Random Thoughts about Horse Riding and Showing in 2020

 2020, it's been a year of ups and downs, panic and fear, suffering, trepidation, patience, kindness, happiness and that is just from horse back riding.  I learned new skills, techniques and got  out of my comfort zone which gave me excellent foundation for the two shows I participated in the latter half of the year. I spent the first half of the year on injured reserve. I tore my Achilles tendon on my left foot at the 2019 End of the Year show and spent about 4 months recovering from that. Instead of riding Silver bareback I rode him in my dressage saddle  without stirrups. I wasn't going to give up actual riding for 4 months. So i "schooled" dressage for about 6 weeks, mainly sitting trot. I got brave and cantered a few laps.  
it was time well spent as I just got to fool around with my horse and watch my kids ride. My daughter had to sit out the last couple of horse shows in 2019 because of "growing pains", it's a real thing. Her muscles and tendons/ligaments had not caught up with her bones, so she was in a lot of pain. 

We were lucky our state and county considered horse back riding exercise. We were able to go to the barn several times a week. We got exercise but most importantly we got human contact from outside our family. We got to socialize! Very important for everyone to socialize.  Horse people know how to distance socially especially around horses, if you don't maintain proper distance, there is a fairly good chance your horse is going to kick another horse. Maintain at least one adult horse space, or two ponies space from each other. 

I was released for riding in June, yay! Just in time for hot weather. I still had to be careful with not over stretching my left leg. It's not easy remembering not to put your left heel down while riding especially when it has been so ingrained over a lifetime, but pain was a quick reminder.  I used my 3 foot tall mounting block to get on and off the horse while injured. And now my horse now walks over to the mounting block at the end of the ride.  It helps both my aching knee and feet not to slam down on them.   

AFter slugging, er, I mean riding through the hot, humid summer, I was ready to start competing.  But my trainer does not like to show in the summer, too hot and humid. It's hard on both horse and rider.  My husband decided to go to his second competition this year in October. Everyone in my family was riding in the competition but me. I didn't bring any show clothes because this was my hubby's time in the show ring, not mine. Well, I regretted not bringing any show clothes because the division he was in didn't have enough riders in it, so I got up early Saturday mornin, drove to Dallas from Tyler and returned to the Tyler Rose Horse Park late Saturday morning, so I could ride in the division.  It was well worth it, the fences just came so easily. We got all our strides and even our lead changes. Silver was like point me in the right direction and I'll make everything happen. And it did.  It was a two day show but it was the best ride I had ever had over fences in that division.  We didn't do as well on the flat. My husband beat me on the flat!  But I won Champion of the Rusty Stirrups division. 

The end of the year show proved to be a bit more challenging for Silver and I. Even my husband had trouble with Scout. Scout seemed to decide that he was going to go fast over the course. I'm proud of my husband for staying the course and not giving up on his horse or the show. 

the last day of the show, my husband and I entered the 18" equitation classic. I was scared to death. My earlier hunter rounds were terrible in the Rusty Stirrups division. I could barely get Silver to move faster than a tranter and he practically crawled over the fences, even the judge was telling me to use more leg - true story. I pushed through my anxiety about the Classic and ended up third, true I was beaten by an 8 year old but I had a lot of fun in the ring. I got Silver off my leg and I was determined to make every fence and lead change work. No trantering and crawling over fences for us, baby!

So after analyzing myself this year, I realize the longer I wait for a show, it seems the worse I do. My trainer will enter me into a division on a lark and I usually do well. I believe I am over thinking it and scaring myself. I won the Rusty Stirrup division because I wasn't there to win, only to help fill up the division. The end of the year show, I was there to win and the pressure I put on my self caused me to not do as well as I could. Perhaps I should drink a couple of sips of whiskey before I enter the show ring. I'm not sure how to relax during a competition. If showing is about having fun, why do I want to barf?

When Silver is balanced, collected and uphill, all our spots to the jumps become effortless. I have to remember to sit back, half halt when necessary and wait for the jump.  I like to jump ahead and "help" Silver jump. I need to remember it's his job to jump it, it's my job to get him to the right jump and patiently wait. And my helping him, actually hinders him. Sunday told me to work on getting him off my leg and not get behind it. which is really a nice way of saying, stay in rhythm with your horse. Be connected, be one. 

In the Zone

My riding takes a back seat to everything else. Which is normal for moms, I think. Family comes first. Riding is my therapy.
I had to take time off in February because it rained...a lot...and the barn where I board doesn't have an indoor arena. It does have a beautiful outdoor arena but I don't ride in the rain if I can help it.  Then came March with spring break. We went on a wonderful Disney cruise around the Caribbean. The day we get back in town, my sister in law comes to stay with us for two weeks.
So I finally get out to the barn and my horse has gone lame.  Poor guy had an abscess in his hoof...from all that rain...I had planned to ride in a horse show the weekend he went lame, so quick find a horse for Charlotte.  I tried out the new schooling horse, Tilly but I was unsure that we were a good fit. She has a lovely collected canter but her jump was different from Silver. I wasn't getting it.  The next horse was Elijah. My husband really likes riding this horse. He can sit is canter. And I'll be danged if I can't sit that less than smooth, uncollected canter.  But after a couple of weeks of riding him, I was starting to have problems over fences with him. So I got to ride Gypsy. I have been a little skeptical of Gypsy because the first time I rode her, she ran off with me.  I have fallen for this mare. She is wonderful and got me to enjoy jumping again. Really enjoy jumping.

After my 6 week hiatus from riding, I was a bit intimidated about riding a full course. Even though I had been jumping at 2 feet in the fall.  I could ride one maybe two jumps at a time with some trepidation.  I was blessed to be in a group lesson with two more experienced riders. My trainer set up a grid. It scared me but I enjoyed watching Amy and Michaela jump the grid.  Kelsey offered the grid or a line of two jumps.  I decided to feel my fear and do it anyway. I was assured that all I had to do was set Gypsy up and she would easily do the rest.  And she did!  I just stayed balanced and she jumped them all.  So I did it again that lesson.

 And I did it again another lesson, another grid...I figured  I could jump 5 jumps at one time, or 5 jumps in a course, just get it over with. And the more I jumped the grid, the better I got and the more I relaxed. And then suddenly I could do courses without freaking out.

And then Silver got better and we started having fun. True he kicked his heels up after some grid work and he crop hopped after a jump but he was happy with himself! And I stayed on! And I was happy with myself. And we did some flying lead changes, he hops a bit and I feel like he's bucking but I'm starting to get used to it.  Now that I know he's not trying to buck me off, I'm good with it and I tell him I'm happy about it, instead of slowing him down we keep going forward.

post schooling show

My first time back in my new saddle since the horse show I participated the day after my birthday.  I placed twice. I think Nathaniel liked that I had actually gotten a green ribbon. He loves the color green. He immediately took my ribbons and hung them in my closet with my ribbons from the Hidden Lake show in October.
I got 5th place out of 6 even though my horse trotted instead of cantered to the left.  My choice. I wasn't feeling it.  The horse that placed 6th apparently, cantered/galloped around the ring at break neck speed. I did get my right lead canter and it was a nice, pleasant pace. And I didn't fall off - that was a big plus.
My last class, was my best ride of the day and I didn't place. I'm not too chapped about that. It was an open equitation class: I competed with western, hunt seat and saddle seat equitation riders.  The riders who won all rode Arab/Half Arab horses.  Guess who didn't win? The rider on the Thoroughbred.... Nevertheless, Silver gave me a great canter in each direction and he was truly fun to ride.
So my trainer told me, we were going to start cantering in lessons. I have cantered about 3 times since my accident in late July. Not out of fear, not at first, but for pain...in the back...can't feel my left leg...ouch.

so today, she had me ride in the round pen because I was using a new bit, a full-cheek-copper-dr-bristol and we needed to work on transitions before cantering.  Also, the smaller ring would instill a bit of security for me at the canter....or so she thought.

For a horse who won at the track, he is not a fast mover, except in the show ring. So I'm in the warm up area at the NTC show and she is yelling more leg, more leg. And we get into the ring and it's Katie bar the door, whooshing around the ring, and she's yelling "sit back, sit back" because I have totally freaked out and I'm sitting too far forward. I thought I needed to sit in line with my stirrup bar.  Once I actually sat back, I rode tremendously better and my horse was easier to ride.  I no longer felt the need to revise the lyrics to Amazing Grace:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me,
I pull at the reins, you're driving me insane,
when will this class end...please slow down,

you get the picture...and only my horse and the show photographer can hear me...But I AM BREATHING...
if ever there was an example of what not to do, I did it. Certainly not  balanced riding. Once I got my posture correct, everything else, just fell into place.

Back to today's lesson in the round pen. Pushing Silver at the trot to encourage forward momentum can be a very tiring thing. Usually, I ride with a crop to enhance my legs efforts.  It's hard to imagine this creature actually won money at the races -19 starts, 11 placings-.   So after trotting in endless circles, we started to canter. Except that I felt him slipping in one corner - do circles have corners?- and then after cantering a full rotation, I felt unbalanced. Was it the size of the round pen? Was it my slippery leather saddle? So, we moved to the large arena.  Oh, yes, that's the place to canter! Silver felt great! He has a lovely canter. So in control, even when he was on his left, troublesome lead. He felt good. I was sliding all over the place, but he felt good. This is my happy place, a nice, collected canter with plenty of space to move.

Today's Concepts: we worked on zig zagging hands when stopping or performing a half halt while cantering and pushing forward with the legs. Pushing the horse onto the bit, keeping his back round, with his back legs under him which keeps him collected and balanced. The left lead left me a little unbalanced, I was slipping all over my saddle - he had lots of energy - but once I sat up and put my shoulders back, he became engaged, collected and I became centered and balanced. Beautiful!

Riding Lesson 3rd week October

Tuesdays riding lesson lasted about 10 minutes when my horse stumbled and started limping. I really felt bad trotting him so my trainer could see that he was in pain.  Fortunately for me, Laurie MacDonald, dressage enthusiast and saddle fitter extraordairie was at the barn. She came to fit some saddles on horses. My old Crosby, my precious saddle that I have loved on for over 20 years has been pronounced by Laurie as well as my trainer Kelsey Magid and Di Hopkins as being too small for me. As in, I should have never purchased it, it never actually fit.

The saddle I bought when I purchased Silver is an Equitation saddle and the fit was a little snug for mommy body. So I went on ebay and purchased a saddle, the morning I make a bid on a black Courbette Lemetex Husar, Kelsey tells me about a Crosby for sale in a Facebook Tack Trading page. So I bought the Crosby off Facebook and I won the ebay auction for the Courbette. Now I have 4 saddles, which one fits? Hence, Laurie's visit to the barn.  The equitation saddle fits Silver, but doesn't position me so well on him and it makes his back sore. Get rid of that saddle! No one needs a sore back. I think it makes my back sore, too!

The new 18 Crosby fits really nicely and my hips really open up at the walk, which means he opens up. Kelsey said when my hips start to swing in the saddle, he lifts his tail, expels gas - does this mean he is a gas powered pony- and rounds his back. I noticed in the Equitation saddle it was harder to loosen up my hips when walking. The Crosby is more open and a flatter type saddle so my legs and hips swing easier.

The Courbette is too narrow for Silver. What a bummer! I've always wanted a Courbette. I was disappointed to find out Courbette had been purchased by Stuebben a couple of years ago. Which explains the lack of Courbette's on the market.  So I'll condition the leather on the Courbette and resell it on ebay. I'm sure someone will like it for their narrow thoroughbred. Apparently, Silver is built more like a warmblood than the OTTB that he is.

On Thursday, I got to test ride my newly fitted Crosby on Silver. He seems to like it. It fits better over his shoulders and I can use my hips on the flatter/looser frame. Once I loosen my hips, he loosens up. What a concept!

I wore new riding breeches to my lesson, well that was a mistake, because they were way too big on me and caused rubbing in wrong places. Ugh!

It had rained early in the morning, so the arena was wet, which concerned me. I was worried that Silver would slip in the mud, even though Kelsey assured me it would not.  She has been working on me not "forcing" my heels down. To put my weight on the ball of my foot and not put the weight on my heels - this is the exact opposite of what I have heard for most of my riding life -  This new way of riding is called "balanced riding" - and you thought you were already balanced, right?  It totally befuddles me. Actually, it wouldn't be so hard to do, if I wasn't constantly trying to point my toes into the horse. I pronate, which means I ride in ballet's first position, my heels are digging into the horse.  Actually, my back of my leg is on the horse, instead of the side of my calf. I know I accomplished the side of my calf during Thursday's lesson because I have an ugly bruise on the side of my calf. And when I squeezed my legs, I could really feel it through my calves and thighs. I haven't been saddle sore in a couple of months, since I started riding "balanced"

I kept having problems on Thursday, I'm still not entirely sure what my deal was, if it was the wet arena, the wind that seemed to be freaking out my horse, that I wasn't on my a game because of allergies, the new saddle, the too big pants...my trainer has to be part psychologist to get me over my blocks. I kept losing my right stirrup and felt like I was unbalanced, I felt like I was all over the place and worried that I couldn't stop the horse. He never ran away with me, I was always in control.

She told me, "it's not him, it's you."  Well, that hurts to hear, I'd rather it be him, than me. But I can accept responsibility of my actions...I might not have understood why I was doing certain things with him, but I was always in control.   I finally told her, I can either point my toes inward or I can balance on the balls of my feet, but I can not do both at the same time. It's too much today.  So I am working on pointing my toes inward and keeping my heels off the horse.

We did some canter work where I bent his head in just a little, he would give and then I would release and push him forward.  I am constantly taking up my reins when I do this at the trot. I couldn't figure out why we were doing this at the canter. Part of it was to stay in control and  the other part to create/maintain suppleness of the horse.   I should probably give myself a break, I've cantered three or four times since I had my flying dismount in July - that could be freaking me out, too.
I'm hoping to go to a rated horse show next Sunday. I'm overly ambitious! So next week, we will start working on jumping. That fall really started me on a different training direction.  I need to build more self confidence in the saddle. And maybe get a pair of breeches that fit!

Flying Emergency Dismounts among other things

I had a minor riding setback this summer, when the horse I was riding, spooked and I had to make an emergency flying dismount.  It was the best canter I had ever had while riding Silver, when suddenly the horse in front of us spooked. Suddenly I saw my feet in front of my face.  Feet should decidedly not be in front of your face when riding, so I knew it was time for a flying dismount... I landed with a thud on my back in the wet arena sand and immediately thought, "I am way too old for this crap!"  I managed to get onto my hands and knees and sorta crawl away from the horses but it took me what seemed like an eternity to actually stand up. I had to "climb" the arena fence until I could straighten up. Then it took another 20 minutes until I was able to get on Silver.
I watched the rest of my class enjoy "pony camp" and then I trotted a couple of laps around the arena, cantered over a low fence and I was done. My back was killing me!

To shorten the story, I purchased Silver in August but didn't ride him for several weeks until I felt like I could ride without pain or actually get on him without pain.  So I decided to curtail jumping, mainly because I didn't feel like I could actually canter until the sciatic pain stopped.  My trainer and I worked on dressage, suppling the horse, bending, half halts, sitting trot and posting trot. I went to a horse show over the weekend and had just started cantering the previous Tuesday. It had been over two months since I had jumped anything!

While I was recuperating from my mishap, I designed some new jewelry for my Etsy shop, vowangems

Blue Green Aquamarines on hand forged sterling silver ear wires

Copper Rutilated Quartz and Carnelian Rosary Chain Dangle Earrings

Garnet and Fire Opal Sterling Silver Dangle Earrings

Titanium Blue Drusy, Garnets and Bali Gold Vermeil Dangle Earrings 

and one of my favorite necklaces: 

Silver Drusy Tassel Necklace

Back in the Saddle Again...

When my kids were diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum I stopped blogging . It took my husband well over a year to even talk to someone outside our family about our kids struggle with Autism. I spent most of the first year after the diagnosis schlepping the kids from therapy to therapy, I became Therapy Mom, My kids participated in ABA therapy at UT Southwestern's ABA clinic twice a week (three hours each day), speech therapy, occupational therapy and Natty even had physical therapy.  They were enrolled in specialized preschool, with four kids to one teacher ratio!

As my children's lives have improved, so has my life. Last fall, my children started therapeutic riding lessons at Equest Therapeutic Horsemanshp Center at the Texas Horsepark location. I started taking riding lessons, after 6 years of not riding, at a small barn, Cedar Haven in Cedar Hills about 40 minutes from my home in Dallas.  My husband and I had sold our horse, Royal Krew, to some good friends who moved to California in 2011.  This past August, I purchased a retired thoroughbred race horse, Silver I.D. and we went to our first horse show this past weekend. It's been 25 years since I showed a horse but I remember riding bigger fences when I was younger at my first show.

I won Reserve Champion in my Walk/Trot division - yay, I beat beginning children riders! How callous of me.  When I was in my twenties I had only been riding hunters for a couple of years when I started competing. I was thrilled when I beat younger riders, it seemed to me they had more time to ride and train, than I did as a recent college grad working in retail management. So here I am an older mom of twins on the Autism Spectrum with my mommy roundness, on my very tall, flea bitten grey thoroughbred, Silver...yes, I'm back in the saddle again.