Among Us: The Imposter

 

Last week there was an imposter at a Kentucky saddlebred show.

There was a dressage rider in the hunter pleasure classes. 

(*gasping*)

I did wear my OneK helmet. One of very few approved helmets on the show grounds.

I took her out to hand graze in the mornings. She was happy to pose!

The Horse: This is Pippa. She is a 5 year old buckskin American Saddlebred mare.

Green, but kind and willing and a super good thinker.

Naps!

I had a friend call up and ask me to show her last week at a saddlebred show about 40 minutes from me. He is her usual trainer and rider but this show conflicted with his already booked vacation.

Um, when someone asked me to show a saddlebred I do not turn that down!

Tunnel into the show ring!

After riding her only 3 times, we headed to the show (after showing Hampton in the I-2 Wednesday morning haha! I am a masochist. Oh by the way I was also working my FULL TIME JOB concurrently so the exhaustion was real). I worked her briefly Thursday morning to make sure she wasn't going to be too frisky. She wasn't. 

Morning handgrazing

The saddlebred world is ... different. You can have a really great ride and not place well, and you can make all sorts of mistakes and even FALL OFF and still win the class. I have seen both extremes and everything in between. Pippa was great, sure we had some bobbles but I don't think she was what the judge wanted. She was simply too quiet compared to the others. Also, there is color bias in the saddlebred (And Morgan) show circuits. If your horse is not bay or chestnut, you are less likely to place well. Not saying it is impossible but that unfortunately exists. Her next show she may be rewarded for her quiet, steady nature. But just not as this show. 

Waiting on the warm up ring! We didn't show
until almost 9 pm Fri and Sat nights.

Even so, I made sure she had a positive, empathetic ride. She thinks she won every class. 

These saddlebreds are so kind and tolerant. The atmosphere would make most warmbloods poop themselves. It was in the middle of a county fair. And I do mean in the middle of it. At NIGHT. There are big noisy rides with lights, people everywhere, other horses, snapping whips, people shouting, all sorts of chaos. She never put a foot wrong.

Spot the imposter in the video!

It has been close to 20 years since I have shown in this world. I was reminded why I loved it, and also why I left. I know every industry has their issues, but this one is full of some particularly vile and skeevy people and practices. And the toxic man egos are something else. The elitism is disgusting. And the way people talk to their grooms makes me want to vomit. Not much has changed in 20 years in that respect. No one is "less than." 

And the horse comes first. Not your ego.

Rant over. I had a total blast with Pippa and her owners were the most kind, awesome people. They were so involved with her and were such a huge help to me with grooming and cooling her out. Most owners never touch their horses in this industry. Much less do any sort of work with them. 

Miss Pippa will continue on with her show season with her regular trainer and hopefully make it into the World Championship show in August. I'll be cheering for her!

She is a sporty thing. Even did an unauthorized flying change on me Saturday night.

Hmmmm ... perhaps a dressage future? :)

The case of the missing flying change

 Welp.

8 am show time!

I took Hamp to a show on Wednesday down in Lexington to try another rated I-2. 

He warmed up fine, felt pretty good. But the SECOND I went into the ring he just ... decided to clock out of work early that day. I asked for piaffe. He planted his feet. So he got a big pony club kick. He BUCKED before we even down down centerline. So behind the leg, downhill, just trashy all over. The ones didn't really happen (how could they?) and I felt like this ride was not even close to what we are capable of. It was so disappointing.

Show office kitty

HOWEVER. Here's a kicker. It seems I have been forgetting a movement THIS ENTIRE TIME of riding I-2. I think this is the 4th time I have shown it, and none of the other judges including a "S" judge at another rated show have ever rung the bell, or marked on my test that I have missed this movement.

During the first medium canter, you do a flying change at X.

Well I had been diligently doing the change at the rail THIS ENTIRE TIME.

Well this judge (Natalie Lamping, pretty highly respected) rung the bell on me finally. So I will NOT be forgetting this change again.

Yep there it is. The missing change.

Another kicker, even though my ride my shit and we made all sorts of mistakes. I still got a 59.6%. In front of Lamping.

Had I not had an error, we would have had a 61%+

So looking at it that way, it is promising. And heck even so it's an improvement from our 54% back in April. 

So while Hampton certainly had an off day, we are going to keep on keeping on. More lessons in the works and I think I'll keep showing the I-2. I think it's good for us and I see no reason to stop since scores are showing improvement. One off day should not be the end all. 

We were in and out of the show though because I had ANOTHER show to get to later that day!

Stay tuned for The Time Karen Bit Off More than She can Chew by Also Going to a Saddlebred Show!

(sorry for lack of Hamp media. I was all alone at the show at 8 am so didn't really get any photos)

Sneak peek of the saddlebred!

Clinic nuggets of wisdom

Wittle bebah snuggles!

I watched a handful of lessons at a Gwen Poulin clinic this week. When she comes back in town I think I will try and ride with her. She was very helpful and positive and I liked how she approached different riders and horses. (Yes, she is the daughter of Tom Poulin - top judge and founding member of USDF).

Anyway, here are my notes!

• In trot: Haunches in, circle (10-12m), back into haunches in (really helped a horse and rider who were leaning on each other)
• If the back is supple, the mouth will stay closed
• Riders behind the motion will pull
• Lean forward in extended trot, otherwise they ski out in front of you

• Use canter within trot work to add power. Little segments then back to trot
• Leg yield in the down transition from extended canter to collected canter
• leg yield canter zig zags (no lead change). Add power into direction of true lead
• If they don't come back with power from extended trot, go into canter
• Small corrections within canter pirouettes. Big corrections just disrupt balance
• Live in the canter pirouette, keep correcting little by little
• Canter half pass, straighten go forward, back to half pass
• Trot half pass down centerline, when you hit the wall - piaffe Stay slow in trot
• Can do walk half pass to the wall and into piaffe too

Meanwhile, Hampton and I are headed to a show this week. (Another attempt at the I2!)

And also stay tuned for fun news I am pretty sure I have lost my mind this week, too! (No I have not purchased a horse or cat)

Into the wild

Some of the trails were a bit "pick your own path"

There is a private farm (Temple Equestrian Center) about 10 min away with 2000+ acres of property and trails. We had never been here before but it was fabulous trail riding! The owners were very nice, too. We were on for about 2 hours and rode down to the big creek, back up and through another section of woods. The ride to the creek was not for the timid but there are plenty of easier trails and we barely scratched the surface.

Definitely going to explore this place some more. On the map there is a location marked swimming hole so maybe next time we will check that out? 

Hampton loves the creek. He enjoys splashing and soaking us both in the process.

Gorgeous meadow that was at the end of one the trails

Splashing

The Music and the Mirror

 

Photo by L. Dean
From Meadowlake show. I-2

"You want to know why there are so many mirrors in dance studios? So you can see yourself dance? Sure. But it's more than that. It's to correct mistakes. Mistakes measured in fractions of degrees. Flaws no one else would even notice. But the mirror is impartial. Ruthless."

It's a miracle I have some real live media of Porkchop! 

The change in him and I even since our Aiken trip has been rather remarkable. It's like he is starting to reach a new level. He is MUCH more engaged and better balanced. And my riding has also improved. I am staying more quiet during the tempis especially, and staying stronger in my seat. My half halts and moments of release are proving quite effective. He is a BUS of a horse to wrangle and now that I am adding power it is A LOT to manage. lol!

Here is our line of twos from last weekend: 

From the video I did notice that we need a lot more work on pi/pa. It's just .... not really there. His passage is still way too "trotty" and while he has a good piaffe it needs to be more clear and punchy. 

But have a look at this line of FIFTEEN ones! He gets a little stabby and tight, but I think it's just a balance issue and we can go back and fix that. But they are there!!!

What I really need to work on for the I-2:

Piaffe/Passage: Needs to be more clear, more strength. Work especially on that last centerline.

Canter piro: Needs to stay on the CL. I drift a little bit

The ones: Need to get 11 reliably on the diagonal 

If I can get these things cleaned up, I think we can probably pull a 60 at a rated show. 

But there is still a lot of polish before GP!

Flip it and reverse it

 Dressage is the most bizarre sport I swear.

Just a little more than a week after scoring a 54% in the I-2, Hampton and I went up to the Hoosier Horse Park and tried the test again. 

This time, I had a FAR better warm up. The key is to keep Hampton fresh. Schooling a couple minutes, walk break. Repeat. Focus on making him hot to the leg, a little "worried" about me, straightness and keeping the poll up.

Waiting to go in the ring.
Hampton is so self confident. He seems to know he is a Big Man on Campus now.

We had THE BEST ride to date. (Of course, this is only the third time we've done the I-2) and he was right there for me. We even got 10 ones! The mistake at the end was 100% my fault, I lost my rhythm and we got too crooked at the end. But it's there! That's just greenness. Video to come!

He was outstanding and was happy and fresh and there was no diving or falling behind my leg.

Much to my utter surprise, we scored a 68%.

You read that correctly.

Now, this was a schooling show so yes the scores are inflated. (But the judge was an L grad).  But Hampton really should not be scoring that high at FEI. Do I think he can be a 65% horse? Yes, one day. But a 68? 

Maybe one of the judges needs glasses? But which one? The 54% judge or 68% judge?

No complaints here though. I'll take that confidence boost. 

His body condition right now is straight up BEAST.

A BIG BIG thank you to Jen who let me borrow her shirt. And my other dear friends who know who they are who support me in this journey. It was a rough, emotional week and Hampton knocked it out of the park. So proud of him and the horse he has become.

And now I have a dilemma about which rated show to do next! 

Ralston | May 5, 2010

"A discussion" with Buckley

My sweet cat Ralston left us on Wednesday.

I have talked about his "asthma" episodes, but it was never asthma. He had something much more sinister brewing and while prednisone helped him have many good days, by Wednesday I knew we had reached the end. 

He was very jaundice, not eating, lying in the litterbox and very weak.

I took him to the vet for another blood draw (he had perfect blood work just a month ago), and he got anti nausea meds and an appetite stimulant.

After a few hours, he was even worse. 

I called the vet in tears and decided to give him a peaceful end instead of letting him continue to suffer in such poor shape. She agreed we will probably looking at some liver disease or cancer. "Something big" she said. 

I will admit this one took the wind out of my sails.

Five months was such a short time but he was the sweetest cat, a true Stage 5 clinger and bonded to me right away. The house is not the same for sure.

Rest in Peace Ralston.