Ammy Hour: Meet Austen!!

Austen from Guinness on Tap gracious agreed to take time out of her busy schedule and talk about how she makes the ammy life work for her. She may be a DQ but I love (LOVE) her horse and I find Austen very relate-able. I don't know about the rest of you, but meeting the hardworking ammies behind my favorite blogs is definitely a highlight of the horse blog world.

1) You’re at dinner with work colleagues. How do you introduce yourself?
Hey guys! So... we're working late again? Super fun. I'm the marketing girl from upstairs, you know, the one swearing loudly when her computer crashes and creating enough paper waste to fill up a small van on a daily basis. How's it going? By the way, I'm going to need Friday off for horse show prep...

this one time i rode pig. JK OBV.

2) But what you really meant to say was this:
The sun is finally out today?! I had no idea! I'm sorry, I'm going to have to go take advantage of this weather and ride. (Also, can we get a window in my office?)

DAT FACE DOH

3) Tell us about your horse and how you met him.
Logic Lane (Guinness, Guinea Pig, Pig, Piggles, Captain Pigmachine...) is a 17 year old Irish-bred Thoroughbred. He raced the mile on turf in England, then was shipped to California in his two year old year. He ended up falling through the racing ranks, and was picked up by a hunter/jumper in his 6 year old year. When he was 11, that girl placed him with her friend in Lexington to sell. I found his ad on Craigslist, added him to my list of potential horses, and the rest is history.

she's a brave woman

4) What do you do with your horse?
I bought Guinness to be my eventing partner as I got back into the lower levels of eventing. Unfortunately, he ended up developing some severe arthritis in his front fetlock joints. At that point we switched gears. Now, we attempt to do dressage. When that fails completely, we go galloping through hay fields with my two Siberian huskies.

5) Where are you going together?
Literally we are going to D.C. (no, seriously, we're moving in June!). But really, my overall goal is to get my USDF Bronze Medal on this horse. So far we are on track, and have just started schooling 3rd level.

6) What does success with horses look like for you?
With this horse, success is keeping him sound and keeping his brain together enough to get above a 60% in the dressage ring. Those two things can be pretty tough, so I feel really good when they work out.

7) What keeps you riding?
I thought I'd be devastated when I switched from eventing to dressage, but I've really fallen in love with the sport. The detail and level of communication in dressage has really gotten into my head. I love breaking down a good ride or lesson and figure out exactly what I did to help make it so good (or bad!). That whole training breakdown is a complete addiction for me. It keeps me headed to the barn even when the weather is unbearable and my time is precious.

8) How do you finance the addiction?
I work full time, do some little freelancing, and try to save as much as possible. It's not easy, especially since my husband is in medical school (Just finishing up! Here comes that sweet, sweet double paycheck!).

9) What does your support team look like?
If you're talking at horse shows, it's just me. But, I am thankful to have a lot of great friends willing to pour me a glass of wine and commiserate, a husband who will sometimes come take video or show up to a horse show, a trainer who is wonderful, and some fantastic barn friends willing to check up on my horse when I can't make it out.

model status

10) What are your horse keeping arrangements?
Guinness is boarded at a facility about 40 minutes from my house. He's on field board, but the facility is a great blend of full care/ field. They don't mind switching blankets out for me, and bring him in to eat his supplemental feed every day. I love that he is on 30 acres of pasture almost all year round.

11) How often do you ride?
I try to get out to the barn 4-5 days a week during show season. Many times, those days at the barn also include multiple rides on other horses. In the winter, I'm doing good to get 4 rides in a week. Right now, I'm taking two graduate classes in addition to working full time. Unfortunately, that means my riding gets cut when I have big research deadlines looming.

12) What does being an Ammy mean to you?
I don't see being an Adult Amateur rider as an excuse to not be as good as I can be, instead I see being an Adult Amateur as a way to become the best I can be. To me, horses are a way of life and work is my hobby. I'm going back to school to make work something I love (history and art and preservation work), and at the same time I am juggling a full time job and horse with a full training and showing schedule. Being an Adult Amateur means I think I can juggle all of these things and stay happy. Being an Adult Ammy doesn't mean I'm a winner, but it does mean I'm a rounded person, with something to offer in every facet of my life.  Of course, it also means I have to work 50x harder to keep up.

13) What’s the single biggest thing that helps you achieve your goals?
I'd have to say being a morning person. I'd be lost if I wasn't able to happily get out of bed by 5:30 a.m. to go for a run, do research, and get to work early. Getting a lot of things out of the way early in the day lets me spend the evening at the barn without falling behind on everything else.



14) 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?
Plan out your time efficiently. Make sure to figure out what your priorities are, and realize how devoting more time to those things can effect other areas of your life. Also realize that those priorities can change on a weekly, or even daily, basis.

Some weeks my whole schedule gets reworked so I can finish up a paper, some weeks my riding takes a back burner to my work schedule, and some weeks I have a show coming up and nothing can keep me from the barn. I have to sit down and really think about what's important to me and make my time decisions based on that.


15) Bottom Line:
Don't let the craziness overwhelm you. I wouldn't trade in my time with my horse, or this journey for anything.

Again, thanks to Austen for participating. To (try) and keep up with her and Guinness, head over to her blog. Want to be featured on Ammy Hour? Know someone who should be? Contact me and let's talk!

Deep Breath. Hello Horse.

this horse

After a schedule that looked like lesson Thursday, day off Friday, short ride Saturday, lesson Sunday, day off Monday, I was feeling really out of touch with Courage. I'm not used to having a lot of lessons and sometimes I just need to process and do homework and see how I feel and what my horse is saying.

Had the bodywork and careful rides eliminated the bolting or was he still feeling frustrated and overwhelmed? Or in pain? Or just being an asshole?

not perfect, but not bolting. I'll take it.

So I cancelled the lesson that was scheduled on Tuesday and just went out to ride on my own instead. Alyssa was slotted to come take lesson pics, and came out anyways when I told her it was off. Photographer friends are the best!

It wasn't an exciting ride and it wasn't our best work ever. We just slowed everything down and did a simple w/t/c both ways.

Yes canter to the right.

And guess what?

I had my horse back.

he can horse again

I feel a lot better now. Courage is very expressive about life and the little guy really does get to me. There wasn't a single whiff of the behaviors he was presenting before, which means we're ready to go back to work.






In fact, he was quiet enough that Alyssa got to hop on and take him for a little spin. I mean, she probably always could, but no one makes grabby hands over... well. You know. The stuff we were doing last week.

We have lots to work on and I'm glad we're ready to get back to it.

Though now I have to ask myself: sparkle dressage bridle or jump saddle lorenzinis????????

The struggle is real.

FULL TACK HO

I accidentally started something hilarious on facebook, so instead of saying "uh oh guys I went full tack ho again (never go full tack ho)," I'm just saying this:

I hope you're half as entertained as I am.












All that to say...


Yeah for real I went full tack ho.

And bought novelty stirrups

A very valid question might be "didn't you already buy novelty stirrups?" and "how many sets of those do you really need?" and "HAVE YOU GONE CRAZY?"

To which I say:

It's true.

Anyways. All that to say I ended up with a set of limited edition Lorenzinis for a steal and I'm obsessed with them.

OBSESSED.

So beautiful. I need to get more pictures in different lighting, because they're iridescent blue and OMG THE SHINE.

They were still expensive, but that's the sort of thing I completely forget about when I'm staring at the shiny thing I've been wanting for months that is now gripped in my hot little hands.

I'm back on a buying freeze and obligated to adult again. I know. I can't do this all the time.

nuff said

New (Indoor) Horizons

all by ourselves

I've been really frustrated with riding lately because I'm not able to be consistent over fences with a trainer. There are things I'm 100% confident at (ground work, some lower level flat) and things I definitely need my hand held for (starting greenies over fences). I won't get in to the semantics of it all, but I've been considering my options and finally came up with something like a plan.

So Sunday, Courage and I had our first ever lesson with a new (to us) trainer. I'm hoping to join in on a consistent and appropriate group lesson, but G (trainer) asked if we'd be interested in doing some private lessons first to get acquainted to which I said OH HELL YES I WOULD. (Dear Bank Account: I'm sorry. Please don't hate me.)

cuz planning ahead is totes lame

I felt quite grown up with my (borrowed) rig and hauling my horse over all by my onsie, even if it's like a 4 minute drive from home base.

Oh and it was Easter Sunday and I hatched this crazy plan like Saturday morning, and thus was completely unable to procure a photographer. Oops.

Anywho. Courage semi-settled in the new to him indoors (with mirrors! everywhere!) and G immediately had us leg-yielding in and out of a circle in the walk and trot to get Courage moving his feet and loosening his back while focusing on me.

mirrors! windows! also the poles for the day

Did I mention that G started out on Thoroughbreds and does a decent business finding good ones on the track and actually likes them? All positives, imo, when you need help with a thoroughbred.

We didn't even jump as such--we walked, trotted, and cantered through poles on the ground with G making me be much more conscious of my weight/body placement. Some of the things ran counter to what I've been taught before, but that's kind of the point. What I'm doing on my own isn't working and I need new ideas. I'm giving them the ol' fashioned try. (Noted: nothing revolutionary or weird, just a different way of riding.)

proof of nose

About half way through, Courage started flinging himself around while cantering a single pole and G asked if I minded if he rode and I was like "LULZ NO HE'S ALL YOURS". I mean, Courage's antics look dramatic, but aren't hard to ride. HOWEVER, I wanted to see what G would do with them and if he could improve them. And how he and C-RAGE would get along. And all that.

Answer: quite well.

z poooooor leetle horsie gots all sweaty

G demonstrated the things he was explaining to me and rode through Courage's little tantrums and then was able to do all the exercises and let Courage figure things out. It made sense to me and it made sense to Courage.

And that's what matters to me right now. Next lesson with G is in two weeks. Lots of homework before then!

When to Sell

the wrong horse

Denny Emerson has been going on lately about the right horse and what it is and how to know. I think that is a fantastic conversation to start. I mean, when a blogger is debating the merits of their current horse, I am frequently the jackass who jumps right in and tells them to sell the horse.

As I've chronicled ad nauseam, I went through this situation with a horse  I owned when I first got back into riding as an adult. It was a dismal experience and it almost made me quit riding. But here's the thing: just because you have doubts about your horse doesn't mean you should sell. Look at it this way instead:

1) Do you look forward to riding YOUR HORSE each day?
2) Does seeing YOUR HORSE's face over the gate make your heart go pitter pat?
3) Are you happy and confident while riding YOUR HORSE?
4) Are you safe (both in your own estimation and that of relevant pros)?
5) Is your horse physically/mentally/emotionally capable of pursuing your realistic goals?
5b) If not, are you willing to change your goals to suit your horse?

If you answered yes to all of these questions, keep your horse. There is literally no reason to sell it. But wait! Go through this next set of questions too.

6) Has your horse put you in the ER/hospital?
7) More than once?
8) Do you sometimes think it would be ok if your horse had a tragic pasture accident?
9) Does the idea of doing your chosen sport with your horse make you nervous/upset/worried?
10) Do you keep your horse because you're afraid it might end up as hamburgers if you sell?
11) Have relevant professionals expressed apprehension about your ability to flourish in this partnership?

If you answered yes to questions 6-11, SELL THE HORSE NOW. Do not pass go, do not collect $200.

what dreams are made of

I know that when I first joined the ranks of re-riding adults, I had illusions of forever homes and rainbows and glitter and all, but the horse I started the journey with was wrong for me in every way and there was no one to stand there and say "WHOA. Not. Ok."

It took a long process (and hospital visits) and a lot of money wasted and finally meeting the horse of my dreams to convince me to let go.

But it didn't have to be that hard. I wasn't safe. I was scared and miserable, but I didn't have the framework to understand that because for 3 years, the only horse I rode was that one horrible mare.

All partnerships have rough patches and many of those rough patches are worth seeing through. BUT. As adult ammies, we aren't in this to save the world or go to Rolex or whatever. We're here to have fun.

So if you find yourself on the fence about whether or not your partnership is working out, here's the #1 thing I recommend: (IMPORTANT)

1) Put a timeline on it.

Last fall, Courage and I hit a seriously rough patch. I wasn't having fun. He wasn't improving. Things were getting out of hand. I wasn't unsafe, but the rides were sapping my enjoyment of horses.

So I told Courage and several friends I trusted to hold me accountable that if I wasn't having fun by March of 2015, I would sell him and find something more suitable.

That doesn't mean I gave up on him--I did pro rides and lessons and changed barns and trainers and did some time off and explored every relevant avenue because I wanted to make things work.

fav

By the time March rolled around this year, Courage and I had reached a new agreement and we are progressing happily. He's staying, but I don't regret what I said in the fall.

There will be rough patches, but they have to stay patches. If they sprawl out and seep into our perceptions of "normal" life, we very quickly find ourselves with the wrong horse in the wrong place at the wrong time. And that makes no one happy.

And if no one's happy, you have the wrong horse.

Fail Sauce

I scheduled a last minute lesson yesterday because Courage has been coming back in to work really well and I thought eyes on the ground would be nice.

Specifically, the past few weeks have been a little too stop/go/stop/back/stop/gallop sideways/stop to get any sort of rhythm going.

um hello almost a dressage position

So lesson. Courage warmed up great. Stretchy, sound, using his back, acting like his normal (good) self.

And then Courage was like "eff this shiz fo REALZ" and decided to peace out.

can't complain about this

But I rode proactively and talked him out of it and we proceeded to have some really nice work at the canter. He was a little anxious, but the more he realized he didn't hurt, the more he was willing to do.

Or so it seemed.

Alyssa wins at dressage pictures

And then Courage was like "PEACE YO"

it's what all the cool kids do

And we got demoted to the lunge line.

While being supervised by a cat.

And Courage was like "oh totes have to stay on the circle and calm the eff down now".

wednesday

Which like, he can do. 

Just fine. With or without tack on.

With zero anxiety.

So try not to think too hard about how that means this is a rider problem.

thug lyf

I made a plan with C and am instituting some equipment changes (Nice to meet you, Mr Standing Martingale. I've missed you, Ms Full Cheek Snaffle.)

And we'll be back at it eventually. But not today because vaccinations were yesterday (after the lesson) and rhythm is for pansies.

Apparently.

I mean really. Why address your problems head on when you can gallop sideways at them?

10 engagement

They'll never see us coming.

How to Borrow Tack From a Tack Ho

so many pretty things

So you're friends with a tack ho and you really want to try out some new, cool piece of equipment that said ho has. Here is a simple how-to of borrowing that should keep you both happy without sabotaging your relationship. Noted: this list has three number ones because they are equally important.

1) Always keep in mind--the reason said person is a tack ho is because they care about equipment a lot more than you do.

A lot.

more pretty things

As such, many tack hos are willing to share the love a little and let you try things out because they want everyone to understand what they love. HOWEVER. That does not mean you should ever make assumptions about the availability of equipment. That leads us to other point #1:

1) ASK FIRST.

I considered leaving this off because it's so fundamental, but plain and simple: do not use someone's stuff without their express permission. Just because it's in the tack room does not mean it goes on every horse in the barn. Or your horse, ever.

not a public collection

1) Say please and thank you. This part is so basic that it shouldn't get it's own bullet point, but  It's not rocket science. If you want to be able to borrow again, you sure as hell better be grateful you've been able to borrow before.

SPICY

2) Be mindful of your horse.

Say you have a horse that likes to over react to certain stimuli and sometimes bolts or pulls back or gets loose or does other things potentially endangering to tack.




Yes, maybe someone else's piece of equipment would fix your problem--on the other hand, maybe you'll just ruin their equipment. On their dime.

That's not cool. That segues into the next point:

i enjoy this picture

3) You damage it, you buy it.

The reason a Tack Ho has something that you don't is because said Ho laid out their own hard earned money for it because they care about equipment (see #1). If you put it on Pookiekins and Pookiekins has a complete psychotic break and the bridle gets rubbed into the fence or the boot get torn or anything else that keeps the borrowed item from being in the exact same condition you borrowed it in, it's yours.

In the sense that you either give the Ho the purchase price of the borrowed equipment or you buy them a new one. Their preference. And yes, that means you have to tell them.

again with the pretty things

4) Always wipe down tack before returning it.

Don't do a full cleaning and conditioning unless you know that you know that you know exactly how said Ho does their own cleaning on that particular piece (believe you me, it varies from piece to piece how I maintain something). It's beyond tacky to borrow something clean and return it dirty. It's also unacceptable to borrow something new and strip the color out of it or darken it without permission.

If you're not sure here, ASK.

5) Do not include negative comments about said Ho's tack when returning it.

This one boggles my mind. I wouldn't include it, but it keeps coming up. (If you're off the borrowing list, this is very likely why, unless it's something more obvious like #2).

not a loan

So you borrowed a very nice piece of equipment and it didn't work for your horse. That's ok. What's not ok is then to blame the equipment and be like "it's all wrong and what poor design and Pookiekins deserves better so glad I didn't buy this."

NO. YOU ARE OFF THE LIST.

If it wasn't bought for Pookiekins (hint: it wasn't), there is no reason it should fit him/her. If it doesn't work for you, that's fine. If the Ho who loaned you something wanted your feedback, they would ask for it.

Again, see the first #1. Tack Hos care more than you. If you're attacking their stuff, you don't understand the privilege it was to borrow it in the first place.

I think that about covers it. Anyone else have loaner problems out there?

BACK IN BUSINESS

the best at sparkles and bedroom hair

Naturally, our first ride back after about a week off included a 15 degree temp drop in the hour between leaving work and getting to the barn and an epic-level windstorm, but OMG GUYS MY HORSE CAN TURN RIGHT AGAIN. 

In fact, he was perfectly reasonable. We did lots of halt/backing interspersed with long and low trotting, as per our aftercare instructions. Courage was back to his lovely self with nary a sideways gallop in sight. 

It really is the little things, isn't it?