Weathered

Somehow, Louisville was spared the giant snowstorm that walloped the midwest. There is not a lick of snow here. And very little ice.

But we did get the Polar Vortex (hahaha so ominous), and negative temps.

Kentucky of course FREAKED THE EFF OUT. School was cancelled. Grocery stores cleaned out. For 1 degree temperatures? When I was in school they never would have cancelled for that. We would have shivered at the bus stop. I also had to walk up hill ... both ways ... in the snow ... and ... GET OFF MY LAWN!! hahaha.

I've been at the barn both frigid days. Passing out warm mash, breaking water buckets, checking water tanks. I've stayed pretty toasty and the horses seem just fine. Hampton is bright eyed and has been playing halter tag with his friends in the field.

Halter tag

"So do you have a treat or are you just standing there for
no reason?"

Yup, they all have been turned out during the day. *gasp*. I think it's good that they get to move around. They have roundbales if they need it, but I haven't seen many nibble at them yet. There has been plenty of playing and romping.

Around 8 pm I go back out to the barn and deliver Hampton a warm alfalfa cube mash with carrots and some oil mixed in.

He isn't complaining.

It's supposed to be back up into the 50s by the end of the week. hahaha oh Kentucky and your sense of humor. So maybe by Saturday we will be back to riding. Here's hoping!

Past and present

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I have some gratuitous dorky photos of me and Hampton to start out the year (I am sure you are used to these types of photos by now), and unfortunately a sad story to tell. So read on.

Keeping weight on decently so far this winter. I've been giving him soaked
alfalfa cubes to help him out. Meanwhile, I have totally slacked on
keeping him clipped/mane pulled. Hippie horse.

On NYE, we joined a fellow boarder for a walk to the very back of the
property and back. (We rode for over an hour!) This includes several awesome hills to torture Hampton ...
work Hampton's butt. It was so quiet and beautiful - even for the
dead of winter.

Still working on our Third Level stuff in the arena when we can.

Matching Horsewear fleeces! Not dorky at all. Nope.

I just ordered new bits for Hampton's double. These were the most basic, generic bits
to start out with. He's earned some updates.

More dweeby goodness

Me and my niece! Her first selfie. She may have had too
much eggnog on Christmas though. She is drooling.
(ok maybe it was me who had too much eggnog)

And that brings me to a rather sad story.

On Christmas Eve I stopped by the farm where Hampton was born. His sire still lives there in fact. I'm not sure I wrote too much about it in this blog, but I also worked as a trainer on this farm for about a year. The owner breeds larger type hunters/foxhunters/jumpers/sporthorses. 

She built the big barn in 2006 I think? I still had T-Bone at the time and boarded him there as well. It is a nice barn. Really nice stalls, 2 washracks w/ heaters, an indoor arena, an outdoor arena and acres and acres of pasture. The barn office was snazzy with leather couches, TVs, an office and big windows to see into the indoor. There was even an apartment in the loft. It was always sparkly clean (for a barn), the horses all fat and shiny with perfectly pulled manes. It was a busy farm (52 babies were born in the year I worked there - Hampton was one of them!). 

Basically what happened was the owner had too many horses (175 at one time), and ran out of money, and then slipped into depression.

She's now down to 12 horses - 4 stallions- and the rest are about Hampton's age and not even halter broke. When I arrived at the farm - I was immediately sad. The outdoor area was nothing but overgrown weeds. The fences were broken. Grass not really mowed. Broken and rotting jumps strewn about. On the porch there was old halters and various other pieces of junk piled up. As I walked into the office area - you are overcome with the smell of a cat box. So much dust and dirt everywhere. There are holes and tears all over the leather couches. Various junk strewn about.

I walked over the aisle where the horses were. Hampton's sire, Fletcher, greeted me at his door.

Fletcher says oh hei!!! He is a big sweetie and enjoyed some lovin's.

I notice that the stalls have not been cleaned in ... a while. Like, a good while.

All the horses had tangled manes. They were in good weight, but it appeared to me that they

have not, or do not, go outside. There was no mud on any of them and we all know that chances are this time of year, if your horse goes outside, there will be mud somewhere.

It was so heartbreaking to me. I mean I don't believe the horses are in danger, but it was so obvious that the passion that once was there, is gone. Very heartbreaking to see what depression can do to a person.

Several of the "young" horses (between 6-8 years old I believe) appeared to be quite nice. It's really a shame that they cannot even LEAD. Because now they are too big to really wrestle. Who wants an unhandled 7 year old? So who knows what their futures hold. No half-brothers to Hampton, however.

BUT - I did find out that his mother is still living! She is in her mid-30s! Wowza!

I did end up having a wonderful chat with Hampton's breeder and my long time friend and mentor (she used to be the breeding manager when the farm was doing well). She basically agreed with me and said that the barn's owner is depressed - sometimes not coming out of her house, and out to the barn until 3 in the afternoon. But what can you do? 

She's not sure if the farm will be sold, or what will happen to it.

Just hate to see this stuff happen.

One more goal

Photo by the wonderful, generous Ed Van Meter. 12.27.13

I can't believe I forgot to write this goal down.

But it is a big one.

Create and ride a Third Level Musical Freestyle!

This is an entire new realm for me, but I am really excited to try it out. I have a friend who is a genius at editing music who will help put together the sequences and match the music with Hampton. I just have to create a test.

Goal is to have it ready by fall. :)

Anyone have any tips?

Goals, goals, goals

Both Hampton and I were treated very well by Santa this year. I got a BOMBDIGGITY Ariat jacket, a trailer aid thingie, clothes, candy, money and Hampton got a nifty Horsewear quarter fleece (it's the one that matches my own Horsewear fleece. haha, yes I am now THAT girl that matches her horse) and a Back on Track saddle pad! My family still laughs at me when I get so excited over items for the horse.

"Oh a saddle pad!! YAY!! Oh I can't wait to try this!! ..."

[bewildered stares from family]

My mother once again outdid herself and gave me a Shutterfly book with a collection of old photos throughout the years. Last year she gave me a DVD of old horse show videos. These are the best gifts - not very expensive but they take a long time to compile. I'll be sure to share some of the photos in the book here - there are some doosies.

Anyway, I have put together my goals post. There are realistic ones and lofty ones. Of course the only thing that really matters is that Hampton stays happy and healthy.

At the end of 2012, I set these goals for 2013:

• Show First and Second Level. Hit up at least 1 rated show, hopefully more. YES! In fact far exceeded this, showing First and Second successfully and making it to 2 rated shows.
• Earn scores toward USDF Bronze Medal YES! I have 4 out of 6 scores needed, just need my Third Level scores.
• Lessons, lessons, lessons Averaged 1 a week, CHECK!
• FHF adult dressage camp Didn't make it this year since I don't have a truck. :(
• Participate in 2 or 3 mini horse trials. Possibly move up to Beginner Novice during the summer. Eh, only made it to 1 mini trial. No chance in hell of moving up to BN. Just did not get enough jump schools or lessons at all this year.
• Qualify for USDF regionals? If so, attend them. Since Regionals were all the way up near Chicago, I didn't even try to qualify.
• Start saving $$ for a new dressage saddle. Sort of! 
• By late fall, start schooling more solid 3rd level. YES! And beyond!

Goals for 2014:

• Show Third Level, get my bronze medal.
• By fall, show a kamakazie Fourth Level test.
• Attend FHF adult dressage camp
• Attend JJ Tate clinic in April (Lexington). At the very least, audit.
• Buy a new saddle
• School more Fourth/PSG
• After I blow all my savings on a saddle, start saving for a used truck
• Always always put Hampton first, let him tell me what he's ready for
• Host a clinic at the farm
• Attend 2 rated shows if financially possible

A walk into the field

I am sure you all have experienced this inner dialog.

This morning:

Start walking out into the very muddy, very wet field to capture horse.
Glance out into distance and see a horse COVERED in mud.

"Haha, someone is going to be pissed when they see that."

Look around for Hampton.

"Hmmmm."

Glance over at mud covered beast.

Nervously keep looking around field hoping that Hampton is maybe behind the shed.

"HMMMMM. That looks like Hampton"

Keep hoping that maybe it is not my horse. (But I know it is)

"($%(*#)#$*%*(!!!!!!!!" (under my breath)

"Please only be one side ... please only be one side ..."

Hampton sees me and starts to wonder over in search of a treat.

... "Yes!! Yes it is only one side!!"

2013 Blooper Blog

And now for the 2013 Bloopers!

Sexeh winter wear.

Nearly getting beheaded by low hanging branches

I don't know about this one

You missed the moment before when he bucked and kicked out after I merely tapped him
on the shoulder for more ooomph.

WTF is that? A jump?!

Trolls in the shrubs!

How to jump up your poor horse's neck when the jump is a mere 2 feet.

One of our classic croop-high canter transitions.

Not a second level movement

dorks

I mean seriously maybe I should spend more time warming up my horse, and less
time doing things like this

Poor Hampton lobbying for a classier rider

Also not a second level movement

Steering malfunction

Barn pest control hard at work

Spotted these winners at the Kentucky State Fair.
In the cow barn.

:) 

2013 Year in Review

Year in Review

2013 was a pretty awesome year. The progress Hampton and I have made still blows my mind and I owe that to my two instructors, my family, my super friends and a lot of time and hard work. And luck. :)

This will be the year in review post. If you have been following my blog for more than a year, you know what blog post is next. The blooper reel!! Stay tuned.

JANUARY

We clinic with Dorothy Crowell. Otherwise we keep plugging away at Second Level movements. Hampton starts to learn super-collected canter.

FEBRUARY

We hit up a local dressage schooling show and debut at Second Level. It is my first time showing at this level, and obviously Hampton's, too. We ride First 3 and Second 3. I look back and laugh at this now but we score a 71.5% in Second Level and a 69% in First Level. I think the judge was smoking something for sure! Maybe dropping acid? But anyway I now had my feet wet at Second Level.

MARCH

We make our first attempts at flying changes.

(It sucks)

APRIL

Hampton gets 4 shoes. We prep for our first rated show of the year (my first rated show in nearly 6 years). We go to Meadowlake and show First 3 and Second 3 again. It's a weekend show. Our scores are ok ranging from 58% to 64%. BUT I get 3 scores toward my bronze. Rolex happens and I go to watch.

Meadowlake was not a disaster, but I could have done way better.

MAY

We keep working on Second Level. Hampton battles some over-reaching injuries 

and gets fat off the spring grass.

JUNE

Hamps and I stay home another month and keep doing what we do. 

Meanwhile, Rex comes to visit!

First ride

JULY

The flying changes start to get better. And by better I mean we start to actually DO flying changes 

SOME of the time. Rex makes big strides and is makes himself a barn favorite very quickly. 

Hampton gets a full bridle.

AUGUST

We finally make it out to another show - this time a schooling show at Masterson Station. 

It goes amazingly well! We pull off a 63% in Second Level for First place and a 62% in First Level for a Second Place. Sexy Rexy continues to grow up.

Masterson Station, Lexington

SEPTEMBER

On a whim, I enter a local horse trial. I wouldn't call it a disaster, but it was obvious we had not been jumping all summer. ha. Rex goes home to his owners.

He turned into a wonderful riding horse.

OCTOBER

We attend the KDA Fall Show - another rated show. This time at the

Kentucky Horse Park. I nearly go off course and make numerous other mistakes, but Hamps is good and 

I get my other score toward my bronze in Second Level. Plus we get second place ribbons and decent scores of 61% and a 62%. In other news, my sister has a baby.

LOVED showing at the KHP.

NOVEMBER

We focus more on Third Level work. Hampton gets his shoes pulled in preparation for winter, gets

body clipped and we work on developing piaffe and passage.

DECEMBER

Intense training has slowed down, mostly thanks to the weather but it's good for both of us.

I focus my money on trying to save for a new saddle. Or a used truck. #horsegirlproblems

Happy Holidays everyone!

Love,

Karen & Hampton