ROLEX BLOGGER MEET UP

Hampton and I jumping at Rolex.
FYI: That is an "alternative fact."

So things are a brewin' for Rolex plans this year.

I have created a private FB event for bloggers. Basically let's meet at the Dubarry Tent around 11 am on Saturday. We can chat, do shots (let's face it, SprinklerBandit and I will likely already be drunk), share stories, enable each other to do more shopping, etc. etc.

I invited fellow bloggers who are my FB friends so hopefully it will snowball from there!

EHV-1

A small outbreak of EHV-1 has hit the county in KY where Hampton lives. It seems to be confined to two local racing stables at the moment, and as far as I know no horses have been euthanized.

The stable I used to board at has to temp-check the horses twice a day. They are close to the quarantined stable, and sometimes take lay-up horses from there. For those familiar with the area, the first stable to have cases is High Pointe. I'm not sure of the second at this time.

Hampton's current home is far enough way that we are not under instructions to temp check at this time. We also have very little traffic in and out of the farm, with the exception of the show horses during show season.

However, less than a mile from us is another rather large racing operation. But I did see them working baby horses out on the track this morning, so it appears it is business as usual for them.

The year after I graduated from the University of Findlay equine program, this virus swept through the English program barn. There were many cases of EHM - the neurological strain of EHV-1. It killed 12 horses in 4 days. It is not something to be messed with. The horses who started to show neurological symptoms were tied up in the large area - with baling twine from the rafters - because once they went down, they did not get back up. And they did not want to have to remove down horses from their stalls. It was devastating to the program and to the students.

Regular old EHV-1 typically just causes some respiratory crud and horses almost always recover just fine. But it's highly contagious and is big trouble if the horse gets the wild strain, or EHM.

Here is a handy chart explaining the difference:

Hoping it stays contained! Makes me nervous!

Roofers shmoofers

Disclaimer: I apologize for the crappy cell phone media. I'm usually riding alone and the only way I can get pics is to set my phone on the rail to video for a couple of minutes. The things I do for my blog readers! ;)

So our covered area is currently under repair this week. It's basically getting a new roof. Of course it is needed, but this means that we can't really use the covered area right now because:

1) There are Amish men walking all over the roof.
2) Their trucks are parked in the arena
3) They randomly drop debris from the ceiling

So unless you have a total death wish, we have all been riding in the outdoor arena this week. That's fine with me, as the resident jump instructor usually has some fun poles set up that I frequently take advantage of.

The only problem is that the Amish roof guys are making some serious noise. I mean, they are taking HUGE (roof size) slabs of roofing/metal and DRAGGING them to the other side of the roof so that can work under them. I can't even describe this obnoxious noise to you.

See what I mean about crappy cell phone photos?!

I decided ... well, might as well ride and see what happens!

Hamps actually surprised me. He has every excuse to be obnoxious. But ... he wasn't. Now granted, there was A LOT of snorting going on. But he stayed with me, and even lit up like a show horse but never got stupid. I LOVE when he is like this! You can sit into him and sort of ride him through the snorting and up comes his poll and his trot gets really big and bouncy. But he never spooked, never even scooted and I would not have blamed him these roofers were fucking loud.

Not in a million years would I have ridden Royale or any idiotic young horse out there tho. Not unless I had a crash vest and a major life insurance policy.

Half steps. You can tell he is tight here. Roofers were straight ahead.
However, thanks roofers for keeping his poll up!

So while we are sort of limited this week in our work since there is only so much you can do on one long side (jumps are in the way everywhere else), we did get some canter pirouette work done. They are coming along - but I need to learn to be more clear with my aids. And of course I took advantage of the snorting and did some half steps. He was a little tight, but understandably so.

Collect .. collect ... turn

Getting there!

I think we are going to aim for a couple of March schooling shows to knock the dust off. I'm not sure what test yet.

And stay tuned for more freestyle posts!

In praise of potties

First, it was warm enough to ride in short sleeves in January.
'MERICA!

I really admire eventers and show jumpers. Not only do they school dressage and flat work, but they must lug standards and poles around in order to school their jumping phases. Most poles and standards are heavy. And dirty. And have SPIDERS under them sometimes.

The DQs at our farm do really enjoy trot poles and cavalettis. However, moving those standards around is just annoying. Cavaletti holders are expensive, and we are just too broke for that.

BUT.

What happens to make a cheap cavalitti holder?!

CHILDS POTTIES.

So now we have a cute little selection of potties in the arena. You can find them at Ikea for $5 a pop I believe.

Horse-poor DQs for the win!

Also, made a gif of the potties in action today. Sorry for the small gif, still figuring this thingie out.

Long Strange Trip: 10 years of blogging

You guys.

This blog turns 10 years old this year.

WHAT.

I started out as a random blog. Horses, concerts, photography, random personal thoughts. It evolved into a horse-only blog around 2009 when Hampton came into my life.

I really just wanted a way to document progress, keep photos in order and write down my thoughts, training tips, videos, etc. But really it has turned into a fun little project that has given me numerous amazing friends - some I have met, some I have not (yet).

I want to thank you all for reading, commenting, supporting me, offering advice and in some cases even giving me a place to crash, feeding me (ahem Jen and Nick!), making me a drink, taking photos and in general sharing your journeys as well.

"What a long, strange trip it's been."

I want to do something to celebrate. Maybe a contest or give away or something? Stay tuned.

But for now, here are some stats and most popular blogs.

Most popular posts
1) The horse gets a bib (Feb. 2011): Hampton gets his first trace clip. (I think this might be so popular because I had the word "strip" in the post? lol)
2) In which Hampton channels his inner Black stallion (Aprl 2011): I ride Hampton bareback in a halter for the first time. It was a non-event. Man imagine how popular the post would have been if something wild had happened. ha!
3) Blame it on the rein, rein, reining (Nov. 2011): I watch a reining clinic and ... like it.

Followers: 176

All-time page views: 184,239

First post: Introduction (Aug. 28, 2007)

Number of posts: 860

And some of my favorite photos:
(sorry, there are so many!)

That time I bought a 2 year old unbroken draft cross ...

Hampton's first ride!

Adventures in pony-ing. (RIP Pamela, sweet girl)

Visiting Hampton's half brothers

Learning to steer.

Hamps is 3 and we move to what I now call "crazy batshit lady's farm"

We move back to original farm, and Hamps goes to his first show!

We even try out some combined tests.

Hamps starts to learn half steps

I get a new horse trailer!! And have Bruise, my Chevy truck, Ahh I miss her.
But not the spending $100 a week on gas.

On a trail ride, Hampton slips in some mud and falls down on me. We are both fine.

Stepson Sampson spends a few months with me learning how to horse.

Hampton learns to pull a sled.

We move to a lovely barn where I have a job cleaning stalls in the morning.

we attend a clinic and learn how to HERD BUFFALO.

We make the move to Kentucky!

We clinic a couple of times with James Houston.

We participate in a handful in mini trials and do pretty well

We lesson with Dorothy Crowell a couple of times fall 2012.

... but then my focus shifts to dressage and we debut at Second Level in Feb. 2013.

In 2013 we earn all of our 1st and 2nd level scores for our bronze.

Stepson REX comes to stay with me for a few months, to learn how to horse.
He went from awkward, gangling and green to ....

Quite handsome and lovely to ride!

I fullfill a dream of showing at the Kentucky Horse Park.

My first niece is born. Making me Aunt Karen officially!
(yes I said first, a second one is on the way!)

I get a taste of the KY state fair.
(that's not me, btw)

We work hard all winter hoping to debut at 3rd level in the spring.

I also ride some OTTBs for Second Stride and love it.

We clinic with Courtney King-Dye

I earn my USDF Bronze medal in May 2014. But our 3rd level debut left much to be desired.
I start looking for more competent, and more professional instruction.

We take a few trips back home to Indiana for inspiration from my long-time instructor.

Someone gets cellulitis.

We survive our first (AND LAST) Hunter Pace in which I almost die when
Hampton reared like a goddamn black stallion.

We move barns and start to get more serious about Third level

We clinic with JJ Tate. Still to this day my favorite clinic ever.

I take a liking to rescued Saddlebred mare, Lady. RIP.

In the spring we are back at it at Third Level.
But we are having problems communicating, I am down 20 pounds, weak and emotionally unstable.

Over summer we keep working at it, and our partnership starts to heal.

My long-time friend Grover develops cancer and I euthanize him.
I was devastated and never really talked about it

We explore around the neighborhood

Our scores improve a little in the fall, and I try a freestyle.

Buckley comes into my life

One of the most important people in my life dies.
Miss you Susie!

We clinic with Lainey Ashker a couple of times

baby Royale enters the picture!

Spring 2016 we debut at Fourth level and it goes rather well!

We clinic with Liz Austin

And now here we are!

Whew - it was fun to go through all those photos.

Cheers to a great 2017!

Love,

Karen & Hampton 

(and Royale and Buckley)