Whirlwind Weekend

Posted on September 15, 2014 by Britt

Faces from home: Betty, the Trakehner X Dutch Harness Horse jumper mare

Phew! After spending the weekend playing photographer to two different friends, herding rabbits, eating kangaroo, riding green ponies, and much more, I’m spent. They do say there’s no peace for the wicked though, especially when there’s a show the next weekend! And so the sprint will continue through the week, with two lessons to cram in last minute tips, finding clothes not seen in years (where the heck is that stock tie?), and in general trying to not freak out. No big deal.

Riley, my parents’ Irish Draught (Ivan) X Haflinger gelding

Luckily to ease my mind, my jump school with Foster last night went really well. I tried out a new bit to deal with his neck-balancing issues, with some success. Normally Foster goes in a full cheek Waterford for jumping, and the bit I tested was a Waterford with a baucher cheek piece. Not a revolutionary change, but I found that it did help in asking him to break at the poll, but it also lowered his poll pretty substantially. It may be a good bit to consider for showjumping in the future, but I don’t think I would use it yet for cross country at the risk of him getting a little more on the forehand than I’d like. For now, this one goes back and we’ll stick with the full-cheek version.

Waterford Baucher

Beyond that, I worked on lengthening and collecting the trot, and Foster was much more responsive to my cues than in my lesson. I set up a course at 3′ – 3’3″ to include a one stride and a big rollback. The first time I did my made-up course, I went into auto-pilot mode and just let him do his thing. Then after a swift mental kick to the butt, I actually rode the darn thing. No careening around corners, actually attempting to get the leads right, and all that jazz. It wasn’t perfect, but in general much better than the last time I practiced. We even worked on angled fences, taking a 3′ vertical from a 45 degree approach in two different directions- Foster went over it all like a champ!

Happy to see this cutie again !

So that’s my brain dump about last night’s ride. Tonight we have a dressage lesson and I hope to do a fix-a-test type ride so I can eek out a decent score this weekend!

Photography Friday: Ponies

Posted on September 12, 2014 by Britt

Yet another archive dump… Sorry again!

Anyways, horses have been an obvious subject for me as a photographer, ever since I first picked up a camera.

From the beginnings of studying photography and developing with film…

to attempting to take my new knowledge out to the races…

and all over the place photographing friends and trying to capture special moments. Trying, to capture the elegance,

the power,

the bonds,

and the sheer happiness that horses give us.

Needless to say, it’s been a wild ride, but I sure do love it!

I’m doing 2 different shoots this weekend, so I’ll have some new material soon! Have a great weekend!

Lesson Recap: Showjumping

Posted on September 10, 2014 by Britt

Luckily yesterday the rain held off and we were able to take a jumping lesson with Doug. After such a shitty Monday, I must say Tuesday turned out pretty alright. I got to see a couple horsey friends I haven’t seen in a while, and had a really good lesson to boot.

One of my main takeaways was: Stop babying the darn horse. He’s a big boy, and he’s got to be pushed out of his (our) comfort zone a bit to grow, as well as know that there are consequences when he doesn’t do something he knows how to do correctly.

Somehow looking chubby after having his butt worked

To elaborate, though…

After warming up in a surprisingly round trot (Foster is harder to get on the bit in the Waterford in general), we worked on collecting and lengthening within the gaits. At the trot, Doug told me I was focusing too much on the smoothness of the transition, and easing into it when really the exercise was about getting him sharp to my aids- when I say move, he should move! Same thing going from lengthened canter to collected- I should get a clear transition, and insist to Foster that this is possible.

At the canter, Doug threw two poles down on the long side, and we focused on putting more or less strides in between them. After I learned how to count (a very Duh! moment on my part), 5 strides felt like a forward canter, and then we worked on putting 6 in with pretty good success. We then attempted to put 4 in- not so successful, but I got the idea. This is definitely something I need to work on regularly, and incorporate into every jump school, since not only does it help with Foster’s rideability, but also gets him in front of my leg before we jump.

The first jumping exercise we did was jumping on a small circle. My job was to keep him straight through the shoulders and hold the outside rein in particular so that he didn’t overbend in the neck and then fall out. We kept the jumps small since it was a technical exercise, and both Foster and I picked it up pretty quickly.

Next we moved on to a mini course, starting with a related distance that rode in 5 strides with a forward canter. Turn right after and collect him in order to make the turn to the small oxer, and keep the collected canter and do the related distance again in 6 strides. Definitely the hardest part about the exercise was landing on the left lead after coming over the oxer and keep him balanced and collected through the turn in order to get the 6 strides in. All of this to cement in the fact that you establish the canter you want well before going through any related distance (or to any jump), so as to not be scrambling in the middle. Definitely a good exercise in preparation and thinking for me, since I tend to lose sight of these things as I run around a jump course!

Trying again with the hard bit, and Foster throwing in a flying change like I planned to do it or something (I didn’t). Thanks buddy for making me look good.

And then putting everything back together, with another flying change just for fun?

We ended on that, and I was really pleased to find Foster more ‘rideable’ than I had thought. We’ve got a ton of homework to work on, and just for my own benefit, here is the list of exercises to incorporate into our next jump school:

lengthened and collected trot
lengthened and collected canter (strides between poles)
angled fences
related distances with varying strides
rounder outline within the jumping canter

Phew! So so much to do. And then there’s the dressage lesson tonight! Busy, busy, busy!

Terrific Tuesdays…

Posted on September 9, 2014 by Britt

…Or at least that’s my attempt at positive thinking, since the only ‘M’ word I can think of to describe yesterday is Massive, as in Massive-pile-of-steaming-poo Monday.

Random photo from a happier day. Ivan and I on right.

Luckily, today is another day, and not only that, but we get another lesson from Mr. Payne tonight!

Sorry for the short post.. will have details to share tomorrow!

In the News

Posted on September 8, 2014 by Britt

This year has been an especially busy one for my career, after switching full time jobs twice already in 2014, and for my freelance “business”. I use the term business loosely, because 1) as already stated, I have a full-time job, and I like to think my days of having 14,274 jobs are over and 2) I don’t actively seek projects, they just ‘happen’ via various channels.

One of the projects that came my way earlier this year was for North Carolina’s Dressage and Combined Training Association, the state’s hub for all things dressage and eventing. Here is the old logo, next to my updated version:

And, we got a little ditty written about us in the NCDCTA newsletter!

Although logos can be sometimes the most challenging work I do, they are also the most rewarding. This one in particular is super cool, because of its state-wide use at many events that I will be attending! I hope the members of the organization love their updated identity, and look forward to more logo projects in the future.

The Weeks Ahead

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Britt

Where has the time gone? I’d been comfortably thinking of the Recognized event as being way off, and all of the sudden, I’m staring it in the face and trying to come up with a solid plan for our preparation, so as to not repeat the disastrous effects of last-minute-schooling at the Hunter/Jumper show.

Somewhat legit plan in place for next week.

Between lessons and more traveling for wedding/engagement/photography related stuff, it’s going to be very important that I stick to a schedule and not be left scrambling days before the show. I’m not sure that I’ll be able to manage any hill work or uber conditioning rides, since it seems unfair to do that either right before or after back-to-back lessons, but I believe the intensity and repetition of rides will keep him fit enough to compete. The terrain at FENCE is somewhat rolling, but part of the cross country course is on a giant hill- something new for Foster after having competed mostly in the rather flat lands of Southern Pines.

My last event at FENCE with Merry.. Dear Lord, I’m so thankful I don’t dress like that anymore.

This show will mark my return to Recognized competition, after 10 years away. To date, Foster has only competed at schooling shows. They’re cheaper, they’re local, and they don’t make me feel bad when we seriously goof. But with my pondering the decision to move up to Training level, it’s time to up the ante and see if Foster can handle a bigger atmosphere and tougher course. Also, prize money! Though I expect the competition to be stiff, I am confident in Foster’s abilities at this level and hope he puts in a pretty good performance.

Another photo from FENCE, Ivan at a dressage show

Because this event is a pretty big investment in time and money, I’ve been somewhat aggressive with our lesson schedule. Last night’s training ride will be followed by a lesson next week, as well as another session with Doug over fences. So expect an unusual amount of lesson recaps in the next couple weeks as I try to keep all of this newfound knowledge and skillz in my brain! Yay busy horsey schedule!

Saddle Fitting

Posted on September 3, 2014 by Britt

Foster got his almost brand new saddle fit to him last night, which is always a relief to me. While it seemed to fit him pretty well when paired with my cross country saddle’s half pad, I wanted to not have to do double duty with the half pad and have the saddle balanced on its own. Considering the heat index yesterday was right about 100°, both of us were glad not to have to do much work besides jogging around and making sure the saddle fit.

Foster hamming it up

Tonight, Foster will receive his first proper training ride, and I will happily sit on the sidelines and try not to melt. We thought we were getting off lucky with an unusually mild summer for NC, but I guess Mother Nature had to scorch us for a few days, nonetheless!

Southern Pines XC lesson

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Britt

Instead of competing in Virginia, as originally planned, I decided to take the weekend off. But when I heard that Doug Payne was schooling cross country in Southern Pines, I had to go along! Since I flew solo on this mission, there’s no videos or pics- hopefully next time!

While the morning did require getting up at the ungodly hour of 5:30, once there the experience was entirely worth it. Doug and his charming wife were both mounted on more green prospects, and the 3 of us headed out to the expansive cross country fields.

Competing at Running Start earlier this year

One of the first things we tackled was angled fences. After going through an in-and-out, we then took the fences at a mild angle, then re-approached the obstacle, creating a one-stride combination of the grid.

Doug emphasized at the end of our schooling that practicing angled fences would be a great tool to have in our back pocket. Pushing ourselves outside our comfort zone in practice would mean if something, heaven forbid, happened during an actual course, such as Foster getting ‘squirrely’ before a fence, that I would have the confidence to take the fence from a less than perfect approach.

Novice rolltop at an angle, then practiced the Training fence beside it

Another way of being prepared, from a technique standpoint, included the advice that I (and assuming lots of other riders) stay back, and if need be, a little behind the motion. If I start leaning at the fence, it puts my weight over his shoulders, which puts him on the forehand and makes any attempt by myself to correct straightness and balance all the more difficult. We practiced this to both a Training ditch and later, to Foster’s first real trakehner (yay, finally!), to positive effect!

Revisited this log into water

While we didn’t go out and jump every fence available (not possible, I’ve never seen so many options before in my life!), we did get to introduce new concepts to Foster. These being, to sum up:

Jumping angled XC fences
Training level ditches
Dropping into water
Confidently jumping over log into water*
Jumping a real trakehner

Foster afterwards- what a good boy!

I also got lots of good advice to keep in mind, and discovered a bit more about my own habits:

If in doubt, sit to the fence
Keep my leg on (as in ON, not kicking or ‘breathing’ as my tendency is)
Keep the canter active (nothing new here!)
Purposely remind myself to bring his balance up about 6 strides out
Dropping into water – allow my hips to go forward but keep my shoulders back, let the reins slip**

All in all, this was one of the most fun cross country schooling we’ve had. The more Foster’s confidence increases, the more I feel confident in him and feel myself relax. We introduced new concepts to him that he handled with lots of maturity- not a single bobble the whole time! Really proud of my boy and the way he reacted.

This week Foster hopefully gets a saddle fitting and a training ride (a first for the both of us!). Next week another Doug lesson, and we’ll see where things go from there as we prepare for our first Recognized event! So excited!

*This we had done before, but not on a super forward ride

** I leaned into the drop the first couple attempts at the bigger drop, and thought I was going to go swimming!

Confessions of a weenie eventer

Posted on September 1, 2014 by Britt

We had a nice weekend here, where my plan of having no plans mostly worked. I hope you all enjoyed your Labor Day festivities just as much. Also, my husband bought himself a truck!

Nothing sexier than a confident man driving a beastly truck (that I may be borrowing sometime!)

Anyways, on to the topic of today, and my pondering of contradictions. Eventers are supposed to be the crazy ones, brave enough to jump solid fences knowing the potential consequences, and just doing the damn thing anyway. Cross country fields are where we are supposed to be at home, and trail riding comes as easily to us as white on rice.

Not for this weenie.

I used to be a rock-star trail rider before I got into competing and eventing. I was lucky enough to grow up on a small farm that was a short trek from the most amazing trail system- 180 acres of broad paths up and down hills, around ponds, over bridges, and through creeks. Every day I would throw a bareback pad (or not) on my trusty Haflinger, Tanner, and head out for some R&R. We’d canter all over the place, enjoying being out and about like all was well with the world.

Rocking the barepack pads with sweatpants, on Tanner for my 14th birthday

Then one day, I was cantering Tanner down a hill, and he lost his footing and tripped. He slid down the hill on his back, chucking me into the trees. When I came to, my vision was in black and white, and the only clear thing to me were the shadows of the trees. I felt around for Tanner, who had miraculously stood up and was waiting right there, and climbed back on. I remember panicking a bit for the 10 minutes that it took my vision to come back- I was miles from the nearest person at the time. I never told my parents about what I now realize was probably a nasty concussion, but started borrowing a cell phone with me whenever I went out on the trails by myself.

Foxhunting (which is kind of like trail riding?), again on Tanner

Fast forward to my graduation to real horses, and competing for realz. I tried going out on the trails, but couldn’t trust them the way I did Tanner. They, being more sensitive types, felt my tension and would start looking for the threat they thought I perceived. Enter spooking at things that did not really exist. I just couldn’t find a way back to the relaxed trail rides, instead, trail rides meant channeling all my energy into calming myself down, which of course, is really hard to do.

Won’t trail ride, but I will swim. And be awkward, I will always be awkward.
No pics of Foster doing this, but Foster LOVES water. Someday we’ll find him a pond to play in!

To this day, I do not care for trail riding. Give me a job- warming up, jumping, focusing on maintaining a rhythmic gallop, and I’m good to go. Tell me to chill the heck out and walk around on the buckle, and I tense up. Pretty much the most contradictory thing for an eventer, but that’s me, and that’s the baggage I carry with me.

What about you guys? Do you struggle with contradictory skills? Do you fumble over cross-rails, but glory over bigger fences? Hate the grooming process, but bought a white horse?

A one-sided story

Posted on August 28, 2014 by Britt

Like most people, I find myself of the right-handed, non-ambidextrous sort. So for riding, I find that I am most coordinated and can maintain more finesse in my right hand.

Unlike most people, besides being more awkward to the left, I also I have a completely busted left side. To wit, these are the flaws and injuries that I have acquired that prevent any real grace on that half of my body.

Natural Gait
Some people toe out when they walk, others toe in. Others walk straight, and you stink. Me? I walk with my right foot straight, and my left foot toed in about 30 degrees. Walking straight lines is hard for me. I get this from my mother, who told me if I were a horse, she wouldn’t buy me (note: I learned everything about buying horses from her, and I get it- I wouldn’t buy me either 😉 ). She has, with time and concentration, talk herself to walk with both feet straight. I’m lazy and can’t be bothered. Also, I find my left leg wraps around my horse’s side better. Whatevs.

Love you too, mum, and thanks for the awkwardness.

The Ankle
Labor day of my sophomore year, my friend and I went to return her phone. Turns out my horse, Ivan, thought it looked tasty, and his molars left it irreparable. We went to the barn, whereupon Ivan decided to inflict some damage on me. Not with his teeth, but by ‘bucking’ mid-air over a sizeable fence. I made the decision to bail, and got my foot caught in the stirrup, fracturing my left ankle. One leg cast and robo-boot later, and I can still occasionally feel the effects of that injury.

Hand-grazing Ivan in the leg cast.

No worries, I still went out that night!

The Hip
A couple years later, after I had fully recovered from the ankle injury, I was jumping Ivan again when some horses started galloping around the arena. Ivan had this really fun habit of just bolting without notice, and did just that, careening around the arena. I hung on admirably about 3/4 way around before becoming unbalanced. I then somehow became clothes-lined hip first by a jump standard wing. The impact took me out hard enough that I couldn’t walk for 3 days. The Health Center said I may have broken it, and I should go to the ER. Eventers may be brave, but we’re occasionally also stupid (or maybe that’s just me). I never went, and my hip issues are the most prevalent body problems I still feel. A chiropractor said my hip injury has caused a pinched nerve, but I don’t actually know what happened- just that it hurt. A lot.