Law of averages

As as I typed that the arenas were too frozen to ride in, the weather warms up to nearly 60 (!!! WTF) and we get in 2 rides in a row - and a lesson!

My instructor has not seen us since before Octoberfest. She said a few nice things.

Tired Porkchop after our lesson.

A) Hampton seemed taller. She's probably right, I think he's growing again.
B) He's going really well - especially for January!
C) He has really grown up. Much steadier in the contact, lateral work is better and we actually have a canter half-halt now.

The main point of this lesson was that Hampton is ... average. He isn't a hot horse, and he's not a deadhead. He's not a trashy mover, but he doesn't want to be fancy. He is just average. It is time that we start teaching him to be fancy.

I need to start packaging him more. He needs to be far more electric off my leg - especially in the leg yield. At one point he pulled his "la la la I don't hear you" routine when I asked for a leg yield away from the wall. I got after him with the whip, only to be told that I was "tapping butterflies" and that if he didn't listen to my leg, he needed a flogging. I know this. I am too nice (a flaw that goes well beyond horses). So the next time I got after him a bit more with my whip and voice and he scooted on over.

His poll needs to be up in order to allow his shoulders to come up and his front legs to get out of the way of his back legs. He is far more active with his hind legs than his front, which tends to sort of just shuffle around. We were prescribed 151,000 transitions.

We worked on some rein back. We're still a bit sticky here, but it's time he grows up. He needs to learn reinback before we start to learn power trot. We did many leg yields, shoulder-in and 10m circles. We worked on packaging the canter (leg yielding, strong outside half halts, more jump).

J said by the end of 2012, we should able to attempt a "kamikaze 2nd level test." But for this year, First Level is where we belong. And hey, if I get the money I may even try to qualify for USDF regionals! (At Training and First). But my show season really won't be decided until April, when I will find out what my job situation will be. Some new news on that front, but I am afraid to write anything for fear I will jinx it.

Next week I have a lesson at FHF. I guess if the weather is going to cooperate, back to work we go.

Never before seen video!

I don't have much to report on the riding front. We haven't been productive lately since the arenas are just too frozen and choppy to ride in.

So here is a video I don't believe I have posted yet. It is from our jumping lesson at CAF.

This is toward the end of our lesson. Hampton was a bit tired, and as you will see he flat out ignores my requests to canter. In all fairness to him, the aids to canter are inside leg at the girth, outside leg spur. Well, I wasn't wearing my spurs at the time because my lower leg is not as stable at it should be over jumps yet. So he never felt the spur. But still. So that is why I get after him with the whip a little bit.

You can really see that he is still very much a baby about organizing his legs sometimes. I love how we look like a hot mess just trying to canter over simple ground poles.

BUT - at the end when we go through the grid - it is BEAUTIFUL! And I don't fold over at the jumps. *patting self on back*. Sometimes training is not always pretty. Sometimes you have to have hot mess moments to make progress.

I am posting the good, bad and the ugly here. Because I think it benefits everyone.

Bombdiggity bloggers

100 followers!!! Thank you all!!

A handful of blogging awards are making the rounds and a big thank you to those who mentioned this blog. :) It has made a weird transformation from a general life blog, to pretty much all horses after I purchased Hampton. Thank you all for reading. I truly enjoy writing and it is not something I get to do much of in my current job (as a journalist ... ironically, I'm a designer), so this blog is a great outlet for that. Plus, I don't have to follow AP style and can write what I want. Bonus.

Now on to the good stuff.

First, I love this horse and rider and have been following them for a few years.



Here's a list of blogs you should read:


Slow and Steady Wins the Race: Here is how to raise 3 children and also keep your eventing dreams going. Amy is superwoman and I know she does a good job because I have met at least one of her kids and she was SO well behaved, sweet and polite. I've also watched Amy mow down the competition at a horse show. We were show buddies for Octoberfest and during one of our short breaks inbetween classes Amy handed me a granola bar ... it was a small gesture but I had not eaten anything all day and was starving. I mean, that is a good friend people. We both had our own horses and courses to think of and there she was thinking of me and my empty stomach. Even though we have different non-horse lives, the first time I met Amy we were instant friends. I can't wait for this summer where I am sure we will find more trouble. :) Hampton and Steady immediately got along when they first met which was also neat to see.


Adventures of Lucy: Not only is Lucy's human a fantastic rider (you should see some of the photos of Lucy's antics), but she makes really neat saddle pads! She is the one who made my Phish saddle pad which I love.
A Collection of Madcap Escapades: An intelligent writer and amazing photographer. With a cute horse. :)
Calm, Forward, Straight: Thoughtful posts and who can resist a gorgeous grey!?

On track for a CCI*: A young riders adventures in eventing. She has just started her 2 year old and I love reading about it as it brings back memories of starting Hamps.

SprinklerBandits: You can view the transformation of Izzy from greenie to legit eventer right before your eyes in this blog. Izzy's human is also a tack whore ... takes one to know one. 

Tales from a Bad Eventer: Humorous with plenty of photos!

Those are just a handful of the great blogs out there.

But hey it's sunny and sort of warm today so I am going to go ride. :)

A really crappy salad bar

I have a couple of blogger awards to respond to and hand out but first I just want to ask everyone's opinion.

As you know, I struggle with keeping Hampton at a good weight, especially in the winter. He did great this summer when I switched grain and added alfalfa cubes to his diet. (He was also able to graze on nice grass) He has been steady so far this winter, maybe a little thinner but no ribs yet. I did up his cubes and added Purina Amplify (a high-fat nugget). But Hampton isn't the problem.

THIS is:

mmm gimme some ranch dressing

I know that roundbales sometimes have a gross outer shell and the hay inside is good. Well, not these. The above photo is a roundbale that is just sitting in the pasture. The horses haven't touched it!

Here's a photo of a bale the horses were nibbling on:

Is it just me, or does this not even look like "filler?" It's GROSS! I rooted around and did not find any mold, so that's good. I usually root around in the hay bales and take off the stringy stuff. My instructor's young horse ate that netting and ended up dying on the table at Purdue because it had made a giant hole in his colon. So yeah, take off the netting. My current BOs do not do this, so that is why I do.

I know this is why Hampton has issues with his weight. The BOs seem to be aware of this issue (other boarders have complained) ... but yet ... they still have this shit to eat?

I do not mind spending extra cash on a horse who is a "hard keeper" but honestly I do not think Hampton falls into this category. I mean he doesn't even get a fighting chance with this stuff. I am so frustrated and not sure what to do. If I could make it out to the farm 3x a day to feed him better flakes of hay, I would. But work doesn't allow that. And frankly, I PAY to board my horse so I don't have to do that.

I'm done bitching .. for the time being. :)

Next up: Blogger awards!

Dull eardrum

So, you may remember when Hampton fell on me during a trail ride at the end of August.

I did not hit my head (and was wearing a helmet), but I had major vertigo for about a week after that incident. I thought I was just dehydrated, you know, since all I drank that day was beer ... and uh, beer.

The vertigo went away after a week.

Well now it's back. With some mild ear pain. I only get dizzy when my head changes positions - like rolling over in bed, sitting up quickly, leaning my head back or laying down. Great. So I made myself go to the doctor seeing as how it is not going away.

She said I have dull eardrums!! I'd like to think my eardrums are the enthusiastic, free spirit types but I guess not. Humph.

Your ear contains a saddle joint and a stirrup. Cool!

A very nice assistant tried to flush my ears but that procedure didn't last long. Holy **** it hurt. I'd rather see the gyno than have my ears flushed ever again thanks. So they poked and prodded a bit more and finally decided I should start with an antibiotic and a decongestant. I guess when your ear drums are dull, it means there is fluid behind them. Possibly left over from a virus (I had a cold over Christmas ...). I am hoping that's all it is, because if it doesn't improve by Friday I have to get a stupid CAT scan of my head because there could be a "problem" having to due with my fall in August. Or something else?

She did give me a pretty good neuro exam and I passed with flying colors so I am thinking I just have an ear issue and not a brain issue.

So other than my really dull ear drums, life is plugging along. I am hoping to get some rides in this week but the arenas have been gross, half-frozen messes. Also, Hampton has what I think is ringworm and so I am treating it as such. And I want that to clear up before I put my freshly washed saddle pads on him. He got his annual "bib" trace clip and no longer looks like a yak.

Oh and he also managed to TAKE OFF his blanket in the field the other day. I found him, nekked and prancing around all proud of himself. His tie-dye blanket in a heap in the mud and poop, soaked. I swear if he were human he would be a pot-smoking frat boy who takes off his clothes randomly and is too dense to know when a girl likes him. (Not that I KNOW anyone of this type or anything!!! derrrr) One of the belly straps was broken and so were the leg straps. Not a mark on Hampton. Thankfully I know Hampton and had a back up blanket ready. But now I have no back up for my back up. Debating whether I should get another blanket for him or not? ....

Hampton:1; Blanket: 0

In which Hampton goes sledding

I bring happy news today. Another adventure of Karen and Hampton, or "Hampton puts up with another one of Karen's games."

A few inches of snow + nice sunny day + sled + horseh ... I mean it seemed obvious to me what to do today!

I started out just hooking up a boogie board. I walked Hampton around while he pulled that for a while. He was a little nervous, mostly just giving me the look of "Um, this doesn't seem normal." A couple of times I did let him turn around and stare down the boogie board. He snorted at it, walked up to it ... then chewed on it.

What is this thing that chases me?

After a while there was lots of licking and chewing and he began to figure out this new little game. So I switched out the boogie board for a sled and asked my barn friend to hop on in and be the guinea pig. :) When Hamps first felt the weight, he stopped and looked at me like I was crazy. But he proceeded to walk on without incident. There was some very tiny pig-rooting when we trotted. The rope was lying over his butt and I think it was a new sensation for him and possibly uncomfortable. I need to hook up a better rig next time.

I took a turn in the sled, too, of course, because the 15 year old in me just could not resist.

He took in all in stride and became bored with it all and started frisking us for treats. Perhaps next time I can ride him and pull someone ... then we can really pick up some speed. :)

Photo essay

A friend told me that Mr. Kaufman rode every day - up until the night he died. Doesn't surprise me, he was a great horseman in every sense of the word. 

Here are recent photos of the legend.

One of my favorite quotes:

Mr. K: "Honey, what color is your horse?"

Me: "Um, brown."

Mr. K: "Ok then you can stop looking at her!"

(because I wouldn't stop looking down)

Teaching a new generation.

Lauren and I once crashed the Kaufman's golf cart into some woman's Mercades. Ooops.

Always teaching

Familiar scene for me

*Photos by a fellow Al Kaufman student

RIP Al Kaufman

Star, Al Kaufman and me (I was 13) in Springfield, Ill.

Al Kaufman and his wife, Leah, are probably the most influential people in my life (not including my parents, duh.)

Al died Monday evening. (Leah died when I was in high school.)

How do you pay tribute to people who affected you so deeply? Who gave me the foundation for my riding career?

Kaufman Stables was the place where my riding career was born. I had took a handful of lessons at another facility a few times before, but my mother discovered that the Kaufman's were closer to our house so she started taking me there. And we didn't leave for 10 years. I started riding when I was 7 years old. I was painfully shy, timid and my feelings were easily hurt. As I entered middle school and junior high, the barn was the only place where I had friends. It was where I felt needed and appreciated. I know we were all bullied in middle school, but I took it hard. The Kaufmans gave me the confidence and reassurance that probably saved me in more ways than one. They made me feel like I was good at something.

It was my first job - bringing lesson horses in, helping kids tack up, cleaning tack. When Leah was teaching lessons, I would often here her shout "Kaaarrrreeeen!" and I would scamper to the arena.

"Karen, get on this horse," she would say. It was usually a school horse pulling a typical prank - dragging its rider to the center, or refusing to canter. I would get on, whack the horse on the ass with the crop and get the job done. She made me feel so proud of myself.

Her summer camps (or "Clinic" as we called it) sticks out as some of the best times of my life. One summer I was riding a somewhat rank Arab named Stormy. I can't remember what the problem was, but Leah approached me with a crop. Every ounce of me did not want to take that crop, but I took it anyway. Stormy took off. I'm not sure if he was bucking, or if I lost my balance, but I slid off the side and landed smack on my face and left arm.

I laid still for a minute and then stood back up. I tasted blood and dirt. I swore my arm was broken. Mrs. K walked over to me and gave me a hug.

Then she said, "Spit out that dirt. Spit on the ground."

Having been raised properly by my parents, I was a little taken aback by this statement. Proper girls do not spit!

But I did it anyway. A few times. It felt good.

"Good, now get back on," she said to me.

I don't remember the rest of that ride but after about 10 minutes she said I could dismount and go take a shower. My arm was only sprained but when I saw myself in the mirror I was horrified! All of the skin on my left cheek had been scraped off. Boy did I sport an awesome scab after that!

One day Mr. K approached my parents. "When are you ganna get that girl a horse?" he said.

... and we all know what THAT has turned into. :)

I didn't start taking lessons from Al until I got my first show horse, Star. The next summer my sister and I shared a saddlebred, Queen. (You can read about them in my "Horses of my Life" series in my sidebar)

Mr. K pins a blue ribbon on Queen. My sister is riding.

Those summers bring a smile to my face always. I am still friends with everyone and all of us still own or lease a horse to this day (except for my sister). In fact Sampson's owner is Lauren, who that summer showed a Saddlebred named Frank. The day she and I rode together was the first time we had ridden together in more than a decade. But it was just like old times.

Lauren, Lisa (my sis), Me, Kim, Jason

Mr. K was just one of those good ol' horsemen who never missed a moment to teach me something. I have yet to meet another man like him. He had this dry sense of humor that I really didn't appreciate until I was older. He had a distinct whistle that the horses KNEW and they would instantly perk up. Sometimes I still say "Yeahboy!" in my head when I am watching a fancy horse. He would always say that.

Years after we left Kaufman's, I saw Mr. K at a horse show. He had a rider in a Morgan hunter pleasure class. My sister was also riding Sparkle in that class. I saw him while I was warming up Sparkle for my sister.

"Hey Mr. K!" I said, waving at him. He recognized me instantly and walked over.

"I should have put a razor blade under your saddle pad," he said in his dry voice.

I was beaming. I knew it was a compliment. It meant he knew there was no chance he was going to beat my horse.

I wonder if he knew just how much he and his wife influenced so many people? No, we were not a top show barn when I was there (they had past their prime many years before), but they gave so many people a solid, honest foundation. My next trainer, Jim Lowry, a very VERY successful trainer also started out at Kaufmans.

I never thanked them for what they did for me, but I hope they know.

***

Edited to add his obit:

Alfred “Al” Jacob Kaufman, age 83, of Westfield, Indiana died Monday, January 16, 2012 at his residence. Born September 10, 1928 in Wheeling, West Virginia, he was the son of Alfred and Magdaline (Blake) Kaufman.

He was the owner and operator of Kaufman Stables in Westfield, the second oldest and largest riding facility in Indiana that he and his wife, Leah, began in 1970. Prior to owning the stables he was a salesman for 3M Corporation in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and in Ohio and later in Greenwood. He was known to be one of the top horse trainers in our country and was a charter member of the United Professional Horse Association, a member of the American Saddlebred Horse Association and the American Quarterhorse Association. He was a member of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church in Carmel.

He is survived by one daughter, Michelle (Mike) Velez, of Nashville; two sons, J.B. Kaufman, of Martinsville and Greg (Peggy) Kaufman, of Nashville, his friend and companion, Michelle Bruduseo; eight grandchildren, Melissa Kaufman, Chris Velez, Nicole Hacker, Jackie Cleary, Jake Kaufman, A.J. Kaufman, Chris Kaufman and David Kaufman, nine great-grandchildren, one niece and nephew, and his favorite horse, Johnny Cash.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Leah (Churchill) Kaufman, one daughter, Kitty Lou Kaufman, one brother, Jack Kaufman and one nephew, Kenneth Kaufman.

Respecting Al’s wishes, private funeral services will be held Friday, January 20 at the Bond-Mitchell Funeral Home in Nashville. Burial will be in Memorial Park Cemetery in Nashville.

The family suggests to those who wish that memorial contributions be given to Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding Academy of Zionsville through their website: www.morningdovetrc.org.

The One Fall Rule

Oliver Townsend survived this brutal fall at Rolex. So did the horse.

From the USEF Rules For Eventing:

EV141 Cross-Country Scoring.
b. Falls -
(1) First fall of competitor Elimination
(2) First fall of horse Mandatory retirement

EV142 Cross-Country—Definitions of Faults
4. FALLS.
a. A competitor is considered to have fallen when he is separated from his horse in
such a way as to necessitate remounting or vaulting into the saddle.
b. A horse is considered to have fallen when at the same time both its shoulder and
quarters have touched either the ground or the obstacle and the ground.
c. A fall will always be penalized when it occurs between the elements of an obstacle
composed of several elements (A B C).

Uh oh.

SO the hot topic in the eventing community these days is the one-fall rule. The USEF Board of Directors voted not to approve the proposed rule change - which would have allowed riders to continue after the first fall as long as they maintained control of their horse and did not require medical attention.

I see both sides of the argument. Yes, there are times when you have a silly pop-off, land on your feet and could easily carry on. Yes, by remounting it is a valuable learning experience. 

But there is this grey area. What if you have what appears to be a simple fall. Rider maintains control of their horse, and appears to be fine. What if they have a concussion? Sometimes symptoms do not appear right away. What if there was a REASON for the fall - did the horse stop because he is in pain? Are horse and rider overfaced? (in which case letting them continue may put them in more danger).

unplanned dismount

Here is my opinion. I have to agree with keeping the one-fall rule. I know that if WHEN I fall off out on cross country (for the love of all things holy I hope I do not fall off in the dressage ring), I have no doubt I would bow out. Even if it is a silly fall. There's probably a reason for it, and a USEF event is not the place to work out my issues. It is a horse show. The point is to stay on your horse. If you fall off, too bad. Time to go home, fix it and try again another day. Or try at a schooling show. Work things out there. That is just my personal opinion. That's why we have schooling shows and non-rated horse trials. Although, even at those I think you should listen to people's advice if they feel you should be done for the day. I know I sound a little harsh. Even while I was in saddleseat land, if someone fell off during a class - they were allowed to remount and continue the class. MANY times still placing high in the class! I'm sorry, but you FELL OFF. I just don't see how that ranks you above other competitors who mastered the most basic skill of riding that day. They stayed on!

Correct me I'm wrong but, I BELIEVE you can fall off on cross country in between jumps and you can remount and continue. (For instance if your horse bucks you off). This seems silly to me. A fall is a fall.

Thoughts?