1. Tres, our little Spanish stallion, is a dreadful jumper. Alas, our dreams of show hunter fame... ;)
2. Ella did the WHOLE PRIX ST. GEORGES yesterday, and it didn't suck. Woo!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
TGFV (Thank God For Video)
Just back from my monthly clinics in Chicago, which was GREAT fun - it's a lovely barn with lovely people, so it'd be fun no matter what, but it's also very cool to see the progress in the horses and riders from month to month. And, not gonna lie - the pizza is a big, big deal too. :)
The stomach-flu-of-death has transitioned to the lingering-head-cold-of-death, more annoying than physically detrimental, though it was pretty comical trying to get through airport security holding my own box of Kleenex. My nose was grateful, though: whoever figured out how to get lotion on tissue deserves a Nobel Prize.
I got video of my rides with Pam from last weekend, and I was blown away. Mirrors in the arena are great, but NOTHING beats video. I was encouraged, because the horses really do look as good as they feel, but I was also more than a little embarassed to see that the weird thing I do with my neck has returned, so it's back to equitation school for me. It was also really helpful to see the horses go from beginning of ride to end of ride. Pam told me that I was riding Ella too fast, mistaking fast for forward, and I couldn't believe her - she looked great in the mirror, so what's the deal? Seeing it on video made it really sink in: holy schmolies, I'm running her off her legs! Slow down and allow for cadence and voila, Ella's a genius. Thank god for video! How did Xenophon do it? :)
The stomach-flu-of-death has transitioned to the lingering-head-cold-of-death, more annoying than physically detrimental, though it was pretty comical trying to get through airport security holding my own box of Kleenex. My nose was grateful, though: whoever figured out how to get lotion on tissue deserves a Nobel Prize.
I got video of my rides with Pam from last weekend, and I was blown away. Mirrors in the arena are great, but NOTHING beats video. I was encouraged, because the horses really do look as good as they feel, but I was also more than a little embarassed to see that the weird thing I do with my neck has returned, so it's back to equitation school for me. It was also really helpful to see the horses go from beginning of ride to end of ride. Pam told me that I was riding Ella too fast, mistaking fast for forward, and I couldn't believe her - she looked great in the mirror, so what's the deal? Seeing it on video made it really sink in: holy schmolies, I'm running her off her legs! Slow down and allow for cadence and voila, Ella's a genius. Thank god for video! How did Xenophon do it? :)
Friday, February 20, 2009
Dressage and Instincts
I’m a stranger in a strange land. This part of the world is eventing country, and the extent of my jumping experience was two semesters of the intercollegiate hunters, which in spite of my team coach’s best efforts, were filled with great mediocrity on my part. (I was, however, wildly successful in the 18” crossrail division. Neener neener.)
So when I overheard the tail end of a conversation yesterday (at my chiropractor’s office – I love Virginia), it piqued my interest. Two women were discussing event horses, dressage work, and bravery.
Dressage work is focused on giving the control back to the rider, one said, which is very true. The horse is adjustable, attentive, and obedient. Why would that ever be a problem?, she said.
Because that sort of work kills instinct, the other said, and going cross-country, while of course I want to be able to steer and adjust a little, if I’m wrong, I want my horse to take over and use his best judgment to get us through to the other side.
It was something I’d never considered before. Certainly, we do want to take over the instincts of the horse for dressage work – if I didn’t, I doubt any 1400-pound prey animal with a hair-trigger flight response would ever set foot in the showring at WEF, or Aachen, or the World Cup. I recalled an open house that Pam, another of her working students and I attended the summer I worked for her where we did our dressage demo right after a cutting horse demonstration. The fellow in charge picked a random rider out of the audience and popped her on top of a marvelous older horse, told her to hang on and get out of the way, and turned them loose on a mechanical cow. With both hands on the saddle horn and the reins (safely) tied out of the way, the horse proceeded to keep perfect pace and rhythm with the cow, all on his own instinct. When we took the stage, Pam quipped that if the cutter’s job was to hone instinct, the dressage rider’s job was to kill it.
The result is a well-balanced horse who would jump off a bridge for me, whose whole world is me and my aids and my work and the task at hand. That’s certainly something, at first blush, that I’d want to bring cross-country!
This woman’s point, though, was an interesting one. If I make a bad judgment call in a half-pass, I get a bad half-pass. If I make a bad judgment call galloping up to a solid obstacle at speed, well… the consequences are certainly much direr.
Now, clearly there are riders out there at the top levels of eventing sport whose horses demonstrate great skill both cross country and in dressage. I watch videos of event horses with Ingrid Klimke, who is, to say the least, no slouch in a dressage test, and they look balanced and supple on day one, and both bold and rideable day two. Is it possible to have an instinct-less horse on dressage day and a keen Alpha horse on course?
As cross country courses get more technical, and ultimately more dangerous if a rider gets into a spot of trouble, does it make more sense to have the adjustable horse, responsive like a Porsche, at the rider’s beck and call from the lightest touch, or the horse who knows when to take over and power through to get you safely to the other side?
I don’t have any answers, just musings. :) How’s that for a cop-out?
From my perspective: there’s enough about dressage work that DOES improve jumping, period, end of story – musculature, the development of carrying power, balance and deftness – that no event rider should be without regular dressage work.
So when I overheard the tail end of a conversation yesterday (at my chiropractor’s office – I love Virginia), it piqued my interest. Two women were discussing event horses, dressage work, and bravery.
Dressage work is focused on giving the control back to the rider, one said, which is very true. The horse is adjustable, attentive, and obedient. Why would that ever be a problem?, she said.
Because that sort of work kills instinct, the other said, and going cross-country, while of course I want to be able to steer and adjust a little, if I’m wrong, I want my horse to take over and use his best judgment to get us through to the other side.
It was something I’d never considered before. Certainly, we do want to take over the instincts of the horse for dressage work – if I didn’t, I doubt any 1400-pound prey animal with a hair-trigger flight response would ever set foot in the showring at WEF, or Aachen, or the World Cup. I recalled an open house that Pam, another of her working students and I attended the summer I worked for her where we did our dressage demo right after a cutting horse demonstration. The fellow in charge picked a random rider out of the audience and popped her on top of a marvelous older horse, told her to hang on and get out of the way, and turned them loose on a mechanical cow. With both hands on the saddle horn and the reins (safely) tied out of the way, the horse proceeded to keep perfect pace and rhythm with the cow, all on his own instinct. When we took the stage, Pam quipped that if the cutter’s job was to hone instinct, the dressage rider’s job was to kill it.
The result is a well-balanced horse who would jump off a bridge for me, whose whole world is me and my aids and my work and the task at hand. That’s certainly something, at first blush, that I’d want to bring cross-country!
This woman’s point, though, was an interesting one. If I make a bad judgment call in a half-pass, I get a bad half-pass. If I make a bad judgment call galloping up to a solid obstacle at speed, well… the consequences are certainly much direr.
Now, clearly there are riders out there at the top levels of eventing sport whose horses demonstrate great skill both cross country and in dressage. I watch videos of event horses with Ingrid Klimke, who is, to say the least, no slouch in a dressage test, and they look balanced and supple on day one, and both bold and rideable day two. Is it possible to have an instinct-less horse on dressage day and a keen Alpha horse on course?
As cross country courses get more technical, and ultimately more dangerous if a rider gets into a spot of trouble, does it make more sense to have the adjustable horse, responsive like a Porsche, at the rider’s beck and call from the lightest touch, or the horse who knows when to take over and power through to get you safely to the other side?
I don’t have any answers, just musings. :) How’s that for a cop-out?
From my perspective: there’s enough about dressage work that DOES improve jumping, period, end of story – musculature, the development of carrying power, balance and deftness – that no event rider should be without regular dressage work.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Three days on the couch
I am FINALLY back to being a barely-productive member of society, after spending the better part of three days alternating between couch and bed. Apparently this bug is going around; do whatever it takes to NOT get it. It is way not cool.
A few things I've learned after three days of incapacitation:
- there is absolutely NOTHING good on TV at 3 am.
- it should be illegal for TV ad producers to crank up the volume on their ads. I feel no need to be shaken from on-the-couch slumber by an ad for some structured-annuity-lump-sum-thingy.
- at any given time, on some network, somewhere in the world, one of the many Law & Order shows is on. (except, apparently, 3 am.)
- I could never ever ever have an eating disorder, because that was the worst way EVER to lose five pounds. But I have lost five pounds!
- most of all: nothing, NOTHING, is more special to me than a friend who brings me soup and Gatorade.
So Renee, you're amazing. I don't know what I did to deserve a friend like you, but it must have been awfully good.
I'm teaching a little tonight, which is good, because I'm feeling recuperated enough to be going a little stir crazy, and it's back to the grindstone tomorrow. I want to practice all that Pam and I worked on!
A few things I've learned after three days of incapacitation:
- there is absolutely NOTHING good on TV at 3 am.
- it should be illegal for TV ad producers to crank up the volume on their ads. I feel no need to be shaken from on-the-couch slumber by an ad for some structured-annuity-lump-sum-thingy.
- at any given time, on some network, somewhere in the world, one of the many Law & Order shows is on. (except, apparently, 3 am.)
- I could never ever ever have an eating disorder, because that was the worst way EVER to lose five pounds. But I have lost five pounds!
- most of all: nothing, NOTHING, is more special to me than a friend who brings me soup and Gatorade.
So Renee, you're amazing. I don't know what I did to deserve a friend like you, but it must have been awfully good.
I'm teaching a little tonight, which is good, because I'm feeling recuperated enough to be going a little stir crazy, and it's back to the grindstone tomorrow. I want to practice all that Pam and I worked on!
Monday, February 16, 2009
Ridiculous week
Last week was really rather stupid. After throwing my back out, I decided it was time to get back on the health bandwagon. I'd already been counting calories for a couple of days in an effort to shed the Thanksgiving/Christmas pudge, but I got back on the schedule of my pilates instructor (who I trade for lessons - how cool is that?), AND was looking forward to a good ass kicking by Pam Goodrich this weekend. Oy vey.
Pam was fabulous, of course, and all the ponies were REALLY good, but I did get my butt kicked. And then, to top it all off, Saturday night I come down with a WRETCHED 24-hour stomach bug, so I can't even leave the couch on Sunday. Pam graciously rode my horses for me, and my marvelous parents and barn staff kept everything running without a hitch.
Good grief!
I am up and at'em today, just barely, but I'm not trusting myself to do anything other than nibble on Ritz crackers and sip gatorade. I'm hoping this is all just karmic redistribution, so I'm storing up bad stuff so the next few months will be ah-MAZING. That'd be great, but I'm not sure anything will be worth the nastiness of the last 24 hours... gross, just gross. Ugh.
Pam was fabulous, of course, and all the ponies were REALLY good, but I did get my butt kicked. And then, to top it all off, Saturday night I come down with a WRETCHED 24-hour stomach bug, so I can't even leave the couch on Sunday. Pam graciously rode my horses for me, and my marvelous parents and barn staff kept everything running without a hitch.
Good grief!
I am up and at'em today, just barely, but I'm not trusting myself to do anything other than nibble on Ritz crackers and sip gatorade. I'm hoping this is all just karmic redistribution, so I'm storing up bad stuff so the next few months will be ah-MAZING. That'd be great, but I'm not sure anything will be worth the nastiness of the last 24 hours... gross, just gross. Ugh.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Brentina
I just learned that Debbie McDonald's wonderful team mare, Brentina, is recovering from colic surgery. Brentina is one of the legends of American dressage, a reminder to us all about how good training and a great partnership makes everything possible. I don't know Debbie well at all, but I know that she loves the mare with every fiber of her being. My thoughts are with them both today, and I wish for "Mama" a complete recovery and a quick return to her most richly deserved retirement.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
UGH.
So Saturday morning, I'm letting Cleo walk around before we school, and she shies at something. I come down in the saddle JUST wrong, and I get this nasty sharp pain in my lower back, on the right. OUCH. I try and trot around a little, but my back is not having it. I put her away, Kelly lunges Ella and Midge, and I park on the couch with some Naproxen, only getting up to teach my afternoon lessons.
Sunday morning I'm feeling a little better, and I can work my three lightly, but no more. I teach all afternoon, and Monday, my day off, I take it super easy. Until the package arrives: the inversion table we ordered. PERFECT!, I think. I'll "hang out" (haha) for a few minutes and I'll be all set to ride on Tuesday morning.
Yeeaaah.
Everything is swell while I'm upside down, but when I try and get up, I'm in agony. I manage to untangle myself from the equipment, but I fall to the floor and I can't get up. I lay on the floor for 20 minutes before I can finally limp up the stairs and onto an ice pack.
Today, I actually felt a lot better (the inversion table worked a charm on the rest of my back and neck!), and a trip to the chiropractor and accupuncturist has me well on my way to recovery. But YIKES!! Scary as hell. And naturally, all this goes on over the first beautiful weekend of the year... sigh.
Sunday morning I'm feeling a little better, and I can work my three lightly, but no more. I teach all afternoon, and Monday, my day off, I take it super easy. Until the package arrives: the inversion table we ordered. PERFECT!, I think. I'll "hang out" (haha) for a few minutes and I'll be all set to ride on Tuesday morning.
Yeeaaah.
Everything is swell while I'm upside down, but when I try and get up, I'm in agony. I manage to untangle myself from the equipment, but I fall to the floor and I can't get up. I lay on the floor for 20 minutes before I can finally limp up the stairs and onto an ice pack.
Today, I actually felt a lot better (the inversion table worked a charm on the rest of my back and neck!), and a trip to the chiropractor and accupuncturist has me well on my way to recovery. But YIKES!! Scary as hell. And naturally, all this goes on over the first beautiful weekend of the year... sigh.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Virtual Yard Sale!
Yard sale! Shipping on all items is $10, and is flat-rate USPS. Please post a comment or email me at lauren at spriesersporthorse dot com.
SOFT TOUCH DRESSAGE GIRTH, black, 32.
Neoprene bottom for comfort, very squishy. Double elastic. Some wear to keepers, but still extremely functional. Retails at around $50; $15. (girth is on R)
CAVALLO BREECHES, navy, 32L
Very gently used Cavallo Chagallino breeches, full seat. VERY slight discoloration around ankles, but will be well hidden by tall boots. GREAT breeches. Retail at $300; $100.
OTTO SCHUMACHER BRIDLE, black with white, horse sized.
Once upon a time, this bridle looked like this one, except in black and white. Now, the white padding is quite banged up on the interior of the bridle, but for the most part this bridle is still perfectly functional. Retails at $400; $40.
SWEDISH PADDED CROWN DOUBLE BRIDLE, black, horse sized.
This guy, lightly used. I REALLY like these bridles for the price - the leather is really soft, and the padding over the noseband and crown is very good. Retails at $189.95; $100.
DOVER GRAND PRIX GIRTH, black, 32.
Here it is new. A lovely, well-padded girth with elastic on both ends for your horse's comfort. In great shape, lightly used. Retails at $110; $50.
PROFESSIONAL'S CHOICE SMx GIRTH, brown, 30.
Brand new with tags, this girth is for use with a short-billet saddle, so it's a pony sized girth. Retails at $53; $40.
SADDLE COVER, hunter green.
Cotton saddle cover for a dressage saddle, with a drawstring. $5.
PIKEUR DIANA DRESSAGE COAT, black, approx. size 14-16L
This is an exquisite coat, very gently used, that was once-upon-a-time an 18L. When I lost some weight (yay!), I had it tailored down to about a size 14-16L. I can take measurements if anyone needs them. Retails at $480; $200.
DRESSAGE COAT, black, approx. size 12-14
No label on this coat, so I have no idea what it is. Double vented in the back, about size 12-14. Medium weight material. Golden buttons. $30.
SOFT TOUCH DRESSAGE GIRTH, black, 32.
Neoprene bottom for comfort, very squishy. Double elastic. Some wear to keepers, but still extremely functional. Retails at around $50; $15. (girth is on R)
CAVALLO BREECHES, navy, 32L
Very gently used Cavallo Chagallino breeches, full seat. VERY slight discoloration around ankles, but will be well hidden by tall boots. GREAT breeches. Retail at $300; $100.
OTTO SCHUMACHER BRIDLE, black with white, horse sized.
Once upon a time, this bridle looked like this one, except in black and white. Now, the white padding is quite banged up on the interior of the bridle, but for the most part this bridle is still perfectly functional. Retails at $400; $40.
SWEDISH PADDED CROWN DOUBLE BRIDLE, black, horse sized.
This guy, lightly used. I REALLY like these bridles for the price - the leather is really soft, and the padding over the noseband and crown is very good. Retails at $189.95; $100.
DOVER GRAND PRIX GIRTH, black, 32.
Here it is new. A lovely, well-padded girth with elastic on both ends for your horse's comfort. In great shape, lightly used. Retails at $110; $50.
PROFESSIONAL'S CHOICE SMx GIRTH, brown, 30.
Brand new with tags, this girth is for use with a short-billet saddle, so it's a pony sized girth. Retails at $53; $40.
SADDLE COVER, hunter green.
Cotton saddle cover for a dressage saddle, with a drawstring. $5.
PIKEUR DIANA DRESSAGE COAT, black, approx. size 14-16L
This is an exquisite coat, very gently used, that was once-upon-a-time an 18L. When I lost some weight (yay!), I had it tailored down to about a size 14-16L. I can take measurements if anyone needs them. Retails at $480; $200.
DRESSAGE COAT, black, approx. size 12-14
No label on this coat, so I have no idea what it is. Double vented in the back, about size 12-14. Medium weight material. Golden buttons. $30.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Why I Do This
I'm really looking forward to this weekend, because it's going to be 60 beautiful degrees and sunny. My horses have all been fairly average this week, with the exception of Midge, who must have read my previous entry about my unconditional love for him and decided to put it to the test by being a rank pain in the ass. Maybe with this weekend's warmth he'll melt a little.
Ella's actually been really good, though I'm in that annoying place where she understands what I want mentally but isn't quite strong enough to offer it physically (canter pirouettes - who needs 'em!). I'm just finding the redundancy of the work a little tedious. And Cleo's been fine, good enough, just not exceptional. I think everyone needs to get out of the arena for a few rides, and hopefully this weekend's weather will provide that opportunity.
What's keeping me going: my students' horses are blowing me away. A new full-training client horse is proving to be a fun project - it's a client I adore, which is great, but her horse is really coming around fast, which is really extra great. I've been also spending a lot of time with my pony clubbers, who are kicking butt. And the highlight of my week has been a young student of mine who got her pony round and through at walk, trot and canter both directions today for the first time. I realized at the end of her lesson that I was grinning from ear to ear, possibly even bigger than her grin. So much for professionalism, but when I'm proud of them, I don't feel any need to contain myself!
Now if only my horses would get the memo!
Ella's actually been really good, though I'm in that annoying place where she understands what I want mentally but isn't quite strong enough to offer it physically (canter pirouettes - who needs 'em!). I'm just finding the redundancy of the work a little tedious. And Cleo's been fine, good enough, just not exceptional. I think everyone needs to get out of the arena for a few rides, and hopefully this weekend's weather will provide that opportunity.
What's keeping me going: my students' horses are blowing me away. A new full-training client horse is proving to be a fun project - it's a client I adore, which is great, but her horse is really coming around fast, which is really extra great. I've been also spending a lot of time with my pony clubbers, who are kicking butt. And the highlight of my week has been a young student of mine who got her pony round and through at walk, trot and canter both directions today for the first time. I realized at the end of her lesson that I was grinning from ear to ear, possibly even bigger than her grin. So much for professionalism, but when I'm proud of them, I don't feel any need to contain myself!
Now if only my horses would get the memo!
Monday, February 2, 2009
But we could have gotten a NICE three-year-old!
All of my horses have their own stories, how they came into my life. Midge's story is a little bit special, because unlike the others, he chose me before I chose him.
Midge's breeder, as I know the story, bred saddleseat-y horses, and had bred this Dutch Harness Horse colt with eyes on keeping him intact and putting him to Arab mares to make super flashy show horses, but had reservations as he grew up that his hind leg stepped too much under and not enough up and down. She decided to have him started like a sport horse, instead of a show horse, and sent him to a trainer I was working for in Chicago.
Midge was just barely under saddle when I came home from college (it was the summer of 05, between my junior and senior years). He was 15.2, downhill, upright, and spooky, spooky, spooky. He wasn't a bolter or a bucker. He'd just STOP. And I could be damn strong, but I couldn't kick him hard enough to get him out of that I'M NOT MOVING! place. So when I rode him the first few times, someone had to stand in the middle of the ring with a lunge whip in case he hit the brakes.
But he got started, and wasn't all that badly mannered for a rising 3-year-old stud colt. As I went back for my last year of school, the breeder/owner was debating whether to take him back home or to sell him. My work was done.
Fast forward to January 06. I haven't given so much as a thought to the little orange Dutch thing, when my mom calls me to tell me his breeder had passed away. Sad, I said. She said they're liquidating her herd of horses. Ok, I said. And she says, so I bought Victorious.
"Chhh," I say. "Why? If we wanted a three-year-old, we could have gone to Europe and gotten a NICE three-year-old."
"Look," she says, "he's got all that chrome, and that darling face, and those cute legs. I got him for a song. Take him to some horse shows, get him going, and flip him. A fun project for you."
"Ok," I say, "but you've got to geld him."
I graduate from college and come home, Billy and Ella, my fancy schmancy imports, in tow, and I go to see this little orange thing my mom took a gamble on. He's a gelding now, and he's coming four. He's taller. He still looks like a goober, but he's at least level. So I turn him out in our indoor.
Holy mother of pearl, the thing can freaking TROT.
Ok, I tell him. You have one year, and then you gotta go.
I showed him at Training Level and in a couple of Materiale classes. When he's not spooky, he wins everything. He doesn't come with me to Florida that winter, but he meets me at Pam's the next summer, now coming five and all the more physically grown up. Still very much a baby, and I show him at Training Level again that summer, to the same tune: when he's tight, he's awful, and when he's relaxed, he scores 75%s. And I put him up for sale.
Lots of interest. One in particular tries him a couple of times, loves him, and just as I'm within a few weeks of going to Virginia, the deal falls apart. I call my mom (who hasn't seen him in 6 months), and she's a little distressed, but we've got no choice - he's got to come home to VA with me.
She can't believe what he looks like when he walks off the trailer, and she REALLY can't believe what he looks like when he goes. She says, you know, I'm sort of falling in love with this horse. And I say, actually, I know exactly what you're talking about.
Midge is coming 7 now. I entered him in two shows last year at First Level, but never made it down centerline - we had some questionable farriery that took a few months to sort out, and by the time it did he was starting to school the changes and the upper-level lateral work, and I said screw it, let's wait until I can show him at a fun level. I've taken him through the Third-3 test a few times over the last few weeks (which is a damn hard test!), and it's all coming together. When he's relaxed, the judges will tell me to develop more swing and relaxation through the back, and when he's tight, the judges will tell me to develop more swing and relaxation through the back. He's not got the conformation for big, straight-legged extended work, but he's got an incredible dyanamicism to the collected work, and great talent for piaffe-passage. I have to work every day on making him less of a leg-mover and more of a back-mover, and I'll be working with that until the day he retires.
But he comes out of his stall every day eager to work, a firebreathing nut, and all I have to do is channel it. He's the only horse I get on who gives me a great ride every single day.
Needless to say, he's no longer for sale!
Midge's breeder, as I know the story, bred saddleseat-y horses, and had bred this Dutch Harness Horse colt with eyes on keeping him intact and putting him to Arab mares to make super flashy show horses, but had reservations as he grew up that his hind leg stepped too much under and not enough up and down. She decided to have him started like a sport horse, instead of a show horse, and sent him to a trainer I was working for in Chicago.
Midge was just barely under saddle when I came home from college (it was the summer of 05, between my junior and senior years). He was 15.2, downhill, upright, and spooky, spooky, spooky. He wasn't a bolter or a bucker. He'd just STOP. And I could be damn strong, but I couldn't kick him hard enough to get him out of that I'M NOT MOVING! place. So when I rode him the first few times, someone had to stand in the middle of the ring with a lunge whip in case he hit the brakes.
But he got started, and wasn't all that badly mannered for a rising 3-year-old stud colt. As I went back for my last year of school, the breeder/owner was debating whether to take him back home or to sell him. My work was done.
Fast forward to January 06. I haven't given so much as a thought to the little orange Dutch thing, when my mom calls me to tell me his breeder had passed away. Sad, I said. She said they're liquidating her herd of horses. Ok, I said. And she says, so I bought Victorious.
"Chhh," I say. "Why? If we wanted a three-year-old, we could have gone to Europe and gotten a NICE three-year-old."
"Look," she says, "he's got all that chrome, and that darling face, and those cute legs. I got him for a song. Take him to some horse shows, get him going, and flip him. A fun project for you."
"Ok," I say, "but you've got to geld him."
I graduate from college and come home, Billy and Ella, my fancy schmancy imports, in tow, and I go to see this little orange thing my mom took a gamble on. He's a gelding now, and he's coming four. He's taller. He still looks like a goober, but he's at least level. So I turn him out in our indoor.
Holy mother of pearl, the thing can freaking TROT.
Ok, I tell him. You have one year, and then you gotta go.
I showed him at Training Level and in a couple of Materiale classes. When he's not spooky, he wins everything. He doesn't come with me to Florida that winter, but he meets me at Pam's the next summer, now coming five and all the more physically grown up. Still very much a baby, and I show him at Training Level again that summer, to the same tune: when he's tight, he's awful, and when he's relaxed, he scores 75%s. And I put him up for sale.
Lots of interest. One in particular tries him a couple of times, loves him, and just as I'm within a few weeks of going to Virginia, the deal falls apart. I call my mom (who hasn't seen him in 6 months), and she's a little distressed, but we've got no choice - he's got to come home to VA with me.
She can't believe what he looks like when he walks off the trailer, and she REALLY can't believe what he looks like when he goes. She says, you know, I'm sort of falling in love with this horse. And I say, actually, I know exactly what you're talking about.
Midge is coming 7 now. I entered him in two shows last year at First Level, but never made it down centerline - we had some questionable farriery that took a few months to sort out, and by the time it did he was starting to school the changes and the upper-level lateral work, and I said screw it, let's wait until I can show him at a fun level. I've taken him through the Third-3 test a few times over the last few weeks (which is a damn hard test!), and it's all coming together. When he's relaxed, the judges will tell me to develop more swing and relaxation through the back, and when he's tight, the judges will tell me to develop more swing and relaxation through the back. He's not got the conformation for big, straight-legged extended work, but he's got an incredible dyanamicism to the collected work, and great talent for piaffe-passage. I have to work every day on making him less of a leg-mover and more of a back-mover, and I'll be working with that until the day he retires.
But he comes out of his stall every day eager to work, a firebreathing nut, and all I have to do is channel it. He's the only horse I get on who gives me a great ride every single day.
Needless to say, he's no longer for sale!
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