Adventures with Smashing!

Horsey Christmas!

2012-12-18T10:38:00.003-05:00

Merry Christmas horse lovers!! It's that time of year when we ask for new tack for our horses than actually asking for presents for ourselves! I always love showing up at the barn after Christmas and showing off my new riding gear.

Since I celebrated Christmas with my parents last Sunday (we will be out of town visiting Nick's parents for Christmas week) I am already decked out with some *new* gear for myself and Smash!

Here's what we got:

Fancy new Pelham -Ascot Dressage Boots* with fuzzy stuff on the inside. I already took the front boots to the barn so that's why you only see 2 here. Smash looks so good in purple.

A handmade jeweled brow band that someone was selling at the Pleasant Ridge Farm when we were there for the show.

Winter riding gloves.

Coordinating shirt* and riding pants* from Irideon that actually match my Ariat black and pink paddock boots really well! The little stripe on the pants also is very slimming. ooo lala!

What new horse gear gifts did you get this year?

*These products were bought on Tack of the Day.

Pleasant Ridge Farm Dressage Show 12/2/12

2012-12-04T09:10:00.001-05:00

Finally Smash has been sound long enough to be able to do something exciting other than lessons! My Mom wanted to do the Pleasant Ridge Farm Dressage show ever since she heard about it and while I originally didn't want to do it, I figured why not since I was going to be there anyway. My riding instructor also sort of told me it'd be stupid for me to go and not use the opportunity to ride, too.

It all seemed to be a good idea when we registered until we saw the ride times on Thursday. My first ride time was at 7:54am! Pleasant Ridge was 45min away from Waredaca. This meant we had to leave Waredaca no later than 6:15am and I had to wake up at 4am. I was also concerned about catching Smash in the dark. I tried to catch her one evening earlier in November after sunset and it was a total disaster. Chased her up and down her large field until finally having to give up. Stupid mare. So I made sure to put her in a stall on Saturday evening/night to make my life (and everyone else's) a little bit better. I'm not sure how pleased Smash was but she dealt with it ok.

We arrived at Waredaca at 5:45am and loaded Smash and her field-mate, Centi. Both were not thrilled to be put on the trailer, but we made it work. GPS took us the dumbest way to Pleasant Ridge but we arrived right on time and started getting ready for my first ride. The farm was really pretty! Looked brand spankin' new! Unfortunately, Centi decided he was not getting off of the trailer. Smash, on the other hand had no problem getting off! After about 30min of trying to get Centi off, Nick took the partition out of the trailer and Centi turned around and walked off that way.

My first ride wasn't too bad but Smash was definitely not in front of my leg. She was also distracted since it was her first time going into this very large indoor ring. The judge's comments after my ride, however, were just "pretty horse!" and I was kind of shocked since that was not constructive at all but thought maybe it meant I rode really well. I ended with a penalty score of 36 and 4th place.

My second test I thought was even better yet this time the judge said I was too tense and needed to stop holding Smash back (she was still behind my leg, actually) and let her stretch more. I disagree with those comments but what can I say? I said I understood, practiced it as I walked Smash out of the arena and let it go in one ear and out the other. I ended this test with a penalty score of 35.23 and another 4th place.

My Mom rode next. She had a rocky first test with a few wobbles here and there but dramatically improved in her second test! They both did very well!

It was then time to load the horses back up. Smash did not want to go back on the trailer. After about ten min I got some grain as a last resort bribe and randomly it worked. I don't understand horses. But then the real drama happened. Centi REALLY didn't want to get back on the trailer. It took 4 people, 3 whips, moving cars around the trailer to create a chute, an episode where he reared and fell over backwards, and over 30min to finally get him back on. *sigh* At this point I was so exhausted and hungry I wanted to be home, showered, and in PJs. When we got back to Waredaca we didn't mess around with trying to get Centi off the traditional way and took the partition out immediately. He was fine with that decision, too. Craziness happens when dealing with horses but it's normal and just comes with the territory. Having had episodes with Smash lasting over an hour, myself, I completely sympathize! I am just so THANKFUL for all of the friends who helped us that day even though they didn't have to! We would still have been at Pleasant Ridge if we didn't have their help!

Only then did we finally drive home and spend the rest of the day entertaining the dogs (they were so neglected all morning) and sleeping. I ended up going to bed at 8pm last night because I was so exhausted. I'm not sure if I'll go to another dressage show there again but I do think it was a good overall experience for Smash and me.

How to REALLY Buy a Horse

2012-11-07T08:19:00.003-05:00

Lately I feel like I've been told things that I should have looked for or asked before buying Smash which, now after it's too late, explain moments when she's up or mare-ish. So for all of you out there who are considering buying a horse here are a few tips your instructor might not point out when horse shopping:

Swirls/Cowlicks/Whorls

Whorls and Cowlicks are apparently the Astrology signs for horses. If a cowlick is centered, above the eye line, below the eye line, off center, or a horse has more than one tells you about their temperament. There are also many schools of thought about it, too. Lots of books, articles, and personal opinions.

This article has a bunch of great information regarding whorls/swirls/cowlicks and reference books if you choose to get super educated about it.

Photo Source

Smash's whorl is off center which, according to theory, means she is 'spirited' and I'd have to agree with that assessment. If only I had known to check for whorl placement before purchasing her!

Horse Butt: Rider Butt

No, this is not an SAT exam question but rather a ratio system I have devised. I think the rider's butt should be approximately 1/3 the size of your horse's butt. This ratio allows you to know you are appropriately sized and weighted for your horse. If your butt is 2/3 the size of your horse's - you're too big and should consider a larger horse. Here are a few examples:

As you can see here, even though my butt is covered by a costume, it sits in the middle third of Smash's butt.

Photo Source

This here is a great example of how this guy's butt is more than 1/3 the size of his horse's and should consider a larger horse (never mind the fact that his legs are barely off the ground)

Here is my Mom (Hi, Mom!) and a horse she used to ride. They have great butt proportion, too.

Let's face it, nothing is more uncomfortable than watching someone ride a horse that makes their butt look big (no one wants to hear their butt is as big as a horse's!). Horse showing is not all about looks, but we all know the more confident we look on our horse the better we ride.

Like Horse Like Owner

It's argued that most humans resemble their pets in one way or another. Some are looks, some are personality, and some are both. While I like to think I look more human-like and less horse-like I do think this statement is true for me and Smash. When assessing potential horses, be ready to be humbled that whichever horse you end up really falling in love with probably resembles you in some way, shape, or form.

Photo Source

As you can see, even celebrities can resemble horses.

Photo Source

And not always in a good way...

The same goes for us non-celebrities:

In this photo with Satchmo, a willing culprit, I am ecstatic and he seems embarrassed. We got along pretty well for a little over 2 years but he was not 'the one'.

Contrary, in this photo with Smash from a few years ago, Smash and I have the exact same expression.

I've also had to come to terms with the fact that I, too, like to be Queen Bee (Smash is in charge of the herd at the farm right now), I can be rather cranky and sometimes b*tchy when things don't go my way (although I refrain from kicking other people), and I love apples. On the opposite side of personalities, Smash and I share the same determination to be great, have a great work ethic and know when to get down to business, and can appreciate and trust one another when we are in trouble/need help.

This is a photo of my first horse, Monty. He and I shared many different qualities like stubbornness, a sense of humor, and we were always game to try something new. He, unlike Smash, loved affection and taught me patience and ALWAYS made me laugh. He was a true comedian! He was my rock for a few years and a great horse. He even smiled a little in this photo.

None of these tips will be considered a high priority by your instructor or someone helping you find a horse with a certain ability and I think you should take them with a grain of salt - however, thinking about these tips won't hurt, either. It's a fun way to think about horse shopping and if you're going to spend a few thousand dollars on essentially a pet, why not make it as fun and enjoyable as possible :) Go forth and find that horsey soul mate!

3 Day Event or BUST!

2012-10-30T11:04:00.000-04:00

After learning/watching the T3D this past week/weekend I am super intrigued about doing one myself, next year, at either Novice or Beginner Novice division (Full Moon Farm does a 1/4 star event all the way down to Elementary division). I know this is ambitious and will require a LOT of hard work starting basically NOW! and I know nothing about how to train, what's required, or much of anything other than a vague concept of what happens. I have contacted one of the riders from this past competition to ask for advice and I will talk to my instructor but here's what I've found out (these are rules for T3D so it might be different for Novice or Beginner Novice which I'd expect to probably be unrecognized):

1. You have to Qualify. Sadly the qualifications don't include cute horse or a 500 word essay on why I love ponies. For the T3D you need to get NQRs in at least 4 recognized HTs at Training level or higher. I am not sure what NQRs are but I'm guessing National Qualifying Records?? aka do well at 4 recognized HTs and not a big fat E or RF. One has to be attained as a combination. No idea what that means, either. So that in itself is a lot of time and training effort and money getting to all of those shows and actually getting through them and doing well.

2. You must be USEA registered. Because I normally compete in BN I only have to pay like a 'visitor's fee' and temporary registration. Looks like if I go Novice I have to register both me and Smash. More moolah. Especially if the qualifications need to be recognized events, this will just be an expense I'd pay in January and get it over with.

3. You and your horse have to be fit. Not like going on lots of trail rides fit, but gallop sets, trot sets, jumping courses without feeling like passing out, or hearing your horse wheeze after a gallop around the field and then going out and doing it all again the next day. This is where I need help. I know generally what to do but I know I need more guidance/training plan to get me and Smash fit enough for this. Thankfully this won't be too expensive to accomplish - just lots of time in the saddle and probably on the treadmill. It probably also means knowing how to take TPR on your horse in practice, too, so you know how fast your horse can recover in practice.

4. You need friends. Sounds silly but for this event you need at least 3 really awesome friends to come out and help you for the whole show. These friends need to be organized and know the rules and what to do so they help and not hinder your experience. Optimally you'd want friends who have done a 3 Day before and perhaps one who is a good braider and knows how to replace tack like studs in your shoes. They are going to help you get where you need to be ON TIME and help you not completely spaz out.

5. You need to know the rules. This event is not like regular HTs - there are jogs to be done (yes, there is a proper way to do it - and no, I don't know how), gates and phases to get to, knowing how fast or slow you and your horse are actually going, how to do math (Do you think I can strap my TI-83 to my reins??), and know when you can get assistance and when you can't. Not to mention deciphering the notes on your arm/tape.

6. You need to have fun! This is probably guaranteed if you're considering this in the first place, but like with any training, if you find yourself hating the process you should probably reconsider. Sometimes the idea of finishing spectacularly is more exciting than the actual preparation and work required to do something. So you need to really think things through. Regardless of whether you make it to the Awards Ceremony victory gallop on the last day of competition or just do a lot of training it'll be good for you and your horse. From what I can see from the very small research I've done so far, I'll be putting myself and Smash to the test of fitness and dedication and athleticism/heart to the sport.

I'm still doing more research to find out exactly what will be expected of me and Smash over the next year but this could be an awesome goal for us next year! We shall see what happens!

T3D and HT Weekend Spectacular

2012-10-29T08:31:00.001-04:00

This past week has been crazy! Waredaca hosted their Training 3 Day event AND a recognized Horse Trial on the same week/weekend. Things started to get a little crazy the week prior when we were all instructed to move our trailers from our normal parking spot to further down the road. My trailer is my locker. So basically my car has now become my locker because driving down the road, then back, then walking out to get Smash, then putting it all back in the trailer did not appeal to me.

A few days later temporary stalls for the 3 day eventers went up in part of the cross country field. 3 rows of stalls for about 30 competitors, 1 being my friend from college. We were also limited to hacking in the fields and riding in the indoor ring and some limited warm up areas. I felt some what relieved I didn't need to really worry about where to ride since I was still dealing with Smash's abscess. Also, the field boarders got moved to a field closer to the barn which was more convenient for me. Smash was feeling better so she was not standing still when I tried to tie her to the tree and spooking at invisible monsters so taking her to the barn with cross ties was optimal! Feeling better + Tons of pent up energy = annoying horse.

By Wednesday all of the competitors were here and got to jog their horses for the vet and go on course walks with Steven Bradley! So cool! Thursday was the first day of competition: Dressage. It was also the day Smash finally got her shoe put back on! I am more than thrilled to announce Smash is sound! Abscess fully drained and she is ride-able again! :D You have no idea how happy that makes me! Friday was our first ride together after almost an entire month of her being off and it was awesome! In pure Smash fashion she spooked at almost everything and was very up until we got working and she calmed down. I could tell she felt good being back in work.

Friday was also Day 2 of the T3D - Steeplechase/Roads and Tracks/Cross Country day. I had never understood how this classic format worked until I saw it. Basically a rider has a start time where they go on a trail - Track/Road - for sort of like a warm up jog. They have to be at the Steeplechase start at a specific time. The Steeplechase area in this case was a cornered off part of the hay field made into a track/loop with 2 brush fences on either side of the loop. Each rider had 2 minutes to complete 3 loops of this track. It required horses to HAUL a$$ around this track! And you could tell this was every horse's favorite part since they got to go as fast as they wanted and their rider would not slow them down. Once finished this, typically your entourage would double check your tack (look for horse shoe issues/missing studs), hold your horse while you fixed tack, and gave you water if necessary before setting off on the second trail/road/track for a longer run.

You had a specified time to then rejoin your entourage at the 10 min vet box where you jog your horse in for the vet, hop off, and let your entourage start working their magic to cool off your horse as fast as possible. The vet's helpers would take TPR (Temperature, Pulse, and Respiration) every few minutes until your horse's vitals were back to almost resting/normal (temp of 102 or lower, 28-44 beats per min, and 10-24 breaths per min) for the vet to clear you to cross country start box. You had exactly 10 minutes to do this. If your horse does not recover in time they cannot go to the XC phase. We had one person walking the horse, another (me) sponging the horse down with ice water, and another using the sweat scraper to remove the excess water to enable the horses to cool down. Once the horse is vet cleared for vitals, the horse must be jogged again, and then the rider can remount and head to the XC start box. Then they are off for 24 XC jumps. Once they return from XC they must be cleared by the vet again, but this time there is no time limit.

Day 3 was the start of the recognized HT for the weekend and last day of the T3D. I was volunteering all day in the XC field but the format went like this:

* T3D riders did their stadium jumping and were presented with ribbons
* HT riders did their Dressage phase, headed to XC, THEN to stadium to avoid massive chaos

It magically worked out very well! And Sunday, despite Hurricane Sandy's pending arrival, went very well, for the Prelim and Training divisions. The show missed the rain completely and everyone got to compete! And I got to earn some Waredaca Bucks for volunteering *score!*

Next week is the last starter show at Waredaca for the year. I had hoped to ride Novice in this show but after taking all of October off (now because of a hurricane) there is no way it's happening. I considered entering in Elementary but thought no, I don't want to push Smash nor spend the money on an entry fee just for Elem. So I'll just wait for another opportunity. I already got an email for some December jumper shows so I will do some research and see if any of those look interesting to me.

It's been a very exciting week but now with Hurricane Sandy in the area I seriously hope everyone and their horses stay safe!

Mockumentary

2012-10-23T09:13:00.002-04:00

Since Smash is still recovering (her abscess is finally all drained, I think! Farrier comes Thursday to double check!) and I have not been able to do any fun shows or riding I thought I'd share a horse related video I made my senior year of college about the Equestrian Team.

A little history: I attended St. Mary's College of Maryland in Southern, MD - not The Mount. It's a small public co-ed liberal arts college that was my home for 4 years. While attending I made sure to join the Equestrian Team. We competed in the IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Association) in all different levels of Hunt Seat Equitation, some dressage, and even some Western equitation! I primarily stuck to the Hunt Seat showing since that's what I had grown up doing. It was challenging because each school would host a horse show and you would pull a horse's name out of a hat that day to ride in the flat and over fences. You didn't get a warm up, either. Just a small note on suggestions and temperament of the horse. Example: Mr. Poe can be strong over fences but carry a crop U/S. It was a true test of your abilities to adapt to new horses and never got boring!

So my senior year I decided to do an independent study for comedic writing and came up with the idea for a Mockumentary not only to satisfy my independent study but also as a goodbye present to all of the graduating seniors that year. I made this video before YouTube (gasp!) and before there were affordable HD camcorders that used internal memory or SD cards (double gasp!) so keep that in mind since it's not super high quality. There are a lot of inside jokes, too, so you might not think it's all that funny but there are some moments anyone would at least chuckle at :) ENJOY!

P.S. no one told me my hair was sticking out like that when it was my turn. don't judge me. It was 7 years ago. (omg i'm old)

SMCM Equestrian Team Mockumentary 2004/2005 Part 1

SMCM Equestrian Team Mockumentary 2004/2005 Part 2

I don't know how to fix the audio to sync with the video... :( Sorry that Part 2 kind of sucks.

FINALLY!

2012-10-19T08:14:00.000-04:00

It has finally happened! Good news for everyone! Smash's abscess is draining (and actually has been since the 8th) and should be all better in about 5 days!

I called another vet to come out and give me a second opinion because hearing her abscess hadn't popped in 2 weeks was disconcerting. Not to mention pumping Banamine in her system for so long was not something I thought she needed, either. Once the other vet came out she pointed out the same hole I thought I had seen on the 8th as being an actual hole from the abscess! The only thing is it was very small so while it had popped and was draining, it was taking a long time. She made the hole just slightly bigger and gave me instructions on what I need to do now to get all the pus out and get her on the mend!

What she thinks happened is a nail hit the 'white line' of Smash's hoof which sent the infection up into her fetlock and caused some celulitis. This explains the swelling we saw in her leg that first week.

So we've been doing a lot of this:

Smash, being Smash, only seems to tolerate 10-15min worth of soaking her hoof. I try to keep her occupied by brushing her while she soaks and checking the rest of her body but she always gets antsy. I don't blame her. Two weeks of having nothing to do and being sort of sore sucks. Even I'm antsy from not being able to ride her and it has been difficult to muster up energy every evening to go out and see her to change her wrap. Especially when the weather is poor! #Horseownerwoes

In the meantime I've been occasionally riding Tanner, my friend Amanda's, horse.

So cute! He is as big as Smash, if not bigger. I've taken a flat lesson on him and now a jumping lesson. He is not an easy ride! But I am very thankful for having any horse to hop on while Smash and Amanda recover from injuries. I'm at the barn every day - might as well ride, right?

Aside from soaking and wrapping Smash up every day I thought I'd share a non horse photo *gasp! The horror!* just because it's not often I'm not in workout clothes or riding gear. My parents, Nick, and I were invited to a wedding last Saturday in Frederick, MD and it was a lot of fun. It made me excited for my own wedding coming up in 6 months!

ignore the squinty left eye. I was being blinded by the flash

So there you have it. What I've been doing in the past 2 weeks. I am more than excited to get back in Smash's saddle and see if we can't accomplish anything before show season really ends! Stay tuned!

Health Update

2012-10-09T08:50:00.002-04:00

This past week has been a complete hectic and stressful blur. As you know Smash is lame. I noticed she was ouchy on Monday but things got SO crazy last week that I'm going to have to share.

I know as horse owners we all get very worried when our horses are hurt or sick. I think that goes for any pet, but it's especially hard with horses because you have to leave them in the trusting hand of your barn manager and pray your horse doesn't decide to impale themselves while you are gone or they are turned out. I know 100% I worry nonstop about Smash when she is stressed, hurt, or sick and then I become a hot mess. I try to keep it under control and not let too many people see the craziness I'm going through and usually everything works itself out but I just hate feeling so helpless not always knowing what's wrong or what's best. Not to mention watching a horse gimp around on essentially 3 legs is very hard to watch! At least with my dogs I can pick them up if I have to!

Back to the timeline of events!

Monday - Smash was sore and lame but didn't see anything to be concerned about. Thought maybe it was a hoof bruise or something. Gave her some bute and turned her back out.

Tuesday - I went out to deliver her some bute and she was worse. Like not wanting to stand on her left hoof worse. I gave her bute and called the office to let them know. I also saw some swelling in her fetlock. Ensue panic. I was told to leave a message for the barn manager to come out and look at Smash in the morning for a second opinion. I went home and immediately started Googling what could be wrong. Google and the internet can be very helpful or very evil. When it comes to diagnosing myself, it's usually fairly helpful since I know exactly what kind of symptoms/pain I'm experiencing. But for dogs and horses it's evil. It could be any number of deadly illnesses/injuries that require euthanasia or it could be something completely benign that will heal in a few days. Nothing makes you crazier than thinking your horse has somehow suddenly contracted Laminitis and will need to be put down right before bed time.

Wednesday - Got a call from the barn describing now more swelling in other legs and definite lameness like I saw on Tuesday. They reassured me they'd give her Banamine (extra strength tylenol for horses) and put her on the vet list for Thursday. I figured at that point I wouldn't need to go out and see her. I was still slightly panicky but decided once the vet came out maybe I'd have a better idea of what was going on...until opinions got to me. Not my opinion, but opinions of others. Doubt might be the right word. Doubt about the expertise and knowledge of the staff and vet. So I'm already in this panicky fragile mental state thinking 'ok the vet will help me' and then I'm sent into a whole new whirlwind of stress when my trust in the vet is questioned by another person who had a bad experience with him. That was not what I needed. Here I am feeling helpless and not really having a vet of my own I trust and know since Smash thankfully has been mostly injury free since I've owned her when I hear he has misdiagnosed horses and doesn't know what he's doing. Can we say flip out mode? I had decided not to go out and see Smash that evening since someone already made sure she was alive and so I was in the parking lot of Giant when I'm being told the vet doesn't know anything. It took all I had not to burst into tears in my car right then and there thinking Smash was going to need to be put down after being misdiagnosed or I'd be bankrupt after needing to be seen by a million vets - none who knew what they were doing. I spent at least 5 minutes in the cereal aisle staring at the same boxes of cereal unable to make a decision because I was so overwhelmed. Don't get me wrong, I totally appreciate knowing there is some skepticism with the 'house' vet, but it's SO not what I needed right then. I tried to put it all aside and get through the rest of the evening.

Thursday - Thankfully I was given a call from the vet of when he was on his way. I rushed out to the barn and felt like I was seen very quickly. Thankfully the farrier is also at the barn on Thursday so he did a hoof tester (something I now know more about and how to sort of use) to find she had soreness all in her left hoof on one side. He pulled the shoe for me and the vet said it was a bruise right now (would probably turn into an abscess) and he would give her 2 shots (one for inflammation and one antibiotic) and give us a tube of Banamine to administer the next day. I was instructed to wrap her hoof everyday with a piece of gauze folded in half and placed on the sore side as support for the hoof wall. I was feeling slightly better about things but still worried since Smash was practically 3-legged and hardly putting any weight on her left leg. She was literally walking on her toe. I could tell, though, taking the shoe off did relive some of the discomfort so I felt slightly better.

Friday - Came out and Smash was actually putting more weight on her hoof! I felt elated! PROGRESS! Any improvement is great news! So I unwrapped and re-wrapped her hoof and went home feeling like I had done the right thing! Smash would live! She'd get to keep her hoof! I wouldn't have to drive to VA for the horse hospital. Until 9pm hit. Daisy - my dog - came inside very proud of herself with a swollen lip. And it was swelling more as the seconds ticked by. I'm pretty sure she got bit by a bug that didn't agree with her so I ran around panicking on what to do. Thankfully for the internet it told me I could give her Claritin so I did. The swelling stopped and sort of subsided by 11pm so I felt it was safe to sleep. Thankfully aside from the swelling Daisy didn't seem to notice or care she had a fat lip. So much for relaxing...

Saturday aka Day from Hell - I woke up to Daisy still having some swelling in her face. Normally I would wait at least 24 hours before going to the vet but I was worried if anything happened I'd have to wait until Tuesday (Monday was a holiday) to get her in to see the vet and I didn't feel like going to the emergency vet if I didn't have to. So I made an appointment. No joke, by the time we were seen by the vet her swelling was practically gone. *sigh* I guess better safe than sorry?? We headed home and I was then off to see Smash. I got there and found out her foot wrap came off. Not good. She was back to being very sore. :( I was not thrilled to see her digress back so quickly to toe walking and was feeling stressed out. I got a reassuring talk from one of the barn managers that I was doing the right thing and just to hang in there. I wrapped her back up and headed home feeling more than exhausted. I took a nap, was starting to actually feel bored, when it happened.

I got a text from a field-mate saying Smash looked terrible and should be in a stall and I needed to come out. At first I tried to reassure her that she was fine and I'd already been out when doubt and panic crept in. I freaked out thinking in the 4 hours since I'd been out something had happened to her. Maybe she tried to run, maybe the wrap came off again, maybe she tripped and fell, or maybe a horse gremlin came out and attacked her - who knows! So I jumped off the couch and fled to the barn. I cried hysterically the whole way. And not like in that pretty actress cry way, but in the dirty, don't care who sees me, snot all over the place way. I figured if I got it all out now I could hold myself together better when assessing the damage. I parked, got out of the car, and marched my way immediately into the field.

She was just how I'd left her that morning.
I kid you not.

Immediately I felt better but was still on edge. I found my friend and explained she was ok. But then I got kind of grilled about why I was doing what I was doing I was started to feel less confident about all of my choices. Lucky for me it was time to give Smash her Banamine dose for the day and I went to help administer it. I was reassured by the person helping that the barn staff was making sure to assess Smash every day and if there was an issue or concern, they'd first handle it and then call me. You have no idea how much better I felt! That I wasn't alone and Smash wasn't thrown out in the field without a care. That many people were concerned for her health and were there to help me. I went home that evening completely drained. I tried to cook one of my favorite recipes when the brand new box of noodles I had were infested with flour bugs. It was 8pm. I was in no mood. I boiled it anyway and made an effort to drain off any bugs. Extra protein?? Saturday Sucked!

Sunday - Back to the barn for Smash's check up. She was walking better like she had on Friday! I was very pleased!

Monday - She was even better! I'm wondering if the abscess popped. I'm not good at looking for holes or knowing what it'd even look like. The vet was out, too, and while he didn't see her he decided if she is not better by Thursday (his second visiting day) he and the farrier would work together to help Smash get rid of the abscess. I'm hoping after seeing such improvement that this won't be necessary. But judging how things have been going, I don't want to speculate r get my hopes up too high yet.

All in all things really have not been that bad for Smash. But mentally it's been hard for me. I have learned A LOT not only about horse care but how to handle myself and to be more confident in the decisions I make. The moment I stopped second guessing myself and the moment I started to just trust the people who were there to help me I relaxed a little. Seeing Smash hurt still makes me worry and stress out but if this ever happens again at least I know I'll feel more confident with some of the treatment I can provide, myself, and have faith in the staff at the barn to help me, too. That's been my week in a nutshell. Anyone wanna go get a drink to help me cope from it all??

Normal Horse Ailments = Embarrassing Owner Moments

2012-10-03T12:06:00.002-04:00

If you're like me - you'd rather save a couple bucks whenever and however you can for horse stuff. Namely medication. Everyone knows how a simple tube of eye cream can cost $100 only to realize later you could've bought something at CVS that would've done the same thing for $10. BUT it seems like if you save a couple of bucks going with an OTC (over the counter) option you end up spending your time in pharmacies in the most embarrassing sections and receiving some weird looks instead.

I consider myself pretty unaffected by what the teller's at CVS think but there have been a few occasions where I couldn't help but want to wear dark glasses and a hat for some of the things I've had to buy. While I was in college I owned another horse, Monty (The Full Monty), who had chronic scratches on his corneas. Scratches always led to eye infections and lots of vet bills. (later we diagnosed him with not creating enough tears which led to a dry eye which led to scratching and scratches and infections) Well on one occasion my vet told me to go to the store and get Monistat cream for the infection in his eye. Seriously. Monistat. Not only is buying Monistat cream embarrassing as it is, now stores lock them up (as if someone is going to steal and sell yeast infection cream on the streets... really??! Let the Monistat FREE!), so not only did I have to ask a store employee to unlock me some monistat but I then had to deal with the cashier's looks, too. I wanted to announce to everyone "THIS IS FOR MY HORSE'S EYE INFECTION! I SWEAR!" but I just know all people would respond is with one of those "you 'horse's eye infection' huh?? Is that what you wanna call it now? ...hope your "horse eye" feels better" and I'd still leave frustrated.

Around that same time Monty had a clover rash/burn on his nose that can be easily cleared up with Desitin. Diaper rash cream. So now I'm in my late teens in the baby aisle loading up in COSTCO on giant tubes of Desitin. Diaper rash cream isn't as bad as Monistat but, again, I felt the need to announce that this was for my horse and I did not have a baby with severe diaper rash. Nor was it for me or my potential diaper rash issues.

Smash has not caused me to buy too many embarrassing ointments for her thus far but just today I was looking for ichthammol to help with her abscess (I'm 99% sure that's what is plaguing her) at Target since it can be used on humans, too. I couldn't find it so I asked the Pharmacist if they had any to which she replied no they didn't carry it but when I went to CVS (Why is it only CVS carries all these weird creams and ointments??) to also keep an eye out for Boil Ease. You've got to be kidding me. Boil Ease?! *sigh* I pretended that was not something embarrassing to shop for and went on my way. I guess I should consider not finding ichthammol anywhere a blessing since further research on abscesses led me to being able to make a poultice out of Epsom salt and water but you better believe I searched CVS's aisles first for Boil Ease and when I couldn't locate it had to ask another pharmacist for help.

There are other OTC horse medications that aren't so embarrassing (thank goodness!) you can buy for common horse ailments. For example, Saline Solution is great for cleaning out wounds/cuts and Witch Hazel is a cheap liniment. Gauze is cheaper at CVS than the tack shop but vet wrap is NOT! And in terms of equipment human hair clippers are WAY cheaper (but do not come in large size for body clipping) than at any horse store.

What OTC medications/salves/equipment items do you buy for your common horse ailments? Share in the comments!

Lame

2012-10-02T08:25:00.000-04:00

Sorry for the lack of blog posts. I've been running around like a maniac lately in my non-horse life (hard to imagine I have a real life not surrounded by Smash) and have not been very articulate and figured I'd spare everyone from random statements disguised as a post.

I was going to do a whole video on Rider Fitness (which I still plan to execute!) last weekend but my plans changed so everyone is going to have to just wait for that.

Last night, however, I made a concerning discovery when I went out to ride Smash. She's lame. She was fine on Saturday when a friend rode her yet 2 days later both front feet are sore. She's not "omg get her a cane!" sore and she has no physical signs of an abscess or wound or swelling. The only conclusion we can come up with right now is she bruised her feet running amok in the field with her buddies. Which - let's face it - is highly likely. I gave her some bute after she hobbled her way back to her field and you know what the darn horse did?? I took off her halter to release her back into the field and she took off cantering! Obviously she's not hurt THAT badly if she's going to go running like that. Makes me wonder if she faked it. Do you think horses or animals have the forethought to fake an injury or illness? Like they are in the field and see their owners/riders coming to get them and they think 'Oh crap. There she is. I am so not in the mood to be ridden today. Maybe if I fake lameness she won't ride me. Time to put on the pitiful ouchy eyes!'

SO that means this week's visits to the barn will be purely to check up on her and feed her bute and pray she recovers soon. This is a tough part of horse ownership no one tells you when you buy a horse. No one says "Buy this horse because you'll love taking care of her when she's lame" nor does anyone ever envision their horse getting/being injured. I'm very thankful that Smash does not get hurt/lame very often! *knock on wood* and I sincerely think/hope/pray in a week or so she'll be feeling better.

I guess I didn't really make a super interesting post today like I'd hoped - but I just wanted everyone to know what was going on. AND in case you're wondering, my Mom is recovering well! She got a hard cast put on yesterday and the dr cleared her to start riding again...once Smash is better. Don't worry - I promise to have a much more exciting post up soon! Stay tuned!!

The Shows That Never Will Be

2012-09-18T15:18:00.001-04:00

This weekend and on Oct 6th my Mom was registered to participate in some PVDA horse shows with Smash. Unfortunately there was a little bit of chaos this past weekend that have changed our plans.

Saturday my Mom went to Waredaca for her regular lesson while Nick took me for a trailer driving lesson. It took me 5min to get the truck to stop pulling 2 millimeters forward every time I got the hitch lined up and let my foot off the brake! That was the beginning of the frustration! We drove the trailer to a nearby school parking lot and I practiced driving forward, backward, backing from the left, and backing from the right. I didn't think I was going to get it. I felt like I kept getting stuck with the trailer turning too far almost jack-knifing and not being able to straighten out and line the trailer into the parking spot I'd picked. Finally I was getting it. I felt great that I could finally back the trailer up on my own no matter how long it took!

I drove the trailer home and didn't kill any one (I did have a long parade of cars behind me since I refused to go anywhere above 45mph). I even backed the trailer back into our parking spot at Waredaca and as I was taking the last wire off the battery as part of my unhitching procedure I hear Nick say "Ummm is that Smash?"

I looked up thinking I'd see my Mom riding or walking her back to the field but instead I saw her still fully tacked and riderless running for the field she lives in. I was wearing shorts and sneakers, clearly not riding clothes, when I exclaimed to a woman who was there just for some cross country schooling "That's my horse!" (why I exclaimed this I have NO idea. I blame the adrenaline and pure shock of seeing Smash running around. Normally I would never shout at strangers random exclamations but there's a first for everything I guess)

She looked at me with the most confused expression imaginable and said "It is?!" Here I am in street clothes, fiddling with my empty trailer, and then claiming that the fully tacked horse running amok is mine. I guess that would confuse me, too. Instantly I take off after her. (Side note: I do know I won't ever catch up to her but I wanted to explain that when I run after Smash it's because I feel if I can keep her within my eye sight I at least know where she is! And yes, there have been times when I have not known where she was which scared the crap out of me! Not to mention if she gets hurt somehow *knock on wood it doesn't happen* I can maybe see what happened) Thankfully there were some girls ahead of me on the road and one had a bike and they were able to catch Smash before I could.

As I'm walking Smash back up to the ring I still notice there is no sight of my Mom. I finally encountered her riding instructor who said she had just come off and she had stayed to make sure she was ok before coming to find Smash. I finally see my Mom and get ready to help her finish her lesson when she says her wrist hurts and cannot get back on. She said she thinks she sprained it and should go to the hospital. She went off to the hospital to get checked out and I told her I'd meet her there since I decided to ride Smash for about 10 min just so she knew running to her field after her rider fell off didn't mean she got to be done.

After I untacked her and Nick helped me put her tack back into the trailer we headed to find my Mom in the hospital. I found out what happened was just Smash spooked at something (probably invisible horse eating monsters), stepped on and broke a dressage ring fence which spooked her again, my Mom fell off since she wasn't expecting it, and Smash decided to run home. I was glad it wasn't Smash being "up" or not focusing because she was bored and wanted an excuse to be silly and that her actions were just Smash being a normal unpredictable horse.

After the trip to the hospital and a few x-rays it turns out my Mom has 2 fractures in her wrist and will require at least a month of rest if not more. So unfortunately she had to scratch from both shows. :( And because I'm not a PVDA member I can't take her place in the show. There will be plenty more shows in the future for my Mom to ride in but it definitely stinks that she can't do these shows this year.

Heal up, Mom! Then you can sign up for more shows!!

Have you ever had to scratch from a show because of a horse related injury?

Flower Boxes

2012-09-14T12:48:00.000-04:00

Have you ever asked your instructor what you were going to do in your lesson that day and when you heard what the exercise is thought 'omg that is so simple how am I possibly going to find this worth our time?' and then once you try what sounds like a simple exercise find yourself eating your words?

Yeah. That was me on Wednesday.

I went into my lesson thinking I'd work on some poles/jumping and it'd be easy and fun and full of effortless riding. What happened was the complete opposite. The task was to trot and then canter over 2 flower boxes in a line.

This is what a flower box is:

(Source)

They are like 6" tall and maybe 5' long. Usually you need 2 to be long enough for each jump. And usually you place silk flowers in them as decorations for the jump like this:

(Source)

There weren't any flowers in the boxes I was instructed to trot over. In fact they weren't even painted white. They were natural colors - i.e. brown - and only 2 of them total.

I confidently pointed Smash to the first box and missed and proceeded to trot up to the second box missing it, too. It was my wake up call this exercise might be a smidge harder than I first anticipated. But I thought maybe it was a fluke and I just wasn't focusing hard enough. 20 minutes later I was still either missing the boxes completely, Smash tripped over them, or I was completely wiggly in my attempt to get over them resulting in maybe getting over 1 box but not the other.

20. Minutes.

This wasn't like jumping a produce stand (my arch nemesis) or a 4' swedish oxer. This was a 6" flower box that a toddler could jump over without trying. Without a horse. or maybe even with one and blindfolded.

After firmly planting my foot in my mouth and focusing on what was going on and what I needed to do I got it. I got line after line and was unstoppable! Well until we stopped the exercise...which wasn't long after I finally accomplished the task since it had taken me so long.

So what was going on? I think it's obvious I have an issue with straightness. First I'd ride with only 1 leg on, then I'd try steering with just my hands, then I'd look down to try and see how wiggly I really was which in turn made me wigglier. All wrong. Only after I stopped trying to jump the flower boxes and actually ride Smash and steer with my eyes up and legs on and trot/canter paced evenly did I start being successful. Steph didn't anticipate this exercise being so challenging for me but I think she was glad she had me do it - and I am, too! In fact, my homework for the week is to get 2 more flower boxes out and do it again on my own time.

I find it amazing how jumping isn't about how big a fence is but rather all of the logistics surrounding the fence. Sure your horse can jump to the moon and back but was it straight? did they use their body correctly? did you use your body correctly? I know tons of people can technically get over jumps but what's more important is HOW you get over the jumps. Not the flashy height of the jump.

My lesson was very humbling and showed me just how shaky my jumping logistics were. Yeah I can jump over a flower box. Yeah I can get through the line most of the time. But then again most of the time it was not ridden properly. I'm slowly building up my jumping foundation so that when the height does matter my form and Smash's form will already be well established.

So the next time your instructor has you do something that sounds simple chances are it's not and remember that even simple exercises can challenge us to turn our weaknesses into strengths!

Flower boxes are going to become my new BFFs after this week is over! Guaranteed!

What To Do in the Fall/Winter

2012-09-11T09:17:00.000-04:00

Not sure if you've noticed but the cooler temps are setting in and I'm thinking the official start of fall is going to be a chilly one this year. With that said horse show season is coming to an end in MD and shorter days and frozen ground season is upon us. So with no horse shows for at least 3-4 months, what the heck are we supposed to do besides chip the ice off our horses whiskers?

I've thought of a few fun winter horse activities to consider:

* Foxhunting - Foxhunting is very popular in MD despite not as much talk about it. Anyone can join but it's best for new riders to go cubbing or to an open introductory hunt that some of the hunt groups provide at the beginning of the season. Below are a list of local fox hunting clubs to check out:

Potomac Hunt Club
De La Brooke Foxhounds
Goshen Hounds
Elkridge-Harford Hounds
Marlborough Hunt
New-Market Middleton Valley Hounds
Wicomico Hunt
Carrollton Hounds

(Source)

* Clinics - When horse shows aren't happening, there are sure to be some opportunities to keep your horse in shape and your riding up to par by attending a clinic or 3. You can find a list of clinics in your area either on The Equiery or other organizations like PVDA or MD Dressage or local barns just like you'd search for a horse show. There are plenty of places that have indoor rings, too, that might host jumper clinics.

(Source)

* Trail Ride - When the foliage is lessened due to winter months it is sometimes a little easier to hit the trails. The sun shines through and you aren't constantly dodging branches. A trail ride also provides endurance for your horse and I know I get to catch up with friends since I never ride alone on a trail..

(Source)

* Dressage Boot Camp - Winter is the perfect time to really focus on your dressage work. Make a goal for you to accomplish within your dressage work for the winter months to make it more interesting and see how far you get by March! Make it more fun by tracking your progress with video/photos and give yourself and horse a reward for accomplishing your goal at the end of winter. Your reward could be a new dressage whip or more horse treats or to enter into a dressage show at a higher level you normally would ride.

* Goal Setting - Winter is a great time to assess what you want to accomplish next year. Sit down and write out some goals and then more than likely you can make a plan for what you need to do in the winter to achieve those goals. If you want to move up to Novice next season, plan on memorizing the Novice dressage test and practicing it in clinics/schooling shows. Work on grids in jumping that can still be easily set up and done in winter months. Do trot and canter sets in a field to keep endurance up. By the time spring rolls around you won't have to hurry up and get fit again!

(Source)

There are plenty of activities to keep you at the barn and your horse in shape during the winter months. Granted the ground might freeze and the temperatures can be tough but if you plan a few activities or set some goals for yourself and your horse you can still make the winter a great time to ride!

Products I Love Pt. 2

2012-08-30T09:30:00.000-04:00

In case you missed Part 1 this post is going to cover all of the gear I use on Smash that I love. Tell me all about your favorite gear in the comments section!

Let's start with tack!

My biggest piece of tack is my saddle. I use the All Purpose Wintec saddle with Smash. I love it because of the changeable gullet system and because it can be used for everything. Granted I'd love a real dressage saddle but I don't have the funds to have a million saddles for everything I do.

With the saddle comes the girth! I use the Professional's Choice girth because it doesn't rub and has plenty of elastic! Plus they are easy to clean and synthetic!

This is my girth extender. I need it when tacking up just to get the girth on. Then Smash sucks it in and I can swap the extender off and have only girth to saddle. She is such a bloater! I totally recommend you get one of these vs a larger girth to save you some money!!

Even though these Eskadron open front boots were fairly pricey, they were worth the money! Smash over reaches all the time and these boots have a nice hard shell so she doesn't hurt herself. And I love the open front so when she is jumping she remembers to pick her feet up and not be so lazy because if she doesn't she will feel it.

I stick with simple WOOF boots for the hind legs because she does rub her back legs a little and I am always a bit nervous those ankle boots don't cover enough of her leg. Plus WOOF boots come in many colors and are much cheaper!

Smash's bridle is no-name generic brown leather but her brow band is not! This pink brow band from Clever with Leather is actually my Mom's. I also own this purple one below. Smash's halter is also from Clever with Leather. They make amazing products! I saw them when I went to ROLEX 3 day Event in KY but they will make custom tack from their website, too!

Her name plate has seen better days...

you can't see the purple very well but it's a nice color!

Part of my tack up routine also involves using some hoof oil to make sure the pounding while jumping on the dry and hard ground doesn't completely ruin Smash's hooves. I love this Farrier's Fix stuff. It smells like bengay a little bit but I have noticed her hooves have stayed in good shape because of it.

Last but not least is my trailer. It's a Featherlite with a roomy tack room. The saddles fit neatly in a nook under the bridles and there is ample space for all of my junk.

Side view

Front of trailer

Entrance to dressing room

Bridle hooks and saddle racks

all my junk piled inside

Products I Love Pt. 1

2012-08-29T08:46:00.000-04:00

Most riders are curious about what products other riders use and love so today's post is going to dissect all of my rider apparel/gadgets that I currently use and love! Come enter my trailer!

A lot of people have asked me about my helmet cam I use so I decided why not share not only what I use for my helmet cam but also what I use when I ride, show, and take care of my horse. Below are the products I love to use until they are no longer usable.

Cameras:

I use (or rather have someone else use) a Sony HD Handycam. It has 7.1 megapixels and a 32 GB internal memory. The quality superiority between this handycam and my previous non-HD handycam is astronomical! The file size might be larger and take a while to upload but it's worth it! (note: we got this on sale at HHGregg so don't go thinking I like dropping tons of cash on stuff. Remember I own a horse)

For my Helmet cam I use the GoPro Hero with an additional side mount (purchased separately) so I didn't have to wear the camera on the top of my head/helmet. The mounts that come with the camera as is are very limited and while the bases are a thick double sided tape that probably stick well to plastic helmets it does not stay on horseback riding helmets with velvet or velvet wannabe exteriors. The only way I've gotten my GoPro to stay secured is with super glue. I got my GoPro at REI with a member discount and coupon.

Clothing:

My go to paddock boot is the old Ariat Volant zip ups. Obviously these have seen better days and I don't think Ariat even makes them any more but their latest Volant XT is probably going to be next on my list to buy. I wear these with the matching half chaps and they are great for the summer!

These are my most favorite riding pants. From Left to Right the Kerrits Full Seat insulated winter breech, On Course full seat white show breech, and Kerrits full seat super thin summer breech.

In the summer I usually will wear the Kerrits summer breech exclusively. It's so super thin that I never get as hot as I used to in other riding pants. They are very tight, though, so be warned that you will feel like you've just put on a second skin.

In the winter I wear the Kerrits Full Seat insulated breech and it's so much better than piling on layers of underarmour and feeling like the michellan man. They keep me warm and are super soft on the inside!

For my horse shows I wear the On Course full seat white breech and I love them. They are comfortable and get the job done!

Also for horse shows I wear my Ariat Field boot with zip up back. Love the zip up! It keeps me from struggling with boot pulls (which I always end up losing and having to resort to hoof picks) and they are a much better fit. I also save money with them from not needing tall socks since my pants don't bunch up at all while putting them on. I still will by a few pairs of tall socks, though, ...to be cool, naturally.

I protect my cranium with the IRH helmet. This is not the helmet I attach my camera to but that helmet is also another IRH style just smaller so the additional weight of the helmet cam is less noticeable. I love this helmet because it has the traditional velvet look and feel but with some modern wannabe GPA action for a third of the price. It's also super comfy and keeps my hair more contained. I don't struggle nearly as much to make my hair look neat/tidy with this helmet since it comes down farther in the back and around the sides.

Last but not least, I wear Tipperary's jumping vest whenever I go cross country. It comes in a few colors and is very comfortable on course! Safety is very important to me and with this jump vest I get great protection for an affordable price. Since I'm not jumping in the higher levels I don't own an Air Vest but I have heard pretty good things about those, too. Reminder - if you decide to go with an Air Vest you still need a traditional jumping vest like the one pictured above!

Those are all of the items I wear as a rider. I hope you enjoyed this post about rider apparel and products I love! Part 2 will show you the products I love to use on Smash! Stay tuned!!

Best Horse Shopping Places in MD

2012-08-27T10:04:00.001-04:00

Disclaimer: These are just my personal preferences. There are many different shops in MD that I probably don't know of or never have been to so this list is limited to only what I prefer and know. Please feel free to add any I have missed or your personal favorites in the comments section! :)

Growing up riding in Maryland I had to buy a lot of riding apparel and gear. Depending on where I lived or rode depended on where I shopped.

Before the internet (yes there was a time before online shopping!) we used to just go by word of mouth. My first tack shop I remember visiting was The Grey Pony in Laurel, MD. Between there and what was once Gayers (now Outback Leather) we had everything we needed. Outback is notorious for saddle and boot adjustments!

When I went off to college, in southern MD, I shopped online and at a tack shop run by Mennonites. The only thing was they had no electricity in the shop so you had to shop in daylight! The shop owner would order you whatever you needed and it'd be there in a matter of days! Southern States was another good place to pick up a few necessities. Online shopping was finally in full swing and to this day I still frequent sites like Dover Saddlery and Stateline Tack.

After moving to Ellicott City, MD/Baltimore and riding at a new barn in Mt Airy we discovered Bits and Bridles (no longer in business) which was SUPER convenient! A one stop shop! Sadly they went out of business so now we frequent Stablemates in Carroll County.

Stablemates is good for things you can't wait to order online or if you have any questions about a new product you are thinking of trying. Not to mention to try on boots or clothes and their sales are really good! I also make sure to check out Tack of the Day. If you have not heard of it, go now! Every day there are 2 sale items and it's the best deal out there! I also like shopping with Smartpak because their prices are good and their customer service and reviews are really good, too! Last but not least I have also shopped through Jeffer's Equine. They don't have too much but for medical supplies and general horse care, they are great. They ship almost immediately. Obviously you can also shop directly to manufacturers/brand names like Ariat and Kerrits but I find I learn more about what's "in" and what actually works from the other sites I listed above.

I have not gotten a chance to check out the new Maryland Saddlery Consignment horse shop in Gambrills, MD or their original shop Maryland Saddlery nor ever been to any of the Dover shops but I hear great things about them, too. Also, a favorite show/last minute omg I need it now because my horse just ate/broke it vendor is Bit of Britain. I see them a lot at Events.

Where do you shop for horse essentials in MD?

Produce Stand - 0 Me - 1

2012-08-23T07:54:00.000-04:00

FINALLY! I have finally conquered my produce stand fears and jumped successfully over it! For those of you who aren't exactly sure what I'm talking about here is a photo (not the same jump from last night or the show) of an example of a produce stand jump:

(Source)

My produce stand fence was not as big obviously and it was painted white and like a greenish color but the form of the jump is basically the same. Sadly I do not have photographic proof of me jumping over the produce stand but I do have witnesses!

For as long as I can remember I've been terrified of this type of fence (for no real reason) and it didn't help that the last time I attempted to jump a produce stand it was kind of traumatic. I was schooling at Loch Moy's competition course and kept refusing the fence. Finally I thought I was going to get over it when Smash literally stopped jumping mid-air and landed half on the jump half off (front end on the jump)! I was perplexed, and a little scared, and was starting to get really nervous about even attempting the jump and was instructed to just move on to another jump instead of getting over it. Now that I know what my bad habits were, I totally understand what happened (looked down, leg was not on, and I was probably pulling her reins back instead of being elastic with them), but it doesn't stop me from having a knee jerk fear reaction to the jump.

So jumping the produce stand last night was so therapeutic on many levels.
1. I finally got over the fence I got eliminated at proving I am capable of getting over it
2. I finally faced my long time fear of produce stands
3. Now I know I can jump any produce stand because no matter what color they are, I have successfully jumped it and can and will do it again!

Mentally this was SO good for me!

Last night we schooled most of the BN course again but added in a few other jumps. I added in a few Novice fences, too. Slowly I am figuring out the details to my bad jumping habits and working through them. Last night's big focus was using BOTH legs to keep Smash straight to the jump (seems like common sense but for some reason if she jigs to the left I was only putting my left leg on, so then of course she leaps to the right and I put my right leg on. Back and forth we go until we stop and I lose my balance). It helped tremendously when I just funneled her through both legs to jumps. (...duh.)

Sometimes it feels like I'm never going to get over my jumping issues but I know it takes time and practice - lots of it! Nobody woke up and thought "I'm going to go be an event rider today!", hopped on a horse, and was perfectly successful. I just need to remember it takes time and I am making some good improvements but perfection will never happen and getting close to it will take much longer than 4 months.

Waredaca Recognized Event 8/18/12

2012-08-20T11:50:00.002-04:00

Saturday was a very exciting and educational day for me. It was my first rated event that I actually felt prepared for and it was my first event since moving to Waredaca. My ride times were LATE in the afternoon which is very unusual for me. Normally I'm waking up at 4am and done by 2pm where as Saturday I didn't even leave for the barn until 12:30pm. The best part though was no trailering was needed. Man, it's nice to have shows at my own barn!

Upon arrival I noticed the not-so-great braids I asked my friend, Karen, to do for me were 1/2 undone. I started to panic a little since I had only anticipated a few braids to come out - not 1/2 of them! Then I panicked a little more when I struggled to get them into any form of passable braid quality. Smash's mane is thick - thicker than normal because she won't tolerate a traditional mane pulling comb and I have to use the one with a razor in it. On top of that, I must've been mane pulling happy and I pulled it too short. Short and thick hair is not conducive to braiding! Oddly enough I managed to make them passable (still VERY poor though!) and got ready for dressage on time.

My warm-up was going well until I found out the dressage rings were about 20min behind schedule. UGH! So I took a break from schooling Smash until 10min before they were actually ready for me and schooled the crap out of her. I struggled at first for her attention/focus but I finally got it upon entering the ring. I rode hard and it paid off! I only had 1 mishap - an incorrect lead in my right canter circle which got me a very ugly score of 4 - but generally speaking I did well! So well, in fact, that I redeemed my score from Full Moon's show of 38 to a respectable 34.5! Booya! The only things I would've done differently is 1. Not braid (I saw tons of people not braided and I know Smash would've looked much better not braided than braided) 2. Get a better right bend (duh!)and 3. Get a better belt that won't come undone while riding and make me look even more hillbilly than necessary. Here is the video of my dressage test and below are a few pictures my Mom took:

The picture above sums up my dressage...belt undone, Smash poo-pooing dressage in general, her braids looking a hott mess, and me looking DONE!

Next phase was Stadium! I had walked the course a few times and thought it had a few good challenging elements. There was a 2 strided line I needed to ride forward to and a bunch of boxes decorating the fences that had been causing other riders some issues. I made sure in my warm up to trot over my fences before cantering a few and to make sure I was riding assertively and being proactive vs. reactive. I thought all in all I did a great job! Jump number 3 was not our best because Smash started to stare at it but I got us over it and going into the 2 strided line I made sure to give a tap of the crop behind my leg since I could feel a hair of hesitation from Smash and I was having NONE of it in a short line like that! We only knocked 1 rail though on jump 9 (drat!) with no time faults so I was happy! :) Here's the Helmet Cam video and the Camcorder view with a few pics from my Mom below.

The second photo is of the last jump when her back foot knocked the rail. Drat!

I was half elated and half nervous I was qualified to continue on to XC! There were a couple of elements in the xc course I was nervous about. Jump 4 was on top of a hill and while it was an easy fence I knew it was a total mind game since I could not see the other side of the fence upon the approach. I had to believe in my ability and continue to ride confidently since in reality there was plenty of flat landing area on the other side. Jump 5 was a little nerving because it had intimidated me in the past but I knew I could get over it. Jump 7 was a jump I've done before but going the opposite direction and it was located between bushes and a fence surrounding a house (a real one not some weird fake house in the middle of the field) so I knew it had potential to be spooky. Jump 8 was my arch nemesis the Produce Stand. I have never been confident to them and I knew if I wanted to get over it I had to believe it was just funny shaped and no harder than any of the other fences out there. The rest of the course I knew I could do!

Off I went! I was over jump 1 and 2 with no problem. Had to collect Smash up for jump 3 since she was on a roll and actually moving too fast. Jump 4 I pretended didn't exist and we were clear! Jump 5 wasn't very graceful but we got over it! Clear! Jump 6 was water and Smash almost leaped in! Jump 7 she looked at but got over! Jump 8 I rode up to feeling good and I actually thought 'OMG! I'm doing it!' until eeerrrrrrppppp (sound of screeching tires) I had a last minute "huh?" when Smash hesitated and I ended up looking down to see what was going on and that's all Smash needed to stop and I rolled off. *sigh* I was eliminated. Had I at least stayed on I could've attempted to get over it! But no, I was one with physics and gravity at that moment and kept going (what is in motion, stays in motion, right?). I was really frustrated and bummed out but there was nothing I could do. Here's the Helmet Cam video and the beginning of my xc from camcorder view with a few really nice pics from my Mom:

I hate knowing I could've gotten over that produce stand had I just ridden Smash to the other side of the fence. I hate that I couldn't get back on and try again. But I love that I'm chomping at the bit for redemption and not totally defeated. I love that what I did accomplish on Saturday was some of my best show work. I love that I didn't let nerves take over at all. I love that I had a plan of attack for each warm up and ride and executed it well! I love that I kept my head in the game and had positive thoughts to guide me. And I love that I already have a lesson tonight to get over that produce stand and through the rest of my xc course!

It's SO frustrating getting over old habits. They take over sometimes without me even realizing it and take even more mental effort to make sure I'm doing my *new* habits. I literally have to tell myself a mantra and BELIEVE it to every fence ("Hips open, Leg on, Eyes up, through to the next fence"). I literally say it to myself to every fence. But obviously when I get nervous about something and the mantra fades out or I don't believe in myself 100% I get into trouble. I know it will just take time and mileage. I know I will eventually get there. I just wish I had been able to take it through that Produce stand on Saturday because I KNOW deep down I could've done it the first time. Slowly but surely Smash and I will get there... one produce stand at a time...

P.S. I was in 5th place after dressage... oh what pretty pink ribbon that would've been...

Then and Now

2012-08-16T10:56:00.001-04:00

So while uploading a ton of videos last night and this morning I decided to go back and watch some of the videos I took of me and Smash from earlier this year/last year and I can definitely see a difference! Not to mention, in a couple of weeks will mark the 1 year anniversary of owning Smash!

Here's a video from Loch Moy's Practice show where I jumped Smash over 18" compared to last night's Waredaca Practice show over 2'6".

Things I noticed in the Loch Moy Show was how completely sloppy Smash was jumping and how we couldn't figure out a pace at all. She pulled herself with her shoulders/front end over every single fence and was not really in sync with me at all. My position was weak, too. I could see myself looking at each fence as we came to it - more than Smash was! (definitely a bad habit I've been working hard on lately to correct) I wasn't letting Smash jump and I was trying to jump for her.

Things I noticed at the Waredaca Show was how Smash does still pull over some fences but not all of them. It seemed like if she took a longer spot she was more inclined to lead with her front end but she was getting closer to fences and getting better spots and not nearly as sloppy with her legs. Our pace was much more forward/powerful but not fast. And I wasn't looking at any of the fences and in turn Smash had to look and jump while I just guided and supported her.

Meanwhile I found another video - one of my first XC videos with Smash 2 years ago again at Loch Moy but doing BBN. This was before I owned her and our first show together. Compare that with the xc video from Full Moon and going schooling at Loch Moy last Sunday.Now granted Smash was only 5 at the time of Loch Moy's show but I can actually see some of her development and maturity/experience just in how she carries herself. I notice mostly my position and attitude going xc and I'm glad it's much improved!

I don't have any videos from our absolute failure year but I do have a couple of pictures that illustrates my frustration and why these past few months have been SO great for us:

Not sure if you can tell but we were getting into a lot of trouble. In both cases we didn't complete the Event that day. I got eliminated at Waredaca and I scratched Loch Moy's XC because I was so exhausted from over jumping the stadium. So while we started out well as a duo we definitely hit a wall and now we are back on track and actually even better! It's a shame I couldn't have had smooth sailing this whole time but I definitely learned a lot from both good and bad days!

Waredaca Practice Show 8/15/12

2012-08-15T21:36:00.000-04:00

Tonight was the last of the Wednesday night schooling shows at Waredaca. It's been a GREAT opportunity to get in some dressage and stadium practice without the pressure of a formal show (or the price!). I've participated in each one this summer (recap of show 1 and show 2) and each have coincidentally landed the week of a show I'm signed up for and really helped get me mentally prepared for my stadium round.

Tonight was no different. My Mom started the night off with dressage. She got there before I did and rode her Intro B test with Smash. Sadly I missed it but I saw the judge's score and comments and they were GREAT! She got an 8 and mostly 7s! She said she felt like it was one of her best rides with Smash, too! Hoping it's not because no one was there to witness it ;) Even though I missed it, I'm really proud of her great ride and I know she'll just continue to get better as she practices. PVDA watch out, my Mom's on a roll!

About an hour later I tacked up and got Smash warmed up for my stadium rounds. My plan of attack was to make Smash really work/pay attention to me in warm up. None of this ADD 'ooo a butterfly!' or calling to her buddies in the nearby field business! It was work time! So I put her through her paces as if I was prepping for a dressage test and then made her trot all of the warm up fences - even the oxer that was set up.

My first round was done almost entirely at the trot to get and keep Smash's attention and to continue to get her to jump properly instead of thinking she needs to whiz around and fly over everything - in turn ignoring me. I didn't use the helmet cam because trotting makes the video much choppier and harder to watch. But the camcorder captured the gist. I thought it was a great idea to trot a 2'3" course because it made me sit back and wait a tad longer and concentrate on what I was doing vs letting my nerves ride for me.

My second round was done at 2'6" and at a canter. You can see the helmet cam view here. In this round I worked on consistency of pace since the course had a few long approaches and my tendency is to get quick. I definitely implied the 1-2 counting from jump 5b to 6 (the 1stride to the purple and yellow diagonal/vertical) and I think it worked well for me! But the best part is I noticed Smash was listening to me and I could feel her jumping with a smidge more ease than normal and cantering with impulsion from behind vs on the forehand/pulling herself more. She had a couple of wiggly approaches still but nothing as wiggly as normal or as speedy as in the past. I felt very proud that I was one of the few riders to get a straight approach to jump 3, the wave, and not knock it down! I also noticed as I rode around the course whenever I felt myself start to get nervous about certain jumps or start to look down I caught myself in time/sooner and told myself to look up. I also consciously caught myself at times saying "open your hips and put leg on now" instead of progressively getting into the fetal position/slouching and chancing a refusal. It was just a much more proactive and lucid ride than normal. I think I am finally finding the middle ground to dealing with my nerves and not letting them take over.

I'm sure Saturday's stadium course will be nothing like the course I jumped tonight (for one a 1 stride combination is not allowed in BN) but it was still a great practice for the show and my confidence is very high!

Speaking of Saturday here are my ride times:
Dressage: 3:11pm
Stadium: 4:52pm
XC: right after stadium but my official time is 5:10pm

I keep peeping over at the xc field whenever I go get Smash to see if I can see any new jumps and attempt to see the course yet but so far I haven't seen much. I have noticed a lattice and produce stand is out but that's about it. Guess I'll have to wait until Friday/Saturday to walk the course...dundundun!

XC Schooling at Loch Moy

2012-08-13T08:46:00.000-04:00

This weekend was quite a weekend! And it most definitely had it's highs and lows. Oddly enough the highs were not the normal highs and the lows were not the normal lows. Let me explain.

Sunday I was slated to meet my instructor and another rider at Loch Moy for 1 last XC schooling before this Saturday's show. The rated show. The one that costs a lot of money so I better not get eliminated show. So I got a text to meet at 3:30pm. Nick and I did a few things around the house and then headed to Waredaca in hopes of using our new lunge whip and chain rope to load Smash onto the trailer. I had the other rider's phone number as a back up in case we just couldn't get her on. We got to the barn and no joke, it took us 2 tries and she was on the trailer!!! We left the barn at like 3:15pm and I was worried we'd be super early and waiting for the other rider since the texts I was receiving were like "I'm already on and riding and have to ride another horse" which made no sense because why would you ride another horse at the barn when we're supposed to be leaving?? ...it was because we were supposed to meet at Loch Moy at 3:30pm...not leave then. *sigh* whoops. So by the time I got there and realized what I had misunderstood they were done riding while we were pulling in. Thankfully Steph was nice and stayed to give me a quick lesson.

Then more drama. Nick for whatever reason decided to start unloading Smash but didn't wait for me to help and next thing we know Smash has broken off the trailer and is running amok around the Loch Moy xc schooling area. I ran. A lot. Dumb horse was having a blast. Finally she stopped and was sweaty and tired. But guess what - I didn't care.

Once I got on we had a really good lesson! I practiced the crap outta the down bank and even did a few fences I was leery about (they looked big) before calling it a day. Thankfully Smash loaded right back onto the trailer without any issues! Our only problem was she did kick a fence and lost another shoe (she lost a shoe Saturday when she broke free and ran around the farm for 5 min...I don't want to talk about it) so now I need to call the farrier for sure so I can ride her at least on Wednesday and Thursday in preparation for Saturday. Here are a few videos from the day.

We ended up back at the farm just in time for the boarder picnic and I had a great time despite being the only person still in riding clothes and not showered. I'm fairly exhausted today, too, but at least I got in some xc before the show.

Highlights:
* Smash loaded on the trailer with minimal issues! And under 10min!
* We had a great schooling O/F
* We managed to get to Loch Moy only 30min after the meeting time that I misunderstood

All in all a good day - hoping that one day we'll have a drama free experience. I'm feeling very thankful right now that the rated show is a home show!

The Show that Never Was

2012-08-06T09:05:00.001-04:00

Oh Smash. *sigh* What am I going to do with you?

That's what ran through my head all day yesterday when Smash refused to get on the trailer. We tried the new method of backing Smash up to encourage her to go forward and she listened better while just walking around but not in getting on the trailer. Robert came out and helped us in the end and now we have yet another technique to try/practice but we missed our ride times.

It was almost a blessing in disguise because after we got Smash on the trailer and drove around the block it down poured right around the time I would've ridden! That would've SUCKED if we were at the show and it rained like that. And we made the goal of the day just to get Smash on the trailer - which thankfully we accomplished.

We don't have any off property events scheduled for a few months which is good but it means we have to make time to get the trailer moved every few weeks just so we can practice. The more we practice, the less time it will eventually take to get Smash onto the trailer. And then I will feel confident again about leaving the property and the help from Robert.

I can't help but feel a bit disappointed about the day. I mean, yes, we got her on the trailer - a HUGE success! but we missed our show and I just hate that I threw money away and my Mom didn't get to do her dressage show all because of Smash's stubbornness. She's not afraid of the trailer - she's just a brat. *sigh* I guess you win some and you lose some.

If it's not my crazy nerves, it's something else... but I know Smash is not the only horse who needs help with loading and I know this is a battle I will eventually win. It just will take some time. It doesn't erase the fact that it's completely frustrating but I'm starting to think nothing about horses/riding/horse ownership isn't frustrating!

Next event - Rated show at Waredaca (at least I won't throw that entry fee down the drain due to trailering issues!)

Grid-lock

2012-08-02T08:04:00.004-04:00

Last night I had my lesson with Steph and we worked on Grids. It was kind of fun to work on technical footwork for Smash and not just the normal stadium practice. The one thing I liked the best about Grid work was finding Smash's weaknesses. She is not a delicate jumper - she'd prefer to just race around and fly over all of the fences instead of evenly riding to a jump and tucking her legs up nicely.

So we trotting into a 2 bounce to a 2 stride then rode to a short 5 strided line. I noticed immediately how crooked Smash has been jumping and focused on my leg at first - just to get her straight. And then I actually struggled the most with the short line because of rhythm. Watching another rider ride through the line was eye opening because Steph suggested to her to half halt after the first fence to collect her horse's stride and then she was able to ride forward to the second jump in the line instead of the opposite way she had been riding it. I thought it was very cool to think of it that way.

I think it was our final attempt that I finally felt like Smash was listening to me and going at the rhythm I picked and while she knocked almost every pole down because she is a sloppy jumper Steph reassured me I did a good job and Smash will figure it out.

For practice, I'm going to work on rhythm over just poles set on the ground (Smash will jump over poles) since that sort of work can be done a bunch of times with little risk of running into trouble vs setting up a line of jumps and jumping it a bunch of times.

Below is a pretty crappy sketch of the grid we jumped last night but at least you get the general idea. We trotted into the Xs and then cantered out and turned left to canter over the line:

We will be doing a lot of Grids in our future to get Smash to care a little more about jumps regardless of size so she can build up technique.

Full Moon Farm Aloha Event 7-29-12

2012-07-30T12:10:00.000-04:00

What a day! What a long and educational day! It started off with getting Smash onto the trailer. It was the first time we attempted to trailer her on our trailer again, alone, since the move to Waredaca that resulted in a very traumatic weekend. I was optimistic but nervous about her going on but thankfully I just stayed patient and finally she loaded within the hour I had slated for her. After that bit of relief I regained nervousness about the actual show at Full Moon Farm. First up was dressage.

This show was the first show in a few years that I've had to ride the BN Test B. Normally it's Test A so I have that memorized and I could ride it blindfolded. Well despite practicing it over and over again, I forgot the second trot circle at C and earned a few error points. Meanwhile Smash was being very looky and distracted the entire time and I was struggling with her. She wouldn't go straight, she almost stepped out of the ring, she kept peeping out the open doors... it was a major struggle to ride her and remember the test. Then when she stopped short of G for the final halt and I kicked her a step or 2 up and the judge told me not to do that and just accept a lower score of an early halt. *sigh* I cannot win. Here's the dressage test but the lighting was terrible and they wouldn't allow Nick to stand anywhere with decent light so it's kind of a crappy video.

Needless to say it was the worst dressage test I've ever ridden. I was very discouraged and upset with myself. I've never forgotten part of my test before! But I didn't have much time to dwell on it since Stadium was right around the corner. I decided to just learn from the dressage test and focus on the rest of the day since I had 2 disciplines left.

Stadium was iffy. I got into the ring and felt like I was doing ok until jump 3 when she stopped. I wasn't exactly sure why but I think my leg wasn't 100% on and I was looking down. We got over jump 3. Then she was super sticky to 4 knocking the rail and we refused 5 three strides later. After that happened I was so done with her shenanigans and turned up the heat. The crop came out and from 5-11 she cleared them all without much hesitation and with my "encouragement". I was feeling a little defeated but realized I wasn't eliminated so now I had to refocus once again for XC. Another stadium video can be seen here (camcorder view)

When I walked the XC course I saw 2 jumps I thought I needed to really ride Smash to - jump 4 because of the approach and jump 10 because it was a downhill ditch. Well we start off and jumps 1-3 were shaky but since I was already in no tolerance mode and using my crop she got over them all. The approach to 4 was supposed to be a big loop but they forgot to mow that path out. When I asked someone what the correct path was they explained the forgotten mowed path and said to just go whichever route I wanted and all was a correct route. So I took the mowed route that had me actually ride past 5 & 6 then back around to 4 since the non-mowed "correct" route was very tall and full of thistles. I didn't want to worry about her tripping in a hole I couldn't see. The route I took was not only safer in my eyes but less steep of a downhill approach. Smash had no problem over 4 a black and red feeder, 5/6 the up and down bank, 7 a black roll top, 8 the bench, 9 the hilsinki, and didn't blink an eye at 10 the ditch! We galloped to 11 and she was fine there and as we were coming to the water I was feeling elated we were in the home stretch. Of course that equals a stop at the water. Then a step forward and another stop and sideways stepping until FINALLY going through. Those stops cost me 60 points in penalties! And over an element Smash has never had issues with! grrr. I was not happy with that but it's life. We got over 13 and 14 to finish. Here is the 2 part video Nick took of my cross country course: Part 1 Part 2

Obviously we did not place. With 123.2 penalty points that's far from any sort of ribbon but I don't feel like the day was a total failure. First of all, we got Smash onto the trailer and had this been last summer I would've gotten so defeated by dressage and my first stadium refusal (if I got past jump 1 at all) that I would've gotten eliminated. Second, I learned how to cope with disappointment and how to refocus what to do when things didn't go as I planned. I learned how to deal with my nerves in a productive way, too, and remember all of the new habits I've been working on with Steph. It might not have been proactive but at least I corrected myself and my riding to have some really successful and great moments. Unfortunately the not so great moments really counted against me. My error and crappy dressage ride earned me a score of 47.2 - all time high ~~or should I say low?~~ The refusals in stadium and knocked rail earned me another 16 penalty points. And the 2 water refusals earned me 60 penalty points. But I FINISHED! And after I noticed I wasn't getting the results from Smash I wanted I changed what I was doing to get them! Not only that, I did it all on my own! All by myself! We had a few more issues getting Smash back on the trailer but with the help of Karen Fulton (one of the owners of Full Moon Farm) we got her loaded and home and I learned a few tricks to practice with Smash for this weekend's show to hopefully get her onto the trailer easier.

So to recap the things I learned:

* Do not try and halt again if the horse halts near X or G or where ever you're supposed to halt at the end of your test.
* Remember your dressage test!
* 1 refusal (or as you feel her start to back off) = crop time for the rest of the course no matter what!
* Ride every element as if Smash has never seen it before despite previous schoolings *coughwatercough*
* I CAN conquer my nerves and I AM a good rider!
* Asking for help when things aren't working (aka trailer issues) is not the end of the world
* I can complete the whole event without falling off or getting eliminated! (some people in all of the levels were not so lucky and I know last year I was one of those people)
* A positive attitude goes a LONG way!

Next on our list - the MD Dressage Association show at Liberty View Farm. As long as we get Smash on the trailer, I'm considering this another victory.

Waredaca Wednesday Night Schooling Show 7/25/12

2012-07-26T08:17:00.001-04:00

Last night was the second schooling show Waredaca hosted. Basically it is an opportunity for people to come and simulate a real stadium jumping or dressage test but without being timed or judged and with the ability to jump as many rounds at whatever height you want or ride as many dressage tests with 15min worth of feedback as many times as you want to prepare you for your next show or maybe even for this to be a show for you. The last time they hosted this event I found it SO useful because I got to have a "show feel" and jump a real course but still be in a laid back environment and without any stress of winning a ribbon or competing.

My original plan was to jump the 2'6" course then jump a 2'9" course. The actual course does not change - only the height. Here are the helmet cam and camcorder videos from my first round. I was so nervous last night. I don't know why, either. I got SO inside my own head that when I entered the ring for the first time I was only focusing on my brain saying "omg omg omg I'm jumping a course omg omg" instead of "Get a nice canter, eyes up, leg on, keep her straight" I got through the first 6 fences relatively well despite my lack of focus. At jump 7 she stopped - why? because I was staring at it and lacked leg - but she was nice enough to still jump the fence from a standstill. After that we didn't have enough space to recover very well into our next approach and fence which was into a 2 stride combination to a 5 stride bending line. I managed to get her over 8a despite not being straight at all but she did not go over 8b and I also rolled off. I was embarrassed and mad at myself because I knew exactly what I did wrong. By jump 8b I was still staring at all the jumps (aka head down), she was not straight at all (needed more leg), and I was totally unorganized.

Thankfully it was a practice show so nothing counted against me and so I decided my second round was going to be doing 2'6" again instead of trying to get through 2'9". Here are the helmet cam and camcorder videos from my second round. Finally my turn was up and I went back into the ring and this time I was much more focused on my position and making Smash listen. We had a better pace, she was straighter and more balanced, my eyes were up over every fence, and while I sort of gunned her through the last combination (and she knocked a pole on almost every fence because of it) we got through it! It still wasn't perfect but I walked away having fixed my problems and remembering what I need to focus on for Sunday's show and what NOT to focus on. Clearly obsessing about simply being at a show did me no good. It just made me wig out and defeat myself before I even stepped into the ring. So Sunday my warm up goal is to get into the good mentality and focus on my new tools before stepping into the ring.

My Mom then took Smash after a long wait into the dressage ring. She, too, had a difficult ride but it was mostly due to the judge being so far behind that Smash was getting antsy. My Mom took away the lesson on how to ride Smash even when she's tired or bored and make the best of it. Chances are she won't have too many experiences with Smash when she's like this but it's still good for both of us to have tougher rides so we know how to handle it if it does happen at a show.

I'm still a little disappointed that my ride wasn't perfect or how I envisioned things going but I think with riding in general you have to always have a Plan B to deal with the horse or rider you are dealing with that day and not the horse or rider you envision in your head. And while my confidence didn't sky rocket last night I am very glad I did the practice show and I'm working on getting my brain back in the right place for Sunday.