Never Let Go...

Wow, I've really got to get better about updating this thing!

For starters, I would like to congratulate Jamie Aldrich of Ill. on her purchase of Stretch. He has found himself a wonderful home with her and her young daughter. It makes me so happy to know that he is with a family that loves him and that values his skill set and abilities. Best of luck on the show circuit this spring!

Next on the agenda is the fact that I DID IT! I graduated from Oklahoma State University with a bachelors of science in animal science production in December of 2012! Upon completion of my degree, I accepted a position at Woodridge Farm and Duels and I made the trip to Claremore at the end of December. I will keep y'all updated on this endeavor, but so far it has provided me with plenty of hard work, good foaling experience, and some more quality horses to ride.

Moving on to Duelly... He definitely keeps me on my toes! He came back from his little vacation (aka my injury) in top form and ready to conquer 2013, but then something began to change. He began getting more resistant to work, more cranky about tacking up, more unhappy overall. He didnt want his grain, he began dropping weight, among other things. We suspect ulcers. I took him to the Mary D'Arcy clinic at Feather Creek the beginning of February and that was when we knew something was wrong. He schooled really well overall, for being a green youngster with little cross country experience. Mary loved him and confirmed what we already knew about him having serious upper level potential. However, throughout the weekend he kept acting out in ways not typical of his "get'r done" attitude. While trying to figure out this puzzle he has had a couple of weeks off since the clinic. I am trying him on a couple of different supplements and we will see what happens. Hopefully I will be able to get him out to a local dressage schooling show in two weeks, but that is completely contingent upon whether he is up for it or not.

(Very) Tenative 2013 Schedule:
March 17: GCC Schooling Show - Claremore Expo
April 14: SHRA Schooling Show (beginner novice) - Okemah, OK
April 20-21: Holly Hill HT (beginner novice) - Benton, LA

I suppose this post is about remembering the past and never letting go of the future, no matter how dark it may seem sometimes. Things will always get better and tomorrow is another day. Horses really have a way of teaching us to slow down and take things a day at a time, even when we may want to plan two years in advance (spring 2013 BN, fall 2013 N, fall 2014 T). Well played ponies, well played. Until (hopefully a much sooner) next time, keep kicking!

Rough Waters

Since my last post several events have happened, many of those leading me to the decision to put Stretch up for sale once and for all. The upper levels just aren't in the cards for him and it is in his best interest to pair him with a rider that accepts that and has other goals in mind. It hit me today when I loaded him in the trailer that I am about to say goodbye to one of my best friends of nearly six years. I realize that I have to look at this as a business decision and that it is best for him, but it is still difficult. Thus far two families are very interested and hope to look at him soon. I believe that he would be very happy in either situation.

On the other hand, I would like to welcome Dance Of War, aka Duelly, to the Up A Creek Eventing team! Duelly is a 9yo warmblood gelding out of a Seattle Slew mare by Der Radetzky. Needless to say, athletic might as well be his middle name! Duelly has joined the team on a two year free lease and I can now proudly say that I have my first "owner", the wonderful Ms. Linda Dany. It makes me feel so professional!!! Duelly came to me as a blank slate after only 30 days with Lee Johnson and a week with Dynah. We have been paired together for nearly three months now and have both improved by leaps and bounds! He is a completely different ride from what I am used to and nothing could be better for me at this stage in my career. When we first started together, Duelly had never seen more than trot rails and had to learn all about that darn stadium thing! I can thank grids for that one!! We have since completed two schooling shows with incredible results. Duelly's first outing was the Lily Pond CT in which we ran green as grass and finished on our dressage score of a 33.0 to land us in first place. Second on our list was the Gallery Farm CT where we ran in the starter division and finished on our dressage score of a 31.5 to finish in second. Duelly was quite the show stopper at Gallery and had the entire xc warm-up sitting on the sidelines watching him school! I am so proud of my new little grey pocket rocket! He is turning into such a super star and I cannot wait to see where the two of us go in the future!

The down side is that the future has been temporarily put on hold. About two weeks ago I was kicked in the knee while working with a three year old filly and have been down for the count since. Two sets of xrays and two weeks later we have determined that there are no broken bones and we are in the process of scheduling a CT scan to evaluate any possible tendon damage. Unfortunately, the only thing I have been riding is the couch! The fall plan was to aim Duelly for his first recognized event at Texas Rose HT the first weekend of November, but he needed the full two months prior of heavy schooling to be ready to run beginner novice. Scratch that plan. Now I am just hoping that I will be back in the saddle in time to run him in a schooling HT at Southern Hills in mid November and would like to attend at clinic at Feather Creek in either December or January. Only time will tell if these will be possibilities and hopefully we will have more results this week.

Today has been a particularly hard one and I have never missed being on the back of a horse this much. Im not sure why, but it seems as though every time my dreams are finally within grasp something terrible has to happen. Nevertheless, if there is one thing that eventing has taught me it is that things don't always go according to plan and that we must make the most of any situation. I will keep kicking! All this down time is at least giving me the opportunity to step back and evaluate some things in my life and really think about some decisions. Not yet sure what the future holds in that respect but expect to see great things from the little grey come spring because I can't stay down for long!

Stretch arrived in Stillwater safe and sound early Wednesday morning. I was my first time to pull the new trailer and it was a peice of cake. The trailer pulled great and Stretch seemed to enjoy the ride. It took some coaxing to get him to load up but otherwise went well. He will definately be doing some extensive traveling before we "go show" to get him loading easier! He settled right in at the Farm and seems happy, although he is currently stuck out in the snow. I rode him Thursday after work and the ride went well. He did not regress as much as I was expecting during his extended vacation, but we do definately have some work to do before MeadowCreek!

I have not been on Stretch since that first ride, first due to rain and now snow making the arena sloppy and frozen. This leads me to my next topic. I have been reading Sally O'Connor's book, Practical Eventing, and she makes a great point about this very thing. She states that "an event horse must... perform no matter what" and that riders must "learn not to make excuses for lack of schooling." These are valid points and made me realize that myself, along with many others, tend to overprotect our horses which ultimately hurts them in the long run. Just because the arena is boggy or the grass is slick does not mean you cannot work, it just means you should proceed with caution. I really need to get better about this and vow to change it tomorrow. We have a competition to prepare for in just over a month, and he isn't going to get better just sitting in a pen because of the weather.

So far, I have made it through chapter 8, also referred to as section 1, of Sally's book. I feel like it is directed more towards riders with little to no experience in the eventing world, but she does bring attention to little details that rider's often forget. For instance, lunging is invaluable. It helps to teach a horse self-carriage and balance and can benefit any horse of any level. Also noted is the value of cavaletti work in the basis of jumping and improving flat work. I know a lot of riders that feel as though raised cavaletti work should not be done until the horse is very established in their training, but Sally's point is to use those exercises TO establish their training. This book is definately giving me some ideas and inspiration for my horses' training programs and I am excited to begin incorporating some of them.

The main point of this post is that, much like every other topic of this blog, things are not always going to work out as planned but that is not an excuse. Rain, shine, sleet, or snow "get out into every kind of weather and work."

Continued Reading...

After finishing Denny Emerson's book, which was fantastic by the way, I have a very strong desire to continue my learning curve via reading. By using the "Recommended Reading" list at the back of the book and a quick Amazon search, I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of three more books. On the list is Sally O'Connor's "Practical Eventing," Jeanne Kane's "The Event Groom's Handbook," and Sally Swift's "Centered Riding." I am definately hoping that these books will impact my life and riding career as much as denny's, but at the very least I plan on walking away with a newfound knowledge or perspective.

As for Stretch, I am deligently working on getting him to Stillwater this weekend. Right now the weather seems to hold all of the cards. Although I am extremely grateful for the rain we recieved in the past twenty-four hours, it has caused my trailer to get stuck in the pasture. That's a problem! My fingers are crossed that we get enough sunshine to dry up the mud a little bit in the next couple of days. Hopefully there will be another post up her soon saying that he arrived safely! Until then, keep calm and carry on!

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 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!

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!

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.