Road to Regionals - "What is that? What IS that?"

Monday before Regionals

Hampton is still quite lame, shuffling around. I call my beloved farrier and send him the video.

Tuesday before Regionals 

9 am: I bring Hampton in from the field, he is still lame. Beloved farrier says he will be there to check the foot around 11. I have to leave because of work.

11 a.m.: Farrier gets to barn, pulls Hampton out of a stall. He texts me "Fixed him." I am like what? Do not joke with me. Did you have to pull the shoe? Farrier says no, your horse is sound. Friend at the barn confirms the horse is sound - maybe 1/5 lame if you stare at him. I am astounded as just hours earlier he was VERY lame.

Wednesday before Regionals

I ride. Hampton feels sound! Feels pretty good!

Thursday

I ride. Hampton feels ... off. Not lame like before, but stiff and short in front. I re-start anxiety spiral. Hampton gets Legend and a full hour of Magnawave during which he appears to slip into a coma haha.

Actual footage of magnawave coma

Friday

I throw the animal on the trailer. 

The Road to Regionals - "oh no. oh no no no no no."

 I took Hampton to the KDA Fall Classic at the Kentucky Horse Park for a spin around the ring in our Second Level Freestyle (I love this freestyle - the music is all Women-Power themed).

Rolex Arena!
Photo by Lisa Dean.

Hampton LOVES the "lower levels*" and cruised around happy as could be. He felt great and we managed a lovely 70% and won the class.

Perfect I thought! Great prep for Regionals!

We were all set to leave on Friday for St. Louis and the Sunday before I bring in the following horse:

The left front was also BLAZING HOT and just a touch of swelling was creeping up into the fetlock. I thought well that's a gnarly abscess. SHIT. Poor Hampton was so painful but the best thing for him was to go back out to the field and hopefully get this monster to pop.

However, my hopes for regionals were quickly fading ....

To be continued.

* - Second Level is in fact NOT easy and I hate using "upper" and "lower" levels because it infers those doing higher levels are somehow better when that is in fact NOT the case. 

 

A Moment to Complain About The Tropical Weather

This heat has been brutal on humans, horses, tadpoles, anything alive really.

Hampton has had brief periods where he has stopped sweating, or sweats very minimally. Other times, he will sweat pretty decently. He gets:

• Beer (Guinness)
• One AC
• Black Oil Sunflower seeds
• Finish Line Sweat supplement (although he ran out recently)

I have no idea if any of this helps at all. I did have one of my favorite clinicians recommend the Equiwinner Patches. These are one of the few "remedies" I have not tried because I thought they were total B.S. Anyone else tried these?

I did sneak in a clinic with said clinician
on one of the blessedly cooler days in August.

Meanwhile, on super hot days I don't even bother to ride him. He just gets Shower Beers and love. Other days, I can ride for 20 minutes before 9 a.m. and get some decent work in. 

Hacking and trail riding has also been a decent option.

The forecast is saying 98 degrees next week. Please make it stop. I am tired of sweating through my clothes every damn day. 

That's all I got. Argh. 

Imposters at Pony Cup

I have always been curious about the National Dressage Pony Cup. I have heard many good things from various friends, but never really thought I would go because my horse is ... not a pony. Or a small horse.

But this year we said let's do it and entered the open show. And I am so glad I did because now I see why people rave about this show. It was SO fun, such neat prizes, SO MANY CUUUUUTE PONIES, a well-run show and lovely facility (at WEC Ohio). 

Mani/Pedis on site!

The famous ride-through coffee shop

I broke out the shadbelly again and entered Prix St. Georges on Friday. We had a very organized, accurate and workmanlike test. Nothing jaw dropping, but solid enough to win against some NICE horses.

PSG

Just the best guy.
Photos by Winslow Photos

On Saturday we entered the I-1 - probably my favorite of all the tests. I warmed up in my shadbelly but as I was trotting, I started to feel sick and crampy. Then saw stars. Ok, I will walk for a minute and it should pass. It did not. 

Rut ro.

Since I started running, my heat tolerance has not given me an issue in several years but after the summer we have had, it just started to catch up with me. Plus I was in the shadbelly. I literally stripped my coat off at the ingate of the show ring, walked another 5 minutes and went in. Hoping to All Gods Above that I would not 1) puke or 2) pass out or 3) actually pass away in the middle of my test.

Just laugh through the nausea.

Hampton was like "Hmmm, my rider appears to need some assistance today" and pretty much pumped out an I-1 by himself. I was disassociated, lost count in the 2s (he did the right count anyway) and my eyes were stinging from sweat.

What a horse to do that for me. And he didn't do too bad - 66%! One of our top scores at the level! 

Could not have been more proud of him to step right back up to the FEI levels without missing a beat.

I don't think that will be my last time at the show either, really top notch. And so many friends to gossip have intellectual conversation with.

The Sancturary Ring was so pretty.

Meanwhile, we are BOILING here in Kentucky and have been since I dunno, JUNE. It is relentless. Please send help.

Just Us.

 WHOOPS I have been neglecting this blog. 

I have been enjoying so much time at the farm and with the horses - while fitting in work and just general adult life around them. Here's a recap of the last month or two:

Lessons!

I tried one of those head/scalp massage places.
10/10 I SAW JESUS.

I found Obi lying in the litterbox one morning and rushed him to the vet thinking
he was blocked or super sick.
Spoiler: He is fine.

Went to the June Indiana Dressage Classic and scooped up two Third level
freestyle scores toward my Bronze bar!

Hampton turned 18 years old!

I have been riding this fabulous 3 year old KWPN mare.
She's for sale!

Working at Ground Zero tornado damage in Lebanon, KY.

Went to a friend's wedding!

Photo of Jack and Andy, two of my most favorite men on the planet. (Derby Day) No reason for this photo except 
I love thems.
(Who caught the other Jack reference in this post?)

Jumped in a clinic with Lillian Heard! SUPER fun and Hampton was game despite not jumping in a lesson like this in ... maybe 7-8 years?

He did DO A CONCERN over a small combo tho. Just making sure we was safe.

Are we sending a theme here with easily the most dramatic cat I have ever had.

Anyhoo - next up is Pony Cup at WEC Ohio! (In the open classes, obviously. Don't think we can sneak into the pony classes).

Aiken 2025: Silver x2

 Oh hey! We are experiencing Biblical and historic flooding here in KY so now's a good time to catch up on blogging.

I need to wind up our Aiken trip which concluded with two days of showing at Stable View. We also did a little schooling show on that Wednesday as a warm up.

Schooling show - yes I wore my Tortured DQ Department t-shirt.

Hampton was fantastic for all of it. He LOVES the 3rd/4th level work. The schooling show judge awarded us a 71% in our Fourth Freestyle. I literally have no notes except he was right there for me and happy to do so.

The weekend was the USDF rated show where we had a solid 4-1 ride, and then showed off our freestyle again to a really sweet 70%. This is the first 70% I have EVER earned in a rated show. I know it's a freestyle score but I am running with it. It also finished off my USDF Silver Freestyle bar! 

On Sunday we cruised around 3-1 (I am hoping to add some scores to get my Bronze Medal of Distinction) and got a 69%+! Including my first NINE (!!!) which was for the reinback. Pays off to work on those non-brilliant movements.

I went back to USDF and looked up the last time I did 3-1 at a rated show. It was April 2016 and we earned a 61%. In May 2014 we showed 3-1 and scored a solid 53.8%. 

That's some perspective!

I also was lucky enough to watch a little bit of a clinic with this legend:

Then we packed up, headed on home to Kentucky and now I can fish from my condo.

weeee.

Aiken 2025: Keep it Light

Lessons:

Sunday, Monday and Tuesday were spent soaking up all the dressage knowledge we could. We lessoned with KE, her instructor and S judge Alison Head, as well as the one and only JS. All of the lessons really complimented each other and I started to have some real breakthroughs in my own riding.

Katie's farm is adorable

Some notes:

Horse can be in front of the leg, but not hot to the rein aids. Has to be on ALL aids. Leg, rein, seat

Live in shoulder in with Hampton. 

Plie in canter on the circle

Ranvers turns on the square. Right back to shoulder in

Keep your left leg forward you idiot

Straight With Bend

Bounce him back by sinking into stirrups

"Hot potato" exercise. Jog, walk and hurry him before hind legs shut down 

Canter - Walk - Canter with only seat/shoulder aids. 

There's always a transition in there somewhere

By Thursday I was getting some dramatic
results after such awesome instruction!

Surprise transitions

Turn on the forehand - not just a trick, but look for the results

Drive forward in the walk

A sleepy Porkchop

Balance, balance, balance

LET HIM

Chill out (sometimes I ride too dynamic)

If horse is not forward, you have nothing to half halt

Lessons from an S judge.

Taking four lessons over this trip was absolutely amazing and the results were really phenomenal. Even for a horse pushing 18 years old, you CAN still develop them, improve their gaits and adjust their balance. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

I did receive one good nugget from the S judge and it made me giggle because it just made me reflect on the past 15 years with Hampton and how "unimpressed" some people can be with him and yet here he is accomplishing what many much more talented horses never do.

Transitioned from the canter to the trot ...

Judge: "Is that his normal trot?"

Me: "Yes"

Judge: "Oh."

Now to take our new tools into the show ring at Stable View ...