What's the craziest thing you've ever done with your horse?

Recently the hubby and I were looking through some old pictures, and we came across some that were truly gems. It's kind of amazing what you forget you've done, but then you find the photographic evidence (some of which you wish would just magically disappear) staring you right in the face.

Exhibit A: Fuzzypony and "The Horse of a Different Color" 

That's Fuzzypony dressed as a munchkin, and my Lipizzan mare Karlita (aka Moose) dyed pink - all for a Wizard of Oz themed party. I managed to escape having the moment immortalized on camera by being the one taking the picture... thank goodness!

The backstory on this is that a mutual friend of ours put on a party with the theme of "Return to Oz". He wanted to have the Horse of a Different Color as a photo op for guests. Fuzzypony and I spent an afternoon applying pink and purple human hair dye to one Very Patient Lipizzan mare.

I remember spending a lot of time laughing about how the dye was super-safe because the label said it was "Not Tested On Animals," to which we gleefully responded, "Now it has been, and it works GREAT!" I'm pretty sure the folks at the barn we were boarding at at the time thought we were certifiable, which was (and probably still is) the case.

Moose was a huge hit at the party, and I am pleased to report that the dye mostly washed out after one good shampooing, as advertised. Moose did have a slight purplish streak in her tail for about a month afterwards, though, and I'm not sure she ever entirely forgave me for the experience. Certainly it's something I'll never forget!

What's the craziest thing you've ever done with your horse? Bonus points for pics on your blog!

Every Haffie needs Minions! (WARNING: Xtreme Cute Post)

Since Dom requested a cuteness warning about the last post, I'm warning you now: this post is possibly EVEN CUTER than any other post. EVER.

If you read Adventures with Shyloh, you'll know that Shyloh, who is also a Haffie, has minions. Paddy reads Shy's blog and has decided that he needs minions too. He really likes our neighbor mini-donkeys, but they aren't very personable, so he's kind of given up on them.

But this weekend at our jumping lesson, he found his very own pair of minions:

Are those...???

OOOOH! OOOH! MINI-ONS! MINI-ONS FOR MEEE!

Meet Sonny (the pinto) and Cher (the roan)!

And the REALLY adorable part? Sonny JUMPS!!!!

Sonny even jumps the same grids the big horses do!

See? Dangerously cute!

Literally progressing by leaps and bounds

A month ago, we couldn't trot with a steady rhythm up to and over an X. Every jump required a placing pole after it, to get Paddy to slow down and think. I was sitting the trot up to every fence to keep a decent rhythm.

A week ago, we were only allowed to canter a single vertical, and ONLY if we were steady up to it. (This while hubby on Reddums was gleefully cantering everything tidily. SO NOT FAIR.)

This week, we cantered damn near all the jumps, and while it wasn't anywhere near perfect, we got the job done and were significantly less of a train wreck... most of the time.

Jumps are apparently higher than they appear to be.

We are working on so many things. Rhythm, balance, straightness. So much to do, so much to keep track of.

Sometimes it looks awesome.

Sometimes it actually RIDES awesome too.

At this point in his training, I sort of have to micro-manage every footfall, especially in the canter. Otherwise he'll get strung out, fall on his forehand, swap leads, throw his shoulder, or all of the above. Sometimes all at once, too.

Then we look like awesome sauce. 

Sometimes, though, I remember to sit up, half halt him, keep the rhythm, and we make it work.

The roll top is lava! Don't touch eeet!

 Other times, not so much.

A classic "oh shit moment". Yes, I really did say "oh shit" at the base of this fence. He jumped it anyway, because he's just that kind of guy.

Wanna see this bad boy on video? Here you go. Just turn down your speakers, mmkay? The good news is that we recovered just fine and went on to do the line right after it. Eventers get the job done!

I'm just having SO MUCH FUN with Paddy. Every ride is progress, every ride is so much better than the last. He tries so hard and he works so hard, and he really, really wants to get it right. That combined with his athleticism, what more could I possibly ask for? Other than the adorable face, I mean!

Why I am a loyal Dover customer

I know, there are lots of folks who would argue with me about Dover. Their shipping is slow and expensive. Their products can be found for less money at other stores. Those *@(&#^ "Best Sale Ever" catalogs aren't really great sales - they just claim it's a sale off the "list price," wherever that number comes from. These things are all absolutely true... and yet...

Dover honors their 100% satisfaction guarantee. No matter what. And their customer service, both online and in-store, is absolutely second to none. Here's my story:

Before the holidays, I posted on the Tack Sale page that I was selling off Saga's old Rambo. There was nothing wrong with it, it was barely used, but obviously an 81 doesn't fit any of our current horses. Nobody was interested in it, and I was thinking about posting it on Ebay just to get it out of my tack room. Then, at the dressage show last month, the organizer (who is also the assistant manager at the new Dover store in town) suggested that I return it to Dover, and tell them my horse had passed away. I told her that I felt really bad doing that, because it was used and I'd had it for a few years, but she said it didn't matter. Besides, I really did need to get a new blanket for Reddums, so I could just exchange it for the same thing in a different size.

So hubby took the blanket (cleaned and in a bag) to Dover, since the store is by his office. They could not find the record of the purchase since it was over two years ago, but they took it back anyway.

I KNOW we bought it from Dover, since at the time it was the only tack store I ordered from, and our (until recently only) local tack shop doesn't carry Rambo so I wouldn't have bought it there. Still, there was no record of the purchase - but the manager very nicely said it was no problem and we could return it anyway. We exchanged it for a very nice medium weight Rambo Wug for Reddums that fits him perfectly.

They've also been super-helpful for me with choosing an eventing vest, even ordering a variety of other sizes/brands from other stores so I can try them on. And I've used their online chat more times that I can recall to ask questions about products - everyone has always been very helpful and professional, without being pushy to make a sale.

Y'all, THAT is why I don't mind paying a bit more for stuff from Dover. I can buy things with the peace of mind that if there is every any problem, I can return it and they will take it back, no questions asked. There are very, very few stores out there that have that sort of policy, and to me that's a value add that I'm willing to shell out a bit more for. Good customer service is valuable to me, and I know I will get it from Dover.

Plus the fact that there is now a store here in Austin... well that's just downright dangerous! ;)

Totally gets two thumbs up!

NOTE: These are my opinions. Dover has not asked me to write this, nor have they compensated me in any way.

Goals, hopes, and crazy-ass dreams for 2014

I started writing this post back in mid-December. I had plans to do crazy things like go Beginner Novice this spring, at a recognized show. While I think we could still accomplish that if I were riding 6 days a week with a good trainer, that's not something my schedule or my budget allow for right now.

So instead of focusing on shows and such, I thought hard about where our strengths and weaknesses are, and where I want our partnership to be at the end of the year. Right now we have a solid beginning to an amazing relationship, but we're not ready to go tackle the world just yet. Paddy doesn't need show miles just for the sake of getting out to a show atmosphere - he needs basic work at home on strength and obedience to leg, seat, and hand aids. He can jump the moon, but needs to learn how to relax and think instead of charging full-bore at everything. Shows will come when we are ready for them, not because of some schedule.

With that in mind, I've overhauled my original goals and come up with these instead:

• Be lighter and more obedient to the aids in dressage. 
• Work on first and second level trot work.
• Solidify canter leads until there's no doubt he'll get what I ask for. 
• Work on balance and collection in canter. A 10 meter canter circle by December would be a nice Christmas gift. :)
• Work on steady rhythm up to and after jumps.
• Focus on balance after the jump - no barging around on the forehand.
• Trust him over the fences enough to release him without collapsing my body like the jump is 4'. 

Before the end of the year, I'd love to:

• Have a great working partnership built on trust and good basics.
• Put in a first-level dressage test, either at home or at a show, and do a good job of it.
• Canter a full stadium course (at whatever fence height is appropriate) with a steady rhythm and good balance. Bonus points if we do it at a show.

I will hit all the local schooling dressage shows that we can, at whatever level we're working on at the time, because they're close, cheap, and good experience. I'll also attend the local schooling horse trials at whatever level I feel that we can rock. If that means we stay at GAG all year, fine. If we can magically move up to BN, that's cool too. Whatever is appropriate, and only if we are ready to go out and absolutely rock it. In fact, I opted not to enter the HT on the 19th, deciding that our time and money would be better spent with another dressage lesson, because that's where we're at. I'm good with that.

Haflinger registry goals:

The Haffie registry has a number of year-end awards that we have signed up for. Might as well promote the Haffies, right?

• Complete at least 200 hours of ride time in 2014 and qualify for a Recreational Rider award. This means riding roughly 15 days/mo for an hour per ride. Good motivation to get my a$$ off the couch!
• Be the Riding Performance Division Champion or Reserve Champion Riding for 2014 (Sounds grand, doesn’t it? But there aren’t many people who point hunt in the haffie registry, so we’ve got a chance!)

Crazy-ass dreams:

• Go BN at a USEA recognized event. Seems unlikely, but if we're ready for it and I think we can score well enough to be competitive, we'll do it!
• Show at a recognized dressage event. Again, seems unlikely now, but we'll see how the year pans out!
• Do 2'6 jumpers at a H/J schooling show. Because we sure as heck don't belong in the hunters, lol!
• Put together a 1st level musical freestyle and perform it at our local dressage schooling show. Performing a musical freestyle has been on my bucket list since... oh, like 1999. It's time to do it already, and if we can get the canter together, I think we can do one.

I hope everyone's year is already off to a great start with their goals. Let's do it, y'all!

Paddington is totally ready to rock-n-roll… right after his nap!

Yes, I ride my horse in a kimberwicke. Sue me.

I ride my horses in the absolute softest bit I can get them to go in. My entire bit collection is made up of various types of snaffle bits, all of which are dressage legal (this means no slow twists, no “wedges” or “triangles”, no two-metal bits, etc.) I’ve been known to foxhunt Red in a mechanical hackamore and a friend once showed Cash in a sidepull. If I could go with no bridle, I’d totally do it.

But when your Paddington blows through strongest snaffle and keeps on trucking at approximately mach one-Haffie, you pull out the only “big gun” you have – a kimberwicke that we used for foxhunting Oberon.

Schnoz pictures are surprisingly difficult when the Haffingon thinks you have treats.

NOTE: Just because Paddy has tiny cute earz does not mean he has a tiny cute nose. Bo’s SIX INCH kimberwick fits him fine. Not even joking.

So yeah. I ride dressage in a kimberwicke. My dressage instructor isn’t too excited about this because it’s not legal, but she understands why I use it. If I use a softer bit, we get into a tug-of-war where he ignores me until I have to use huge aids to get him to listen. The nice thing about the kimberwicke is that I can be very soft with my aids and get a response.

Obviously this is not where I want to be long-term. We need to work on Paddy’s softness and attention to aids so that we can back off to something more reasonable. Of course, for the near term, I need to find a bit that is dressage-legal but still gives me some hope of keeping Mr. Paddykins in the arena. Right now I’m trying a baucher, which seems to get his attention better. My trainer suggested trying a Myler baucher, since it’s a thinner bit and has the tongue relief, so I’ve got that on order. I don’t like using a flash, but that’s another option I’m willing to consider if it will allow me to use softer aids.

I feel of like I’m sticking a band-aid on a known problem – throw in a stronger bit and crank his mouth shut so he can’t avoid aids – but what else do you do with a horse that literally blows through your strongest aids? My goal here is to get some sort of baseline so that he knows when I half-halt, I mean business. Then I can half-halt more and more quietly until I’m barely asking at all. I’m incorporating voice aids too, working on the longe line, so that if I say “easy” under saddle, he slows down a bit. Hopefully between the two we’ll be in a much different place 6 months or a year on down the road.

Have you experimented with bits? What works best for your horse?

The Great Eventing Vest Dilemma (opinions needed!)

Years ago, my parents gave me a Tipperary eventing vest, back before vests were required for competition (yeah, I’m that old). I LOVE that vest – it’s light, breathable, and super flexible, and even in 100+ degree Texas heat, I don’t really notice I’m wearing it.

Most of the vest companies recommend replacing vests every 2-5 years, or more often if you hit the ground in them. Mine is... uhm… at least 15 years old. Although it still fits just fine, the foam is noticeably thinner than on the new vests I’ve tried out, and the zipper is shot. In other words, it’s waaaay past time to replace it.

My Tipperary vest, circa 1999

I really want my new vest to be certified – the Tipperary vests are not certified because they are constructed of many small pieces of foam, and theoretically would allow an object to puncture the space between the foam. So I’ve been looking at a couple of other companies that make certified vests, namely Airowear, Charles Owen, and Rodney Powell.

Charles Owen vests

The design and construction of these vests is quite similar – solid pieces of foam over the body. Our local Dover store carries the Airowear vests, so I tried a few of them on. After wearing the Tipperary for most of my adult life, I can definitely say that I do NOT like the bulk of the other style of vests. The Tipps are very flexible and really move with you, but in the Airowear I felt like I couldn’t even get my arms down by my sides because of the bulk of the vests. But ok, whatever, I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of comfort for a certified vest.

Airowear vest

However, I’ve encountered a stumbling block that may leave me with very little choice as to the vest I ultimately purchase. My original Tipperary vest is custom-made, because when I got it, Tipperary ONLY did custom vests. What I did not realize is that despite the plethora of sizes that are now available, I may still need to have a custom vest made, because NONE of the off-the-rack vests fit me. Here are the issues:

• Chest size – Much to my embarrassment, I’m a kid’s size. Even the smallest women’s sizes leave too much of a gap around the bust. But if I go with a kid’s size vest, they are far too short in both the front (don’t cover the ribs) and the back (don’t cover my tailbone).
• Tailbone protection – The Tipperary Tall XS is the only vest that actually covers my tailbone. All the rest of them, even in the “long” lengths, are at least an inch (even two!) above the end of my tailbone. Airowear does make an “extra long” length, but the measurements show that it will probably still be too short. And because it’s special order, I can’t return it if it doesn’t fit.
• Rib protection – The front of the Airowear vests are at least an inch above the end of my ribs. However, the Tipperary covers my entire rib cage. 

I have not tried on either the Charles Owen or the Rodney Powell vests, but I could order both types of vests to try on and see if I like the construction. Neither manufacturer makes off-the-rack vests in a size that I’d have any hope would fit me, so I’d definitely have to return whatever I ordered and order something custom-made to fit. Tipperary, Airowear, and Rodney Powell will make vests custom-sized, but it doesn’t look like Charles Owen will (boo).

Rodney Powell Pro Body Armor

So it looks like my choices are a non-certified custom Tipperary, or a custom certified RP or Airowear vest. I’m super-tempted to go with the Tipperary, just because they are a comfortable and known quantity, but there’s that little certification thing in the back of my mind. So, anybody had any experiences with any of the other vests, or with having a vest custom-made from any of these companies? I need some help making a decision!!!