Day 23 - LOL Me Critiquing a Pro

Day 23- Critique a famous/well known equestrian jumping round of your choosing



From Clover Ledge Farm




The rider clearly gets in the horses way judging by the ease with which the horses finishes the round once the rider has exited. We see quite a few rails down with the first few fences the pair takes, culminating in some impressive gymastics and a near circus act as the horse heroically tackles a decent vertical with significant weight around and impeding his front legs.

Once the circus act is complete, the horse shows himself to be quite handy, easily clearing the course without touching a rail. He's rather athletic too, collecting up nicely to take the large jumps from a trot. He looks to be a nice horse once his rider gets out of the way and lets him handle things. He knows his job well.

Day 22 - The Importance of Riding

Day 22- The importance of riding in your life


From Clover Ledge Farm

I get distracted by life and that's okay. I'll play catch up.

I'm fairly sure I touched on this earlier, and also in posts around the time that I'm going to mention, but riding is critical. Honestly, just being around horses is critical, enough so that I and others notice a change in my mood and behavior.

It's likely the only reason why Eric doesn't more seriously try to convince me to stop riding.

Horses are a natural antidepressant for me. I have noticeably more patience with my children and I am happier after riding.  The effects wear off slowly but if I ride again after a long absence I can feel the change in my mindset. Seeing her everyday helps, since she's at home. If I need to I can go out and just hold her and breathe her in. That tides me over when I can't ride as frequently as I would like.

My current goal with my schedule is to purposefully ride more. Now that I have thigns to work on from my lesson and another lesson scheduled where I want to show that I've made progress and practiced, it's motivation to get out. I've ridden more now that it's cold than I did in the summer. O.O

Anyway, it's important. I was able to get through college without horses but I had them at breaks to come home to. And in grad school I found Cheri with her four (Stella, Gwyn, Blanche and Nyx). I relied heavily on those horses when I finished my degree and had no job afterward.

It was hard to say goodbye when we moved to Washington and it was fortune for me, if tragedy for Cheri, that allowed me to get Gwyn. The day she stepped off the truck and was mine, my -own-, was an amazing feeling.

Do you want a cool holiday card?

Day 21 - Perfect Schooling Outfit

Day 21- Your perfect schooling outfit


From Clover Ledge Farm

Let's split this up seasonally, shall we?

Winter:

Fleece balaclava, sweatshirt or jacket depending on temperature, helmet (always)

Kerrits fleece lined riding tights
Smartwool socks
Merino wool long sleeve shirt
fleece vest
Columbia jacket for those cold days
Gloves

Muck boots/paddock boots

Things I'd change: Get a decent pair of actual winter riding boots.The muck boots are an accident waiting to happen and the paddock boots are very inviting to liquid and mud. I'm hoping to find something at a black friday sale at a tack shop.

Summer wear:

Summer weight riding tights or my ice fil tights
tech shirt or tank top (por que no los dos?!) or honestly whatever shirt I'm wearing that day
merino wool socks
ariat terrain paddock boots
half chaps

Summer outfits  

For in between seasons I'll use a light jacket along with my regular riding pants, boot and chaps. Or a long sleeve shirt and a vest.

For cross country I use my airowear outlyne safety vest.

Day 20 - Favorite Horse Show

Day 20- Your favorite horse show


From Clover Ledge Farm

As a kid, my favorite horse show was the Glastonbury Pony Club D Rally. It was a three day event packed into one day. You started early with dressage in the morning, then a short while later had cross country followed by show jumping. As a kid I couldn't have adult help, just my team. We showed out of the trailer and everyone helped everyone meet all the standards. We had a C advisor, one of the more advanced kids who was a general help and we had to have our proper grooming kits and first aid and pass tack and clothing inspections before we mounted every time. Everything was judged.

When I moved up in the levels, my favorite event became the 3 day regional rally. Again we were on a team and couldn't have adult help with the horse care and showing. But we had a three rider team with a 4th member who didn't ride, called the horse manager. Again, we had to support one another and we were judged on everything. I loved that cross country course, it was so much fun as a kid and it felt like I was finally at a fancy show that lasted all weekend long. Honestly, I think the feeling I got from that show is what's driving me to go back to eventing.

As an adult, my favorite show now is Oak Leaf Run, the endurance ride. I haven't really had the opportunity to go to a variety but I do know I love Oak Leaf and have gone every year we've been in Michigan. It's my birthday treat to myself. They have a beautiful campsite and beautiful trails and wonderful people. Even if it rains all weekend...

Day 19 - A Discipline I'd like to Try

Day 19- A discipline you would like to do that you’ve never done before


From Clover Ledge Farm

Ooooh!

So, I feel pretty lucky in that I've tried several things over the years.

I have done:
Mounted Archery
Mounted Combat/Medieval Gaming
Dressage
Eventing
Hunter/Jumper
Endurance
cow sorting
polocrosse


I would want to try western gaming/gymkahna and barrel racing. Also actual fox hunting, rather than just a hunter pace. Until then, I want to get BETTER at what I'm working on. I want to do higher level movement in dressage. I want to clear more technical cross country courses. I want to more regularly compete 25 and 30 mile distances, maybe even do a 50 mile ride. Those things I also haven't done before even though they're in the discipline that I am training for.

1.01 miles YTD 35.52 miles

Brief Blog Hop pause while I enter in my mileage for the Distance Derby, which is still going, despite some hiccups this year.

After hearing that the weather was supposed to be lows in the 40s (after highs in the 40s...) but clear and just super windy, I was determined to ride. I had all the stuff from my lesson two weeks ago just rumbling around in my brain and while I did work on the stuff on the ground, I wanted to know that I could replicate the feeling of Gwyn moving so well without having a voice talking at me and giving me instructions.

SHE WAS SO MUDDY

I swear I just got done writing that post about how it all just blends in and then the mare comes over looking muddy as all get out. So we had a LONG grooming session and made sure all the mud crusties were gone. In excellent news, the mud knot is still secure and her tail is mud free!

Not happy about suddenly not having her hay. Also, she was holding her breath and made me think I had to get a new girth. I let her fuss a bit, tightened and went up two holes immediately.

When you work full time (or close enough) and have kids, this is winter riding.

The lights do a good job though! It's hard to tell because phone pictures (duh) but the arena was decently lit. 

"Mom, dis light is bright"

I was toasty warm. I had a wool undershirt, fleece riding pants, my winter muck boots, fleece vest, then sweatshirt, gloves and a balaclava (that fits under my helmet! joyous day!)  

I was slightly disappointed it wasn't colder so I could try out my DIY quarter sheet.

The ride was GREAT.  I started in hand and we practiced disengaging the hindquarters ( I figured out that's what she was teaching me to do!) on the ground. Then I hopped on and we did some more practice disengaging the hindquarters and moving her feet when she tried to say that all the gusty wind was a reason to not stand still while I mounted. Oh no, mare. Not a good reason. 

I hopped on a polite mare, finally and we started off walking and warming up. I practiced holding my hands out and doing the 90 degree turns to get her to start stepping under herself. And we did lots of walk halt reverse transitions, focusing on straightness in the reverse and adjusting the hind if she got wobbly. I tried to mix it up and make random patterns in the arena.  If Gwyn started to get squirrelly because of the wind or she thought the deer were horse eating deer, I immediately got her feet moving more complicated.

That being said, for it being a VERY windy night, with strange shadows cast everywhere, I had a very focused horse underneath me. It was LOVELY.

I'm going to close my eyes because bright light.

I tried a bit of trot too, to see if the techniques would carry over and discovered the most amazing trot. It was impulsive but not rushing and she was SO balanced. We did some big sweeping circles and some tighter circles, all at the sitting trot and I felt like I was riding a dressage horse. I swear. She didn't giraffe at all, and I focused on keeping my hands higher than I want, which probably ends up not being that high and when we would turn, I'd look and move both hands in the direction I wanted to go (same idea as at the walk)  

Oh my gosh it was lovely. 

I got bolder and loosened my reins and Gwyn dropped her head further but still with that self carriage. We practiced more hindquarter disengaging, pretty much anything to keep our minds busy. I did hop off at one point and set up some trot poles to go over. She was pretty good, but Saffron kept getting in the way.

We did some more random stuff before I called it a night. I'm so excited. I can't wait to do more!

This is my new happy mouth and there are already chunks missing. Is this normal? What's going on? 

Day 18 - Grooming Routine

Day 18- Your grooming routine


From Clover Ledge Farm

I feel like I'm going to need to break this down into different routines based on what I'm doing and what season it is but I'll try to just add a ton of asterisks instead, LOL.

To start, Gwyn is basically out 24/7.  She has access to the barn 24/7 as well, but I let her decide what she needs and she's a wild thing, getting super fuzzy in the winter and dirty as she pleases. This influences my grooming of her.

If I have limited time, I do a couple essentials but really don't do anything thorough. I always groom in some manner as it serves as a good way to do a visual check of her body to see if there's anything concerning or new. Similarly, every day I'll make sure I have eyes on her outside at some point and watch her move, is she limping, does she look different than her normal.

Even if I don't ride, I always at least do a full body check of them both at dinner time too and run my hands over them for lumps and bumps. I love having my horses at home. I know their routine intimately and I'll know if something is off.

When riding on short time (I got side tracked) I'll curry out the mud, really focusing where the saddle and girth go but always doing a full body. I don't use boots every time so I don't get nitty gritty with her legs. Then I use a body brush and brush with the lay of the hair. I'll brush her mane (if it's not in braids*) but not her tail if I'm in a rush. Lately the tail is in a mud knot** so I don't have to bother. I'll pick her feet out checking for thrush and chips and then tack up.

When I'm not as rushed, I stretch out the brushing per how I was taught as a child. Curry in circles. Then a stiff brush to smooth out the hair and get rid of the major dirt, then a body brush in circles and a soft brush to add final shine. Hair brush in mane and tail, I'll add detangler here if it's causing issues and then braid the mane if it's hot since Gwyn has a super thick mane. I don't braid her forelock. I'll use fly spray if it's fly season.

After picking out her hooves I'll put hoof dressing on them. Then I tack up.

After riding in the summer I'll spray her down with the hose and scrape the water off with a sweat scraper. Then I toss her out in the pasture and let her roll as she will.

For shows***, I bathe her and really lather her down and get things clean. She doesn't have white, so I'm a bit spoiled in that stains just REALLY blend in. Sometimes it's hard to tell if she's muddy. She also doesn't tend to get manure stains so again, lucky and requires minimal bathing effort.

If her tail gets gross after a heat cycle, I will do just a tail wash and dunk it in a bucket with shampoo to get the crusties out. Every so often, but not regularly, I check the gunk between her teats and pick that out with my fingers. I don't bother to use any soap as she just lets me (gooooood mare) and will make silly faces because it feels good.

Even though I'm a friesian owner, I do not pick her tail, I brush that sucker and toss the extra hair to the birds. It grows just fine without needing to be babied.

In the spring, I curry her EVERY day to help the shedding along. Just a quick pass as she eats grain and then kick the hair pancakes out for the birds.


*Summer only
** Winter only
*** Showing only

Day 17 - Equestrian Idol

Day 17- Your equestrian idol


From Clover Ledge Farm

This is difficult to answer. I'm not a celebrity person in any way and frequently get movie stars mixed up (Just ask my husband about my Jonah Hill/Rebel Wilson mix up...)  I also don't keep my ear to the ground regarding showing to have someone I really look up to who's like.. Olympic level.


I feel a certain camraderie with Lauren Sprieser since I was involved in the LiveJournal equestrian community back in the day and she was also a member and blogging on that platform as she started to get a foothold in the dressage world. I still follow her today. She's probably the most successful?

Jessica Kerschbaumer in Alberta Canada does eventing in the USA and Canada and I follow her. She's become more of a social media competitor and is doing more training and higher level competing. Again, from way back when on LJ. I like following her because she doesn't fit the rider stereotype of being super thin and wealthy. She's a larger rider (though has slimmed down as she's gotten more athletic) and is successful on a budget and I feel like that makes my own goals seem achievable. That I'd be able to compete in eventing even though I'll be on a tight budget, not a thin rider and with no endorsements (though Jessica does have endorsements right now!)

Then there's Dom. I really respect how she works with horses and the results she gets. And again here's that tie to LJ, but I've been following her for years now and she describes her training methods well. I keep how she works with horses in mind a lot when I go meet new trainers or watch someone interact with my horse. I wish I lived closer to her because I'd hire her in a heartbeat to either work with Gwyn or work with me on Gwyn.

Day 16 - Favorite Equine Memory

Day 16- Your favorite equine memory


From Clover Ledge Farm

My favorite memory is when Gwyn came off of the trailer after being shipped from Florida to Washington. It was the moment when I finally had a horse that I could call my own and it was an amazing feeling. And since we were already familiar with each other, she remembered me and wanted me over the shipper. It was great.

A close second is the relief when she came off the truck in Michigan and I didn't have to be here without her.