spring dun sprung

It’s kinda hilarious because I was in Minneapolis for most of last week, where it, ahem, SNOWED OMG. And then right back to 80*F here in Maryland… Well, ok, it’s 60*F again after a little spring showers, but still.

pictured: NEON GREEN OMG
(and also a fox that you can’t see but doozy sure as shit can!)

We’ve had enough warmth and strong sun that it’s officially green around these parts! Sorry if you have tree pollen allergies lol bc even just these pictures might be enough to make you sneeze!

the big trees are still mostly bare but all the smaller blossoming types are in full bloom!
from here we’ll travel down the central valley crease all the way to the right before going into the woods to eventually emerge again by those top left trees

Obvi with the aforementioned spring showers, our outdoor ring closed again, but it would be a crime to ride indoors on a day like this, so Doozy and I snuck out for a little wander around the hillsides and neighboring woods <3

woods are not super green yet

I personally love capturing the changing of seasons through familiar photos of our favorite hacking haunts… Tho for those of you who feel like once you’ve seen one “between the ears” shot, you’ve seen them all… Well. Feel free to skip ahead to the cat gif at the end of the post — that one’s just for you!

ooooh but we made it all the way down to the stream bottom!! doozy was not as excited about it as i was LOL

Anyway, tho, obvi with my travel last week, Doozy got a bit of time off. Maybe not ideal, but also not really any sort of deal — let alone a ‘big’ one — these days either. Doozy’s first flat school after 5 days of no riding was… perfectly normal, no antics, just a nice little wtc ride! 

as you can see, this path is often blocked by fallen trees

Maybe the horse is finally growing up a bit that she can just be normal after a little time off? Or, maybe more realistically, I’m doing better about setting expectations for myself and riding proactively?? Like, Doozy probably isn’t going to be the type of horse that you can just say, ‘eh let’s just have an easy relaxed ride!’ Not that it can’t BE easy and relaxed, it just can’t in the absence of clear and proactive guidance.

climbing back up again

Doozy will fill whatever voids or vacuums you leave her, and usually not the way you would have chosen! 

verdant green fields are like a siren’s song

She’s been good, tho. Our last couple rides before my trip were solid too — including another lesson with Sally from which there is exactly zero media, sorry. It was at a new to us farm, too — one that was slightly more convenient driving traffic-wise for a week day.  

ooooh but first, doozy’s favorite sort of target LOL

And Doozy was good! Slightly wild, since it was our first time jumping since Loch Moy. Wanting to call the shots a bit. Tho we incorporated a lot of trotting cavaletti at the start of each exercise, and I tried to stay consistent and steady without getting totally in her face. 

i call this “reading the news” haha

I wouldn't say she really got ‘better’ tho until we finished with slightly larger jumps and more of them strung together in courses vs ‘one-at-a-time.’ The starting and stopping is the hardest part for Doozy, well. Especially the starting. She likes to try to turn herself inside out and get really inverted and hopping with anticipation. 

popping back out by those pretty blossoming trees again!

Sally mostly wasn’t worried about it, tho did advise that I do my best to keep us straight. It’s her experience that once a horse starts going sideways it can be a really difficult habit to resolve. This feels like a timely bit of feedback for us too, especially as I continue to experiment with ways to let Doozy travel more fluidly forward with less restriction in the bridle. 

it’s like an emergence metaphor or something <3

One approach has been to integrate more intentional lateral work into especially our canters — as you may recall we practiced with trainer C in our last lesson. The benefits are twofold with this exercise: 1) it keeps me focused on intentionally telling Doozy what to do, where to go, vs reactively just holding her back; and 2) it reinforces the leg aids as a balancing, organizing tool vs just noise and “omg it’s touching me!” 

back out in the big hay fields, next stop will be by that pink circle

My longer term hope is to get schooled enough with the intentional lateral work at all gaits that we can almost get the feeling of replicating the in and out spiral feelings, but even just from one step to the next. And that this lateral work, more rapidly (but also on more miniature scale) suppling from side to side, will make it easier to break up Doozy’s longitudinal nose-to-tail tension and tendency toward inversion so that we can actually stay straighter. 

as promised, heading back to the barn yard

It doesn’t sound like it should make sense — using lateral work to stay straighter vs risking running sideways as an evasion… But in practice it feels like it works — feels like it helps prevent Doozy from shortening so much in her neck? 

doozy! look pretty!! i want people to notice what’s different!

Idk lol, the trick is to remember the approach when we’re actually in the moment while jumping around a course! 

doozy, c’mon!! i want ‘Vanna White,’ not “living in a van”

Soon enough, soon enough. Well. Hopefully VERY soon lol… And in the meantime we’ll have another dressage lesson with trainer C, possibly right at the very moment you’re reading this! 

“what did you just say to me??” — doozy

And also hopefully soon another lesson with Dan… As is predictable, rallying the troops to schedule something at home is hard to do in the best of times, so we’ll see. It may be that we travel to him next time instead.

it’s cool, virtual cookies to anybody who notices what’s different in these pics

Basically just trying to get all the lessons all the time right now LOL, but gettin done what needs doing in the meantime as needed. 

and anyway. cats. 
it’s important to note that Ol Geezer is growling basically nonstop here LOL

That’s the nice thing about Doozy getting more grown up — it’s getting easier and easier to plan out predictable practice sessions to make the most of our time between lessons. I’m also experimenting with a few equipment changes too, tho more on that later. 

In the meantime, spring is here. It’s lovely, and we’re 100% getting into the swing of it! Hope y’all are enjoying it too!! Or at least not suffering too much from allergies!

reunited just in time!

I don’t think winter is fully done with us yet… but hot damn, it’s been LOVELY this week!

casually watching me search fruitlessly for her lost shoe. no doubt she knows exactly where it is, too…
also omg her nostrils… she is so extra lol 

Like, all my windows at home wide open type lovely. Warm, sunny, mild, all the nice things! And the horses are definitely appreciating it too! 

casually considering a little light dog-icide

And even better — my farrier was able to swing by and set a new shoe on Doozy’s stricken limb, hallelujah! I still have so much PTSD from Charlie’s foot-related fragility that it’s hard for me to relax again until the horse is fully shod and demonstrably comfortable. 

“i’ll let you live this time, but i have my eye on you!” — doozy, no doubt

Doozy, it should be noted, however, does not share my PTSD. And it was so nice out after her shoe was reset, and so many people were out and riding, it honestly felt like it’d be a crime to NOT throw on some tack and swing a leg over, ya know?

omg finally — our first hack of 2026!

I had intentions of meandering up the hill to the indoor where a few friends were already mid ride, but Doozy had other ideas haha. She set off on a marching pace straight down the lane toward the back hay fields. And who am I to deny her???

presumably the woods are still slippy sloppy mud, but the fields were perfect!

Honestly can’t remember the last time we hacked out, actually. The farm is so hilly and it’s been so snowy and icy and wet for so long… It’s probably been at least December, but maybe actually maybe even November since we’ve been out there…

it was legit almost 80*F out too, omg

Doozy clearly missed it tho, and was happy to wander around the hills, grabbing occasional bites of grass bc she’s obviously spoiled rotten haha. 

all these shrubs are gonna start sprouting buds any day now

I’m not getting my hopes all the way up yet, but it also looks like the outdoor ring might finally be opening for the season too!!

happy hacking <3 <3 <3

Obvi I’m beyond grateful to have indoor riding spaces, it’s made all the difference with keeping us on a more or less even keel this winter… But I also won’t be sad if we don’t have to ride inside again for the foreseeable future LOL!

oooh and a quick little bridle tag DIY mod!

Especially as we start thinking about gearing up for the season ahead, it’ll be good to be more out in the open, moving about in wide open spaces while staying accountable for our pace and balance without the passive influence of solid walls lol.

sure, i could have just bought a new number holder that was designed with a pin… 

I’ve also started doing a little light inventory work of all the various pieces of equipment that scattered every which way over the off season. In particular, Doozy became increasingly funny about things touching her ears last year. Her hair is a primary annoyance… but we also had some issues with my bridle tag too. 

So my hope is that a little light modification will transform it semi-permanently into a saddle pad number holder instead. Repurposing > buying new (if it works lol).

but eh, this’ll do! probably!

It’s also maybe time to shake out all the show clothes, do a little laundry, see what’s what. See if anything needs any attention or fixing / cleaning up before going out in public again. Not that I’m exactly a shining example of style and grooming, let’s be real (lol), but you know how it is. 

Spring cleaning season is officially upon us, as far as I’m concerned! Anybody else feeling the same?

feeding frenzy

Happy Monday, friends! It’s been a bit of a whirlwind around these parts for… hm, basically the last full month. I actually straight up cancelled all my plans this weekend to just chill out and slow down. It was super nice, not gonna lie!

doozy is obsessed with these specific leaves and legit drags me to them
srsly tho, look at those flared nostrils!

And gave me the perfect opportunity to get a whoooole bunch of random photos off my phone and recorded here in ye olde blogge for posterity, if not exactly for some sort of cohesive story line lol. So, uh, brace yo’self for the randomness!

new tailgate spot this year!! 
(purple dot)

First up, obviously my friends and I had our big annual To-Do at the Maryland 5*!! I always love making a whole big thing of it — with volunteering Thursday and Friday at the YEH Championships, then tailgating Saturday, and then show jumping / shopping on Sunday.

Allison Springer & HTS Jenson in the 3* at our prior tailgate location

And this year did not disappoint! Every year is a little different, It’s still a very young event and they tweak and change things with each running. For example, our tailgate spot of the last 2 years was absorbed into another area, so we relocated up the hill to the Sunken Road complex. 

Monica Spencer & Artist in the 5* at the new spot. not bad!

And guys, it was a fantastic spot! A super cool (and influential) combination to watch, plus a big screen to follow along with the action. AND a liquor store literally directly across the street — convenient when I realized we needed more ice + coolers. Plus, this tailgate section is on the opposite side of the ropes from the normal spectator paths, so we never had to deal with crowds. 

It was a great day with a wonderful melting pot of so many horsey friends over the years, including our core original group, friends from the last boarding barn, Charlie’s barn, Doozy’s current barn, and even some folks from the Isabel days. So fun, I’m already excited for next year!

and meanwhile, doozy <3 <3

Per usual, I did all my shopping on show jump day too. Unfortunately didn’t get pictures of everything yet, but am pretty pleased with my haul. Biggest priority was a shimmable half pad, since Doozy and I continue to be frustrated by weird fit issues related to our combined crooked mechanics.

new shimmable half pad from shopping at the 5*

Like, both saddles fit the horse. But they also both shift in exactly the same way over the course of a ride bc Doozy and I are both dynamic and moving beings who apparently don’t adhere rigorously enough to postural ideals. Womp. 

brand is ErrePlus, comparable to the Mattes pads

This particular half pad appealed to me bc it’s predominantly natural fibers — with the sheepskin lining and wool shims. But it’s also extremely non-bulky. So it can be as “barely there” as you want it to be, with a nice progressive set of shims for precision adjustments. So far, so good, I’ll keep you posted. 

also got a few new pairs of breeches at the 5* — finally, purple pants!! and green!!

Other shopping items were maybe less exciting — I got a couple pairs of Romfh breeches from the same booth I always pick up a pair or two. For whatever reason they always have the inside line on Romfh deals, legit maybe the only good “deal” to be had in the entire vendor village!

equine artist Darlene Ivey had the most incredible prints, you should follow her on insta if you’re into that sort of thing!

Tho independent small business Sona Equestrian definitely won the award for best prints used across the most inspired selection of products! I picked up a pair of socks, but was also completely smitten with her charming shower curtains, notebooks and notecards, tumblers, totes, and so many other items, definitely check her out!

all the better for our low key schooling practice on terrain in random paddocks lol

I’m also working on getting Doozy back onto the cross ties reliably in our grooming bays at home, and picked up some really really cool rapid release devices from our friends at Nunn Finer. I’ll get actual pictures + thoughts when I’ve got them properly set up.

pictured:: mare who ignored the nets when they were full….

Ok. Whew. So yea the 5* took up a lot of time and energy (and miles driving LOL), but life goes on and Doozy naturally requires her due as well! Obvi we had our big Windurra outing a couple days later, and I was slightly miffed to observe that… Doozy wasn’t really touching her hay nets in the trailer.

musical chairs hay piles!

I’d noticed the same at the Area Championships, but thought maybe it was just a funny weedy bale or something, so I filled another couple nets for the trip. Obvi the idea of a 3 hour round trip without palatable hay doesn’t sound great to me, so when she left basically all those nets untouched after Windurra, I opted to dump them all out in her paddock and start from scratch.

apparently much more palatable when not in a net…

My very first riding instructor (at whose barn I first learned chores) always said to leave a hay pile for the “invisible horse.” As in, enough piles for however many horses are in the group, plus one. Her rationale being that the dominant horses will always push around the meeker horses, and you want an obvious open spot for them to go.

good girl, eat your vegetables!

Doozy is such a tyrant with her ponies, tho, that I opted to leave enough piles for **two** invisible horses LOL. And somehow, go figure, the hay was much tastier when she didn’t have to fight a net for it. Ugh, horses. 

so you can grow big and strong for our adventures!

In the meantime, I picked up a bale of timothy / orchard mix from the local feed store. At ~$14 a bale, it’s more expensive than just buying a regular bale from my barn as I’d been doing… But, eh, peace of mind, right? It’s hard to ride an unhappy belly.

i might be biased, but i think she’s extremely handsome <3

So that brings us up mostly to real time. Doozy and I had a bit of an uneven few schooling sessions post-Windurra. Not ‘bad’ rides, per se, but probably the ‘least good’ since we started using our recorded ride guides. I think my most recent version is just a little too long, making it more likely that I’ll deviate from the plan and possibly tune it out a bit. 

and so is our hacking buddy Dante! 

Plus, obvi, it seems reasonable that we might both be a little tight after such a big cross country schooling session! Fortunately it worked out that we were scheduled for another body work / chiro / acupuncture session. 

Doozy still doesn’t love these sessions as much as Charlie did, but she’s getting better. And the practitioner seems really pleased with the mare’s development and condition, so that’s always super reassuring!

good mare, always marching eagerly ahead haha

Anyway. We closed out the weekend with a lovely hack through the fields and woods. Our foliage is finally peaking and daytime temps are still super mild in the 60s, what’s not to love, right?

as a reward for making it thru all those pics, here’s my cat,
as he discovers the radiators are on for the season!

Not gonna lie, it felt super nice to have a relatively quiet weekend. This time of year I’m always so tempted to get swept up into a whirlwind of trying to do all the things bc “winter is coming!” But ya know. There’s still plenty of the fall season ahead of us!!

ww: champion hacker outer

Doozy naturally got a couple days off after her fantastic weekend at the Area II Champs, especially after all that trailering oof! But life goes on, and we got back to it with a lovely evening hack with a barn buddy!

the days are noticeably shorter by now, with unmistakeable color changes in the landscape

 

especially out in the big hay fields! 

 

i really love and am grateful for how pleasant doozy is for this simple hacking routine

 

often we end up alone, but the horses seem to love having company! and the riders too, natch

 

there are apparently other (and longer) trail routes, but i actually quite like our little routine circuit

 

doozy is a very bold horse, but she’s also a typical thoroughbred — she likes knowing the answers in advance

 

so i think she appreciates this predictable path. no surprises, no work. just… marchin around lol

 

i’ll be sad when the clocks change, tho

 

especially given that our outdoor arena doesn’t have lights, it’ll be hard to prioritize hacking on weekends when we might otherwise be itching to school outside

 

there’s still time, tho. so for now, we take advantage of the daylight hours when we can!

 

“yes yes that’s very nice and all, but #NeedsMoarCookiesPls” — doozy, 100%