3 problems with having a horsey husband

I realize that I'm lucky because my husband shares my passion for horses and riding. We love spending time with each other, and we love spending time with each other on horseback. However, while having a horsey spouse definitely has its advantages (i.e. we never have that discussion on "HOW much does this sport cost again?!?!), there are a few downsides that you might not have considered.

1. You have to buy a horse for him. Said horse might be more expensive and better trained than your own horse.

The Incomparable Brego

2. You're not the only one who wants fancy new tack. In fact, your husband might have his eye on this fancy Custom Saddlery monoflap, despite the fact that he already has three saddles. He also owns four bridles, including some fancy custom Portuguese jousting thing with cast brass bling. 

He wants one. I want one. Who will get one first? Obviously the CORRECT answer is that you each get the other one a saddle for your 10th anniversary. That seems fair, right?

3. He will borrow your horse, and look damn good doing it.

I mean, we get "cute pair" on dressage tests all the time, but HE has women falling all over him and Paddy at jousts, and I'm just "the squire". Not. Fair.

All joking aside, having both of us be horsey works out pretty well, and I wouldn't change it for the world. Our riding interests are different enough that we don't compete against each other, but we support each other at our respective competitions (my hubby is the best chai-maker, test caller, and cheering section a girl could ask for). We take lessons from the same trainer (we do not share lessons, DO NOT DO THAT) and we both love trail riding and foxhunting, so we do that together.  

Yes, he's reading Kottas on Dressage. This photo was not a setup, FYI.

Does your spouse/significant other ride? Do you wish they did, or are you content to have different hobbies?

It might be time to replace these...

I've been thinking about getting some new winter breeches.

A hole.

A repaired tear (courtesy of a mesquite tree attack).

Lots of missing stitches.

Mind you, this particular pair of Kerrits fleece knee patch breeches are 12 years old, and I wear them constantly during the winter (ahem below 60 degrees ahem). I've actually got another pair that's in better shape, but they're both really thin in the seat. I tend to wear things until they're unwearable, and I think these are about ready for burial. Still, 12 years of hard use is pretty damn impressive, plus they're warm, comfortable, and hay doesn't stick to them. I'd buy the exact same breeches again, except that nobody actually has them in my size in reasonable colors. Pout.

So, anyone got any recommendations for winter breeches? Knee patch or F/S, I'm not picky. Must come in conservative dressage queen wannabe colors (e.g. not red, pink, purple, electric blue, etc). Hay shedding capabilities a plus.

Paddy vs Taran: Trail riding perspective

I love taking Paddy out on the trials. He's solid, steady, and doesn't spook. I'm pretty sure he's on a first-name basis with all the deer in our neighborhood. The bunnies in the bushes don't bother him, joggers might have foodz (hey, hope springs eternal!) and unfamiliar dogs might be new friends. Basically he's the perfect trail horse.

The world is awesome, and there are foodz everywhere!

Taran, on the other hand, is convinced that everything eats grey horses. EVERYTHING. Deer and bunnies are dangerous. Squirrels are dangerous. Leaves and sticks and rocks and cacti are dangerous. Invisible things can't be trusted either. However, one must always be on the lookout for foodz. 

The world is terrifying, but there might be foodz.

What's your horse's view of trail rides?

Knowing your dressage judges - dressagedetective.com

Until recently, I didn’t really care which judge I rode for at shows. Sure, some judges tend to be a little more lenient than others, but generally scores are pretty close. I just signed up for shows that were close/convenient to me and fit my schedule, and go. Checking out who I'd be riding for didn't really occur to me.

However, I'm trying to qualify for several USDF awards programs, including:

• Region 9 SWDC Championships
• GIAC Championships
• Rider Award (Training level)
• Horse Performance Award (Training level)
• USDF Bronze medal (someday)

Each one of these programs requires you to get a certain score for a certain number of different judges. The Rider Award was the hardest - we needed to have 10 scores from FOUR different judges. I was scrambling to figure out who the judges were for all the shows last year, and it turns out there's one particular judge who is at almost every show I rode at last year. Turns out, he's the 11th most popular judge in the U.S - you might have ridden for him too! 

Anyway, hunting down judges led me to discover dressagedetective.com, which is somewhere I can waste a lot of time. Basically, someone smart had fun scraping dressage data off of public sites (like centerlinescores.com)  and aggregating it. You can look up the judges you're riding for and get an idea of how hard they judge. So for example, you're looking to get that last qualifying score, you might not pick someone with a low generosity rating. Of course, that might come back to haunt you when you're at a championship show and get your ass handed to you by someone who scores harder!

Or if you're me, you don't care so much about the generosity rating, but just want to make sure you're riding for enough different judges so that all your scores count. I swear, picking shows for the calendar is harder than it looks!

Do you pick shows based on judges or other factor? Or is it really more about distance traveled?

A certain Haflinger might be getting a Training Level Performance Award, despite his best efforts otherwise.

My love/hate relationships with videos of my riding

I love a good picture of me and Paddy – you know, that video still you carefully select, or when the photographer captures that moment when you look like you’re in perfect harmony with your horse?

We look awesome!

…. And then I watch the video of my ride and am reminded that a photo captures but a moment in time, while the video tells the entire story. Often, that's not a story I want to see, much less show to anyone else.

HAHAHAHA! Just kidding.

In all honesty, I hate watching videos of myself.

But I do it anyway, because I learn SO MUCH. I can see the moments where I lose my position in the transitions, and see exactly how I lose it - and then I can work on fixing it. I can see how much Paddy braces on me and curls, and how much I brace back. I can see how craptastic my posting is on Taran (Seriously? When did I forget how to post?). Videos helped me figure out exactly how I'm sitting unevenly, and now I'm working on addressing the problem. If I'm watching videos of a lesson, I can listen to what my trainer was saying during each moment as the disaster unfolds and I try desperately to fix it.

(Present-time Me also now yells at Video Me to use more leg or put my hands down or SIT UP or whatever because I can see what needs doing from the ground but apparently can't yet feel it from the saddle. Alas, yelling doesn't seem to make any difference to Video Me.)

But don't take MY word for how helpful videos are. A recent study published in the January USDF Connection showed that young riders who received verbal instruction, watched videos of themselves receiving the instruction, then practicing showed significantly more improvement than those who just received verbal instruction and practiced.

 

So sucker your friends (or husband) into grabbing a little video of you next time you ride, then sit down and watch it. If you're like me and get depressed about how many things are wrong, pick out at least 2 things you are doing WELL, because I guarantee that you are. Then focus on one thing you'd like to improve, then really work on that in your next few rides.

PRO TIP: When watching videos, try not to let anyone catch you yelling at Video Self. Even my husband (who is pretty used to how weird I am) looks at me funny.

Unlocking the big trot

Taran is half Fells Pony, and it shows up in his trot. His usual trot is this tiny, mincing gait, with no reach and not much forward movement.

Fells Pony x TB = Llama?

He’s also quite stuck in his shoulder, an affliction which may in part be left over from when he stepped on a nail 5 years ago, had surgery, and spent months limping around on his RF. 

Stuck in the shoulder.

On the bright side, Taran has an excellent tempo that requires very little management on my part, unlike certain Haffies who require micro-management of every step lest they barge off down centerline (ahem).

In our regular rides, Taran has started to relax his shoulder and stride out more, which is exciting. He’s better going left, probably because his RH doesn’t step under as well (we’re working on that). I’ve asked him for a little lengthening now and again, and while he does try for a bigger step, it’s only marginally bigger, and not really what I’m looking for.

It takes some convincing, but this is now his "normal" working trot.

It is SO HARD to be Taran.

So last weekend, hubby and I were out on the trails and I wanted to try something new. We had Brego go first at a canter, and I brought Taran behind him, but kept him to a trot (Brego is a wee bit slow lol). His trot got bigger… and bigger… and bigger… until suddenly it was like someone unlocked all his joints and he was REALLY moving out! His back had so much swing, and his shoulders really came up and out – the difference was amazing! We only did it for a short time because I’m sure it was hard for him, but I was able to ask him several times and get it. In my head it looks like a Grand Prix extended trot, which is probably not the case, but it’s definitely better than his mincing pony trot!

Now, we just need to be able to do that in the arena, on command… 

Looking ahead to 2016

I always debate on goals... I mean, I have them, but let's be real - horses don't abide by anyone's timeline but their own. A lameness, an injury, or just taking a year to figure out how to canter... the best laid plans can go out the door in the blink of an eye. So this year, I have one REAL goal:

REMEMBER MY FUCKING DRESSAGE TESTS

I am SO TIRED OF THIS.

Yup. If I can do that, I'll be pretty happy.

Then, there are a bunch of things that are out of my direct control, but that I will work toward accomplishing anyway:

1. Get Paddy sound and keep him sound.
2. Get the scores I need at first level for my bronze medal.
3. Get the scores I need at training and first level to qualify for the Region 9 championships. 
4. Ride a test at second level.

And then we have the one crazy-ass goal:

1. Get scores at second level for my bronze.

2015 was a great year, and despite starting 2016 with the Haffie in rehab, I still have Taran to ride and I'm feeling very positive. Onward and forward (with bend, and suppleness, and all those things)!