Professional Equestrian!

Hello, friends! I'm feeling much better about the whole Gina situation than I did last week; while I am still upset at the university's actions, I finally got answers about what spurred this policy overhaul and have the support of many friends who want to make sure I am able to give Miss G the loving home she deserves. So while I still don't own the horse, I feel confident that I'll be able to buy her at an auction for a reasonable price.

Onto happier news: my services as a rider have recently been retained on a professional basis! I was contacted by a gentleman in North Carolina who will be showing a mule this weekend in Tulsa and needed an English rider to show the animal in a few hunt seat classes. Although I am primarily a three-day eventer (and sometimes polo player), I did compete in hunters on an NCAA equestrian team for three years. I'm a bit nervous about the horse show, but the mule's owner seemed very nice and told me he wouldn't be upset if we had an off day. The mule has won a number of titles, so I think it will be a pretty easy ride (and a great way to earn some extra cash!). I hope he'll be satisfied with my services and recommend me to all of his friends showing horses in Tulsa!

After the show, I'm heading out do to a little fundraiser PR with my boss. We're going on a trail ride in Stillwater, Oklahoma! I'm taking one of the program horses, but I have to decide which one! I can't take my favorite, Roscoe, since he's not owned by the university. I'm thinking of riding Sabir, a elderly Arabian gelding, or Speck, a world champion American Quarter Horse. Decisions, decisions!! I'm so lucky to have such a fun job.

Short Break

I haven't felt like blogging in a few days, and here's why: I am terribly worried about my horse. The university I purchased Gina from (and work for) has recently had their sales practices questioned, and as a result, have declared the sales agreement for Gina invalid, refunded my money, and reclaimed the horse. I have few details, but I know my boss (the director of the university's therapeutic riding program who sold me the horse) has been on my side and fighting for me to retain ownership. Unfortunately, the university has made their decision and will be selling Gina at either a sealed bid session or public auction. I'm worried I'll be outbid at either of these, although it seems unlikely. Gina is a middle-aged Thoroughbred mare with no racing history and a bone chip in one of her front legs. In a land of rodeos, American Quarter Horses, and many, many equines for sale, she isn't particularly desirable. However, her bloodlines are excellent, she's in good condition, and is sound; perhaps someone would buy her as an addition to their breeding program. I am treading uncertain waters, and am very, very upset. To make matters worse, the university is reconsidering their horse boarding policy: it's possible it will be eliminated altogether. So if I am able to buy Gina (again), I may need to find a new home for her. Boarding at a proper stable in this area ranges from $300-$400 per month, which is more money than I have to spend on such a thing. 

So please forgive me for taking a little break. I'll be back, hopefully with good news.

Pink & Green Thursday: Equestrian Edition

I was inspired by Pink Preppy Lilly Lover to participate in Pink & Green Thursday! Since I'm a horse person, I thought I'd make it an equestrian edition. Even better since Miss G is quite the princess.

Lime green saddle pad & polo wraps from Wild Horse Colors

I think this green is gender-neutral enough for Mr. Moe to wear!

Pink & Green Daisy Halter from Wild Horse Colors

TOO CUTE.

Pink polo wraps from The Tack Room

These are more Princess G's style.

Oster Grooming Kit from Dover Saddlery

For the pink-loving equestrian in your life!

Lime green Protech splint boots from Rod's

Perfect for splashing through the mud on XC courses.

So much pink & green horse gear! I don't know if any of it is really for me- my equestrian style is much more subdued (think navy, white, black)- but it sure is fun to look! Happy Thursday!

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Meet Moe

Allow me to introduce you to Moe, my good-natured Thoroughbred gelding. Moe is my three-day event horse, or he was until I moved away from Tennessee and had to leave him behind. He is sixteen years old, about 15.2 hands tall, and isn't very smart. But he's sweet and likable and a very good jumper. 

Yours truly aboard Moe at a jumper show!

My parents bought Moe- or Richnfree, as his Jockey Club papers state- when he was eight and I was seventeen. I was in dire need of a new eventer. My old horse, Spike, couldn't handle the stress of competition and had been sold to a nice family with several children who wanted nothing more than to ride him bareback in a field. My friend and fellow Pony Clubber, Kim, suggested I take a look at Moe, who was currently being worked with by her trainer. I met Moe at a horse trials (where he'd just taken first place in the Beginner Novice division) and instantly loved him. Negotiations were made, and Moe joined my horse Buster at our small farm.

Over the next few years, Moe and I traveled to horse shows in Tennessee, Kentucky, and Alabama. We weren't the most winning team- Moe's dressage wasn't great- but he was definitely the best horse I'd ever had. Moe came to college with me, where he lived with the same group of horses for three years: Wyatt, a bossy Walking Horse gelding; Ginger, a competitive Standardbred mare; and Sim, a nervous Arabian gelding. Moe and I didn't do much eventing in college- I rode him on long trail rides and we raced Ginger across soybean fields regularly. Sometimes we'd enter a local fun show to keep our jumping skills sharp, but we were more often found riding to Sonic for a limeaid or beating barrel horses at hayfield races.

When I moved to Kansas, I left Moe in the care of my father on the family farm. I never found a place to keep him in Wichita, but here in the Tulsa area at my therapeutic riding center job, I've been lucky enough to find a place for him! The director offered to let me keep Moe out at the center for a very reasonable monthly boarding fee. I am so excited! I have missed Moe dearly and once I arrange transportation for him, he'll be back in action! 

Cross Country Course

A horse and rider on a cross-country course

Cross country, the second phase of three-day eventing, is arguably the most difficult. It requires a brave horse with speed and stamina! Horse and rider are required to negotiate a series of natural obstacles in a set amount of time. Courses are often over two miles long. Riders receive a course map and are able to walk the course before the event, but horses see the obstacles for the first time on the day of the show!

This is the phase I am most concerned about with Gina. As a hunter/jumper horse, I doubt she has been exposed to many logs or ditches, and I don't think she has ever been ridden outside the confines of an arena. It will be a challenge to get her used to these things at our current location, too- we have a large hayfield available, but it's full of holes and there are no jumps. It will be tough to get my girl used to cross-country if we never have a chance to school it!

That said, there are a lot of things we can work on in that hayfield. Walls can be created out of moldy hay bales. Regular jumps can be set up in the field. Some barrels can be rolled out and jumped over. And of course, just getting Gina used to going out and about outside an arena is invaluable experience!

Dressage

Dressage: a French term, most commonly translated to mean 'training'; an equestrian sport in which the horse and rider perform a specific test of movements; often referred to as 'equine ballet'.

Image courtesy of Game Ready Equine

I'm not a dressage person. Even though it's the first test of a three-day event, even though its principles are used in every riding discipline, even though it's beautiful and exciting at the highest levels of the sport, I am not a dressage person. To be honest, I've always found it kind of dull. Cantering in circles, lengthening the trot- where's the fun in that?? 

In the right horse and right instructor, that's where. Yesterday I had a genuine dressage lesson on Gina with one of the program's volunteers, Anne. Anne is a dressage person- she competed on fairly advanced levels aboard her horse Sophie (who died several years ago) and studied with some of the country's best trainers. She offered to come out and give her opinion on Gina's dressage abilities, as well as offer any tips for improvement that she could think of. I was more than happy to have her out, as my experience in the discipline is limited to short stints of flat work in between schooling jumps. Anne ended up working Gina and me for an hour, putting both of us through our (pretty basic) paces. It was an amazing lesson! Gina is much more advanced in her training than I had originally thought and it's my opinion that she will be a phenomenal event horse once she's back in shape. Anne was so happy to have a protégé and to feel like she was helping. She offered to give me lessons on Saturdays, and I couldn't be more excited. I don't know if I'm a dressage person yet- the heart-pounding excitement of cross-country jumping is hard to resist- but I'm definitely more excited about it than I used to be! 

Gina

Throughout my equestrian career, I've always been plagued by horses that "need work". The first real horse I had was a $600 2-year-old mixed-breed gelding named Buster; my dad picked him up at a horse auction when I was 8. Busted needed work. He was barely broke to ride and although Buster and I ended up as moderately successful competitors, the work never stopped. (Note to anyone thinking of buying their child a horse: don't buy anything that needs work. Buy your child something relatively calm, quiet, and experienced.) 

Buster was only the beginning; a slew of horses that "needed work" followed. There was Spike, who had been badly abused by a previous owner. Sandy, who refused to be ridden in a regular bridle. Shalimar, who, despite being 20+ years old, had never outgrown his devious pony attitude. Ace, who was afraid of every shadow and breeze. Some of these horses were mine. Many were simply the animals of friends or fellow competitors who had heard of my reputation for taking on difficult horses. 

Such was the case with Gina, pictured above. My first day on the job at the therapeutic riding center, I was assigned to get Gina into reasonable shape and prepared for sale. Gina had been donated to the program in July 2010. Her owner had decided she wasn't going to continue riding in college and after being wildly unsuccessful at selling the horse, opted to donate her to us. Gina was evaluated and found totally unsuitable for therapeutic riding, but thanks to an over-ambitious vaulting instructor, Gina stayed on at the program. After the vaulting instructor quit, no one wanted to touch Gina. She was aggressive and pushy when handled. No one would ride her. Student workers referred to her as "Satan" and my boss described her as "in need of some work". 

Sigh. Story of my life.

My first ride on Miss G was less than amazing; she tossed her head around, spooked constantly, and could hardly hold herself up at the canter. I was mildly worried this horse needed more work than I had time to put in.

That was two weeks ago. Since then, Gina has improved dramatically. She's less aggressive on the ground and in her stall. She is eager to see me and go for a ride. She's quieter and happier. She holds her head nicely, on the bit, moving from her hindquarters. Her canter is smooth and steady. It's remarkable what a little time and effort did for her. I think she's excited to have someone who cares about her again. And that's why I think I'm going to buy Gina. I think she'll make a lovely low-level eventer. And really- we could all use some work.

Boots

Yesterday, I bought a new pair of riding boots for the first time in ten years. I am simultaneously excited and sad. My old pair of tall boots was a pair of Ariats, purchased brand new back in 2001; they replaced a pair of used Ariats I wore when I first joined Pony Club and started riding in three-day events. The new Ariats were a big deal, since most of my equestrian equipment was bought used. I remember the first horse show I wore them to- I was riding my horse Spike, and couldn't stop thinking about how slippery these boots were and how awful my legs must look sliding around everywhere. I wore those boots through good horse shows, terrible horse shows, NCAA competitions, racing around fields with my friends, polo practice in a new place when I had no friends. Those boots were my faithful friends, comforting me and reminding me of my hard work and happy times. The decision to replace them wasn't as difficult as it might seem- the Ariats' soles are beginning to chip away, the leather on the toes is cracked from prolonged exposure to water, and the black dye has worn away on the inside of the calves. They're also a bit too tight- somewhere in the last ten years, my calves got larger. (Sad, until I think that 10 years ago, I was only 14.) 

My new boots, pictured above, are a pair of Treadstones. They're reviewed well and current owners seem to like them. They zip up the back, eliminating the need for an uncomfortable tug-of-war up the leg. They look nice. I'll be breaking them in at my new job, probably by riding the lovely Thoroughbred mare we're trying to sell. I'm excited to have them- riding in jeans and barn boots feels foreign and uncomfortable to me. And, in some small way, they're a symbol of hope and possibility. Maybe soon, my horse Moe will be able to join me in Oklahoma. And soon, I'll be able to ride in three-day events ago. Maybe I'll even buy that Thoroughbred. Who knows? But here's to 10 more years of riding horses.

Saturday Snapshot

Jed

This is Jed, one of two mules at the equestrian center. He and his fellow mule Red are new to the program; they are on long-term loan from their owner. 

Mules are members of the equine family, but are totally different species than horses. They're the offspring of a male donkey and a female horse. They have long faces and ears and are generally considered hardier and more intelligent than horses. Mules are used for a variety of equestrian activities: English and western riding, driving, cargo transportation, and in agricultural operations (like pulling plows).

So far, Jed and Red have been admirable representatives of their species! They're calm, fun to ride, and easy to handle. I think they're going to make great therapy horses!

New Year, New Job!

Today was the first day of my new job with a therapeutic equine program right here in the Tulsa area! I am impossibly excited about it. Horses have always been my passion; I've been riding since I was a very small child (my mom took me on a trail ride when I was just 6 months old and I was given a pony to take riding lessons on at age 4) and have continued my equestrian activities through my life. I competed in three-day events on the weekends in high school and rode my on college's NCAA hunt seat team. Even when I moved to Kansas, I found a way to stay involved through playing polo. Now I've been hired on as an assistant for this program that teaches individuals with disabilities how to care for and ride horses!

I love everything about this job- my superiors are knowledgeable, the horses are wonderful, and the program participants are great. I'm most excited to start working with a Thoroughbred mare that needs to be sold. She's a talented hunter/jumper that really doesn't fit well with the program's needs, but would be fantastic for a competitive rider. Riding horses is my very favorite activity in the entire world, and now I'm getting paid to do it! What a fanastic day.

Polo

I am a polo player. Although I've ridden horses throughout my life (in three-day eventing, mostly), I'm relatively new to the sport of polo. After moving to Wichita, Kansas last year and being unable to bring my horse with me, I took up polo at the local club. It was surprisingly difficult! While I am very good at simply riding horses and negotiating a dressage test or jumping course, I found I was not very good at handling a long mallet and hitting a very small ball!

I learned to play on this horse- a big Thoroughbred gelding named Doctor J. The Doctor is a very experienced polo pony; in this photo, he's being ridden in a tournament by his owner. Doctor J is a very responsive horse- just a touch of leg or flick of the wrist will direct him to where you want to go. He's been playing polo so long that he knows to follow the ball! He listens for the sound of it being it , then gallops after it, slowing just slightly to allow his rider to take a good hit at it. Doctor J is my very favorite horse.

Polo is a very competitive sport! Teams are composed of four players, each covering a fairly specific position. Number one is an offensive player. Number two is another offensive player, and generally does most of the scoring. One and Two often play off one another, passing the ball for optimum scoring opportunities. Number three is a tactical player, who is often the best player on the team. Three's primary responsibility is to hit long balls up to One and Two to allow them a chance to score. Number four is a defensive player, who usually defends the goal. 

One of the most exciting parts of polo is a ride-off- players compete for a hit on a stray ball; if they can't get a good shot, the goal then becomes preventing another player from hitting it. Here's a shot of a few of us at practice, heading toward a ball: 

Close quarters can result in 'hooking'; that is, using your mallet to stop another player's swing! Here, I stop my friend Paul from getting a hit: 

Paul rides BC; I am astride Magnum

Most of the time, though, polo is all about speed. Here, my teammate Josh (#3)  races with an opposing player toward the ball: 

Polo ponies move very quickly! 

Sometimes, though, all they want to do is go back to the barn...

Doctor J

And have a bath! 

Magnum