5 Things for Christmas (a plea to Santa)

I'm copying off a few other bloggers who have done a similar post. :)

Dear Santa, 5 things I need want must have crave would like to have for Christmas this year:

1. County Perfection saddle. I've started saving up for one. But it seems like whenever I start to make progress on saving, something happens and I have to spend it. Like a car accident. So maybe Santa will just drop one off for me?

2. A truck. (Preferably another Chevy, but I'm not picky at this point, Santa). 

3. A pair (or two) of Pikeur breeches. Full seat. I can't afford these, unless I dip into my saddle fund. So c'mon Santa, hook a girl up.

4. Back on track blanket. I think Hamps would like one of these, especially in the winter to wear before and after rides. And overnight at horse shows (that are not too hot). Santa, you can throw in the BOT hock boots, too, if you are feeling jolly. ho ho ho.

5. Brown dressage boots. Preferably the DeNiros. Oh I want want want!! Yes I'd probably only school in these but they are so gorgeous. Only $700 worth of gorgeous.

This of course is my dream Christmas list. My actual Christmas list was far more realistic.

What are you all dreaming of for the holidays?

A reminder

Hug your horses.

Sometimes they leave us much too soon.

(Hampton is fine, but a fellow blogger and also a college friend of mine lost their horses this week.)

My Strange Addiction: Model Horses; Live shows

Villian won so much it was embarassing

(this is really long! sorry!)
There are a few reasons why a model horse collector may want to take their collection on the road and go to a live show.

• A social event to meet and talk to other hobbyists
• Buy, sell and trade models
• Check out the newest resins, or get to see rare Breyers in the flesh in the plastic.
• Learn about horses in general
• Show off your collection
• WIN all the ribbons and prizes. And NAN cards. *

*A majority of live shows are NAN-qualifying shows. If your horse wins a 1st or 2nd, he gets a NAN card - his key to an entry to the North American Nationals. The cards are generally good for 2 years.

Here is a video:

Here is how a live show generally goes. I'm writing this from my standpoint, others I am sure have their own routine they follow.

(I sent in my entry form for the show maybe a month or two out)

Week before the show: I decide which horses I want to take. When my collection was at its largest (40+), I would pick only my best show horses to attend. I like to keep it at about 25 models to show - especially if I am showing in performance classes, too. However, there are many hobbyists who will bring WAY WAY more than 25 models to the show. And some who may bring only 4 or 5. 

Day or two before the show: I tag my horses. The horses must each wear a tag (see below). On one side, it will say their breed and gender. "Dutch Warmblood Mare". And the other side will say the horse's name and will have your initials. "Sweet Pea. KMT". The show holder has a list of what initials go with what name. In general this is how the tags are preferred. Some shows do this differently, but this is a basic start.

Night before the show: I pack. I have one big tub on wheels and several smaller tubs that may carry more fragile models, tack, show set ups, etc. I wrap each model in cloth (some have their own "pouches" that are made of silk. Yes, I said it. And then in bubble wrap. I don't put bubble wrap directly on the models because it can stick and chip the paint off. I generously wrap each of them and carefully arrange them tetrus style in the tubs. I also make sure I have any performance materials - obviously saddles, bridles, props, cards to describe the event and other documentation. I also bring scissors, a sharpie, small makeup brush to wipe dust off, pencils and other random supplies.

Day of show: Depending on how far I have to drive, I get up at the crack of dawn or the ass crack of dawn. Show halls are typically held at hotel conference centers, ballrooms, community centers, or basically any big room capable of holding 40+ 8-foot tables.

I check in with the show host and find my table. Some shows assign tables, others are a free for all. Once I find my table I start setting up. When I first starting showing I would stand up all of my models on my table. It took ONE TIME when I tipped one over and it knocked over the entire row. When this happens, the ENTIRE HALL goes silent. And everyone looks at you. As if you are going to burst into tears. None of my models were damaged, but after that I always always just laid my models on their sides and spread them around my table.

Here's one way to prevent the dreaded domino effect.

After you are set up, it is time to wait.

And wait.

And wait.

Division champs come in for a call back for overall titles.

I usually have a classlist and will write down what horse goes in what class. When that class is called, for example "Original Finish Quarter Horses," I will take my OF QH up to the show ring (an 8-foot table) and place her there. I will dust her off, make sure her tag and any documentation is easy to read and well placed, and then walk back to my table to wait some more. Sometimes I will find the crappier models and place my model next to them - in order to make her look better. Whether this works or not I don't really know.

a typical scene

This process repeats for all my horses. Performance classes are about the same but they do allow you some time to change tack if you need to. If you have a lot of horses, you really have to be on the ball because often there are 4-5 rings running at the same time. It's very easy to miss a class if you are not paying attention.

A nice hunter entry. You don't have to have a doll for performance, but if you do, you
better be sure she is correct.

After the class is judged, you go and retrieve your model and any ribbons or NAN cards he or she has won. I always quietly and graciously take my model and ribbons but some people will nearly throw a temper tantrum if their prized plastic pony did not win. Seriously people we are showing model horses here, PLEASE PLEASE have some class. You will sometimes hear snickering or griping around the show rings, but like in real horses you are simply paying for someone's opinion. Yes there are politics but let's be grown ups here. .... As much as possible while showing plastic ponies. ha.

Many shows will have division champions such as Champion OF Stock Breeds, and then overall halter and performance champs. The prizes for these can be really neat.

It would be very hard to beat this saddleseat entry.

After the show I am usually tired from sitting around all day and cranky, but also looking forward to the next one for some reason. I try to repack my models the same way they got there (never works) and head home.

I know this sounds incredibly titillating. Please not everyone rush out to start a collection.

I really do enjoy this hobby and one day I am sure I will return. But I think it simply filled a void, at a time when I didn't really have my own real horse to care for, pay for and enjoy on a daily basis.

Snow birds

It's winter. And it has snowed.

And we don't have an indoor.

This is the time of year in which I have to 1) Suck it up and 2) Be creative with where we ride.

At the moment the arena is ok, it's basically a bunch of slush. Probably fine to hack in, but I'm not about to go around popping lead changes and doing a bunch of lateral work in it. Before it snowed, we got a wonderful layer of ice first. yay.

The jump field is actually better to ride in. Which is what we have been doing. It's fun for me (as long as my extremities do not freeze) and Hampton gets a good work out because he has to pick up his feet to plow through the snow, PLUS go uphill a large majority of the time. It's still only ok to walk and trot in but that's fine with me. I just work on keeping a steady rhythm and both of us staying soft and loose. The snow and hills do the rest of the work for me. The break from the intense dressage work has been good for both of us. It won't hurt to just work on suppling, fitness and rhythm until the arena is in better shape.

(There is a clinic I want to go to in March though. If only I had a damn truck)

The Pampered Hamper is also getting soaked alfalfa cubes again. I haven't given him this since he was so skinny in Indiana. But I noticed he has lost some weight (I no longer have to heave-ho when putting the girth on), and has not been drinking as much as I'd like.

(I need to do a review on the Equine Aid I tried. Long story short, Hampton didn't even touch it)

Giving him a nice mash of the soaked cubes works for both of those issues. Plus he just loves it and licks his tub clean. He drank an entire bucket of water last night, too. Victory!

While I'm not a fan of the snow ... it does sort of make me want to break out a sled and try skijoring with Hampton. :) :)

Slow down, grab the wall

Because Hampton is such a good boy, and so easy to train, he often tries to do things even though I am not riding correctly. Some of my bad riding has started to show up in a couple of specific movements - the half passes and the flying changes.

Being a very good boy on Thanksgiving

A few weeks ago Hampton started to go rein lame just during half passes at the trot. I then worried myself half sick and thought I had ruined my horse. He also had a visit from the chiro and had some significant problems in his lower back and SI joint. For my lesson today I asked if L could take a look at the half pass and see if it was something I was doing to cause the rein lameness, or if she thought Hampton was, in fact, actually LAME. (He has not been lame going straight or on the lunge or even on a tight circle).

She immediately pointed out that I was riding TOO MUCH angle and poor Hampton was trying to be obedient but it's just not physically possibly for him to cross over that much - therefore, he became uneven, or rein lame.

Excooooze me, someone please tell my rider she is incompetent.

She gave me a few excellent exercises to help me focus on just riding the shoulders - and then gently moving the haunches over. BAM - super half pass. The rein lameness VANISHED. I am sure Hampton was thinking "It's about damn time someone told you how to do this, idiot." I was of course relieved that it's not a physical problem, but just a bad rider problem.

We also worked on flying changes. I will tell you that they have gotten significantly better and L promises me that by spring they will be reliable. (Right now I don't see the light). Any and every problem one can have while teaching the changes, we have had. Changing late behind. Changing behind but not in front. Not changing at all. Bucking. Leaping. Getting amped up about it. Throwing temper tantrums and anticipating changing. ALL of this has happened to me.

Can you spot the other bad habit I have in lateral work?
Yup - collapsing my whole left side. I have collapsed to much that my shirt fell down.

But at this point if I set up Hampton for success and properly time my aids, we get a wonderful clean change. But A LOT of the time, I just miss the timing and then Hampton is all like "Shit you want me to change .. legs are tangled ... oh shit ...." and then one of the above problems occurs. So I really need to make sure we are both set up for success and NOT to try changes when we are a clusterf*ck. He knows the aids and really tries to be obedient. The changes are much improved from even a month or two ago, but not show ring ready I am afraid. That is ok though - that's what winter is for. :)

So while I really enjoy posting about how awesome my horse is - I do want everyone to know it is not all sunshine and rainbows. This journey is very difficult and can be quite frustrating. But keep on keeping on, I suppose. And eventually you see the light.

I think.

Somewhere in time

“In a person's lifetime there may be not more than half a dozen occasions that he can look back to in the certain knowledge that right then, at that moment, there was room for nothing but happiness in his heart.” 

― Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, Belles on Their Toes

Not perfect but there are moments, people, moments! 

(And proof that Hampton CAN be uphill! lol)

Under pressure

I think dressage teaches me something new every day. 

On Tuesday I had a lesson with L (new instructor) and we started teaching Hampton passage. If you had told me that Hampton would learn passage before the end of 2013 I would have laughed in your face. But, here we are.

We all know that Hamps is not the most gifted horse in the movement department. Teaching him passage is going to help improve his trot. So in the end he will have his passage and then I am hoping to have a sort of hybrid passage trot that will be the trot I bring to the ring.

Anyway, here is is how we started introducing that to him.

Start with half steps. Hampton has a real knack for half steps. He has learned to do this even though I have no idea what I am doing. The concept just made perfect sense to him. Then ask for real piaffe. Again, this came pretty easy for Hampton. He's quite good at staying animated with his hind legs. My instructor does not even need to walk beside us with a whip. (note: Please don't think that we do some Olympic level perfect piaffe. He schools this very nicely for a 6 year old, lol).

Normal BLAH trot will hopefully improve.

Once in piaffe I think "Ok this engagement but bigger steps." But to Hampton I am sure this sounds like "Go go go ... no whoa whoa  GOO ... whoa, stay here, stay with me .. GO GO"

And then all of a sudden he was dancing!! It was for real the coolest thing. He can only maintain it for 4-5 steps but the gear is in there. He understood. He found the right answer.

But of course in true Dressage Rider fashion, I had to overanalyze everything. Is there another equestrian sport where we put so much mental pressure on the horse? I really could not think of one.

Now I see that perhaps the most important quality in a dressage horse is the ability to handle mental pressure. I can see how some horses may blow a gasket during this process. You are asking them to go and whoa at the same time, and you have to insist upon it at first. A real recipe for rearing if you ask me. But never once did I feel Hampton start to freak out. He just kept trying. 

So while he may be an ordinary mover, he has an extraordinary brain. In that moment when we were dancing I thought "Holy shit, I may actually ride a Grand Prix one day."

But then I snap back to reality and remember our flying changes still suck ass. ARGH.

:)