Sunday, December 28, 2008

Hold it in.


Its been an active two or three weeks out of the saddle and I'm happy to see it passed by quickly.

I've been exhausted. Sixty hour work weeks where I have only one day off. It isn't fun. I became so sleep deprived that by Christmas eve, I fell asleep over dinner. I'm finally recovered, I went to a concert yesterday and outlasted most of everyone (which felt good being normal!). Sleeping for ten hours for four days straight does that.

The last two years have been like this due to work. Well, working for the world's largest retailer isn't exactly a cakewalk around the holiday and I'm trying to change that via a new employer. It's just a slow go. I'm sorely tempted by becoming a working student and just eating out of a can of beans.

The three weeks out of the saddle, while doing my body a world of no good, has allowed me to get some work done on the new websites for Anthelois and Gage, Deer Haven Farm and a friend. Deer Haven's is coming the quickest, complete with 500 gigs of goodness involving photographs. Among them, which I didn't realise , are these sets from the Poulin clinic. Sinari looks brilliant to the point where I cried looking at them. I look weird. But still, I see so much. Bella will come along as well.

The out of saddle hiatus is coming to a close- the saddle is ordered (34" Duett Fidelio) and should be here in time for the new year. Sinari has been conditioning since yesterday, just lunge work due to the crappy muddy weather. She broke out her road trot yesterday and gave me some brilliant extentsion that caught the eye of onlookers.

Speaking of the new year its time to review goals.

2008:
Horsey stuff:

  1. Four scores of 60 percent (or better) at first and second to earn bronze (finished first level haven't accomplished second)
  2. Dover Medal? (not even close)
  3. Compete at all scheduled shows (yep)
  4. Condition Sinari to fourth level. (yep)
  5. Successfully breed May (yep)
Regular:
  1. Complete second 1/2 marathon (no, ran out of time)
  2. Put cash towards savings/continue financial stability. Budget. Repair credit. (yep)
  3. Law school entry and exams (did so, but unsuccessfully and am trying a different route)
  4. Pick up more German. (yep)
2009 holds so much more. In addition to the following, I may be expanding the team to add a new member (pony), finding a new job, returning to education and a bunch of other things but here's the rundown:

Horsey Stuff
  1. Final four scores for bronze
  2. Foaling/ Find home for May
  3. Fourth level/PSG schooling
  4. More education
  5. Begin L program
  6. Attend all scheduled shows/inspections
  7. Expand team and promote ponies
  8. Successful NDPC show (and expand to three rings)
Regular:
  1. 70 mile bike
  2. Start school
  3. Smile more
  4. Better job.

I have a long way to go and miles to go beore I sleep.

Tuesday, December 16, 2008

DQ'ed

I proudly say I'm a dressage queen.

DQ status usually comes as a negative connotation. We've all heard of the evil narcissistic DQ who hogs the cathedral-silent arena with perfect footing, excessively places demands, hates anything different and generally is just... evil.

But I believe there are good DQs out there. The ones who, while are fussy, are doing things for a larger persepective.

I'm not your typical queen. I ride ponies, I do my own chores and try to remain as nice as possible (most of the time). I can, in theory, only afford one lesson a week, and the other three come from a unique exchange. I ride with reiners, and go gallop out.

Being a DQ I can't resist the larger horses somedays and was contendedly planning a breeding program around them.

But since my eventual ascent to co-director status for the National Dressage Pony Cup, numerous conversations about ponies popping up, I've come to realise that I was on the right path to begin with (and what I was more comfortabling dealing with to start).

I've begun to realise the breadth and depth of my commitment to ponies, to the point where starting over seems not only foolish, but detrimental. Breeding and training elite ponies is no small task.

Training wise, the community is fractured. Mares are sent in to be breeding stock past the age of four. Stallions are breeding actively and breeders usually can't afford to send them off to be promoted. Geldings are just sold. There isn't a link between breeders and rides. There isn't a huge effort to track bloodlines as a larger whole.

So finding quality stock that is semi-broke and not breaking my wallet is incredibly tough. Finding siblings or patterns is even harder.

Finding mares that have not only competed above 4th level, but have excellent minds and pedigree are hard to find, if not damn rare. I have one of those coming up and people are clamoring for carbon copies.

So, the formula is clear. Find the very best mares, who have records/high rideability, compete them, breed them (via ET) and see what occurs.

Time will tell if the formula will work, but meanwhile, I'm gathering force.

Friday, December 12, 2008

Weathering the storms

Tis the season to be...

ah bah humbug.

The holidays are here. The saddle is sold, and my search is still going.

Because of lack of equipment and the odd work schedule, it's breaktime at the barns. One of the rare times I take off and catch up with the rest of the world. It's also regroup time for one of the show's I'm apart of. We're in the middle of a capital campaign and need to raise some serious funds this year. Also moved forward with the judges, and we have several new ideas going forward.

The pony has officially been off for two weeks now. She's had a massage, two apples and a number of other things done in between. I'm aching to get back to it, but with the current schedule at work, its better this way. Bella has been touch go for the past month due to several odd happenstances.

It has given me time to spend time with my mother-to-be. She's enjoying regular massages, grooming and treats. She's gained 100 pounds and waddles when she trots. Her blankets are maxed out to the ends of their straps.

And I'm hitting the end of mine. I look like a whale. I need to either step back into the saddle or cut back on the odd calorie intake.

Speaking of ponies, I think I have my breeding priorities wrong. I've always had the idea that I would end up breeding a couple baroque mares (PRE/Lusitano), but in reality, my programs have always been geared towards ponies. There's a huge demand for dressage-trained ponies. Dressage bloodlines and performance bloodlines.

I think I need to concentrate on something that I've always been concentrating on.