Pressurized

Looking formal for his lesson

The weather has finally been consistently good enough that I felt the need to schedule a lesson. We're still working with my friend/trainer the biomechanics guru, which I am super excited about. We mostly worked on my aids and effectiveness, which was excellent training but not great for pictures. More importantly, we talked about pressure.

At this point, I'm not interested in hauling him over to the expensive event trainer for a lesson because he just mentally can't handle pressure for a solid hour and I refuse to pay for an hour when I only need twenty minutes. To deal with this, I've been very careful about putting pressure on him (trot fancy with your head down) and then taking it off (free walk on a long rein for a circle).

It seems to be working slowly--last week he could only do about ten fancy trot strides before he just sort of lost it and leaped or flailed a bit. I mean, the horse can trot around all day. I can now get him to trot in balance on the bit while engaged behind, but only for short periods of time.

The best at taking instructions

Our instructor pointed out that while it's good to know that about him, it's also important to increase his tolerance by putting more pressure on him. Essentially, if I want to do clinics and lessons and shows, I can't keep him in a stress-free bubble forever. So pressure on/pressure off, but take one or two days a week to work really hard, then give him a couple easy days.

Sounds like a plan. We acted on it by really putting both of us to work--I had to be very consistent about my aids, thus creating a "box" for Courage. When he understood and trusted the consistency, he was quite willing to go into it.

I was pleasantly surprised--we did lots of serpentines and figure eights, which meant changing bend and direction, without taking any breaks, and Courage handled it well.

Then we moved on to cantering. I didn't realize I was riding him a bit tentatively at the canter. Even our instructor who's only seen him a few times was like "Just kick him! He's a good boy and he's not going to do anything."

Oops, haha. We got rolling in a lovely forward canter and did lots of circles and laps around the whole arena. Our instructor had me sit tall and close my eyes so I could focus on the feeling of him moving under me and keep my body more still. I was pretty proud of Courage for the effort. Canter circles were a major stress point for him last year, but he was handling them so well.

Then we went to the right, which is his harder lead. We did a couple of circles, then around the arena, then circling at the other end of the arena.

 I was focusing on riding him forward from my leg and we were cruising around and then all of a sudden we were sort of flailing and I was staring at the sand with an alarmingly small amount of horse underneath me.

And then we were just standing at the fence.

Our instructor was like, "Um, ok, let's just try that again."

Looking so fancy 

So we trotted a circle (to remind him that we can still turn right there), then picked up the canter and finished out the lesson like nothing.

It wasn't anything earth shattering, but I felt like it was a great lesson to launch our season. My main take away (aside from the much-needed position help), was just that he's ready for more. Keep it fun, obviously, but it's time to turn up the heat and see where we can go. He's learning fast and handling things that just last fall would have fried his brain.

JUMP ALL THE THINGS

He is the best at catching air

I'm working like a fiend lately to hit some financial goals, so I haven't had a ton of time to ride. I really, really want to get Courage going over some fun fences, but I also want to make sure his early experiences are positive and confidence building.

So... I threw redheadlins in the saddle and set up a grid. If we want to DO ALL THE THINGS this summer, Courage needs to learn to deal with multiple poles in a row and some related distances and, oh you know, maybe how to use his body in the air.

But anyways. 

Booooing!

I was SO THRILLED to watch my little man go around. Trot in, canter out, no problem. :D He obviously isn't phased by the height or the jumps or anything. Really and truly, the hardest thing with him is just to let him learn at his own pace. He is wicked smart, so he picks up on concepts really quickly. He just needs frequent breaks to think it over and then allow the concept to become established in his mind.




But that's never enough!

ALL THE SPARKLES

We've been having sunny days and perfect weather and I made Saturday become EPIC PONY DAY (srsly. race track, tack sale, ALL THE RIDING).

After a pretty serious horse-girl-consultation with redheadlins and my BO, Courage got decked out in all the blue and shiny.

Trotting with head down VROOOM

His spring coat is coming in, he's totally figuring out this whole sporthorse thing, and he's just flat adorable.

I was hoping to be even more badass than Redheadlins at the whole jumping thing, but it's been a long time since I was responsible for educating a green horse over fences.

LEAP!!

Oh well. Courage was brave and honest and the two of us made some solid progress with good coaching from the ground and pictures! I ended the day very happy with where he was at and what we were able to do together.












 We even cantered our first couple fences of the year! I couldn't be more excited about how my little man is coming along.

And I haven't even started to tell you about our first legit lesson of the year. Stay tuned!!

Show Organizations: Yea or Nay?

This needs to happen

As I looked at my long list of fun horse show ideas for the year, I realized that I need to make a decision about the show organizations. Obviously, I can only accumulate points for potential year end awards if I join. Also obviously, my horse is ridiculously green and we'll probably be starting with crossrails and working our way up, which means we probably won't have specific points in any one division.

This makes winning a year end award anywhere from "hard" to "impossible".

Hm... I know the local dressage and eventing association usually offers clinic discounts to members, so I will probably join because if I do both clinics I'm planning on, it will pay for itself. The H/J organization I'm less sure of. It's more expensive to join, but I will probably go to more of their shows, which theoretically means higher chances of some sort of fancy ribbon. It's hard to say.

I guess I don't believe in giving money to organizations just because. If it isn't going to pay for itself through actual financial dividends (like clinic discounts or reduced show fees), I'm hard pressed to sign that check and mail it away.

Who wants to logic me around to another point of view? What has your local show organization done for you lately?

Summer Dreaming

He is the best at planning horse shows

I'm tentatively penciling in a summer calendar. I have done ZERO (nada, zilch) financial calculations to see if any of this is practical and since I don't have my own rig, I will have to chase down rides to all of this.

That said, meet my imaginary schedule for summer 2014!

March 27-29 maaaaaaybe xc school at Tulip Springs (if I feel rich)

April 12 - BSJC schooling jumper show (if weather is good)

April 20 - WSH schooling jumper show (hopefully)

May 10 - Pony club schooling jumper show (should have a ride)

May 30-31 - Hawley Bennett Clinic (need to save up $$ for this)
June 1 - Event derby (local!)

June 7-8 - Mini horse trials (hoping it runs this year)

July 11-13 - Rafter K clinic and Derby (out of town, but I already have a free ride*)

August 9-10 - Hunter/Jumper show (DERBYYYYYY)

August 23-24 - Hunter/Jumper show (DERBYYYYYYY)

September 13 - either local schooling show or H/J show a couple hours away  (who are we kidding, I'm poor)

*I believe "free ride"="I am show secretary", but who's counting?

As I said, I haven't done any math yet. That said, most of the events are pretty local to me which keeps hauling/food/lodging costs way down. Sooo... maybe. Horse show gods permitting and all. My goal for the year is to get Courage and I happy and confident at shows over fences.

He wants to be my derby horse

It sounds like they're going to be running a hunter derby at the August jumper shows, so my reach goal is to be prepared for that. Cross your fingers. We'll see how it goes. It would entail there being a 2'6" or 2'9" derby option to accommodate the incredibly green horse and rider who is new to the whole scene.

I'm a little torn on the issue of event derbies--they have kickass prizes and it's a bucket list item for me to win a year end award. That said, the intro division is super competitive and I'm just not feeling it in regards to eventing right now. If I can afford the end of March schooling and if Courage is really, really good, we might pursue it more. Most of the derbies are out of town and it's just cheaper to stay close. At this point, I absolutely want to get him exposed to natural obstacles and think about going forward, but I'm not feeling committed.

You'll also notice that there are no dressage shows on there. That's because A) The calendar is already pretty full B) pretty much all the local shows are recognized and I hate paying that much to prance and C) I think lower level dressage is mind numbingly boring. Maybe when Courage is good for second level we'll try and qualify for regionals or something.

So we'll see how it goes. I'm pretty excited just looking at this list. Anyone else got their show schedule scoped out?

Jumping Video

I have nothing new to share and the videos are finally uploaded, so I'm putting them out there...

Please just look at the adorable bay horse and not too closely at the (second) rider. Apparently after taking most the winter off and then only riding one greenie a few days a week, I'm something less than Lillie Keenan.

Here, we'll start off easy. Here's RedHeadLins and C-rage taking his first few jumps of the year.




And then I give it a go on another day:




Hopefully I will coordinate camera people and sun and maybe even a lesson. Then we would have really good shots!

I know they aren't the most mind blowing videos you've ever seen but eeeeeeeeek my little man is so cute.

All Systems Go

Love him

Courage and I have been working hard on the flat work in preparation to jump. Given my adult ammy (more or less) status and total lack of desire to get bucked off, I enlisted redheadlins to take the first couple jumps of 2014.

He was perfect. Trot in, canter out, super cute form.

So fancy

Oh, and I grabbed this shot of them trotting.

And... yeah... I was all I WANT IT TO BE ME IN THOSE PICTURES DANGIT.

My first jump in months

So Sunday was the day. We did a quick warm up and went for it. Not gonna lie, I was a little bit nervous as I pointed him at our first itsy bitsy crossrail.I don't know if that will ever go away, but I kept my eyes up, leg on, and hands steady and OMG SQUEEEE my little man is the cutest jumper EVAR!!!!

It was seriously so much fun! We did both our little crossrails individually in both directions, then put them together for a little related distance and he was just awesome.

No worries, y'all. He is the best at jumping.

trotting

We also spent a few minutes working on really improving the quality of our contact at the trot, which was pretty great. I was hoping to have some sweet pictures, but it was dark and rainy and there are limits to what a cell phone can capture, regardless of how well wielded it is. 

Just know that we are making strides towards being even more awesome than before.

I'm working to schedule our first lessons of the year and I'm excited to see where the little man I and I can go together. He is just way too much fun.

Bridles Part 4: Brand Names and Quality

Ho boy. This is a big topic.

There are lots of different kinds of leather finished in lots of different kinds of ways. Different people prefer different things, so you really have to know what you're looking for here. I'll try to give you a basic rundown.

First things first. Whenever you hear someone say that leather is "nice for the money", read this: "It's shit, but I was expecting that." Do not put your rose colored glasses on and say, "wow, nice leather MUST BUY NOW".

Now. You can buy a new bridle for anything from $35 to $800+. You can buy a used bridle for anything from $1 (free isn't buying) to $800+. How do we differentiate what to spend and why?

Low End Bridles

Izzy models a Collegiate bridle

This is a broad category including brands like Collegiate, SS Tack, or the low end Smartpak line. There are cheaper bridles out there, but as a leather snob and a tack ho, just know it hurts me enough to talk about these and I am not going farther down the line.

These bridles are a step up from the "made in India" stuff that you see really cheap. Those usually look like plastic painted brown and they never get better. Given enough time and care, these bridles can be sort of ok. We're looking in the $70-$150 range here, really.

They won't feel nice straight out of the bag, but given enough time and care, they can be sort of ok. They make nice starter bridles for people who don't care about the tack as much as they do about the performance. You're usually looking at cheaper/thinner leather, unfinished edges, less careful stitching or dye jobs, minimal cool features, and rudimentary hardware.

They will get the job done, but they may not be your forever bridle, mostly because eventually, they will fall apart. Stitching and leather is important, people.

Mid Range Bridles

Izzy in the Bobby's

I define mid-range as $180-$280ish. These bridles tend to be made with better leather and more attention to detail, but they frequently miss the finer points of life. Recognizable brands include Bobby's, Ovation, Nunn Finer, and the Dover Circuit line.

There is a lot of variation here--Bobby's has high end and low end bridles. I dislike their low end and find their high end to be tolerable, but nothing worth going out of my way for. Ovation bridles are priced at the low end of this range, but the extra features they have--finished edges, padded monocrowns and the like--lead me to put them here.

Courage wears Nunn Finer

Nunn Finer is event world classic. It's a rough and ready look with durable, American-made leather. They hold up, but they aren't as polished and pretty as some prefer. That said, they look great on a wide range of horses are are easy to dress up with a little flare if you need something fancy.

Courage in the Circuit

I'm not in love with the Dover bridles. I know I sound like a hypocrite since C-rage rocks a Circuit figure eight that I actually quite like. Here's the thing: I paid $25 for it on consignment. The leather is nice for the money and the design works well on Courage's tiny little face. I just can't see paying almost $200 for a new one, especially since the leather isn't mind blowing, the features really aren't that cool, and the design only works on some horses.

Mid range bridles serve the incredibly useful function of not blowing the wallet out of the pocket while doing their job very well. The leather is passable to nice-ish and there are a lot of options out there. Extra details are available, but usually at a premium. The result is that many mid range bridles work for a lot of faces, which is not the case with our next type.

High Mid Range Bridles

Not his look

This is the non-sexy name for all those bridles that just aren't quite high end with a price point still makes me blink. I'd define the price range as $300ish-$400ish. Most of these brands feature nice quality, finished leather that doesn't really have the "rough" side you see on cheaper leather. The stitching is a little tighter, the extra features are a little nicer, and a little more attention has been paid to all the details.

Five Star Tack is a new-ish company that hits this range. They have cool designs and features and nice leather, but the bridles run almost $300 without reins. For the discerning rider with the right horse, they can be a great choice, but the intricate styles just don't suit every face.

Hadfield is better

Vespucci is one brand that people seem to like and I just can't get behind. Their special features seem like more of a PITA than actually useful, the leather stretches like none other, the price point is high, and the designs don't appeal to my aesthetic at all. In my mind, nothing about them is worth the price. Obviously, your mileage may vary--lots of people buy them.

This range also encompasses the Edgewood/Hadfield/other niche hunter bridles. They are nice, but pricey and you have to pick and choose what's going to work for your horse's face and your pocket book.

I'm not as sold on this range of bridles. To me, the price is too high to justify my usual buy/try/sell routine and they are just not right for every horse. If you're shopping for a specific horse and are in love with a certain model, it's not a bad option, but if I'm going to spend this much, I guess I'd rather just snag something used from our next category.

(drumroll)

High End Bridles

$500+

To those of you who saw that number and promptly freaked out, this range is not for you. That's ok. Nothing offends me more than people who drop this kind of money on a bridle, then don't like it. OMG I WOULD KILL A REASONABLE SIZED ANIMAL FOR THAT AND YOU DON'T CLEAN IT??? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???

That said.

Cuna and the Antares. I think it works.

This price range brings you the nicest stuff out there. Padding galore, intricate designs, gorgeous detail, custom options, leather to die for. Again, you must be careful that the look you're getting is right for your horse, but when the leather makes you drool and you'd sleep in the padding, well, hurray!

You're looking at brand names like Antares, CWD, Devoucoux, and the like.

There are more, but I have to stop looking at them now or I will have a meltdown and go shopping. Ahhhhhh it might be too late.

The beauty of the high end bridles is that they hold their value well and can be obtained for about the same price as the high mid range bridles if you're attentive on used tack sites. It takes a little looking, but they do come along. ;-)

This is probably enough of a monster post for any given day. I hope you've enjoyed the range of bridles I've been able to put on my horses through the years. ;-) It's hard to do brand reviews when you have a rule about all-original photography on your blog, let me tell you.

What did I miss? Who has other fun bridle experiences to share?

Balance

A little green

So much of my ride on Courage right now is forward-constant focus on driving from behind while being responsive to my leg. It takes a high degree of concentration from him. Given his drive to always be the best and my desire to have a pleasant horse to ride, I have to be conscious of how often I'm pushing buttons. 

Courage wants to do well and gets anxious when he's in trouble. That makes him tense and hot. I want riding to be productive and fun for both of us, so I find ways to diffuse the tension. It's really fun to have a buddy to ride with. We take long on-the-buckle walk breaks to chat and trade off standing still in the arena to photograph. 

He is the best at relaxing

And that helps our balance. Courage gets to take mental breaks while I enjoy myself and neither of us gets overwhelmed. Plus redheadlins happens to be our riding buddy and she helps me work through things, which is totally cheating. 

Because Courage is learning a whole new job, the mental balance is just as important as the physical balance. In order to help him become the horse I know he can be, I have to address the horse he is right now. 

Driving from behind, yes, but I have to also let him be the best at rhythm and relaxation. 

Breaking Things Up

Look at that fancy horse!

Courage has been going really well for a green horse starting back in work after taking the winter off.

That said.

My brain is a little in this panic mode of "FIX ALL THE THINGS" because you know, you wouldn't want to show up for your first lesson in six months and look like you hadn't had lessons for six months... yeah, overachiever problems.

Anyways. Although he was doing well, I wanted a little more experience in the saddle and I wanted to see how he looked from the ground. I also wanted to have a mini lesson after watching him for a bit and feel the improvement, but the weather wanted to pour down rain and drown us, so we compromised.

Redheadlins hopped on him for a Sunday afternoon ride. I tacked him up and handed him off and HOT DAMN does my little man look like a fancy ass jumper right now. So proud.


The video is kind of fun--his good moments are very good, though his green moments are still pretty green. It's a good reminder to me that I am making progess with Courage, but these things just take time. His body feels great now, but he has to learn all the nuances of being a sporthorse.

Dat canter doh

And yeah, no idea why I was getting all angsty and pushing for more. For six months off the track (with almost 3 months off in a field), he looks great.As he progresses, his good moments will get longer and closer together and his green moments will be less.

We're currently on a bit of an enforced break due to the world being super soggy, but I'm already dreaming about what to do when the ground dries up.

Ammy Hour: Meet Lindsey!!

XC schooling

I'm slowly trying to get myself organized again, which means we're back to meeting the most interesting people in horses: the hardworking adult amateurs who pay all the bills, hold day a day job, and still kick ass and take names on the weekends. Meet Lindsey of Alchemy Eventing, who agreed to be our featured ammy today, 

When I first sat on him (before he was mine):

1) You’re at dinner with work colleagues. How do you introduce yourself?

Probably very shyly, something like: "Hi, my name is Lindsey." Yup, that's probably it. If they are prodding for more I'll tell them I'm 25, a third year law student and am working at a local firm that specializes in defending lawyers. (Yes, that's a thing...)

2) But what you really meant to say was this:

I'm sorry I'm so socially awkward- I'm working on it. Once you get me going, though, I can be a rather loud and fun kind of girl. I love my job and I'm happy to find a career I can enjoy, but at the end of the day I really just do it to finance the horse addiction.

I have a horse, and he's pretty much the only thing I talk about on facebook and instagram so don't follow me on either of those things if you don't want a million horse posts daily. I use to kind of hide my horse life, but then I grew up and realized I didn't care about being cool and it was the one thing that really mattered to me. My horse friends are my best friends and I'm happy with that!

I am also a terrible procrastinator, I sleep too much, I'm a coffee addict, and I'm a terrible over-thinker (which tends to make me my own worst enemy.) I'm a Virgo to a T (although I don't truly believe in astrology) - I dream of the day when I own my own barn and can have everything in it's perfect little place. (Yes, I'm OCD). I'm also a bit of a closet nerd. And while I do enjoy dressing and looking feminine, at heart I am really a tom-boy and would rather get dirty and be out in the wilderness any day!

His first Combined Test:

3) What discipline do you ride/compete?

I have done just about everything... My Grandfather bought me a pony when I was six and I was hooked. I rode that little mean paint thing all around his land, pretending to be an Indian or a Cowgirl or whatever I wanted to be that day.

I was also in the 4-H pony-club and eventually started taking lessons and showing. My first horse shows were on an old appaloosa named Apache. We did the whole gamut of classes together. When I was 11, I got my first real horse. He was a quarter horse that was abandoned at someone's farm. He had been a heeler before I purchased him, and every time I was at an AQHA show a cowboy would recognize him as "Dino, Alpo's old heeler" and try to buy him off of me! (Apparently he was a fantastic heeler). He and I did 4-H and AQHA together, doing all of the classes- halter, showmanship, trail, western pleasure, western horsemanship, hunter under saddle, hunter equitation, barrels, poles- oh my goodness, it was exhausting! But barrels and poles were my favorite and we were the 2000 Regional champions in both!

One day I started setting up odd jumps at home (a PVC pipe on the top of two construction cones, anyone?) and learned my quarter horse loved to jump- and so did I! I started to get lessons and show in the hunters and jumpers. He was fantastic and won pretty much everything. Unfortunately we had to put him down in my Junior year of college, but I was riding in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) on the college team, which kept me involved with horses.

When I graduated college, I worked for a year a privately owned thoroughbred farm. That's where I met my current trainer who gave me the opportunity to event. I'd always wanted to, but never had the means or money. One show and I was ADDICTED. The little mustang I half-leased took me all the way to the AECs in my first season! I couldn't have been more thrilled.

Cross-country:

4) Tell us about your horse and how did you meet him?

My current horse is a 5 year-old thoroughbred by Devil's Triangle and Ray's Best Gear. Devil's Triangle is out of Devil's Bag who has sired some really nice race and event horses. He's a dark brown bay (er, as I like to call him to make him sound fancier- a mocha chocolate latte bay) with two white small socks and a white snip on his coronet band. He's also an over-thinker, like his mom, and this can cause him some trouble as well. But this also means he's very intelligent, loves to jump, will tolerate dressage as long as it's not the same boring stuff over-and-over, and will eat ANYTHING. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about him when I got him, but he quickly won my heart over and I plan on him being a forever horse.

I met Wiz during 2010-2012, when I worked as a farm manager for a lady who, coincidentally, is a lawyer but also owned about 25 horses. One day she brought this scrawny little pony-looking thing up from the lower field. Wiz was a 2-year old then, absolutely tiny, with bite marks all over him. She brought him in because he was getting beat up so bad in the herd. I didn't think much of him at first- he was tiny, an ugly color because of his sun-bleached coat, and when you tried to walk him through a gate he would stop right in the middle of it and would NOT move, no matter how much you pled/begged/beat/coaxed. It was really quite frustrating. He also tried to lay down on you every time you picked his feet- I really had to work a long time with him on that.

Part of my job was helping break the babies, and eventually I started doing ground work with Wiz and a few of the other 2 year-olds. Out of all of them, Wiz picked it up the fastest and in just a few days he was walk/trot/cantering in a circle by voice cues. He also seemed to have the most natural stamina, which was promising for an eventer, and he was not scared of anything and loved to bravely explore. He was actually a little *too* clever, and was known for breaking out of his stall at night or pulling himself under the fence, running amuck, and then dragging himself back under the fence back into his pasture for feeding time. I have pictures of him laying on his side under the fence calmly eating the good grass on the other side!

Anyway, my trainer and I started to really kind of like him, and the owner eventually offered him to me for free, saying I had worked hard for her and she had too many babies and she'd rather him go to a good home. While I tackled my first year of law school, he went back out in her pasture for a year to grow some more. In May of 2012, I finally took him "home" with me (aka, to my trainer's barn) and officially called him mine!

His barn name was "Wizard" (which I hate, but it stuck)- but his name on his coggins was "The Devil's Alchemist." I didn't care much for having the word "devil" in his show name, but I liked the idea of "Alchemy." When I looked in the dictionary, one of the definitions was: "any process of transmuting a common substance, of little value, into a substance of great value." I believe in the power of the name, and I thought the name "Alchemy" was very fitting for a 4 year old unbroken TB who had yet to do something. I had great hopes of turning him into something "of great value." Thus, I registered him with the USEA as "Alchemy."

5) What have you done together?

So far not too much, since he's really not even been under saddle for a whole two years. We also had some set-backs last fall when he was diagnosed with EPM and then after treatment struggled with a month-long bout of cellulitus and scratches, which I think very much was caused by his EPM treatment since cellulitus is an over-reaction of the immune system and he has never had that before or after. I gave him a very slow rehab last fall, doing about a month of just easy walking/trotting and then slowly trying to start putting it back together. I have to say it made a big difference, and our dressage work so far is much improved.

Despite the draw-backs, Wiz tickled me to death with earning a 6th at his first event ever, with only one stop in the stadium and one on xc which were very honest "I don't understand!" stops. BN was so easy for him, though, that we moved right up to Novice next. We did three more novice events and he continued to blow me away with his work-ethic. He LOVES shows and his whole attitude changes when he steps off the trailer.

But all things considering, I couldn't be happier with what we've accomplished so far. He has given me confidence I never thought I'd have. I had a bad fall during my time in IHSA that rocked my jumping confidence, but he's helped me regain that. For a long time, I would be scared to even jump 2'. But I can now jump 3'6" without blinking on him. (I'm not pushing the height with him, though, until he gets a little older). And for that, for helping me regain my confidence, I'll always be grateful.

6) Where are you going together?

I would be thrilled if we could conquer prelim together and he may even have the capacity to do more. He absolutely LOVES to jump (a little too much, maybe) and has a very powerful hind-end. We need to continue to develop his front-end and reach through his neck and back, but he definitely has the raw talent. Once he learned to start connecting, dressage has actually come fairly easy to him as well. He's a great combination of obedience and sass- he tries very hard to understand what you're asking and please you, but he also has enough sass to keep things interesting (and sometimes admittingly frustrating!) My trainer recently got to jump him on xc and remarked that he had the "pissy attitude of an upper-level eventer," and later, while discussing the xc round, that he had a great jump. So, I really think at this point he may top out at prelim or he may decide he wants to go even higher! Although he's so young, at this point I'm just taking it slow and letting him tell me when he's ready to move up and what he wants to do.

For now the plan is a Novice at Southern Pines in March and a Novice at River Glen in April. I thought we would be doing Training in April, but that plan got put away when he came out fresh this spring for our xc schooling. Apparently he's a little too fond of xc and we're working on establishing that he can have fun AND stay relaxed and listening. I'd rather stay at an appropriate level and wait until all of the pieces are together before moving up, so novice it will be for the spring! I will be taking a few months hiatus to study for the BAR exam, but will likely do a few more events in the fall- and he may be ready to move up to Training by then. Like I said, I really will just wait and listen for him to tell me when he's ready :)

7) How do you finance the addiction?

Before I got Wiz, I was catch-riding everything I could and working off lessons at my trainer's barn. When Wizard's breeder decided to give him to me, I took him and had NO idea how I was going to pay for him. Luckily the stars aligned and a week later I received a phone call from a Graduate Assistantship position I had applied for. It had nothing to do with law, but I was desperate to figure out a way to pay my law school tuition. Luckily, I landed the job and most of the monthly stipend goes towards my horse... I live at home and try to be really careful with my money in order to budget properly. I also still work off part of my board, work off lessons, and started working part time for a firm over the summer. Luckily, that firm offered me a position so that's how I'll afford the addiction starting this fall! (Funny story: When they asked how many hours I'd want to work if given a position, I told them I would work hard but I still wanted to have enough time to ride and compete- and they were willing to work with that schedule and hire me! How cool, right?) I will be relieved when I don't have to juggle school with a million different jobs to pay the bills. But in a way I'm glad I had to- it kept me humble and I'll be looking for ways to pay it forward in the future, as I can't thank all the people that have helped me out enough.

His first Novice:

8) How often do you ride?

Unfortunately I do not have a lit or covered arena right now, so a lot of it depends on the weather and light. I've been struggling to make it out three times a week lately with the sun setting so early! However, as it stays light out longer and the weather gets better, I am trying to make that more like 5-6 in preparation for our show season.

9) What’s the single biggest thing that helps you achieve your goals?

I've always been personally driven, ever since I was a kid. I'm a virgo and a perfectionist and I hate feeling like I didn't meet my goals. Sometimes I am like this so much that I have to tune it down. I don't think I've ever outwardly been a bad sport, but I know I've had to reprimand myself for inwardly being a bad sport!

But I am very competitive with myself and am always seeking perfection. I'm realistic enough to know that achieving those goals takes hard work, in and out of the saddle, and imagining the feeling of accomplishment I'll feel whenever I achieve my next goal pushes me through the hard days.

Also, as practical advice, I've always found that visualization really helps me improve. If I want to get better at something, visualizing the goal and achieving it really seems to help me. I will ride my dressage test over and over in my head starting weeks before an event! The night before stadium or xc, I'll imagine myself riding the course flawlessly (even if I don't know the course). I really think these kind of mental exercises can really help center you and prepare you mentally for the task at hand!

His first Beginner Novice event:

10) If there was one thing you could say to people getting ready to join the ranks of riding (or re-riding) adults, what would it be?

Be prepared for all of the time and money it will take from you. Be prepared to make lots and lots of sacrifices.

My social life is 95% at the barn. I don't get to wear many nice new clothes, I don't drive a fancy car, and I still live at home as a 25 year old (although once I graduate law school I will hopefully be moving out). Even the most understanding of significant others may occasionally get frustrated with how much time and money you put into the sport. And I feel like that is the general consensus among Amateurs.

A horse is not a basketball you can put down when you get bored with it and pick it up later. Even when you're financially strapped, or physically exhausted, you have to regularly make time to care for a horse, you have to keep finding ways to pay for the one million random expenses that always seem to crop up.

And if you're not prepared for all of those commitments, it's probably best just to half-lease a horse or just take lessons. And there's nothing wrong with that. Not everyone has to be super competitive to enjoy the sport. Don't bite off more than you can chew. In fact, actually, DO half-lease a horse for six months to a year before you consider purchasing a horse. It will help you get your feet wet and get use to the time and monetary demands of horse ownership, and help you determine whether it's really for you in your new adult life. Even though I had owned a horse when I was younger, I half-leased a horse before wiz, and that helped me realize that even though the time and money demands were tough on me, it was really worth it to me.

(Although some days I do fantasize about quitting it all and instead back-packing around Europe, wearing designer clothes and driving a nice car... but I could never actually do it haha!)

Finally, don't let anyone pressure you for more than you are ready for. While it's your coach's job to push you, you still have to be able to speak up and let them know when you just aren't ready for something in particular. In the same vein, don't let anyone pressure you into doing something you don't want to do. Find your niche, find what you enjoy doing, and do it. Don't let anyone tell you to do otherwise. I've known many people who hated showing but did it because they felt pressured to do it, and eventually burned out and stopped riding completely. That's really sad to me! Horses can add so much to your life, so make sure not to let other people take that enjoyment from you.


11) What are your horse keeping arrangements?

I keep my horse about 15 minutes away from my house. It's a good little barn with two four-stall barns and three pasture boarders in a front paddock. The barns are really nice, the horses get great care, and there's a nice sand arena. I do miss having an indoor though and more individualized paddocks! The eight horses are turned out in one big paddock and Wiz has gotten a little herd-bound. Altogether, though, he's enjoying the new place and he looks fantastic. He likes his "stall-time" to chill out and relax and has, surprisingly, gotten along with most of the herd. (In the past, he's constantly been on the bottom of the chain and picked on!).

12) What is/are your long term equine goals?

If I'm dreaming big, I'd love to make it to Rolex one day. I'd also love to be able to incorporate horses into my real job one day- whether that means making a career change or just having some kind of side business or working part-time and riding part-time in a competitive sense. I always thought I'd hate doing horses as a job so I never pursued it, but when I graduated college and worked for that farm I found out I actually really, really enjoy it and regretted accumulating the college debt I accumulated, which has kept me from trying to make a career out of it. However, I'll always be looking for my "out" or a way to incorporate a career and horses in some fashion. Even if I never actually get to make it some kind of career, just being able to ride competitively (and by that, I mean in the big leagues!) for a year or two would make my life.

I'd also love to be able to create some kind of team for "Alchemy Eventing"- basically helping individuals with less means work their way into the horse world and competition world. I've had so many people give me opportunities, I'd love to pay it forward. I love the idea of "alchemy" as "transforming something of little value into something of great value." Alternatively, I'd like to get involved with or start one of those programs where you have troubled kids work with rescued horses. I really do believe working with horses is one of the most empowering things a young-adult can do.

Realisticaly: I'll probably continue to ride as an amateur, I may make it to Intermediate some day, maybe even beyond. Who knows if I'll win anything. And if I can continue to ride until my death than I'll consider myself a pretty lucky woman!

13) Bottom Line:

While some days being an amateur rider can be down-right exhausting and frustrating, I would not person I am today without it and I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have met so many wonderful, wonderful people through my equestrian endeavors and now have so many to call friends. It's my passion and it's what gets me out of bed even on the days when I'd really rather not get up and face the world- since, let's face it, some days life can be hard. A horse is the best therapist there is. And if you get too cocky, horses are always great at humbling you as well. Most of all, I am just incredibly blessed to be involved in such an amazing sport with such amazing people and such amazing animals.

And if you feel that same way but come from limited financial means, like I did- DON'T GIVE UP! It does take lots, and lots, and LOTS of hard work, but if you work hard and are grateful and have a good attitude, people will recognize it and give you breaks. They really will. It's so rare to find people who are truly dependent and will go above and beyond in their work, so if you can be dependable and do the job better than expected, people will appreciate it. If you are humble and don't complain and take any opportunity you can, doors will open. It may be hard work, but it's worth it.



Thanks for participating, Lindsey and Wiz! :-) They're one of my favorite pairs to track with. Are you an adult ammy who wants to be featured? Know someone who should be? I'm always looking for stories of people like us having fun in the horse world, whether that's backyard riding for making it on the show circuit. Contact me through the conments or via email with suggestions.