tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48551872238091149162024-02-20T12:03:27.201-08:00Pia's (and Prairie!) ParadeTwo Mares, one Gelding, lots of learning and a little bit of luck (and wine).Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.comBlogger977125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-60610787149713567522019-03-26T18:04:00.000-07:002019-03-26T18:04:42.734-07:00Quiz Update - Five Weeks OutFive weeks. In some ways I can't believe it's already been 5 weeks since Quiz's injury. in others - it feels like I've been living under a cloud of concern and caution for so, so much longer.<br />
<br />
The basic update on Quiz is great. He continues to be an incredibly calm patient and giving his body every chance to heal.<br />
<br />
Updates from the hospital are starting to slow, which is a good thing as it means we are also starting to exit the window of reall-scary-complications. <br />
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Last week, we took a second set of films (essentially one month post-op) and discovered that Quiz broke one of his pins up in his cannon bone. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdQnSof56D66evc0uJAMBLCqBrWrMGX-YaGHQa9mCsM2TIIMX91lSik8ojNhtB_FTmYwMs7WAJrPJ8vDFLl8T2M7W6qiJ124EhHGoBkrvDDZX5uEPVllEaj7HXWdYe4sg4GG8WEHrNG2k/s1600/ANTONELLI+QUIZ-20190318-DX_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1161" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHdQnSof56D66evc0uJAMBLCqBrWrMGX-YaGHQa9mCsM2TIIMX91lSik8ojNhtB_FTmYwMs7WAJrPJ8vDFLl8T2M7W6qiJ124EhHGoBkrvDDZX5uEPVllEaj7HXWdYe4sg4GG8WEHrNG2k/s400/ANTONELLI+QUIZ-20190318-DX_2.jpg" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note broken pin at exit of cannon bone</td></tr>
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My heart sank when I hear that, but then the surgeon quickly followed up with "that's good, that means the pins are doing their job. He's using them. They are taking the load we want them to."<br />
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Oh, ok then. <br />
<br />
But broken pins can't just hang out, so quiz was prepped for anesthesia again, and they went in for repair. To minimize his movement and disruption, Quiz got laid down in his stall on a big recovery mat and they removed the transfixion cast in order to access the pins. Broken pin was pulled, a new one was inserted in its place and a new transfixion cast was applied.<br />
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It turns out that this was probably a great thing - as Quiz was starting to develop some cast sores, and adjusting the cast helped address that. The foot was also placed ever so slightly different, so as to load the joint at a new angle and help encourage all the bone remodeling.<br />
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from a healing standpoint, things look great. The implants are holding, the P2 is knitting back together, and perhaps the most significant news is that so far there are no scary chips or jagged edges raising any alarm yet.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">All good things. </span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Progress!</td></tr>
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Quiz is adjusting to his new life. He learned how to sleep in the sling and slump into it, giving both his front legs more of a rest.<br />
<br />
Just in the last week or so, Quiz has been getting to lay down at night and get out of his sling entirely. Apparently taking them out of the sling is very dependent on temperament and how careful the horse can be when getting up/laying down on their own. Quiz has been gentle with himself, and has even figured out how to wiggle over to the wall in order to use it plus his good front leg as support when getting up and down.<br />
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To be honest, I'm starting to get my hopes up. He looks so good, and so normal and is acting so calm, it's difficult to make myself remember how damaged his limb is and how questionable his total recovery still is.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">PC: Quizzy's Surgeon</td></tr>
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So for now, I sit and wait. Quiz probably has one more week in the transfixion cast with the pins before we recast without the pins and start considering next steps. <br />
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I've booked a plane ticket to go visit in about 10 days and am hoping that I can use that visit to start mapping out what the next phase of his recovery will look like. In the mean time, I'm grateful his lazy, lazy, lazy demeanor is serving him so well. Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-2955591858849664862019-03-13T08:18:00.002-07:002019-03-13T08:18:56.974-07:00... And the Show Went On (aka: The A/O's)The day of Quiz's injury, I spent most of the afternoon in a bit of a daze. I was questioning my decision to attempt surgery, questioning why I asked my horses to ship through snow and ice to California in the first place, and questioning the pursuit of this sport in general. I wasn't really sure what to do or where to go, but eventually I realized I had entered Winds in a class - and I was supposed to be dressed and on.<br />
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Buttoning up my hunt coat seemed like the last thing I should be doing, but one of my barnmates looked at me and told me that nothing could possibly help more in this situation than throwing a leg over a trusted horse and enjoying the chance to ride.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photos by the incomparable Quinn Saunders</td></tr>
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I nodded (I think), and tacked Windsor up. Usually at the shows I try to stay out of our Groom's way, since my "help" just disrupts the system - but I needed to curry my horse and run my hands down strong, healthy legs to reconnect with what I was doing.<br />
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Winds isn't exactly a horse who seems overly concerned with the emotional states of those around him, but to his credit, he was gentle and calm with me. No sign of his usual busy mouth or fidgeting, he just let me work through my emotions in the calm of a familiar routine.<br />
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Our round definitely wasn't my finest, but it certainly wasn't our worst. I felt jittery and tight, but not nervous, rather overwhelmed with the day. After I was a bit deep to our first fence, I shrugged it off, put my leg on, and let Winds set the pace for the rest of the ride.<br />
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True to form, he took care of me, and my barnmate was right - I needed the ride.<br />
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It was a good reset for me. It helped reset my perspective, reset my goals and reset my expectations for our upcoming debut in the 3'3" A/O's. <br />
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And that's the really *happy* headline here - we did the A/O's and <i>totally survived</i>. We even got some ribbons! So let's move on to that. <br />
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Our work over the winter was really productive. We have been focusing on some subtle changes to my balance which in turn are helping me trust Windsor's step for the move up, rather than wait for the add. Additionally, we had a wildly fun clinic with John French right before Christmas that really boosted my confidence. We spent the weekend jumping up and riding tight, technical tracks that forced me to really focus on balance and rhythm. <br />
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All of that added up to the massive mental success of staring at the jumps in Ring 1 and thinking "man, these don't look scary at all." <br />
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So we started our first week with more confidence than I usually have after a long cold winter and I think it showed. Here's our first round, which, aside from being a little deep into the outside 5 stride, I'm super happy with. <br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/azqPFcPf0Gc" width="560"></iframe>
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The second round (incidentally the first round of our classic) was hands down one of my best in the show ring ever. Winds was attentive, rideable and very soft. Which meant any mistakes were solely mine. We didn't really have any major ones, and as I landed out of our last line I actually thought to myself "holy shit, this might be our highest score over!"<br />
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Then I heard the announcer give me a 72, and I thought "Crap. Welcome to the A/O's."<br />
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And that dear friends, became the theme of the show -<br />
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Really, really good personal progress with a large side of humility at the exponential increase in the consistency of my competitors.<br />
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As I watched my videos back I could see how in the AA's, an accurate ride was almost always enough to pull a top ribbon - but in the A/O's (at this show anyway), a good ribbon would require accuracy and style.<br />
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Winds always jumps a pretty good jump, but even I could see that compared to the other horses in the class we were just sorta getting it done. I wasn't bringing out the best, roundest, most expressive effort every time. <br />
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Dang it.<br />
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But I was still incredibly happy with how I rode. I had a few pinch me moments of waiting for the jog, thinking about how I first came to the desert five years ago with a very anxious Prairie having the goal of coming home with just one ribbon. <br />
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In some ways those endless rounds at 2'3" and 2'6" in Ring 7 feel like ages ago - but in other ways they feel so familiar and recent it's hard to believe how much has really happened. <br />
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So, I gratefully accepted a 6th place ribbon for my first round. I didn't even jog the second round, which - just to be clear means I was 11th, 12th or 13th out of 13. <br />
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I'm not complaining, I just have to giggle that I came out of the ring thinking "WOW, BEST RIDE EVER!!!" and the judge was all "nah, all these other horses were better." And the judge was right, they all were - It was just a shocking adjustment of relativity. <br />
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Sunday I got to come out and ride my first real Handy in competition. I was VERY excited about it because I think Handy's are fun, and Windsor is a blast to ride in them. <br />
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So it was exceptionally disappointing to have the worst warm up ever. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Windsor's expression is ACCURATE</td></tr>
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Windsor's canter was just sorta.... busted feeling. Not lame. Just clunky and heavy and not at all inspiring to ride to a fence. I pulled up (a lot) because I didn't think I could close a gap. <br />
Then Winds figured out I was going to keep pulling up and decided that he would just do it for me. <br />
Then I had a panic attack. <br />
Then my trainer asked another trainer to come help and I nearly ran them both over. <br />
Then I took a long walk break and tried to pull my brain together. <br />
Then it was my turn to ride.<br />
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First was a regular Hunter round. I forget how it went, because the video doesn't exist, but I know it was bad. We added in one line... nearly left a stride out in another... It was touch and go to say the least. Winds was not impressed, and my confidence was plummeting.<br />
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We went back in immediately for the Handy and I just sorta decided to attack it. Carry pace, make the horse pay attention and go get it. <br />
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Winds was a good dude. He totally got on board with the plan and acted like I hadn't been trying to crash him all morning. He did get annoyed with his earplugs (which we never wear because he gets really annoyed with earplugs) about halfway through. Normally that would have unnerved me, but at the time I was so dead set on putting in a solid round that I just growled at him and stuck to my plan. We finished, and I felt pretty darn good about the result.<br />
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True to form we jogged 10th (out of 13) in both rounds. <br />
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We also rode our Classic round, which we qualified for by the skin of our teeth. We came back in 15th position with our 72 (the Classic combined all the age groups with the top 16 rode the second round), and managed to move up to 12th with a decent score of 77. Winds was annoyed to go ride an extra long Hunter round after the Handy, and he made it very known that he is always (usually) done after the Handy. Me thinks the Prince needs to adjust his expectations slightly.<br />
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I collected my pretty magenta ribbon for our hard fought 12th place and headed for the barn to reflect on our first division on 2019, and first time in the A/O's. <br />
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I took a lot of comfort in the fact that (aside from our first round Sunday) I didn't make any mistakes that I wasn't perfectly capable of making at a lower height. The jumps actually "felt" smaller at 3'3" than they did when we moved up to 2'9" - which tells me how much more comfortable I am on Winds these days - and that's a WIN for sure.<br />
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Any frustration I felt was a reflection of my disappointment at not adapting to the horse I had that day - not frustration with Winds or our preparation. I feel like I've gotten to a place where I ride pretty well if Winds is perky, and soft and totally on task. The mistakes start to come out if Winds is tired, or cranky or stiff. I haven't figured out how to adjust my ride and maintain my accuracy when he's anything but my favorite ride. It's something I really want to focus on this year since I typically only get my "favorite" version of Winds about once a week. <br />
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But mostly, I felt like I belonged in the ring, didn't embarrass my trainer (too much) and had a really good time galloping around some slightly larger jumps. <br />
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Exactly what I needed after a long, emotional week. <br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-62282144349470144432019-03-08T10:08:00.000-08:002019-03-08T10:08:01.485-08:00Quiz's Big Break<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">
Well, there's nothing like a little drama and heartbreak to reignite that little blogging voice inside me. </div>
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The 2019 show season was rough before it even started - with Quiz suffering an extremely complex fracture to his lower pastern (P2) before setting foot in the competition ring. For those who follow us on Instagram, you've seen the updates and photos - but as I've laid awake at night wondering if I made the right decision and wondering what exactly this process will continue to look like for us - I find myself turning to my keyboard to help organize my thoughts. </div>
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Before I get into the nitty-gritty of the break, here's a quick summary of Quiz's last year:</div>
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2018 was one for the books for Quiz. He started the year in the 3' Green division and was insanely consistent. At the big WCHR show at Thunderbird in May, he swept every class. He entered 4 derbies during the season and won three of them (placing 4th due to a crappy trot jump in the other). At Zone Finals we bumped him up to 3'3" and even though he was showing indoors for the first time, he snagged Reserve. To end the season, we headed south to Cali where Quiz was champion in the 3'3" Green, Champion with me in the Low Adults, won the $1,500 under saddle challenge and also took the crown in the $16,000 Derby. It was insane. </div>
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Then we came home, buckled down on our flatwork and prepped for a debut in the 3'6". We decided to campaign in the Conformation Greens and even learned how to model (and jog in hand politely). </div>
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When we loaded up for HITS Coachella, I was brimming with excitement to see what Quizzy would bring to the table in 2019. </div>
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But, that was all interrupted. After a great day of schooling, before we even jogged in for the Model, Quiz had an off step in a trot departure and shattered his P2. </div>
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If there is such thing as good luck - we were fortunate to be at a massive show facility with a great vet on site. Quiz's leg was stabilized, splinted and x-rayed in a matter of minutes from the onset of the injury. </div>
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I was speaking with a surgeon within the hour, discussing the films he had already reviewed and the viability of surgical repair. I called my insurance. I called a trailer. Quizzy hopped up into it and away he went to see what could be done. </div>
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2Lk5XyJOqKy0w9IlE86y5SRjtORSemA6vktbAoD1rzRHcnDxEVyY37Z9nDlIgL4Fjl4ZRv4Uu-s-gXpoOhwE2dLJYyVOUtbVmRH0vW1Y8MZAm8TiuZD-LH9ZlmugHMAQeIDDBVLvurHc/s1600/IMG_2738.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2Lk5XyJOqKy0w9IlE86y5SRjtORSemA6vktbAoD1rzRHcnDxEVyY37Z9nDlIgL4Fjl4ZRv4Uu-s-gXpoOhwE2dLJYyVOUtbVmRH0vW1Y8MZAm8TiuZD-LH9ZlmugHMAQeIDDBVLvurHc/s400/IMG_2738.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">I really thought this was going to be the last time I saw him</td></tr>
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The first vet to see him did a wonderful job of setting my expectations - I'd likely have a pasture sound horse, or alternatively we could put him down. </div>
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Then, the surgeon initially offered a much more optimistic prognosis, suggesting that he could even return to the Hunter Ring if all went as planned. </div>
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However, after a pre-op CT - the prognosis was adjusted due to increased detail of the break. The CT showed that fractures extended all the way through the P2, and broke out into the coffin joint space. The concern with that being that a roughened edge would produce arthritis that would either be just a little uncomfortable or possibly catastrophic. </div>
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I only had a minute to process the new information from the CT before I needed to make a final decision on surgery and whether or not I still deemed it appropriate or fair. </div>
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBit77D_fW11aolZ2Pq7S2i1hr1Ndp-gZhiT-pL1lh2mb8I_NV7lrPR0dQK2sK9aOjkTf5Zc2HvQoM14nqu-wRaRtEqP8Dgw5P8_smvI9MKKeIDKqTHB14cKWohm06S6w0cBVIyVltg6jG/s1600/IMG_2893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBit77D_fW11aolZ2Pq7S2i1hr1Ndp-gZhiT-pL1lh2mb8I_NV7lrPR0dQK2sK9aOjkTf5Zc2HvQoM14nqu-wRaRtEqP8Dgw5P8_smvI9MKKeIDKqTHB14cKWohm06S6w0cBVIyVltg6jG/s400/IMG_2893.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">a cross section of the P2 midway through the bone</td></tr>
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<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3kp5ZJXmIsvuVlSUzsmhPKoMHPXXsKOnBJSYURVXr6mWQXgCglbFOWCOwpBtmS3EpgfAAT7_K7aOcfMvLlIcRT4hyphenhyphenlP4I7-VrGlZI8vKdDARFjeratrxAHVAq4pAlFy45OFn3y6RYxiQ/s1600/IMG_2895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3kp5ZJXmIsvuVlSUzsmhPKoMHPXXsKOnBJSYURVXr6mWQXgCglbFOWCOwpBtmS3EpgfAAT7_K7aOcfMvLlIcRT4hyphenhyphenlP4I7-VrGlZI8vKdDARFjeratrxAHVAq4pAlFy45OFn3y6RYxiQ/s400/IMG_2895.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr style="margin-bottom: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;">most of this displacement happened on the way to surgery, but it shows how significant the fractures are</td></tr>
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To be candid, my biggest concern wasn't what I would do with a 6 year old pasture pet (though that's horrifying), but rather that I was going to put this poor baby horse through a difficult surgery and miserable recovery only to fall victim to complications. </div>
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If I was going to lose him, I wanted to lose him without making him suffer on account of my emotions. </div>
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Thank god for my barn family, who was standing by me while I was on the call, trying to read my face and offer what support they could. Ultimately, I opted to proceed with surgery. The surgeon thought it was still a reasonable procedure - and not fueled by heroics. I took comfort in the fact that insurance would pay for a bulk of the initial cost, and if we needed to make a different decision, we could always reassess day by day. </div>
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So we did. I hung up the phone and waited for the call 10 hours later that would confirm Quiz was out of surgery and was on his feet again. </div>
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It felt like forever. There maybe have been wine. There was definitely a lot of tears. And thank god it was girl scout cookie season because there were a LOT of thin mints. </div>
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The initial report from surgery was fairly good. The bone fragments lent themselves to being screwed back together. Soft tissue damage was minimal (probably because he was<i> walking</i> and was able to pull up immediately). Quiz slept longer than normal in recovery (probably due to the fatigue of the day) but he got up successfully on the first try without damaging his cast or other limbs. </div>
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The hope is that arthrodesis (or fusion) of the P1 and P2 will stabilize the limb. This process is supported by plates and screws binding everything together. Quiz now has two large plates and (many) screws helping to set everything in place. </div>
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<i></i><i></i><i></i><br /></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: transparent; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Additionally, several pins were placed at the top of his cannon bone which actually protrude from his leg and "rest" on his cast, helping to relieve the injured limb from some of his weight.</span><b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike></div>
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So begins recovery… It's a long road (one I don't entirely understand yet) but I am trying hard to take it day by day, and allow myself to be optimistic while understanding all the risks and outcomes that may still befall sweet Quiz. </div>
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Thanks to everyone for their outpouring of support. I am fortunate in never having dealt with an injury of this magnitude or complexity. To say it has been educational is an understatement - and I will try to share as much of this adventure as I can. </div>
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Love to blog land. </div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-88962206000456109752018-06-19T10:42:00.000-07:002018-06-19T10:42:19.109-07:00Thunderbird, the first<div>
Apparently I never actually posted this from back in April - I am starting to write up a Derby Summary post, but might as well toss this up in the meantime. <br />
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We are planning to spend *most* of our season up at Thunderbird this year, so I'll have to start naming posts something other than "thunderbird." </div>
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But I gotta say, it's hard not to show there. The facilities are impeccable, the rings are big and beautiful and well maintained. The jumps are built to the hilt, and the staff are all NICE and accessible. It's hard to fault them for much. </div>
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Oh, and everything is in CAD, which means its showing at a 20% (ish) discount. Sold. </div>
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Our April outing was one for the books. Quiz nearly swept his Green Division and was Champion. I was WAY better on Winds and managed to not only lead my first jog ever, but snagged my first championship at 3'. Quiz had his Derby debut and won it. And Winds galloped around the Big(ger) Derby track for the first time with a respectable 4th place finish.<br />
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Also, somehow a week of supposedly very rainy weather, turned into pleasant sun and clouds and we didn't get a raindrop on us once. </div>
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Quiz is looking like an entirely different horse than he did down in Cali. It's like we came home, schooled some gymnastics and all the sudden he figured out how to Hunter. He's lifting his shoulders, following the rein over jumps and keeping his balance and collection with minimal effort. It's so cool to see, and so gorgeous to watch. He's a good egg. <br />
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Winds made it clear I need to work on stay straight and really coming forward through my corners. But he gets credit for rewarding me with a great adjustable canter and solid rhythm when I do.<br />
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on to the next!<br />
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Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-81353017386344543702018-03-26T08:19:00.000-07:002018-03-26T08:19:04.453-07:00The (extremely) Amateur AdultsI've spent the better part of the last two years trying to undo enough bad habits that I can (respectably) make my way around the AA's with my 1.40m horse.<br />
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At times this timeline and process has been frustrating and disheartening, but I continue to adore my gray horse and his ability to help me let go of sins past and learn how to ride like a competent adult who has a significantly reduced sense of risk tolerance and a significantly increased sensitivity to self preservation.<br />
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So, when the moment finally came for us to go canter around the 3' ring together, I am really, really proud that there were lots of moments that looked like this:<br />
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And thankfully only one moment that looked like this:<br />
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But we'll get to that.<br />
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All in all, I had a lot of fun. Winds was significantly more interested in his job than he was with me in the ring last summer which I attribute to a combination of increased comfort as well as increased give-a-shit-ness for a slightly taller fence. <br />
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My videos show that I am in fact riding better, and that I can be taught. So that is something that I am trying to hold on to and pat myself on the back for. They also show me that I still love to drop my hands, wait in the corner and collapse my left side. <br />
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But that's why we love this sport, there's always something (or like 10 somethings) to be working on. I admit that like most type A ammys in the Hunter Ring, it's much, much easier to focus on the 10 somethings than it is on the progress - but I'm lucky to have a crazy supportive group of barn ladies who are always quick to point out what's going well or more importantly - going better than before.<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Here is
my first round from our first week. All in all - not disastrous! I got
Winds to the first fence mostly perfect and he clobbered it like he didn't
notice it was there. I was somewhat surprised since I spent the whole
time in our approach thinking "holy crap his front end is light, holy crap
his front end is light.." and then WHACK - Not so light. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Anyway, there was that, and a
monster chip, but otherwise we recovered. I look tense, but you can tell
I'm starting to relax by the end. The judge might have mixed up his notes
because we pulled a 3rd in this round. I know Winds is pretty lovely, but
I guess maybe everyone else had a bobble too. I guess since it was the
first day of the second half of the circuit maybe I wasn't the only one
stepping back into the ring for the first time in a while....</span></div>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qYN1HoNjnY4" width="560">
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">And for comparison when nerves were
slightly less at play - here is our second round on Sunday from the first
week. Not perfect by any means, but a more consistent pace, I was
thinking more in the corner and way more at ease with Winds' level of
engagement. I think we got 4th in this one out of about 20. (TAKE
THE RIBBONS AND RUN).</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">The second week was much the same,
with mostly small improvements. Still a slightly late change or one chip
sprinkled in each round, but the rest of it was pretty good distances with
pretty good pace and pretty good decisions. I just need to up the consistency
and we'll start finding more success. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">I did have my HORRID very bad, no
good, chip during the second week. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">It's probably the first time I
thought I was actually going to flip my horse (and that includes all the
harebrained shit I did on cross country in my youth). I totally
overthought a corner, second guessed myself (be patient, be patient, she said
be patient, holy crap we need to gooooooo!). And it didn't work out
well. I gunned Winds, he tried to listen, then realized he needed to put a
foot down, but I was pretty sure his legs were going to land in the flower
boxes and trip us. I had already mentally committed to bailing of his
left shoulder when he managed to touch toes down - pop them back up and get us
over in a much less dramatic fashion than I had pictured. (Word has it we
stayed very straight, because my trainer couldn't tell how ugly it was from
behind.....)</span></div>
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
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<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">My next thought was
"hmm. That was bad. We should just regroup, add in the line
and come out more organized." But Winds landed, knew he had ground
to make up and marched right up the line in 5 and jumped out like I hadn't
totally messed up the first part. What a prince he is. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">So ended our first exploration of
the AA's together. Mostly good, some nerves, some pilot error, a LOT of
pats for Windsor and a couple good ribbons to feel good about. </span></div>
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<span style="color: black; margin: 0px;">Next up - Thunderbird!</span></div>
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-65384263208867502592018-03-16T10:06:00.003-07:002018-03-16T10:06:53.672-07:00HITS Hunter Prix(s)<div>
One of my goals this year is to have Winds participate in Derby classes instead of a Pro Division. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRIpAQq8yZN58XIDBVRK5hRiskfOGtxEheTU1ywwTI0nYMXLDfCdV5_e97JVnbOoq6i1dQ5YqqzvDiCjkW1wnymmMlZ-WJ4TSZCdLKAhegA_ZeCVl7qh_JzuhEuXmDNqFcUYurin9iMBo/s1600/IMG_6202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="954" data-original-width="1335" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRIpAQq8yZN58XIDBVRK5hRiskfOGtxEheTU1ywwTI0nYMXLDfCdV5_e97JVnbOoq6i1dQ5YqqzvDiCjkW1wnymmMlZ-WJ4TSZCdLKAhegA_ZeCVl7qh_JzuhEuXmDNqFcUYurin9iMBo/s400/IMG_6202.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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This plan is driven by a few considerations, not the least of which is trying to minimize the number of rounds that the Gray Prince does each week. In addition to that, I really love watching him jump bigger jumps and I think the Derby classes are even more fun to watch when your horse is going around the track. </div>
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I also recognize that Winds probably won't be jumping bigger jumps forever, so if he's sound and happy, I'd like to make the memories while I can.<br />
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So, while I would have loved to toss Winds in a few Derbies while we were out in the sunshine - one of my gripes with HITS is that they only offer USHJA sanctioned classes during two of their eight weeks of showing. If you aren't there week 4 or 8, your only similar option is to enter the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix which is way, way less exciting. I still entered it, because it got Winds in front of some bigger jumps (3'5"), and on a longer track. The only bummer is that the second round was still a classic hunter round, so no fun handy shenanigans, and no high options....<br />
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But, I tried to remember that California is our Spring Training, not the World Series - so we were there to learn, practice, move up and see where we stood after a winter of good work. </div>
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This was also our first chance to experiment with a (much) lighter schedule. Winds isn't a spooky horse, but he is easily excited by bigger jumps and gets a bit keen. So "prepping" him is less about getting him so tired he won't bother to spook, and more about taking a teeny tiny edge off so he doesn't power off the ground and attack his fences with too much gusto.</div>
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For Week V, Winds had two classes on Tuesday (one with me, and one with the pro), then nothing Wednesday, another warm up in Ring 1 on Thursday - the Prix Friday, then two AA rounds with me on Saturday and two more on Sunday. </div>
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Eight rounds over six days. Totally reasonable. </div>
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For the Prix on Friday, he was extremely casual until he realized the jumps were 3'5" and that was more fun than the 3' he'd been snoozing over all week. He wasn't naughty, but definitely a bit tighter across his back than I'd like to see and opening up a bit over his fences.</div>
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He jumped mostly well, got some good scores, and if he hadn't had an extremely uncharacteristic scoot coming home in the second round - I think he would have pulled a pretty high ribbon. With the scoot, we dropped down to 9th - but still a respectable result in a polished crowd. Especially since we were using the Hunter Prix as a warm up/data point to see where we were at. </div>
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Here are the videos from Week V:</div>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/PQlgn670NCY" width="560"></iframe>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/--sv2x-OcW4" width="560"></iframe>
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Week VI we stuck to the same schedule, but dropped a trainer warm up on Tuesday. He was more relaxed across the board and looked softer in the ring for the Prix. Second round he swapped in the two stride, but otherwise looked like he was remembering how to be a show hunter. Winds managed to snag 4th place, in another lovely field and paid for our dinner out that night (holla!).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Majesty</td></tr>
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Week VI Videos:<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jOGXP9UEfJI" width="560"></iframe>
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z63Rp5i1jlY" width="560"></iframe>
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On the horizon we head up to Thunderbird for a week in April, where Winds will probably do a one round Canadian Derby (I love those) and pack me around the AA's. After that, we have some down time until we go back to Tbird at the end of May for two weeks of showing. That would be the first time we would be able to consider an International Derby if he feels good and ready. <br />
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Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-65118941307828248542018-03-09T09:37:00.000-08:002018-03-09T09:37:22.564-08:00Two Weeks in the Desert<div>
The boys and I are back from our first trip back to HITS in three years (and both of their first trips to the show). </div>
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I continue to have several gripes about how HITS operates their shows, but I do have to give them credit for some significant infrastructure improvements - and I can't deny that I love getting out into the sunshine and show ring months before the circuit kicks off at home. </div>
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Two weeks of showing saw me tiptoe into the Adult Amateurs with fairly consistent results (only one gasp-worthy moment). Winds galloped around the Devoucoux Prix both weeks with admirable rounds and top ribbons. Quiz moved into the 3' Greens, won a very competitive hack, and took first in a class of 85 with John French in the irons. I meandered around the 2'3" with the baby, drank a lot of wine with my barn ladies and walked over 50 miles each week which totally justified my breakfast burrito habit... </div>
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We experimented with a (much) lighter schedule for Windsor both weeks. One pro warm up to get him in the ring that would have the Prix. Then just my AA division. The second week I added a 2'9" Eq over fences to ride something a bit more fun (adult Eq ran the same day as the Prix so I wasn't able to play in that ring..). He's definitely a bit brighter with fewer trips around the ring, but I think keeping his miles to a minimum will serve us all better in the long run. </div>
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Quiz was a dude and took everything including the 40mph winds without batting an eye. The first week he looked a little wiggly and green in his division, but by the end of week two the polish was really starting to come out and show itself over fences. I wanted to ride him in all the tiny divisions, but in the name of not overwhelming him or making him hate shows, we kept it light and low key.</div>
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I'll get some videos up of the Prix rounds and some of Quiz's debut as well. I'd love to share the video with Frenchie riding, but uh.... I managed to not press record so I have exactly ONE SECOND of that glorious round. dammit. </div>
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After a week of rest and relaxation we'll get back to work and focus on fixing the small stuff before heading up to Thunderbird in April! </div>
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Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-37877521227854755362018-02-15T14:03:00.000-08:002018-02-15T14:03:37.405-08:00Happy New Boots! (...and Year)<div>
2018 is chugging along nicely for the boys and I. Not a lot has happened since the ball dropped at midnight, but we are currently less than 48 hours away from heading south to Thermal to knock the rust off. </div>
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Neither Winds or Quiz has been off property since Thunderbird back in.... August? So I think a change of scenery (and sunshine) will do us all a world of good. </div>
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Rather than try to stuff 4 months of training updates into two board and general paragraphs, I'll move on to the really important stuff like NEW BOOTS. </div>
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Back in November some casual scrolling on Instagram resulted in me noticing that my favorite tack store was offering $500 any custom Konig boot. </div>
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Unfortunately for me, my (then current) <a href="http://piasparade.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-konigs-one-month-in.html" target="_blank">show boots</a> were in great shape. At the time of this $500 special, they were only two years old and in fabulous condition - leaving me zero justification for ordering new boots. </div>
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But.... I just couldn't say no to $500 off. I tried, but I failed. </div>
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With no real complaints about my current boots in terms of functionality, I looked toward the style side of things to make these new boots *slightly* different. Mind you, my trainer is<i> Traditional</i> with a capital T, so I can't stray too far from the path, but I spent a few extra minutes thumbing through the leather swatches and lookbook before finalizing the order. </div>
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I opted to remove the swagger tabs, replace them with just the Konig crown, add a decorative punched toe and then - I got crazy and opted for a sprinkle of patent piping. Just on the toe and heel (...but still. REBEL). </div>
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I handed over my credit card, prayed I wouldn't get kicked out of the barn for over zealous adornment, and set my timer for eight to ten weeks.</div>
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The boots arrived in a timely eight weeks, and they are<i> amazing</i>. </div>
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If I thought my last pair was lovely, these are a dream. We tightened up a few measurements this time so there were a few days were the zipping was not so easy - but after a week of rides they fit like a glove, and have one of the nicest tapers I've ever seen through the ankle. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3imHcH9JOrpWExIGlCU-YEweg5isRzJxBYxnIJ16k4pSqwxadL925bSpadjOqd_RjHQxm00tv8r-XQK_gfAENuskpw-l05m4zEWmK5BtAxfmmVmVn9cAAf9HkStTShcwq7_3M_UUKiEc/s1600/IMG_5435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="948" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN3imHcH9JOrpWExIGlCU-YEweg5isRzJxBYxnIJ16k4pSqwxadL925bSpadjOqd_RjHQxm00tv8r-XQK_gfAENuskpw-l05m4zEWmK5BtAxfmmVmVn9cAAf9HkStTShcwq7_3M_UUKiEc/s400/IMG_5435.jpg" width="296" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just casually trying on my boots in my bedroom. That's normal right?</td></tr>
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I was thrilled with my style choices. The plain crown is subtle but still offers a beauty mark of sorts at the top of the boot. The punched toe is fun, and just enough of a pain in the ass to clean to keep me busy back at the tent - and the<i> patent</i> ooooohhhhhh the patent. I love it. </div>
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It's just a hint of something different without being distracting (and it actually got full approval from the trainer). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmy-zGh7fyx_qFVLtnPzJt2Y3p8uRpjKudwBRErrKK1ZA9Gb0K9oQEExqfzTsghwwQ8j7rp4Rj0mcIstykw113jLDxNrWSeiREtSS_0PqG-ujqC6qxMSSyIxlpRzmQRK0gU3pZLpeRgAlN/s1600/IMG_5432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmy-zGh7fyx_qFVLtnPzJt2Y3p8uRpjKudwBRErrKK1ZA9Gb0K9oQEExqfzTsghwwQ8j7rp4Rj0mcIstykw113jLDxNrWSeiREtSS_0PqG-ujqC6qxMSSyIxlpRzmQRK0gU3pZLpeRgAlN/s400/IMG_5432.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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Similar to my last pair of Konigs, the calfskin softened within about a week, and I'm thinking I'll survive Thermal without my feet turning into giant blisters. I really cant say enough good things about my Konigs. They wear incredibly well, the construction is impeccable and the price point beats most of their competition for custom field boots. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd3zErVf6IUOzVx_B-3WKzl8jKowua7O_vFYyq-dffOC9DLFE-gfadP9qpDlaKHj82UpweCWNdgdrDN8kBCkcxeZ3ICcFT2I3WiqrUKlgEADEpgUlpMnJK6ZGUQM3U65teSb1nv28vgd_/s1600/IMG_5434.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLd3zErVf6IUOzVx_B-3WKzl8jKowua7O_vFYyq-dffOC9DLFE-gfadP9qpDlaKHj82UpweCWNdgdrDN8kBCkcxeZ3ICcFT2I3WiqrUKlgEADEpgUlpMnJK6ZGUQM3U65teSb1nv28vgd_/s400/IMG_5434.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">detail of the patent at tow and heel cup</td></tr>
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So that's our update. Other than new boots, we've been working hard in the off season to come out of the gate, fit strong and supple. The boys both feel amazing. Winds has had some changes to his shoeing which seems to be making all the difference, and Quiz has a TON more fitness. Even I have been putting in some good work and logging time in the Pilates studio (which is actually making me a significantly stronger, more stable rider). </div>
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Next stop - CALIFORNIA. </div>
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Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-37669179210557634872017-09-27T08:33:00.002-07:002017-09-27T08:33:29.526-07:00Gear Review: Spur UpgradeSpoiler alert, I don't love spurs. I grew up on hot (usually part-Arab) horses who had WAY more go-than-whoa and spent way more time thinking about what bit I needed on cross country and never really worried about what spur (none) would get the job done (none). <br />
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As I traipsed into Dressage as an adult, I put spurs on occasionally. <br />
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REALLY long time readers will recall the six (+) months where Pia straight up didn't go forward (at all). and during my early days with Prair, a Teeny Tiny nub of a spur was helpful establishing our lateral work. <br />
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I have relatively long legs and have always been able to squeeze the tweedle out of even the laziest of the lazy without much spur. On top of that, a large spur often results in me unintentionally taking my leg off and causing more problems than the spur solves.<br />
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With that info in mind, my spur collection consists precisely of 1) the tiniest price of wales spur ever made. and 2) cheap plastic ball spurs. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQ_8_b58RaNDBnTd3kl2GJOeQrsk5u4xwbAs2ftS-jzXeRMpohr8_82WJGqSoeIgpUuQZNEzfS0v1OaqUOtgoSGrdFYHnrkez8m6Jcqq5RncHdmI4hSpkP9MPcyUAPEfP4STmcRtEexVO/s1600/rubber+ball.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkh54Gh7wJyx1uxLZH1pc3DfmrSxLARdNSN3vkrWoXw-BjC7rdcS7Ex51xnn7jE46SrleU3dgQo3vFqF3kHB5X5KTuYNgojm0EI4XdBL4C86mFZx4qQRJtSTB7zaWmpH4DW9kG6-X27uu3/s1600/pw+spur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkh54Gh7wJyx1uxLZH1pc3DfmrSxLARdNSN3vkrWoXw-BjC7rdcS7Ex51xnn7jE46SrleU3dgQo3vFqF3kHB5X5KTuYNgojm0EI4XdBL4C86mFZx4qQRJtSTB7zaWmpH4DW9kG6-X27uu3/s200/pw+spur.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQ_8_b58RaNDBnTd3kl2GJOeQrsk5u4xwbAs2ftS-jzXeRMpohr8_82WJGqSoeIgpUuQZNEzfS0v1OaqUOtgoSGrdFYHnrkez8m6Jcqq5RncHdmI4hSpkP9MPcyUAPEfP4STmcRtEexVO/s1600/rubber+ball.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQ_8_b58RaNDBnTd3kl2GJOeQrsk5u4xwbAs2ftS-jzXeRMpohr8_82WJGqSoeIgpUuQZNEzfS0v1OaqUOtgoSGrdFYHnrkez8m6Jcqq5RncHdmI4hSpkP9MPcyUAPEfP4STmcRtEexVO/s200/rubber+ball.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
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Recently, the ball spurs have been getting a workout. I almost always wear them on Winds now, as my leg is finally educated enough to know the difference between calf and spur. Plus, if it's over 68 degrees that dude needs a nudge in the ribs to get going. (#metoo).</div>
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BUT, they look dorky, aren't actually very spur-like and after a really hot summer where my trainer raised her eyebrow several times and said "really? I've been using a round rowel on him" I have been casually considering an upgrade to ye ol' spur closet. <br />
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I find a lot of comfort in my big, soft, totally mild rubber ball spurs. I like knowing that even if I lose my balance and accidentally JAB Winds with them, he won't really care - but the downside of that comfort is that when I <i>do </i>a<i></i>ctually want a gas pedal, I don't have a good option. <br />
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And as I've lamented recently (though maybe not online): <br />
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I AM OUT OF STUFF TO SHOP FOR. <br />
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I have all the tack, all the gear all the everything I ever (ever) dreamed of (not the least of which includes two incredible horses). So when the horse gods showed me something that I could actually justify shopping for - I shopped. <br />
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It's hard to make spurs fun and/or interesting without going off the deep end. <br />
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For a while I looked at Signature Spurs, mostly because I remain obsessed with the crop I ordered from them and love their service. <br />
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But I couldn't decide *what* spur I needed exactly, and with higher end spurs cresting the $100 mark, I didn't want to order 4 new sets just so I had everything to choose from. <br />
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That meant my eye turned to some of the manufacturers making spur sets with exchangeable shanks. I stalked them on insta, I stalked online... and eventually I opted to go with <span id="goog_1235321480"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/">American Equus<span id="goog_1235321481"></span></a>. (due in no small part to my obsession with their stirrups). <br />
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American Equus machines their spurs out of aluminum (also true of their stirrups and horseshoes), but that is a material I had never tried as a spur. Also, they claim that their interchangeable spurs are super easy to swap, and can even be done in the saddle without removing your spur strap. I hadn't ever seen the spurs in person, so wasn't entirely sure how this worked, but I had a glass of wine and placed an order.<br />
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The spurs arrived promptly, and came in a lovely box with customized foam inserts that presented the spurs and extra shanks beautifully. (I forgot to take a picture). While they offer lots of (really fun) color options, I selected a conservative Show Chrome with the idea that I would potentially wear these in the hunter ring. <br />
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The spurs are really pretty.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9G5WM__y4NJVrLp7lob0EPM_0qhQcSQz58XPy8b3ekIkjJMcWPQ0l4jIWIX3bW2XxhhyphenhyphenMb3Px7Z4_ZdNwRi4dykmbYUq5kVwINNqjvnrA3RvT46Qt-ha12QWU807EsLhVjSfjHMav-IE/s1600/IMG_2540.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9G5WM__y4NJVrLp7lob0EPM_0qhQcSQz58XPy8b3ekIkjJMcWPQ0l4jIWIX3bW2XxhhyphenhyphenMb3Px7Z4_ZdNwRi4dykmbYUq5kVwINNqjvnrA3RvT46Qt-ha12QWU807EsLhVjSfjHMav-IE/s400/IMG_2540.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Show Chrome spurs with round-towel option</td></tr>
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Nice styling, crazy light, and very shiny. <br />
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The shanks are super easy to swap (as promised) and just require a stiff tug to get them out (they are held in by a compression fit and o-ring). <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuGxnln3xdpxN_AVvt-omag58NbHyw6C6ERESrwcKyYexi3zmjsAkF_t-jyBzaNlndQfVUdzQbI38JceGifALybdJBtSiBILRJtHPQaaO5cDmRl4W2oY0y6w0U7s1sltZCy2simvaGo5G/s1600/IMG_2539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHuGxnln3xdpxN_AVvt-omag58NbHyw6C6ERESrwcKyYexi3zmjsAkF_t-jyBzaNlndQfVUdzQbI38JceGifALybdJBtSiBILRJtHPQaaO5cDmRl4W2oY0y6w0U7s1sltZCy2simvaGo5G/s400/IMG_2539.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1/2", 1" and 1.5" options</td></tr>
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I swapped the rowels out for the 1/2" shanks and headed for the barn. <br />
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My one complaint is that the spurs themselves are very narrow, and harder than stainless spurs to widen (because - aluminum). I wrestled with them for a minute and got them to a comfortable fit at my ankle, without having them too loose at my heel. <br />
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Before I hopped on, I played around with swapping the shanks while the spur was on my foot, and as advertised - it was easy without being SO easy that I'd worry about them popping out while riding. <br />
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Once on, I was really happy with how they spurs felt. I liked the rounded tips, and felt like they were easy to use with nuance while still giving me some go. I am also very particular about my spurs moving around while I'm riding, and these didn't slip once even though I didn't have them positioned on my spur rests. <br />
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All in all, these spurs are off to a good start. I like the look, I like the feel, and I really like the idea of being able to swap out the shanks. <br />
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Winds is a horse that typically needs more spur in warm up than he does in the ring, and being able to downsize my spurs at the back gate gives me one less thing to worry about on course. <br />
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And isn't that what I <i>really </i>needed.. :)<br />
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<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike><br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-72351706070248124412017-09-20T10:16:00.003-07:002017-09-20T10:16:47.550-07:00Equitation SnapshotIn the name of archival integrity, I need to get some actual evidence of how Winds and I are marching around the ring. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGG81Ojj2TK7g-pFHYgIkxHllYU-Xjqv0hn9G03Z9nCqJeK2o-RCNvCeujvLNq76sgEnKVLAsSDSmM1FaI8nubrWKC-Ei4CSFZpMCa7funbjWGl3x-sE_CEMajB4Kwh2L4e9kv2BLWpi-/s1600/SFC_2876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGG81Ojj2TK7g-pFHYgIkxHllYU-Xjqv0hn9G03Z9nCqJeK2o-RCNvCeujvLNq76sgEnKVLAsSDSmM1FaI8nubrWKC-Ei4CSFZpMCa7funbjWGl3x-sE_CEMajB4Kwh2L4e9kv2BLWpi-/s400/SFC_2876.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">why do these always look so small in pictures??</td></tr>
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All in all, I am really happy with how we handled the Equitation ring at Thunderbird both weeks of August. While I didn't have the big open gallop that I had in the field at Milner - I felt like we were as consistent as we have ever been and able to make (mostly) good choices when necessary. <br />
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Let's start with the first week: <br />
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Nothing was very equitation-y, but we rode well and overcame some of our goblins, namely staying straight on the left lead and stepping up to our distances then falling back. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4svIpA5u3yk" width="560"></iframe>
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Pretty great for us! We ended up 2nd out of 20. <br />
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Our second round was much the same, but they turned on the BIG sprinklers in the ring next door. I didn't think twice about it because Winds doesn't care about such things, but toward the end as we came into the Judge's line, the wind shifted and blew the sprinkler mist over into our faces. It was weird, and although you can't see Winds do much, he sorta fell in away from the mystery rain, and I lost his inside shoulder. That set us up for a borderline late change and then I never really got him back up and balanced before the two stride. We didn't <i>chip </i>in, but I didn't have him straight and he sorta jumped over his shoulder. Somehow we won the class - but in watching the video, the tension isn't nearly as visible as it felt. <br />
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Week two, the course design was a tad more interesting. Lots more singles and omg, a rollback. <br />
Winds was not intrigued by the jumps AT ALL and I felt like I was beating him around the ring. This horse is so much easier to ride when he cares even just a little bit about what's in the ring, but it's hard to fabricate that the second week of a show. <br />
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I made the mistake of enjoying my coffee while I watched some early rounds go in my ring - and managed to totally freak myself out. Of the 8 rounds I let myself watch, 4 people fell off, two had refusals and only 2 got through clean. Never in my life have I seen such a bloodbath at 2'9", and it did nothing to help my brain calm down as I went to get ready. Usually I watch rounds so that my self talk is "see, it's fine. Everyone is fine, just ride the lines, it's fine. YOURE FINE.". Didn't work out that way this time, instead I saw all the nightmare scenarios I had been dreaming up come true. <br />
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Our first round was relatively uneventful (praise Jesus), I lost his shoulder in the rollback and had to add a stride. In a perfect world if I held my track, I think there would have been one less and looked a bit better - but not tragic - we worked it out. Even with the wonky rollback we ended up first out of 22. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kiJPHgRR-3k" width="560"></iframe><br />
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The second round was FUN. There were some end jumps that are really hard to see on the video, but we basically got to clover leaf around them which had me a touch worried given the fact that Mr. Casual was all but sleeping on the job. <br />
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Turns out, it was exactly what we needed, and as soon as we turned up the centerline to a new fence Winds woke up, sat up and felt like a very rideable sports car. <br />
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The difference in his interest and balance was SO tangible it's hard to discount. This horse legit hates line/diagonal/line/diagonal. Well, maybe <i>hate </i>i<i></i>s a strong word, but he sure doesn't care about it at all. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/phkRrYic35k" width="560"></iframe>
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We ended up 5th in this round - but fences 4,5,6 were hands down them most fun I had all week. (that sounds sorta sad when I type it, other things were fun too..). But as I look forward at my goals with Winds, I'm starting to shift them a bit. I think maybe (horse gods allowing), this is the horse I take in whatever Medals I can find, and let him play in the derbies. <br />
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I also have to note that we were 2nd on the flat both weeks - and in a division of 20 that is something I am really proud of. I've been working a LOT on my ability to stretch and stay tall without getting stiff and I think maybe, just maybe I'm making progress. The same girl beat me both weeks (damn teenagers), but I had her pinned as the winner even out in warm up. Gorgeous rider, lovely look on a horse and really, really soft. I'm totally ok riding behind someone like that. There is no world where I beat her on the flat. <br />
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It was a great way to finish the Summer, and really a testament to how much I am starting to gel with Winds. Love this horse. <br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-68232952521702439112017-09-18T09:12:00.001-07:002017-09-18T09:16:17.289-07:00Summer Shows, and New Baby Horse and EverythingHoly no blog. I wish I had been inspired to write the last couple weeks because lots of fun things have been happening, plus a few cute things (LEADLINE) and one not so fun (MRI). BOOOOOO<br />
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But let's do the 60 second rundown, shall we? <br />
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Thunderbird. Both boys went up to Tbird in August for both weeks of showing. Windsor was a superstar. He did one warm up class with the pro, looked bored, and then didn't come out again until the Derby, which was in a different ring and in hindsight, he was WAY TOO FRESH. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpd1kekbkIKTTslnDriDbd5GJX36RDrJvm98NEShz9DVRbIsBnKVLBVV9ZU0EP3ZmkGXB-1TyzJ8N8pdbx2I-JdFaSFevY8gsbV0_5zJYrH9xsxNE_DLrTdWWkZLG6mWtY3pxRYeuJTuN/s1600/IMG_2431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpd1kekbkIKTTslnDriDbd5GJX36RDrJvm98NEShz9DVRbIsBnKVLBVV9ZU0EP3ZmkGXB-1TyzJ8N8pdbx2I-JdFaSFevY8gsbV0_5zJYrH9xsxNE_DLrTdWWkZLG6mWtY3pxRYeuJTuN/s400/IMG_2431.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bored, but also fresh? V V Confusing</td></tr>
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Whelp, lesson learned. He overjumped everything, and while it wasn't his most fluid course ever, the 72.5 base score drew confused gasps from bystanders who aren't as biased as I am. It's the first time he hasn't made the handy... had to happen sometime!<br />
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Then it was my turn. We did our equitation and managed to win a round and get second on the flat out of about 22. I was thrilled. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijv1epzUVrNhGdfxq7fhxNtzD9ogwgqELgbB1PhQD29Kj7yy955PLOxsNC0KylL451vOR58EgJOzX1UVowt3c0YwfvE54jsPe3eCTb3xcgQcu2v8kyx2uSwuEz0wW_t_z54mYqK_YGLHk_/s1600/IMG_2099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1498" data-original-width="1498" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijv1epzUVrNhGdfxq7fhxNtzD9ogwgqELgbB1PhQD29Kj7yy955PLOxsNC0KylL451vOR58EgJOzX1UVowt3c0YwfvE54jsPe3eCTb3xcgQcu2v8kyx2uSwuEz0wW_t_z54mYqK_YGLHk_/s400/IMG_2099.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turns out Pilates actually works.</td></tr>
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Winds was awesome, and our courses were actually interesting. We were champion.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG7F2GZgyL5ybjpMDW8Fp3_0zkwhT6XZ2gPjIOnLWvoSFoRaRMDE-rYCxcMfxs20oAjjDgF1nnU9leYjG-u5jCeMfCsEDka2ZkB76FtIow76LY_msfJdNmpJuhyW7UHY5L_F9uXfNQBrE/s1600/IMG_1856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1126" data-original-width="1500" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfG7F2GZgyL5ybjpMDW8Fp3_0zkwhT6XZ2gPjIOnLWvoSFoRaRMDE-rYCxcMfxs20oAjjDgF1nnU9leYjG-u5jCeMfCsEDka2ZkB76FtIow76LY_msfJdNmpJuhyW7UHY5L_F9uXfNQBrE/s400/IMG_1856.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of my ribbons have been chewed on.</td></tr>
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Quiz made his debut in the Baby Greens and won his first class each day and was SO TIRED in his second that some baby mistake usually came out. But he is a DUDE. Didn't bat an eye at anything. No lunge, no extra rides, prep, voodoo, nothing. He's just a solid citizen. He peeked at the flower boxes exactly once as he hopped over and never batted an eye after that. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAASFNZZj2Jtbd6B7-CtYRlZ9lCUKB0medQFSrzR4DVAbMTgdJw8Xbgs_nd4AiE0yadFbfwnWKVRoCMROwQbzg1WuEhdVW-45fj6pfHOgcce1XQK5ZmmEsFPQ5YWfe086qFQl9NV7LkpLE/s1600/IMG_2323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAASFNZZj2Jtbd6B7-CtYRlZ9lCUKB0medQFSrzR4DVAbMTgdJw8Xbgs_nd4AiE0yadFbfwnWKVRoCMROwQbzg1WuEhdVW-45fj6pfHOgcce1XQK5ZmmEsFPQ5YWfe086qFQl9NV7LkpLE/s400/IMG_2323.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best. Baby. </td></tr>
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Week two was much the same repeat. Quiz rocked the Baby Greens again, Windsy packed me around the Eq and the Hunters. <br />
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We repeated our performance in the Eq - and had a nice finish to the show in our Hunters, winning one round, nabbing a ribbon in a HUGE flat class and getting our proverbial shit together in the classic to get 2nd (due to an 85 in our second round). <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXgr2O3pY9IR8oU4OxCMrU5qTJLwZoJigAkkaywziN2qYV_tGVhFcnVTRzHgWE6ZnxL5Viu9Gl63Vbk5RGhJaTABmvheI316k0k6TAJ4q6GayZMOZAl-ZW9TKos3kkbGhaCd6ahzgZDv1/s1600/IMG_2401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1228" data-original-width="1228" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidXgr2O3pY9IR8oU4OxCMrU5qTJLwZoJigAkkaywziN2qYV_tGVhFcnVTRzHgWE6ZnxL5Viu9Gl63Vbk5RGhJaTABmvheI316k0k6TAJ4q6GayZMOZAl-ZW9TKos3kkbGhaCd6ahzgZDv1/s400/IMG_2401.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
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Also, I fell slightly in love with a Nations Cup rider, who I may have stalked a teeny tiny bit (equal interest in his horse, let's be real), bought a new show shirt, oh and débuted my new Burgundy show coat from AA. It was a good show. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LTQ9CnOUdctcbmFvz8rGv3NuqXCQDnjp6Mxr5B3uukKfAESKVK7JK_B5w3E8_Khwag0hrJSLoQH55BaQQk8tXxzMcJKAvgi0jJVu9_wpQmYurKoShXANrsOPXP9mtS_G3S7DCLo-UUKX/s1600/IMG_2103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4LTQ9CnOUdctcbmFvz8rGv3NuqXCQDnjp6Mxr5B3uukKfAESKVK7JK_B5w3E8_Khwag0hrJSLoQH55BaQQk8tXxzMcJKAvgi0jJVu9_wpQmYurKoShXANrsOPXP9mtS_G3S7DCLo-UUKX/s400/IMG_2103.JPG" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
(He's 20 and decidedly NOT single, but a middle aged girl can dream)</div>
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At home, Quiz has continued to be a total stud. He learns every ride, has yet to get grumpy or say no, and even with a lot of rides by yours truly - is finding his balance and fitness. I have yet to really fault him for something. <br />
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Winds was stepping a bit short at the end of the show, so Paranoid Polly over here had the vet out once we were home. She confirmed that he was looking slightly off on the LF again, and that it did block out in the foot. So we headed south for ANOTHER MRI to see what's up. <br />
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Are things continuing to heal? Did he re-injure it? Is this the new status quo and I need adjust his management and schedule accordingly? Who knows. <br />
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<br />
Well, Hopefully, I'll know - as soon as my vet calls. Still waiting for the official report... <br />
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OH, and the kid did her first deadline class. It was insanely adorable and there are so many photos that I need to do a separate post on that. Hopefully I'll get around to that before she turns 16. <br />
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Onward!<br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-65902687509045217582017-08-07T12:10:00.003-07:002017-08-07T12:10:33.531-07:00Making it Official Finally bit the bullet on Quiz' USEF, which was mostly delayed due to total name paralysis. You guys had AWESOME suggestions, (and Quartermaster made the top 3, as did the Qrown ___" suggestions). <br />
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But the ultimate winner is QUOTABLE. <br />
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I'm actually glad that I got to spend a little time with Quiz before locking in a show name. While he is big and elegant, he has a quietness to him that made some of the bigger, bolder names seem like a poor fit. So, Quotable it is. There are only a couple registered with USEF making it one of the more unique options we considered, and I like the simplicity. Also, much like Heir Apparent - I like that it hints at quality as opposed to declaring it. <br />
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Aside from the name, the first week of work has been a great one, and Quiz is exceeding expectations. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sweetest</td></tr>
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After a few days off to relax and get acclimated, Quiz got to work. <br />
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He is admittedly significantly more green than I was expecting. He lacks the strength to hold his balance for more than a few steps and his go to is to lock his poll and shove his head up into the sky, or curl waaaaaay too low. <br />
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But, he is also significantly smarter than I was expecting, and in the short span of a week he is already steadier in the bridle, more responsive to the aids and totally willing to work. I have to also give him credit that he appears to be totally Ammy-Proof. He hasn't spooked once, no offered any tension in his work. He's quiet and kind and follows you around like a puppy on the ground and tries desperately to understand under saddle.<br />
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I always thought that Windsor would be the most tolerant horse I ever had. And while Winds is kind, he is also <i>totally </i>w<i></i>illing to let you make a mistake and act like he couldn't possibly have known better and helped you out. <br />
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Quiz seems to really want to make it perfect for you, he can't always, but his heart seems really, really impossibly good. <br />
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On the flat it's been about getting him straight and soft. We're making progress. He has a hard time staying organized in the trot (there is a LOT of movement), but his canter seems to be pre-made, and omg you could ride it allllll daaaaay loooong. Love. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mbPjmLamPHM" width="560"></iframe>
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Tuesday he popped over a couple cross rails quite casually. He peeked at the flower box exactly once, then jumped it with a total lack of interest every time after. <br />
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Thursday I had my first real ride on him, and while I was exhausted from all the extra leg that he takes (Winds has made me soft), he was such a good egg. I ended by jumping a few cross rails, and OMG he's fun. His hind leg comes SO FAR under that you feel his stomp perfectly and the fences just show up. My main problem seems to be that I don't have a good sense of his gas and brake pedals, so my adjustments weren't always what I was going for - but silver lining- He doesn't care! I parked him a couple times and he just lumped over the fence and looped away. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mZBmEzBBYbU" width="560"></iframe>
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I know our hopes and dreams change as we get older, so while I might not lust after a wild black stallion anymore, a tolerant gelding who doesn't care about mistakes makes my heart pitter patter.<br />
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We ended the weeks with another great hack and Quiz already feeling more responsive and consistent in the bridle. He is a GOOD BOY. <br />
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I'm' hoping to take him up to Thunderbird next week for a field trip. Not sure if he'll show, but I'm curious to see if he brings his same laissez-faire attitude to a big, busy facility like Thunderbird.<br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-35762417856984536872017-07-31T11:34:00.000-07:002017-07-31T11:46:05.757-07:00Milner - The Ammy Rides<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know the Derby round was the most exciting news to come out of Milner, and no one is ever very interested in small, slow ammy rounds. But for me, the headline at this show was "HOLY SHIT I LOVED EVERY ROUND."<br />
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Which, may seem like a close cousin to "OMG I love my horse." But it's not. I loved Pia - but she tried to murder me a lot. I hated a lot of those rides - even though I "loved my horse." <br />
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I got closer with Prair, because - well, Prair. But really, even at our most relaxed, it always felt like our success was tenuous at best, and I was always ready for all the proverbial shoes to drop.<br />
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I guess I could say that I <i>thought</i> I had already loved every round on Windsy. But that's probably like saying I <i>thought </i>I loved my high school boyfriend. True statement at the time, but possibly worth some revision in hindsight...<br />
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But back to Windsy. <br />
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I warmed up on Thursday for my first round, with the option to have a Low round before my division started. Our warmup was lovely. Not brilliant, but not argumentative. I found my pace and the jumps were coming up fairly easily. <br />
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As we walked down to the back gate I just had this feeling that the Low round was going to be a waste of jumps. So, we scratched it, and I headed in for my first round at 2'9" cold. <br />
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I was a little nervous about the first fence. It wasn't your normal Hunter-quarterline-single, which was enough to have me over thinking it. But Winds lifted his balance and showed me the slightly forward spot out of stride. <br />
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MAGIC.<br />
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Then he came back to me, we stayed out of the bit of muck at the end of the ring and I tried hard to keep our step through the turn. We did. And stepped right up to the rolltop into the judges line. <br />
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MAGIC.<br />
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Then it was <i>single oxer time. Again, winds sat back, I kept him straight, and BAM, jump. </i><br />
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Up the outside line, and home in the two stride. (we swapped into the two stride, but I so didn't care). At every fence I literally thought "oh, there it is, let's go get it" and added some gas pedal. <br />
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Winds jumped open and round and super duper soft. The lines were set long, which was also great since I'm used to choking him back - it was so fluid and fun to land and continue and jump out with some push instead of pull...<br />
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When we landed after the two stride, my smile was HUGE. I have never, ever, ever had that much fun on course. (well, maybe on XC with the old wonder pony, but I was 12, that doesn't count). <br />
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Winds was forward, I stayed soft, everything was small adjustments and just flowed. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/5-RErLB-b1M" width="560"></iframe> <br />
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Thank god I scratched the warm up, because if I had wasted that round on a Low, I probably would have tensed up and butchered the second round when it counted.... <br />
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The next day was the Derby, so all I had to do was stretch Winds' legs in the morning. But Saturday we were back at it. <br />
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I was a bit tentative getting on - mostly just nervous that I would feel some crippling soreness or stiffness that I would be able to attribute to the bigger jumps in the Derby - but nothing. Winds felt loose and lovely. <br />
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He was a bit slow at the canter so I picked up a crop (I prefer a shoulder tap and rubber ball spurs over a sharper spur..) and he was perfect. <br />
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As we walked into the ring I realized both the crop, and spurs were probably unnecessary.<br />
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He was looking at EVERYTHING. Flowers. Grass. Jumps. Fence posts! OMG. I had a brief PTSD flashback of Prairie's eyeballs popping out of her head and certain death - but I shoved those thoughts aside and tried to believe that Winds would be good. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XH-lzznGv5Kf3orlX70DmtHG6qW5RM0YYG4r2wNBgGgTpQ3L6PixUVq0fV2clywI_LVZD7AnrTxRWifEchxnEgb1vw07fiDC-cBRomCrLaUFUBDqKBNqvlzL1hj60F6Vj0r1Jvg5F8oF/s1600/0N2A7623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3XH-lzznGv5Kf3orlX70DmtHG6qW5RM0YYG4r2wNBgGgTpQ3L6PixUVq0fV2clywI_LVZD7AnrTxRWifEchxnEgb1vw07fiDC-cBRomCrLaUFUBDqKBNqvlzL1hj60F6Vj0r1Jvg5F8oF/s400/0N2A7623.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Turns out he was perfect</td></tr>
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We had the same weird first fence, and Winds was so fluffed up it was all I could do to not grab at his face and start a tug o' war. But gentleman that he is, he sat back, waited for the fence and there was zero drama. <br />
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Then I cut off the end of the ring (to stay out of mud) and had to be somewhat thoughtful about my track into a bending line on the outside. Winds was light, and straight and we stepped right up to it. Loved that line, and it was set long so we got to continue nicely and move up to the out. <br />
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Didn't love my ride into the diagonal, I lost the hind end and ended up adding in. Knowing the lines were long, I gunned Winds on the landing and he popped off his lead but we got up there ok. In hindsight I think I could have been less panicked about making it up the line and not lost my lead by finessing it a bit more, but lesson learned.<br />
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Then it was a single oxer set on the outside. I had built up this fence as my boogie fence because without a real arena fence, lots of horses were bulging, never getting straight and then really messing up the distance. Winds was still pretty keen at this point which made my track easier and straight wasn't an issue - so we made it through ok. (I also realized I had been holding my breath and finally started breathing again on the landing, WHOOPS).<br />
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Finally, a smooth seven stride home and we were done (with a new favorite round in the books). <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/TzuxKRum-kM" width="560"></iframe> <br />
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Even with the swap, somehow we won the class, which was reinforced by a win on the flat (maybe the first time that's happened?). It was a good Saturday. <br />
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Sunday we came out for <i>one final </i>round, and I decided to let Winds keep his hair down, so it was a bit of a casual day ;)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RIdFZ7btN3WVRiSbyCxZbMYdXaCtHhe5IbEFSrUfnjElZKWdX00YUxTLkeeIyHdmSaY4jTJFPZrOLoNHfYF6tEX6zWNml5sHm8EJUO7ovaCXfi12bp7j0OhpNhispXPnuC0iTrlVXIJO/s1600/0N2A7924.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3RIdFZ7btN3WVRiSbyCxZbMYdXaCtHhe5IbEFSrUfnjElZKWdX00YUxTLkeeIyHdmSaY4jTJFPZrOLoNHfYF6tEX6zWNml5sHm8EJUO7ovaCXfi12bp7j0OhpNhispXPnuC0iTrlVXIJO/s400/0N2A7924.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">fluffy hair</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Warm up was our trickiest. He was dull again, and again I picked up my crop. I remembered to put it down before we went in the ring, but I didn't have the same, lofty, eager beast under me. <br />
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I was reminded by a barnmate that Windsor is almost always a bit more charged and looky the day after a Derby, but quickly returns to his casually bored self after a round or two. <br />
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I think Winds was for sure bored, but also tired, and potentially a bit sore from jumping significantly more than he had been at home. He didn't feel stiff per se, just lacked the lifted energy that was so magical for my first two rounds. <br />
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This round felt rough by comparison. I didn't feel that fluid connection and it sort of felt like I was grinding the gears in the corner. My adjustments felt clunky and jarring, and while Winds didn't seem to mind, I never got a great rhythm that I could groove into<br />
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The video looks less awkward than it felt (thankfully), but still not our finest. Mostly what I see now is that I didn't trust my canter, so I was fussing in the corner, then pushing him <i>just </i>past the distance even when it was right there. Most of the time it was fine, but I forced him over his shoulder a bit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
This was fine.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
this was a little tight.</div>
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</tbody></table>
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All in all, not a bad ride at all, just not quite as magic as the others, but I am proud that I still mostly made good decisions and stayed with him, instead of totally panicking and getting in a fight. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3H6qXV3WGfI" width="560"></iframe> <br />
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It was a fabulous show, I adore getting to gallop around the big grass field and we definitely came away with a confidence building outing! <br />
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Oh, and a championship, and a cooler. That's always nice too. I love this horse show and wish we got to be here more often. <br />
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Now it's a few weeks at home getting to know the new kid and gearing up for Thunderbird!<br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-34561712705429778182017-07-26T10:33:00.002-07:002017-07-26T10:33:37.250-07:00MIlner Downs - Derby Time!Last year, one of my favorite parts of the show at Milner was watching the Canadian Hunter Derby. The big grass field lends itself to a Derby course - and I enjoyed learning about the Canadian format.<br />
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Going into this year I wasn't sure if Winds would have the fitness to enter again, but he felt so good at 3' on Thursday that we opted to go for it. <br />
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Down here, the USHJA runs derbies over two rounds. The first round is scored like a traditional hunter round (out of 100), with the opportunity for earning up to 4 extra points if you jump all 4 high options offered. The top 12 horse and rider combos return for a second Handy round which offers a shortened course where the judging emphasizes efficiency and brilliance. Again the round is scored out of 100, with a possible 4 extra points for high options. Scores are added together to determine the overall winner. <br />
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I love the drama of coming back for the Handy Round in reverse order. It's fun, and the top competitors have an idea of how much they have to push it in order to get a winning score. <br />
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However the downside of the USHJA format is that it takes <i>forever </i>a<i></i>nd spectators can lose interest watching 50 Classic rounds, and even in smaller classes the horses have to stand by for the Handy, which is sometimes tricky, especially if you've got multiple rides. <br />
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In Canada, while the course format and build is similar, they have condensed the Derbies to only one round. You still get a base hunter score out of 100, but then you are awarded 2 points for every high option (there are 5), and also given a score for handiness on a scale of 1-10. This means the high options and handy score account for a possible 20 bonus points, and can swing the total score dramatically. <br />
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The other big difference, is that where the USHJA National Derby is 3' with high options up to 3'5" and the International Derby is 3'6"-4' with high options that are at least 4'3" - in Canada they offer two height sections, one with the base fences at 3'3" and the other with the base at 3'6", but the height sections are still judged as one class. <br />
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I like that the one round format keeps the class a bit more spectator friendly (and for the moment anyway, I like that it is fewer jumps). Also, for horses who also go in divisions with their owner, or do a full pro division, I think it's easier to add the Derby to your schedule when it's 12 jumps, not 20. <br />
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But I digress - One round, we had nothing else to show that day, so Winds was entered. <br />
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While my excitement for a Derby can never be contained, I was also a little nervous to test the beast at 3'3". He hadn't jumped that high since Paso back in November, which meant I wasn't sure if he would be overly excited and crazy, or stiff, or come up sore afterward...<br />
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Winds warmed up well. He was a bit stuck behind the leg, but that was a problem we knew would go away once he was in the ring. To his credit he was following the rein better than he normally does and was stepping through nicely on landing (which is my major paranoia these days). <br />
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The disadvantage of the one-and-done format is that you don't know how handy you have to be to win. When you come back in reverse order for the USHJA class, you have a sense if you need to go big and make up points, or if you can play it safe and try to just not screw up. <br />
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In the Canadian class, especially if you are early in the order you don't know if someone is going to post a huge score after your go - so your strategy has to shift a bit. For this round, the high options weren't really very high. Some of them were nearly the same height, but offered a slightly more difficult track. The plan was to pick up bonus points on 4 of the 5 options - leaving a split rail fence that was airy and on a tough track. Other than that, there were options for some nice inside turns, long gallops and not a single related distance. <br />
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Winds marched straight into the ring and looked FABULOUS. Every time this horse goes in for a derby it reinforces to me that this is where he shines. He loves hunting the jumps, and perks up in a way that he doesn't for Hunter rounds at the same height. It's a joy to watch. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yNI7VkWZ76g" width="560"></iframe>
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Things that I love about this round - <br />
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Winds looks eager and interested.<br />
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He landed all his leads easily<br />
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NO CROSS LEADS<br />
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His big open step.<br />
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His cute squishy face.<br />
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The judge also loved his trip and rewarded him with a base score of 89 (his highest derby score to date) with 8 for the high options and a 7 for Handiness for a total of 104. I was thrilled, but tried not to get too excited about holding first place, as last year we were knocked into second by the very last horse to go. <br />
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This year however, Winds held the top spot and got to lead the victory gallop, which is always a lovely frosting on top of a great ride. <br />
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Next up - The Ammy rounds with yours truly..... Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-45342716405838426342017-07-24T12:34:00.002-07:002017-07-24T12:34:09.145-07:00MIlner Downs - The start of the weekLast week we ventured to Milner Downs to return to what was one of my favorite shows last year. It's hard to beat a big, gorgeous, grass field to gallop around in all week, but on top of that the staff is crazy friendly, the hospitality is great and it ends up feeling more like a fun summer camp than a frenzied horse show.<br />
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Our plan was to step Windsor up a bit from his extra (extra) light duty at Tbird last month and see how he felt. <br />
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Tuesday he hacked out well, so I was excited to see him go Wednesday. <br />
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Windsor, was <i>also </i>e<i></i>xcited to go Wednesday (though not excited about selfies) - and the single warm up round at 2'9" turned into three, as Mister Man lacked a bit of focus and manners during his first (two) trips around. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loose hair, don't care!</td></tr>
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Here's the first round - not bad by any means, but if you know Winds, you can see that he's powering off the ground and tight in his back, both signs that he wants to paaaarrrrrrrty.<br />
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By the third round he was a bit less excited to be out in the big world:<br />
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It was a bit to be expected, we haven't been lunging him at all (which I like) - and even last year when Milner was our 6th week of showing, he perked up quite a bit when he got out in the big field. <br />
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We ended the day on a good note, and opted to hack the Under Saddle just to let him explore the ring a bit more. With all the extra classes he ended up with a very unplanned Reserve Champion in the Schooling 2'9" Hunter division.<br />
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Definitely didn't mean to take him around the ring three times, but height doesn't seem to affect his freshness (much), so I'm glad we kept it low at 2'9" and let him work out his wiggles without too much effort. <br />
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Looking at the schedule for the rest of the week, my 2'9" Modified AA's was stretched out over Thursday, Saturday and Sunday - leaving a nice gap on Friday for Winds to maybe contest the Derby. <br />
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Since he hadn't popped over anything over 2'9" since last November (gulp), we added one round at 3' on Thursday to see if he felt loose, or if the added height brought out any old symptoms of discomfort. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(looks like a different beast when he is braided)</td></tr>
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He jumped the 3' better than the 2'9" so we finalized our plan to have him do the (one round Canadian style) derby Friday, and just cart me around one round at a time the rest of the week. <br />
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Stay tuned for the DERBY, and also my triumphant (low) return to my beloved 2'9". <br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-63846902430679653692017-07-18T09:40:00.001-07:002017-07-18T09:40:08.436-07:00Review: Voltaire Hunter BridleMuch like how I wasn't really shopping when we found Quiz, I also wasn't shopping when I ended up with a new bridle. <br />
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It's been such a long time since I bought any new strap goods (how is that even possible!?), that I have started casually eyeballing them, but with (literally) no reason to buy, I've shown remarkable restraint in not collecting. <br />
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This piece found it's way into my trunk in a non-traditional manner, but that's a story for another day. <br />
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Today we discuss what I think about it.<br />
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A while back I noticed that Voltaire had added a figure-8 and a hunter bridle to their online store. the photos were remarkably poor quality from a professional marketing standpoint, and I had never noticed one in person, so I wasn't overly tempted. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gpQeLCWftE0vFdPHxMVUZvGOsWgUBXIlTST-NvHwZEKNkiLp9bPFZztm7Xcg_jU69LBuQ3OA_fu6pNky1HynfgRM0cWwyOBvlgjue7Uh3nsJDfOn8A_ORlx8II5x6KZaYea10I1UiWmg/s1600/Voltaire+Bridle.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1019" data-original-width="1085" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_gpQeLCWftE0vFdPHxMVUZvGOsWgUBXIlTST-NvHwZEKNkiLp9bPFZztm7Xcg_jU69LBuQ3OA_fu6pNky1HynfgRM0cWwyOBvlgjue7Uh3nsJDfOn8A_ORlx8II5x6KZaYea10I1UiWmg/s400/Voltaire+Bridle.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voltaire's Hunter bridle (w/flash attachment)</td></tr>
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But, I've been on bridle hunts with a few other barnmates over the past year and gotten to see a variety of new Hunter bridles up close, as well as watched the process of eliminating some over others. <br />
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In terms of the "big" European brands, I have always coveted an Antares that hangs in the tack room. It has a big, padded monocrown, but not ridiculous or overly trendy in it's size or style. It has a normal (single buckle) throatlatch and looks very acceptable in the hunter ring. What stands out is the weight, and quality of the leather. It's the difference between picking up a plastic fork at a picnic, and feeling the weight of your grandmother's silver. Sure, they mostly do the same thing, but one is just yummy in your hand.<br />
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Antares lost me with their weird new anatomical crown (they still offer the less dramatic version). It looks like an awkward hat and I haven't seen it sit well on a single horse. I'm sure it works wonders for someone, I'm just not sure who. <br />
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My favorite piece in the next price bracket down, is the Nunn Finer. I've always thought their leather was of a good quality, and their styling is classic. It takes some work to get it broken in - but once you get it - I think it rivals Edgewood for quality at a fraction the price. <br />
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Based on pictures alone, the Voltaire piece is not something I would have ordered. Their trademark contrast stitching is ALL OVER IT. each piece of leather has bright stitching down it's side. Not just the noseband and browband. Fancy stitch is EVERYWHERE. Cheek pieces, cavesson hangar, etc. EVERYWHERE. It's busy. And the monocrown means that not only is there an extra buckle for the cavesson, but even the throatlatch has a double hanger - which makes for a lot of buckles. And while the crown isn't overly padded or huge, I wasn't sure about the signature Basque stripe on the top of it. <br />
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But alas. we got it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5k0h7OmrI1S81iWJADQW7Mm04ZoI3oGVfaPMyrWYEevtSDUgOFjopcIRuoTN_7XkiOa40JCX1rANp9ln2w-97ooHOK8oZfp-64p0gbqnYF-E5WjN5j8ncG_dtX11ukh9QwZhAtOXKftvj/s1600/IMG_0850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5k0h7OmrI1S81iWJADQW7Mm04ZoI3oGVfaPMyrWYEevtSDUgOFjopcIRuoTN_7XkiOa40JCX1rANp9ln2w-97ooHOK8oZfp-64p0gbqnYF-E5WjN5j8ncG_dtX11ukh9QwZhAtOXKftvj/s400/IMG_0850.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The narrower leather looks good on him I think.</td></tr>
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<i>(I also shouldn't have chided Voltaire for their photos, as I have NOT exceeded those standards... whoops. )</i> <br />
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While the stitching is bold, the leather itself is rather narrow, and it fits his chiseled-pony-face quite nicely. The contrast looks classy, and at least on a gray doesn't seem too busy. After a few applications of conditioner and a night in a ziplock with some oil, everything is feeling appropriately soft and pliable. The reins are still a tad stiff (and I will note a preference for the CWD laced reins...) but the quality is undeniable. The padding is also exceptionally squishy, hopefully it is also sturdy.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-veIp2QkjVWkhLP65cPPoFx4XI_WmWdRrezXssLfFgEGJhkcESCIlI3aGj3nmHEotwky61FuoCxote5qBAE-wFo0aHmvCkTwP3vw4itwNyvQV3l0aDyAlINTTotKVmdLVgucVlpq8PzRL/s1600/IMG_0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-veIp2QkjVWkhLP65cPPoFx4XI_WmWdRrezXssLfFgEGJhkcESCIlI3aGj3nmHEotwky61FuoCxote5qBAE-wFo0aHmvCkTwP3vw4itwNyvQV3l0aDyAlINTTotKVmdLVgucVlpq8PzRL/s400/IMG_0851.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurry, but at least his whole face is included</td></tr>
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Still not sure I would have pulled it off the rack if I was actually shopping, but now that I have it, I like it. And I enjoy that it looks a bit different without being obnoxious. <br />
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What do you guys like to see in a bridle? How different is too different?<br />
<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-40467484282736106272017-07-13T17:53:00.002-07:002017-07-13T17:53:19.565-07:00Meet Quiz! (and a naming contest)It's been really, really, really hard not to jump the gun on this, but meet Quiz! <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NorT13sHtQ8SlEkPdEwsl6MSTI7aOQ8xTpTDw7bFiPWfpaGwGCE3J8KKU5oIvCJ-SsdmgFphjRc645-csIWoMcSnuHxXg3f7IpnUNRIthtXxC99MBhoVW2fd8BZdTpzAFPa9AcwfBMSd/s1600/IMG_0298.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NorT13sHtQ8SlEkPdEwsl6MSTI7aOQ8xTpTDw7bFiPWfpaGwGCE3J8KKU5oIvCJ-SsdmgFphjRc645-csIWoMcSnuHxXg3f7IpnUNRIthtXxC99MBhoVW2fd8BZdTpzAFPa9AcwfBMSd/s400/IMG_0298.PNG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Picture already shared. Need more stat.</td></tr>
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Quiz is the aforementioned Brown Brad, a 5 year old cute gelding by Quadroneur (drool). <br />
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Much like Windsor - (while adorable) he appears to be far too chill (and slow) to really excel in Europe as a Jumper. Fortunately for Quiz, he's cute as hell, trots like he's on a cloud, and I think will make one heck of a fancy little Hunter stateside. <br />
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I have always coveted liver chestnuts, and also the Quaterback lineage, so I'm just giddy as all get out at the prospect of finding both in Quiz. <br />
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Quiz lacks the significant resume that Windsor had (no world championships for this guy), but he's only 5, and while he has shown, 1.10m is the extent of his experience at this point. <br />
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What I really like about Quiz other than his color (and his daddy, and his trot..) is that he appears to have a very Windsor-esque brain. Very chill, not in a rush to get anywhere and very unconcerned about where you pilot him to in front of a fence. Chip in? Leave long? NBD. We'll just lope around and figure it out later.... <br />
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I LOVE THAT. <br />
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His classy good looks are just some really, really nice icing on a lovely liver chestnut cake. <br />
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The wire has been sent, and his ticket is currently being booked. Fingers crossed he gets here soon!!<br />
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Without further ado, some video. Please note, this boy is in <i>steel</i>. Swoon. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tMJAa8AddD8" width="560"></iframe>
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The plan will be to get him out right away, (likely in August at Thunderbird) and see how he handles life as a Hunter. Part of my agreement with The Husband is that this horse (unlike Winds) will <i>always </i>be for sale. I hope I get to enjoy him for a while before someone snatches him away, but make no mistake - I have my Windsy, and while I'd love to have two - I will definitely allow another ammy to find theirs if the situation presents itself. <br />
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Anyway, the second order of business is that this thing needs a USEF name. He is literally registered as just "Quiz," which I think is cute and will definitely keep for his barn name. But he needs a big boy name for the show ring.<br />
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I already have a short list of favorites, but since none of them are perfection, I'm going to mine the blog-hive and see if you guys can top it. (which, very likely).<br />
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Here are the guidelines: <br />
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1) start with a Q. <br />
2) Sound like a regal, fancy, calm Hunter.<br />
3) Don't be something that USEF has a ton of (Quiescence, Quintessential, Quixote, etc). <br />
4) I am open to creative spelling (Qredit is an example), but bear in mind ease of announcer pronunciation. <br />
5) bonus points if it ties into Heir Apparent/Windsor. I love a theme!<br />
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If I end up using your suggestion I will get you a $50 gift certificate to the online tack store of choice (Dover, SmartPak, RH, etc.). If I stick with one of my picks, I get the gift cert (lol).<br />
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The "contest" is open until I actually register the beast. <br />
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Sound good? <br />
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OMG SO EXCITED. <br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-5330753129195360172017-07-10T09:41:00.003-07:002017-07-10T09:41:54.870-07:00Windsy's Big Trip (aka, first show back)Belated, but happy, show round up!<br />
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Have you missed us? BECUASE I HAVE.<br />
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Almost two weeks ago, Winds got loaded up and made his way back to Thunderbird for our first (!!) show of 2017. The plan was mostly to get him out to stretch his legs (literally) and keep me from going stir crazy at home in the indoor (also, literally) - and I think we accomplished both.<br />
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Winds was reportedly <i>quite </i>f<i></i>resh for schooling day, and in lieu of spinning on the lunge line he had two a day hacks with a decent canter set to help get the wiggles out. <br />
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I was there for the first day of showing, which saw Windsy entered in a Hi/Low 2'9" round. His warm up looked honestly a bit stiff, but in the ring he looked loose and a bit more forward thinking than I am used to the Gray Prince being. (you can tell because his ears are pinned forward and he's using his shoulders well... otherwise it only *feels* like a powder keg and looks like a lazy Hunter). <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qSIDEzpkvsM" width="560"></iframe>
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Canada now does red/blue rankings for their Low classes, so they don't get traditionally pinned, but a ribbon gets assigned based on how good your score is. (Winds got a Red, which is first in Canada). I like this system as a way to handle the huge Low classes, but it sorta sucks they all show up as. "DNP" on the USEF record... <br />
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Anyway, that was it for Wednesday. Thursday I got early to hack Winds around the rings and loosen him up. He felt great, and it was so, so, so, so nice to be on a horse, in a warm summer breeze taking in the bustle of a show before classes got underway. SO nice. <br />
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A couple hours later Winds had another Low 2'9" round. This warm up looked a bit smoother, he was stepping under more, and using his back a bit better. I breathed a small sigh of relief that his body seemed to feel good and watched him head for the ring.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3HzTwmjGGIY" width="560"></iframe>
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The course looked a lot like the day before. Totally chill and quiet from my perspective, powder keg on hooves according to the trainer. So.... another early hack was scheduled for Friday before my magnificent return to the equitation (cough, 2'6", cough) ring. <br />
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Friday, I had two rounds and a flat. And it was hot. That actually worked in my favor since Winds decided to blow a furry coat out in mid June and was a bit... well... wilted in the sunshine. <br />
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Our warm up was blissfully short as I somehow found all my fences decently so we parked at the back gate and watched a couple rounds. <br />
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I will say that for having not been in the show ring for 8 months, I feel really (really, really) good about this ride. There are some, uh, misses. But, overall, I like my hip angle more, I like Windsor's balance more, and in general it feels more thoughtful that our previous courses together.<br />
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I feel like it's weird to post a video of an Eq round and say "just watch the part between the fences" but that's what I'm doing, so just focus on the ride between the fences.<br />
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He looks sexy. (I, on the other hand am in the only hunt coat that currently fits, WHOOPS). <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VsoiAEKQRaQ" width="560"></iframe>
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I actually felt ok about most of the fences, including the first one (YAY!). But, I was particularly bummed about the single oxer - couldn't make a decision, then when Winds made one for me, I thought that <i>not</i> staying with him would somehow be a good idea (it wasn't). <br />
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Then the rest worked out ok, I kept his balance up and that saved most of it until I chipped the crap out of the bending line at the end. Lost his mouth, fought for a change, then got out ok.<br />
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I got 5th. And that ribbon is going ON THE WALL, because we made it to a show, made it around and all is right with the world again.<br />
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Anyway, second round. Started with the bending line I ended with before and threw in a rollback (what is this, medal finals??? I'm old and hot and tired...). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sorry for blurry stills, pro photos on order!</td></tr>
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Winds was amping up a bit, but we fixed a few mistakes - namely the bending line. Then I got tight into the diagonal, but recovered. Into the Judge's line Winds locked on HARD and started dragging me, so I choked him back and got a little weak. I almost couldn't pull him out of the line (whoops), but I finally got him to let go of the oxer out and pay attention to the rollback. I actually really liked how I finished the rollback, given how we started.... <br />
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Then, Winds was thinking this must be a jumper course and he tried to switch gears. I over compensated and we crawled to the last line, but finished ok.<br />
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Oh, also, the video is sideways. I have no idea how it got sideways, and even less of an idea of how to get it un-sideways, so...sorry<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eAOe9L2oclU" width="560"></iframe>
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We got 2nd. In a nice division of 12. So I was pretty stoked. (plus, 2nd is blue, so... that's always a plus). <br />
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The flat was toasty and a bit brutal. Winds was good, but apparently I looked a bit droopy (sidenote: I am a bit droopy these days). My sitting trot is not where it should be, but all else was fine. Winds couldn't care less about traffic and that's a great feeling when you are nose to tail and fighting for space down the quarterlines. <br />
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Somehow our 3rd place on the flat was enough for Reserve, so Winds and I managed to maintain our weird streak of getting Reserve in every division we enter at Tbird. (it's great for the ribbon wall).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cw79uUWPemVUkYJHRpicW5unB1RGk_Zv_bo7J3vVKyyUoazJoRPNL2pznSPj7JNuxBirY0EtMiyzrj1gbWz-7wxt68DJI2W2zEB6gsHcKYpjdO_wvZ5bFKr8vodX0A_gSQzAmIeODK-r/s1600/IMG_0755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1438" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7cw79uUWPemVUkYJHRpicW5unB1RGk_Zv_bo7J3vVKyyUoazJoRPNL2pznSPj7JNuxBirY0EtMiyzrj1gbWz-7wxt68DJI2W2zEB6gsHcKYpjdO_wvZ5bFKr8vodX0A_gSQzAmIeODK-r/s400/IMG_0755.JPG" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His neck is somehow 2" long in this pic.. but RIBBON</td></tr>
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I stuck around to watch the Juniors do their thing, but then I hit the road to join the family for the 4th. Winds enjoyed some down days and turnout (I LOVE the turnouts at Tbird. #grass). <br />
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So now we are home and gearing up for Milner Downs, which you may recall is where I got all my lovely pictures of Windsor galloping across a big grass field. They also have a really fun Derby. I'm not sure we'll be ready for it, but I'm not-so-secretly hoping we can enter. <br />
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He's been feeling great at home, and I'm really hoping we hold the trend. This horse is so incredibly fun to ride and learn on, I just want to ride him forever. <br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-72841344885893118292017-07-07T09:20:00.001-07:002017-07-07T09:20:16.329-07:00Brad's Come in Brown Too....So, uh - I wouldn't say that I've been <i>shopping, m</i><i></i>ore like "keeping an eye out" for anything super interesting. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh. Interesting.</td></tr>
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We've even gone so far to bop around a bit and see a few younger prospects that have popped up. And while I've <i>never</i> been a good window shopper, it's amazing how much less desperately I shop when I have a great horse at home in the barn... <br />
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Of the horses we've seen, there are a few lovely ones I liked, and if I were horseless, I probably would have jumped all over them... But for one reason or another (size, price, grumpy face...) I could easily pass while I've got a wonderful Windsor waiting for me at home. <br />
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Anyway, I really don't think I've ever actively shopped when I haven't been horseless and willing to compromise (sometimes a <i>lot</i>), so this whole "be really picky" thing is new to me. <br />
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The idea with a <i>possible</i> new pony would be to have something fun to ride that could get me some good mileage while keeping Winds' schedule a bit lighter. Since I'm not sure I can actually show two horses actively, I'd want the second horse to be something that would be easily marketable in a year or so. <br />
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I should clarify - this would not be an <i>investment </i>horse. I remain skeptical that such things exist. But it would be nice to have something that's nice, calm, and attractive enough that I'd have a shot in hell of moving it along to another happy ammy.<br />
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In my crazy dream world, I'll have Windsy for ever and ever, and possibly have a rotating second horse that I learn on, show a little, sell - then go find something else to learn on, show a little and sell. I have zero illusions of making money - and I'm not sure the rotating roster idea will even work - but it's helping to at least define what to maybe-possibly search for. <br />
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Anyway, the current contender is definitely the flashiest of the group we've considered thus far. A nice liver chestnut with a cute face and a daisy cutter trot. He's 5, hasn't done a ton, but has shown 1.10m with an amateur. I like his balance, looks, and gaits. His jump isn't the biggest, loftiest thing out there, but it's cute and consistent. He seems straightforward, forgiving (and is a total push ride) - all things that are good for an increasingly chicken, ammy...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">blurry - but you can imagine</td></tr>
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There are still a few question marks that need answering, but I like him and while I know it's dangerous to name the puppy (especially before you vet it), I can't help but to start brainstorming names..... <br />
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Vetting is scheduled for Monday. Cross your fingers, toes and hooves!Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-31646020116026402132017-06-26T10:14:00.000-07:002017-06-26T10:14:31.520-07:00Showtime. (finally)Trunk Packed. <br />
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Trailer Packed. <br />
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Horse is on a trailer!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snugglepuppy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My actual Windsor updates have been a bit sparse the last few months (well, <i>all </i>o<i></i>f my updates have been a bit sparse I guess), but things have been plugging along quite nicely. <br />
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Aside from being perhaps a tad too chubby, Winds looks great. He's feeling strong, supple and eager to work. We've been slowly building up fitness and increasing his jump load, typically bouncing around ten to twelve 2'6" jumps a few times a week. <br />
<br />His changes are light, he's loading his hind end beautifully at the base, and it feels like he's landing and carrying through better than has. Mind you, the jumps are tiny, so all this should be easier - but still...<br />
<br />
It all means that I can finally justify a field trip to get off the farm a bit - So we are headed to Tbird (for one week only) to see how Winds' brain is off the property and see how he does opening up on a bigger stride and jumping around a tad. <br />
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Expectations are... non-existent, and I don't even know what exactly we'll be entering. Probably something at 2'6" or <i>maaaaybe </i>2<i></i>'9" but I'm not certain. the idea is to do a course (<i>possibly</i> two) for a couple days, then he'll just hack out easily over the weekend without any classes. <br />
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I think we're both ready for a change of scenery though, and I'm eager to see if he looks as good as he feels!<br />
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The slow winter and spring have been great for our skills though, and while I know at this point we'll take the rest of the season relatively easy - everything just feels a bit more polished and put together than it did this time last year. <br />
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Finally - I uh.... have been shopping a little and there may or may not be a few new possible "Brads."<br />
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Things are cooking, and I'm hoping to share some pics/deets soon!<br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-45710963327123904542017-06-20T12:33:00.002-07:002017-06-20T12:33:58.075-07:00Barn RatTaking the kid to the barn has been one of the more entertaining things going on this Spring. As she exits "babyland" and sets foot firmly in toddlerdom, the opportunity to saddle her with my crippling horse obsession has presented herself. <br />
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I try to keep my expectations low, and whenever anyone asks me if "she loves horses too" I tend to respond with "she loves anything that's fuzzy. Including old socks." <br />
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And while that's <i>true, </i>t<i></i>he kid does adore the horses and pretty much all of her imaginary playtime is taken up with them somehow (unless she's playing with her fake kitchen emulating my cooking - which involves a lot of shouting and frustrated noises... shrug?). <br />
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Anyway, It's cute. <br />
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At home she has commandeered an old Hobby Horse which takes turns being Windsor, or another Eq horse in the barn, or Chico Linda (sp!?) from <i>Spirit- running free.</i> <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">on course.</td></tr>
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She takes her Hobby Horse management very seriously, and you WILL be scolded if you try to ride before brushing your horse. You will also be scolded if you don't give the Hobby Horse a carrot. Or enough pats. Or tell it thank you for jumping...<br />
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Also, everything is a jump, (her lead changes are pretty good) and she is disappointed when she knocks something down. She sleeps with a plastic (non breyer) horse named "White White" and recently started trying to learn how to wrap polos on her pretend ponies. <br />
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At the real barn, she is obsessed with a big, lovely (fancy) mare who tolerates her. She attempts two-point while walking over poles and can hand out over 10lbs of carrots in under 2 minutes. She loves to brush legs and thinks hoofpicks are fascinating. <br />
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She recently got a new helmet and won't take it off (new paddock boots are on order and will likely suffer a similar fate). <br />
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But perhaps one of my most enjoyable moments to date, was taking her up to a horse show last weekend, and watching her ride the Derby winner back to the barn. Just last year she was too small to ride Winds when he won the class, but my trainer's son had the honors. <br />
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It was one of those moments where I realized how fun it was to have her along and actually enjoying the horses and the show and the camaraderie of our barn family. <br />
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I'm thinking there is a whole other aspect to this horse thing being a mom - and it looks like a lot more fun than I thought it would. <br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-37130787077761922142017-06-16T13:39:00.000-07:002017-06-16T13:39:00.038-07:00Long Overdue (the post, not the colt..)Checking back in! holy moly lots is happening. But most notable to the blog-o-sphere is probably the arrival of Prairie's colt. (squee!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">peek-a-boo</td></tr>
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You may recall - Prairie is enjoying a new life as a broodmare with an old friend from Pony Club. She was bred to their KWPN stud, Versace (Ferro/Idocus) last year and gave birth to a healthy little colt in April. <br />
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Anyway, all is well. The colt is strong and social and all things you want a baby to be. He has been named "Vegas" and will go by Ace in the barn. I hope I am able to follow his journey and see what life has in store for this little guy. I believe he will be presented for inspection with the Oldenburg NA this summer, but we shall see! Just in case anyone is shopping, his full description is<a href="http://www.skmdressage.com/vegas.html" target="_blank"> here</a>. <br />
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As for Daddy (since little Ace isn't doing much yet), he doesn't a huge competition record to share, but he's cute and the babies have a reputation for extreme rideability (which would be a nice feature to add to Prair...). Most of his accomplishments have come on the breeding side of things, including a couple approved sons and being the Dressage Sport Horse Breeding Champion for KWPN in North America. Seems like a cool dude. <br />
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Interestingly enough, Versache was gelded a couple years ago and is actually <a href="http://www.summervalepremierdressage.com/versache/" target="_blank">for sale</a> if anyone is looking for something snazzy to place with!<br />
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More updates on Windsor and the rest of the clan to come!<br />
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asdfGinghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-31105734637666645692017-04-18T09:11:00.001-07:002017-04-18T09:11:28.730-07:00(Nice) Stuff to Hold the StuffI love bags. Purses, luggage, beautiful tech covers. Anything really. <br />
<br />
A bag for everything and everything in a bag I say. <br />
<br />
But, much like actually blow-drying my hair (a thing that didn't happen today), or putting on a sharp outfit (also a thing that didn't happen).... There is a transformative power when I am carrying a nice bag. <br />
<br />
And I don't mean that in the "this-is-a-$40k-birkin-what-up" way. I mean that I feel very adult and organized when my purse is nice, my luggage is classy or I if have my favorite reusable grocery bags with me (thanks Silver Oak winery!). <br />
<br />
Similar to the hair/outfit condition - even though I appreciate them, I don't always have nice bags. <br />
<br />
Specifically, for the last three years I have been carrying my hunt coats around in the tack-store-provided garment bag. At best, it is designed to hold <i>one </i>h<i></i>unt coat decently while you walk out of the store. Instead I have asked it to carry 3 coats, at least 2 shirts and a whole mess of gloves, hats and hairnets up and down the West Coast.<br />
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To its credit, the free coat bag has handled this task better than expected. In fact, it's done a pretty excellent job. In addition to being over stuffed, the poor thing has been shoved in my trunk and shipped 1200 miles, strewn in the back of my car for weeks on end, used as an umbrella while sprinting to the barn, wiped off wet bleachers and other non-traditional tasks.<br />
<br />
But last summer I noticed that the weird plastic/fabric was finally starting to disintegrate and that my days of making the most of the free-coat-bag were numbered. <br />
<br />
So I started the casual hunt for a nice garment bag for use at the shows. And since I like to match, first stop was Noble Outfitters' Signature line. <br />
<br />
Last year at some point I got myself the <span id="goog_935353284"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/">Noble Outfitters Signature boot bag<span id="goog_935353285"></span></a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnLKHP5PXLzkQBfH8bijzN5e_41X1l6Ru0IDZFMEPgyvKmwSDLHjG6QdWL92oiikaHfGAwnyuz14kHoJ14k8wd37J8ggxEGJLBqWW_i743waoKiiuIXTmMnXKKZH-lc6ftnBDKz0ehwPl/s1600/noble-outfitters-signature-boot-bag-tall-tobacco-O886717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOnLKHP5PXLzkQBfH8bijzN5e_41X1l6Ru0IDZFMEPgyvKmwSDLHjG6QdWL92oiikaHfGAwnyuz14kHoJ14k8wd37J8ggxEGJLBqWW_i743waoKiiuIXTmMnXKKZH-lc6ftnBDKz0ehwPl/s400/noble-outfitters-signature-boot-bag-tall-tobacco-O886717.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<i>I swear I wrote about it, but I cannot for the life of me find a review anywhere so I'm going to assume it is on the rather long list of things I forgot to blog about.</i> <br />
<br />
I LOVE it.. <br />
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And after a full season of dragging it around, I love it even more. It is attractive and thoughtful in its construction - both key considerations when I am making a horse/show related purchase.<br />
<br />
First off, the bag is crazy tall, so my mutant Konigs fit nicely. The boots themselves are separated by a nice padded divider and the foot portion of the bag is roomy enough that boots easily slide in and out without wrestling and shoving. <br />
<br />
The liner easily wipes clean (when muddy boots have been shoved in) and there is enough extra space that I can keep a rag or two tucked in the main bag as well. My polishing kit fits in the side pocket and I adore the leather trim (and nameplate they provide). <br />
<br />
At $109 it is not the cheapest boot bag on the market (by a long shot), and while I think the initial purchase was potentially wine induced, now that it's stood up well to a year of abuse, I can justify the steep price.<br />
<br />
So naturally, when the freebie-coat-bag started to lose it, I turned to Noble Outfitters again for the coordinating hanging option. At $149, it was a bit tougher for me to justify the upgrade, (since the first bag was, well... free). But at some point during the Black Friday or Cyber something madness, I stumbled across it for under $100 and bit the bullet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJFmityQPokfLiFDwl7VKwwi02WjsrVtnFK7e8j50jnWJaGIoshn6HXT8UTBamQLAj_pFU_vOEliVLr1yc6rfFSzK0ozB01VaUqiO29F0iIUlSOBMOghbEb3sR0nXTEN-GZ1x86hdAGov/s1600/80003_122_signaturegarmentbag_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBJFmityQPokfLiFDwl7VKwwi02WjsrVtnFK7e8j50jnWJaGIoshn6HXT8UTBamQLAj_pFU_vOEliVLr1yc6rfFSzK0ozB01VaUqiO29F0iIUlSOBMOghbEb3sR0nXTEN-GZ1x86hdAGov/s400/80003_122_signaturegarmentbag_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Having been used to a glorified drycleaner bag for so long, the new Signature bag feels a bit huge and bulky. It easily holds all of my things (and backups for my backups), and frankly has enough space for me to pack ALL my clothes for a show in it. The one thing I'm not sure of yet is that the zipper only extends part way down the bag, which makes it slightly more awkward to get hanging items in and out, but <i>does </i>keep all the random crap in the bottom from spilling all over the tack room....</div>
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<i><br /></i><i>I think it is a near certainty that I will have lots of random crap in the bottom - this is probably a net win.</i> </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbPryXyALnW8kBJgbeOXnwZV6osjyck10i2O7sW2K_LA78CskiDmKrghG8AYxhlzivB0UFXxJHqa7-HuDINC3HmkOyVJ7CxiojQ6ABymvqUsUOd2MOO5zIJ04mH8H7jqPhXB10op9_36q/s1600/IMG_5313.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUbPryXyALnW8kBJgbeOXnwZV6osjyck10i2O7sW2K_LA78CskiDmKrghG8AYxhlzivB0UFXxJHqa7-HuDINC3HmkOyVJ7CxiojQ6ABymvqUsUOd2MOO5zIJ04mH8H7jqPhXB10op9_36q/s400/IMG_5313.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There is about 18" of bag beyond the bottom of my hunt coats... could be good for a shadbelly?? or just lots of crap...</td></tr>
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The Signature bag is more akin to traditional luggage than it is to just a "cover." While this is good for storage quantity and durability, it does add weight. The bag has it's own hanging hook, and organizes the shirts/coats inside, rather than having your own hangers poke out the top for hanging. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiVD3WkntbNGtqINmXGvqTWboRS-qHwwzps9C2s099SUXqkEkC3KHD1-M1eQ_WnUdTgpwWA3NX3yg06jt9HxvhFUm5pkwE2nwQhRhimNKO2u7a77L4HXfAutTUgYrGWZtCBp6VCqRYoag/s1600/IMG_5312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuiVD3WkntbNGtqINmXGvqTWboRS-qHwwzps9C2s099SUXqkEkC3KHD1-M1eQ_WnUdTgpwWA3NX3yg06jt9HxvhFUm5pkwE2nwQhRhimNKO2u7a77L4HXfAutTUgYrGWZtCBp6VCqRYoag/s400/IMG_5312.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pictured: actual garment bag hook thing </td></tr>
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<br />
This definitely helps keeps items on their hangars, and is beneficial if the bag is going to be thrown around in your car or trunk, but not necessary if you just need to keep the dust off. It's also handy if you don't travel with a larger barn that sets up a clothing rack as the bag's hook easily latches onto a stall, trailer door or pretty much anything in sight. <br />
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I finally got around to getting the included plates engraved, so now they really feel fancy. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAHTeiReby5Xu0C7eXcoRp-0xwDKedS9b1XUgF_XTekCIEcgVUHcjBE0SbM6oQsLwavTHMyFvPjQNpK-JsQNzQloqQ8vGkqRWBwPucm2lEKI5dgXjt-Jzwas1TE4SByA7iVx3gEhRjz8W/s1600/IMG_5310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAHTeiReby5Xu0C7eXcoRp-0xwDKedS9b1XUgF_XTekCIEcgVUHcjBE0SbM6oQsLwavTHMyFvPjQNpK-JsQNzQloqQ8vGkqRWBwPucm2lEKI5dgXjt-Jzwas1TE4SByA7iVx3gEhRjz8W/s400/IMG_5310.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(fluff monkey obviously attached at all times)</td></tr>
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<br />
Long story short, the Signature bags are gorgeous - and to get back to my original point, I feel downright classy and organized with both of them slung over my shoulder. <br />
<br />
Most importantly though - it leaves both hands free for a large coffee and a tall toddler. <br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-66317545283838189242017-04-12T12:07:00.003-07:002017-04-12T12:07:40.017-07:00Slow Start: DiagnosisWell, we have a diagnosis. <br />
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And (more importantly) we have good news. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrs_B3MNGM3W1UVbLfehJbtWGEwqi855siLK7SqQX_dADio4hHFmnQF88v9CTFOjWDSMqr_ulImg6dsVtlkTblCMybm9aHZvXyJQ3Fjzb58DmEHhGmYzjmV8VG3-Ursw2cH1jhkQKsy5X-/s1600/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrs_B3MNGM3W1UVbLfehJbtWGEwqi855siLK7SqQX_dADio4hHFmnQF88v9CTFOjWDSMqr_ulImg6dsVtlkTblCMybm9aHZvXyJQ3Fjzb58DmEHhGmYzjmV8VG3-Ursw2cH1jhkQKsy5X-/s400/FullSizeRender+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I call this series: in search of hidden treats</td></tr>
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<br />
Turns out, the nagging slight lameness we had been noticing was a slightly pissed off lateral collateral ligament in the coffin joint. <br />
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Sneaky little suckers are often hard to pinpoint and require an MRI to confirm. (which we did, without anesthesia, go team). <br />
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The MRI shows that there is a mild strain (moderate focal tissue disruption), but that it's already healing. The big lovely swingy trot that we noticed after some time off from the holidays is the result of that healing, and now that we know for sure what's going on - we can be more mindful of how to move forward without risking a re-injury. <br />
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As of last week, Winds feels fab, and his slight inconsistencies from left rein to right rein no longer block out in the foot. So we are (reasonably) confident that the collateral is no longer causing pain, and that the inflammation has all but gone away. <br />
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The bummer is that while I was initially aiming for a season opener up at Thunderbird next week, we are on an (even) slower plan to hold off on jumping for a while longer and continue to just increase the workload on the flat in two week increments. At this point I'm probably pushing back our first show to the end of June, assuming we don't hit any speed bumps between now and then. <br />
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Winds feels awesome, and I know that this easy spring has been good for his body. With a confirmed diagnosis I am even more convinced that we did the right thing, and I can't wait to see how this horse jumps and moves when he's feeling his best. <br />
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In the meantime, it's all that boring, but oh so useful flatwork while we continue to build up strength!<br />
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Anyone have experience with Collateral strains? <br />
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I like our current plan of action, and am grateful that even with his crazy hard season last year, all we have is a slight strain (no tears, no holes, no scary anything) - so the prognosis is about a good as it can possibly be... but any magic tricks or special considerations are always welcome!<br />
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And lest you think I'm not getting enough saddle time, there are a few irons in the fire that hopefully I'll get to talk about sooner rather than later!<br />
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<br />Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4855187223809114916.post-25834342235273715462017-03-27T11:37:00.000-07:002017-03-27T11:37:31.875-07:00The Hunters (a brief intro for those on the other side)I was reminiscing over old blog posts and reliving last year's show season, when I noticed a trend of comments saying "great job! can you explain the hunters so I know what it means" or "cool! I think.... because I don't really understand what you guys do.."<br />
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And I remembered that I have always intended to do a "Hunters for Dummies" post, but never gotten around to it. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ideally you get to wear a shadbelly while jumping. #goals.</td></tr>
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So we're getting around to it. I'll do my best to explain the sport, but please bear in mind that this pony-clubbing-former-eventer is by no means a sanctioned ambassador of the Hunter Ring. <br />
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Hopefully my (reasonably) fresh eyes will be more helpful than my currently eroding vocabulary.<br />
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Let's start simple. People often refer to Hunters and Jumpers together. But once you set foot in H/J land, you realize that the Hunter ring and Jumper ring are very different places (usually on literal opposite sides of the show park). For the purposes of this post, I'm focusing just on the Hunters. <br />
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<i>For anyone who lives really, really far away from H/J land - Jumpers are objective - make the time allowed, don't knock stuff down. Hunters are subjective - jump the (easier) course assigned, get judged for how you look doing it. (think: ice skating).</i><br />
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What the Hunters mean for me, is that a ride that would have left me cheering in my youth (yay! No stops no rails!), is now something that I can beat myself up about (my canter sucked, we had a late change, and we left a stride out of the line...). <br />
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Why I chose to do this to myself I don't know. Maybe it's the perfectionist DQ lurking in me..and since I like jumping, but am too chicken to do XC anymore - the Hunters are where I belong.... <br />
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<b>The Goal:</b> <br />
<br />
When presenting a horse in the Hunters, the goal is to basically show that your horse is athletic, polite and safe. All things that would make a lovely fox hunter out in the field. (though the number of show Hunters who have ever been fox hunting is a very, very tiny number that is very, very close to zero).<br />
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What that has come to mean is that successful Hunters complete their task in a relaxed, easy going manner, while showing brilliant (scopey, even, careful) jumping style, and covering the ground in an even, balanced rhythm. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpC9kUHprmAqTEZ6j5eWF8ptnxZWe1p8ABvJjxDDYZyZc43-XKT6qtO_cL38jVdJS668hoA_2oMcmsFPYSRNQo8jOUPwq65J0ifjBcm4lJGqALVItKwx26weLf4GOsGo_75Qilzp2HVW3N/s1600/M2J_6184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpC9kUHprmAqTEZ6j5eWF8ptnxZWe1p8ABvJjxDDYZyZc43-XKT6qtO_cL38jVdJS668hoA_2oMcmsFPYSRNQo8jOUPwq65J0ifjBcm4lJGqALVItKwx26weLf4GOsGo_75Qilzp2HVW3N/s400/M2J_6184.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exhibit A: Windsy</td></tr>
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To translate further: A competitive Hunter a) is pretty, b) moves well, c) has a big stride and slow step d) explodes into the air with a round jump, knees square (ideally touching it's nose) and ears forward e) looks EASY to ride f) shows no sign of irritation or anxiety. <br />
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So let's say you read that and say "hey! I have that horse (fyi, if you do you're sitting on a gold mine), how do I get one of those fancy Champion ribbons at a show?"<br />
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You enter a Division. Divisions are comprised of 3 or 4 separate classes over fences at a given height and one flat class called the Under Saddle.<br />
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Your classes over fences will be a straight forward course of 8-10 jumps. Typically you figure eight around the ring (line, diagonal, line diagonal...) alternating related distances with single fences. for some of the bigger divisions, the last class over fences with be a designated a "Handy" round which means you're supposed to show off how agile and adjustable your horse is. Typically you see fewer related distances, options for inside turns, sometimes a hand gallop or trot fence gets thrown in. (it's as close to a jump off as the Hunters ever get..)<br />
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Traditional Hunter courses are not that technical, and the jumps tend to look similar enough that you expect the leaderboard to be decided by the subjective performance, rather than major faults like refusals or rails. <br />
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USEF defines a Hunter "performance" as "a<i>n even hunting pace, manners, jumping style together with faults and way of moving over the course. Manners to be emphasize</i><i>d in Ladies and Amateur classes; brilliance in Corinthian and Formal Hunting Attire classes."</i><br />
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Not exactly a lot to go on. But don't worry, the list of stuff you aren't supposed to do is nice and long:</div>
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<i>1. The following faults are scored according to the judges opinion and depending on severity or division, may be considered minor or major faults. </i></div>
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<i>a. Rubbing the jump </i></div>
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<i>b. Swapping leads in a line or in front of a jump </i></div>
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<i>c. Late lead changes</i></div>
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<i>d. Spooking </i></div>
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<i>e. Kicking up or out </i></div>
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<i>f. Jumping out of form </i></div>
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<i>g. Jumping off the center line of jump </i></div>
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<i>h. Bucking and/or playing </i></div>
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<i>i. Adding a stride in a line with a related distance </i></div>
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<i>j. Eliminating a stride in a line with a related distance </i></div>
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<i>k. Striking off on a wrong lead on the courtesy circle. (May be corrected with either a simple or flying change of lead) </i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>2. The following are considered major faults. </i></div>
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<i>a. Knockdown </i></div>
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<i>b. Refusal </i></div>
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<i>c. Refusal or stopping while on course </i></div>
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<i>d. Crossing the track. A track is established once a horse has landed from a fence or completes a required test and follows the horse until the consecutive fence is jumped or the next test is executed. Upon completion of each consecutive fence or performance of the next test, the track is erased. Crossing a track between obstacles and/ or required tests shall constitute a disobedience and will be penalized by the judge(s). Exceptions 1. A course diagram that requires a rider to cross his track. 2. Snake or multiple panel jumps that are jumped consecutively. </i></div>
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<i>e. Dangerous jumping </i></div>
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<i>f. Addressing a jump - coming to a stop in front of a jump in order to show the jump to the horse. </i></div>
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<i>g. Completely missing a lead change </i></div>
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<i>h. Adding or eliminating a stride in an in and out. </i></div>
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<i>i. Breaking stride, or Trotting while on course. (Exceptions-Where posted on the course diagram i.e. trot jumps, steep banks, etc, and also as outlined above in HU137.1k. Striking off on a wrong lead on the courtesy circle.)</i></div>
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So, you know -just don't do any of that stuff.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiwpTNwRFj5efGdqpemvu6HBTL__NiC1KfVNkKSwYvnGBEk1YMIXPDdE-rpcF-BG9l0mwPIg6pRHYO94SBGG5Mn9dUz5oGbc-jKZ6Fex7vRQ552qfzhLl7o0VrZ4qDHysCLWEp82YjVVv/s1600/45A_1158+LG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMiwpTNwRFj5efGdqpemvu6HBTL__NiC1KfVNkKSwYvnGBEk1YMIXPDdE-rpcF-BG9l0mwPIg6pRHYO94SBGG5Mn9dUz5oGbc-jKZ6Fex7vRQ552qfzhLl7o0VrZ4qDHysCLWEp82YjVVv/s400/45A_1158+LG.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(we did almost all of that stuff)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyway, so you and everyone else in your division jump your rounds, and each class is pinned separately, so you collect a different ribbon for each.<i> (or if you're me you collect a ribbon, then chipped/pulled/crosscantered your second course, so you don't collect another one...)</i></div>
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The final component of a full division is the Under Saddle class, which is a traditional rail class. Everyone is in the ring at the same time, and asked to walk, trot and canter both directions. It's basically a beauty pageant and horses are judged on their way of going and general impression. Hunter judges like to see a big sweeping trot with daisy cutter movement (aka - a flat knee). Again, horses should look relaxed and obedient <i>(but Prairie taught me that you can look like a lunatic and still win with a big trot in front of the right judge....).</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PD0SJ2be2vS0V2vYjRU2dJf2li90t4NVfyirR7UWV75KXcrEiOwSjNhFuRV12n_q5oUurce-F-ntkLNnuB9SphYUSwH7XZ4gfaP_9hWBNRKQuaNVqBq4QMURqyr1VPQWdILfwvdNn_8T/s1600/September+2012+Prairie+131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_PD0SJ2be2vS0V2vYjRU2dJf2li90t4NVfyirR7UWV75KXcrEiOwSjNhFuRV12n_q5oUurce-F-ntkLNnuB9SphYUSwH7XZ4gfaP_9hWBNRKQuaNVqBq4QMURqyr1VPQWdILfwvdNn_8T/s400/September+2012+Prairie+131.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tension with a side of nice trot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When it's all said and done, a Champion and Reserve Champion are awarded extra ribbons (and sometimes a cooler!). That designation is made by tallying up the results of all the results in each class of the division. First place gets you 10 points, Second gets you 6 points, Third gets 4, Fourth gets 2, Fifth gets 1 and Sixth gets 1/2 a point. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XjP34giksHA5sa2cvJzMBj-dZko0G81Q5AGgPCYwEifP30ModBfCl1tqPwGwRQ7X9s6MMSV8RYsLAD1-rcgfRD3INTj3KSf2R_xtKbsJtwFSbF6I_dMGkLSjsp4Icj7mF95roz_n9zAO/s1600/Lalo+and+Winds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9XjP34giksHA5sa2cvJzMBj-dZko0G81Q5AGgPCYwEifP30ModBfCl1tqPwGwRQ7X9s6MMSV8RYsLAD1-rcgfRD3INTj3KSf2R_xtKbsJtwFSbF6I_dMGkLSjsp4Icj7mF95roz_n9zAO/s400/Lalo+and+Winds.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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That point spread means that blue ribbons are worth their weight in GOLD. If you can win a couple classes and blow the other ones, you're still doing better than the horse that is consistently third and fourth... (I think this is weird, and the point spread in Canada rewards consistency a bit more which I like).</div>
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So that's your basic "how to" on getting a cooler. </div>
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Like any discipline there is a ride range of levels and weird restrictions. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The "Open" divisions tend to be mostly pro's and start with the Green and Young Hunters. Young Hunters is a new thing, and restricts the divisions by age. Horses 5 years and younger show at 3', 6 years and younger at 3'3" and 7 years and younger show 3'6". <br />
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It's new, we'll see if it sticks, I hope it does.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Green Hunters just got a revamp, but similar to the Young Hunter divisions, it offers a place to show developing horses away from the big veterans on the circuit. USEF has worked hard to elevate the Green Program and at a lot of the shows they are some of the most competitive classes in terms of numbers and quality of horses. </div>
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<br />
The Green program allows horses so spend two years showing at 3' and 3'3" before having to either move up to Green 3'6" or compete against the other more experienced 3'3" horses. Horses also have one year to show in the Green 3'6" and another year to show in the Green 3'9" if they can. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIc5b7ilwvia96DfrztzkO0lOVYsCZ4peQD7ym_psfTg3nNUHU6MqkIN9BzSghMWgENxH7v5e3n26G1wJvpawGTuMKKEZ-1_lkEp_P6vMoDIuNUOy6k9DJOzJeTxDv_QdbybaezPnYzHBU/s1600/Heir+Apparent+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIc5b7ilwvia96DfrztzkO0lOVYsCZ4peQD7ym_psfTg3nNUHU6MqkIN9BzSghMWgENxH7v5e3n26G1wJvpawGTuMKKEZ-1_lkEp_P6vMoDIuNUOy6k9DJOzJeTxDv_QdbybaezPnYzHBU/s400/Heir+Apparent+.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Good form, nice expression, super polite.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Windsor showed last year in the Pre-Green 3'3". The name Pre-Green has been replaced, and this year he could choose to spend a second year at Green 3'3", or move up to the Green 3'6". But basically, last year he was always showing against horses who were also in their first or second year at 3'3". </div>
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If you're horse isn't eligible Green or Young, you get kicked into the general open divisions. These start at 3' (split into Small and Large Hunter for under/over 16h), then move into the Performance Hunters which are offered at multiple heights and not restricted by age or experience. </div>
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<br /></div>
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If you have a real looker (with no popped splints or windpuffs) you can also enter the Conformation Hunters which places a higher emphasis on conformation (duh) and way of going. Conformation divisions also have an in-hand class added to your over fences classes and Under Saddle.</div>
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Still with me? </div>
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<br /></div>
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Ammy's and Kids have their own divisions that start at 2'3" and go up to 3'6". We also ride 4 courses over fences and parade around in an Under Saddle. </div>
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Typically you see the open(/pro) divisions run on Wednesdays and Thursdays so that us ammy's can show on the weekend and kids don't have to miss too much school. </div>
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You can start to see how if you have a horse who shows with a pro, then goes around with an ammy or kid on the weekend - it's pretty easy to rack up a packed schedule - and we haven't talked about Derbies, Classics or if your horse also takes you in the Equitation ring... <br />
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One of the things that's been tough for my former Dressage/eventer brain to comprehend is the nature of numerical scores in the Hunter Ring. Judges take notes during every round, and at the end of each course, they assign an overall score (0-100). However, scores are not always announced (though they are for WCHR classes, derbies and medals), and you never get to go pick up your scorecard like you do after a dressage test. While most judges will score the same round within a point or two, there seems to be less consistency than there is in Dressage for how you score a particular moment, which makes it hard to even compare your own personal scores from day to day. <br />
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When I was riding Dressage, the first time I would score 70% on any given test always felt like an achievement, and like it was a pretty consistent benchmark of my ability. Last summer I can distinctly remember Windsy getting a 92 for a lovely round up at Thunderbird, but knew in my head it was probably closer to an 88 from a majority of other judges, which sort of cheapened the score. <br />
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There is also the oddity of a judge not being able to assign the same score to more than one horse/rider pair in any class. So, let's take Windsy's 92. He could have gotten a 92 because the judge got excited by an earlier trip and threw out an exuberant 91 to someone else. Then Windsy comes along and he thinks to himself, hmmm I like this a bit more than the horse we gave a 91 to... so I'll go 92 which still leaves some room for a 91.5 (or even a 91.25) if another horse splits the difference.<br />
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In that way, the scores lose a bit of their independent meaning as judge's focus on making sure the performances are ranked correctly more than the true independent legitimacy of any one score.<br />
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A little odd right? it's taken me some time to get used to, but I think I've acclimated enough that I'm no longer shocked by the process...<br />
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At it's heart, I really do like the core of what Show Hunters do. <br />
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Be athletic. Be polite. And look lovely doing it. <br />
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However, like any sport - there is a dark underbelly to achieving the most extreme interpretation of that goal. <br />
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The Hunter Ring has been berated for rewarding relaxation so much that it has encouraged a dead-head, sedated look where the horses are cantering soooooo sloooowly that whether or not they've actually been drugged, it's the look that wins. The courses have also been dumbed down over the last couple of decades, and I've seen more than one hissy fit at shows if the course designer tried to shake things up a bit.<br />
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However, I think the pendulum is swinging the other way. Judges are being encouraged to reward brilliance and forgive the horse for acting like a reasonable horse, if it say... shakes it's head after a fabulous jumping effort. <br />
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I specifically recall that during one of Winds' derbies last summer, a (very competitive) horse on the circuit laid down a lovely, albeit SLOW trip where it barely centered up to each fence before heaving itself over (stylishly) and loping off on the other side. I was sitting there thinking to myself that we were <i>screwed </i>if the judge threw a high score at that round. <br />
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Much to my surprise it got a shockingly low score and the judges consistently rewarded horses showing more pace, brilliance and general expression. (I will say this shift is most obvious in the derby ring where brilliance is specifically called for, but still.... things seem to be trending in a good direction). </div>
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<br />
So there's my basic, rambling Hunters 101. What did I forget? And for those who have been doing this <i>waaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyy</i> <i></i>longer than I have, what do you add when describing Hunter Land to people? <br />
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Ginghamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06677667981067220682noreply@blogger.com13