Tag Archives: dressage

Liebster Award

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So, about a month ago I was nominated for a Liebster Award by fellow equestrian blogger exechorselover. I came across her blog via a former eq club teammate’s blog and have enjoyed following the stories of her horses (including an Irish mare!) and other fun pets! So thanks, exechorseluver for the nomination!

The award is basically a way to acknowledge bloggers with readership under 200 and recognize new blogs to advance this as a form of social media. At the time of my nomination I had really just gotten into blogging (more than 1 post per month), but now that there are a *few* more people checking out my posts I’ve decided it’s time to act on my Liebster Award!

The rules: 

1. Thank the Liebster Blog presenter who nominated you and link back to their blog.
2. Post 11 facts about yourself, answer the 11 questions you were asked and create 11 questions for your nominees.
3. Nominate 11 blogs who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen.
4. Display the Liebster award logo.
5. No tag backs.

Eleven facts about me:

1. I have minors in Italian and Psychology. They do me no good on a daily basis, but it gives me great pleasure to read Italian menus.

2. I have never had a bay or (true) chestnut horse.

3. When I was a kid I used to do Elvis impersonations for fun.

4. I can’t help but pronounce the ‘ia’ in miniature… “min-eeh-ah-chur”

5. Singing is my favorite. People who know me in the real world probably know this. Outside, maybe not. Although I do have lots of hits on a random Christmas song I auditioned with! (warning: it’s super awkward!!!)

6. The Redwood Forest is the next travel destination on my bucket list.

7. HGTV is my jam. Seriously. I love it.

8. I met my husband on a Spring Break cruise in the Bahamas.

9. I was a Girl Scout for 20 years. I have my Gold Award (Eagle award equivalent) and everything.

10. Lasagna is my favorite food. My friends called me Garfield as a kid because I ate it so often.

11. I have the best friends, family, and animals ever! Wouldn’t trade them for anything. ❤ !

Eleven questions to answer:

1.  What caused you to start blogging?
I really started blogging after being inspired by the blogs I was reading- it seemed a great tool for tracking memories and progress on various projects. In my case I thought it would be great to be able to track the evolution of our house from foreclosure to home, and to compare notes in Foster’s training!

2.  What was the hardest thing you have ever walked away from?
When I first entered the job market after graduating I was applying to both design positions as well as working student opportunities (as a dressage rider). I received an offer to work in the UK for a great dressage trainer right around the same time I was offered a full time graphic design position here in NC. I accepted the position at home because my then boyfriend and furbabies were here, but sometimes I wonder what my riding would be like if I had gone! Disclaimer: I do NOT regret staying here, and am so glad I did!

3.   What do you wish would change in your every day life?
I seriously wish I could find the motivation to work out every day! Or even a couple times a week! But unfortunately I like my horse and sleep a lot better than the gym.

4.   If you review your blogs, what are you most passionate about?
Oh that’s easy- horses. 🙂

5.  If you had to start a new blog on a total different subject, or a specific subject what would it be?
I guess I would keep the same blog but rename it something more equestrian related!

6.  What was the best moment of your life?
That’s a toughy. Getting married was pretty fantastic *g*. But I can think of one moment in particular when I was so overwhelmed with happiness that I can’t forget. When we were shopping for my first horse (after graduating from the Haflingers) my mum showed me a photo of a chestnut piebald mare showjumping in England. It was just one photo, and she never mentioned it again, but I was smitten- I memorized her markings and doodled her into every notebook I had daily. Then one morning, months later, we were checking out a new barn I would be training at. We were meandering through the stalls and my mum paused in front of one. I took a peak in the stall and recognized the face- it was the same mare! I asked my mum disbelievingly if it was the same horse and she whipped out a camera and said, “It is! Surprise!” I broke down into a melting gross puddle of happiness. That was Merry, and she was a very special horse to me!

7.  Where would you live if money and family were not an issue?
Europe. Likely England thanks to the dual citizenship or Italy to practice my Italian. That would be grand!

8.  If you could be a superior athlete, what would be your sport?
Oh I would definitely stay in the equestrian world. While I don’t think I have the guts to be a 4* eventer (Training level, maybe Preliminary, will be fine for me!), I could definitely enjoy dressage or showjumping at the highest levels.

9.  What is one trait you wish you had more of that you don’t?
It would be super convenient if I liked coffee. I unfortunately can’t stand the stuff, not even the smell. Would be much cheaper than my red bull addiction!

10.  What is one somewhat unique ability you have that most people don’t?
Can we call it ‘extreme multi-tasking?’ I have a serious GO button that means I am almost often whizzing around and wanting to complete 129,837,498 things at once. I’ve learned from living with different people that not many people are like this. And thank goodness too; I think if I had to chase around after me I would shoot myself!

Or how about being an eventer that truly ENJOYS dressage? That’s definitely unique! 😀

11.  If you had only five books to read (and re-read) for the rest of your life what would two of them be?
Maybe you haven’t read my post about how much I love the Outlander series 🙂
Nerd alert! I also like re-reading Harry Potter, though I haven’t since the last movie came out.
Otherwise I think I could be happy reading anything by Jane Austen. *adding re-read Pride & Prejudice to my list right now!*

Eleven questions for you:

1. A classic- what are two things you just can’t live without?

2. What types of blog posts do you enjoy reading most?

3. If you were a car, what would you be?

4. Name your personal idol and why you idolize them.

5. What is your dream job? Or if you are already in it, is it what you expected?

6. If you had one talent that you didn’t already have, what would it be?

7. What is your greatest accomplishment to date?

8. Chocolate or vanilla?

9. Do you prefer a team sport setting or individual athletics?

10. Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

11. If you could step into someone’s shoes for a day, who would it be?

Blogs I nominate:

1. Schwooch Adventures
2. Marcey Madness
3. Live Laugh Love
4. From the Horse’s Mouth
5. Caroline Eventing
6. Alchemy Eventing
7. Capital Cowgirl
8. Miss Equestrian
9. Equestrian Bitch
10. Vet Gone Eventing
11. Redesigned by M

Thanks to everyone for reading! I hope as more and more people read they leave me comments so I can check in with everyone! It’s also nice to hear what people think about what I’m posting.  And I hope those I nominate will enjoy the Liebster award as much as I!

Finding Dressage Zen: An Update

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An old photo… looking at my boots makes me so glad I bought new ones!

A couple weeks ago we had a lesson with a trainer who emphasized relaxation in our dressage work. Since then I have been working to build the trust back into our riding, in hopes that he can relax and not be worried about every little transition we do.

I won’t say it’s been less demanding, because as a rider it has forced me to tune into every idiosyncrasy and be very finessed and finite in my aids. We’ve been doing more stretchy work and transitions from left to right bend in hoping that he will stay connected over his back more consistently. I have also been extremely aware of his tempo, after our lesson pointed out that he tends to surge forward (or get behind my leg) occasionally and it’s up to me to give him the responsibility of maintaing a steady rhythm.

While it is definitely still a work in progress, we are definitely moving forward. Last night I really started feeling the impulsion I’ve been seeking for months, and maintained relaxation with minimal bracing for most of our 45 minute ride. His right lead canter depart is finally becoming automatic again, and while I haven’t been able to convince him not to use his neck in the departs, I am confident that will come too. We were even able to do some nice straight leg yields. Ok, so maybe they were almost a western jog, but they’re getting there!

The biggest accomplishment laterally is that he in no longer traveling crooked and I can put those haunches where I want them! I am excited to really start correct shoulder in’s, haunches in, and all the other fun stuff that goes with it.

Give us a year (or 10) and we'll look just like Jim and Art Deco here!

Give us a year (or 10) and we’ll look just like Jim and Art Deco here!

Sorry for the long, winding dressage post! I’m hoping to look back on this in a month and be able to mark even more progress. Things are coming along though. Practice (and zen) makes perfect!

Finding dressage ‘zen’

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As a classic over achiever, I am constantly getting excited about the next project or goal. Last Saturday I had a lesson with a trainer where my vet could be present to discuss some of the straightness issues we’ve been experiencing. The trainer reminded me that as an over achiever and a perfectionist, it can be easy to want to do more, but for now it would be best to take the time to revisit some basics before asking for anything else. 

While I am a firm believer in the basics, and not preceding to the next level before accomplishing the one before, what is most challenging is that word revisit. We’ve done more, and if I’m honest, I was ready to move to the next level and am having a hard time because I am expecting Foster to pick up exactly where he left off.

Part of what I think is going on is this: Foster tweaked himself somehow in the field, we made adjustments and treated and now he is getting back to normal. But now he has some mental and physical baggage. Physical because he is still building strength back in his hock and mental because I imagine he needs the confidence back to know he can use it and be comfortable. Time and patience will help both. 

In my lesson, I learned that I need to not fixate on his crooked haunches and instead give him a ‘zen’ ride to help him be confident in his abilities. Transitions in particular, especially the right lead canter, get him anxious now, if only for a few steps before he comes back to normal. My job for the next while will be to help him relax through those transitions instead of making things happen at an exact moment in time. 

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Those lips are a good indicator of the relaxation we had before

This is hard for me, because I have been feeling that at this stage in our training he should be able to transition between gaits at the letter. Relinquishing some of that control will be difficult, but I can do it. And when he has learned that he can be relaxed and happy through transitions, the rest will come back, plus some.

wine being poured into glass

Maybe one of these before schooling dressage will help me find ‘zen’

So really, I am still excited about the future and think my goals of moving to Novice by the end of the year are reasonable. I just need to add zen to my everyday approach to getting there. And who knows, maybe a glass of wine before a ride wouldn’t hurt 😉

Trotting down memory lane

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A book should never be judged by its cover- we hear this all the time, and often applied to the horse world as well. But the fact still remains that there are people out there who have very strong prejudices about colors and breeds and all sorts of things. Ever heard someone say “Hell hath no fury like a chestnut thoroughbred mare”? Well, I’m not here to judge anybody’s opinions on colors, breeds, whatever, but it got me thinking about the unique horses I have grown up with over the years, and I thought I would chronicle them here for you!

Heidi (Shetland Pony)
Heidi was my first pony, I was probably 4 or so when we got her and she’s the one that started me riding and even showing. I remember riding in the walk trot classes with 20 or so other horses, and being the only pony. Definitely a saint of a pony, and she lived out the rest of her life well into her twenties with our family.

Heidi in her youth and enjoying retirement in her twenties

Heidi in her youth and enjoying retirement in her old age

Tanner (Haflinger)
We had several haflingers over the years, but Tanner was especially important to me. He was a trail riding machine, and a fantastic jumper. We foxhunted first flight together and did tons of parades, fun shows, even barrel racing! For a draft type pony this guy was super athletic and a real confidence builder for me.

Tanner in a July 4th Parade and in a Jumper Show

Tanner in a July 4th Parade and in a Jumper Show

Merry (Irish Sporthorse mare)
Merry was my first real horse. While she was probably way too much horse for me at the time, she taught me a ton. She was a straight show jumper in England and together we learned about dressage and eventing. Merry never touched a rail, and definitely had a bit of that fire-breathing-showjumper in her that never translated well in the dressage ring, but we still navigated successfully up the levels to Training. When I left for college we bred her to a Friesian stud and she produced one of the prettiest fillies I have seen to this day.

Portrait with Merry and at one of our first events

Portrait with Merry and at one of our first events

Mac (Haflinger stallion/gelding)
Mac was a stunning horse that we bought as a stallion from Ohio. He was a former National Driving Champion, but had less than 10 rides on him when he arrived. He was a super fun horse, whose naughtiness landed him as a gelding after a while. I evented him through Beginner Novice. It was always funny that he seemed to do no wrong in dressage, judges seemed to be fascinated by his dark liver chestnut color and snowy white mane. He also did very well in the breed shows in Raleigh (only time we could win money through showing) which were so much fun!

Mac, our first ride, and on the beach

Mac, our first ride, and on the beach

Ivan (Irish Draught stallion/gelding)
I was never really meant to ride Ivan, as he came to us as a two year old stud and was meant as a sales prospect. To make a long story short though, he ended up coming home as a gelding and spent the next several years with me at school. He was exceptionally talented in jumping and dressage, but had a definite naughty streak that kept me from eventing him. Ivan was a big personality though and my heart horse for a long time. He was the first horse that I was truly competitive on, and we cleaned up in local dressage shows. I only sold him because I really wanted to event and at the time, was between college and career and hadn’t a full time job to support a horse.

Ivan (the sometimes terrible) dressage and jumping

Ivan (the sometimes terrible) dressage and jumping

Foster (Oldenburg x Appendix gelding)
After Ivan sold, I of course landed a permanent position and almost immediately went on the hunt for another horse. It took months of obsessive searching, but when I first saw Foster online, I headed out that weekend to Maryland with checkbook in hand. I had been looking for a 5-7 year old with enough experience that I wouldn’t have to start from scratch again and Foster was a supposedly 3 4 year old at the time. More importantly though, he had a fantastic brain and the build I was looking for in a horse (after years of drafts I wanted something super uphill!) and the match was made. If you’ve read this blog at all you probably know that we are currently competing at Training level dressage/Beginner Novice eventing and intend to move a level in each by the end of the year.

Why we have horses

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Horses can be frustrating, heartbreaking, hell, they can be downright dangerous to be around sometimes. But to those that are obsessed with love them, the cons never really outweigh the pros. When you have a great ride, the elation that follows has long lasting effects that make riders who they are.

Tonight, Ali (my fellow equestrian partner in crime) and I had great rides. To see her on her boy Baron looking like they haven’t missed a beat and to have Foster actually in sync with me and not fighting was magical.

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So magical they damn near sprouted wings and horns

Since the show last week Foster has continued to be angry and tense in his back, compressing like a coil rather than relaxing and accepting the bit and covering any kind of ground. Yesterday we had a saddle fitting appointment where my couch dressage saddle had every bit of stuffing taken out of it and then reflocked, and we discovered that actually the half pad I ride in was hindering his shoulders more than anything. Hopefully these changes will help his off back soreness and improve his attitude.

I don’t know if it’s voodoo, but tonight is a pretty good indicator that we are back on track. That is, we are still traveling laterally on 3 tracks, but at least forward and happy in the bridle for the first time in a week, and lighter in the forehand to boot!

Meanwhile, I am so excited to see Ali with Baron in the arena. Double bonus that her husband will soon become master carpenter with our fun and exciting plans for future jumps! Can’t wait to see what more magical rides the future has in store 🙂

Baron jumping

This is what Baron thought about the roll top- can’t wait to see what he thinks of the jumps we have planned (PS can you say scopey??? or room to spare??)

Another show in Review: MacNair’s Combined Training

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After our last outing to Fenridge (read Back in the [Eventing] Saddle for details), we decided to do another schooling show at MacNair’s, a lovely farm about an hour away near downtown Raleigh. After schooling a novice sized course at home I decided to keep things simple and do a beginner novice course, as our confidence and *fitness* definitely needed improving. Thanks to the rain that hits us Sunday-Wednesday, I am so glad we decided to take that route.

Wednesday and Thursday I was able to get on and ride in the driveway, as the arenas were closed due to the rainfall. Luckily the driveway is not paved, and we were able to practice some serious walk work and even jogging lateral exercises, but nothing in the way of cardio work. So that left Friday to run through our test and Saturday to hop over some fences as a refresher, with the show on Sunday.

Sunday has now come and gone, and I write about it now in hopes that it will provide a good comparison a few months down the road. Our warm up started out alright, but as soon as I asked him to start serious work the warm up arena became a war zone of dressage riders and maiden competitors schooling fences. My normally focused, wise, horse apparently left his brain in the trailer. Preferring to watch the ponies circle round and round, he did not appreciate my nagging to pay attention, and after 20 minutes we left the warm up arena and were waved in to do our test. PS this place really is quite inviting, and even though it was busy it was much less crowded than the Fork last November where Foster was a SAINT. Also I’m quite familiar with the place having shown there many times over the years:

Ivan at MacNair's, probably 2008/9

Ivan at MacNair’s, probably 2008/9

I did my best to get him to relax, thinking about a frame that would help him stretch his neck forward and relieve the tension in his back. While there were some moments where we were successful, there were many other times when the tension got the best of us. The bright moment of the test was his walk- thanks to the practice we did this week he earned an 8. Thank goodness one gait is back to normal!

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Foster in one of the better moments of his test

Showjumping was more successful, but again Foster was spooky. Not at the fences necessarily, but at random things- like Tyler photographing, the people along the rail, the mounted sprinkler on the fence.. Again this is a little odd for him, as normally these things just don’t phase him. Anyways, as a result I felt like I needed to bring him to a trot a couple times to get reorganized. Cantering the course though was a success, with no rushing and no horrible ugly super deep (or long) spots. And he looked so cute in his green ears 🙂 In the interest of honesty, here’s the video:

I would also like to do a quick shout out to the amazing group of people that came to support me. It’s not usual that I have cheerleaders and I thought that was super nice of everyone to stand around in the sun and watch me turn into a tomato! Y’all are awesome!

Coming away from the show, we are going to focus on not fighting to maintain focus and a steady connection and lots and lots of stretching over the topline to get him loosened up. Until we get back the quality in our dressage work we won’t move up a level. But if I had to write down a schedule for the rest of the year (in pencil, mind you, as plans tend to go awry), it would look like this:

Summer XC schooling as much as possible, lessons if funds allow
Aug 24th Jumper show
Sept 15th Horse Trials @ Beginner Novice level
Oct 6th Horse Trials @ Beginner Novice level
Oct 20th Horse Trials @ Novice level
Nov 10th Horse Trials @ Novice level

What about you guys? What plans do you have for the rest of the year? Does anyone have feedback on magnesium supplements for summer-sweating-related spookiness?