Getting Good...

I recently purchased Denny Emerson's book How Good Riders Get Good and it finally arrived today. After only a couple of hours of forced multi-tasking, I am already through chapter three and my mind is spinning. Denny is constantly mentioning choices and how they impact one's future and opportunites; I can't help but to reflect on mine.

I have been fighting for what I want to do with my life for as long as I can remember. I have been told by several people that my dreams of becoming a trainer, instructor, and breeder are nothing but pipe dreams. That it will never happen. That one can't make a living doing that. I have never had the several-thousand-dollar horses. Everything that I have ever rode I have trained myself. I have never had the financial means to compete extensively. My show schedules are fairly carefully planned out and oftentimes I just have to roll with the punches. On top of those things, I have hit many other bumps and snags along the road. Luckily with some hard work and determination I have been able to make childs play out of those.

I am slowly chiseling away at the other major issues on the list. I have a group of wonderful people standing behind me currently and I am so thankful for that. I have a great opportunity to begin pursuing my dreams at the Frederiksborg Horse Farm by training dressage horses and learning the ropes of the breeding side of things. I have a fantastic coming six year old that I am so proud of and am looking at breeding my mare this spring for an event horse prospect.

All in all, things are looking bright and falling into place nicely. I cannot wait to see what 2012 holds for me and how it influences my future. I am also looking forward to finishing Denny's book soon and hope that it continues to impact my life and my riding career.

"Don't let the highs get too high and the lows get too low, or you will never make it." -Karen O'Connor

The Light At the End of the Tunnel...

My new Berney Bros International has finally arrived and it is gorgeous! I have actually had the saddle for about a week or two now but just got to ride in it yesterday. We had a rather large problem of the girth not fitting. Needless to say, I had to buy a new one and impatiently wait for it to arrive. Despite the bitter winter weather yesterday, I was determined to ride in my new saddle. I absolutely loved it and Stretch was so happy to be ridden again. Sometimes you have to admire his work ethic. Now that the trailer and both saddles are purchased, I am well on my way to getting back into the swing of things!

I have already began to mark down shows of interest on my new Smartpak calendar to try to decide where I want to go show. Greenwood, Holly Hill, Feather Creek, and Mill Creek are all possibilities for the Spring. If time and money permits, and depending on how the spring shows go, I would like to attend something a bit bigger during the summer. Chatt Hills and Champagne Run are possibilities there. I am still waiting on the schooling show list to come out, as I would really like to knock off the dust at something more local and cheap. I am so excited and ready! I don't think spring can get here fast enough! Fingers crossed that all goes according to plan!

Merry Christmas y'all!

Expenses, Expenses...

Well, two farrier visits, one vet visit, one set of x-rays, and one set of shoes later, Stretch is sound and we still don't know why! Okay, let me back-track and begin by saying that horses make my head hurt. I love them to death but they always seem to have a mystery problem of some epic proportion, but can somehow make it vanish whenever they please! As all of my consistent readers know (if I even have consistent readers *shrugs*), Stretch has been having good and bad days since we pulled his shoes about two months ago. Some days he is three-legged lame and others he is perfectly fine. Upon the recommendation of my farrier after an extremely bad day, we had the vet out to take x-rays to try to figure out A) the lameness and B) why his feet were growing so strange. $180 dollars later, we still don't know! The vet said that his legs looked great and that he passed with flying colors! Although that was such a relief to hear, the unknown is still frustrating. After a consultation with both the vet and farrier, we decided to put an altered natural balance shoe on him to increase breakover. Once the farrier started trimming his feet to prep for the shoes we found quite a bit of bruising, especially in his right foot, which could have been a significant contributor to the lameness. So far so good. Stretch is currently sound and happy. Fingers crossed that this trend continues because a sound horse makes for a happy owner!

I have also been consulting with Tom Berney at Berney Bros. Saddlery in Kilcullen. He is willing to make me a semi-custom two-toned black and brown international saddle for no extra charge! He has been so helpful in helping me decide what type and size saddle I need, for myself and my horse, and in getting wither tracings and getting it to the states! Fingers crossed!!

Plans are in the works for taking Stretch to the farm in the spring which excites me beyond belief! I have also started looking at the omnibus for next year and have a goal of hitting at least one spring recognized show, hopefully two. Life at the Frederiksborg Horse Farm is also going well. We have a new website up, Grete is sold, and there is some interest in Gorm. All in all, life is good! If I dont write again until the new year, happy holidays and don't forget to be thankful for the things that matter most: family, friends, and ponies!

Saddles and Sales

First of all, I FINALLY got a dressage saddle, and it was no easy task! I tried contacting roughly 5 tack stores all across the U.S. to find dressage saddles with no such luck. They either never returned my emails, couldn't find the saddle I was asking about, or just flat didn't know. To top off fighting tack stores, I was also fighting my horse. Stretch is extremely hard to fit because of his high, narrow Thoroughbred withers that go down into a wide, sloping shoulder and a flat back. After doing some research, I realized that the medium gullet saddle that I was using previously was pinching his shoulders. I ended up going with a Duett Largo dressage saddle that I found on consignment at the Southern Hills Tack Shop in Jenks, OK. I was concerned about how it would fit because it is stamped a 36. Fortunately, it fits his shoulders nicely and a wither riser pad will easily fix the rest. Not only did it fit him, but I love it as well! It is virtually impossible to get into a bad position and the wide twist from the wide tree fits my hips much better. Cue sigh of relief! I must say, if anyone reading this gets a chance to stop by the tack shop, please do so. They are helpful and have a huge inventory of quality products!

Now how about a Stretch update? His weight has improved drastically since bringing him back home, as well as his happiness. He is back to his constantly playful self and just looks healthy again. Nothing could make me happier. Previously I mentioned that I was having his shoes pulled for the winter and that seems to be creating just as many problems as having shoes on. Stone bruises and thrush oh my! It seems like I can't win with him sometimes. The farrier is supposed to be out Friday and we will re-evaluate the situation and go from there. At least his feet LOOK good now! Im trying to find the positive here, Okay?!

As for work, things could not be better. The babies are coming along great and there has been an immense amount of interest in the older sale horses. A updated Frederiksborg Horse Farm website is also in the works with a goal of being launched by the end of the week. Fingers crossed! Pictured below is FHF Kristiana. She is a 4yo Frederiksborg mare that is currently offered for sale. Doing W/T/C under saddle, goes over cavalettis, and is learning leg yield. She is a wonderful dressage prospect with good self carriage and three smooth gaits.

The Ups and Downs...

I would like to start this post by asking everyone to keep Liselotte in their prayers. Hans found her in the pasture Sunday with a severe puncture wound in her left hind leg. She is currently not bearing any weight on it and is on alot of medication to help fight infection. To top all of this off, she injured herself shortly after someone called to inquire about her and wanted to come try her out. We are all pretty upset about it and are hoping that she will pull through to at least be a broodmare. Sound for jumping would be a small miracle from what Rebecca told me. As horrible as this situation is, it pretty much sums up life with horses.

On a brighter note, I have began to work with Meka and she is coming along extremely well! I could not be more happy with her progress. She went from being very timid and not even letting a human get close enough to touch her to being caught fairly easily and letting me start to lay over her back. All of that in a little over a week! Meka is a gorgeous chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail and of course her lovely roman nose. That trademark characteristic tells alot about her personality, and thus, her problems. She is a very noble and intelligent horse which leads to some issues with respect and pride. It was difficult for her to submit to someone and I had to earn her submission. That meant alot of join-up! It actually took me three days to get a true join-up with her and taking that time meant a world of difference. I love working at the Frederiksborg Horse Farm because every day I learn something new and with each step of progress I become more confident in my abilities.

As for my personal horses, they are doing well. Stretch's feet are great and the recent rain helped out alot! He is no longer sore and his feet are not chipping at all. This barefoot thing may work after all! I am still greatly looking forward to spring and seem to be getting more antsy by the day. Also, I have considered pulling Spot of his temporary retirement and begin seriously riding him. It would be fun to actually see him go to a recognized event, after all, he is a very fun ride when he enjoys his job! To top it off, I already paid for his limited USEA registration years ago and might as well put it to use! It is looking like 2012 is going to be a fantastic year. Just remember that with horses there will always be trials and tribulations, you just have to perservere through the downs and cherish the ups. Until next time, kick on!

Check Please...

Finally I can sit back, take a deep breath, and feel accomplished. By far the largest of my big ticket items has been purchased and is no longer an issue. My wonderful dad found a horse trailer Thursday and called to tell me about it. I liked the pictures but wasnt going to get my hopes up. Fortunately, Hans let me leave work a little early on Friday and I hurried home. Mom, Dad, and I loaded up and drove down to see the trailer and I liked it. It is definatelty clean! So about thirty minutes later I became the proud owner of an '05 Thoroughbred WW two horse straight load.

Loading Stretch in the new trailer for the first time presented a minor hitch. He didn't want to go all the way in. First off, he hasnt been in a straight load in a few years. Second off, his last hauling experience was definately less than desirable. When we brought him home this last time we were in a rather big time crunch and trailer resources were limited. All we were able to get ahold of was our neighbors 6' tall stock trailer. Stretch was such a trooper though! He followed me right in and stood quietly the whole way home. Upon arrival he was a little shook up, but otherwise no harm done. Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult to convince him that loading in the new trailer was a good idea. All it took was a little breakfast!

In the end, all of my hard work throughout the summer and early this semester saving my money and my patience in the great trailer search paid off! I found something that is nice, that I like, that is safe, and that Stretch fits in. I have a few minor purchases to make to improve the trailer and prolong it's life, as well as increase Stretch's safety in it, but that certainly is not a big deal! That list includes new chain covers, a tire cover for the spare, paint to touch up the wood on the walls, a head bumper for Stretch as an added precaution (even though the trailer is 7'2" tall), and a tail wrap because he likes to lean on the doors. I am very excited and relieved that I can place a big fat check mark next to "Trailer" on my to-do list!

The Saga Continues...

First off, I want to address how these more recent posts pertain to the road to the classic. It is something that has been on my mind because there have been times that even I think that I'm just randomly writing about my life now. I have come to the conclusion that everything that happens in my life, good or bad, Stretch related or otherwise, leads me to the classic three-day event. It alters my life and the things that happen in it, which ultimately affects that one big show.

Moving on to an update on the Stretchy pony. I decided to pull his shoes for the winter and am working closely with a farrier to monitor his feet and to stay on top of things. He is a little sore right now, but here's to hoping that it gets better in a few days! If he cannot handle the barefoot road then we will slap some cheap basic shoes on him through the winter and go with a quality set in the spring. Unfortunately I am unable to ride him much due to my school schedule, money issues, trailer issues, and tack issues. In the end it is probably best for him to continue his much needed and deserved time off. The goal is that by spring I will have a trailer and at least a dressage saddle and will be able to bring him to Stillwater with me, where he will reside at my wonderful place of employment, the Frederiksborg Horse Farm!

As for things at work, they are going great! Pete is doing fantastic! He is working w/t/c in the arena, going over cavalettis, and is safe to hack in the field. He is also reaching for the contact consistently at the walk and trot and he bending well. Cannot wait to start him over fences soon! Kristiana is coming along nicely as well. She is starting to relax under saddle and is beginning to reach for the contact at the walk and trot. Paint Design is gaining confidence with every day and that is the most rewarding of all. He was afraid of everything a month ago and is now wearing a saddle, going on the walker, exploring scary barns, loading in trailers, and ground driving without a fuss.

Every day that I go to work I am reminded of what magnificent creatures we have the priviledge of working with. I love my job and everything it entails, whether it's a good day or a bad one. I live for the "lightbulb effect" that a horse has when something that you have been working on and struggling with for so long finally clicks and I get to witness it every day. Life is good, and only getting better!

Meet My Mounts...

I have finally started my new job at Frederiksborg Horse Farm and am having a great time riding and learning about each horse's personality. Thus far I'm pretty sure that I have cleaned more tack than is needed by a small army and if we opened a store, we could make a fortune! My first full encounter with all of the horses was deworming day. Oh the excitement! We had to catch and deworm twelve horses, which took a total of about three hours. The horses consisted of broodmares, green broke youngsters, two-year olds, and babies. Some were much easier than others, of course, and this gave me an oportunity to get hands on each individual and begin to figure them out.

Now that all the boring stuff has been touched on, let's get to the part that I know you all have been wanting to hear about! The horses themselves...

Kristian:
4y/o Frederiksborg gelding
Kristian is a great horse that I am sure will make a fantastic kid's or adult amateur's mount. He is very quiet and laid back, but still rather cautious about new things. I love riding him, as he is a quick learner and reminds me a bit of Stretch under saddle. He is a lovely mover and knows walk, trot, halt, and turn. He is also learning how to go on the bit at the walk and trot and his canter is coming along nicely. Kristian left today to head out to the East Coast where he will be training with a young rider schooling under a upper level dressage trainer. I think that will be a great experience for him that he is more than ready for and will hopefully help to promote the breed and influence some sales!

Kristiana:
4y/o Frederiksborg mare
Kristiana is just about the exact opposite of her half-brother! She has a fiery redhead personality and is extremely independent and curious. I think she would flourish in the hands of a professional at the upper levels. She certainly has the potential to go to the top! Due to her "Imma Be Me" personality, Kristiana is difficult to catch which means alot of ground work is in her near future! Under saddle, she is currently working at the walk in the round pen and can halt and turn quite well. Still working on giving to the bit though! She is quickly becoming a favorite of mine! ;)

Pete:
4y/o Thoroughbred gelding
Pete is definately a cutie and would have a nice career in the hunter ring. He has a gorgeous flat-kneed, long strided movement when working free and on the lunge. His trot is so smooth that it is easier to sit than post! He definately needs some miles under saddle to get comfortable enough to relax and allow his movement to shine through. He is working w/t/c and goes over cavalettis. Soon to be evaluated over fences. Hopefully he is just as nice over fences as he is on the flat!

Liselotte:
3y/o Oldenburg mare
Lotte is my favorite of the barn and if I had five grand sitting in the bank, she would be mine in a heartbeat! I am extremely excited to get to start her under saddle this fall. I have done join-up with her in the roundpen and have worked on giving to pressure. Lotte is extremely smart and gorgeous to boot! (Greys are my weakness!) Although she does not seem to be quite the mover that I thought she would be, I am interested to see how she will go over fences. If her jumping form is on par, she definately has a career as a jumper! She accepted a saddle with absolutely no fight and did well with a bridle as well. I was able to lay over her back yesterday and it didnt even phase her. Hopefully I can actually sit on her the first of the week. Fingers crossed!

Paint Design:
2y/o Frederiksborg/QH gelding
Paint is a nice horse but seems to have some trust and respect issues that we are working through slowly but surely. He gets a little more confident every day but it is going to be slow goin' for a while. He is getting lots of roundpen work, saddled every day, and goes on the walker.

Way To Go:
2y/o Appaloosa gelding
I havent came up with a nickname for him yet, but it is definately in the works. Way To Go is just too long to say all the time! I definately have a soft spot for this little guy. He almost died two winters ago because he got extremely ill and emaciated and just flat gave up on life. Now he is back to 100% and is an absolute sweetheart. He has taken to saddle and bridle with no fight and also goes on the walker. I layed over him yesterday as well and he was a little nervous but very cooperative. However, dont let his cute looks and sweet baby antics fool you! He is definately a little spit-fire when he wants to be!

Well, obviously I have my hands full. However, I have certainly found my dream job and I think it is going to get even better once breeding season is in full tilt. I could be content doing this for the rest of my life. What was once a 'pipe dream' is quickly becoming a reality. Life is good.

A Break in the Clouds...

Although my original goals have been temporarily de-railed, a new track has been placed before me. After moving back to school, I visited a farm that I had worked with on previous occasions and things seem to be looking up. I have been given a great opportunity to work with an extremely talented rare breed of horse, the Frederiksborg. As I mentioned, I had worked here before but only as a groom. I now have the chance to work with these great horses on a higher level. My new position includes halter and saddle breaking babies, exercising horses for clients, and putting some additional training on green broke horses. During the breeding season I will have the chance to fully utilize my up-and-coming degree by helping out in the breeding shed with collecting stallions and learning to AI mares. Who knows, some other exciting things may be in the works as well! ;)

So what does this mean for Stretch? Well, the wonder baby will be recieving a much needed and deserved break during which he will be well cared for and will return to work well rested, hopefully in the spring. The idea is that he will be at the top of his game after this and will be ready to show everyone what a talented underdog that he really is! This will also give me the time and opportunity to continue to save money for my much needed big ticket items and will enable me to get the things that I really want.

I know that this experience will be invaluable and I am definately looking forward to beginning this new chapter in my life. There has finally been a break in the clouds and nothing could be better!

Never Admit Defeat...

I know that it has been a while since my last post and that a new one is long since overdue. To be honest, I just haven't had the heart to write lately. To say that things have not gone according to plan would be an understatement. Stretch's first novice event was Feather Creek Farms in Norman, OK. He was such a trooper and, despite the trials and tribulations of the weekend, I could not have been more proud of my baby. We were sitting fourth after dressage on an extremely respectable score of a 31. Cross country presented some issues, with a stop at the bank up and a run-out at part B of the ditch, along with quite a bit of time. The ditch and time were certainly my fault and the bank up was just too early on course for being maxed out with scary bushes. Stadium went well with only one rail that was, again, my fault. Needless to say, we did not recieve our first qualifying ride.

After Feather Creek, we returned home and went back to work to try to improve upon our performance before Mill Creek. It was then that every horse owner's nightmare occured. If you are one of those "show and go" riders that never spends time with your horse and does not partake in their day to day training and care, then you probably will not know what I am about to mention. However, if you are the rider that knows your horse inside-and-out and has that unspeakable, unbelievable bond with him, then you will fully understand. Stretch never took a lame step, and really was never "off" either, but he certainly wasn't right. I could tell in the way his stride fell and the way that his ears would twitch or his head would toss that something was not right, but to the naked eye on the ground, or even someone on his back that didn't know what to look for, everything seemed fine and I was just overreacting. Come to find out it was a mildly strained suspensory. Scratch Mill Creek.

As every horse owner knows, despite your rider catagory, when things start to get bad, they always get worse. Due to reasons that are not exactly up to me to make public, I then lost access to some rather neccessary items. IE: trailer and saddles. Thus the long road to trailer shopping has begun. With financial limitations and size obligations (that's what happens when your horse is 16.3hh and weighs 1,300 pounds!), finding an appropriate box with wheels is easier said than done! We won't even mention saddles right now. That pandora's box can be opened at a later date. The trailer must be conquered first!

Back to the Stretchy pony, rehab has since begun. However, about two weeks in, a shoe goes missing. It just so happened to take half of the foot with it. For me, this was the equivalent of "Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200." Great! Six more weeks off and two farriers later, Stretch has a somewhat normal foot, two new shoes, and a fabulous new farrier that I would highly recommend *cough*Arlo Bruesch*cough*. Rehab continues. Up to 25' walk, 10' trot, 2' canter, 5' light dressage work. Cue 115 degree heat! I suppose I owe a rather sarcastic thanks to Oklahoma's crazy weather for kinking my plans yet again. It is suicide to work in this heat, so on nights that the temperature drops back into double digits work ensues, otherwise nada.

I guess this post was the long way of saying that when life hands you manure, make fertilizer. My plans for the summer, and in fact the entire year, have more bullet holes in them than a wild west saloon but I just keep trudging on. Things will get better. Stretch will get sounder. The weather will get cooler. The bank will get a little bigger. Okay, well maybe not that last one because horse's certainly have a way of draining it! The bottom line is this: never admit defeat in your goals. There will be another year for the novice Classic and there are some exciting opportunities just around the bend!

Change of Plans...

Due to Oklahoma's bipolar weather, we opted out of the GO Schooling Show this weekend. A foot of snow on the ground and it was 55 degrees today! Instead of risking life and limb to drive to OKC we opted for a nice hack down the gravel road and some dressage work in the indoor. It was a day well spent! We are hoping to add a xc school to the calendar in march: Greenwood in TX, and compete in the schooling show that weekend. My current plan of attack is to run Stretch BN at Texas Rose then move him up to novice at a schooling show (Greenwood or SHRA) then run novice at Corona. Hoping for the best!

Lessons Well Learned...

Saturday was the learning day, put on by Oklahoma Eventers and hosted at Woodlands Equestrian Centre. The high for the day was 34 degrees and the wind was bone chilling, but being the dedicated horsepeople that we are, there was a decent turnout. I had an 8 am dressage lesson on Stretch with Chrissy Pappas. Although she didnt really tell me anything that I didnt already know was a problem, she helped me put it all together so that I could work through the problems which is exactly what I needed! It was a great ride and despite the cold, Stretch and I had both worked up a good sweat. Throughout the day were unmounted sessions pertaining to eventing, and of course lunch was provided. At 3:30 Alex and I went out on cross country for a lesson on O'Malley and Stretch with Meg Ferguson. It was a great school! We did all of the training jumps, and several prelim. Stretch also schooled the water great, which included jumping a bank in and cantering through and off the prelim bank! That was my goal for the day and anything beyond that was a bonus. We had a minor mishap at the steps into the second water, and luckily there was no water at the time! It was a prelim question jumping a series of three banks down into the water. Stretch made it halfway down the first one before changing his mind, sending me flying through his ears to land on the bottom step. After a quick body checklist, I shook it off and remounted. After a bit of an argument and several attempts, we made it down the banks in one piece. We also jumped our first trakehner, brush fence, and ditch and bank. All in all it was a good, worthwhile, and productive day! Those rides certainly give me a new bout of confidence going into the Spring season, which kicks off Feb. 4 with the hunter/jumper schooling show in OKC doing the .95 and 1.0m jumper classes.

Learning the Ropes...

Today was the New Years hunt with the Harvard Fox Hounds at Flint Creek. What better way to bring in the new year?! My bestest friend was nice enough to drag me and my dingy baby along with her and we had a blast! This was the second time that Stretch and I have been hunting and it was much improved. This hunt began at a much faster pace than the last and it fried the baby's mind at first. However, our brakes were better from the get-go! Other than randomly flying to the left when he wanted to go, he was fantastic! I love watching a horse figure out new things and I certainly got to witness that today. Everything seemed to click and I left the hunt with a much more confident, quiet, mature horse than I had when I started. He finally learned that the hounds werent going to eat him and quietly galloped alongside two of them on a trail. He figured out what the horn meant, which ones to ignore and which one meant lets go! He also learned to rate himself with others in the field, which made stopping alot easier! Despite all of the positive aspects of the day, there was a negative one as well. Stretch's breathing has gotten worse. Perhaps it was a change in altitude or just galloping up the straight cliffs, but its a problem nonetheless. The noise got much louder but he still caught his breath and returned to normal quickly. After discussing it with Alex, we decided to schedule an appointment to have him scoped asap, which happens to be February. Hopefully it is not a major issue that can be managed by a simple lifestyle change, added equipment, and/or supplements. Not sure what this means for the three day, but we will push on and I will continue to hope for the best as we work out this unfortunate situation. Best wishes to everyone for a happy, healthy new year filled with the ones you love doing things you enjoy!