Sisyphus

I hadn't realized how long it has been since my last blog post-I could have sworn I had posted something over the fall before I fell off the radar, apparently though this was not the case. For that I apologize. The past year and a half have made me feel like Sisyphus-I roll my rock almost to the top of the hill and then bamm, we crash back down to the bottom.

Here is the 30 second recap of last summer-fall: Bastian steadily improved, but not enough to get anywhere near respectable enough scores at the one and only show we made it to (WPDA Summer Sizzler in August). He simply was not fit enough to pull off Second level or our Para-test (Equivalent to Third Level). It was disappointing and frustrating to say the least. In September we got to ride in a clinic with Debbie Rodriguez, hosted by Uphill Dressage. The clinic was awesome and we learned a lot to say the least.

Look how cute he is! We still need more uphill and power from behind in our canter, but he is well on his way!

Fall-Winter Recap: We kept applying the concepts we learned at the clinic and I rode in lessons whenever my meager budget allowed it. Then on November 11th, Bastian decided the door, wheelbarrow, the arena dirt, the air, ???????? was scary. Long story short, I ended up on the arena floor with a fractured hip. For those of you keeping record, that is a total of 8 broken bones, 6 of which have been horse related, 2 of which are specifically attributed to my lovely Bastian. The silver lining? I didn't need surgery and by the week of December 22nd, I was back in the saddle.

Bastian's text messages to me the next day.....

Slowly, but surely, (mostly slowly) we have been rebuilding our muscles (my core strength is gone! :( )and our confidence. The weather has been a royal pain in the butt, along with a busy work schedule so I have only been making it out twice a week, three times if I was lucky, to work Bastian. But as of this week, that's all starting to change! Tomorrow's forecast is a high of 39 and the rest of the week is in the 40s. I am super stoked! And don't tell Bastian because I don't want him to be disappointed, but he might even get to be naked this week....shhhhhhhhh! I don't want to jinx it.

While there has been absolutely no progress on the Bastian fitness, conquering-Second-Level-moving -up-to-Third front. There have been some major changes going on. Some good, some sad. In February we moved to a new boarding facility. Bastian loves it there!

He has a huge, lovely stall and their indoor is filled with huge, lovely mirrors.

He has settled in very nicely. Perhaps the coolest part is that the barn is a mere 10 minutes from my house. I used to drive almost an hour! I love having the extra time to spend with Bastian and we've been spending it by bonding a bit more as I pick out his stall or just stand with him while he eats his hay and talk to him. I didn't get to fit enough of that in when he was at Kens- I was on such a time schedule with having to drive out there, chase him around his pasture, then drive back home that I was definitely shaving off the excess and didn't spend nearly enough time just being with my handsome man. And did you see, he gets a stall guard. Being the social butterfly that he is he loves this! And I have to admit that its pretty cool when I walk down the aisle and I see him poke his devilishly handsome face out his door.

The downside to all of this? I can't ride with Tawny anymore. She was doing such a superb job with Bastian and I and I definitely miss that. At the moment we're flying completely solo, which is kinda alright since I don't even feel like I'm to a baseline where we are fit enough to participate in lessons, but I miss her insight and her understanding of how Bastian and I operate, thankfully (hopefully!) I can still have her coach at shows over the summer. Right now in our lightened work-load state, I have to give total props to Tawny for teaching Bastian how to properly perform a rein back. He does it so amazingly well, I'm really looking forward to going to a show because I feel like it is going to be one of our strongest points in our test.

So here's to warmer temps, no freezing rain, and no more injuries. Hello 2015!

Slow & Steady Progress

Well, it seems (knock on wood) that Bastian is back to living up to his Luck Dragon legacy. Things are definitely on the upswing for us. In the past month we've managed to get the majority of his strength back and with all of his parts and pieces feeling 100% he has been giving it 150% in his workouts and all of our hard work is starting to pay off.

We had fun playing hunter horse at the Up & Over show at the Buckeye Horse Park in June, where Bastian strutted his Thoroughbred stuff and earned the Champion Ribbon for the Thoroughbred Not to Jump Division. Since then we've honed in on our weaknesses within the tests and on our basic weaknesses and just schooled, schooled, schooled.

Our biggest 'basic' weakness is straightness. Tawny has me focusing on keeping his shoulders and hips aligned and keeping the correct bend in the rib cage every step of the way and it has truly started to pay off. I am actually feel when he's out of alignment now-not something I could really do before, but all this work has started to make me much more aware of it. So everything we do has to be done straight. Bastian has started to pick up on it to and he has slowly started to correct himself, it's more difficult so if I'm not on the ball then it's usually his left hips that come 'in.'

Our weaknesses in the test are the mediums, extensions and the walk pirouettes. We are making solid progress on our mediums however and we'll just pretend that we're making progress on our extensions...lol. I think that particular movement is just difficult for him physically, his stride is naturally a bit more huntery-daisy-cuttery than dressagey, so taking bigger strides and reaching through his shoulders has been a challenge for him. On Friday when I rode, every medium we did felt amazing! I have no idea what they looked like, but he was rocked back on his hocks, he kept his poll steady, he was lifting his shoulder and he was straight. Again, I've gotta give Tawny most of the credit on this one as she has been super focused on that area since I put him back into training with her. Here is a lovely picture of him working to 'extend' those lovely front legs!

Our walk pirouettes on the other hand, well, they aren't small circles anymore! I'm hoping that instead of the 5's I scored before that I can at least bump those up to a 6s. Bit by bit we're getting better and he's been trying his little dragony heart out, making every ride fantastic. In August we're headed to the WPDA Summer Sizzler where we'll be riding our Grade IV Team and Individual tests. I'm excited to see the progress we've made since last year when we scored a 59%.....

Also on the Schedule is a trip to New Alexandra, PA where Bastian and I have signed up to ride in a Symposium with Debbie Rodriguez. I'm totally stoked about going! So although we really aren't competing this year, we are making a ton of educational progress so that we do finally make it to some shows in 2015 we are gonna be ready to rock it.

Finally, an interesting story about Bastian's Neue Schule Bit. I switched him to the Tranz Training Lozenge a few months ago and had noticed a difference in the feel of his mouth. He was softer and there was less movement through his poll, and well he's always been slobbery so not really a big change there. For the hunter show, wanting to 'fit in' aesthetically, I switched to one of my old bits for Bastian, a straightforward French link D-Ring. He was not a happy camper when we schooled in it for 30 minutes, he just wouldn't soften and kept bracing against it. So, long story short, I decided to forego 'fitting in' and switched back to our Neue Schule bit for the rest of the show. In the past I had always switched out bits without there being a noticeable difference in his acceptance of what bit I used. Bastian has become quite communicative in this past year and I tell you what, the more I learn the language the more we continue to improve. If you've been on the fence about trying out a new bit for you horse, I highly recommend the Neue Schule line, they are fantastic. There aren't many North American retailers, but Hastilow Competition Saddlery carries the full line, click here to check them out!

100,000 Piece Puzzle- -Dressage Horse!

Aye me. "The art of simplicity is a puzzle of complexity." -(Doug Horton)

I know I haven’t been keeping up with my blog, but there isn’t much to report. In fact there is pretty much nothing to report and there will be nothing to report. The past two months have been the equivalent of a long episode of House.

After getting his hocks done, Bastian’s back went wonky. I believe it was due to him getting his back out of whack chiropractic-ly. So I started with getting his saddle fitted, it had been over a year since I had the saddle and flocking checked. There was definitely some improvement and my saddle was due for a re-flocking. I also got him a jumping saddle, a lovely Hastilow Concept Reflex Jumping saddle……a work of art.

Look at that beauty! Its got a Bio-kinetic simatree, an adjustable gullet and moveable thigh blocks. Its amazingly comfortable and I look forward to jumping many tiny fences with it....lol. You'll have to pardon my black dressage leathers on it...it was the only extra pair I have at the time.

A week or so after getting the saddle adjusted I had the chiropractor out and put a gazillion ribs back into place and made some other adjustments. Bastian was very happy while was working, he kept giving little sighs and licking and chewing. After that he felt better, but he still wasn’t 100%.

Step Three was the Vet. Dr. Hill from Cleveland Equine did a fantastic job evaluating him. I had xrays done to make sure there wasn’t anything more sinister going on in his back and they came back lovely, his vertebrae were perfect. (I know, I’m biased!) If I can figure out how to get the images off of the CD I have, I’ll post pictures of those beautiful bones. I had his back injected and he had four days off.

When I rode him next he felt great, forward, willing to use his back and lift and super responsive to my half halts. Hooray, problem solved right? One would think so and had I not been dumb we might be both be happier now. Well at least I would be, he’s actually been pretty happy. I would have not had the two weeks of worry and depression trying to figure out what else I could possibly do for him and if maybe he just wasn’t cut out for doing dressage. Believe me, if it was a possibility I explored it.

So I’m sure you are all wondering how I could possibly be dumb, right? (that’s sarcasm by the way….) I was checking for back soreness in the wrong way. I learned this because we had a follow-up appointment with the vet yesterday and when she checked for back soreness, there was of course, none. So she asked me how I was checking, I showed her and she very kindly explained that I was doing it wrong. In my defense, I was doing what I have seen everyone else do to check for back soreness. So the lesson here is just because everyone else does it, it doesn’t make it right! Lesson learned.

Bastian has been much happier since getting his back injected. He’s letting me catch him in the pasture again, he is generally just happier when I’m brushing him and wow is he starting to look great on the lunge. That’s all we’ve been doing for the past few weeks aside from the two times that I rode him. I’m anxious to get back to riding though and to break in my jumping saddle over some actual jumps…

In other news, our show season for this summer is pretty much null and void. All the money I had managed to put away to pay show fees this summer was spent on the vet and chiropractor. So I’m hoping to maybe go to the WPDA Summer Sizzler in August, but I’m not holding my breath. I figure time-wise it’s enough to get him to where he physically needs to be in order to compete at 2nd Level. Although this makes me really sad because I love to compete, I’ve made my peace with it.

Through all of this I have to give a huge shout out to the saddle fitters at Hastilow Competition Saddlery. They have been in constant communication with me throughout this whole process. I would send messages about Bastian’s progress or lack thereof and passed along the vet reports and chiropractor reports and we would discuss possibilities and ideas to try and get him back to 100%. That is customer service at its best. I couldn’t be happier with my pair of Hastilow saddles and how much better Bastian moves because of the ability to completely customize the fit. It’s given me great peace of mind to know that I can rely on their skills and professionalism. My horse is not an easy fit and they have worked relentlessly to make sure that he is happy and moving the best he can. If you haven’t contacted them about either a new saddle or getting your current saddle reflocked and checked for fit do it now! Your horse will thank you!!! Not to mention they have huge inventory of used saddles as well and deal with several different brands-not just Hastilow. Their goal is always to provide a proper fit to the horse to make them comfortable and happy in their work.

And I’m going to also suggest that you check out their inventory of Nueu Schule bits-I haven’t had the chance to try out my new bits for my double, but he loves his Tranz Training bit and has become softer and more responsive in the mouth. Seriously they put the Herm Sprengers to shame (in my oh so humble opinion).

These past three months have absolutely driven home the notion that riding is a comprises of many pieces and only when you have them fit together and working smoothly will it work. I count myself lucky that each of the professionals that I have aiding me in figuring out the puzzle that is Bastian are all fabulous. Each one has offered suggestions and when I passed that information on to the others, they took that information and used it to figure out the best way to help Bastian out. This type of holistic approach can be tricky, especially in the horse world. A lot of equine professionals have egos and are quick to blame other professionals. I feel lucky that I have some of the best professionals out there to consult with and that they are putting Bastian's happiness and my peace of mind first. Thank you!!!!

Until next time, enjoy the weather and make sure you get a good roll in when you need it!

P.S. Congrats to Emily and Pursuing A Dream on their very successful first horse show together-a sure sign of great things to come from these two!

AETA Adventures!

Another "Snow Day" another blog post....

While I haven't been getting as much riding in due to the cold temperatures as I would like, Bastian and I are making slow and steady progress. We even did some jumping and once we got our head in the game and I sent him forward in front of my leg instead of closing my eyes and curling into a ball of ineffective nothing-ness it was amazing. He was definitely happy to pop over that crossrail. (yes, I was nervous about jumping a crossrail...I've got a lot of jumping baggage!).

On the dressage front, he's getting steadier through the poll, more in tune to my half-halts and I'm getting better at not going to my reins first. I'm not gonna lie, I've been a little unmotivated to go out when the weather is less than 10 degrees so I'm not getting in as much practice as I want, but the when its that cold both of us just never really get warmed up enough. So I've been trying to keep busy with other things. This past weekend I headed to Philadelphia for the AETA (American Equestrian Trade Association) Expo to hang out with Team Hastilow. AETA was awesome, I got to meet some amazing people and talk to them about the amazing products that they have developed for the Equestrian World.

Here are Bastian's top AETA picks. I'm not kidding, you NEED to check these products out!

#1 The Spine Free Saddle Pad developed and sold by Hastilow Competition Saddlery.

The design of this pad is really ingenious, it is created so that there is no pressure placed on the horse's spine when it is used. Hastilow did their research and put that data into practice to create this pad. Here is a link to their blog where they explain all about pressure on the horse's back: Hastilow Blog . Further, they wash and wear FANTASTIC. Because of the way that they are stitched, the pad doesn't shrink and pucker the way that many saddle pads do when they are washed. I'm never a happy camper when my saddle pads start to curl...they usually get tossed when that happens. Lastly, (and this is I think a huge selling point), the pad is only $55. Definitely affordable.

#2 The GoVelope developed and sold by Giddyup Gear

This innovative cell phone holder is definitely what the horse world needs. Cell phones have become just as important to equestrians, whether we're checking scores at a show or texting the member of our group who drew the short straw and had to go get everything that we forgot in the trailer and letting them know that they need to grab a few more things, we need our cell phones to be handy and convenient. Personally I've been searching for a cell phone holder that works with whatever I'm wearing and keeps my phone safe from dust, dirt, and moisture. Those lovely leather cases designed for business people could not hold up to the sitting trot or to Bastian's antics when he decided to throw in a buck or two. My phone would end up in the dirt. Those fun coloured neoprene ones are no longer large enough to fit my smartphone, so those aren't an option. The GoVelope is amazing, the industrial strength Velcro that attaches it to your belt loops is phenomenal, I don't think even a velociraptor could tear this thing off. The zipper works with just one hand, meaning I can keep a hand on my reins or lead rope or bucket of water, etc. and still manage to answer my phone. Its water resistant. So I can be out in the weather with it, or fall off in a puddle of mud and my phone is still safe and dry. It comes in fun colours, I got the grey (Pewter on the website!) but definitely plan on picking up a navy in the future. Not only does my huge Samsung Stratosphere with its protective cover fit in my GoVelope, but it was a convenient place to keep my cash as well.....the uses just keep piling on! They retail for about $55. You might be thinking, 'ah, hey, yeah, that's a bit pricey...' and all I can say is stop and think about it. This is meant to last forever, not a $15 case you have to buy year after year. The materials are awesome, not only is the fabric AND zipper water resistant, but there is this grippy stuff on the back that helps to keep it from sliding around. Futhermore, think of what you spent on your fancy Otterbox to keep your precious iPhone in. That was pricey and you probably didn't even think twice. So don't think twice here either. Get one. (just so you know, that's Bastian talking there. He has this weird idea that they would be better served for holding treats and sugar cubes...he's such a food junkie). Did you buy one yet? ;)

#3 KBF99 Horse Health Revolution Brushes

I am very picky about my brushes. Its hard for me to buy new ones because I have to LOVE it in order to buy it and right now I love my brushes, but they are starting to show their age. I'm also not usually a fan of synthetic brushes (ie: I do not care for the Oster brushes) but after learning about these and hearing some first hand testinmonials, I'm 100% sold. The bristles actually kill germs, therefore helping to eliminate incidences of rainrot and other germ and fungus related problems. Science has never been my strong point so I'm just going to direct you to their webpage and read about it yourself: KBF99 Webpage. I've got a set on order for Bastian and can't wait until they arrive. Hastilow Competition Saddlery will be selling them soon, so when you contact them about saddle fitting or to buy your spine free pads, be sure to order a few KBF99 Brushes for your grooming kit.

#4 Stay-on Poultices

This product may be the best thing since sliced bread and peanut butter came together. I'm a poulticer, I poultice every night at horse shows and after hard workouts at home. Its a bit of necessary evil. I love the benefits of poulticing, but I hate the messiness. It gets everywhere, and my horse gets it all over himself, it will be around his eye, in his mane, through his tail....you get the picture. These, however, give all the benefits of poulticing without the mess. Amazing!! They offer three different 'formulas' to choose from. You want more you say? Okay, here you go. They stay moist longer than traditional poultice, which we all know is the key to an effective poultice. Once the mud dries, there ain't nothing happening. They can be put in hot or cold water depending on what it is you are trying to treat/accomplish. They can be laid across the horses back if your horse has a sore back (and if your horse is sore because of an ill fitting saddle, contact Hastilow!!). They make an awesome foot wrap-no more soaking for abscesses, this boot has got it going on. There are some great videos on their website as well. While I'll still use my traditional poultice on my horse on a regular basis since he is on field board (I poultice him and turn him out, no wraps), at horse shows this is what I'm using. No mess, no scrubbing mud off every morning...I can't wait! They retail for $15 for a four pack.

#5 The Lovely Range of Products from Equi-Spa

I bought several bottles of good stuff and got samples of everything else. These smell heavenly and are going to get a lot of use in my grooming caddy during show season. I'm super excited about the sample of the sheath cleaner I got as well as the sample of the Cooling Tea-Tree Gel. I used a bit of the Tea-Tree on my own knee last night (I slipped and twisted it on Christmas Eve and it is taking its own sweet time in healing) and It made a huge difference. I can't wait to use it on B, I know that he will love it. I also can't wait to use the Grapefruit Coat Refresh. I currently use Miracle Groom and while I like the results I am not a fan of the smell. I also like the idea of using it between classes at a horse show. There is always that accumulation of dust that you just can't get off between classes at a show. The spray on Cool Muscle Wash-awesome! I can really target specific muscles and again, I think Bastian is going to love it. He likes his grooming/spa time and I'm excited to be able to pamper him a bit more. Check out their website to order!

Well, those are Bastian's top five picks. There were a lot of great new products to be seen as well as subtle changes to beloved brand names (Getting to see the Kerrits fashion show was a personal highlight-I love Kerrits!). On top of all that I got to spend time with my amazing sponsor, Hastilow Competition Saddlery, and have the opportunity to learn even more about their great products. I have to say that despite my horse's difficult shape, I love the fact that when we go to horse shows, I am one of the few riders that has a saddle that fits my horse without having to use any special pads. My saddle fits my horse's entire back, not just the withers and I have the master fitters at Hastilow to thank for that. I was amazed at the improvement Bastian started making once we got a saddle that he was comfortable in and that fit him. It truly does make a world of difference, so if you want your equine partner to be comfortable and able to perform at their best, be sure to get in contact with them and set up a saddle fitting appointment.

Here's to warmer weather!

Unwillingly Waylaid

First off- almost 5000 page views! How cool! :) and I'm up to 16 followers *thumbs up* thanks guys for reading/following!!!

Due to being scheduled at work every night this week and the week before along with having a flat tire two days in a row I have missed out on A LOT of Bastian time, but in order to have that Bastian time I have to work or else I won’t have the income necessary to do what I want to do. I’ve got some projects in the works to get me through the this “off” season, although it not really an off season since I have a show in about 45 days…..which I should note is still not a definite, there has been a slight monkey-wrench thrown into my plans and I don’t know if I’ll be able to work it out but as soon as I know for sure one way or the other I’ll be sure to update. So here’s more of the Good News/ Bad News:

Bad News:

Fast forward to Saturday…I get off work, head to the barn all excited to finally get to ride. I decide to lunge him first so we didn’t have to worry about too much goofiness and he’s lame. Something was off with his right front. Cindy and I poked (mostly Cindy) and prodded him and couldn’t find anything other than a titch of a titch of heat inside of his cannon bone. *sigh* I iced, poulticed, wrapped and buted him. Today he was much better, he looked more stiff/soar rather than actually off, and not a severe stiff/soar, just a "I need to stretch and warm up kinda stiff" in his right front. I’m thinking he maybe slept funky? Can horses do that? Anyway, I rode him today at the walk for 50 minutes and worked on walky-things and halts. We trotted a few times on the long sides and he felt good-he wanted to go and was stepping evenly. So I’m thinking that he is better, but he did have bute with breakfast I want to take every precaution so I’m playing it safe. He was iced and pouticed and wrapped again and is getting bute through Monday night. I work tomorrow so another day off will be a good thing and then I’m keeping my fingers crossed that he’s ready to rock and roll on Tuesday.

Bastian isn't a fan of the poultice!

Good News:

My freestyle is complete! I worked with Cynthia Collins of Luna Tunes Freestyle and although my initial musical choice wasn’t a good fit I was able to find some great Celtic music and Cynthia did a fabulous job organizing it and splicing it together. The choreography is excellent too, I think it will really showcase Bastian’s and I’s strengths. I’m working on learning the choreography but will have to wait until I am in a full size arena before I can actually practice with the music. I’m looking forward to it, I’ve always wanted to be able to ride a freestyle. I even already have plans for music for our next one-I’m hoping by next year Bastian and I will be ready for a freestyle that involves some third level moves.

Another project I’ve got in the works is refinishing a tack trunk I picked up. It was a steal of a deal for just $35. Aside from a missing hinge, the box itself is really in excellent shape, it needs some sanding and I’m working on stripping the paint. My plan is to refinish it with a dark stain and I have Kim working on designing a plate or such to place on the lid that has our awesome logo on it. Once its finished it is going to look super super classy and between that and the rolling saddle/cart basket do-hickey that we recently acquired I should be able to transport everything I need other than hay, shavings, and grain to a show. The trunk is a little bigger than I really wanted but for that price I just couldn’t pass it up. And I will be able to fit things like his water/food buckets in there as well as my helmet, boots and some other larger items. Like I said, everything but hay, grain and sawdust! I’m an organizational freak and so I’m also excited that I was able to order some pretty awesome stuff from Thirty-One to help organize mine and Bastian’s things. I’ll be sure to post pictures as I get farther along in the process! So far I am having a blast working on it, I’m all about doing projects like this and I will appreciate it all the more because I did it. (cheesy, I know!) Here it is on the day I picked it up (I took it apart-it was all in one piece when I got it!)

And from the side....

Not exactly horse related, but another project I’ve started is that I finally managed to enroll in Graduate classes. I am taking a full course load this semester in addition to everything else I’ve got going on. To quote Corey from Empire Records “There are 24 useable hours in every day!” I’m excited about taking the classes, if there was money in it, I would be a professional student, I really love taking classes and learning. If everything stays on track, then I will have my Masters by next spring.

I’m looking forward to getting out to the barn tonight and spending some time with the B-Monster. I’m sure he’ll be a bit of a fire-breathing dragon since he hasn’t been worked in forever and that’s the problem with having a super fit, young, healthy horse. I can lunge him for an hour tonight and then hop on him and ride for another hour and he would still be raring to go! And I’m not lazy when I ride, we go for 20-30 minutes before we take a legit walk break, like I said, he is super fit! But when he’s fit he ends up being more through and wow will he have some nice movement!

I’d like to encourage anyone out there who is currently looking for a new saddle whether it is a jumping or dressage saddle to visit www.hastilowusa.com The Hastilow Saddle Company custom fits their saddles to you and your horse and do an amazing job at it. Since switching to our Hastilow Concept Saddle, Bastian has been coming more through his back and lifting his shoulder more. His mediums have made major improvements and he is staying softer through his bridle because he has less reason to brace through his back. We’ve finally found a great balance of the right equipment, the right training and the right farrier that we are making huge strides in our training. Because all of the basics were there, now as I throw new things at him he takes them by storm. The difference in his way of going improved when I got the Concept Saddle and then improved again once I had the saddle fitter out to make a few minor adjustments to the flocking.

Until next time Bastian says “"In order to get from what was to what will be, you must go through what is." ;)

Spring Fever :)

Last Saturday’s warm temps gave Bastian and I a pretty bad case of Spring Fever. I wanted nothing more than to ride on the outdoor, the sun was shining and the snow had all melted off and it was in the mid 60s. Alas, I don’t really care for mud and will avoid it when I can, and when it rains and you have about a foot of snow melt in the matter of 48 hours, that is what you get so we stayed inside, lol. I mean who wants mud all over their *white* polo wraps….what is it with Dressage and white anyway….

Bastian and his new groom-its never to early to start training them to do things the right way.... (not that I *normally* use a come to brush his shoulder...but hey its a start!)

But it got me thinking about my “dream” schedule of shows, this year it’s all about dressage. Goals include:

*Earning my 60% or higher at a CPEDI***

*Earning 61% or higher at Second and 62% or higher at First so I can qualify for Regionals

*Attend either the Para-National Championships or the First Annual Dressage National Championships

*Get my Second level scores for my Bronze Medal

*Attempt a 3rd Level (Like 3-1) test sometime in the fall…..probably at a schooling show

*Learn how to do flying changes so that we can do a Third Level Test…..

I think they are all doable and will keep me super busy all year long. Bastian has been a Dressage Beast this past week. We’ve got the right mix of stuff going on, awesome training (thank you Kristin), awesome feet (thank you Ray) and an awesome saddle (thank you Hastilow). He is a happy camper and I am a happy Katie.

So on to our show schedule:

March and February: Schooling Shows at Chagrin

March: The *Show* CPEDI*** In Wellington

April: none--but going to apply to ride at Equine Affaire with Jan Ebling, which would be pretty cool! I don't have high hopes of getting accepted, we have a lot of talented horses and riders in our area, I can only hope most of them went south for the winter and aren't around to apply for Equine Affaire....lol ;P

May: Grand Haven /NODA Schooling Show, KDA Spring Warm Up and Show

June: WPDA/Grand Haven Show

July: Dressage at Lexington, VA, NODA + Encore

August: WPDA Summer Sizzler

September: Regionals?

October: Regionals? Nationals?

Not entirely sure what Regional show our Barn is aiming for. Region II is at Lamplight and in September, Region I is in Lexington VA and in October. Plus I’m hoping that the Para-Nationals will be combined with one of those or maybe at HITS Saugerties? So that will determine where and if I go as well. So until then it’s all on the calendar.

This is of course the *Dream* list, who knows if I’ll make it to any of them, but I’m gonna try!

Our plans for Wellington are starting to come together. I have secured transportation, lodging for both Bastian and for myself in Wellington as well as overnight facilities for Bastian in Georgia (haven’t booked for myself yet).

Our Freestyle is in the works and Bastian is officially micro-chipped (I want to take him to a store and scan him cause I’m a geek like that…. ).

If you haven’t checked out our website yet, be sure to head over: http://luckdragondressage.vpweb.com/

More updates as they happen!

Mark Your Calendars....

For Bastian's Winter Fun Show featuring the first ever Egg N' Spoon Off Championship!!! Yup, you read that right an Egg N' Spoon Off. Right here in Brookfield Ohio, Bauer Equestrian Center will be hosting the Egg N' Spoon Smackdowns of Smackdowns, winner receives bragging rights, a custom Egg N' Spoon Crown and a cup of victory wine (provided the winner is old enough to partake of said wine). I can already tell how insanely jealous all of you who live no where near hear are.... lol

So that's the highlight of the evening, but there are lots of other classes to be involved in as well! Here is the class list:

1) Barrel Race

2)Flag Race

3)Potato Race

4)Holiday Spirit Class

5)Trail

6)**Egg N' Spoon**

7)Catalog Race

8) 18" Jumpers

9)Choose your Own height Jumpers (2'3" and above!)

The Cost is $30 per entry-you get to ride in whatever classes you want, ribbons and prizes for each class and there will be a junior and senior division :)

The show will be on December 28th at 5:30 PM. We're also hosting a pot-luck at the same time so bring a dish to pass and let the good times roll! If you would like an officail show flyer, just send me an email at bastiandressagedragon@gmail.com

This is out kickoff fundraiser event as we start to work towards making it to Wellington Florida March 14-17 for our first ever CPEDI***. Bastian really has his heart set on going, so lets not disappoint him! lol

Come out and visit even if you don't plan on riding, you aren't going to want to miss the Egg N' Spoon Championships of the World!

And one more friendly PSA: Saddle pads and Polo Shirts are still available for purchase, look sharp in your next riding lesson as you sport some "Luck Be a Dragon in France" wear ;P Email me for order forms!

See you at the show!

Bastian's Rakish Regional Review

It is with both sadness and a huge sense of relaxation that we finish our 2012 Competiton year. I love to show, it focuses me and drives me to ride and we won't be doing any more showing until 2013. At the same time, I have close to three months to relax and get our Second Level act together before we start test driving it again at the Winter Schooling Show series.

USDF Regional Championships for Region 2 was pretty amazing. This was the highest caliber of competition that Bastian and I have faced so far and I have to say that for the majority of it, we held our own. The only place where we didn't was totally my fault, Bastian on the other hand stepped it up and was a joy to ride.

Wednesday

On Wednesday I bundled up the amazing dragon and we were off to Kentucky. He's such a great traveler, I really lucked out on that. The weather was dismal, it was about 48 degrees, rainy and windy, yuck. We pulled into the horse park around 3:30 and moved into our temporary home, Rolex Tent Stabling 2. Bastian was nestled between my tack stall and Shannon's horse Leo, his new best friend. Or maybe he just liked him because he had some delicious hay in haybag and Bastian spent all weekend working his little nose off trying to get first between the bars of his stall and then between the tiny holes of Leo's slow-fee haynet. I lunged him for a good half hour before I got on because it was so cold and he had a bit of a hairy eyeball walking out of his stall. Which was good thing because it was a LONG and SCARY walk from our stabling to the Dressage Complex. We got to walk on the galloping track for the cross country course, which was pretty cool and then we had to make it through the Land of the Paso Finos, which kinda freaked him out too, but he handled it well.

He ended up warming up like a dream and was sooooo fantastic, he was light and fluffy and very responsive to my seat, I couldn't have been happier and I was just hoping I would be able to get the same result tomorrow when we got to show First 3 in the Rolex Arena. I decided to not school in the Rolex arena on Wednesday night because it was CRAZY in there! Horses galloping everywhere and I wanted no part of that craziness.

Thursday

Thursday was our big debut in the Rolex Arena riding First Level 3. The footing was amazing, I can't say enough about it and Bastian seemed to really like it as well as he was moving quite nicely. We warmed up and headed in.

Here we are going into the arena for the first time, Bastian was completely non-plussed by the whole thing, but that didn't stop Kristin from giving him some last minute warnings about taking care of his mom....lol

We went in to put in a fantastic test. We were doing great and then on my second canter lengthen I lost my left stirrup :( There was no stopping though and I managed to pull of a pretty decent canter loopy followed by a so-so trot lengthening and got my halt and salute in. We scored 65% and I managed to place 5 out of 18 entries. I was quite pleased with my handsome boy, we scored a 65% in Kentucky against a lot of my soon to be Championship Competition.

Friday

Friday was another warm up day, we rode Training Level Test 2 and scored a lovely 70% which was good enough to get us a second place ribbon. Kristin has finally gotten me to understand how important getting him to bend is and I employed that knowledge on Friday. It worked! First place went to Bastian's new BFF, Leo. I think that this means there is something to be said for our Trainer/Instructor Kristin, I mean how much better can it get when both of your students take the top to places in a class. Not to mention that I scored a 70% in Kentucky, so again, very pleased with my handsome, handsome boy.

Shannon and I with our ribbons!

Saturday

Saturday was unfortunately, our bad day. I wasn't riding well, I was getting jerky and over-compensatey (is that a word?) instead of soft and subtle and while we earned a respectable 66% in our Training Level AA Championship, it was far from our best performance and was not good enough for anything near a good placing...we finished 18th out of 51. I was extremely disappointed with myself, I had no excuse to ride so poorly.

But all was not lost, Shannon and Leo did lovely and were named Reserve Champ and Shari and Isaac finished just out of the ribbons by a 5th of a percent were in the top ten. Again, I think that this speaks volumes about Kristin's training and Instruction. Three students who all did well out of 51 tough competitors.

Sunday

Sunday was a new day, I had to shake off the bad mojo from Saturday, this was our last chance to shine and Bastian deserved a better ride. It was warm outside but very very windy, like 20 mph winds with 40+ mph gusts. Crazy! He wasn't bothered by the wind though, he's such a good, reliable guy. We made our way into the Rolex Arena one more time and put in our best ever First level test yet. Our combined average score was 67%. We did some awesome canter loopies in both directions and our leg yields were spectacular. I was so pleased with him.

We were sitting in 8th place and it was a nerve-wracking hour and a half while we waited for the rest of the competitors to go and have their scores posted. Finally they were up and we had managed to hold onto 8th place. 8th out of 45 entries, not to shabby for the bargain basement TB from Maryland.

We got to lead the division into the arena for the awards ceremony to Darth Vader's intro music in Star Wars...AWESOME! Then for our victory trot lap (of which we were at the tail end :) )we got to strut our stuff to Lady Gaga's "Pokerface." I'm glad they picked good music, lol

Thank you Donna for all the fabulous pictures! Thank you Gwen for all your help and support over the weekend. Thank you Shari for the support, awesome advice and delicious snacks and beverages. Thank you Shannon for your support, words of wisdom, golf cart and willingness to live on the wild side and off road it! Thank you Kristin for your relentless instruction that has helped to get Bastian and I to where we are today, Bastian and I could not do it with out you. Thank you Char, Leslie, Rachel, Cindy, Gwen, Shannon, Caitlin, Anna, Thomas, Hastilow Saddlery, and my mom and dad for placing ads in the show book and helping me to earn a free stall. Bastian and I are truly appreciative of your support and belief in our abilities.

So You Think You Can Dressage Part II

As promised, here is Part II of the "So You Think You Can Dressage" Saga. :)

The first order of business is to welcome Hastilow Competition Saddlery as my first official sponsor! They've helped me to trick out my ride with a Hastilow Adjustable Concept Dressage Elevation Saddle

I am super excited about this (I mean who isn't excited about a new saddle!) The Elevation is built to be completely adjustable, which will be great as Bastian continues to change through his back and develop more and more topline. Its built on a Bio-Kinetic Tree that employs Simatree technology, this means the tree is laterally flexible providing more comfort for both the horse and rider. It also features 3 different panel types based on your horses build as well as an adjustable gullet, ergonomic knee block, a deep seat and is wool flocked. If I haven't convinced you yet, head over to their website to check out more information and to look at the other high quality saddles they offer. They are also providing me with a lovely new bridle. Thank you Hastilow Saddlery!!

I haven't owned a Hastilow in several years, but I had both a dressage and jumping saddle when I was in College and loved riding in them both. Bastian was measures for his new equipment and now we are just anxiously awaiting their arrival. He doesn't even know how much more awesome its going to be. The saddle I currently ride in is okay, it doesn't fit him poorly, but it doesn't fit him well either. It gets the job done. I can't wait to feel how much better he'll go in his new saddle.

I'm still in need of sponsors and help! This is only the beginning of the journey ;P I am selling polo shirts and saddle pads, please contact me (bastiandressagedragon@gmail.com) if you are interested in ordering anything! I will have photos soon...just ordered a proto-type the other day. I'm hoping to begin riding with Missy Ransehousen in October and begin full time training with Kristin in either December or January so that we are ready to rock the Para-Dressage world in 2013!!!

So, you're probably asking yourself, how did an crazy eventer type like me end up riding Para-Dressage? Well, here's our story....

This picture is the from the day I bought Bastian. Ain't he a cutie!

In May of 2007 I was riding a very green gelding, he only had a handful of rides on him. We had successfully walked and trotted on the lunge line and I went to dismount. While dismounting, he spooked, I grabbed onto the saddle to stick with him which spooked him more, he bucked and threw me over top of his back up into the air and I came down like an arrow right on my head(yes, I was wearing my helmet-I honestly believe it saved my life that day!), I was instantly numb from the waist down. I wasn't in a lot of pain, and I tried to keep myself calm by repeating "its only a pinched nerve" inside my head. 911 was called and then the Life Flight Hellicopter.

They flew me to the hospital where the doctors quickly assessed my condition, took x-rays and I was rushed into surgery. The first surgery was to alleviate the swelling and insert pins into my spine-I had a burst fracture of my first lumbar vertabra. 24 hours later I was back into surgery, this time to insert a metal cage around my spinal cord where all of the bone fragments were placed to "re-create" my vertabra. I don't remember much of that week in intensive care other than how stressed out my parents were and not knowing what feeling or use of my legs I would actually regain. I couldn't move anything on my left side and only slightly better on my right.

From there I spent just over a month in the hospital, going to physicial therapy everyday and working to relearn how to walk and move again. Finally I was released to go home, there was a lot of adjusting to do, I had always been active and independent and know I was relying on so many people for basic aspects of living. Also at the back of my mind was the big question of "When was I going to ride again?"

Not riding again had never crossed my mind. I was going to get back in the saddle, I wasn't sure how well I would be able to ride and what I would be capable of, but I always knew for sure that I would get back on. I was banned from riding for 9 months by my doctor. At 7 months, I started "riding" again and by riding I mean I tacked up my 26 year old pony and sat on her. We didn't actually go anywhere, I just sat on her while she munched on hay. It was a glorious feeling to be back on a horse. At 9 months I started actually riding again, nothing like a 26 year old pony to restore your faith in the equine world!

Throughout this time, Bastian was also constantly lurking on the edge of my mind. I had bought him as an untouched 3 year old directly from his breeder just two weeks before my accident. I had bought him as my event horse prospect and had been looking forward to starting him myself and storming the event world... now I wasn't going to be physically able to do that. Bastian is quite the level headed guy, always has been, but he was also a baby thoroughbred and he may be level headed, but damn is he athletic! Watching him play in the paddock is amazing, he can do some pretty cool tricks! So I was constantly struggling with what to do with him. I was already in love with his personality, he let me in his stall with my walker to groom him and love on him and he never snorted the wrong way or gave me the wonky eye, that's pretty good for any 3 year old, much less a thoroughbred ;P

Our very first dressage show at Grand Haven together. We showed in an Intro Class. He was very good!

Luckily I had some excellent people to work with and in the Spring Bastian was officially started under saddle. Bastian went through his own trials and tribulations before he started his real training. In the fall of 2007, he was diagnosed with EPM. With proper medical attention, he was able to make a full recovery, but he has a permanent memory of his disease. When you view him from the back, you can see that his left side has much less muscle development than his right and for almost two years after his recovery he was always a little uneven. Through a lot of hard work and careful development, he now tracks up evenly. You would never know unless you stand behind him that he has difference between his right and left side.

In 2009 I moved to Hermitage, PA and started riding with Kristin Stein (www.steinequine.com). Through her instruction and training Bastian and I began to excel and find our place in the dressage world. I showed all year at recognized Dressage Competitions without being a Graded Para-Equestrian and while we managed to get our qualifying scores at Training level, I was always getting comments on my test about how I had a kind horse and I needed to stop my "excessive" kicking. Finally before Regionals that year, I was classified as a Grade III Para-Equestrian. The main compensations that I use are carrying two whips and securing my feet into the stirrups via velcro. I'm also allowed to carry my whips during Championship Classes.

So began my career as a Para-Equestrian. This year I had the pleasure of riding under the wonderful eye of Kristi Wysocki, an FEI*** Para Equestrian judge who was impressed by Bastian and I's performance and pulled us aside to encourage us to pursue getting my FEI Para-card and working towards making the selection trials for the 2014 WEG. You can read the whole blog about that show here: http://www.bastianthewonderdragon.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

So that is how we came to be. This year has been an amazing year so far for Bastian and I, not only have we made huge strides in our dressage work, but we successfully completed 3 recognized events, 2 at the starter level and one BN. Eventing does not recognize my para-equestrian status so I competed in those events without any of my normal compensations. Bastian LOVES to jump and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Para-Equestrian jumping makes it way to this side of the pond soon, Bastian would rock it. Still to come this year is our Regional Championship Show at the Kentucky Horse Park in October. Bastian and I are showing in both the Training Level and First Level AA Championships. This is our last time showing Training Level, a bittersweet parting, but we're ready to move onward and upward. Watch out Second Level, we've dipped our toes into the deep end of dressage and we're ready to dive in head first!

So You Think You Can Dressage Part I

Bastian and I have begun a a brand new chapter of our Dressage career. We are officially Second Level competitors. It was far from the illustrious beginning that I hoped for, but it was all rider error and errors I don't intend to make next time. Our final score was a 51% I went off course twice during the canter work in the test, I made a poor choice about missing our right lead depart which led to me becoming quite frazzled and then botching the remainder of the test, I wasn't able to recollect ourselves to the needed level, we recollected to Training Level horse instead of Second Level horse. So after the 2 for our right lead canter depart and the 2 for our 10 meter circle at S, we scored some 4's and some 5s. The 2's given for the depart and the circle were generous as there was never a canter depart and we "walked" our circle. So thank you Ms. Freeman for your kind 2s! lol

I would like to add that Margaret Freeman is an excellent judge, she nailed us on all sorts of things, but they were all correct. It was a bit tough to stomach when I read my first test (First 1) but by my second level test I knew that it was simply fact and each and every comment was true. It was odd having all three of my tests judged by the same judge all weekend, but it was also nice to have one person's opinion three times and to try and improve on that one person's comments. I know because I've done it and because I have seen other people do it, we read the judges comments and we wonder how much brandy they added to their coffee that morning because we just can't see how our little Muffin didn't score better because that was the best 20 meter stretchy circle EVER.

Competition in Kentucy was tough. And amazing. I got to ride at THE Kentucky Horse Park. My little champion was stabled just outside of the "Big Barn" and its Aisle of Champions. He was a bit looky on Thursday, just taking everything in, but he handled it all so well! There is so much going on and to take in, he's never been in such a busy environment. I put our spring eventing training into action and whenever I got nervous because I thought Bastian might look at something or spook I put my leg on and imagined galloping cross country at Stonegate and Erie Hunt and Saddle Club. This really helped at the canter because he wanted to get stuck behind my leg a few times.

The weather was horrid on Saturday, cold and rainy. They ended up delaying the start of the show for an hour, so my ride times got bumped from 8:56 and 5:34 to 9:56 and 6:34. It was one looooong day! My first test went well, I scored a 65% and took first, later in the day I had Bastian more collected, but we ended up behind the vertical one too many times and came away with a 62% and third place. Our First Place Prize:

Kristin and Zoe scored a brilliant 73% in their Third Level 3 class on Friday, smoking the competition. Unfortunately, they didn't count Friday's scores in the tally for High-Point. Shari and Isaac had a rough weekend too, but came out on top by earning a 66% and their final qualifying score for First Level. Unfortunately, Bastian's partner in Chestnut Dressage Crime couldn't make it to the show do to a mild leg injury, Bastian is definitely looking forward to hanging out with Leo at Regionals and I am looking forward to hanging out with Shannon, so fingers are crossed that everything is better on their end!

Its just 3 and 1/2 weeks until we return for Regionals. I am very excited about going and am working very hard to give Bastian the best ride that I can. This is our moment to shine and I want all the focus to be on him, the phenomenal, awesomest, most fantastical horse in the world!

Well, this wraps up So You Think You Can Dressage Part I. Part II will follow shortly and involves the announcement of my first Major sponsor, a look back at how Bastian and I came to be and information on how you can help to make my goal of becoming selected for the 2014 WEG Para-Equestrian team a reality.

Winona Horse Trials Domination :)

Well……

Bastian and I had an AWESOME weekend at the Winona Horse Trials hosted by Stone Gate Farm in Hanoverton, Ohio. We won our division, finishing on our dressage score of 29.5. Yeah, that’s right. We won. Pardon my 5 year old bragging moment, but WE WON!!!! I never expected to do so well, yes, I wanted to win (who doesn’t?), but I was realistically aiming for a top 5 finish and figured that would be difficult enough with 17 people in my division and riding against professionals that have more experience and more guts than me. So I'm thinking this could be the start of something new....Para-Equestrian Eventing.

We had great rides everyday leading up to the show and had a fantastic dressage tune up on Friday morning with Kristin. On Thursday we jumped two new jumps out in the ring and he never looked at them, just said yes ma’am and jumped them.

My dressage time wasn’t until 2:35. Which if you know me, you know that I don’t eat on show day until after I ride, for various reasons, one of which is nerves. Unfortunately, after walking XC in the morning (not enough time to walk in on Friday!) I was exhausted, that’s a lot of walking, and not only that but its on rough terrain. I have enough trouble walking on the sidewalk and now I am walking through fields with uneven footing and tall grass. (Not to mention Stone Gates fabulous hills…lol). I hobbled my butt back to the trailer and ended up taking a nap in the back seat of Elvis (Cindy’s hauling rig).

During my nap, Cindy and Banff put in a solid dressage test to score a 30.9. While she went to walk the stadium course, I had some lunch. Which I was nervous about because goodness only knows how eating was going to turn out….but I needed some energy so I didn’t have much of a choice. Then I started getting Bastian ready for Dressage. I pulled him off the trailer and you would have thought he owned the place. He stood quietly while I tacked him and redid my hair about three times before I finally thought it was passable. Then we mounted up and headed down to the warm up!

He warmed up like a dream. The warm up was in one of the lower XC fields (not being used on the course on Saturday), he handled the uneven terrain and chaos of the warm-up pretty well, I was very much on the defensive so our warm up happened in little spurts-like 5 strides of trot then walk because someone was coming towards us, then canter a few strides, then walk. Let’s just say that we had our transitions nailed.

He put in a very nice test, I wasn’t even bothered by being in the small arena! LOL We scored a majority of 7s with two 8s and just one or two 6s. I was really looking forward to the rest of the day because Bastian felt soooooo good. Our score after dressage was 29.5. 

Then it was time for jumping! Super excited. I got to wear my vest. I got to wear my medical arm-band. I got to wear my new paper-pinney holder. Yes, I am a geek. I was the fourth to go in stadium and in an effort to avoid any warm-up shenanigans I got there early. He took all the fences wonderfully, we jumped the warm up oxer lots, I was having trouble getting him forward enough, but he was taking the oxer just fine in spite of me. Then we headed down to the stadium ring so I could learn my course.

Bastian was amazing in the ring. This was our first time jumping a course that we had not schooled before. He never questioned a thing, never looked at anything and behaved like quite the gentlemanly hunter in the ring. I needed more pace and more forward and I was thinking it, even if it didn’t actually happen. Progress for sure! Next time maybe I’ll actually have him forward. He saved me over fence 5 and fence 8. I just brought him in funky, but he got to the other side and didn’t touch the rails! So clear it was for us. Did I mention that we CANTERED almost all the fences??? Yup, sure did!

I came out of stadium beaming. On to XC! Just 10 fences stood between Bastian and I and finishing on our dressage score. I had a plan for XC that involved lots of cantering…well that didn’t happen, we actually trotted all of our fences except the last one…lol. The XC was straightforward, but challenging, all of the fences were inviting and Stone Gate did a great job!! There wasn't anything I was particularly concerned with, just wondering how he was going to behave overall, but I had nothing to worry about, he was a machine, he trotted up to each one and hopped right over and then cantered quietly on. I only had to pull him up once after the feeder (fence 4) when he blew through my half halt, so I made him stop then we continued on. His least graceful fence was fence 6, the roll-top. He clunked right on top of it and over it. What a crazy guy. Our best fences were the log in the pavilion (#3), the stumps (#7), and fence #10 (can’t remember the name). He went over everything!!!! I had a blast and although I was riding defensively, he remained the wonderful gentleman he is and really took care of me.

The photographer got some great pictures. (Brant Gamma) When the pictures are posted online, check out my pictures over the feeder. The first picture is us over the fence. Bastian looks great, I have a look of terror on my face because I wasn’t sure about the fence. The next shot is the landing and I look slightly less terrified, then the next shot is one stride out and I have a huge smile because we were still alive! It was pretty funny.

So we did it! We ended on our dressage score of 29.5 and won our division, which also included winning the Thoroughbred Incentive Program award for our division. I got two hugely awesome ribbons and a saddle pad. Cindy and Banff won the TIP award for the Novice division. Team BEC rocked this weekend!!!



We had such a great day on Saturday, it really boosted my confidence. And I have to say that I wasn’t nearly as nervous as I thought I would be, I managed to stay pretty calm and cool and focused all day long. I still need to push B forward more, but we will get it. We can fit in more XC schooling now that the summer is upon us. Next we have two schooling CT, one at Buckeye Horse Park and one at EHSC. I’m doing the BN division at both, as long as Buckeye goes well, I plan on entering the LHPC HT in Erie for the BN division. We also have the Grand Haven dressage show coming up the second weekend in June. Its gonna be a crazy three weeks!

Falling off SUCKS

Just when you think that things are going well and everything is going to be fine, they change. Bastian and I ended up not going to the hunter schooling show on Saturday. :(

Here's how it all went down. I got to the barn for my lesson on Friday night at 6:00. Bastian felt GREAT. He warmed up nicely, I had him in front of my leg and we were getting the energy and forwardness we needed but keeping it contained (aka PACE). So we started jumping, everything was going great, x-rails, then verticals, we were doing it and it was going well. Then we came over an oxer (for the second time) and Bastian kinda popped over it, it wasn't even that big of a jump (and believe me he can throw in some BIG ones). I lost my left stirrup and my balance shifted left. According to Kristin I then kicked him with my right leg which made him scoot and I threw my body right to compensate for the left-ness. I might have managed to stay on had my left stirrup not then whipped back and cracked him causing him to say WTF and take off bucking and galloping. I hit the dirt hard on my right side (I have to get a new helmet....) and twisted my right ankle in the process.

I was pissed. At myself, yes it would have been nice if Bastian hadn't reacted the way he did and just said oh, my mom's off balance I'm gonna stand still!, but he didn't and I can't really say I blame him for saying "Ow" when the stirrup hit him. It was just such a simple thing, all that happened was I lost my stirrup and then my balance followed. It wasn't like B was being crazy or he had been biding his time waiting to toss me off, it was just pure dumb luck (the story of my life when it comes to falling off horses).

But it rattled me. I got back on, we jumped the offending jump again, A LOT and ended really nicely, but I started to go back to the "whoa whoa whoa whoa" jump method (we jumped the oxer from a practical standstill at one point- good to know that he knows his job is to get from side A to side B of the fence). My ankle really hurt when we were done, which for me is a big thing since I have such limited feeling in my lower legs from my spinal cord injury. I put B on cross ties and limped down the barn aisle to a chair and took off my boot. It was swollen and had some serious fluid build up. Kristin and Cindy convinced me to be on the safe side and go the ER for x-rays to make sure I hadn't broken it. Because I really wouldn't be able to tell if it was a minor hairline break -I'd never feel it. Two years ago I broke my foot, never felt a thing, it was swollen and purple and looked horrible, but did not hurt. This spinal injury thing has benefits sometimes.

I got out of the ER around 9 PM and went home. We decided that the schooling show could wait, it would be better to go when I'm 100% then when I already have a weak ankle, that was just asking for trouble. Saturday was spent hanging out with my mom, who was a great mom and didn't say too much about me and my equine activities that always seem to end in me getting ouchy.

So now I am re-evaluating my show season and training program. I still want to event, but I think I need to slow down. I am not going to try and enter May-Daze and do BN. If things progress the way I want them to, LHPC HT will be our first BN. I'm still doing the Starter event at Winona and will do the dressage shows I have planned. But everything else is going to be schooling schooling schooling. I still want to take him to Erie and do their CT at the beginning of June and hopefully we'll end up at South Farm on May 5th for their schooling CT. (we always seem to do well at South Farm)

Falling off is part of the business. Its not pleasant, but it happens. All I can do is use it to improve my riding and re-adjust my training program. I still have my goal of being able to jump 3' in the ring by the beginning of June, I think that it is possible for me. I know it is possible for me. So onward and upward. I've encountered more traffic on the road of life, but will patiently wait for it to clear instead of trying to force my way down the berm of the road. :)

Progress!!!!!!

I had the chance to go XC Schooling again today so Cindy and I loaded Banff and Bastian onto the trailer and off we went! My overall plan was to try and get myself relaxed enough so that Bastian would feel relaxed. He is very keyed in to whatever his rider is feeling. We've come a long way and almost mastered our in the ring jumping jitters, now I need to apply that same principle to the big bad outside world.

We spent the first 10 minutes or so walking. He's started doing this walk -jig-walk-jig-walk thing when I first get on (even in the ring) its weird, I need to figure out why he's doing this and get it stopped. Anyway, he did this a few times, but I just kept talking to him and eventually he was walking around and not being too much of a looky-lou. Then we trotted. A lot. He spend most of his time trotting behind my leg, but I was willing to overlook it as long as he stayed quiet, soft and slow. I was also having a stirrup debaucle. (I just got new stirrup leathers and I did not have them adjusted properly, I went up two holes after I had mounted and then just left them where they were, but they needed to go up a bit more). My leg was really slipping forward and I was very hunched over in my shoulders as revealed by the video. I was not the best rider today, lol!

We had spent about 25 minutes and walking and trotting before I finally tried a tiny log. I did not plan well. Its the first jump we take in the video. I meant to steer out of the line and only do the tiny log, but Bastian knows his job and is an awesome guy. He locked onto the second log and in a panicked moment I said "okay" and we went. I got left behind and it looks horrible, but what a horse I have! After that we managed several better jumps, then Cindy helped me just canter around (we hadn't cantered in the big scary field yet). We cantered up hill, down hill and he was wonderful, he never once got crazy. He was still behind my leg, but like I said we both needed to just realize that the field wasn't going to eat us. Every now and then he would get quicker, but he wasn't being grabby andhe wasn't even really being that quick, I just thought he was because of my own timidness.

We had some rough jumps, and we has some pretty nice jumps. I almost came off at one point, but managed to hang on by the seat of my pants literally, my Kerrits Sit-Tights played a part in my sticking on his back. Thank goodness he has an impeccable one-rein stop. I managed to pull myself back on. Unfortunately that meant we had to do the offending jump again. We did and we ended beautifully for us! Here is a recap video: (and let me just say that Cindy and Banff were awesome!)

We still have a ways to go until we get to that happy-confident-ready-to-gallop-xc-fences-and-go-feeling, but for being our third time total cross country schooling and the fact that this was a brand new place where we had never been before Bastian and I were awesome! And I am fully aware that it is all my fault. I don't entirely trust him outside because its new for us and I have this irrational fear that he will take off with me. I mean he has never not stopped when I've asked him to, ever. I need to put on my big girl panties and get over it. I need to relax more, my tension makes him say "ok mom, where is the danger? I'm on the lookout for it. omg, is it under that log? wait, I think I hear something in that tree way over there, is that what's wrong....." When I relax and focus on our job, he relaxes and focuses. Its a total mind game. We ended really well and the last thing I did was to canter all the way around the field. I was very proud of him and of myself. I made a lot of mistakes and I have stuff to work on, but all in all we made HUGE progress today. I hope we can get out at least once more before Winona.

Next Saturday is the last Hunter Schooling Show at Chagrin, we're doing the 2'3" division again and we are going to rock it. I will keep my leg on, stay out of his feet.

Ride Awesome my friends, Ride Awesome.

Bastian (in the stunning yellow and blue argyle) and Banff back on the trailer after their awesome XC Schools! Photot courtesy of our lovely groundsperson: Samantha Channell!

Mind Games

The only thing worse than seeing a 32 year old woman have a temper tantrum because her horse is being fresh is seeing a 32 year old woman have an emotional breakdown because she can't jump over a X-rail without her horse grabbing the bit and diving to the left. Yes, this was me today. When opportunity knocks, you open the door. I had the chance to go XC schooling with Cindy at Stone Gate Farm today. Probably not the best idea considering Bastian is coming off of a week and half of stall rest and he was rarin' to go, but this is what eventers do, for better or worse we go out there and make the best of it.

Part I: Lovely!!

This was our first XC school of the season and Bastian's second XC school of his life. He was initially good, we warmed up in their dressage/stadium arenas and just trotted and cantered a bit until he felt relaxed and had had a look at everything. Our first fence was horrendous. It was a little x, we trotted up to it and he was being so good until we got to our spot and he said "oh shit! where did that come from" at which point he leapt straight up into the air and came down ON the jump. But then he at least had the good sense to be abashed so we came at it again he he took it lovely, then we curved up to a little 2' vertical, again, lovely. We did that a few times then the moment of truth, there was a 2'6" vertical set up and I decided if I was going to be jumping XC, I had better be able to get myself from one side of that fence to the other. So we cantered it and he waited and jumped and landed so beautifully, so we did it again to make sure it wasn't just a fluke and all I can say is wow. He was on. I gave him an enthusiastic pat and we made our way into the XC field.

Part II: Breakdown

Somewhere, we lost it. Bastian said "Wheeeeee!!!!!!!!!!" and I said "oh shit." All we were trying to do was trot and canter in the big open field up and down the slight hills. He was behind my leg and I was too scared to push him forward. Although I know that when Bastian is like this I need to put leg on so that he has guidance or else he will expend his energy as he sees fit, which includes mini-bucks. But I rarely put this intelligent plan into action. Something I need to work on. So we went back to the stadium warm up and he was revved up and I started hanging on his mouth and this combined with my lack of leg led to a funky spot x-rail followed by diving left and bucking. Once this happens once, it's nearly impossible for me to regain that calm, cool perspective on jumping that Bastian and I need. It got worse and worse until he suddenly realized that the horse we had traveled with was gone and he decided to SCREAM (something I cannot abide in horses) followed by a buck, rear and a spin. I jumped ship. He has never shown attachment to any horse before and I cannot say how disappointed I am in my usually oh so level headed bachelor. So we lunged in their roundpen for about 10 minutes where he ran, bucked and spun to his little heart's content. During the jumping I alternately cried (sobbed) and yelled some not very nice obscenities at my horse. (temper tantrum)

Part III: Redemption

I got back on. We trotted the X-rail twice and he was good. I really thought about keeping my hands soft and keeping my leg on. What a difference actually riding makes ;P Back out to the XC field. There was a BN coop out there, Jackie had me walk him by it and then we discussed me actually jumping it. She wanted to know if I was going to trot it or canter it. Here was my response:

"I can't trot it because I know I won't have enough leg, and I'm too scared to canter it, so neither?"

Good answer right? So we put the coop on the back burner and went and trotted through the water a few times, he LOVES the water, I don't foresee that ever being a problem XC. Then we did their bank, which he was also a champ about, he is really good about the up and down. Then we proceeded to go up the bank, jump over a tiny little log going down the bank then a few strides to a BN (?)log. Here he proved what an AWESOME and HONEST horse he is, I decided we were doing the BN log, but we came off of the little log with no impulsion, I had seriously slipped my reins and he tripped at the base of the BN log, but I kept my leg on and he just hopped over it like it was no big deal. I had done it, it wasn't pretty but we got from point A to point B, together. So we did the bank again and then trotted around to that scary BN coop, I kept my leg on and he said "yes ma'am" and jumped it without a second look. We came around again at a canter and we could have had a bit more pace, but he was soft and we hit our spot, he jumped it like an old pro, landed and cantered on. I was quite happy with him. We did two more tiny fences, like 18", they were little, but he kept himself together and I kept my mind in the game.

That is all this is for us right now, a lack of experience and me keeping my mind in the game. I'm still aiming for the starter division at Winona, we can handle it. Between now and then Cindy and I are going to try to get off the property as much as possible and ride out in the big bad world. With experience and miles I'll get to the point where I feel as confident on Bastian as I did on Melvin. Melvin was a great confidence booster, he was a genuine point and shoot guy, you could be hanging off of his ears and he would just get from one side to the other. This was us at the Lost Hounds Pony Club Horse Trials doing the Novice division:

I CAN DO IT. I WILL DO IT. Today was rough, it doesn't matter. It happened, I learned from it and Bastian and I will move on.