School's out for the summer

So the winter blah's have already set in due to an early visit from Sandy. Everyone is going into their downgraded schedules, and sporting heavy winter blankets.

After trying, and unsuccessfully attempting to find a local person to back and break Sincere for 60 to 90 days, I'm resorting to shipping out of state. I like starting horses close to home, I can keep an eye on things and usually expenses can be managed a bit better. But this time, it's different since the person who was initially supposed to take him for backing and breaking, backed out last minute for a trip to Texas leaving me scrambling at the start of baby breaking season trying to find a place.

This was like getting your kid into Montessori. All the obvious choices were taken, even my second picks were too busy with their young green ones and had a wait list till spring. The last thing I want to do is put a three year old behind the eight ball.

Thankfully an opening cropped up and Sincere is being shipped North for the winter (now that sounds backwards) to do 60 days and then will potentially go south to be campaigned and sold.

With his course solidly set at least for two months, it really gives me a chance to start pushing the mares. 

The mares are working great these days. We've taken a step back from the regularly scheduled things to work from the ground.

I really enjoy times like these where all I really have to do is concentrate on the basics, and clean up some other issues that have been shelved from the season. It also serves as little more breathing room try new things, like piaffe and passage work. Which, has been our focus now for the last two weeks. We live in p and p land on the ground. 

God bless those who love working in hand, because those who can make it look easy, do so; and mortals like myself who are armed with a stick and a few basic concepts (tap on the butt = super articulated pretty trot= cookie) tend to look like hell for the first few efforts while being dragged around. 

For Sinari, this is a way to up her normally low score (6.5, 6) in her mediums (go like hell) and extensions (go for broke) through using passage to create more bounce and expression. She really has a lovely tendency for piaffe and finds passage a little more difficult.  What's making her a little stuck in the work is the want to be bargy, in addition to being a little whip shy from her younger years. She's in development. 

For Reba, this is like doing crunches. It's more of a development exercise to put on topline, help bridge some upcoming concepts and transition into really learning to carry herself, refine the half halt and to also create that much more expression. She doesn't last long, but she again puts in a lot of effort into the work. Her canter is coming along too and she's becoming a little bolder every day.

New kid on the block

If there was ever a higher force that has a sense of humor, I have a feeling that force and I have a long standing game of gotcha for a number of years.

When I was initially horse shopping eons ago, I wasn't looking for chestnut, mare, or anything remotely near that. I was looking for branded, black and stupid. Several years later, I still have a blonde chestnut, a blinged-out chestnut, and now, another chrome-ladened chestnut mare. I have the flashiest bunch on the farm hands down.

Reba stumbled into my barn purely by accident, I was looking around for another project, potentially another investment, and Maryanna Haymond, a friend and prolific breeder turned me over to Arielle Perry who was looking for a situation for her mare Reba's Song for four years during school.

Lots of Facebook messages, contracts, shipping arrangements and plans later. The well-bred Hanoverian mare arrived at 3am in Lexington.

A little less than three months later, she's coming along quickly. 

Reba is a southern diva and a half. Where Sinari is Tina Turner, Reba is the steel magnolia version of Aretha Franklin and Scarlett O'Hare. She's got a warm personality, and a work ethic to die for (makes the pony look lazy).  She also came with an in hand and materiale resume that is fairly extensive. Wins at Devon, Grand Champions at competitive shows like Raleigh, the girl isn't a stranger to the arena. 

Right now, we're just refocusing on fitness, she hasn't seen too much action in the last year and we're going to spend the winter developing her to second level, and then set out to compete. In between we'll go to the little winter schooling series.

This is a bit of a daunting challenge, because even though she gets everything mentally quick, the body is still catching up from the work. What's compounding the situation is that the weather has taken a turn and hacking opportunities have become limited  at best. Bare feet and slippery surfaces don't mix. So, It means that we'll be taking a few trips to KESMARC to do more fitness work in the near future.

But for now, she's coming up and fits right in.

I’ll carry you home tonight

It's the end of a long, winding show season.

While I enjoy showing, and competing, I'm not too unhappy to bid adieu to 2012. It was a growth year, and the spurts, while necessary, were painful at times.

But things were surprising at this last show, the pony really put solid efforts in despite my pilot errors (errr.... left from right) and a number of people came out and made lovely comments on the work and the development since July.

I was really mentally prepared for this to be the last show, in fact in my head I pretty much ended the season three weeks ago after National Dressage Pony Cup and was in vacation land at Devon. I nearly forgot my show bag, I lost (and found) my credit cards, girth, drivers license and keys a few times, I didn't have everything in order, and I still had a stack of laundry in the car a mile high from September.

But we went on, not really knowing what to expect, and in the end I didn't get what I wanted, but got exactly what I needed. 

Around July, I thought I made a really good decision for the pony. Knock her down to the Jr's and let her ride out the rest of her competitive life in second level balance. I think Sinari caught wind of this and decided to pull a trump card, she really started to blossom in the work. 

When I sat down and started to chat about the lease situation for her, the attitude of everyone had changed as a whole. Apparently there was enough chatter in the air and the pony looked the part of an, albeit green, FEI horse to be considered truly as a contender for the I1 and potentially the I2. All parties at that point agreed that another year in the levels would only be beneficial to both of us and we tabled the discussion for the lease until that time. 

But the peanut gallery also had some nice things to mention about the training and development as well, which after so many years of just poking along it was a huge clap on the back and gold star for the work done over the years.

So, we've been invited to come and train in a few places. We're already looking at 2013 schedules and how to fit things in. Just thinking about 2013 makes me happier, but we really need the mental break. The ante has definitely been upped and the expectations have now been laid.

Because it's fall and we're at the end, I'm now catching up on all the professional appointments that I've neglected in the past few months.  Like dentists, saddle fitting and fall shots.

Saddle fitting was the start of the list (followed by fall shots for all). Sinari's is in production so, no news on that front, but new girl, Reba, has been turned in to an accidental saddle princess.

Normally the new horses aren't so picky right away- they usually ease their way into things. Not Reba. From the moment she stepped off the trailer she commands everyone's attention. If Sinari is Tina Turner, this is Aretha Franklin meets Steel Magnolias. 

We tried three or four Counties on her the other evening. Already a half size bigger than the pony, the new girl really expressed her opinion about ill fitting tack, namely sucking back, going inverted, and trying to do the dump n' run.

Not typical for this really sweet girl who's been working her tail off.

Finally, we resorted to the old stand-by: County Competitor. And low, in the proper tree width and seat size, anything is possible. 

This is the third horse I've ridden that saddle in, and it seems to suit a greener, unfit horse, while giving me the stability I really need for the in case of moments. But it will be hilarious if we end up again in a Perfection about two years down the pike.

I'm just happy to be home to concentrate on the next  few months and develop the herd.

Dance till you're dead

Within the past few weeks, my pre-dawn game face begins with blaring red alarm clock numbers reading 5:00am and ends with the same ugly numbers saying 10:30.

Welcome to fall.

I love and loathe this part of the season for a lot of different things.

It's the best weather to train and compete in. The horses are getting their second winds and they feel fantastic. It's the time that young horses start their careers, and the older campaigners get to go out and hack about.  It's also championship season time, where all the work you've put in shows off, hopefully, at the right time.

It also marks the end of the long march of inspections, travel, shows, the pressure and the regular grind. It means that I don't have to keep the trailer stocked and hooked up. I can go out with friends that I haven't seen since March, go see family or take a non-horse-related trip and maybe, just maybe spend a few weeks at my house crashed on the couch.

It also means waking up and going home in the dark, hairy bra's for clipping said horses, extra shavings, blanket changing, heated water buckets, mash, fall shots, dental work, pulling shoes and apples from the local cider mill.


This fall denotes the end of a long, interesting season and the start of something entirely too different.

My horses, like everyone else, are benefiting from the change in season. Sinari has sprouted a coat, which makes work shorter until we get the clippers out.  Her workouts are more playful, but will gear in this week for another run at FEI in two weeks. Sincere is getting his act together and really start to come along, he still has a baby neck, but all the mechanics are there especially when he relaxes. He'll be shipped out in November to start his East Coast career.  I've started a little bit of in hand work with him to get the idea of lateral work in and also start creating some flexibility. Reba is also really starting to develop her canter. Her trot and walk are really nice, but the canter is still weaker so transition work on the ground and under saddle has really started to help her organize herself.

Also I got to travel a bit to Devon where I caught up with old faces and new ones. Devon is magic, and for those who haven't been the show (which is typically started with rain and goes into monsoon) the fall CDI is a staple and attracts a number of great rides. It's the only place in the US where you'll see babies straight to international Grand Prix in about three square miles of actual ground. It's also insanity.

This year I didn't bring a horse, but I was somewhere between press, at large groom and spectator. I enjoyed it but without a horse, I felt a little out of place. The shopping made up for that fact. It's something that I'm slowly feeling that showing there is something obtainable, and with the quality that is now coming out, it's on the goal list.

I get my back into my living

I had a pretty epic conversation with a girlfriend of mine last Monday about winners going back to mucking stalls and running around like total loons.

The past couple of days have been non stop packing, unpacking, laundry, truck servicing, clinic organizing, need-to-pick-up stuff, post reviews on a saddle or two, shuffling and doing the full time work gig. Seriously 5am comes quick around these parts and my day doesn't really end until 10pm. I'm also on a first name basis with my barista. We can officially say hello to fall season.

It's finally nice to see the end of the line in a year of ups, downs, and inside outs. It will be nice to rest, and not have to worry about schedules for a little bit and be able to sit still.

Even though the pony has had off for a couple of days, it doesn't mean that the other ponies have off. Reba and Sincere continued with work until Sunday (normal day off). Local shows have their perks, as in, the regular working population continues on with their daily routines including chores. Makes for early starts and late evenings.
 
Reba has been alternating between lunging and under saddle work since arriving, while she's really giving all of herself in work, I'm bringing her back slowly to make sure she understands and conditioning is there. She's an incredible work-a-holic and whip smart to boot. It's been a bit of an adjustment from Sinari, who moves differently and I can push harder. There will be plenty of time to ramp into the deep part of training, right now the work is purely focused on getting her fully back into shape, figuring out our language and honing the basics. I might consider taking her out in public in November if everything is going according to plan.

Sincere however is ready to begin with his under saddle career again. It's been decided that a good friend and midget (seriously smaller than me) will take over the ride in November and get him to the East coast. Plus it gives her an extra ride.

Before shipping out to destinations known, I would like him to do at least 30 days of general backing and breaking. One problem-  the girl who I asked to start him backed out at the last minute, putting a kink in the schedule and a minor annoyance in my way. So I'm on the hunt for someone to back him out and get him through the young horse antics.

He's also enjoying his time in the chute. Really draws toward the fence and is very catty. I've never seen a pony have more fun.

Sinari came back the other day after an easy week of hacking out at a walk. She's still in show mode when I pick her up. Looking at the tests, there are several points that I want to work on before October. One of them is mediums and extensions, the other is half pass. But we can clean those up. 


There's some other things also out on the horizon as the regular season draws to a close, but more on this later. 

Don't stop till you get enough

No one said the climb to FEI would be easy. But finally, we made it.

To add to the celebration, we earned our first national title against a seasoned company, we're three quarters to our silver, and we did it flying solo that weekend (no coaches to help, but a really dedicated ground crew that dealt with an absent mind). But most importantly, we were surrounded and sent on by the people that matter the most. It was truly special.

On the surface, it's all champagne, sugar cubes, celebration and shadbellies. A few days after I'm still getting phone calls of congrats, and the pony is eating her way through a ten pound bag of apples. It's interesting to be in this spot.

This occasion marks Sinari's entrance to a special family. Sinari is one of a dozen ponies that has shown FEI. She is the fourth or fifth cob in the United States to go FEI. Even rarer, Sinari is the second cob mare, to go to this level, and now is the only one in the US doing so.

To be apart of her life and to achieve this has been really amazing. 

The show itself ran smoothly with exception of weather. Friday we went for our formal jog for our card in 90 degrees.  We were deluged on Saturday which turned the footing into slop. Management did its best to mitigate the issue, but because it's sand even if you drag it, it just takes one trip down the centerline to return to slop stage. But Sunday's weather was pitch perfect fall.

We had a lot of mistakes that first test, she threw fours, threes, twos and even one's in the lines (figuring extra credit here) and was very conservative in the mediums and extensions. But overall very obedient. The second day the weather chilled out and footing drained off enough in both the warmup and in the arena to give more purchase. She warmed up fantastically and pulled through to a Reserve National Champion FEI pony. Not bad for a first time out.

It gives a lot of confidence now to do my entries for BLMs and finish the year out at this level and clinch the rest of the Silver. By November, we'll pull shoes and stay in the fields for a bit.

For every step forward, there were times, if not spaces, of stagnate work. Work that was tedious, work that is about building up and breaking down of new and old habits. Focused work that brought out the very worst, and the very best.

If most of us could think their way into those levels (in fact, I know of a few who'd ride a good portion in their head), the majority would be there already. It is hard work and not for the timid. There's the continuous questioning, evaluating and second guessing. Are we really good enough? Are we really committing to do this? Are we fit enough? And finally: do we belong here?

That work is distilled into a product of a sound horse that is eager to work, and beautiful to look at and the worry, self doubt and questioning goes into one answer:

Yes, we do belong here.

For all the success this weekend, we couldn't have done it for a lot of people behind us. What no one ever tells anyone about going FEI is the sheer amount of heavy support work that goes on. Physically and emotionally.

A horse traveling through the levels isn't shepherded into it by a just a rider. It takes a small village of loyal, beyond dedicated people to bring one pair to this point and we'll be staying there because of them.

First there's the people at home. My significant other is incredibly supportive of my habits. He and my family (both blood related and those who I wish that were) have pulled for me longer than anyone and will be there long after. It's scary how more dedicated they've become over the years, to the point where they drive five or six hours to just watch, speak to me honestly during a tough situation, or keep an eye out for upcoming horses that would benefit the team.  

After the people at home come your team of professionals. Vet, coaches, farrier, chiropractor, saddle fitter, nutritionist, the breeder that bred the horse and the mechanic that keeps your car on the road. All of which play more than vital roles keeping everyone going in the right direction and encouragement.

Finally, in some odd way there's the readership of this blog. Who's watched patiently over the years from a barely working first level combination straight to this point.

Without them we wouldn't be here or remotely close. 

Thank you for joining us, and thank you, on occasion for the words of encouragement. The best is yet to come.

Photos and video will be posted, still getting everything in:)

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.