Catching Up: The Horse

Posted on July 3, 2014 by Britt

I have been more than remiss with this blog for the past week, and so, I apologize. The good news is, a lot has been going on and so I have stuff to talk about!

Sorry y’all!

Since our 3’9″ awesome-tastic jumping efforts a little while ago, things have gone a little downhill. As has happened in the past, summer has stolen a tiny part of Foster’s brain and run away until Fall. So, since I hemmed and hawed over a Calming supplement last year, and never did it, I’ve bitten the bullet and ordered SmartCalm to try out for the season. The theory, as I’ve been told, is that in the summer the horses sweat a lot (duh), and through the sweating process magnesium leaves the body. Magnesium is an active ingredient in calming supplements, and a supplement will help replace the mineral faster than the horse would normally replenish it. Hence, more sweat = more crazy/twitchy horse, more magnesium = calmer/less spooky horse that hopefully I won’t want to kill. We’ll see how it goes.

Please, please work!

In other news, I also received my new saddle! It is oh so beautimous and pretty and shiny and new! I’ve ridden in it a couple times, and while I feel fine posting in it, I am still trying to create the muscle memory for sitting the trot. My legs in my old saddle definitely crept forward into a chair seat, so that is what I am trying to fight with the giant thigh blocks I now have. Will take some time, but the end result will be oh-so worth it!

Other than his spooky moments, Foster has really settled into the new barn and we are loving the rubber footing! Between that and the new saddle (which really makes Foster lift his back in a way I haven’t felt before!), I think he is a happier horse already. Just hoping we will get back on track with the spookiness, and then I think this summer will be a positive one for our training and progression. At least here’s hoping!

New, new, new

Posted on June 24, 2014 by Britt

That is- new job (which of course y’all know about), new saddle (squee!), and new accomplishments!

How ’bout them knees?!

Today is my last day as an Experience Architect. It’s been really neat learning the proper in’s and out’s of user experience (how users interact with websites, and developing interfaces and interactions that make the web experience as optimal as possible), and it’s satisfied my curiosity and hunger for delving into the psychological aspects of design. However, I’m really excited to get my hands dirty in Photoshop and push pixels once more! My new role will encompass print, presentation, and web design, as well as brand development and a whole slew of other fun things- they do say variety is the spice of life!

Because Patrick Stewart in any meme is a win

In other news, I bit the bullet and bought myself a new saddle. I feel like I’m being adventurous, as I bought it on ebay, so I’ve got my fingers crossed that it arrives to me in the mint condition it was advertised as. This puppy has supposedly been sat in 4 times, and was offered at less than 50% its retail value- I’m taking a gamble on it, and I hope it’s a good one! It’s a Prestige D2000- as much as I love the Optimax model, they are hard to find! I think these thigh blocks will be super helpful in getting my leg where I want it though- can’t wait to sit in it!

My preciousss

And then lastly, last night N gave me another lesson. After the frustrations of last week, we decided to do a gymnastic and try and have fun with it while letting Foster find a spot on his own, so I’d stop picking at him for the deep spot. A little trial and error, but here is what we ended on!

That’s a new record for us- 3’9″! Foster handled it so easily, it’s exciting to think that 4′ may be within our reach, and Prelim might be possible after all! The adrenaline was really going, and the ride was definitely a confidence builder and I’m thankful to N for pushing us to make it happen!

3’9″!

I am so stoked about the last couple days, and the changes to come this week. It’s a balm to the soul to know you have good friends, an honest horse, and to think your career is heading in the right direction, and to say I’m feeling so blessed is an understatement. So very thankful!

What’s in a name

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Britt

A couple days ago Eventing Nation posted a fun article about horses with names that come to mind after 5. While I am not the most superstitious person, I grew up learning that there are a couple things that will bring luck to a horse- one being big ears (big ears make big jumpers!) and alcoholic names.

Scrumpy Jack, named after a British hard cider

So of course when I got Foster (then named Pilgrim- lady did you not read The Horse Whisperer?!), I started thinking about what boozey name I would brand him with. On The Rocks was taken, Kahlua and Creme too girly, so I looked to my favorite liquor- whiskey, for inspiration.

Kentucky Gentleman is my husband and I’s go-to whiskey for a nice mixed cocktail, or night out camping, and I think it’s a perfect fit. And since neither Kentucky nor Gentleman really rolls off the tongue as a barn name, we’d call him Foster for short. That’s Australian for beer 😉

So what about you guys? How did you come up with your 4 legged friend’s name? Was it planned, or did it happen in a more organic manner?

You know you’re a nerd when…

Posted on June 18, 2014 by Britt

You say you have to leave early from a social engagement, because you really have to find time to read today. Yeah.

So if I’m a little quiet at the moment, it’s because every other thought is devoted to the newest Outlander book. Oh, you haven’t heard of Outlander? Let me tell you all about it… Highly recommend, especially if you need time off from ~~life~~ horses and enjoy a well researched historical fiction with the best character development ever. EVER. Alright, I’ll stop.

Unfortunately cheesy title, otherwise COME TO ME, MY PRECIOUS

Other things I keep thinking about- how I turn my agency/I’m-not-a-hipster-but-I’m-still-kinda-cool wardrobe that I’ve been building up for the last 5 months into a business professional getup once more. (Read between the lines: SHOPPING!) While there’s no strict dress code at the new job, I will be working in the Executive building with all the fancy people, and I’m pretty sure my collection of different colored jeans isn’t going to cut it. Dern.

Speaking of spending money, I have been debating on shucking out the dollars and investing in some fly gear. My fly sheet is just too thick for Carolina summers, so we’ll start with some new fly boots to help the pony keep those pesky bugs off his legs.

And they come in green?!

Otherwise, since I can’t give Foster the time off that it would take me to finish the afore-mentioned monster book, I’ve still been riding and working a bit to keep him in shape. Thankfully, N is still around and was willing to give me my little lesson last night. Unfortunately I’d had kind of a crap day at work and came into the ride wanting the perfect day-saving ride that of course never happens when you really want it. Not that Foster was bad, actually he was great and did everything I asked of him. But I picked at him and was over-riding the jumps, and as I result we consistently got distances that were deep, deep, deep.

Rather deep than this! Ahh!

Luckily N knows me well enough to tell me to take it back a notch and have fun, and just let the jumps come to me instead of finding the deep distance. All things in time, and it’s good advice that I will take to heart. The next couple days are going to hit the upper 90s, and so Foster and I are going to get a little break and I’m going to work on my attitude! A little bachelorette fun is also on the menu for this weekend, and I think that will be just the ticket for turning that frown upside-down! Can’t wait!

Post-Move 2

Posted on June 16, 2014 by Britt

Our move was not quite as un-eventful as I was hoping, since my horse who normally jogs onto the trailer with much enthusiasm decided he was not going to get on. At all. The only thing I can think of that might have started this is at that barn, the trees that line the driveway have not been trimmed in ages, and I’ve noticed him spooking when we drive on or off the property, since the limbs poke into the open sides of the trailer as we pass. I mentioned this to the barn manager, who said he would take care of it, and I suppose future boarders will now benefit from it- but poor Foster is going to have to revisit his self-loading skills so that we don’t spend 20 minutes arguing about getting into the grey box of death.

Sorry, rant over.

So far he seems to have really settled into his new home. He’s got a nice big stall with a fan, and a door he can stick his head out of, which I think makes him happy. He even gets to share a barred wall with a cute little Arab mare.

His pasture is small by some standards, but I think it works well for Foster who is used to going out by himself. Again, he’s sharing a fence line with some mares, and definitely gets to see plenty of other horses around him.

The facilities at this barn are the nicest we’ve had access to- a covered arena with mirrors, which I love/hate (only hate for the moment, in that I haven’t seen myself ride in so long, and ick! Lots of things to fix!!!), and the jumping arena, both with recycled tire footing.

Tomorrow we will have a little jump lesson with N, and it will be our first ride out in the jumping arena. Hopefully it goes well! If I have the time, I’m going to try out the new toy the husband got me for my birthday- my own GoPro camera! Looking forward to many future helmet cam videos!

I got a Spiderman balloon too 🙂

We’ll be taking a break from showing, or at least Horse Trials, for a while, mostly because 1) I turn into a tomato when I ride in the heat, and passing out is not cool, and 2) I’ll be too busy with weddings and bachelorette stuff to squeeze in a show! So for a while it’s going to be all about lessons and if I can possible get in to some jumping shows (even if it means trying Hunters!), I’ll be doing that. I need to get myself in a jump arena and remember how to ride!

Speaking of riding, I have a lot of cupcakes to work off… yum!

So I apologize in advance if there are not quite as many horsey posts, as life will be taking over this summer and horses will take ~~a little bit of~~ a backburner position. Should be lots of adventures coming up, nonetheless!

Deja Vu

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Britt

Poor pony finally gets some shoes back on today, because the farrier has dealing with some serious personal challenges that are definitely more important than shoes. Sending prayers his way.

Barefoot pony…

Otherwise, we brave continue to brave the heat and humidity (heat index of 100 yesterday- gross) this week and wait to move to our new barn on Friday.

Preview of the new barn’s jumping arena

And then the last piece of news, that answer to your burning questions about the post’s title… I got ~~another~~ a new job!

You’re probably thinking, didn’t you just start a new job? Didn’t you just move Foster to your barn? Well, yes. And here I am, mere months later, doing it again. I had a job offer from one of the best companies in the country, and there’s no way I would turn it down. If I’m lucky, this job will be my last. More details to come later, when I get started in July 🙂

So once again, life is changing it all up and there will be new routines to get into, new friends to make, and certainly new adventures to go on! Stay tuned!

Show Recap: Fork CT

Posted on June 9, 2014 by Britt

Saturday seems like a crazy blur in my mind, it all happened so quickly! Maybe the time went by so fast because my watch died en route to the show (I kid you not- talk about bad timing, har har), and so I had very little grasp on what was happening when.

Dressage
After getting to the show and letting Foster munch on some hay for a few minutes (he doesn’t eat in the trailer, but digs into the same hay net at the show- weird?), we got tacked up and boogied on down the road to the show arenas. The horse I had for the day was surprisingly fresh, and just a little tense. Still, I liked the energy I had, even though he was being a little fussy in the bridle. I decided to post the trot to allow his back to come up and release some of the tension in his topline, and I think this was the right decision.

Our test felt pretty good. The couple places I know we could improve are in one corner that I didn’t prepare enough for, and those dern canter transitions. The stretchy walk didn’t have its usual stretch either, partially because Foster got distracted by the jumping going on right in front of him. Looking at the test, the judge nailed us on this- just think of what our final score would have been otherwise! Also, you’ll notice that he decided to step out in our final halt- bummer! On the bright side though, I thought the test was more forward than CHP and that in general, he was straighter and more obedient to my leg. The test earned us a 31, good for 3rd after being trumped by a stunning 20 and 24 in 1st and 2nd place.

Showjumping
Showjumping is the most blurry part of the day. After being distracted by the comings and goings of the day, I didn’t find time to walk the course before jumping. Go figure that it was probably the most intense showjumping course we have done to date. Serious bending lines, intense roll backs, and no less than 2 one-stride combinations. What the what?! I thought we were doing Novice! Walking the course was pretty much vital here, but I did without. Where I regretted it most was in the rollback from 5 to 6AB (a one-stride)- you can actually hear my “Geez!” trying to make that turn and get straight into the one-stride. Because of our disorganization, he didn’t find his spot to the first fence and then brought down the second element rail with his hind end. Add to that, a sprinkling of cross-canter, because that’s what Foster does at shows, and that was our course.

Leg needs to be more forward, but otherwise getting better! Also.. does this look big for a Novice fence to anyone?

Cross Country Schooling
After all of the memory-taxing activities were over, we went out to the cross country course! I wasn’t sure how many jumps would be available, since the Fork seems to employ mostly portable XC fences in their course. There definitely was not an endless supply of fences, but there was enough to play over, given that Foster was already somewhat tired from dressage and showjumping. So we played around the water complex for a while, and Foster was an absolute champ over everything. I felt like I was actually riding, instead of coasting around to the next fence like I had done in showjumping. With a smile on our faces, we called it a day and headed for home.

Upbank combination:

Water-upbank-fence:

More water complex fun:

Impression on the parents
I think it’s safe to say that Foster redeemed himself this weekend. He put on his game face for sure, and showed off his chill demeanor and sweet disposition. While you can hear my mother’s gasping and um, other exclamations on the videos, she was impressed by his rideability and quietness. Bonus, that Foster did right by my sister as well, even ponying her back to the barn. I wish my dad was able to meet Foster, but it was not meant to be. Also, unfortunately, Foster managed pulled off both front shoes in the water complex, so he will be having the next few days off anyway- he earned it!

All of us with Foster at the end of the day

Pre-Show Prep Part III: Getting Prettyfied

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Britt

When you have a grey horse, or a horse that is 50% white, like, I dunno, Foster, getting ready for a show takes a little more effort than just knocking the dust off.

When you have a horse that loves to turn himself green, brown, and other sordid colors, like, I dunno, Foster (!), getting white white becomes a whole ‘nother story!

Ick, just.. ick.

Luckily, friend A was a professional groom in another life, and has spent much of our shows together teaching me the fine art of not-looking-like-a-redneck-hoodlum. A.k.a, how to groom your white horse 101.

Step 1: Shave the legs
This is a step that has to happen long before the show, maybe even before the entry goes in. About 1-2 weeks out, so the hair has a bit of time to grow back and avoid lines, I clip all 4 legs, blending the hair at the knobby parts so it’s not as obvious. Foster [used to] love laying down in his stall, and so stained knees were a trademark of his. Clipped legs make these stains easier to get out, leaves less hair for dirt to cling to, and overall provides a nice, sleek silhouette that helps the overall picture.

Step 2: Pull the mane
This is kind of a ‘duh’ for anyone showing in the English disciplines. While admittedly I am super lazy in the winter and let the mane grow to John Wayne pony lengths, for shows I like the mane to be about 5-6″ long.

Step 3: Trim the face
I know it’s becoming increasingly popular for chin whiskers in the dressage ring, but I personally prefer the well-manicured look of a trimmed up profile. Nose, jawline, bridal path, and if I feel like it, ears, all get the buzz cut treatment.

Foster got his cute little nose buzzed last night

Step 4: Wash the pony
Kind of a no-brainer here, but again, definitely required for a mostly white pony like Foster. Scrub-a-dub-dub!

Step 5: Purple the pony
This is the fun part. I fill up a small bucket with water, and pull out the handy-dandy Blue Lotion. Dab the dabber into the water until the water turns a deep purple (it doesn’t take much). Then, sponge the purple water all over the pony, until pony is as purple as a My Little Pony. Scrape off excess water, and let dry. If the tail is white as well, dunk that into the purple water as well. Ideally, we do this process the night before, and wake up to find a beautiful, sparkling white steed in the morning!

Best friend to white horses everywhere.

Post-purpling Foster- look at that white!

Step 6: Braid the pony
Another big ‘duh’, depending on what type of show you are going to. The fun part about braiding a paint is mixing the colors together! It does mean you need bands (or yarn, if you’re skilled- I’m not) in multiple colors though.

Step 7: Powder puff
Right before stepping out into the dusty show ground, Foster’s legs get a big puff of baby powder. Again, this helps them stay white and keeps the dust at bay. I’m not a big fan of show sheen because I hate the slippery feeling of it, but I think at a really nice show I would show sheen too at that point.

Powder puffed legs in action

And there you have it!

Pre-Show Prep Part II and other news

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Britt

Tonight I have A coming to watch me jump and hopefully not flub all my distances, so I really don’t have anything exciting to report as far as our rides. I left off dressaging on Monday since I was too lazy to put the stirrups back on my dressage saddle and hopped over some 2′ fences, which we mostly did get our distances to, but being 2′, didn’t really make me feel wonderful going into the show.

Saddle has no leathers on it because I finally listed this puppy for sale!

But nonetheless, I’ve been thinking about my typical pre-show week and I’m once again wondering what everyone else does the week before the show. I heard your post-show routines, and loved hearing everyone’s approach!

Here’s my ideal pre-show week…

Monday: Dressage, riding through the test
Tuesday: Dressage it up again (after all, the dressage test can make you or break you at this level!)
Wednesday: Jump! Schooling (preferably) higher than we would at the show (in order to make show jumps look itty-bitty)
Thursday: Foster gets the day off while I spend my day writing uber long lists about what to bring
Friday: Light dressage, focusing on transitions and relaxation. Pack everything humanly possible into truck and trailer

Now, obviously I’m already not sticking to the above plan, having not done dressage since last Friday, and I’ll be riding tomorrow instead of Tuesday, but the above schedule is our ideal. Something I have learned to live by is to not ride through my complete tests the couple days before the show. I find that whenever I try it, I put too much pressure on getting it perfect and get frustrated when things don’t go as planned. Instead, I find my time better spent mentally riding the test, revisiting the pattern in my head and making mental notes about establishing bend in a corner, or allowing him to move forward on a diagonal- that sort of thing.

Foster gets his window opened occasionally, since he has proved to us that the door makes a good foot rest

Foster gets his window opened only occasionally ever since he has proved to us that the door makes a good foot rest

In other news, I’m moving Foster to a new barn next week. Suffice it to say that the current situation just isn’t working out, and I would prefer Foster to be in an environment that supports our competitive ambitions with performance horse feed and footing, and offers a stable (no pun intended) turnout/stall routine. At the current barn, the horses come in only in super hot/cold weather or rain, and Foster and I both miss the routine of knowing when he will be in/out and getting some time to veg out in his stall. I’ll be moving him next Friday, and I sincerely hope we are done moving for some time after that.

For now…

Fork CT Show Prep

Posted on June 2, 2014 by Britt

Somehow, it’s June already, and the Combined Training show that seemed so far away is now just days off.

Right now, I’m feeling a lot of pressure, and I know it’s because I will have an unusual audience this weekend- my family. While my mum has come to a couple of my horse shows over the past several years, it’s basically been since high school that my parents really came to watch me compete. It should be noted that my mother taught me almost everything I know about horses, and spent many, many years successfully reselling OTT TB’s, and then running a just as successful warmblood breeding program. Her good opinion means a lot to me.

Mum meets Foster for the first time, about 30 days into my owning him

Add to that, that the last time my mother saw Foster a couple years ago (she’s only met him twice), he decided to be an uncharacteristic brat and actually ran away (kind of) with my sister. So we’ve got to prove that I did not buy myself a crazy, pig headed animal and that he is in fact the awesome-tastic beast that we all know and love.

After his bout of naughtiness, I give my sister a mini-lesson and we ended on a good note!

After being a naughty pony, Foster calms down and teaches sister about stretching.

So, I’m trying to tell myself to keep it simple, stupid, and stick with the plan of having just a couple goals for the show. The first is to again ride every corner, every turn, every fence. While my parents know I can be a ditz, let’s not go showing it off for them! I’m going to change up my warm up a little by doing a little less stretching (like, 10 minutes instead of 20) and incorporate some bright transitions instead.

And then for jumping- maintain a forward but uphill rhythm to each fence. This in addition to last show’s goal of soft elbows. I had an absolutely craptastic jump school this weekend (not his fault, but mine), which has made me lose confidence a bit, so this week I am going to get A to come check me out jumping and make sure I don’t eff up my horse before the show. Ugh.