Why I Kept Him--Getting Through Hard Things Together

As most of you know, I am the first one to jump on somebody when they start saying things like "my horse is scaring me" or "this isn't fun". I have SOOOOO been there, I know what it's like, and I am a huge advocate for having fun with horses. If it's not fun, it needs to stop.

Which brings us around to these images:

flailing

spooking at grass sharks

not turning right

not getting on the trailer

just generally freaking the hell out

that one show where he tried to dump me in a lake

These time were not fun times, not even a little. They sucked. Most of them were this spring. I hate looking through pictures from this spring, so I threw in some sub-optimal fall shots to balance it out.

but why?

 All that, and yet I didn't sell his stupid bay ass him. What gives?

(Now in fairness: I tried to send him away, but there was a problem with the trailer and it didn't work out. I did not repeat trying to send him off.)

1. I was working closely with relevant professionals. 

To me, this is key. When I have questions about my ability as an adult ammy or my horse's suitability for me, I need advice from people who see this sort of thing all. day. long. Support from girlfriends is nice (and I have very horse savvy girlfriends), but at the end of the day, I need objective opinions.

This spring, I was working with three relevant instructors whose opinions I value. Two said "wait and see" and one said "oh hell you can do this. Get on."

we can always do this

2. I wasn't terrified.

This one is a bit harder to gut check just because until you've been terrified, it's hard to say what that's going to look like for you. As I previously had a terrifying horse, I can 100% tell you what that feels like. Courage's antics weren't fun for me. I was furious with him, deeply disappointed, hurt, whatever you want to say. I certainly didn't like bolting sideways and not getting on trailers, but those things don't give me that sick feeling in the pit of my stomach the way say, rearing as high as you can on the edge of a cliff in the mountains did. And no, you don't want to try that one. It's worse than it sounds.

and i know how to use a martingale

3. I had a support system that believed in us. 

Here's where those girlfriends come in. (And the fact that they're horse savvy matters). Redheadlins and Alyssa have actually known Courage longer than I have. Actually, I think Alyssa has known him longer than she's known me. Crazy world. Anyways. They both knew his brain and my abilities, and while they were clear that no one was mad if I wanted to move on, they thought I could do it.

never underestimate your gameday photoshoot

4. He's too damn cute.

I always tell people that I have to have attractive horses so that on the inevitable day when I want to shoot them (hey, this is Idaho), there is a reason that I don't.

I'm not kidding.

If some ugly POS horse pulled all the stunts that Courage did this spring, it would have been gone. Courage has a cute face coupled with a HOT DAMN styled body, which reminded me that there was a reason to keep pushing on.

Those reasons were enough for me to stick it out, but I also made a plan and stuck to it. I decided what my goals were with Courage and I worked to pursue those goals every single day--everything from "jump without fear over whatever I want" to "hack on the buckle around the farm". I think I set a timeline for Courage, too--the usual "if I'm not having fun by X date" sort of thing.

first clear jump round

first time real dressage ribbons

first championship

 I don't remember what date I set anymore. Courage and I got out there and did stuff together and even though it was rough going at first (yes, we did get 120 time penalties in our first event derby along with two refusals), we pushed through.

I'll be the first to admit that I form bonds with people or animals slowly and with my eyes open. Courage and I have had a lot of ups and downs, but I am so glad I have this little guy in my life. I had to make good choices and live through a lot of not-fun things this spring. Now we've come out on the other side and I have a really cool, really attractive little bay horse who works for me.

I know we'll have more rough patches--that's life with horses--but I'm confident we can deal with them. Together.

Princess Horse Goes Pauper?

western bit, knockoff bit, sprenger bit

I thought I'd blogged about this, but maybe I didn't. Anyways. In the past year, Courage has decided that he will ALWAYS ONLY EVER go in his one true love bit--a $225 sprenger that I happened to get on a great consignment sale price for $40. That was a great bargain, but I'm not paying $225 for ANOTHER bit and I'm not changing the bit back and forth every time I change bridles.

It took me six months of searching, but I finally found an appropriate knock off this summer (for like $15), and it's been great.

Until now.

Courage had an easy week due to needing some downtime/bodywork and I was online shopping for some stuff for my trainer. One of her requests was a giant, old, heavy single-jointed snaffle. She has one that she uses for starting colts, but she's working with a horse now that is HUGE and won't fit in the normal colt bridle and really needed a 6" version of her favorite bit.

So I found it for $10 shipped online and bought it for her. The only problem was that I also found a 5" version that was also $10 shipped.

And I like bits.

And hey, who doesn't need a colt starting bit for $10?

So I bought it and chucked it on a bridle. I hacked on the buckle in it one day and that was fine, but that proves nothing.

Then the day of our ribbon photo shoot (which was also our first post-bodywork ride), I rode in it.

And omg. I think we have a new bit. Courage has a long history of being weird about contact, opinionated about bits and nosebands, and gaping his mouth open for giggles. Or gnashing his teeth--whichever sounds fun on any given day. He has one of the driest mouths I've ever been around. It's not optimal.

Sprenger left, $10 bit right. IT"S SO FAT.

I rode Courage in his usual loose cavesson with the new bit, and he trotted around sucking on that bit like it was candy. Foam flecks came out of his mouth and some even stayed on his lips.

Can it be? A $10 solution to a $225 problem?

Teach Me Tuesday: Hot Horses

With indoor season looming and an unfortunately active kiddie lesson program at the barn, I am a little bit regretting getting Courage all strong and fit this year.

Last year, he could skip turnout for a week, get ridden occasionally, and just hack on the buckle around the indoor as nice as you please.

Unfortunately, that horse is not here this year. Courage is curvy and fit and PROUD OF IT. I don't love lunging horses down, because it's hard on their bodies and makes them more fit, but I also don't love being a human projectile into the side of the indoor and/or trampling children and the cute lesson pony.

So please share your wisdom here, blogosphere: what are your favorite strategies for horses that come out hot in the winter time?

CHAMPIONS (like, for real)

best banquet EVAR

Brace yourselves for a picture overload! Saturday was our local dressage/eventing GMO banquet. They released all the dressage/eventing award winner names in advance, but the derby competitors (me) were kept secret.

Naturally, I've spend the past month obsessing about whether my scores would get reported correctly and if my membership was in good standing and basically anything I could think of that could go wrong. It was pretty nerve-wracking.

ribbon at rest

But then, they called my name at the banquet and I was probably the most excited person there when I ran (literally) up to get my giant ribbon. And maybe squealed.

You guys.

This thing is HUGE. It is literally the biggest ribbon I have ever seen, and it's MINE. :-D

It was a really fun night for a lot of reasons (guess who also won TWO LESSONS in the raffle?! I never win stuff!!). It was really awesome to have my horsie besties and the trainers who have made a huge impact in my life be there for it.

YARDS OF SATIN

Our GMO is really a fun group of people and I'm excited about their plans for next year. League shows? More ribbons? Sign me up!

Honestly? The sheer glory of my enormous champion ribbon (of ground poles) is making me seriously consider a run at crossrails next year. I'd have to be really good at budgets for that to work though. Don't hold your breath.

Anyways.

Because I am a proper grown up, I scooted out to the barn on Sunday, ribbon in tow, to show my barn buddies and take some pictures.

I'm shameless. What can I say?

i love this

Here's the thing: it has always been a bucket-list level item for me to win a year and award. This year was a unique opportunity in terms of shows available, horse ready to go, and money available to show. I've never been able to be consistently "good" at something before, and since our goals for next year very likely involve a lot less satin and a lot more competing against fancy horses and solid riders, well, I'm going with it.

I know it's only ground poles and intro b. But you know what? I'm a working adult ammy with one horse. I am coming back from an XC wreck that completely ruined my confidence. I'm riding an older horse off the track that I made myself.

champion. yes.

Yeah, I may not be a Rolex contender or a national competitor and hell, I don't even have plans to do any real eventing, but you know what?

This was my Olympics. My thing. My competition and goals for the year.

AND MY RIBBON IS SO HUGE.

I am a total satin ho. Love it. Can't get enough.

the biggest ribbon

This ribbon is legitimately big enough that I don't know what I'm going to do with it. I mean, every ribbon Courage has ever won is hanging over my kitchen window AND THIS RIBBON PRACTICALLY HANGS INTO THE SINK.

It's glorious.

You doubt? Not to worry. It may have been fricking cold and gusting 30mph+ on Sunday, but I hustled Courage into the indoor and took SO MANY PICTURES.

What goes with a sparkle saddle? EVERYTHING

Why yes you do need perfect wraps to take ribbon pictures

ribbon clear down to his knees

ok this might be excessive, but his neck looks good

we are equally thrilled

Pardon my excitement--this is my first time with a tri-color ribbon ever. It's everything I ever wanted it to be--a tangible reminder of all the blood, sweat, tears, and luck that go into making a successful partnership.

A reason that all those hard days, crappy rides, long hours, personal struggles, and tedious times are worth working through.

I don't ride for the ribbons, because so much of horsemanship is developing character through rotten luck, crappy circumstances, and things going wrong. If I set my self worth on satin earned, I would have had to quit a long time ago.

But when I do get a satin forget-me-not, it makes the journey that much sweeter.

Help Me Choose!!

Our show season is wrapped up and indoor riding with corresponding crappy dark pics/video is starting any moment now. I'm going back through the highlights of the year in pictures and trying to pick a few of my absolute favorite shots that really summarize what we did this year so I can print them out and frame them.

I'm lucky enough to have a lot of talented friends with cameras, so instead of choosing best of the worst, I'm narrowing down "all the awesome" to "what I can actually afford to frame/have space for". I've narrowed them down to "jumping", "dressage". and "candids". I'm trying to pick one from each.

So. Enjoy the pretty pictures and let me know what you'd choose and why.

First off, I already have prints of these two:

pretending we xc

because we're just cute

Now to pick one from each category:

Jumping

i love this picture

also this one

and this

Dressage: 

so fancy

looking cool

his beck looks big!

our first test this year!

field dressage

home dressage

And Candids:

unforgettable, unfortunately(?)

he's special

idealistic

realistic

 How do I even choose? Help!

PS if you can't live without a sweet cartoon of your horse by Alyssa, she's finally ready to produce them. Check it out!!

That Language Thing Again

not great, not bad

As you may have picked up in my (possibly a little) angsty post yesterday, not all is well in the world of Courage. He was feeling really fantastic. Going great.

Then not.

Then more not.

I figured it was me--I can get too fixated on one thing (say canter transitions) and forget how something else is blocking it (demon right hand). I looked at videos. I had people watch. To everyone, he looks fine. We look fine.

But to me, he didn't quite... something.

I medicated the only way I know how.

 Believe it or not, I only bought ONE of the things in ONE of the pictures above. Ha! Who says I can't panic and still adult?

Anyways. None of the shiny things made my horse go any better. And again, he wasn't bad.

He just didn't try as hard. Didn't want to push through his body. Didn't quiiiiiite give me the connection we had before. I thought maybe he was getting a little burned out on dressage, so we hacked and jumped for a few days, but had all the same problems, even over fences.

And he loves jumping and is usually fantastic for it. So that's weird.

Finally, while riding in fading evening light this week, Courage was just not feeling it. I called him a twat. Then I called him worse. We COULD NOT go around the right corner of the arena like a normal horse no matter what I did and how well I rode.

We could.not. turn right.

Wait a second.

 Haven't we had this exact conversation before?

I don't know why it took me this long to figure it out and I'm actually really pumped that either I got it sooner or Courage has learned to express himself less extravagantly, because there was no flailing (for once), but I contacted his favorite body work lady. She'll be out Friday.

Because this is what he does when he hurts all over and needs a little extra help.

I'm excited to get my horse back.