Running down to the riptide

The past few weeks have been incredibly active, with horses going all over the place, shows, the start of keuring season, training, teaching, travel and work in general.

Danzador has been on a relatively easy schedule, focusing on going forward and doing lateral work. My initial plan was to do MSEDA, but the USPS mail ate my entry... again. I love the MSEDA show, not for the open part, but for National Dressage Pony Cup. Jenny Carol has done a stellar job over the years putting on this show, and now expanding it to all sorts of regions as partner shows.

It's not the first time that documents have wandered. It ate several important documents to Europe and Canada, plus a number of entries over the past year. So we're re-routed to October. Not ideal, but it'll do.

Sinari is due for her 60 day re-check sometime this week or the next, which means we'll know how to proceed from there. She's fat, very fat, dapply, and happy. It's already been decided that she'll step down from the regular FEI levels and be a horse for one of my juniors who wants to start in equitation and then break into the pony division.

If you personally asked me how it felt, I would say it sucks. Loosing a good horse is never fun. We've had a decade of training together. I'm more intimate with Sinari than any other horse in the barn, and for the last decade plus we've been each others partner in the arena. Which makes the break a little harder. But, it's not personal, it's about what's fair and best for her. It would be selfish otherwise to not put my girl first.

As much as I want to continue on in that route to Grand Prix with her, how I want her to finish her career is out on top in a fair way. Being an FEI horse is tough. You have to have a sound mind and a sound body that can handle the training and conditioning almost daily.

Coming back from injury as a 15 year old is tough enough. I also know how lucky I am it wasn't something career ending or worse, life ending. But building back into the FEI is even harder, with a greater chance of career ending injury of just doing it. I couldn't live with myself if I repeated the past.  So, it's just time.

My students still continue to improve, I'm thoroughly tickled with this year's results already- the eventing group is scoring into the 30's, my regular dressage students are scoring upper 60's consistently.

Many of the eventing group have already expressed their want to do pure dressage and pursue their USDF medals alongside aiming for AEC's in it's final year in Texas. Which really makes me happy at the idea of helping people medal themselves.

This weekend is more coaching at shows, also getting to watch other people go is equally as fun.

Horse shopping has also been a never ending chore. My European trip got pushed back a few weeks, so it leaves me with some idle time to go look more locally. I'm went up to Ohio to look at some KWPN's and will possibly go down to the Carolina's to look at a few Hanovarians. I don't expect much but at the same time, I would enjoy supporting American breeders who are making an effort to bring the best lines home.

Mirror Mirror

It's April, and life has been one giant blur since mid-March.

Since Alfredo's visit, things have been kicked into high gear, despite minor herd reduction.

I walked into my arena when I got back to discover brand new sets of mirrors have been erected while away. My barn owners are awesome that way. I love them already and I don't know how I lived without for a lot of years. On the other hand, mirrors are hard. They're very much tattlers on your position, your body, your horse, just about everything you don't want to see, you see it in 20 foot glory.

My herd was reduced back to three with a few horses coming in and out with their riders for teaching.

While I love the fact my business expanded, I also enjoy the small, quality herd that I have. There are some things that haven't changed, that I ride everyone five to six days a week, and that I know all of them and their idiosyncrasies. But sometimes, adjusting to life on a time budget kinda sucks. When you have five in your barn and they all have to be ridden, tack cleaned, bathed, videoed, ect., you're going to have to limit time. On the upside it teaches you to ride very effectively.

The weather has cleared up consistently now to the point I don't have to worry about being frozen out. April brings rain and the ability to get out of the arena and go start conditioning for the season. We're backlogged for doing sets, and have lost a few weeks of regular training thanks to the horrid weather, pipe bursts and terrain.

Needless to say, Weight Watchers would have a field day.

We started last week taking the horses out, one by one on their first gallops of the season.

Sinari, who had the luxury of having the majority of the last few weeks off (weather, chiro, dentist, clinic, ect) went back into serious, consistent work. Last year's problems are fading away, especially since we've changed around the level of support care and the way we view things. The pirouettes are already stronger, the tempi-sequences are getting faster, and the pi/pa stuff is getting there.  But she lacks overall fitness that would help her endurance.

Yes, endurance.

With the FEI tests, the movements are secondary to fitness. The tests are much longer than even a second or third level tests and everyone is expected to be strong enough to hold themselves together for three to four minutes at a time going through the sequence. And from PSG out, the movements do not let up. 

Sinari has traditionally been very hard to condition from the get-go. She easily looses it and is hard to gain. So the sets help immensely with just getting around. Plus it's a nice mental break.

Her schedule at the moment is two days (barring weather) out in the field, five days in the arena. This might change as things progress. But for now, she's gearing in pretty rapidly.

I'm debating about which show to really start her in. The temptation is the KDA, the footing for the FEI classes is really nice, but it's also a CDI, where we're judged by panel and also judged alongside the CDI. Not exactly a nice move up show where we can bury our heads. So, time to shop around.

Danzador has also started doing little sets. His fitness is much better than Sinari's to begin with. He hasn't been out too much, much of the focus has been on developing him physically in the arena. Also mentally as well, even though he's great in the arena, he's still a kid and has a big case of baby ADD, so hacking him was always a challenge as a klutzy four year old.

He's still not ready to tackle the track Sinari has been doing, but he has been going for walks up and down hills in fenced off paddocks with a bunch of questions- like a smalls stream, uneven footing, rolling pitch, cows and a few other things.

He's doing better, where he would spook or be immature, he's now mentally buckling in and really settling into being a good egg despite distractions. He hasn't gone out and galloped, but he does decent trot sets in company.

The winter has done him a world of good, and he's already much more mature. The photos are slowly coming back from the clinic and he's already less of a stork. But, the ubiquitous solution to everything is: needs more top line, and he's no exception. He's come out of the clinic really well, not sore, and still on a progressive track forward in his training. Right now, aside from conditioning, it's about playing with more forward and back. Getting the medium trot in an uphill balance, and coming back and not loosing the balance or rhythm.

It's a huge challenge in the trot. But he's getting really well.

As for me, my own fitness has become a priority this year. Back in January, I started back on the treadmill, and going to yoga three times a week.

I hate doing this part of the job.

I was never a gym person, and I feel very socially odd in those settings. I can walk into any room normally and feel fine, but at a gym I feel compared, and very much lesser than the girl who just cranked out a six minute mile or who did that flow-y inversion thing to another difficult pose.

Plus there's the mental stigma. At one point I felt yoga was just about having that nice stretch and eating your random protein shake in your yoga pants while driving a compact hybrid to feel socially better about yourself. And running was running.  

Not to mention my body is physically awkward in yoga, and holding the postures for four to five minutes at a time is a screamer. Running, well, I just hate running and I did two marathons.

While I do don yoga pants (I like getting my protein from a different source and I drive a truck), this yoga is anything but a gentle stretch and mediative period, it's active and it makes running look like a walk in the park.  But I'm glad I'm doing it, and I'm elated that there are two other people going through the same thing and keeping me motivated to keep going.

However, it doesn't make wearing white pants any better. Perhaps somethings will forever be uncool. 

Eight days a week

This is the first real work week back for all horses, and in a way it felt like spring cleaning- a chance to air everything out and get the house in order.

It's the first time in a long time that all the tack was stripped, not just wiped down, that all the windows were open, that I didn't shy away from anything water based in fear that I would be frozen to it and I could wear a short sleeved polo instead of the eight layers of StayPuff jackets for warmness.

Also on the housekeeping list is updated videos, and photos of the horses and pony parlor days of grooming.

Because our show season was pushed back to April instead of February, it gives the opportunity to really prepare grooming wise. All this week horses were scrubbed, washed, a few had their mains pulled, the rest had their braids put in. Tails are being deep-washed, getting the grease and gunk out of them and then being conditioned and picked through regularly until the strands feel better. They also got their first taste of post-workout wash downs.

My wash rack looks like a disaster zone from the mud and embedded dirt that's come off the horses. But they're starting to get their blooms under the wiry winter hair. Hopefully the weather will keep going so they can really get the deep-set grime out.

Spring is also the time to evaluate feeding programs, so Pennfields is due out to look over the new horses, adjust the old, and see how things are going. Their regular bags- Fibregized and Ultra Balancer, have been staples in my barn now for the past five years.  I can't wait to add in the Progressive line again. Their electrolytes, Topline, and hind gut formulas are excellent complements to the Pennfields line.

Fantastic, shiny summer coats start with good baseline nutrition which is supported by good grooming.  It also gives me time to create a game plan for how each horse's meals should be developed to address their needs.

So while we're waiting on the visit, the stock in Suave has risen by a few cents due to massive purchases of coconut smelling shampoo and conditioner.

It's also time to break out the clippers and get goat hairs, old man hairy ears and strays out of the picture. The Hidden Pond Farm horses are going to get clipped so they don't look like they're out of the ice age.

But the best sight is the wet saddle pads hanging outside, showing proof the higher temps and sweating it out in the sandbox. I can't wait until the trails clear up and I can get back to conditioning, walking up and down the driveway is fun for all of five seconds.

Sinari continues to come back in good form, she's really becoming more solid in the FEI degree of self carriage. Its now just a question of sharpening the movements. Four's and threes are no issue, as are the trot half pass and mediums/extensions, I need to solidify the twos and keep working the full pirouettes. Her half steps are stronger, as are her pirouettes. I need to start playing with the zig-zag again.

Danzador is motoring, he's had a few intensive days of on the lunge with some p&p work to get his head back in the game. He also went through a growth spurt during the heavy part of the winter. He's gained height and looks like he's about ready to gain width again. He continues to be clever, finding his gears in the trot and schooling walk-canter, canter-halt transitions. I'm hoping by the end of spring we can put a change on him which should gear him nicely for the end of the year. I think the idea is to have him schooling close to third level and be showing/working second. I also need to start working through his lateral work and make it more educated and more on the spot.

Denia HPF is a little superstar. She's stepping out everyday trying to improve. While she doesn't have the gaits like Danzador or Asanto, she's a very game, balanced mare who is very clever and observant. Even though she's not very fit and doesn't last very long within the work, every day she's stepping out and accepting the progression. Her main challenge at this point is keeping the relaxation to maintain thoroughness, because she's so anxious to please often times she over thinks. The time with her is split lunging to help her gain her balance, and riding. She will be looking to do a couple small schooling shows in the next few weeks to get her around.

Asanto HPF is also progressing. His personality is actually growing on me. When he first came he was a bit stand-offish. But now, if he's not at the center of attention he will get it immediately with an playful little nip or lipping your hair. He's English schoolboy cheeky, and a pony stuck in a very large package. The main thing we've been focusing on is straightness, strength and like Denia HPF, relaxation. His time is also spent between the lunge and also playing in hand. Even though he has an uphill balance point, right now his hind end over powers the front because he can't hold himself together for more than 15 minutes, lunging helps strengthen him and the in hand piaffe/passage work helps him get the concept of straightness, sitting, pushing, upping the balance point and engaging without loosing the entire package.

Flemmiro SSM is preparing to make the trip down to the US shortly. I wish she would have come in January so Alfredo could see her in the March clinic and get a better idea about developing, but knowing what we went through this winter season, it wouldn't have happened anyways.

Rain Dance Maggie

My busy summer is coming to a close, and while it felt the summer that never was due to the weather (really, I think this is the rainiest I've had in a long time), and the lack of show miles.

I broke the showing hiatus last week with the young guys. Initially, it was going to be three weeks of showing in a row (schooling, HTBB, and then Meadow Lake) it ended up being: Hasslers, HTBB, and screw this we need to school.

The show went well, I could harp on lack of management, and other things, but really why bother? The boys did well, they didn't set the world on fire, but they got around, made their baby mistakes and ended up scoring decently. Fritz outscored Danzador in the in hand, while I disagree with the placing (and point spread), the consolation is that Fritz has been worked with for five months and has developed- Danzador has been ours for just about two months, and two weeks of that have been spent on a trailer. So in reality, I'm not worried.

Sinari has been going strong, to the point where I feel very confident entering her in the NDPC at PSG. She's handling the pi/pa/pir work (we've been doing a little every day) a lot better. It also makes me debate about bumping to the next level. As much as I want a move up show for I1, I want the two's to be more solid before I venture forth (she reeled off a set the other day) . There's been some debate about doing D@D with her as well, but I think I'll pass since it's fourth level and I really just don't want to go there again with her.

In other news-I've been writing for Horse Junkies United, a Canadian blog about the boys' prep up to Devon. You can follow along the adventures here.

I booked the long way 'round

I have spent the last four or five days on the road. It's been more than incredible, even if I didn't have a horse with me.

I spent the last week at Hassler Dressage at Rivers Edge, managing the barn for Lendon's EDAP program. Rivers Edge is a wonder of a facility and is not only a flagship dressage facility but the standard setter for American dressage. It should be on everyone's bucket list of must-go-see.

There's not a lot to say because words for this experience are very limiting. I was surrounded by the top (Debbie, JJ, Scott, Courtney, Lendon) trainers and coaches in America today for five days straight. I feel incredibly lucky to get to watch and have a minor hand in helping develop good athletes and horsemen for the future. Perhaps I'll be lucky next time and get to bring one or two along with me so I can be a sponge.

I also picked up a lot of good techniques and exercises that I'm implementing with the herd. My current favorite is from JJ which involves the I1 or GP zig-zag (depending on your count), of half pass- walk, change bend canter half pass five strides, walk, change, ect. It really has set up for the wait and change of bend.

Coming back home wasn't difficult, I was looking forward to being back in my own bed and home for all of four days until I hit the road again this past Thursday with a bunch of babies to Ohio to compete at the Hotter than Blue Blazes. 

The horses, despite break, have been working well. Sinari, despite protests of not being able to sit against my hand, is doing great. We went through the same issues when I really started working the pirouettes. I suspect the added pressure of more collection is being a bit of a pest.The rotation of one more hack day (but still asking for this pressure while out) has helped out tremendously.

Danzador has been going well, I had the chiro look at him and she's really pleased with how he's developed his hind end so quickly (thank you lateral work, thou shalt not be shirked ever again). The weather has once again held us back from doing some serious hacking, but once that gets sorted we'll get back to trotting and cantering hills.

Show updates in a later post.

Cause after all

I initially started writing about breeding season, but really words about reproduction right now escape me. I have breeding plans this year, but right now, I'm not up to discussing anything that involves a blue container and getting to know my FedEx delivery guy.

Show season kicked off for the barn, I had friends go out to one of the local schooling shows at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The Snowbird shows are very basic shows, sometimes even with questionable semi-frozen footing and weather to go along with it. You see the whole of the local Kentucky dressage universe there, but it also makes for good times with friends and cohorts. Intially I wanted to show but lack of transportation (just finishing up truck shopping again) and willingness to put management through extending the arena for a PSG test (I don't like being a prima donna), so I opted to help a few people out while fielding the occasional question  of when and where I'm going out next.

Truth is, I'm having trouble focusing in on showing this year after three years of being driven on the circuit (the bi-polar weather isn't helping either).  Kentucky's judge list plus the temptation of good footing is really asking me to go out just to do a PSG test. But really I want to push back to July.

Despite the doldrums, things have been going forward.  

Sinari has been schooling fantastic, County came out and reflocked the saddle and we're now cooking right along. Having these few months of taking her out of going and just doing the movements and now creating the power behind the movements while cleaning up our acts makes a huge difference. Her best pirouettes were done this past weekend I felt they were small and very balanced.

Now it's time to seriously up the ante and get eyes on the ground to really get behind the drive. The one's are trickling in, but the zig zags tend to allude us (I get stuck in PSG mode of school the big zig, instead of doing centerline-quarterline-centerline ones).

There are a few clinics planned for her that I feel she would benefit from and get out. 

Reba is doing well too, her schedule is going to ramp her schedule in May. She's becoming more forward at the canter and more solid with the connection. Fitness remains her biggest challenge, but for a horse that was maybe total ridden 5 times last year, this makes sense. 

There are also some new faces on the horizon, but more on this later.

I get knocked down

I really don't know where to begin except that I'm home, and while it's sunny, it's not happy-go-lucky Florida sun. It's cold.

My initial trip home was supposed to take 12 to 15 hours, it ended up on a 48 hour excursion which left us stranded for 18 of those hours in Tennessee, with the most entertaining of police officers and tow people, at the Super 8 hotel. To cap it off it was a dry town with no beer or liquor store.

I was batting a 1000 and me and a bag of Oreos got really friendly at one point. 

After a really sleepless night (I was up every two hours checking), downing the worst coffee and two waffles, watching an entire season PBS' Downton Abbey and transferring the majority of my stuff from truck to trailer, we got on the road again around 3ish thanks to James Welsh and Elite Transport's connections to Kustom Equine Transport.  My truck is still in Tennessee. Everything important is thankfully up here.

I'm ultimately very grateful to the people who called, helped out, showed up and kept company (virtually and sometimes physically) throughout that period. Its nice to know that the community does take care of it's own.

If there ever was a saint hood for ponies, Sinari needs to be first in line. The mare took everything in stride (angry over the temporary living accommodations). She came out fine, and has the next few days to herself while I sort out finding a new truck, unpacking the disaster zone of my dressing room and figure out life. 

I also am down one FEI horse. Kobe isn't coming back up. It's not something I wish to really go into at the moment, but I'm dealing with the fallout.

At this point  it's time to regroup and figure out what's next.

Chasing the sun

I didn't plan this trip well, in fact I think I winged most of it right down to my departure.

First, I was planning on staying in the great white north, hoping the weather would cooperate and get my herd ready for their spring runs. I was (and still am) looking forward to a few arrivals. I was actually looking forward not having to worry about the fishbowl that is Wellington, or who was doing what, where.

That hope of hibernation was dashed when clinicians started agreeing to do clinics in the sunny south (Europeans who want to go to Florida, go figure). After rounds of whacky scheduling, I set up a few things, and next thing you know I have some work to do. Was thinking I would just go down and come back for the few events that I had so I could keep my budget/sanity and avoid a drive.

Even that was dashed.

Then the pony started clicking in, ready enough to do a few tests and work some lessons. So why the hell not go down and get this party started right? Plus I have to go look at a few horses, finalize what is now Kobe, and appointments to shore up.

There's no avoiding it, if you want to be serious about dressage you go south.

I went down last year  to train with Koford and worked a little with Atkins. This year it's a bit of a burgoo of training, work and showing. I have no real intense day-in and day-out help there. I'm also bringing down just one horse, and picked up another one along the way. A literal vacation from the thundering herd up here.

I managed to squeak out three weeks of time, I need to be back to continue with the herd up here and to also check the snail mail plus keep a host of other projects on the burner.

So far it's been a huge adventure, leaving Lexington at 10am and arriving the next day at 2am. Minor truck and phone issues after we had arrived.

After the recovery, it was back to riding, schooling around White Fences, in between rounds myself and company caught the Masters, and sat at the Global Dressage Forum, did a weekend of showing, more training, and then we're now in the final week of events and clinics.

The universe tends to shrink around this time of year to the size of Palm Beach County. This becomes Mecca and a uniquely intense period of time to do business, get fit for the season, kick off the season, and interact with friends and people you haven't seen in a long time.

Everyone, including the most professional of professionals, develop the worst case of ADD. But it's not without just cause.

This week alone I've fielded what feels like a bazillion phone calls, coordinated without any "real internet" (hello mobile), or "real computer" (hello iPad) took lessons at Still Point Farm, started to ride Kobe and figure him out (more lessons), show and obtained my final score towards my Silver.  With the season well under way and another goal checked off, I can easily breathe until May for recognized showing.

It doesn't mean that the rest of the string won't be out, Reba is going to the Snowbird show, Kobe will be most likely going as well if I can get myself under control trot wise. Sinari will be refocused to I1.

It's time to begin

I know I listed the 2013 goals already, and there are things that are changing, rapidly for the better, hence the amendment in the prior post.

When things are finalized I'll mention, but until then it means that I have a full roster for 2013 and I'm going to need a bigger trailer.

Winter is in full force in Kentucky, and just as the doldrums set in I'm going down to Florida to do some work, and to visit with some friends who I haven't seen in awhile. It will be nice to be in the land of sunshine and sand for three days.

The girls (and boy) are going well.

Reba is doing a lot of lateral work and getting fitter. Ramping up the balance on her isn't difficult at all, she can go zero to FEI balance in 2.5 seconds if I ask, it's keeping it there and keeping her head on her shoulders is the main challenge. She's also still very much not in shape, and will take another three to four months to put on the basic muscling that she needs. She's already svelted up quite a bit and she's gained a lot of topline but for where I want her to go this year, she's going to need to gain a lot more, she's going to need to learn to be more confident in the arena. Where she should begin her season has become a bit of a question mark. I would like her to begin in Florida, but I think the time and money are better spent northward where she would have the extra space to develop into a stronger candidate and I'm also debating about which shows where.

As much as I love training and first levels, I think schooling shows are best for these classes especially in a first year relationship. Her main goal this year is obtaining her Elite Mare Candidacy in the summer inspection tours and it would be complete icing to take her out at Third. But we'll see.

Sinari is working terrific, if not a bit out of shape due to the holiday and winter scheduling. She recently had the dentist out, and is back in full swing with a lot of Dover's and Hoffmann's work outs (that canter pirouette to walk pirouette to canter pirouette is seriously kicking butt), and we're up to five one's, some pi/pa stuff and getting things otherwise cleaned up. I'm really rooting for this to be a big year for her, and I think she'll shine. I'm aiming her for a fourth level test when we're both down in Florida later this year to complete out the Silver.

Sincere has been an absolute rock star with Lauren Neathry. I sent him on before the holiday to start back, and by jove, he loves his job. He walk, trots, and is very much building stamina in his canter. He's already hacking out confidently on the new property and doing some small jumps. Super pony. He is seriously going to take someone somewhere, and I'll put my money on a CCI* or a meter class or two in the jumpers when he's mature. There's not a 'no' in his mind and he's very chipper about his career. 

In the meantime, it's laundry and pack and prepare for the very early start of the season.  Just sent all the dry cleaning out, and my show bag has been hung to start putting the 2013 supplies in it.

Because we are who we are

“What nobody tells people who are beginners — and I really wish someone had told this to me — is that all of us who do creative work, we get into it because we have good taste. But there is this gap; for the first couple years you make stuff, and it’s just not that good. It’s trying to be good, it has potential, but it’s not. But your taste, the thing that got you into the game, is still killer. And your taste is why your work disappoints you. A lot of people never get past this phase. They quit.

Most people I know who do interesting, creative work went through years of this. We know our work doesn’t have this special thing that we want it to have. We all go through this. And if you are just starting out or you are still in this phase, you gotta know it’s normal and the most important thing you can do is do a lot of work… It is only by going through a volume of work that you will close that gap, and your work will be as good as your ambitions. And I took longer to figure out how to do this than anyone I’ve ever met. It’s gonna take a while. It’s normal to take a while.

You’ve just gotta fight your way through.”

---Ira Glass

I'll save the I'd like to thank the academy post for later. Today, I just want to savor this moment. 

Two for the show

So it's nearly September and the majority of life is still... in... flux.

Not exactly where I want to be, but when in doubt when life hands you a snow globe, just shake the damn thing until it settles or go to a horse show.

I vote going to a horse show.

Last year I enthusastically entered into the National Dressage Pony Cup PSG test. I barely had confirmed pir's and the tempi's were still a tad shakey, but I was boldly going where I had not clue about.

And the show, alongside a few others, supported it.

I love this show, it's exactly what the pony population needs and is a fabulous showcase for anything under 14.2. It even has small horse classes. To have this in my backyard is a heaven sent.

But it wasn't to be last year, the pony popped a split and was out for a little while. Then it was cold, rainy and miserable on top of it.

This year, entries are due and I was at a toss between Fourth level and PSG. 

A few days ago, out of sheer curosity we rolled through the PSG. Not expecting much, or anything brilliant I was reasonably impressed, but not enough to consider it. So I went to an non-bias source and rolled through it again.

It was respectable.

So on a whim (and a few bourbons of courage) I filed the entry for the NDPC at the Saint George and before I could change my mind the post went out in the morning mail.

Today, I realized I have less than two weeks till I reach something we've been working towards for a very long time and I thought I would never say it, but it's scary.

There comes a point in your life, when all you've wanted comes perfectly within grasp, and then you have to make a choice whether or not you really want it. I've wanted to do this since I started dressage about a decade ago. There wasn't really a day that made me stop wanting it and wanting it on a larger scale each passing year.

So, commitment phobias aside, I'm trying to get my game face on despite some reservations. We've been rolling through the test itself at least twice in a session picking things apart and putting it back together. The canter tour is a marathon and not recommended for the faint.

Still could use as much good juju as I can get though.

This also comes as fall season kicks off and a new horse arrives this weekend.

Go your own way

I've been avoiding blogging for the past few weeks, namely, time (clinic, clinic and show), and to be quite frank, I really didn't want to recap things or make goals or do much of anything. Even training, no matter how progressive as it's had become, was a drag.

I've officially hit seasonal funk and it's only June.

It's not like I didn't see this coming, a so-so show debut at 4th (55,6; 56,5) in the nasty 100 degree weather put a huge damper on things, dealing with the drama of work, organizing and a few other items has also left me a little more or less worn out and running for cover. I had my first weekend off in eight weeks and didn't know what to do with myself.

But with no regular lessons to keep us going at a critical juncture/push, and the next big days for travel in July, the wide expanse of June seems intimidating, if not boring.

It's not a negative thing, in fact there's a bunch of positivity about what had happened and what continues to as well.

Sinari has progressed and is gaining huge amounts of condition. When the weather holds, and there isn't a hay crop being harvested, we're up to six miles of trot and canter sets about two days a week. She officially beats the off the track thoroughbreds. Hoping that we'll get up to about eight miles before it's all through.

In the arena, the upped balance point and running through all the test elements at least once a session has helped. I've asked her to become hotter and wouldn't you know it, the little girl has it. I just need to go back to Sesame Street to learn to count my tempis.

The show wasn't a waste either. I can see why people can easily get bummed about mid-50's. Not showing since last July, we were, very, terribly out of practice and at a new level to boot. So while it didn't meet our goals of above 60, everything is fixable.

During the show she dug in and really did try to work it, but didn't have enough gas in the tank. It was my stupid fault for the warm up routine in that kind of heat. That our mistakes (pir's and accidentals fours) were really easy to clean up mistakes. The judges were really positive about the comments and talking to them after helped a ton as well. We're in review mode and I'll be darned if we don't crack 60's by July.

Sincere, despite showing that he was a turkey during the Hess clinic (just took him out to lunge in a new place) really is doing exceptionally well for his age. He has a ton of swing and three very elastic gaits. Just no topline to speak of to really sustain it. Plus he keeps trying. What's not to like about a horse that just keeps digging to find the right answer? He's looking less immature and more up hill and horse like everyday.

Even had an email from his dam's owner. May is doing really well, and is even going under saddle. I can't wait to see her again, it's been three years.

Being alone doesn't mean you don't limit your progression, it means you find different ways of adapting to progress.

I'm terribly manic about a few things, and one of them is staying as goal-oriented as possible. I think that's how I've managed to drive the ponies to this point, just get from point a to point b and work your ass off in between. Every. 30. Days.

Not having eyes on the ground, or being able to ask questions to your coaches (they've honestly been busy), when the expectation has been up has been really difficult. But it also makes you independent and much stronger. I still have questions, and experiences I want them to relate to, but right now their pursuing their own goals.

And I want more

The last few weeks have been a blur between a lot of highs and lows.

The season is here, and it's breathing down our necks and after two straight weeks of training, it feels like we're prepared enough to roll down centerline this weekend at 4-1. No promises for photos and videos, I have no idea about the amount of extra hands I'll have about.

In between I tossed both ponies into Houston and Hess' clinics.

Sinari, dug deep on the first day of Houston and produced a solid school with really ramped balance and collection. The second day, riding in the heat of the day, we ran out of juice and schoolmastered around trying to keep her comfortable. She was able to pull a little bit out of work, but we mostly worked on biomechanics and positioning.

Sincere benefited as well, getting a base feeling and direction as to where to take his training in the next few months. In the end, I know the more we develop on the ground the more we will have under saddle.

A day off from work and we shipped over late to Rolling Hills to train with one of my all-time favorite judges, Christoph Hess. Christoph, who has an equally quick eye as Houston and Koford, picked up on the work quickly. He began ramping us into this week with emphasis on scores. We picked apart and reviewed and picked some more. His goal aside from setting the stage was to push an electric ride.

Talk about a different ride entirely! Sinari became positively hot off the aids, to the point where we were pushing control issues. But that's where we needed to go, just to the edge.

Hess also noted a year over year improvement on the mare, which was great to be not really re-humbled back to a 20 meter stretch circle for 45 minutes.

I also brought out Sincere to this one as well. The purpose was two fold, the first being that getting him off the property and getting him into a job (even a basic mindset of work) in a new place is fun and he shouldn't worry about it. The second, is I have a huge amount of respect for the people I work with, Hess being one of the top people in the young horse world I wanted his thoughts on what was produced three years ago.

While Sincere was a trooper, and I didn't kill either one of us in long lines, Hess was not as impressed. Sincere pretty much looked like a turkey trotting around tense and not his loose usual self.  But, given that he shipped in 30 minutes prior, was groomed, tacked up in a busy barn and lunged in a strange arena, I give him more credit.

Overall it went well, and we'll be back for more.

Plastic ponies anonymous

I've been trying to find the time to write this, it seems so hard these days to find time/energy to write due to the schedule!


So other than putting about 2,000 miles on the truck and working odds and ends and dealing with an extremely busy schedule, there's been some news as of late.

A while back, Breyer (y'know the plastic ponies) announced it's annual festival at the KHP.

I have Breyers, and while I'm not a super-nut for plastic ponies like some of my friends, I do have a soft spot for some models that dot my book shelves and my nightstand.

I still have Erin Go Bragh, Black Beauty, Merry Legs and a limited edition arabian horse that a friend gave as a graduation present. I still pick up the yellow box to read the back stories on the model.

However, I normally avoid Breyerfest weekend at the park (these days I'm rarely in town to really do any avoiding).

This year's theme is British invasion (London 2012) and apparently since Sinari is technically considered British by default (Welsh), she came up and was accepted for Breyerfest.

Which leads to the dilemma-- what do you do for Breyerfest?

Enter one freestyle. There have been a bunch of ideas thrown about in the camp, but the one main requirement is that anything we do be, well, English-themed.

My initial freestyle is done to Dr. Who, composed by BBC, however I think the music is too serious for a bunch of girls who are in it more for entertainment than anything else.

Then we thought of Queen and while the guys thought it would be spiffy to dress up in drag (pleather full seats anyone?) and get sparkly Petries, again, age plays a factor. Beyond, We are the Champions, I don't think anyone remembers Fat Bottomed Girls.

The final decision went down to Coldplay. The modern band isn't my first choice, but a relation (e.g. my brother) pretty much booted a Paradise/The Scientist/The Verve remix that is total fun/high energy.

Riding has also been interesting as well, we ramped her up in VA, and this week we're taking it a little light due to an upcoming clinic and show. Doesn't mean the work isn't serious, just means that we're doing more suppling exercises.

Sincere is out long lining, the wee guy (well not so wee now) turned three yesterday, and he's been going on the lunge now (on and off) for the last three weeks. What a guy, just takes everything in stride. It's been forever and a half since I've gotten to play with a baby, and I've forgot how much fun it can be. Yesterday he went out long lining in the fields, took everything like an old pro.

I'm guessing his summer plans will include lunging, some free jumping, getting out on the trail in long lines and then by late summer/ early fall have someone jump on him a few times for some work, perhaps a cheapie in hand show to get him out there. 

May Goals (I'll cap April off this week):
-Above 60 percent scores at 4th level
-hone the pir's
-hold the count on the tempi's
-fitness
-up the balance point

Wheels on the bus

What a fantastic week!

Sinari just peeled off work after work after work that just kept getting better. I think we've got over the fitness hump and a few other things as well. She's looking svelt and trim.

With the one bad side effect of fitness with mares is that they come into heat harder. I used to remember the Sinari who would silently cycle and not bat an eye at anything. Sinari of today, who is now ramped into some serious fitness (30-45 minutes a day, six a week) schedules thinks it's muscle beach and everything is fair game. Go figure. Time to break out the Regumate.

I've also noticed that she definitely has an ego now. Which I blame being doted on by the barn ladies left and right and being told that she's the best. While that there is no dispute of this fact, it's nice to have her ego back into the game.  

Despite this, It felt so good that we rolled through strings of PSG toward the end of the week, and started choreographing with the new music.  Seriously can't wait to put it on tape and see how it looks. The new music is Coldplay.

This past weekend we did our second session with James Houston. Four straight days of clinic (and a grand total of 7 days of under saddle work) really pushed our limits. We worked through everything and despite me feeling like I mastered the last set of work, he pushed the boundary a bit further by picking on more biomechanics, and straightness. More work in the wings for May. We'll see him again this weekend during Shannon's clinic (bringing the pony along for more schooling time with Koford and Houston). 

Sincere came back into work yesterday, he arrived last Monday and took a whirl around the roundpen just to see what we have, and then yesterday I put him back on the lunge. He wintered well, but has zero muscle, however his gaits are really consistent. I think the next few weeks are just going to be spent getting him back up to speed and starting a lunging routine. I want County to look at him to see what kind of tree we're going to have to work with and he's started on a few other things to help with the nerves of moving (raspberry leaves). 

Last week really started our season, I put out the first entry, and started looking seriously at the upcoming schedule. May is looking slammed between weekends, visitors and work. This week we take a day breather and go into a photography session and then leave for VA. Don't even want to think about next week.  

Plus there's been more good news here and there, which I'll announce in due time.

Eyes wide open

It's been busy and not just gee, maybe I'll catch a break busy, but go to 11pm and wake up at 5am really busy.

Sinari is back under saddle from her bites, we spent the majority of the week last week just lunging, and while I really dislike being on the ground so much (my fridge and I are good friends during those periods) but the investment of the time is really paying off under saddle this week.

She's back to being super light in the bridle and collection is easier for her. She's even being a hair too smart about the lateral work and the pir's lately. I'm getting more giggly over the changes which we rolled through for the first time in about a month. She's really going to be fun when she gets the one's down.

I've been way anal about the insect bites, they are bathed every other day and coated in anti-biotic ointment and corona. She's ridden in the half pads under the square pad. It's been great for her skin the hair is growing back quicker and the blotchy patches aren't so blotchy any more.

But the concoction makes for nasty saddle pads.

So my weekend was again spent in front of a washer doing 14-15 pads and two half pads plus the left over winter wash. Not to mention polos.

A serious labor of love. 

It's been busy on the work front as well, with back to back to back scheduling moments with clinics (James is Rolex weekend, Shannon Peters is Derby weekend, breather, then James the third weekend of May then Christoph Hess and then KDA).

Not to mention having to throw together a completely new freestyle for something in July, it's going to be interesting times. So, we have to get cracking. Fitness is going to have to take center stage this month, we're going back to KESMARC for some swim time once the truck is repaired.

I find that low impact, high resistance is really handy for those who are really hard to condition. Plus it's hay season, and being chased by a thresher, while motivation for going faster, is not my cup of tea. 

So goal recap:
-Compression
Much better, but still has fading moments.
-Changes
Getting there, she still argues about the balance point on long lines. 
-Roll through 4-2 and PSG
Negatron, just lazy. 
-Rotation
Her left side pir is competition sized, her right I would like to say you can park a minivan in it at the moment.
-Soft connection
Girl is like butter now, no jacked necks or backs. 

Goals April:
-Roll through 4-2
-Choreography for FS
-Pir's.
-Changes
-Fitness

We've got the funk

Spring funk is here too.Unlike the weather, it's not a welcomed visitor.

Rain rot is one thing (it's up and down her legs and on her belly), but what happened on Friday and have been battling until now, is something different and kinda has me baffled as how Sinari did it considering that the last run in with ants there were visible mounds of them.

Friday rolls in and I go out to the field and Sinari is hanging out. Everything looks fine until I go and scratch her on her back and she about collapses on the ground. Looking at her whithers and back she had broke out in quarter sized lumps that were wrinkling and really hot to the touch. Confused

Fast forward a few days later, and well, things are better, the swelling is gone in some areas or down to almost nothing. Sensitivity is also gone, but now comes the fallout, the dead skin is sloughing off in patch work to red patches of skin.

Needless to say, under saddle work has been canceled, which sucks. So we're lunging to keep up fitness and other things. After the third day of walking circles you get fairly creative with your routine, you start to add poles, or work on collection, she's smart enough to do walk canter transitions and a few other things.  But until I can come up with some sort of solution (possibly involved a few lambskins) on the ground we stay.

Welcome to Oz

In Kentucky, the weather can go from blistering to sub zero in a span of a half hour. Within 15 minutes, we can go from tornadoes, hail, and flash flooding to rainbows, sunshine, partially cloudy and 65. This week alone we were in the high 70's and then dropped to 50's from a torrential storm.

Really, this weather is for the birds.

Because of the tornadoes there wasn't a heck of a lot of riding done and because of the travel (six time zones in a single week, plus clinic this weekend, so no rest for the wicked), there was more rail birding than actual saddle time. Which leaves both of us in a bind for the upcoming schedule of stuff and behind the eight ball for actual training.

This time last year we were in a similar corner, only less fit and on a different level entirely. Now I feel a huge amount of pressure to produce and go farther.

So I feel very much at a loss as to what to do for April's entry to the first show. Part of me wants to push back until late May, giving time to re-address the issues and the other part wants to jump in and just do it, and get through with it.

I feel like we've lost a lot of compression and sit over the last two weeks to the point where the pir's feel sticky. The half steps at the trot feel alright. But overall (and more truthfully) it was one crappy ride after another. It was becoming a serious bummer.

Enter one James Houston.

James comes from the same family tree as Jim Koford. The two have known each other for years and have worked alongside each other pretty extensively. Until this weekend I only knew him by proxy and probably still would if Koford didn't get the nod to go do World Cup. But life has a funny way of pointing you to the right people.

The first day I was still mentally checked out, we worked a lot on me, my position, and just had a 45 minute stretch session with the mare. In my push the collection, I forgot about the entire picture. Despite audience, it was a no pressure session. Just get unlocked and it was exactly what I needed.

Second day we picked up where we left off. It was seriously interesting to get his perspective from the driving world (he formally coached four in hands) and totally got the pony's driving background. Some minor adjustments here and there, and we were back to our old happy selves. Even got to show off a little and not look like total morons.

He's a seriously laid back instructor with a positive attitude and quick eye to make fine adjustments that have huge impacts on the horse. But what I appreciate the most is his honesty to get to the core cause of the problem and not BS the situation or the horse.

Thankfully, he'll be back in April. Until then we have our work cut out for us.

February:
-Compression: there and lost it.
-Half Steps: there but not there.
-Fitness: better, she's now on her spring diet.
-Changes: good, but needs more wait.
-Roll through 4-2, PSG: Negatron.
-Compression, rotation: Better. Should be much more comfortable now that she's had some work done on her.

March:
-Compression
-Changes
-Roll through 4-2 and PSG
-Rotation
-Soft connection

Blackbird

The weather has finally been positively bi-polar. While the temps keep swinging from 30 to 65, at least it's dry enough to go for a few trot sets outside during the nice patches of warm.

We were all so sick of working just in the arena that getting into the fields was a huge relief.

While Sinari has been getting stronger in the collection and in fitness (she's finally getting the coordination for the pir's and the piaffe), her heat cycle has also become stronger and seemingly never ending. I think namely because of the weather and also the fitness level she's obtaining. Normally, she's an easy ride, but when cycling she pulls out the driving pony card and plows.

I don't blame her, cramps suck and she's using herself way more.

It also notes the start of going back to the summer program of Adequan, chiro, and other support system so we can continue on. But this year we might be adding something new to the mix, Reg-u-mate. I've never had her on any seasonal mare products because she hasn't cycled to the point where it became an issue or to where she was uncomfortable. But now, have to consider that too.

It sucks keeping her on the summer rotation, but to keep her comfortable in the work, she needs support. 

 Sincere is also scheduled to start back into the program. Officially bringing him in at the start of May to begin working again.

Between all of this, is scheduling the season out and travel plans. 

James Houston's clinic is almost full. I've had such a positive response for him that only two spots are left. If anyone wants to join, they would do well to speak up sooner than later. Going to try to have him back and the end of April or start of May if things work out well.

Christoph Hess is in May, and hopefully at the end of March, Shannon Peters will be doing something in Wellington. Never mind fall clinics at this point, getting through spring and summer is a priority. Then there are the shows, which I have a rough idea of at this point. I still need to roll through 4-2. 

I also have a few things to do in RI and CA, which is a long story, and I still have to do taxes, but for now, get through this week.

One of these days

 According to my phone it's 20 degrees. But it's really 4. There's snow on the ground and my motivation has dwindled like the temps. What's worse is that Netflix is running movies like Wintervention and Endless Winter across my favorites and suggestions.

Their humor is not appreciated.

So, I've taken to catching up on the reading. 

A recent post over at Eventing Nation kinda made me rethink a bunch of things.

A lot of people have bucket lists (a list of stuff that you want to do or accomplish before you kick the bucket) and at one point I thought they were hokey. Namely because of the people writing them wanted to scale K2, run an ultra marathon or launch themselves out of a perfectly functioning airplane.

All of those, while great, aren't remotely fun. In fact, you can count me out.

Then Annie posted this.

And then it kinda made sense. So I started throwing together a bucket list for my own goals. Among them is to ride as many times to Grand Prix as I physically can, consistency, and some interesting show venues. But more intrinsically, being a good person ranks in there too.

Between the bad weather we have been able to ride.

Rides have been concentrating on the quality of compression and rotation on the pir's. Sinari has been gaining more and more balance and more and more compression in the canter tour work. She's also getting smart about the changes to the point where I have to really be sure I'm counting otherwise she'll throw three's and two's in. The trot tour is still by far the easiest for her at the moment and the lateral work in it has been class.

The cold has also made her forget the half halt.

She's due out to start trot sets soon if the weather clears out. Hopefully we'll be able to roll through 4-2.