Road to Regionals 2018

We are down to the final two shows of the season already.

Geez, where did the summer go!

This weekend, we are headed to IDS Ride-Offs, where I will school the PSG and our Freestyle one more time before regionals. Somehow, this will be our first trip to the Hoosier Horse Park all year! We usually live there practically! haha. It will be good to be back, and I know Jen and Conner the wonder pony will be joining us. #teamboozewater

We are 3 weeks out from Regionals.

Our championship classes:

PSG AA
4th Level Freestyle (open, they lump everyone together. fml)
AA Equitation

I've been doing lots of riding without stirrups to prep for the Eq class.

(plus a spare PSG class in there to try and get a 2019 score)

But, let's be real here ok.

The real reason I even entered regionals - at the KY horse park this year - is because

I GET TO RIDE IN THE ROLEX ARENA.

I am so excited about this. It's been a bucket list item for quite some time!

Why you put pink polos on me tho.

Goals for Regionals?

Basically to have fun. And enjoy the fact we made it here! We are way WAY outclassed, and won't be very competitive but so what! I want to lay down solid tests and really make the most of arena. Hoping to score a 62%+. I'm not sure we will nab the 65% we will need for nationals. Depends on if the judges will forgive his conformation and way of going, or not. Thems the breaks. No sense in me getting stressed about it.

Hampton's job is not to go to regionals and beat 6-figure warmbloods and get 70%s. His job is to make me happy, and teach me how to train and show a horse up the levels. And put up with my shit. Which he does. And does quite well. haha.

And ... RIDING IN THE ROLEX ARENA. OMG.

Bring it on judges!

Blog Hop: The Horse You Bought

Loving this blog hop! Really neat to see the changes and progress in everyone's horses.
Posts from other bloggers:
Megan & TC
Amanda & Henry
Two and a Half Horses
Emily and May (our barnmates!)


I purchased Hampton in the summer of 2009 as a gangly 2-year-old.

A porkloin

Things he could do:

• Lead like a drunken sailor
• .... uh that's it.

And thus began The Education of A Porkchop.

Over these past 9 years he has grown into a reliable, safe gentleman - but still has his opinions on things.

Things he does now:

• Schools all the FEI!! 
• Shows successfully at PSG and will be ready for I-1 next year.

• Veteran trail horse. Will go anywhere, cross anything. No spook.
• Herds buffalo

• Body clips (no drugs)
• LOVES having his sheath cleaned. Disturbing, but makes the job easy.
• Gives pony rides
• Jumps around courses 2'3"-2'6"

• Schools small XC courses
• Reliable off the farm and at shows
• Can ride him bareback and bridleless
• Takes care of less experienced riders
• Ties anywhere. Anyhow.
• Baths, stands for vet, and the farrier (mostly. See below)
• I can take off a coat while on him.
• Can open, close gates while mounted
• Self loads onto trailer. And self unloads politely.
• Ground ties
• Puts up with my shit.

Things he still prefers not to participate in:

• Hot shoeing (needs dorm)
• Clipping his bridlepath. I've tried every tool I know. He insists this is offensive. Even though you can clip him literally anywhere else on his body with no issue. 

But at this stage, a Porkchop gets what a Porkchop wants.

The Safe Sport thing

Seems like there are some people who have their panties in a bunch over the new USEF Safe Sport training requirement.

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From USEF:

As of Jan 1, 2019 every USEF adult member (18 years of age or older) with a Competing Membership must complete USEF's Safe Sport Training.

A 30 day grace period to complete the SafeSport training will be provided to all members who renew or join on or after December 1, 2018. Members joining prior to December 1, 2018 will have until January 1, 2019 to complete the training. Those who do not complete the training within the grace period will be ineligble to participate in USEF activities, including competitions.

First, what is this Safe Sport training for? It's for your protection, and for the protection of fellow equestrians and children - specifically against misconduct. 

Misconduct includes:

• sex abuse
• intimate relationships involving inbalance of power
• sexual harrassment
• non consensual sexual conduct
• harassment
• hazing
• bullying
• physical misconduct
• emotional misconduct

I already took the training, and it took me about 30 minutes. To be honest, the training had nothing to do with equestrians. It used mostly other sports (football, soccer) as examples. But it does apply to everyone.

Certain industries are just aghast that OWNERS and AMATEURS are required to take this. Which is just plain ignorant in my view. It's not just professionals that spend time in the barn.

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I know more than one person who has been attacked and/or assaulted at horse shows. Often after hours, when everyone has gone home except the grooms. I've certainly experienced bullying within the horse world. Let's just all watch out for each other.

Look, USEF is just covering all their bases. Yes it's a bit of a pain, but if it brings awareness, if it helps just one person, then it is worth it.

Moral of this post: Just put on your adult pants and take the training. Quit yer bitchin.

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The Best of Bell Boots

As the owner of a Master Bell Boot Destroyer, I have spent hundreds of dollars on the damn things, and tried just about every brand on the market.

Each have their pros and cons, but here are some reviews of some I have tried.

Do remember that Hampton lives outside 24/7, so his bell boots really do get abused.

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Professional Choice ballistic overreach boots
Price: $28


PC has some cool colors, too, but only if your horse has normal size feet. Once you get into the XL, they only have black or white. Hampton wears an XL, and sometimes I will buy him XXL.

Pro: These things are TOUGH. I have had a pair last several months before. Mud, rain, riding, etc.
Con: They hold a lot of mud. And will still turn, especially when mud gets up under them. Basically making them useless, and trapping mud against the feet. Ugh.

Grade: B+



Horze ProBell boots
Price: $18


Pro: Another TOUGH bell boot, and it doesn't matter if these turn.
Con: The velcro seems to wear out fairly quickly, and the material is such that I think it might rub a more sensitive horse.

Grade: A - overall my favorite so far.


ThinLine Gatorbootz
Price: $50


I am a fan of Thinline products but man did they miss the mark on these.
Pros: Uhhh ....
Cons: These lasts two nights on Hampton before they were off. They are also flimsy, not well made and noisy when you ride. They are also expensive.

Grade: F



Roma rubber pull ons (and similar brands)
Price: $12


Pros: These last a long time as long as your horse is not one to *ahem* chew them off. Won't name any names. They don't trap mud, and are not likely to rub.
Cons: PAIN IN THE ASS to take on and off.

Grade: B+


I've got a few on my radar to try next including Kavallerie and Majyk Equipe.

Who has other suggestions?

Herd Hierarchy

Spring 2010

When Hampton was a young boy, he fell toward the bottom of the herd pecking order.

He often came in from the field looking like he went through a meat grinder. Bites, wounds and scrapes everywhere. Sometimes he was chased off the roundbale.

He was bossed around by bossy mares and a ornery little pony or two.

But then, almost overnight it seemed like - things changed.

I think he was 4 here.

It was shortly after we moved to KY, and he was living out in a large field of other geldings. Often times, residents of this field would change because OTTBs fresh off the track would often transition to this field for some time off.

During the summer of 2012, there was a recently gelded OTTB out in that field who really did not have a fond opinion of humans at the time. He was so nasty, that I had started to carry a whip out into that field in case he would charge me.

Hampton and buds Spot and Royale a couple years ago.

One day, I had caught Hampton and was leading him back to the gate. My back was turned toward the rest of the field, and I didn't even hear the galloping hoofbeats coming up behind us.

I felt a pull on the lead rope, and turned around to see this other horse charging - ears pinned - right at us, and Hampton immediately swung his rump and double-barrel fired at this other horse. Protecting himself, and also me, from possibly getting pretty hurt.

OMG a puny porkchop

I was super grateful for him that day - I never saw it coming! And after that, I started to notice more and more that he was inching his way up the ladder.

Now I would classify Hampton as a mob boss. All he has to do is pin his ears and horses SCATTER like bowling balls. He will not let other horses come up to me in the field (unless I specifically have him and another horse haltered). He is a drug lord and no one fucks with Hampton.

From the other day - a new pony was out in a field and Hampton noticed.
WHO GOES THERE???
I AM LORD PORKCHOP
He was all puffed up like some sort of stallion.

But he also isn't a bully. He doesn't beat on other horses for no reason. He doesn't have to, usually bullies are low on the totem pole and are acting like douche bags to try and work their way up. Hampton has a quiet authority, and everyone respects him.

I'd like to think he gained more confidence in the herd as he grew and gained more confidence about life. He easily fits into any herd now, and can live with mares and geldings. He DOES respect alpha mares still, though, and will not challenge them. hahaha! Smart boy.

When Hampton wants a donkey of his own, HE MEANS IT.
(this was for a photo shoot only, he doesn't live with these two)

And if you are a gelding, if you respect his rules then all is peaceful in the field.

Lord Porkchop.

I think Royale likes Hampton because Hampton tells him what to do.

Where does your horse fall on the totem pole?

Also, CAN WE STOP WITH THE HUMIDITY.
The bra line is not a good look for me.
This was before I even rode!

To scrape or not to scrape?

There's a lot of old horsemen's myths still running rampant today.

Some are harmless, but others - well it seems like they really should be debunked but some people insist on still believing them.

Since it's hot as balls a bit toasty again in KY and everyone is sweating, here's some science I thought I'd share.

Disclosure: I am outright stealing this from a post on FB. It is credited to Dr. David Marlin.*

After you hose your horse off, do you scrape the water off or no?

Hot and sweaty at Regionals 2017.

MYTHS

Myth 1 - “You should never put cold water on a hot horse"
Explanation - Ice-cold water(0-5°C) on hot horses does not cause shock, laminitis, kidney damage, muscle damage, tying-up or heart attacks!

Myth 2 - “Water left on a horse will heat up and insulate and make the horse hotter."
Explanation - Flawed physics! Water is a better conductor of heat than air. A wet horse will actually cool faster than a dry one, even if humidity is 100%.

Myth 3 - “Scraping is essential." Explanation - Scraping just wastes time that could be better used putting more water on to cool by conduction. Scraping also wastes water when water is in short supply. Water which could evaporate on the horse. Water evaporating on the ground doesn't cool horses down.

Myth 4 “Concentrate on large veins, arteries inside the back legs, large muscle groups"
Explanation - NO. Cooling by evaporation or conduction works by cooling the blood flowing through the small blood vessels in the skin. The more skin you cool, the quicker you cool the horse. Apply water all over.

I'll admit, I followed the old rule of always hose, scrape, hose, scrape for a long time until I read the actual science behind it. How would I have known any better? But now I just keep hosing Hampton, and then turn him right back out. In the sun! *gasp* No scraping anymore. Here's more:

Evaporation and conduction.

Ideally, I would hose Hampton and then let him sit under a fan for a while. I mean think about it - when it is 95 degrees, and you splash water on your face or over your head, do you get hotter or do you get a cooling effect? 

So there's no harm in the hose, scrape method. But it seems a little pointless.

What method do you follow?

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* Dr. Marlin's credentials: 25 years working on equine thermoregulation. 20 plus scientific papers on equine thermoregulation. Working with endurance horses in the Gulf. Advising the racing industry on prevention and management of heat-stroke. Working with Governments on heat legislation. Working with charities on thermal stress. Working on the 1996 Atlanta, 2004 Athens, 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Currently working on the 2018 Tryon World Equestrian Games and Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Author of the FEI Guidelines for National Federations on the management of horses in thermally challenging conditions.

The Bitting Bandwagon

There seems to be this new trend type of clinic gaining in popularity these days.

There are a handful of individuals who are giving bit-fitting clinics. they evaluate you and your horse, and advise you on which bit or bits may be most suitable.

Be prepared to cough up close to $250 for ONE SESSION with some individuals.

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Kudos to these people who found a marketing niche and jumped on it. They certainly make bank with what they are charging. Wish I had thought of it first!

However.

And this is my sometimes snarky opinion coming out here ...

Is your bit really the problem? Is it REALLY?

Now in some cases, yes having some expert advice on bits will help. Especially if your horse has issues such as a funny palette, or is just sensitive in nature.

But in general, I find these clinics to be a marketing scheme. And people fall for it - thinking that this will suddenly fix all their problems! Pony will FINALLY take the contact, or stop pulling, or stop wagging his head or .. or ... or.

And OF COURSE they market the most f-ing expensive bits on the market. A $280 curb bit? Are you out of your mind?! Unless of course is magically fixes all the problems I have with my horse.

Which it will not.

Because a magic bit is not the answer. 

What is the answer?

I think it might be hard work. And lessons. And training.

And hard work.

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