Tillie's first show back of the season - Fair Hill

I was feeling a tad worried going into Fair Hill...I really only started digging in to prep about two and a half weeks out. I realized the week before, I had yet to ride my dressage test at all on Tillie let alone some of the movements...nor had I stadium jumped her.

Ummm unprepared much?

Attempting to prep for braiding all by myself!

But our jump prep felt great and our final dressage lesson the day before felt really good, relaxed and consistent even through the test.

I did it! Although not beautiful, I did not melt down

I got her all cleaned up and braided...which if any of you remember is a big deal for me lol. I am not a good braider and in the past would get about 3 braids in before losing it and calling someone for help. So was super proud I did it!

Tucked in and ready to go

Tillie the next morning was really offended I left her in all night...so lesson learned, we will try next time putting her in the smaller paddock with Kiss and hope she keeps her braids in. Because her angst lead to some major issues in our dressage test...like 44.5 points of issues to be exact.

Yea not great. Especially since our flatwork has greatly improved. You can see she just was persnickety and super tense....and it led to me getting flustered. The head flicking...well not ideal and I believe to know the cause and working towards fixing it:

I will say, I didnt feel horrible when I saw a few other riders in my open division with similar scores (I mean we were dead last, but at least we didnt canter out of the ring like that one time though). I had Ryan Wood, Jenny brannigan and similar quality riders in my division...OH and Icabod crane. You know Phillip Dutton's previous mount. 

F- ME. 

We could have used this relaxation in dressage

So new focus...dressage boot camp for a week (currently happening). I was feeling really frustrated and resolved to get this figured out because I KNOW we can do better and more than that we have to do better. I was however happier with her canter and trot lengthenings over previous tests...even if the score didnt reflect it.

But on to jumping!

Tillie warmed up amazingly well. Got all the distances, leads and was forward but would rebalance and jumping like a beast. I opted to go in early and felt ready. The course had a lot more combinations than I was expecting, which were a huge issue for us last season we competed. So I prayed our last jump lesson paid off and we would keep the rails up.

So jump one...we pull a rail. Not exactly how Id like to start...and left lead, not sure where that went?! But I will fess up to the first rail. I got too impatient and didnt keep her balanced...I dropped her before.

But all the hard stuff she nailed and was adjustable and responsive...through the second line however she felt pretty darn heavy. She did respond to be, but I had what felt like 25 lbs in both reins.

We pulled the last oxer's rail as well...as you can see in the video, she got low and I didnt hang out long enough in the turn to get her back so we basically came in low and hot.

But we survived and at this point still in the qualification for waredaca...so XC it is.

Out we went...I had the goal to get as close to time as possible knowing full well I tend to run her too slow. 

She came out strong. Like way too strong. So I had to keep her in check more than i would have liked the first few fences. 

You can see here her pulling my arms off down the hill...and i was thinking oh god if this is the whole course I might die. But knew after jump 4 we had a downhill to a good uphill stretch to let her have at it and get out that pent up energy. 

It worked and rest of the jumps came nice and steady out of a good distance...without always adding!

So not exactly the first outing I had anticipated. BUT there was a lot to like despite the frustrating lows. At least coming out of this i know what we need work on. We at least got the qualification needed for waredaca so 3 more to go!

A few people recommended trying perfect prep or something before dressage...if anyone has suggestions on show day help for relaxation please let me know!

Glory Days

It's amazing looking back at old footage or photos how easy it all looks.  But we all know, in the moment or even moments surrounding that moment was a ton of blood, sweat and tears.

Lately, I have been really nostalgic and review tons of old footage and photos. I guess I am hungry to reflect, learn and keep growing despite feeling a bit unmotivated as far as actually getting in the saddle lately. I blame this some what on an impromptu weekend away at a barn friends bachelorette weekend...and it was right up my ally ( much to my surprise)

Dont usually like selfies or this much of a close up...but gotta love the beach curls

It was really nice to lay around, nap on the beach and most of all swim...what can I say, I am an active person at hear ;)

I realized on my mini vaca that I feel a bit unmotivated in general and have felt a bit weird lately when it comes to riding. Reflecting on this more, I sort of feel like its because I reached my HUGE milestone I set to make it to training level. While there is much to work on and clean up here, its a major accomplishment for me that we made it here and with me in the saddle.

Lots of this lately and its lovely

Dont get me wrong, the lessons are still happening...and lots of learning. I am just laying a bit low lately, hence the lack of blogging.

ALLLLLL the lessons still 

Tillie has been on point, and we have gotten great feedback in lesson noticing overall improvement and thats great to hear! I am still my own worst critic and can admit at times when I feel defeated, I back off before I rally and make my big comeback to kick my fear's ass.

Like galloping on purpose at home in the field. 

Ive turned to an old friend lately to help me relax when I dont ride, and its sketching or drawing!! For those that dont know me well, my degree is in art and design. While I do more marketing and graphic and web design now, my passion still is with good old fashion illustration and painting (particularly charcoal or oil paintings)

Beginning phase of my latest drawing but now including color pencil

Final result

It has felt reallllly good to pick up the pencil again...and I love being able to combine both horses and drawing together. My goal is to fill up my sketch book and just experiment....and i hope it carries over to my riding too. Stop trying to make it all so perfect and just get lost in the art of it all.

I finally today got my professional photos from our last event at Waredaca and boy am I excited to share them. I purchased them because I feel like they captured all Tillie and I have worked for this year...and it basically is me reliving the glory of this moment. Running the XC and being so stoked we ran Training I was choked up running across the finish here.

I really love the last two because you can see me grinning from ear to ear...which is rare to see me do when riding, let along mid-jump. Look at all the other photos and my face ranges from being dead serious, to GRRRRR to "holy shit."

But these last two really epitomize the relationship Tillie and I have built this year. This was one of the trickier combos on the course. It was the B element after a fairly decent bank up, bending line to this skinny. Tillie was brave, hunted the fence and took me right to the base of it without any hesitation at all.

I knew once we jumped it we were home free and my smile and HUGE praise to her and pats after this were just so ridiculous, but to me this moment was the height of all we worked for.

Call me a sap, call my sentimental...but getting to this point has been quite the journey. Most of it documented here. I fret over small things and agonize about our progress, but at the end of the day THIS photo captures our journey this season. Our #progressnotperfection.

I LOVE this mare so much for being able to start this season out at BN and doing Training, with me in the saddle, in the same season and feel sooo good doing it. Sure, her rider needs to figure her shit out and stop getting so nervous, but my mare has stepped up and proven she thrives in this sport. I cant even believe I ever questioned it now.

I promise to try to update my blog more regularly...we have some more things and events on the agenda before the season ends to stay tuned!!!

Riding in the rain

I made it a mission that I would get my booty to the barn Monday despite the rain forecast...with it being close to 60 degrees in December I think it would be a poor excuse to not ride.

Well about halfway to the barn it started to drizzle. No big deal, a little rain won't make me melt. Luckily for me Tillie came galloping up to the gate again (I am sure it was due to being close to dinner time) and I was able to quickly get her ready to try to get on quickly before the heavier rain came.

I chose my shaped snaffle for this ride for times sake...the double rein experiment on the pelham would have to wait another day...so we head down to the ring and warm up at the walk. There were many other riders and a lesson going on, so a lot to look at, but Tillie didnt seem to mind too much. Shockingly, both left and right bend were there fairly easily just off leg and on a looser rein. I started adding contact and she initially wanted to bog down and lean but a few little bumps with the inside leg she went ooooh ok, work mode.

Looking for food before our ride. Note to self: My horse is starting to muscle out like a real horse!

We went ahead and started trotting which the first transition wasnt perfect, but with it being warm up I didnt fuss..just wanted a clean step up off my leg. She was a bit unsure of the rhythm she wanted at first...it was subtle though and simply closing my leg and being consistent in my post led her right to where I wanted. I knew her trot was a bit flat, but for Tillie, warming up there doesnt bother me since more usually isnt the issue and tonight was definitely a less is more kind of night. I could have clucked or used leg and she would have shot forward (usually what we want right!?) I just cant start off sending her off too quickly or else the rest of the ride is focused on getting her to loosen up her back from the excitement of going bigger.

Tillie has no issues with going bigger, we just need to make it relaxed and no big deal.

I focused more on closing the outside rein from my last dressage lesson and started asking for the stretchy trot. While it wasnt as pronounced as my C lesson, Tillie was trying and I could let her frame go longer and bring it back without and loss of connection. Sure it wasnt as long, but Ill take it!

So then we went to canter where I felt the entire ride our transition from my end didnt feel as together. Tillie was doing what she was supposed to, I just couldnt get my own timing right. I am just going to chalk it up to being out of practice...

I did some 20m circles both ways to warm up and establish trot transitions without rein...it was a little harder for her then usual, but again not as bad as I have felt before. I then went into the exercise C gave us for homework. It did exactly what it did in that lesson when we tried it and produce a much softer, maneuverable canter.

And that is when the heavier rain came.

No big deal...I just embraced it despite needing windshield wipers for my face. I was actually about to call it a day on that note, but looking at the time it had only been about 20 minutes and I know I need to start abiding by following a schedule and thought 20 min is usually just enough for warm up and I needed to get into something else to work on something to walk away with new.

I started off with some walk trot transitions in a serpentine pattern fully expecting Tillie to brace through the change from right to left like usual. She did at first and definitely got a bit rushy towards the barn, but a few rounds of that she gave in and became REALLY soft. It was quite lovely.

I was even able to start asking for a bit more of the energetic, working trot here and she was able to without losing the softness. Another win!!

Tillie feeling so proud of herself

Since she got that so quickly, I went ahead and incorporated this into canter trot canter work. I did the below exercise.

Again, I fully expecting bracing to happen and a lot of needing to circle in canter or trot a bit more before being able to complete this exercise. I did have to circle a few times, but all in all she was able to change the rein and transition really well! All while doing this in pouring rain!

Soaking wet selfie to document being awesome.

I could really get used to these more awesome rides :) It is starting to make this riding thing fun, and I know things will get hard again, and there will be ups and downs, but for now I am loving every moment.

The plague

Since my last post, I have fallen prisoner to the plague...Ok I wasnt THAT sick, but it started raining for a week straight and my sickness evolved from one issue to another in a never ending stream of sucky.

Tillie not wanting her photo taken...

Thats better...

That meant no riding for me and intermittent riding for Tillie when I could convince Meri to get out there and hop on her.

I did manage to crawl out of bed to watch a portion of a ride last weekend...while it may have set me back from pushing it, it saved my sanity to be able to see Tillie and be at the barn. Tillie looked willing and fabulous!

Here are some videos of that:

Stills from the video! Yay for a better canter! 

Training to be an eventer...as an "professateur"

I consider myself an amateur in this sport because I am fairly new to it and I don't do this for a living. At the end of the day it is my hobby. Would I like to do it full time? Maybe. But I don't believe I have the wealth of knowledge it takes to do that yet. Technically, I will have to declare myself a professional when I start attempting to do recognized events some day because I teach beginner lessons and accept compensation for doing that. So I guess I am both: A Professateur"

Now I am making up words to figure out where I belong.

This is why I hold myself to the higher standard of that of a professional. I will have to hold my own against them some day. Some day being the operative word there.

Not only am I fairly new to eventing, but also to dealing with young/green horses and having to really put in training rides rather then rides you get on and work on yourself. Maybe this is an incorrect generalization, but it does seem to me that eventers as a group are always approaching their rides with that "training" mentality. Its perfectly reasonable considering there are three entirely different and unique phases we have to prepare our horses for. Once one seems to get ironed out, our horse presents some holes that need filling in another.

While the process is tedious and frustrating at times...it is addicting. Since I have started getting my feet wet in this sport, I am constantly looking for what to work on next.

One of my final rides on my previous horse but still "training" for correct way of going.

Sure there is some overlap in the training for the phases. A half halt is a half halt and if you dont have it in a dressage test, your surely will see that horse galloping cross country like they are in the Kentucky Derby even though they are running BN (Yes that has been me and my horse so I am saying this from experience). But the training for each phase has such subtleties that go beyond just the half halt and it really seems to be about educating the horse to understand each phase and be able the questions in each with the tools learned in training.

We go fast and jump all the things

Dressage always gets put into the "no one enjoys it as much as jumping category" for a reason...its tedious and it calls out your horse's obedience to you as well as your effectiveness as a rider. We all know that any given day those things can change.

Stadium or show jumping is another technical phase that, I feel, requires precision and tests the true suppleness and obedience you have in dressage but over fences. In three day events this is the final phase so it will also test stamina and the ability to recover and regain the sharpness you aim for in dressage but after a strenuous cross country course.

The phase that makes our sport so unique is Cross Country. It is not for the faint of heart and really requires bravery on both horse and rider. It is meant to test endurance and the partnership of the horse and rider to answer the various questions presented over assorted terrain and solid obstacles.

So as a professateur, I am constantly questioning if what I am doing at home is correct. I ride with many different trainers, each strongest in one phase that I use to supplement each other. I sometimes get on my horse for another day to day ride and know what it is we need to work on but overwhelmed with all there is to do. I just get going and find myself doing something else or not really following a plan.

Yes I know horses can throw wrenches in the mix and deviating from the plan is a necessity...but I admit, I need to be better about having a plan that I can deviate from. For example, one of my trainers jumps every Saturday. Thats just part of the plan. Within that, there may be a grid set up or a bending line or a corner...some technical exercise posing a question that is intended for the horse to be able to answer by the end of the ride.

one the many exercises D has had us try

I know some riders even go as far as allotting X amount of time for warm up, X amount for working on something new and then X amount for a cool down or reestablishing what is already known.

Call it a playbook or what have you, but Id like to make it a goal to come up with a better plan and exercises to do when on my own. Yes we may have to deviate from that on any given day if a different challenge presents itself, but at least I have a "check list" to follow and stay on track.

Does anyone do something similar or have any useful resources they use?