Guys!! Doozy went to a big local show this weekend and was so good omg!! I've only been to this venue, Swan Lake in Littlestown, PA, once before for their indoor winter jumpers shows, so wasn't entirely sure what to expect from their outdoor series - except that multiple rings would be running.
getting ready for her close-up
Tho I was pretty sure there'd be a fair amount of atmosphere, so I planned accordingly. And am so glad we did, bc wow the show was actually quite a bit bigger than I realized. Probably it was fairly typical for hunter jumper shows, but definitely a lot going on.
pleased with how quickly she relaxed at the trailer
As it was, a lot of factors stacked up in our favor for a positive experience. The schedule was favorable -- the 1m+ classes went first, then back down to the .70m to work up again. And obvi modern online entry systems are such a game changer -- we had an estimated start time (about 10:45am) the night before!! Amazing!
took longer (a LOT longer) to relax around the competition rings, but she got there eventually
I still opted to show up around 8am, tho. To get a good parking spot... but also to do a little familiarization work. We were tacked up and heading over to the show rings by 8:30, spent the next 40min flying my kite hand walking around the grounds. Finally got quiet / brave enough to throw a leg over, then spent about 20min flatting/exploding/flatting around the warm-up ring.
legit did a "pre-ride" around the warm up rings about an hour and a half before our class was 100% worth it, we needed it!
Obvi I was careful to be minimally disruptive to anybody in the ring with us... Tho the benefit of pre-riding during the highest classes is that, there are fewer riders so the rings are less crowded. And the horses and riders were all experienced enough to simply ignore any antics Doozy threw.
all that preparation paid off bc weather conditions deteriorated quickly for our actual round
And I'm pretty sure all this pre-work was really the day's biggest win. Bc with Doozy, the jumps are honestly the easy part. It's .... all the everything that's a bit more challenging.
Tho from past shows (like at Jenny Camp, where dressage and show jumping warmed up in the same field), I've learned that her second time being ridden in a space tends to be considerably more relaxed than the first.
i know it's poorly framed but omg look how good she was to the giant* first oxer with clover leaf panel!!! (*giant to me, at least lol)
Like. Doozy kinda needs to explode. She wants to. It's part of who she is as a person lol. So, eh, I gave her the space to do so. She's not trying to get away from me, she's respectful of my space. She's not even really going anywhere. She just has to whistle and wail and pogo around a little bit. Just the occasional steam vent lol.
had rails at #2 & 3, but nbd
But we got through all that hand walking and then the simplest little pre-ride (w-t ONLY, plus a significant amount of time just like.... standing there), then I got to get off and be like, WOW WHAT A GOOD MARE! And she was like, "Yea! Ya know, I am a good mare!" Then instantly tucked into serene ringside grazing like she's been doing it her whole life.
i think she'll learn to be more careful, for today it was the good effort that counted!
Local jump trainer Kelly showed up around this time, so we basically hung out chatting / grazing ringside until it was go time. I haven't written much about Kelly bc we never have any media from lessons (ugh!)... But she's been working with us about every 2 weeks lately, including the lead up to this show. She had a group of riders attending and was a sufficiently pointy stick in motivating me to join in on the fun.
got a little lost on my way to this jump lol... nbd!
So after the 1.20m class wrapped, I got back on, got back into the warm up (this time for a more abbreviated flat work session since we'd already spent so much time walking around), and Kelly got us going first over trot poles, and then over an assortment of small jumps.
my "scenic route" to #4 made the next horse think we were farther along in our course than we were, so they pre-loaded a bit, er, prematurely lol. nbd tho, no harm, no foul!
Honestly that warm up with her was probably the best part of the day. Doozy was fantastic, we weren't riding under any pressure (esp bc we were so early into the ring, it wasn't crowded or chaotic yet), and Kelly was able to get us jumping smoothly and comfortably. Doozy didn't put a foot wrong!
so brave jumping toward the spooky tents!! <3
We probably did two passes over some trot poles, then maybe 6-7 different jump configurations -- working up to a 2'3 oxer, then finishing over a tiny X that we could sorta melt/crawl over... And then headed over to the show ring while folks were finishing up their course walks.
magnificent over the last, ugh this mare <3 <3 <3
And this was another major factor in our favor --- bc we were first to go in the ring, and people were still course walking, we had a pretty substantial chunk of time to wander around looking at everything. Including the big tents --- which were making interesting noises in the rain.
(Oh yea, did I mention it started pouring right when it was time to warm up?? #Typical lol)
"i definitely won" -- doozy, 1,000%
I also used this time to check in with the judge about a slightly unconventional plan for my trip. The course looked lovely, all gentle bending lines on long distances etc... Except for the in-and-out. Which, yea it was a very nice in-and-out too, except I just didn't feel like Doozy was adequately prepared to answer that question.
It was one-too-many hard questions to ask of the mare for the day, IMO, so I asked the judge if I could just skip it -- obvi getting eliminated in the process -- but still complete my course without getting rung out.
"i am a champion" - Queen of Jompies, Knower of Everything
Like... maybe it would have been fine. But it's also entirely possible Doozy would have had a run out or awkwardly uncomfortable chip jump. I preferred that, on this day, the jumps remained the "easiest part." And we'll tackle more formal grids soon.
My honest expectation is that once Doozy gets some experience with grids and learns to recognize them, she'll LOVE them. We'll get there. For this ride, I was so thrilled with Doozy. Aside from jump 1, all the distances were gently related -- and Doozy comfortably did the single add stride trotting in (except for the last line we cantered in, but still did the add).
Our landings were always a little wild and woolly, so I totally flubbed the roll back landing turn from 3 to 4 and had to cross my line whoops. Again tho, Doozy doesn't know that's an error.
Her only technical errors were taking the rails at #2 and #3, tho she jumped each just fine -- and jumped the rest of the course cleanly.
"did you see me tho?? i was so good!"
So overall, it was a really educational day for us. A 'soft skills' kinda day, plus more mileage jumping around jumps that, not gonna lie, look a little big to me LOL... Was it a lot of time and energy and work for.... one course...? Sure, I guess. Except that's almost besides the point, ya know?
It feels like Doozy is really getting the idea. Like her technique is so much more consistent even when her pace gets a little hurried, it feels nice! Literally NONE of this matters for anything, except that we are having positive experiences and growing into a team together.
Maybe more "exciting" results will happen eventually lol, but for me? This is the good stuff :)
Not gonna lie, guys, I need a holiday after my long holiday weekend, LOL.... Poor Doozy, I went away for a week, then she lost a shoe, and then it's been full steam ahead ever since -- with two back-to-back trailer trips just this weekend...
doozy's tail might be a bit wispy, but she knows how to put it to WORK omg <3
I only have video / pictures from *one* of these trips tho (obvi, the subject of this here blog post), so it's possible you won't get a post at all about the Thornridge dressage lesson. C'est la vie.
trotting out in the open like a #MareBoss
This blog is literally fueled by media so... if you want dressage lesson recaps, maybe come take footage for me??? (only half joking, guys!)
first jump of the day and it's off to the races!
As it is, tho, I'm trying to get serious about putting some pieces together ahead of my favorite riding time of the year: FALL! And while ideally the pieces would all coincide with world class instruction... Well. Y'all already know how that goes. Sometimes we have to be privateers!
narrow fence? mare don't care!
I have had this week penciled in on my calendar for xc for some time now, and the pieces just would not click together. Try as I might, a riding buddy was not to be found. But the conditions were so perfect, and I was so stubborn, we had to go! Luckily, a barn mate from Charlie's farm was eager to be of assistance and offered to come be my ground person (omg THANK YOU), so we made it happen!
guys i swear she's gained a ton of weight even in just the last 3 weeks
It was not an inconsiderable ask for Doozy, either, tho. She hadn't jumped in more than 2 weeks, hadn't seen xc since Jenny Camp. Hasn't warmed up for jumps from cold in a grass field since the last time we went to Windurra.
princess <3
But idk. It felt right. Tranquillity is such a special place. I know the farm well, I know the jumps well (tho they are constantly getting moved around), and had a clear vision and sense for how I thought our schooling session could be spent.
this photo brought to you courtesy of weeks on weeks of boring gymnastics posts
And Doozy absolutely rose to the occasion! We warmed up mostly at the walk, and tried to stay on relatively flat ground for the trotting. Doozy doesn't quite understand terrain yet --- she's like, "Oooooh downhill? Let's GO!!" Which like. Pls, dear god, let's whoa tho???
marching around
It's funny too bc I had a couple slightly aspirational ideas in my head about specific things we'd tackle in our ride... And legit very few of those came to fruition... Bc realistically Doozy is still a very green horse, and we aren't that ready for complicated terrain yet.
ermagerd bebe's first fake ditch!
Complicated or no, tho, Doozy was a star. The jumps? ACES omg. This horse wants to jump the jumps. She doesn't like them particularly small, either. Just wants to GO!
#spamming cuz i can
Tho it was incredible the difference I could feel in her after the last couple months spent on footwork and gymnastic exercises. Case in point: I didn't have a SINGLE 'pearl clutching' moment. Not one! Like, sure, I still ride tight and rigid, but y'all know what I mean.
got a little close to this one, but nbd
Doozy looks at the jumps -- she focuses on them, is drawn to them. You can feel her going to the jump. It's not a question. It feels good. And especially now that she has a few more tools in her tool bag re: footwork, she's able to smooth it out even when she gets a bit hasty and ahead of herself.
3rd time over the fake ditch was basically text book (she stepped in it 2nd time LOL)
After we'd warmed up over a few singles (quite pleasantly, I might add!), we moved to the next zone at the farm, where the ditches are. This area is nice bc it's pretty well packed with inviting jumps, tho it can end up feeling a little cluttered for horses like Doozy.
cantering out of a related distance OMFG
All the same, we accomplished one of my main objectives -- getting some repetitions over the fake ditch and related fences.
walking into the #ScaryNature -- you'll have to watch the helmet cam to see her effort up the little bebe bank (where she almost fell fucking down, whoops) then over the related log
It was a construction we repeated a few times throughout the ride --- trotting in (or at least, trying to!) to the first jump, then cantering along a semi related path to the out jump. I **know** this horse and I can canter jumps, I know it. But, eh, we need practice.
"RAWR" -- Doozy, 1,000%
There were also a couple times where... It felt a little sloppy, not gonna lie. Like it might be unspooling a little bit. In fact, I'd kinda decided to call it a day after finishing up in the ditch zone...
almost fell off but loved it anyway
Tho we decided to take the long way back in case anything else out there was enticing. Which, go figure, there was enticement lol.
magnificent critter
A pleasant little line appeared going from a nice little 2'3 table (which we'd seen at Shawan both for schooling and on course for the HT) to a cute little coop. It was like this little line was made for us, so obvi we went for it!
tame over the coop -- really liked stringing two together throughout this ride!
And of course, Doozy was a star <3 Like, not perfect, obvi, lol... The approach for the table was a little sheisty and I kinda almost fell off when she made a bid for it.... Whoops! But it was fine <3
Honestly... The ride went a lot better than it had any right to go. Like y'all already know I'm always eager to throw in the towel a little early if things aren't perfect... But we kept going a little bit longer this ride, and it was actually great.
Not perfect, but great. And I actually felt better about the ride after watching the video my barn mate grabbed for us. Historically with Doozy, the real-time footage can look a little... ahem, less great all things considered. So this was an unusual feeling being able to watch the video and feel like, "Oh, YEA that looks fine!!"
it's a slow road, guys, but a scenic one, imho <3 <3
So we'll take it. The mare feels good. She LOOKS good. Finally starting to look like the gigantic well built powerhouse that she actually is. Bc, guys... Y'all might be used to seeing me next to Charlie (who is enormous). But this mare ain't small.
And hopefully we'll be out and about doing some stuff this fall!! She feels ready. Not like, polished or schooled or whatever. But emotionally ready. And some days that's enough!!
Ok so there is **ONE** thing I really appreciated about the last boarding barn, that is proving to be just slightly tricky in my new horsey world order:
The farm was big enough that we had 2 (at one point, 3) farriers who came every week, each with a specific day. Obvi most boarders were regular clients of one or the other, but it was understood that either could handle tasks like replacing lost shoes, etc for anyone.
finally remembered i picked up these boots for charlie during his abscess apocalypse...
All boarders had to do was add their horse's name to the 'board,' and everything would magically be done!
Well. Not everything, and not magically lol bc over the years some things kinda started getting lost... like invoicing --- used to be that the charge would be added to your board bill, plus a convenience fee. But the farm's bookkeeping fell apart literal years ago ((whoops!)), so it was best to pay the farriers directly.
they were the wrong size for charlie, but are just right for doozy! i pulled out all the extra foam padding tho
Regardless, tho, it was a pretty streamlined and easy system, and you were only ever a few days away from having a farrier imminently onsite. Plus there was a staff member (who remembers Charlie's groom from the covid lockdown?) who would hold for the farrier (again for a small fee). So it really was as easy as could be.
shoe freshly reset, now just hold onto it for another week lady!
Considering both my horses are now at different farms, and each with different farriers, and EACH MANAGING TO THROW SHOES ON THE SAME DAYS... Well. Ahem. It's almost enough to make me wanna go back haha. Almost... (not really tho).
charlie's turn! we're gonna give these glue-on Hantons a chance for a cycle or two
It's just been a tough season. We were so dry for so long, then suddenly very wet. And now getting dry again, but with tons more grass out of nowhere... Horses everywhere around here are just walking out of shoes. In a way it's kinda reassuring that it's happening to both my horses -- at different places, with different farriers -- bc that definitely supports the whole "it's the environment, stupid!" hypothesis.**
(**I guess you could say the owner is another commonality in both cases... but I prefer to blame the environment haha!)
it's honestly a nifty little system!
Anyway. I dug up an old Easyboot Cloud that I bought new from consignment a while ago for Charlie, but that was the wrong size and that I never got around to selling. Fortunately it seems right for Doozy so she got to have a little extra protection waiting to get the shoe reset.
Tho I pulled out the giant inch thick foam padding that comes with the boot, since it's technically designed for a foundering or laminitic horse, and that's a bit more than Doozy needed.
it's basically just quick set epoxy, and covers way less surface area than traditional glue-ons
The farrier was having a bit of a chaotic week (again, horses walking out of their shoes everywhere, plus he had some unexpected vet issues with his dog, who I believe is ok but just needed more appointments and you know how that goes), so he just reset Doozy's missing shoe, and replaced a nail on her other.
Fingers crossed we make it without drama to the originally scheduled appointment next week for her to get a full trim!
charlie liked sniffing the glue lol
Charlie, tho... Well. Idk. He lost BOTH front shoes (again, recall he got Big Mad that I left town without him), and was looking just raggedy enough that we decided to try a cycle or two of glue-on shoes.
Like... Could we have nailed regular shoes on? Yea, probably. But, eh, this is a thing we haven't tried yet, so why not??
and self-service munchies, obvi
Plus we'd love for him to stay on the same shoeing cycle as another barn mate to make it more worth the farrier's time. That original appt was scheduled for next week, so hopefully Charlie can eke out an extra week with the glue-ons and get back onto the same cycle as the other horse next time.
still some nastiness in that abscess on his RH
We shall see, I guess! He still looks a little sad and gimpy after getting shod... tho not nearly as bad as last summer.
farrier advised flushing + painting with iodine to toughen it up
That abscess from a couple weeks ago on his hind foot still looks atrocious tho. It's been almost two weeks since we stopped wrapping it, but the farrier wants me to keep treating with iodine to help it toughen up faster.
oh charles, you are never satisfied <3
Charlie doesn't seem particularly sore or sensitive on it any more -- esp compared to how much it bugged him at first. But ya know. It can never just be easy with this horse!
seems to like his new field buddy tho <3
So we'll see. I'm expecting Doozy to be a little ouchie on the foot for another day or two, but hopefully we can ease right back on into a regular routine. Fall season is almost upon us and I'd love to get out and do some fun stuff!
And I'll keep you posted on the Hanton shoes too -- and lmk if you've tried them! My hope is that Charlie will feel like they're just special + expensive enough for him to feel like he's getting the respect he deserves LOL....
Back in May when it became apparent we'd be moving farms, I'm not gonna lie to y'all... I was a bit, hm. Nervous.
my sweet little wine grape <3
Probably not unlike a lot of you who have dealt with horses for years, lived through all manner of experiences, I felt reasonably confident and secure in my abilities and knowledge. I was surrounded by peers who have been shoulder to shoulder with me through all the ups and downs over the years.
really can't overstate how dry it got in june and july, these two ladies picked this paddock clean in just a few weeks
But it kinda struck me that... Ya know. Going into a new place, a new community that maybe wasn't so familiar with me, or my perception of myself... That it was realistic to expect folks to make first impressions based on what was presented to them.
but just a little rainfall (thanks Debbie!) and suddenly we're growing again!
Which... If you recall back to May... Included a horse and rider who couldn't realistically trot around a circle without a non-zero degree of chaos.
and then omg the two moved into a smaller but rested + luscious paddock!
Maybe in a way it was exactly the reality check I needed. Like. Yea ok, we are kind of ridiculous. But... Eh, I didn't buy Doozy to be perfect, or to go win all the horse show ribbons, or jump giant jumps. I bought her to learn with, to keep developing myself along with her.
knock me over with a feather, but the folks at this farm love mowing haha!
Moving farms kinda stripped away a lot of my crutches... But also maybe some of my mental blocks too. It won't surprise any of you to learn that I can seriously overthink even the most basic activity. Which ring should we ride in, what time will it be, who else will be there, what impact will that have on Doozy...
oooh. we also went to more dressage lessons <3 <3
I'd gotten maybe a little reliant on thinking we couldn't do certain things alone or without help from other riding buddies... That everything had to be curated and set up just right.
had to stop the presses tho bc #cat
And idk. Maybe there was some truth to that. Some of the more toxic qualities of the last place definitely created some unpleasant outcomes for my rides with Doozy.
shocker, did more simple gymnastics at home -- both solo and with trainer Kelly
But. Eh. Since moving to the new place, the entire paradigm has shifted... and also basically just simplified. The horse needs ridden. Ideally daily. So... Go do it.
until it's boring, amirite??
If I didn't want to be the eccentric new (and possibly over-horsed) boarder, for whom "trotting a circle" was questionable.... Well. Go practice and make it better. Every day.
ooooh we did add in that green panel jump top left too -- with no placing poles!!
And for fucks sake, get serious about getting REAL help --- lessons. Routine, regularly scheduled sessions with professionals who can provide that structure for me.
flashback to last Dom lesson -- jumping without placing poles haha srsly tho look how much stronger she's gotten behind!
And guys, Doozy is basically thriving. She's always been a trier. She's always "colored inside the lines," so to speak.
the schweetest critter
But idk. My approach these last couple months has basically been to remove all the pressure, and instead focus on just getting consistent and relaxed. And goooooo figure, it's resulting in... a relaxed horse who is consistently responsive.
cookies for a good girl <3
We legit aren't doing anything any different in terms of specific activities. If anything, we're doing **less** when it comes to stuff like jumping course work or cantering fences and what have you...
doozy's new friends kept her entertained while i was away in Seattle!
But idk. It feels nice. Feels easy, predictable, routine.
first ride back, after legit 10 days off, and we braved the great wide open to survey her #FutureLunch
Not gonna lie, for months last winter and this past spring, it took more effort than I was entirely willing to admit to swing a leg over every day. And not bc I don't enjoy the horse -- I definitely like her very much. But every ride was So. Hard. It felt like it took so much concentration, so much focus, so much more attention to little details in posture and tension... It was exhausting and kinda a demoralizing spotlight on my diminished skills.
lol and she pulled a shoe, WHOOPS. our companion was able to retrieve it for us tho!
The slightest loss of my balance wreaked allllll kinds of havoc. The mare didn't go straight, popped shoulders every which way, spurted off into canter at the slightest provocation.
And I had zero tools other than trying to just strongarm her into obedience. Which... is itself 100% a losing proposition. Y'all read the posts, saw the pictures, watched the videos. You know what I'm talking about LOL.
"you should throw a shoe too!!!" -- Doozy, for sure
But idk. It feels like we've turned a corner. Maybe it's just the natural byproduct of time spent together.... that whole pottery analogy thing I shared earlier this month... It might be, tho, that moving farms was just the shot in the arm we needed.
flat tire didn't slow this one down tho!
The move has kinda given me the space to back off from any goals or pressures around performance expectations etc while we settled in... while also giving me a fresh start at being and presenting myself in a new place. If that makes sense.
but, eh, looks like another few days out of service, womp womp!
Doozy and I went to our first few events together last spring in a somewhat slapdash (ahem) fashion. It was wonderful and invigorating and proved to myself that, yes! we can do this!
But I'm equally excited to put together a little fall season that maybe will have a slightly different feeling to it. Not bc we'd necessarily perform any better (obvi). But bc it just feels like we have so many more tools in place, and are on much more established footing.
Well. Ahem. If she can keep her shoes tied for more than 3wks!! Horses, amirite?
