovarian cyst. He kept saying he didn't think that I needed a CT. Mainly becuase it was a lot of radiation and if I was worse the next day they would have to do another one. Which ok, thank you for not wanting to subject me to that much radiation when it might not be necessary at that time. But then he was like asking me if I wanted one. Aunt Sandy finally got pissed and told him off. He's asking someone with no medically knowledge to basically order her own tests. Helllo! You're the doctor you tell me what tests should be done. Don't leave it up to me to decide. So he just ended up sending me home with an Rx for Percocet and instructions to come back if it got worse.

So we go home. I do start to feel better after taking the pain meds, but then as soon as they start to wear off it hurts again. I talk to Aunt Sandy late Sunday morning and she says to go back to the ER. And she calls Dr Burke, the surgeon before we get there. So Dr. Burke sees me right away and he orders the CT. I have to drink this really gross stuff before they can do the CT and of course it starts to make me sick. So I get some stuff for the nausea and they give me some good drugs for the pain. I get the CT, wait around for a bit longer and Dr. Burke comes back to tell us that my appendix looks ok, but there is some inflamation in the secum. But he doens't know what it's from. He recomends that I be admitted overnight for further testing and observation. Yay, just what I want to do. So get admitted Sunday night. Monday they do an ultrasound, still not exactly sure what the problem is. So they schedule me for a colonoscopy Tuesday. Had that done Tuesday afternoon, and it turns out that a have an acute secul ulcer. I pretty much go straight to surgery.

So long story short I was in the hospital for 8 days. I'm off work for at leat another two weeks, which really sucks. I'm using up all my time off. And if I can't go back after my appointment on the 15th, I'll be off unpaid until STD kicks in after 31 days. Even then I'll only get paid at 60% so I really can't afford to be off that long. And then even worse, no riding for at least 4-6 weeks. Probably longer! This sucks! And now I'm hoursebound at my parents. I can't drive, so I can't go anywhere. It's driving me crazy, I'm so bored! So don't expect too much here in the next few weeks. I'm not really doing much of anything but watching TV and reading. And I won't bore you with those details.

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End of the Season

Well, it looks like the horse show season has finally come to an end. I went with Tom to the Pink Ribbon Horse Show in Meadville the second weekend of the month. I had a lot of fun there, even if we didn't place all that well. The ring was pretty crappy, the footing at the rail was so deep. Dalal did not like going through that stuff, so I was staying about 5 or 6 feet off the rail, and I guess the judge didn't like it. We ended up 4th in both the Arabian Western Pleasure and the Adult Western Equitation. And then we were 5th in the Arabian Western Pleasure Championship. I blew a lead in the championship class and so that put us at the end. Oh well, we had a good time.

Then last weekend we went to Randolph Classic Charity Horse Show. Nikki took Image and KC, and she also brought her friend Kelly, and her horse Lark. Now I love Nikki dearly but I have to say, it's so much more relaxing to show without her! She takes it all so seriously! So Friday we didn't have any classes. Nikki and KC had the Half-Arabian Halter in the evening session, but no performance classes. I went to work Friday and just left early so I could make it there in time for KC's class. They ended up 3 out of 3 in the class. She was pretty pissed though because according to the show rules, you couldn't show in the Open Halter if you showed in Breed Halter class. Tom and I tacked up Dalal and I rode him a bit in the warm-up ring. Tom asked if I was willing to ride without stirrups. He asks me this like it's something that I wouldn't be able to do. Like Bonnie doesn't torture me with things like that all the time, like I don't jump without stirrups. Anyways, Dalal and I had a good ride that evening, made me feel pretty good about the show.

Saturday morning I had the first class, Adult Equitation and Nikki was in my class. We had an okay ride in the class. Only when we went to lope the first direction, I was a little too close to Dr. Holly and Dalal picked up the lope before I asked for it and we got the wrong lead. It was a big class, and it was a good class so that was enough to keep us out of the ribbons. Then in the afternoon we had the Arabian Western Pleasure class. Again it was a good class, Nikki & Image, Emily & Tony, Tom C, Paul C, and then the other Tom with his untrained horse. The untrained horse won the class with Nikki second. It was pretty bad, I don't think the judge really knew what he was looking at. Tom ended up taking Dalal back in for the Arabian Championship that evening. Again the untrained horse won and Nikki was second.

Sunday morning Tom had the first class with the Open Western Pleasure, they had a decent ride and were third behind the untrained horse and Nikki. Then I went back for the Western Equitation Championship. Of course Nikki won and then Shelley and her QH mare were second. Dalal and I ended up third. Then we were 4th in the Ladies Western Pleasure that afternoon. Actually that one really pissed me off. We had a good ride, except right as we were jogging down the far rail some people under this one canopy squirted some baby powder, like they use to get the saddlebreds up and showing. Dalal saw it an shied off the rail. Then the next time around he shied at the same spot. Then when we lined up at the end of the class, one lady brought her mare right next to Dalal. So of course his attention was on the mare all throughout the line up. She ended up second in the class. And I later found out that the people under the canopy were with her barn. Kinda makes me wonder if the powder was an accident or was on purpose to help her place better. Oh well, what can you do.

And so ends the 2009 show season. At least for us. I'm pretty sad that it's over. I know Bonnie didn't like me going to so many shows with Tom, but I really had a good time. It was always a lot of fun. And I really enjoyed hanging out with Tina, the Kims, Mary Lou and Bill. Really was a lot of fun and I'm definitely looking forward to next season. And I'm going to put some time in to really work for it next year. I want to do well, more so than just hoping on for the class and not really practicing at all. Plus I think next year X is going to go out as a hunter pony. As long as I'm going I might as well see if Tom will haul him too. Make X go out an do some work. I'm sure he'll love that!

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This and That

I know, I know, I kinda disappeared of the internet for a while. Sorry bout that! Anyways, lots has happened in the last few weeks. I went up to New York for the Cattaraugus County Fair Horse Show in the beginning of August. And I was getting paid for it! Judi had hired me to groom her horse and get her ready for classes. Angel was a dream to groom. So easy to work with, and she was super neat in her stall. She was bathed before we got there Thursday and Saturday I only had to hose her off, no second bath. Judi kicked butt that weekend. Won many of her classes including both the Open Western Pleasure Championship and the Half-Arabian Western Pleasure Championship. In addition to grooming for Judi I got to ride Dalal in a few classes. First up was the Arabian Western Pleasure Ladies to Ride. We had a decent ride and ended up placing 2nd out of 4. Not too bad considering that we were beat by Emily Kidd. Then in the evening session I had the Open Western Pleasure Ladies to Ride. There were 10 horses in the class, including Judi and Angel. We had such a good ride! It also helped that Judi blew a lead :) We ended up winning the class, my first blue ribbon in a Western Pleasure class! Tom was supposed to then take Dalal in the Arabian Western Pleasure Open just three classes later, but he decided that since it was raining and I was already dressed and wet that I could take him in that class. Paul and Tom C gave me some grief about Tom hiring a ringer to ride his horse while we were waiting in the warm up. Now the Catt County Horse Show is held in conjunction with the Cattaraugus County Fair, which plays a part in this next class. We had just jogged into the ring to start the class and from over at the grandstand I hear people counting down. And then.....BOOM!! Huge explosion to kick of the school bus demolition derby. Scared the crap out of me. All the horses in the ring just stopped dead. I had an ok ride after that. I was a bit rattled and Dalal was too. We ended up 3rd. Sunday were the championship classes. Because of a little confusion with class numbers I ended up riding both the championships. We finished 3rd in the one and 4th in the other. No too bad all in all.

The weekend after Catt Co, Katie took Tru up to Erie for the August horse trials in beginner novice. She had a decent dressage ride. Except Tru spooked at the trailer the judge was sitting in as they rode the center line and Katie cracked him with her whip. Right in front of the judge. Bad move. Other than that it was ok, not great, but pretty good for Katie. After that we had a couple of hours so we walked the stadium course and then the cross country. Cross country was the exact same course Kaye and I did in June only reversed. Pretty easy and straightforward. Stadium was pretty easy too. Time for stadium warm up. Katie warmed up pretty good. She borrowed my long spurs and made him go over the fence. However when she gets in the ring, she freezes. Three stops at the first fence and they're eliminated. Katie talks to the president of the ground jury and gets permission to ride her cross country. Again warms up nicely. Out of the start box, down to the first fence and stop. So ends Katie's trip to Erie.

The next day I went to a one day show at Brookfield with Tom. Rode Dalal in a few classes. We ended up winning the Arabian/Half-Arabian Western Pleasure, beating both Paul and Tom C. And then we were second in the Adult Western Equitation. So that was pretty cool.

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3'8" Baby!

Saturday was the normal day of utter confusion at the barn. Tru had one of his cellulitis attacks and his hind leg swelled up again. I had to dig out the ice boots, where we needed both of them to fit around one hind leg. Katie just stands there with only a cotton lead rope and of course Tru jerks back. Come on Katie, at least put a chain over his nose! So Bonnie puts the lip chain on him and we try again. We get the ice in and Katie stands there holding him while I take Elena out for her lesson. Well Katie lets the lip chain get slack and Tru flips out again. Kicks the wall, breaks one of the muck buckets and manages to spook Fanny. She didn't really do anything, just trotted off a few steps, but Elena wasn't expecting it and she was scared. Although she was scared Elena rode through it like a trooper. We were finally able to start her lesson again. And eventually I got her to put both her hands on her hips. Fanny had another beginner lesson in the morning and then Ari tacked up Kaye for her lunge lesson. After Ari rode I got on Kaye for my lesson. Well a certain someone rode Kaye the day before since her horse was out of commission. And she rode like she rides her own horse, death grip with her legs and hauling on the reins. So when I started to canter, Kaye would not stop. I ended up spending my whole lesson putting a stop on the mare again. So I didn't get to work on anything else. Oh well.

Sunday I was back to the barn. I had to leave early since we had Karla's baby shower at 2:00. Kezia was home for the weekend so I rode with her and Airy. Kaye was such a good girl. We did some jumping, just started with a low crossbar as Kezia hadn't jumped in a while. Of course Kaye quickly got bored with that. Bonnie raised the fence to a 3'-ish vertical. We jumped that several times before Bonnie added a second pole, making it like 3'6"-ish. Jumped that a few times and then Bonnie added a back pole to turn it into an oxer. 3'8" baby!!! I love that mare. She sailed over it like it was nothing, which for her it really was. But I stayed with her and didn't freak about the jump height increasing. All in all good day!

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