Points (oh god, points...)

I am a self confessed satin-hoarder.  I meticulously keep and display EVERY ribbon that is earned by one of my beasts.  I think it stems from a satin deprived youth as an eventer where at best I brouh home 4 ribbons a summer. 

So even though my garage is literally wallpapered in ribbons (thanks Hunters!), I imagine my continuing obsession is akin to someone growing up hungry and then never being able to leave a bread basket behind at a restaurant.

Maybe that's a tad dramatic - but the anxiety in my chest that starts if I think someone accidently took my ribbon or god forbid threw it out... is real. 

Really, really, real.

Anyway, for all the neurosis surrounding my ribbons - I've never been that keyed in on points. 

Mostly I think that's because I've always let the horse dictate the division, or level - and if we were ready to move up, we moved up and I didn't worry much about sprinkling points around in different divisions during the same season.

In fact, when I think about it - aside from 2016 every single show season I've ever had has either been split across multiple divisions (or levels) or ended early by an injury. 

2016 is literally the only time that, aside from the first show of the season, I've hung out in the same division all. year. long.  And really racked up some points in the process.

So it turns out, I am obsessed with points. I just never had enough of them to care before.

(Prairie's Stirrup Cup Win from 2013)

Windsor has had quite the season - and that makes it, well... a bit more fun to point chase. 

At some point, maybe back in August or so, it occurred to me that not only was I leading my meager Low AA Hunter and Eq divisions, but Windsy was leading the Pre-Greens for our local organization.

That prompted me to look at USEF and my eyeballs nearly popped when I saw that those same points had him leading the Zone HOTY and sitting second in the Derby standings for our Zone (top 50 nationally). 

The problem with becoming aware of this information is that it has wormed its way into my subconscious and meant that now I'll be sitting on the couch, streaming something totally un-related with The Boy and suddenly I'll be like, "I wonder if Windsy is still winning his divisions."

The answer is no.  He's not. 

The last few months (and remarkably inconsistent outing at Zone Finals where there were bonus points to be had) have meant that the leaderboard is flipping and flopping around with almost every show.

Winning year end awards has (to this point) never been a priority for me.  I've never used it to define my competition goals, or even used it to set my competition calendar.  But, I can say that now that they are in reach - I'm keenly aware of how well we need to do in California to put us back on top again. 

I do take pride in the fact that Windsy has scored more points at fewer shows than many of the other horses we are against.  I feel like there should be some horsey-batting-average stat that takes the frequency of competition out of the picture. (though I have no idea how that would work).

I'm also impressed with his mark on the Derby leaderboard, since nationally - the horses surrounding our rank have done upwards of 10 or 12 derbies, and Windsy only got to four USHJA classes this year. (that being said, the horse sitting in second nationally only went to four as well... which is IMPRESSIVE).

Points are a hard thing for me to get too wrapped up in.  Mostly because the best way to get a lot of points is to just show a ton.  Even if you aren't always winning - just pulling down mid range ribbons all summer long will start to stack up. 

If you don't want to live in your car at horse shows all summer, Tri-colors give you a decent point boost - so consistent Champion or Reserve wins, can make up for a lighter presence on the circuit.

However, if you aren't always on top - those extra weeks back, to back, to back (ugh) are pretty much your best bet.

So we will see.  If by some miracle Windsy stays on (or close to) the top of his USEF rankings - it'd be pretty cool to have a USEF ribbon from a rated division.  That would get a special spot on the wall for sure.

One More Review - Asmar Show Shirt

I realized I cut my previous review post off a tad too early.  Obviously once I bought the coat.... I needed a new shirt to go under it.

Well, I didn't.  But given the aforementioned safety pins "altering" my neck on (every) white shirt - I was open to the idea of a new shirt..

And I found one.

The Noel Asmar Lexington Show Shirt

In fact my Trainer tried it on first (also runs a tad large, I'd order down) and I loved the fit on her so much I shrugged and tried it on myself.

It's... LOVELY.  It has lots of cute details, like elbow patches and whatnot, but what really sold me was the fabric.  The sides are a (very) stretchy and (very) breathable soft, meshy fabric, while the front and back are a stiffer show shirt material.  When it's on it's very comfy and tight without being constricting, but it still offers a very tailored, almost starched look under a coat.  (which I love).

The collar has stout magnets that don't give the impression they'll be flapping open anytime soon, and it has approximately twice the normal number of buttons down the placket, so while it drives you nuts when you put it on, there is zero gaping, which is nice if you uhhhh... have boobs.

I got it with the heathered blue contrast, though the black/gray plaid is gorgeous on.  I'd love to see them release more color options using the same cut and fabrics.

At around $150 it's pricey, and probably not something I would normally purchase, but when you wander around horse show tack stores long enough $150 starts to sound downright reasonable. 

On the horse front, Winds has been a saint.  He's going around beautifully and I'm looking forward to our next show which is right around the corner in two weeks.

2015 - Start to Finish

I will be the first to admit that we are finishing 2015 significantly differently than I would have ever imagined.  2015 saw a lot of changes on the horse front, so let's dive right back in:

January:

January saw Prair's return to working over fences.  We cantered some (very) small lines, set our sights back on Thermal and slowly continued our rehab.  I went on the Great Girth Hunt of 2015 and ended up buying like four when I really only needed one.  (shocking).  I fell in love with my new Konig boots, and sent our beloved Gus off to his new home.

Bye Gus! Don't Forget to write!

February:

Pair's ultrasound confirmed that she was "totally healed" so we finalized plans for Thermal, and off we went.  Showing with a baby in tow is... harder.  Though The Boy was a CHAMP and made it all work out ok. 

She's totally ok here while I go for my Under Saddle, right?

I hated that somehow my show clothes were tighter 7 months post baby than they had been the previous year at Thermal when I was TWENTY FOUR (ish) weeks pregnant.  wtf.

But, Pair and I got off to a great start and it was so much fun to be into he ring again, even if we were still jumping the tiniest fences imaginable.

I love her neck.

March:

We finished up Thermal with another Circuit Championship and a couple second half awards as well.  I really can't emphasize how much I love showing for weeks on end in the sunshine.  You get to fix mistakes right away and there are so many gorgeous horses to watch and so much crappy show food to eat.  It's amazing. 

When we got home Pair was a tad sore, but it ended up not being anything scary, and after a few days off she was back to herself and cleared for full turnout - even though she just hid in her loafing shed like Chicken Little.

Inside Horses stay inside.

April:

We started (and ended) our local show season with two weeks at the Fairgrounds.  We discovered that apparently warming up is for losers and Pair walked straight from her stall to the ring with very encouraging results.  We were both Champion and Reserve in our Hunter and Eq (switching which one was better each week) and won our 2'6" medal both weeks as well. 

I was impressed (the baby was not)

I started feeling like maybe, just maybe we could start calling ourselves real hunters, but then I had the Vet out and we found out that Pair was actually extremely sore on her Left Hind.

Staring at the second soft tissue injury in a year, I drowned my sorrows in wine and started expressing myself in only Emojis. 

Who needs words.

Of course, I managed to pull the trigger on a new show coat right before the vet ended our season.  So that was neat.  (for the record that coat still has tags on it).

May:

Things got boring fast.  Prair got all the shockwave and PRP and wraps and cookies.  I spent lots of time in her stall (again) grooming (again).

So fat. So boring.

I started taking lessons on a goofy gelding with some significant quirks, and for the first time since Prair showed up I started seriously perusing the online horsey ads again... I mean... no harm in just seeing what's out there, right?

June:

Still bored I started to get creative with my horsey time.  I went shopping (duh), called a pet psychic (wha?) and got all warm and fuzzy seeing Gus in his new home. 

This is what a happy horse looks like

Prair had a discouraging ultrasound, but we did manage to solve the issue of her perpetual poo, so at least that counted as a small victory. 

July:

Literally nothing happens.  I don't even take a picture of my horse on stall rest, because nothing is different.  I come to terms with the idea that I don't want Prair to jump ever again, and The Boy takes me on vacations so I don't notice (as much) that I'm not off enjoying a fun Summer Show Season.

August:

The mare was still locked up in her stall, so I pontificated on the issue of Drugs in the Hunter Ring and watched the baby MOOOO at the Mini Paint on the farm. 

Not a Paint, so this one was "woofed" at

September:

The horse shopping begins in earnest.  I'm so excited I revert to using emojis again

I fall in love with a darling little Casall stallion and even go so far as to take some preliminary x-rays.  Ultimately he is not the one, but I lay awake at night watching his videos on repeat.

His jump was dreamy though

October:

This month was a pure hell of waiting.  Tickets for Germany were bought, but the trip was still an eternally long six weeks away (I hate waiting).  I started thinking about things for a new horse like insurance, and saddles, and all the fun trimmings long before we know if I'd even find one.  Prair moved to a new home for her extended rehab and I find a cool shop on Etsy and have some of Prair's favorite photos posterized.

November:

The real fun stared right away with the champagne on a plane.

Because, Yes.

There were SO MANY gorgeous horses I wondered how many I could take with me.  Ultimately I found and fell in love with Windsor, then spent most of the month figuring out how to vet him and get him home.

Then actually we got him home and it was the best Thanksgiving Day Miracle ever. 

December:

Windsor got to eat about 42 flakes of hay a day, learned that Hunters do a lot of flatwork and I don't always nail my distances....

But most importantly, it's clear we made the right choice with him.  He is a huge, goofy, patient boy and even though he isn't a pro at his job yet, it feels like just what I need right now. 

Cheers to a turbulent, but educational 2015, and here's looking forward to more learning and adventures (and maybe some derbies) in the New Year!!

Happiest New Year from all the gang at Pisa's Parade...

Saddle Shopping.. (redux)

While I theoretically enjoy the process of hunting for, evaluating, and lusting after new tack.  Somehow when that process is turned toward saddles, it becomes some fresh new hell. 

Maybe it's because the price tag is so much larger than with other items. 

Maybe it's because there's more marketing around them than discount mattress stores (sleep on a cloud for free! no interest! fancy space foam will make you feel 20 years younger!).

Maybe it's because most of us sorta need saddles that fit our horses so when we don't have one it's a thorn in our side every... single... ride.

My adventures with saddles have been varied.  I loved my fancy Prestige I ordered for Pia, but it was never perfect for her, and it felt like something off the shelf not the "custom" fit I was sold.

That saddle didn't fit Pair for crap, so we tried again. I stuck with the same fitter (not sure why) but got a Hastilow that really did fit her (and me) exceptionally well. 

When jumping became a real thing for us, I finally coughed up the $$ and got a CWD.  That was an unfortunate process as the saddle didn't fit Prair (or me) at all when it arrived. 

They fixed it (sorta), but when I had it looked at again down at Thermal, I was told it still didn't fit my horse, or me all that well and that the initial measurements were taken completely wrong. 

To CWD's credit, they took my saddle back no questions asked, and ordered me a completely new one and even upgraded the leather to calfskin for my troubles.

The new saddle did actually fit Pair very well and put me in a better balance as well.

But, it's built very specifically for Pair and has never really fit any other horse I've put it on. 

By the time I pad it up so that it's in a decent balance for a horse with a normal back, I'm so far away from everything, I might as well be sitting on one of those Elephant Saddle/basket things that's rigged 4' up in the air

On top of this, about the time CWD was fixed my saddle, our barn seemed to migrate over to Voltaire.  I tend to have a knee jerk reaction away from things I perceive to be trendy, so I wasn't super interested in switching saddles just to switch saddles.  (and have a pretty blue cover..)

But, I've been riding in my trainer's saddle more and more, both on Windsor and some of the horses I was catching lessons on, and I do really like the tack.

It's hard for me to compare apples to apples, since I never rode a Voltaire on Prair so I can't compare how different saddles would feel on the same horse.. but in general, they are pretty easy to sit.

Voltaire's "calling card" seems to be all about minimizing the structure of the saddle.  It reminds me of high end supercars that minimize weight however they can (thinner glass in the windows.. carbon fiber wherever possible, etc). 

Voltaire looks to minimize bulk however possible.  One specific example of this is that the top flap of their saddle is all one piece of leather.  The knee rolls is the same piece of hide as the flap.. just with stitching to differentiate it.  So there is no overlapping seam or extra bulk. 

That mindset is applied to all aspects of construction, and the result is noticeable.  I am not sure I would have noticed it on Prair, since I'm sure they would have had to build up the panels quite a bit in order to fit her back. 

But, on Windsor, who seems to be shaped like a normal horse, it results in a super close contact both in the seat and leg. 

We played with a few different seat options for me, but settled on their "palm beach" which is their half deep seat (comparable to the CWD SE01).  Then we focused on the panel construction for Windsor.  He's got a decently high wither, and we ended up adding a tad of foam to the very front, and very rear of the panels. 

What surprised me is that even though this seemed like an even "raising" of both ends of the saddle, when I was riding with the shims, the impact was obvious.  I'm not sure how to explain it except that life was easier.  The twist was comfortable, I could sit easily, post easily.. it was just... easy.

oooohhh, ahhhhhh

The rep was super knowledgeable and polite.  She explained their philosophy, construction process and answered any and all questions I had about what we could/should/would do about fit and what are my options for changing said fit if we ever need to (answer, build new panels).

Initially, I had intended to just get info from the Voltaire rep, then let CWD come out as well and compare my options, but I ended up just pulling the trigger on the Voltaire.

I know that impulse decision will surprise exactly none of you.. but here's why I did it:

1) it is always easier to use things that your trainer loves.  This applies to horses, tack, trailers, whatever.  My trainer is great at working with "others" whether it's horses she didn't specifically pick (Prairie) or tack she doesn't use herself.. but there is a certain ease in being in alignment. 

2) they were able to offer me a really, really good deal on my CWD.  Since my saddle was remade, it's technically a 2014, which made it pretty valuable on their trade in chart (chart was based on year and manufacture, not model, seat size, leather, or anything else).  Basically they paid me $400 less than I had paid for my saddle new. 

That brought the "purchase price" of the new saddle down to $1,700.  Not free by any means (lol), but I did opt for Calfskin again.. if I had stuck with Grain leather it would have been only $1,100.. That seems like a pretty good deal for a fancy new French saddle! In fact, I think I *almost* made money! (almost).

I'll be sure to write more when I actually have my saddle and can decide if it's worth the time and money to get it.  But for now I feel good about the decision.

Honestly, I was very happy with my CWD once it was (finally) the correct saddle.  However, even though they really made an effort to correct the issue, they weren't the friendliest to deal with.  I'm sensitive to holding a whole company accountable for the mood or personality of a few employees, but I was sort of dreading my meeting with them to talk about fitting Windsor.  It's hard to nail down why exactly, but I always felt like I was in trouble at school when I was talking with them..  Not a great feeling when you are talking about your favorite piece of tack, and spending a crap-ton of money.

In contrast, the Voltaire rep in our area is really nice, and I never felt like I was being scolded.  This was the first time I had worked with her myself, but in watching the service level my Trainer has gotten over the last couple years, I've been impressed. 

For sure some of that excellent service is due to their efforts to steal market share.

And I'm sure they are authorized to offer a bit more to customers right now than CWD... and while that's not the CWD rep's fault - it does impact my overall experience and satisfaction.

So, stay tuned.  The darn thing isn't really supposed to be delivered until MARCH but maybe the days will tick by faster now that I'm back to a regular riding routine and not just stalking everyone on Insta...

Bubble. Wrapped.

One of my profound abilities as a horse owner is to *always* find something to spend dollars on.  Always.

It is my inalienable truth.  Money.  Spend it.

Overlay this with my (totally inaccurate) notion that a horse on stall rest is somehow "saving" me money.

For obvious reasons, this is not the case.  Just because we're not showing doesn't mean we aren't still eating (lots), and racking up vet bills (see previous post) faster than I could ever spend my funds at a show.

Anyway, a compulsion to shop, plus *feeling* like I'm somehow not horrifically over budget means Prairie gets a care package.

Mostly I can blame this one on Supermom, since when having lunch with her last week and listening to me ramble on endlessly about Prair's foot, and omg what about her back, and did you know MRIs are so subjective??? I didn't, but that's horses, does navicular make sense to you? I guess it does to me, but I just don't want to deal with a horrible soft tissue injury.... blah blah blah"

So amid that, somehow she interrupted me and asked if I wast getting my Back on Track wraps on the mare.

And somehow I stopped talking (and eating) long enough to say "huh?  No."

But she had a good idea.  With both the soft tissue strains, and the navicular fragmentation, our challenge is increasing circulation to the area in order to promote healing.

Which.... is just what BoT claims their products help do.  (face smack).

I shot a text to my vet to just make sure she didn't have any concerns with me covering the mare in BoT and then promptly got my ass on SmatPak.

So, Prair is now wearing her BoT Mesh Sheet at night (we already had one of these for her back), and then wearing her new Quick Wraps and Bell Boots during the day (except for when she's walking).  That would give nice BoT coverage for everything we may or may not be concerned about while she's all cooped up.

Naturally I ordered everything in every size and spent the morning down at the barn treating Prair like Cinderella until we sorted it all out.

bubbled.

The mare was convinced that wraps = trailer, so she promptly got all excited and circled around like a crazy lady until I produced a handful of treats.  Baby and I finished grooming the mare to a shine, did some carrot stretches for her back, and then watched some other ponies get worked before heading home.

Prair is scheduled for her second shockwave tomorrow, which I'll miss since I have some meetings, but so far stall rest is going well.  If you didn't know she was on rest, you'd never guess.  She's fat, and shiny and looks like a million bucks.  Also, her brain seems to be doing okay as well.  She's still calm and happy and social in her stall - no signs of craziness or anxiety.

Onward!

The Pampered Prair

I bopped down to the barn Tuesday to clean up the trunk from the show, pat the pony and get some snuggles in.

After two weeks in a portable show stall, Prair is enjoying some well deserved downtime and rest.  

That Face.

The barn has a fairly regular routine of having our lameness/sports med vet out the day or two after each show to check on the horses, make sure everyone is comfy and take care of any maintenance.  At first I was a bit skeptical that we were simply taping horses together, but as I've gone through the routine a few times now - I love the proactive approach (even if my wallet doesn't).  The horses are always checked before long trips, and then again after, to see if anything cropped up with the stress and strain of traveling/showing.  

Most horses don't end up with much more than a short observation under saddle and jogging in hand, but for someone like Prair - with her finicky back and other correlated quirks, it's great peace of mind knowing she's not burning out of getting used up.

That said, Prair is quickly filling up her injection punch card and I'm thinking that if there were such a thing, we'd be close to our "buy 10 get one free." 

The vet thought Prair was looking great through her back (HUGE, HUGE HOORAY) so she spent her time investigating the hind end and trying to see if there was anything to the "something" that N has been feeling in the right hind.  

Prair hasn't been lame, but N feels like she just doesn't want to push off that RH quite as much as the left, and is less willing to really rock back and roll over it.  I promised that if she was still feeling that "something" after this show series, we'd investigate, so we did.

So Prair got flexed 27 ways to Tuesday and the only slight hot spots were her Right Stifle, and her LH Fetlock (?).  Stifle made sense with what we've been feeling, but vet didn't think it was nearly dramatic enough to warrant an ultrasound or any further diagnostics, so she suggested an injection to clear inflammation and see how Prair felt in work after that.  

The left hind is more of a question mark.  She's never flexed positive there before, but we have been talking about whether or not she's interfering a bit when she lands and goes for a lead change.  Currently thinking this might be more of an impact soreness from whacking herself than a chronic injury, we held off on doing anything with that.

The stifle injection means 5 days off, so Prair is under strict orders to just enjoy her pasture and some days without any work.  At the show I also noticed her nuchal ligament was extra tight and even "snapping" across her crest a bit, which isn't tragic and doesn't immediately affect her way of going, but it can't feel good.

Prair's nuchal has gotten really tight before, especially when the mare was guarding her back and really tense through the shoulder.. which isn't the case now, so who knows what the trigger is.

I do know that bodywork has previously really helped relax to her nuchal ligament - and that made me feel like a better horse mom - so I booked some bodywork for today to see if we can help the big girl release some of that tension.

Not such a bad week for Prairie (aside from the giant needle to the leg).  Some time off... a nice massage.. extra treats. All well deserved - and all should contribute to a happy, healthy relaxed mareface.

Prair's calendar is pretty open at this point.  We opted out of the show series in July that the barn is attending due to the... well..ya know, baby.  And I didn't think that traveling to Central Oregon for two weeks sounded like a wise/relaxing use of maternity leave (although it's tempting)...

I feel a whole lot better about skipping July when I remember that Prair hasn't had a month without a show since before Thermal (wow).   And while I love the idea of her having a steady, consistent season, I think she'll appreciate a slower month and I'll appreciate keeping my checkbook in my purse for once. 

We are aiming to be back in action in early August when hopefully Miss Baby will be ready to stroll around a horse show with me! (the lady at the baby store actually said "oh you have horses? you're gonna want the stroller with the bigger wheels if you go to shows!!")  Thank god someone is looking out for our baby/horse crossover needs!

Follow-up Thoughts on Show Costs

Thanks for all the great comments - I figured rather than reply to each one I'd just do a quick "post script" of sorts on some of my thoughts.

My first thought:

this was toally worth it.

Yes, the cost is crazy, but I had so much flipping fun I can't stand it.  I know plenty of people who can spend $5k a week on a vacation, and since this was basically a 3 week vacation (in my mind at least... The Boy might beg to differ...) it doesn't seem that out of line.

You can definitely spend way less than that on vacations, but horses are kind of like fancy spa resorts in terms of high upfront cost, high add on's and people who are crazy addicted to the process :)  They are definitely not the vacation equivalent of camping.

Certainly most of my friends would think that spending this amount of money to basically get dirty and sit around all day trying to keep shavings and manure out of your hair and sandwich while you eat a quick lunch on your lap is, well.... insane.  But it sounds like fun to me that's all that matters :)

The biggest paradigm shift of the show was definitely the option of showing up 15 minutes before you get on.  It's a total perk, although not one I totally took advantage of since I just *like* being early and part of the getting-ready process.

I still reveled in it.  Even when I showed in the first class of the day at 8am, there was literally no reason to be on site until 7am.  If I was grooming and braiding myself - I would have been there at 5:00am to feed, clean, braid and panic a little (and then try to feed and clean myself in the last 5 minutes).  Instead, I strolled in at 7.. said hi to the mare... polished up my boots... drank my latte and slowly got myself ready.  Even though it was still kinda of an early wake up call (not complaining), I found that every time I threw my leg over the mare I was calm, happy and well fed.

Previously I often scrambled on in a slight panic still buttoning my shirt up and trying to pull gloves on.... I can't imagine that helped the mare's nerves at all...

Anyway, thanks again for all the good comments - I find the business side of horses moderately fascinating, and I sort of geek out on what makes big shows (and barns) tick.  I'll try to keep this thread going this summer as we experience our first entire season with a full service barn attending a variety of shows and events.

True Cost of Big Shows Part III (the reckoning)

Okay, as a follow up to my initial estimate/painful look at what some people spend to attend large A/AA shows, I am doing one final reconciliation of our bills.  Feel free to refresh your memories of my thought process in Part I and Part II (additional costs).  

Also - I'd like to state my appreciation for folks not lambasting me about writing these checks.  This sport is so funny.  On one hand we all celebrate the beautiful fancy lifestyle that serious showing in the H/J world accompanies, but on the other no one talks about how much it actually costs.  If we do talk about costs it tends to be from a savings perspective and we celebrate the ammy's who manage to do everything on a shoestring.  Don't get my wrong - I am impressed by anyone who manages to juggle a job, family, horses and somehow still manage to show them once in a while, there's a huge victory in that.  But rarely does anyone openly discuss the non-shoestring budget.  

As someone who is relatively new to Hunters, I really had no idea what to expect in terms of financial commitment (aside from knowing it was going to be "more" than what I spent before and somewhere in the neighborhood of "lots").

Why go to a show? you can burn your money right here at home!

In case you're like me and you've both forgotten what the estimate was and you're too lazy to read old posts (boring!) here's what my initial estimate of the cost breakdown was (supposed) to be:

Equipment Transport (hay, trunk, tack, drapes, etc):  $350
Horse Vanning:                                                         $1,500
Trainer Hotel/Travel Split:                                         $1,400
Out of State Day Fee (x21):                                     $1,365
Stabling (x2 for double stall x3 weeks):                     $1,200
Braiding (4 days/week x3 weeks):                            $1,020
Entries (4 divisions/week x3 weeks):                        $1.920
Lodging for Me (4 nights/week x3):                          $2,400
Rental Car:                                                               $400

Initially I was anticipating $11,555, with a "mental buffer" up to $15,000.  

It's almost funny.  I know that in other aspects of horse life (vet bills being one) you take your realistic estimate, and basically double it.  The Boy uses the same theory for "horse time."  So if I say "it'll only take me 20 minutes to pack the trailer and get the horse loaded."  He automatically doubles that to 40 minutes and then adds another 20 minute buffer.  (for the record he is almost always correct).

There is almost always something that you didn't think of, or some office fee or whatever that you weren't counting on... and there were plenty of those items for us at Thermal.  Some stuff I was right on with, some stuff... not so much.

The comparison:

Equipment Transport:
This is one that stayed pretty true since we had a set "barn cost" to go off of.  Yay. still $350.


Horse Vanning:                                                        $1,500
Actual cost ended up only being $1,200!  a rare savings. (for the record, our estimate for diesel and maintenance had we hauled ourselves both ways was about $1600...)

Trainer Hotel/Travel Split:                                      $1,400
Almost dead on with an acutal cost of $1408.93

Out of State Day Fee $65 (x21):                             $1,365
plus tip for grooms (I tipped $100 total a week..) $1,665

Stabling (x2 for double stall x3 weeks):
Correct, but I forgot about trainer splits.  we had an additional $400 per week for all of the splits, which basically doubled this to $2,400.

Braiding (4 days/week x3 weeks):
haha.  Also wrong on this one! I did my math wrong and forgot that Prair was showing 5 days a week, not 4...  that meant it was $440, $440 and $360 for braids  or $1,240 total.  Lots of people chose not to braid for pro days when their horses were in unrated divisions, that would have cut my costs by 6 days.. and at $80 a day plus tip... that adds up.  I would maybe opt not to braid for Pro Day s next year if Prair was still in an unrated division.

Entries (4 divisions/week x3 weeks):
BAHAHAHA.  Oops.  I was bad at this one too.  Initially I thought Prair would be showing two divisions with N and two divisions with me every week.  In point of fact she only did one with N, but I was a princess and added every division I could.  I showed in 4 divisions myself, plus 2 warm up rounds each week and a couple of medals and a classic smeared in there.  That meant my entries (just the entries) was either $990 or $1,040 per week.  Also there's about $75 of office fees each week for a grand total of $3,295.  

This was a cost that I did not allow myself to think about as I was adding classes.  I'm glad we showed as much as we did, although if heights were to increase, the number of classes would have to go down unless I wanted a sore, tired, lame horse.

Lodging for Me (4 nights/week x3):
Lodging we got really lucky.  When The Boy and I stayed for the first full week we were lucky enough to use one of M2's timeshare weeks.  That definitely helped keep costs down during our extended stay.  The other two weeks I basically spent $800 each time because I stayed in nicer hotels (Embassy suites, Marriott) and rates were at a premium because I didn't book early and the Desert is packed right now.  Those costs could definitely be lower with a shared rental house or cheaper hotels.  but, another $1,600 to the bottom line (not considering the cost of our first week).

Rental Car:
Um, yeah. Haha.  It was $450 for each  week. The first week we rented from a cheapo company and paid the price.  I stuck with a mid size from Hertz the second two weeks and was a much happier human.  $1350.

Then there were the "Part II" costs to consider.  Part II added $1,770 to the initial estimate for some new gear, hormones and gastrogard.  I ended up not needed the RJ Classics Hunt Coat I bought to hide a possible baby belly, so I get to take $100 off that total (yay) and bring that down to $1,670

At the show there was some shopping, but I did a good job of keeping it in check.  Really the new CWD bridle was the only expense aside from swapping my Ogilvy pad out and some small things here are there.  The CWD seems separate from the show cost though so I'm not including in.  In theory I would have survived just fine without a new bridle.  

So.  New grand total?

$16,178.93 for 3 weeks of busy showing at Thermal with full grooms, braiding and all the other snazzy features. 

That's a ton of money - but there is certainly a premium to be paid to be with a well run, organized barn that allows you to arrive 15 minutes before you need to get on and worry more about feeding yourself lunch than getting your horse's braids out as soon as you finish riding for the day.  I'm used to doing a lot more on my own, but I will say that for the "vacation" aspect that this show had, I really enjoyed the extra luxuries and flexibility.

I think if you were showing on your own, (avoiding trainer splits, braiding, grooming and possibly not entering every conceivable class) you could easily spend three weeks in the sunshine with your horse for under $10,000.  That cost would drop even further if you weren't hauling across state lines or had a more affordable lodging option.  Realistically I think "local" week long shows run closer to $2,000-2,500 for the Hunters (less for Jumpers - fewer classes, no braiding..) in our area.  I'll definitely do a followup with the cost of a more "typical" show week at a home venue.   

$16,000 is not the kind of money that The Boy and I readily spend without thinking about it, so it'll be a while before I am signing up for out of state shows for weeks on end all willy nilly... but it does sort of blow my mind when I start adding up how many people opt to be at Thermal for all seven weeks (or at WEF for the full circuit..) and of those, how many are campaigning multiple horses! I know this sport isn't exactly affordable, but good lord there are a lot of checks being cut at the show grounds...  

So there you have it.  The ungodly final total of what it costs to show for three weeks at a major winter show with a high(er) end show barn.  

Now please excuse me while I go microwave some ramen and curl up in my coolers while I rely on my fireplace to heat my home for the next couple of months - as I am already refilling the coffers for the next show!  

(spoken like a true addict, right?)

And Home Again

Horse show hangover is in full swing.  Just a little tired, disorganized and... bored now that all the fun and excitement has come to an end.

The last day of showing was great, Prair was a rock star for our morning medal and Hunter Division - although when a coyote popped up out of the ditch at the end of the arena she maybe lost her marbles just a little.  I opted to circle and let her walk for a sec so that we organized ourselves for a tidy last line home (I added for control).  I patted her and told her that I am a-okay with her spooking at actual predators just so long as she doesn't spook at silly things like balloons, children or tents.

I think it's a fair arrangement.

For better or worse the coyote-round was our last go for that division so I didn't have a chance to go back in and make sure the end of the ring was safe.  Maybe it was better that we had a break before forcing the issue - because two hours later when we went back for our Under Saddle - Prair acted like she had totally forgotten about the incident (good mare).

We had one final division for the day which was our baby 2' Eq.  Prar bounced right back and gave me three lovely rounds, which I was more than happy to finish our time in Thermal on.  Her lead changes were back to being crisp and clean and I felt like we had a great pace in all three rounds.

The division was small (only 8) so it zipped by pretty quick and before I knew it we were back in for Eq on the flat (boooo hiissssss).  I'm always so much more confident with Prair in Under Saddle classes than I am with my own Eq on the flat.  We have quickly gotten to the point that she is consistently better at her job than I am at mine (oops) - but I have learned that when I focus on riding it like an Under Saddle class and working to get the best performance out of the mare - I ride significantly better than when I obsess about my eq and get all tense and locked up trying to look up, get my leg down, etc.

It was potentially the longest flat class of my life, which is funny since we had some flat classes with 30+ in the ring that pinned faster.  I think the judge was just making us do everything until at least two people screwed up.  Whether that meant cantering until a couple horses broke or sitting the trot until people started bouncing off to the side or posting in revolt.

Apparently we held it together because we were rewarded with a first place - something I haven't seen for Eq on the flat in a while.

The whole division went well for us actually - two firsts over fences and a second, so along with our flat win we snagged one final championship and one more cooler to shove in the trunk.

I really don't mean to sound bratty or ungrateful but I've got to come up with some good ideas for what to do with four coolers!

mare snuggles.

I had a couple of hours to kill before I needed to leave for the airport, so I perused the show photos and coughed up some $$ for two digital prints.  They aren't the best shots of me and Prair in the world, but I'd feel terrible if somehow we never made it back down in future years and I left without any great pictures of us.

I also spent some time with CWD.  Which involved both the national sales manager and CEO watching me warm up for the Eq on the flat in my tack and proclaiming that I'm totally and completely in the wrong saddle.  Wrong for Prair, wrong for me, wrong wrong wrong.

(yay).

CEO man said that they were just going to order me another saddle.  I can keep mine for now to ride in, and they'd have it fixed for Prair before I left, but really I just needed another saddle.  It was moderately confusing to have the conversation as I was walking in the ring - but I promised to follow up with them at their booth after I was done.

When I did get to the booth I sat in every saddle all over again.  They are pushing me toward a flatter seat (currently I ride int he SE02), but I'm not sure I love that.  It was hard to tell since almost every saddle they had on hand was a narrow twist and I'm one of the weird people who likes a slightly wider twist.  So it was hard for me to tell what was due to the seat or flap changing and what felt weird because of the twist...

Ultimately they decided that my weird femur doesn't really fit their traditional Hunter "L" flap which is what they thought I needed initially, but the forward "C" flap (which I have) also doesn't do much for me (given the way the saddle sits on Prair).  Apparently they have a mysterious "F" flap that I have never heard of (or seen?) that they want me to sit in prior to ordering...  There wasn't one in Thermal so I have one final date with my local rep to try the F flap next week.  They did figure out what was preventing my saddle from really fitting Prair well and that seems to have been addressed, and the proper notations made for ordering the new saddle correctly to begin with.

I left feeling a bit better about the CWD solution even though I still have a bit of a funny taste in my mouth about the whole thing.  I'm not bitter per se... just... not overwhelmed with how long this has all taken and that N basically had to throw a tantrum before we saw some serious response from the CWD team.

All's well that end's well though so I'm reserving final judgement until saddle 2.0 shows up.

After that it was just closing out at the office, final thanks and tips for the super amazing grooms we had with us and I was off.

Overall I couldn't ask for more.  Prair and I dropped down a division and were really able to enjoy ourselves, while N got some good miles and I think knows what she needs to do for Prair to be ready for the Pre-Greens back at home.

I'm so grateful that my darling husband indulged me in this venture.  It took a ton of time, energy and money (final followup on that to come) and I love that he was along for the whole ride.

The horses should be home later tonight, and after a well deserved rest, it's back to the grindstone and preparing for our local season kickoff the first two weeks of April.  I won't be in the saddle, but I'll be rooting for the big mare from the sidelines. :)

loaded up and headed north...

One Week Down... Thoughts on Thermal

Last week was a wild ride for me.  Having relatively limited experience in the Hunters, and even more limited experience at "real" week long shows, I wasn't really too sure what to expect when I signed the mare up for three weeks in the desert.

Prair snuck a couple mouthfuls of our ornamental grass... she deserved it.

Granted, we still have two weeks to go, but last week was the only chance I had to be there for the entire time and really get a feel for what the horses' days were like and what the ebb and flow of the show was.

All things considered I cannot wait to get back to the sunshine and do it all over this week.  I suppose that's my ultimate opinion, and probably indicative of my general experience, but I'll try to be slightly more thoughtful than "OMG more pony time NOW. RIBBONS, RIBBONS, RIBBONS."  Though, if you're bored and have had enough of my mediocre updates, that pretty much sums it up.

As I was flying home on Sunday evening and totally failing to catch up on sleep during the flight, I was thinking that I totally understand why people start off their season with an extended stay at Thermal.  Just in the first week Prair has already come so far, and logged so many miles that it seems like a lot of "bang for your buck" if experience is what you're after.  Prairie aside, it was great for me to just get division, after division, after division ridden.  So nice to be able to do so many rounds back to back and keep chipping away at mistakes or hangups without having to immediately pack up and think "gee, I hope I remember to balance better through the corners at the next show!"

I know the concentration of classes was good for Prair's brain because I felt it, but I'm sure it was just as productive for my brain, and I'm guessing she probably felt that too...

In terms of organization, Thermal is a well oiled machine.  Granted, we showed up for the second half of the circuit, so maybe it was crazy the first week, but given 5 days of active showing in just as many different arenas, at most one of our classes was 45 min behind the posted schedule.  In my mind, anything less than an hour late is on time by horse show standards.

The Show Office was also never a crazy scene.  I had to swing by maybe 4 or 5 times for adds, ribbons or closing out and every time I was able to walk right up to someone who helped me right away, no waiting.  For the record, I loathe long lines at Show Offices.  Makes me crazy.

Of course, really capable, really attentive grooms make everything feel about a million times more organized as well - and we definitely had those.  Prair was always polished, pretty and perfectly tacked 10 minutes before I ever needed her, and she was promptly unbraided, bathed and fed after my last ride of the day.  I also appreciate that the guys keep a stash of treats on hand and always have a mint for the horses after each round.  This may have started Prair hunting for her guys each time we came out of the gate, but I'd rather have that than her melting down or throwing tantrums.

I figure if The Boy meets me with Gatorade and snacks it was only fair for Prair to get mints and pets...

In terms of our experience, I'm thrilled with what Thermal is providing to both me and Prair.

Schooling on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday saw a fairly stressed mare dealing with way more atmosphere than I've ever presented her with.  The warm up rings seem to be a bit of a free for all before showing starts and Jumpers are galloping around the Hunter area, jumps are set up every which way, ponies and running wild, kids are crying, juniors are hacking with friends, trainers are trying to get 15 horses ridden and all in all it is mayhem.  Realistically I was impressed that the mare didn't high tail it back to the barn and hide.

Wednesday, Prair was concerned about going into the show ring alone, but by Thursday she seemed to resign herself to it.  By the time Friday rolled around she was giving me the same ride in the show ring as she did in warm up and by Sunday Prair was giving me pretty consistent rides round to round.

All told in five days of showing the mare was entered in twenty four classes.  Our goal in each entry being to give her a learning opportunity and to try to keep the experiences as positive as possible.  In the end Prair managed to get ribbons in 16 of her 24 classes.  Of the 8 classes where she missed the card - 2 were the first day, one was because I added, one was a big spook with N because of a truck, and the other four were all "good" rounds where we just didn't beat our competition.

When I look at that, it's hard not to think that my expectations have already been exceeded.  When we were coming down I told myself I didn't care if we ribboned (lie), I just wanted to feel good about our performance.

But, being a Satin-Obsessed-Crazy-Person I was hoping we'd go home with at least one ribbon to pin on the wall.  I would never have guessed we'd get 16, let alone in one week! and a couple blues for good measure!

I have to say I am feeling really good about the show miles for Prair, and even better about our ability to actually compete against some seriously nice horses and riders.  Yes we're rolling around the baby divisions, but so are some gorgeous horses!

In terms of Prair's comfort, some of my concerns about the stress and strain of extended showing have been assuaged.  First off, the double stall was a wise investment.  Prair has tons of room in her stall and is up to her chin in fluffy clean shavings.  The portables at Thermal are significantly nicer than anything we get locally, which helps a lot.  Our portables are just rows of stalls where each horse faces the aisle, but cannot see it's neighbor.  With these portables, the tents are huge and probably have room for 100 stalls under them, plus aisles between.  Also, the upper half of the stall partitions are a metal grate, which allows for a nice breeze as well as for the horses to all see each other.  I feel considerably less guilty about Prairie being stuck in a box when it's a big box and she can see in every direction.

Additionally, the horses get regular hand walks to stretch their leggies and make sure no one is getting stiff or sore.  Aside from Prair's rubs from the haul down she seems to be in good condition and is eating and drinking everything in sight.  The only indication that she's stressed is an increase in her teeth grinding while I'm mounted.  In the past she's "oinked" (it sounds like an oink) when we're standing and waiting, but this week she was much more willing to grind her teeth while we walked around as well... not sure what that's about especially since her other "annoyed" behavior like pawing, head shaking and general pissy faces are totally absent...

Can't tell if she's just developing a tick, or if she's really masking some distress.  She is staying on the gastrogard for the duration of the show which should be helping tummy trouble, but we'll see if there are any changes in week two!

Shopping opportunities to be discussed in another post.  So far I think I've been downright restrained in my acquisitions, but there may or may not be a CWD bridle included in there...

True Costs of Big Shows Part II

As predicted, there are always extra costs that sneak up on you in preparing for larger horse events, so I figure it's time to add those in.  My original post True Costs of Big Shows Part I talked about the anticipated costs for three weeks at Thermal, but left the door open for more expenses...  This is definitely the point where if I weren't blogging, I would deliberately not add up all the expenses and avoid seeing a final tally at all costs.

But in the name of being honest (both with myself and the blog), I'm trying really hard to keep track of our expenses and report them faithfully.  This may result in me never, ever, ever hauling across states for another multi-week show ever again, but who knows.

The additional checks that have been written in anticipation of Thermal fall into two different categories.  One is "new gear" for me and Prair and the other is Medical.

The "new gear" can be argued that it's not a true Thermal cost since it will continue to be used after, but Thermal definitely triggered the purchase, so I'm choosing to include it.

All of the new gear is either because we are at a new barn and I really like to match, or because I'm pregnant and really like things to fit.

I didn't go crazy on the matching Barn Gear, but I did get excited and ordered some stuff - specifically a stable blanket and stable sheet to be embroidered, as well as a trunk cover and coolerette so I feel like a cool kid.

Purchasing these items didn't take significant arm twisting since we all know how I feel about matching - but they still required dollars to come out of my pocket in concurrence with other Thermal costs.

Granted, they are a one time cost (hopefully) - but they still hit the bottom line...

It helps that the barn colors (hunter green/burgundy/beige) are relatively common, so we are able to use SmartPak for the barn blankets, which are an affordable $96 for the blanket, and $79 for the sheet.  Additionally, we send out for our own embroidery, which cut costs a littler further.

Totally Acceptable

The Trunk Cover and Coolerette are both made custom by The Clothes Horse, which is decidedly not the cheapest outfit around, but their products are gorgeous and really well made.  Since we're able to avoid custom costs for the show blankets, I didn't feel quite as bad about forking over the $$ for some nice Clothes Horse Items.

I ordered the Deluxe Trunk Cover in order to match the rest of the barn.  My costs ran a touch higher than listed since my Trunk is an unusual (large) dimension.  The notion of spending $220 on a cover was a little much for me, but I'm not ready to invest in a matching trunk so it seemed like a good compromise.

The Coolerette is mercifully cheaper ($100) and although it's totally unnecessary, it is kinda fun to have your name displayed in such a classy fashion.  Really makes you feel a part of the team.

Plaid Coolerettes off to the right..

In addition to the new clothes for Prair, I also pulled the trigger on a new huntcoat for myself to accommodate my, um... increasing topline.  So far the belly is a non-issue, but the boobs are not going to cooperate with my current closet of show clothes.  Both Dover and SmartPak have some great, affordable options, and I ordered myself the R.J. Classics Essential Show Coat.

It's not fancy, but for $99 I'm hoping it'll do the trick while I have some baby-induced-weight for Thermal, and just in case it's still hanging around next year when I'm able to show again.

I have never purchased an R.J. Classics coat before, so I'm not sure what to expect, but it is one of the only jackets I was able to find that came in a "long" and stayed under $200.

So, in terms of "new gear" we're look at an additional $600.

More significantly, I must have been feeling extra maternal this weekend as I decided it would probably also be wise/kind to give Prair a round of GastroGard for the big trip.  Her tummy has remained in a bit of distress since moving barns and she's an anxious enough mare (sounds redundant) that I think GastroGard is a good proactive step to take for hauling so far and then being in a show environment for so long.

The 28 Day Pack is another cool $900 out of Prair's piggy bank.  Not nearly as exciting as fun new blankets, but probably more important - and frankly something that gives me peace of mind for the days I'm not able to join the mare in California.

Finally, I think Prairie will likely go on Regumate for the show (and potentially other shows this season).  Our barn is sending almost exclusively mares down south, so I can only imagine what the herd bound drama will be by the time they unload.  Additionally, N always requests to be stabled at the very far end of the barns where there is less hustle and bustle to bother the horses, but exaggerates the terror of leaving your friends and walking (forever) to the show rings.

We know how I feel about hormones, but my biggest goal is to give Prair a good, positive experience, and I am thinking that controlling her raging mare-moments might help that process.

Big bottle of Regumate will run $270, and while that allows for three months of continuous use.  So really, only 1/3 of that cost should be earmarked for "Thermal," but much like everything else, I'm not prorating :)

So medical costs are $1170.  Add that to the $600 of new gear and I've got a total of $1770 to add to my initial estimate of $11,555 for show costs.

New Estimated Cost?

$12,725

(vomit).

Welcome Gift (and Gersemi Sale)

One of the fun things about Prair's new barn is that the Trainer's parents live on site and are both very involved and very entertaining.  I'm enjoying the time that I get to spend with them both, either in the ring, or in the lounge.

Last week after one of my lessons N's dad grabbed me and presented me with a gorgeous brush box.  He is quite the craftsman and has made a tradition of making a new, unique wooden brush box for clients "once he thinks they're going to stick for a while."

I must confess that with the smaller locker I've been eyeballing more compact brush box options than my big plastic tote, but I just couldn't pull the trigger on buying one.  So I was thrilled to be given such a beautiful prize!  I also love that everyone has a slightly different design - with different inlays or woods, so that there's no confusion.

What a talent! and what a generous tradition!

Oooooh, Ahhhhhh

Also, I found myself checking out the Gersemi website, as I do every few months to look over their outerwear, which I still think ranks consistently at the top of the heap in terms of both form and fashion for barn wear.  I have never actually purchased anything from them, but I noticed that quite a few pieces were on (significant) sale (and in my size!) so I snapped a couple things up.

I figure that I certainly won't be needed any summer riding clothes this year, but I'll probably be back in the tack next winter... or at least, I might be back in the tack by winter which was justification enough for me.

Also, the cold seems to be sticking around here so they'll probably get some use sooner rather than later...

So voila, a nice puffy jacket, 50% percent off

oooh, tall collar

And also a cute vest, also 50% percent off, because I love vests.  Favorite riding layer.  I also love the color.

It might have just been the hormones talking, but if I can't look cute in a bikini this summer, then dammit, the least I can do is look cute in puffy layers!