We’ve been bad about updating the blog this year. Lots of news to report on the homefront.
MY HORSES
Finny’s mistaken sunken road!
It’s been a pretty uneventful year competitively for myself. Finn is a talented horse physically, but mentally he struggles with his confidence. He seems to need to completely understand what he’s facing before he’s comfortable doing it; unlike Deacon, who would gladly jump anything that was in front of him. I’ve been learning a whole new set of skills with Finn–which isn’t necessarily a bad thing as it will certainly further my education and prepare me for dealing with different horse personalities in the future. So after making it around Finn’s first advanced relatively successfully, then having his confidence shaken a bit when he jumped down into a BIG ditch rather than jumping over it at his next Advanced at The Fork (“now what do I do, mom”), then having a string of retirements and withdrawals due to bad weather, physical issues, etc., I have bumped him back down to Prelim to attempt to build his confidence back up. And it sure is a lot different, as a rider, only having one horse running in the upper levels. Just 18 months ago, I had three horses going Prelim and up at the same time. And although that was extremely difficult on the pocketbook, it really helped me deal with the technicality at those levels. Now with just one horse going at upper levels, I find myself not quite as comfortable facing some of those questions.
Buzz’s first XC run
I brought a new horse back from Florida with me, an OTTB named Starlifter. We’ve given him the barn name of Buzz (Buzz Lightyear?? Buzz Aldrin??, he’s probably more of a Buzz Lightyear!!) Buzz will be a great sale prospect; good for a young rider or amateur. He’s quiet, easy to deal with (almost too lazy some of the time). He has lots of spring in his jump, just gotta motivate him to use it. Just being off the track now for 4 months, he’s doing quite nicely. He’s just starting his competitive career and is working on putting all three phases together and will be offered for sale soon, but will continue competitions and moving up the levels until sold.
Deacon is back in my barn as of two weeks ago. He’s been out for a year on lease to a Young Rider who has been cleaning up ribbons in Prelim with him (not a single jump penalty in the year) and had hoped to take him to NAJYRC this month. Unfortunately he got a slight irritation/fluid pocket on his DF tendon/tendon sheath due to some physical trauma (unknown??), so he came home and needs a bit of recoup time. He got a PRP treatment on July 4th, which was followed with shockwave recently. He’s enjoying his walk hacks to keep his mental state more relaxed and to keep the circulation going to aid healing. We hope to have him going again this fall and then again offer him for sale or lease to someone who wants to clean up in the Prelim and/or Intermediate divisions.
And, lastly, my fourth horse, Scotch. Scotch turned 24 this year. He’s as awesome as ever, still happily running students around Beginner Novice/Novice horse trials and being a superb and well-loved lesson horse.
NEW CLIENTS
I’ve added some new clients and their horses to the MME group this year. We are thrilled to welcome two new young ladies and their horses to our barn. I love teaching both girls and hope to help take them on their journey from new riders to talented eventers and responsible horsewomen.
Allison and Shelby schooling
Allison joined us early this spring and is now leasing a horse from one of our longtime clients and keeping it with the MME group. Allison and Shelby have been working hard together. It was a change for Allison moving up from a small lesson pony to a big horse that has a touch more “GO”, but she was ready for the move and has been doing awesome with Shelby; and Shelby, a talented and reliable Appendix, has enjoyed being back in work and being loved on, groomed, and spoiled by Allison. They did their first cross country school together and did wonderfully. In late June, they participated in a local but off-site jumping schooling show, winning lots of ribbons, and have their first combined test coming up in a few weeks down at Masterson Station in Lexington. Their hopes are to do their first horse trial this fall. Allison has been practicing with her standing wraps, enjoys hanging around the barn all day, and has been a great help with the daily barn chores.
Reagan and Rhomale at DBS’s schooling show
Reagan leased Scotch through the winter, but just recently got her own horse, Rhomale. Rhomale, a NZ TB who has only been in the States for a short time, is an experienced upper level horse from Carl Bouckaert/Michael Pollard’s barn, but he would really much prefer taking someone around the lower levels. Reagan has been working hard with Rhomale, learning lots of new skills. Reagan and Rhomale also did the jumping schooling show and came away with lots of ribbons and are also signed up for the combined test next month. Rhomale is going to run around the Training course at Richland Park HT with me to keep him sharp and in good working order!! Then Reagan hopes to do her first horse trials this fall also. Reagan also enjoys spending her days at the barn, taking lots of photos of Rhomale, and helping with feeding and cleaning chores around the barn.
OTHER HAPPENINGS
Megan and Penny
Megan also came home from Florida with a new OTTB. The tiny, but amazing little chestnut mare, Penny (Miss Moneypenny). Megan and Penny have ribboned at about every trial they’ve done since starting their competitive career. And they plan on moving up to Training soon.
Angie getting ready to run
Several of us went to Penny Oaks at Hoosier Horse Park and then May-Daze at the Kentucky Horse Park back in May, then Chattahoochee Hills in Georgia in June. Angie, after a long hiatus from horse trials, is back giving them a try and went to Penny Oaks with her horse, Charlie. Dana took Audie, Megan took Penny and Sinny, and I took Buzz and Finny. For May-Daze, Julia, home from college for the summer, took Scotch, and Buzz and Penny went again. Chatt Hills was just Finn & I and Syd & Tex. Chatt started a new “International” event this year with the goal of becoming a destination event and the trial was run a bit differently with difficult courses and nighttime showjumping. Hopefully when they get the kinks worked out, it will be a great destination event, but this year we wish we wouldn’t have bothered going, Several of us had entered Lost Hounds in Pennsylvania, but the event ended up getting cancelled due to rainy and muddy conditions. So next on the horse trials agenda is Cobblestone up in Michigan this month, and Richland Park also in Michigan in late August.
As of this writing, our barn aisle is full: 11 horses!! With Deacon being home for a while, and Chaser also back for a couple months of work and maybe a competition or two, we are busy working and caring for the 11 and teaching lots of lessons. Join us!!