Photography Friday: Alex and Bo

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Britt

As you know, I did a couple photo shoots last weekend for a couple dear friends of mine. The second of these was for my BFF (going to pretend like I’m not too old to say that), Alex. Alex and I have been buds for forever, even before she acquired Bo, the four legged love of her life. Bo is a 15 year old Appendix gelding with a personality goofy enough to match that of Alex’s. The understanding these two have for each other is inspiring and hilarious to witness- they are the perfect compliment of each other.

In the last few years, Alex has transitioned from Hunter-Jumper princess to ~~the dark side~~ eventing, and asked me to photograph Bo now that he is at the peak of fitness. Mere days after capturing these images, Alex felt there was something not-quite-right with Bo, even though he was, even to vet-trained eyes, sound. But from insistence from her, ultrasounds showed the mineralization of an old tendon injury. It’s still unclear how things will continue, but I’m all the more grateful that we were able to take these photos before that news. It all goes to show that horses are such fragile animals for all their size, and every moment we have with them is precious.

Bo marveled at my umbrella holding/camera shooting skills

As you can see, it was actually raining pretty hard- thank goodness for these beautiful crape myrtle trees!

Have a great weekend!

A trip to Hunter Jumper land

Posted on July 31, 2014 by Britt

Yup, you read that right, for the most part. A plan is currently in the works to attend a C rated Hunter Jumper show 2 weekends from now. The idea being that I have the fun habit of forgetting to think when I head into the jumper ring, and so maybe if I make multiple trips around a course in one day eventually the synapses will start firing again.

Also, remember that goal of trying to move up to Training next year? Well, getting around a 3’3″ course would be a super handy skill to have.

because right now 3’3″ still looks kind of huge…

So as I try to make sense out of the class list (seriously, where is the book “Hunters for Dummies”?!) I think I’ll be doing the following classes on Saturday…

Adult Amateur (I assume that means me) 2’9″

Low Schooling Jumper Table II 2(b) (3’)

High Schooling Jumper Table II 2(b) (3’3”)

Seriously though, this in itself invites so many questions.. Such as:

What is the (b) in the Jumper classes?
What is the difference between High Schooling Jumper Table II 2(b) (3’3”) and Child/Ad Table II 2(b) (3’3”) .. or Child/Ad Table II 1, Sec 1 (3’3”) for that matter?
Since I’m thinking of doing one hunter class, what can I wear? Keeping in mind that the only coat I own is a Dressage coat….
What constitutes a division?

And then Sunday, assuming I have made sense of the above questions, I intend to do some sort of ‘division’ at 3’3″.

Why is this all so confusing?!

Weird Wednesday

Posted on July 30, 2014 by Britt

Don’t ask me why, but I was fascinated by this music video. It’s like theatre dressage. Cool.

Happy Wednesday everyone 🙂

Lesson Recap: Dressage

Posted on July 28, 2014 by Britt

So, per my whining about needing lessons, I was able to get one in this weekend with Eliza. It was really good to check in and to verify that I have not been busy messing up my horse that last several months. Always nice to hear.

One of my concerns recently has been that Foster is not steady in the contact as much as I would like, and even having moments of dipping behind the vertical. So to begin with, we warmed up with a focus on him seeking the bit and pushing off with his hind end, rather than shuffling like he tends to do.

We also worked on the canter, which has always been Foster’s trickiest gait. Again, the focus was on encouraging an active hind end and getting the impulsion and ‘jump’ that his canter tends to lack. Some minor collection efforts were introduced to get him sitting on his butt. This proved to be the hardest exercise for the both of us, and I’ll definitely be practicing a lot!

Then we moved onto walk/trot transitions. As basic as it is, Foster still wants to use his forehand to transition, and that’s just not cool anymore. Thinking halt before moving up into the trot ideally will get him rocking his balance back and pushing off his hind leg instead of leaning into the transition.

Shoulder-ins made an appearance, and it was fun for me to see how they have improved over the last 6 months. While not yet perfect, the movement feels easier for him and more even in both directions. Our straightness has definitely improved, and I think all the lateral work we have done has helped strengthen his back left so that the work is easier for him to do.

Lastly, regarding both activating the hind end and thinking about extended trot/lengthenings, I got off and Eliza showed me how to do some in-hand work, but like the training of a horse for piaffe. Foster quickly picked up on the idea that he should lift his leg when touched with the whip, and ideally we will be able to introduce this concept at the walk as well. Eventually we will do this with his forelegs, a la the Spanish Walk, with the idea that he will get a feel for lifting his elbows and hopefully produce a better extended or lengthened trot. Super fun!

Overall, it was good to check in with all of the basics and get homework for the future. I’m glad to have these things to work on and feel some accountability for working on these goals and not leaving them on the back burner. It was also good to learn that when I feel him get heavy in my hands as I ask for more and more hind end work, I shouldn’t be afraid and for now, the extra contact is an acceptable way for him to go as he figures these things out for the first time. As Eliza put it (and this really resonated with me), Foster is very sensitive in the mouth, but a little stiff in the body. It’s always nice to hear someone put into words what you couldn’t say yourself!

Anyways, I am so happy to have gotten this lesson in, and encouraged to know that we are moving in the right direction. The rest of those many, many lessons that I want will only help!

Photography Friday: The story of Baron

Posted on July 25, 2014 by Britt

Alright, y’all. This is a photo shoot that has been on my mind and heart for a very long time before we ever picked up the camera.

Here’s why…

I met Ali and Baron when I bought Foster, as fellow boarders at the beautiful old barn I left not too long ago. Ali, an adult amateur like me, was bringing up a young horse with the intention to event. Enter Baron- a fiesty little 15.1 hh former racehorse whose sweet disposition and occasional exuberance made for an exceptional event horse in the making.

Ali and Baron have joined Foster and I on almost all of our adventures, and so I’ve watched them grow together. I saw them jump their first roll top, that first 3′ fence (both of these accompanied by exclamations from Ali that I can’t list here- did I mention his exuberance?), watched them master lead changes and find success in the dressage ring. Ali and Baron are a great pair, and it’s been joyful watching them progress so much in just a few years.

Fast forward to last April. I was riding a train through Scotland on my honeymoon, and I was reading an email from Ali about a bump that had formed on Baron’s face. We thought many things- maybe he had been kicked, maybe he had a tooth issue, but eventually the worst was thought; maybe he had cancer. A trip to NC State’s veterinary school confirmed that Baron had Plasma Cell Myeloma, a cancer that has only been diagnosed in 12 horses before. Heartbroken is the only word fit to describe that day.

Still, more than a year later, Baron has been mostly unaware of the sickness. He still does daily gallops around the field, begs for attention, and continues his normal antics. Ali was able to continue riding him for some time, until soreness in the sternum prevented him from being girthed and saddled. Now Baron is retired, enjoying his days steeped in peppermints and affection. We know those days are limited, but for now, he is happy, and that is enough.

I did this photo shoot with Ali and Baron, for two reasons. One is simply because I owe her so much- she has become a wonderful friend and I will never be able to pay her back for the generosity she has shown me over the years. The second reason, is that this horse deserves a moment to be celebrated, for all he has done and simply because he is a beautiful animal, and that is always to be celebrated.

With these photos, I attempted to capture some of the heart of Baron and the relationship he has with his owner, who is a brave, brave woman and so fully deserving of having these moments to keep with her forever.

Have a great weekend, y’all.

Getting desperate

Posted on July 24, 2014 by Britt

For a lesson, that is. I feel like I’m at a point in Foster’s training where I’m chasing my tail. Instead of progressing forward, I’m routinely checking in and picking at tiny nuances that are appropriate for the level we’re at. Case in point- I’ve been meaning to work on lengthenings ALL YEAR. Have we? Nope!

Getting Foster ready for another lengthening-less ride

So I’m ready for a lesson. Many lessons, in fact. Even if it’s temporary, I would like to start some kind of program where we are pushed to work on things outside our comfort zone. Like jumping combinations, and lengthenings. How the fritz am I supposed to move up to Training if we aren’t even practicing Training level things? Corners, coffins, triple combinations… I mean hello?! Wake up Britt and smell the sawdust- it ain’t happening at this rate.

Mane is show ready finally, with no show in sight

In an effort to get on the right track, I have a dressage lesson scheduled for Saturday morning. It’s been since December when I last saw Eliza, and I am very curious to see what she thinks of where we are now. And I am a little ashamed of not progressing much in the last 6 months. I guess craptastic weather + traveling + new barn + weight loss + mystery swelling are excuses, but still…

Also, my horse is a dirty pig. Another good excuse for not lessoning?

But I did say *many* lessons. And since 1 lesson does not many lessons make, I am on the hunt for what to do. Since I am gone every weekend in August (that’s right, every. weekend.), trailering out to our regular lesson place is not an option. So, I may be looking to what’s available at my current barn. Lots of trainers come in for various boarders, and I’ve just got to choose who to ask. But herein lies a question- is a lesson a good thing no matter what, or does it really matter who the trainer is? When you are desperate for feedback, does it matter who the eyeballs belong to? What do you guys think? How do you decide?

Photography Friday

Posted on July 18, 2014 by Britt

This weekend I will be doing a couple fun horse-related shoots for two wonderful friends and their equines who have been been on some rather eventful journeys. The first, Ali and Baron, is a rather poignant event. Here are some photos of Baron that I have taken over the past couple years.

Hug your horses, friends, and have a great weekend.

Riding Guilty

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Britt

Pair weddings/new job/actually-trying-to-see-friends-before-they-forget-I-exist with summer evening thunderstorms and really, I haven’t ridden much recently.

But here’s the crux- even when I know that it’s not safe, and it looks like God is getting ready to shower the earth with lightning bolts, I have to have an external discussion with someone (poor husband) justifying why even riding in a covered arena in a thunderstorm is bad news bears. Metal horse shoes, in a metal container, sounds like a bad idea to me. Plus walking the horse outside, however briefly, to get to the covered arena leaves me wringing my hands. But still, I won’t feel better until I have a ~~slightly scared~~ person on the other end nodding that yes, I am making the right decision, and no, my horse won’t fall to pieces if I’m not there to save him. Last night I actually needed two such persons. Yikes.

Foster loves his cuddles. And I swear my nose does not look that beaky normally.

Pretty much, I always feel guilty if I can’t ride, even if I have a stellar excuse not to. I know it’s my responsibility to keep him fit, that we won’t move forward without practice, and basically my horse loves a good cuddle, and it makes me feel like a bad person when I don’t see him for a long time.

Am I alone here, or does anyone else out there struggle with the guilt of not riding? How do you balance those feelings with having some kind of social life? Or how about balancing those feelings with basic things like a normal sleep schedule, and eating?

Posh Polo Bachelorette

Posted on July 8, 2014 by Britt

The other weekend I had the honor of co-hosting a dear friend’s bachelorette event. In the interests of all thing horses (the bride-to-be is also an equestrian), we centered the event around a local polo match, featuring a wine tasting for the guests. Even those of the non-horsey variety enjoyed watching horses and riders thunder across the pitch, all while sipping and being educated on wine and cheese pairings.

Of course to go along with such an event, we laid out a spread that would be both prettily feminine and pay homage to the elegance of the occasion. So we started with the invitation I designed…

… and decided to run with a theme of mint chevron with subtle pink embellishments. Probably the most fun in planning the decor was picking the florals! Garden roses, hypericum, irises, dusty miller, and hydrangea, among a few other varieties, gave the tables the air of an afternoon tea party.

Mint chevron runners that A hand stamped also adorned the table, and each guest had their own hand-monogrammed wine glass for the wine tasting. The bride’s glass, of course, had her new monogram printed on it!

Between chukkers (timed segments of a polo game) and after wine tasting, we all played fun games around marriage advice and honeymoon packing for the bachelorette, and nibbled from the smorgasbord of goodies available.

And let’s not forget the cheese! Each cheese was labeled, in case there were others beside myself who couldn’t recognize a gouda from a gruyere without tasting it (and maybe not even then!).

At the end of the match, the bachelorette had the honor of presenting the winning team with their awards as a crowd gathered ’round to watch.

And then as a party, we were able to snap a photo with the two MVP’s, of both the four-legged, and two-legged kind.

And so ended our horsey, winey, bachelorette event! I think it’s safe to say, a good time was had by all, and I felt lucky to meet many of the bachelorette’s lovely friends, and look forward to seeing them again in a few weeks for the wedding! See you all soon!