Loch Moy - Dressage

With the day being so packed with awesomeness, I will be breaking down the three phases of Loch Moy in different posts...I hope the anticipation isn't too much to handle!

The morning of the show was an early one since fellow trailer mate, Brita, had a dressage time before 8am. Luckily for me, I was so beat after CHA and lessons and keeping myself busy, I came home and crashed early so waking up at 4 wasn't so bad. More importantly I didn't have any time to get in my head and get nervous.

Brita put in nice test with her boy and we quickly ran off to get a cart for Emma to walk our XC course. Fellow blogger, Austen, also joined us! She was such an amazing help and event lent me her belt (opps!) for the day.

Thanks Austen for this picture! 

Well right after our course walk, we rushed back and I got myself ready. I thought I had given myself enough time, but I didnt plan on Tillie coming off the trailer a nervous ball of tension. They were running ahead of schedule and I should have declined and opted to do a few minutes longer...so I only got about 20 minutes.

Luckily, Tillie JUST started to settle and while she didnt feel that great, it was good enough. Re-watching the video the first few times, I focused on Tillie and agreed it looked better then it felt. BUT when I watched it and focused on me, I was appalled at how noisy of a rider I appeared to be. **Sigh** I guess the quiet ride all around will come with time.

I am grateful I had such a strong support system which included a bonus of Emma yelling profanities at me to get me to look up not down at my horses neck....I never want to show again without them!

Anywhere here is the video:

So yea....that happened. In the moment, it happened so fast I was shocked. But I went back in and asked to finish. We did, and silly mare tried to pull the same trick again. Not really sure what gremlin was lurking on the inside of the right entrance, but Tillie thought there was one for sure.

The moment I knew I botched royally

It ended up taking a lot of the pressure off and you could even see her relax that much more since I did. I was severely disappointed and it was my first Elimination in dressage ever - but I guess there is a first time for everything right? I was even more disappointed that, despite the judge allowing me to finish, didnt score the remainder of my test...with it being a starter trial, we all assumed they would to at least give my something to go off of.

If only we had a test to score the lovely parts! 

I was really ready to cry. I felt tears stinging and kept trying to tell myself it happens, but it still just sucks. At least this event still allowed me to jump (which I was really not feeling up to at first and felt maybe this test was a bad omen). But Emma convinced me to and insisted I would regret it if I didnt.

Oh haaaaaay fancy pants.

So lesson learned: I need to prep for a longer warm up and I need to not forget to steer. 

I'd like a sense of humor and a little bit of letting things go please

Horses never cease to surprise us and keep us on our toes. That goes for both the good and the bad. With my horse being laid up for a bit, it takes all I have to not feel like we are getting left behind.



All of us riders that compete know what its like to have goals. It is a never ending uphill climb. I really loved the recent blog post from The Chronicle of the Horse: "Embrace the Suck."

It really felt so great to read that and nod at my desk in agreement (I have never ridden levels or movements that high but can relate!). For us worker bees that work all day and ride by night, it is so hard to get out there everyday. Even if it is a 20 minute ride just to push some buttons you've been working to install. You know, to make sure there is still some moment of "oh yes I remember we had an epic meltdown about this once or twice and realized if I just give in you'll stop the pressure"


Those little rides really do make a difference. So everyday I am sidelined I cant help but think of all the ground I am losing and all the progress made slowly slipping through the cracks that we will have to re-apply when we start back up again.

When I get a bit down and out about my riding and where Tillie and I are, I tend to have a much harder time letting things go and general lack of a sense of humor. I take it all way too seriously. I overthink everything. Both of those things are not good together.




Let's just say I am working on it. Maybe that is my problem...Working too hard at it all!? Let loose, have some fun. Why is that soooo hard to do as an adult? I almost feel guilty or like I am sneaking in the fun and if someone catches me I wasnt being professional or adult enough.

But why do I even care? Who cares if I am a goof? Or where Tillie and I are training wise? I am only making it harder on myself with all these expectations and what I think we should be doing. How about, we are where we are and that is just fine. - HA! if only that could be a mantra I could repeat and actually abide by. I am just as guilty of adding the pressure on myself as I am about caring what other people think.



Conclusion: I need to stop caring so much about what other people think. Tillie clearly could care less:

Tillie stretching after her chiro and acupuncture yesterday

Blog Hop: It's Ok to be Weird

These blog hops are just a ton of fun...and in the spirit of keeping the fun theme going and celebrating I decided to create my own. Thanks to the inspiration from Firn's our everyday wins.

Show me some silly moments of you and your horse! 

Tillie clearly thinks icing is boring

I seeeeee you

Must reach the grass on the other side

Tillie's take on showing...Just relax and have fun mom! 

This riding stuff is rough

Tillie's opinion on the Vet X-raying her leg

Snowdy day kisses!

Very mad at me after a harder ride...talk to the butt says Tillie.

Does this make my butt look big?

Eating while laying down is totally normal

My present after returning from Rolex...Burrrrrs everywhere. Tillie clearly didnt enjoy us making fun.

An InLinkz Link-up