Only know you love her when you let her go

Photo: Alexa Snowden

Winter has been dealt a death blow around here with the temps rocking in to the 60's.

My productivity has finally shifted away from my desk to the barn. It was about time, I was running out of paperwork and at home projects. The horses are in regular work again, the schedule is going forward, the season with the entire team is preparing to get underway. I can't believe it's almost March.

My guys are gearing in for an active season. Asanto HPF, Denia HPF, Danzador MSM, Flair, Sinari and a few others in the wings are kicking into active training with shows, clinics and events on the near horizon.

Except for one.

My time with Reba has come to an unexpected close.

Reba is fine, physically doing great, and after a clinic looks like she's ready to come back into form. However, a situation occurred where, through social media, I found out some things that I wasn't aware of or included on. It changed the nature of my relationship with the team and opened up a conversation that was due. Through a lot of discussion and thought process, the lease has been handed over in it's entirety to Anna Kate and her mother.

It seems only fair for the little mare who has found her place not in 20x60 meter box but running meters per minute to have a rider that is just as enthusiastic and good with her. Going from pasture puff to fit to winning in about two years was an endeavor, one that I was apart of and was exciting to watch.

I think in another time and place she would have made a really good dressage horse, but her calling is jumping and with limited time and with the end result of creating a broodmare, you pick and choose your battles.

For the most part, I'm actually pleased at the way things have turned out. Were they perfect on my end? No. But that's the risk you take when you take on an unknown. In this case, it gave another rider a chance and Reba a career path, and I'm all for that.  I'm happy to see her onto her next phase and with a decent team.

Good luck to both of them and go Team Fancy Pants.

All you need is love

I and my horses for the better part of a week have been grounded and I've been spending more time at

my desk or at the gym working through the winter woes.

If there's an upside of this winter, it's that my shirked paperwork is getting done and I'm setting down a firmer calendar and there's a myriad of holidays that involve chocolate.

For the first time in three years, I'm at home with my other. Valentines day isn't so much a big holiday with us and normally he makes the visit to wherever I'm staying, but it is something we try sit down, have a nice meal and watch a few movies. My other isn't horsey, but for all the stuff that I do and the time I spend, he's my biggest of fans and supporter in this sport. I know I'm incredibly lucky to have him in my life.

My other, however, isn't the first love of my life. Sinari is.

Sinari is one of those ponies that has always been there. She's really the foundation of everything that goes on in my life, she's the first to ride, and the first to really get the credit for where I'm at today. She's been my blackboard of mistakes, trial runs, first attempts and my go to when my confidence has taken a thorough pounding. While there will be many horses, there will always be her.

I know while I can never replace her I know I have to eventually choose another for the long haul. Danzador is great, crazy talented, but I also know that he's always on the market. As are many of the horses that are coming to me. I don't know if the relationship will last one month or nine. It's the way of things.

Leave it to Valentine's Day to really intercede.

A while back, I alluded to Flemmiro SSM a 2010 Canadian-bred KWPN filly by Flemming out of a Ferro mare. Flair, is that heir apparent. She's really good quality, and has the brains and ability for the upper levels. She was already to commit to come in for long term training, but with the breeder looking at the finances and the next horses down the pike (which are spectacular), we ended up striking a deal that would leave ownership to me and provide retirement to Flair when the time comes.

Seriously better than chocolate.

Edited:
Video as a two year old here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hv7Mj6kC93g

No sleep till Brooklyn

We came back last Friday evening/Saturday morning to the frozen tundra that is Kentucky (12 am is an odd hour). I woke up to a complete white out nine hours later and an unplowed/salted road in front of my house. This weekend, it's gone from 60 and sunny to 40 and raining with another front rolling through with ice and misery following behind it.

I picked a ripe time to stay north.

I managed to start working horses not soon after the roads were cleared day after day, but even as I managed even stretch sessions or lunging or finding entertaining ways to keep everyone sane and fit in the indoor as temperatures plummet below sane working conditions.

Despite proverbial down time, I've made use of the time itself. I managed to design Team EnGaged Dressage's new website, in addition to giving the blog a spiffy revamp to make it look more streamlined and a little less emo-looking. The clinic site is next just to kinda regain some presence there as well and both will be moved over to actual domains. I'm e

The horses are still doing well also in light of the horrid on-again-off again schedule. The work, has mostly been focused on the basics.

With Denia HPF and Asanto HPF, fitness and relaxation have been the two biggest areas that have been focused on. From those two areas they're building a lot of strength, their paces are also getting more expressive as well. Denia's are becoming competitive, and she has one of the best walks I've seen on a PRE.

The fitness stuff doesn't end in the arena, it also helps that they're turned out on hills and walking them every day while they graze.

They're doing really well here and I'm excited to see both of them develop into their potential as spring comes on. They are wonderfully temperamented horses who are happy to work and enjoy their day to day routine. Whoever buys them will be very lucky, and very competitive wherever they take them.

Sinari is clipping along at a steady pace doing stretch work and focusing on cleaning up the basics. It's boring, tedious work, but it needs to be done to address strength and build back into things for spring. She's happily marching along in her program

Danzador is for all accounts the star of the group. He's rising five this year, and has already shot up another inch in the shoulder. He's now pushing a solid 16.2 and a quarter, but physically still looking a little gawky, but the time back on the lunge and the intermittent schedule has refreshed him. Yes, there's moments of the errant ADD young horse getting back into work, but for the most part he's mentally accepting everything. Lately, the emphasis has been developing medium and collected paces. His half halt, even at this stage of the game is a lot more refined than Sinari's and if the last series of tape that I saw with him, he's going to be really fun in the next two years.

PRE's and collection are naturally married together. It's easy for them and they can produce it without hesitation, but there's trade offs. It's the extension part that takes more strength for him. He's getting it with more fitness and more support from being shod and working on the lunge to develop the knowledge. Danzador gets it four to five strides at a time before loosing it and finding it again. Typical baby things.

Also despite weather and early year status, I've also begun looking at barns to be at next year in/around in Wellington. Needless to say, we've learned our lessons. The thought is, to co-op a group of professionals to drive down the cost, while sharing the benefits. If people are interested get in touch! Should promise to be an adventure either way.

But in the meantime, I do have my sights set roasting a certain rodent.

It's a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll

I escaped the second snowfall of the year by a narrow margin (12 hours by many counts) and while

my horses are freezing, I'm in the sunny equestrian-themed island of Wellington, Fl.

My trek this year with ponies was changed because I really felt that the time, money and effort spent should be concentrated towards other things. It's been rewarding, Hidden Pond Farm sent horses down for training, and there are other on their way that would have not been on the boat to Florida. But it's been a lesson of how to tolerate the cold and getting creative with schooling sessions.

Before I left, everyone schooled great. Danzador is on a lighter schedule, taking time to just work stretching and mediums. Sinari is also hammering in the I1 really well, the zig-zag canter work is becoming easier. The trot work is solid. Asanto HPF and Denia HPF are getting their sea legs back, they started doing light lunge work and if the weather is better when I get back, they should have their first grooming overhaul session.

Both of them are very sweet, talented horses who should do very well in the Amateur arenas.

Already the trip has been wonderful, if not busy. The first couple days I spent in Wellington were full of catching up with old friends and some new faces. I was attending the Young Rider Graduate Program, and already the time spent with people in similar and the same situations is really refreshing to know no man is an island.

The resources developed here have a far reaching impact. Not only is there face time with a lot of industry professionals, but there's legal help, there's networking for a future generation, there's brand revitalization and my phone will not stop buzzing with people who are realizing, spring is only a short 60 days away and there's things to do!

The second day proved just as fruitful as several judges, riders, trainers and industry professionals helped us lay out solid plans for the upcoming year and future quarters. I have a concept of how to go forward, and I'm working with people to help guide the process and make it a little less intimidating.

It's refreshing to know that there are also several people who haven't had the Young Rider accolades, who are doing things in a non-traditional path and there's even someone who is also making the transitions from a traditional amateur to the open.

The take-away message is you create your own success through stepping out of your comfort zone and finding/taking opportunities that are presented, no matter how small or large. Yes, it will cost you (money, time, sweat, lost clients), but you have to do what you feel is right for you, no one else will.

Outside the conference, the quality has been nothing short of inspiring.

I visited barns and caught up with old clients and really started to make a plan for the horses for 2014 and 2015. I had specific things I needed to do in a very short time span to make this year and next year viable and also to help my clients gain exposure for their horses.

2014 will be concentrated on the spring seasons and sales. The business needs to focus on the cash flow, education, maintaining the calendar and creating good results.

By 2015 we will hopefully be doing a full season in Florida. For the last three years now, it's become a very large part of what I do and I don't see it ever going away. It's where I feel I'll be able to further myself the most and in an area that's productive

In the interim, I miss my horses. It's tough being down here and having everyone around you ride, and you not be able to at least experiment with ideas and concepts. But this will change as I go back into the Polar North that has become Kentucky.

Come a little closer

We're hitting the arena pretty hard for not going down to Florida. All horses are pretty much going full steam when the weather isn't -20 degrees. It's making for an interesting schedule, it's pretty much work all the time unless the weather interferes.

Was extremely sketchy this week, it went down below zero for more than two days, and it was difficult to find an excuse to go outside let alone take their blankets off to work. My pathways were iced over and hard to navigate without myself loosing footing. All of mine stayed inside. Needless to say we had a few exuberant rides after that.

I'm continuing to bring Sinari back into shape, this week as really difficult for her in that I was picking movements apart and making them into gymnastic work. The lateral work seems to be a little tricky at the moment wanting to lean, or go straight or just run through the half halts. My current favorite exercise (much to her distain) is the walk-canter transitions in the half pass. It really forces her to remain through and accepting in the work. It's going to take awhile to get the point across, especially after the hard summer where her back went out from a bad heat cycle.

Danzador's fitness is already particularly good. It's more or less about keeping him building in the right direction which can be tough. He still goes through growth spurts and can be a bit coltish sometimes.

A lot of what he's doing right now is also half halt related but really interplays with balance. At nearly five years old, he's developing his mediums, each day it gets a little better and a little stronger. I've also been playing with a lot of lateral work as well. His half steps are becoming more piaffey.

The downtime was productive, I had enough things in the office to do (website, Facebook page, marketing options, contract development) that normally are left last to do in better weather.

In addition to this was a lot of planning for move in time for several horses in addition to horse shopping for a client.

There will also be two new PRE's in the barn, Hidden Pond Farm in Ohio is shipping in three for training, two are for sale immediately.

The ones on the market are the two rising six-year-olds by Barbian, Asanto HPF, Denia HPF. They are wonderful examples of the breed and will be very competitive in the arenas. They would make any Amateur happy going down the centerline at the regional level. I do feel that Asanto would make a good competitive

Luciado HPF (Fetichin), is Danzador Jr. He's a dead on replica of Danzador (down to the sock), but has more body that Fetichin imparted and being left entire a little longer. Rising four, he's definitely my candidate for next year's FEI Five year old test. This year, it would be great to do material and get his feet wet at training level.

I'm thrilled at the opportunity that Pam Nelson (as I am with the others who have stepped up) has given me, they're wonderfully bred horses and from a consistent, good program which makes my job that much easier. I can't tell you how many times I've handled hair wild horses from a breeder that need work but are already four years old and haven't been touched in a year.

I can't wait to see how these horses develop for the season and get their resume started.

There was snow, white snow

The first week of the new year and things seem to be looking up, minus the temperatures, which are unfortunately approaching unwanted single digits and negative wind chills. I'm preparing to loose two days of training while everyone hunkers down and tries to stay warm.

In something out of Rip VanWinkle, I got to the barn on New Years Day and all my just-cleaned saddles and bridles (everything gets wiped off post ride) were covered in what looked like a year-long buildup of dust and dirt. It almost looked like I stumbled back in my tack room after a year's hiatus.

I was a little miffed about it, but privately, I took it as a sign that whatever happened in 2013 is long done and over; and that this is a new year and a brave new world.

The new year also feels like someone flipped a switch on my horses. They've all been working exceptionally well.

Sinari has been riding great, she's seems to have blown past a bunch of issues, and now it's just refocusing in on the basics. We've been working transitions in, out and between gaits. I wish the weather was more cooperative for fitness, but after the freezing cold is slop. I can't knowingly run horses in the mud and risk a tendon.

The other fun variation I've been playing with is riding the different movements within those transitions. It's definitely challenging especially as you try to press the balance, connection and keep the half halts in order. Her piaffe/passage work is becoming stronger which gives some exciting moments (I wish I had more ground help to operate a whip, my timing is off) and I wish I the tempi's would come back in order, which I'm sure they will when things truly get going again.

We finished out the week with just stretching and loosening, which with the impending weather is good set up for keeping mobile despite the likelihood of being stall bound.

Danzador is quickly stealing the show. He's turned in stellar work for being very young. The focus is creating, keeping and driving the balance up in the paces and through the movements. Even though he's gaining strength I definitely see him as a good candidate for the upper level work. He's smart, talented, willing and is developing really expressive gaits. I seriously cannot wait for him to start working changes, I think they're going to be fun for him.

In the last few weeks he's been schooling baby half pass, solid shoulder in/ haunches in, walk-canter-walk transitions, 10 meter circles, medium to collected, walk pirouettes and some half steps. It's hard work for a young horse, mentally and physically. Mentally, he can take the pressure with very little issue and it's important in this stage to introduce the expectations of the pressure and work in a fair way.

Because he's so willing and ready to do the work, it's mostly play with the emphasis on developing the strength and carrying power. His old evasions, going behind the vertical, locking his ribs and running sometimes still come into play especially when he's tired.

Interlaced with the riding is lunging days, just days where he can purely stretch. It's been a huge help developing his hind end and creating expression through cavaletti and a few other techniques.

Overall, I'm happy, but it's only week one, 51 more to go.

Hope is a four lettered word

2013 is over. I can't say I'm unhappy to see it go, it was a tough year for a lot of reasons, but it also

showed that we've come a long way.

The holiday time for me has always been about downtime, the horses aren't pushed, I can pretty much have a glass of wine and take time to say thanks and plan the new year.

There's a lot to be thankful for- I'm thankful for supportive owners and clients who've been very supportive and supplying the equine talent and funding to start achieving goals. I'm thankful for my team: Dr. Laurie Metcalf, Jake Burdine, Dr. Lark Carol, Dr. Kimberly Tummlin, Doug Leavitt and a host of others who keep us all running on track.

I'm incredibly thankful to my owners who have stepped up to the status change to keep me mounted on quality up and coming horses: Noble Spirit Farm, Sunshine Meadows, Rosanna and Carey Gage; Wendy and Kelly Spencer and a few more who are coming up . Without them I think honestly I would still be bopping around not really doing much. They make me better, not just as a person, but as a horseman.

A big thank you goes to Alfredo, JJ and a number of others, who got me out of a slump. I really look forward to continuing the relationship and growing the team with some really passionate individuals who are in my corner and want to be apart of everything.

My goals on paper for 2013 weren't overly ambitious, but they involved hard work. I took the year to be a building year, I did a grand total of two shows this year, both I wish I would have forgotten, but for the most part they were apart of the learning curve that is being an under-30 rider.

2013:
1. Finish Silver, start the Gold.
I completed my Silver, in 2012 I had a mis-scored test that I didn't catch until after I left the show grounds. There wasn't a way to correct it so, I had to wait until 2013 to finish out my one fourth level test (seriously fourth level) and get my medal in January. I didn't start my Gold at all, I took a year off with Sinari to let her down after three hard years of campaigning and training. We went out all of twice (January and September) with so-so results. I look forward to getting back on the campaign trail again.

We will go out with some more frequency in 2014- but will be picky about shows for her. We are on our last two years of showing, and at 15, it's hard find an excuse to keep her campaigning continuously without being unfair. The focus also shifted to the younger horses, developing them to find the next heir apparent. Which is hard, because a horse that steps into those shoes is going to have a lot of expectations.

2. Be training I2/GP
We can roll through about 65-70 percent of the sequences of the GP at this point. It's no where near show ready. Still need to put on one's, a firmer p&p sequence, and clean up a bunch of other things.

3. Find investment horses.
Did this and a little more. Initially, Reba's Song was an investment back up horse. However, she showed her preference to jump and with Anna Kate did exceptionally well for her first year showing (I think winning a major national title is cause for celebration). The Spencers purchased Danzador MSM and put me onboard as rider/partner. Flemmiro SSM is also her breeder's investment for the long haul as well. There are also a few more coming in as client sales horses and potentially a few big horses as well.

4. Devote two weeks of intense training per quarter
With the notable absence of an integral team member by May, I had to scramble hard to find a solid pair of eyes on the ground that took us at least somewhat seriously. We were left floating really until July, until things changed and I found people who not only clicked with me but really made a huge change in what I do. I've now added one more set of eyes and started utilizing technology to keep up with things.

5. Continue to grow the business and remain fiscally solvent.
The business grew and had some ups and downs. There was a lot of change in dynamics and how things developed. I'm now the tour manager for Christoph, I'm developing clinic locations and the clientele has expanded. I got to work with William Fox Pitt and I look forward to expanding my network with eventers and getting to know them a bit better.

2014:
1. Start Gold. Be schooling the majority of GP.
2. Have national rankings on each horse. End up in the year end awards for All Breeds and at minimum be qualified for regionals.
3. Increase fitness (human and horse).
4. Expand clients, horses in training, and investments that are capable, at minimum of shining on the national stage, also continue to remain fiscally solvent.