Pleasant Ridge Farm Dressage Show 12/2/12

Finally Smash has been sound long enough to be able to do something exciting other than lessons! My Mom wanted to do the Pleasant Ridge Farm Dressage show ever since she heard about it and while I originally didn't want to do it, I figured why not since I was going to be there anyway. My riding instructor also sort of told me it'd be stupid for me to go and not use the opportunity to ride, too.

It all seemed to be a good idea when we registered until we saw the ride times on Thursday. My first ride time was at 7:54am! Pleasant Ridge was 45min away from Waredaca. This meant we had to leave Waredaca no later than 6:15am and I had to wake up at 4am. I was also concerned about catching Smash in the dark. I tried to catch her one evening earlier in November after sunset and it was a total disaster. Chased her up and down her large field until finally having to give up.  Stupid mare. So I made sure to put her in a stall on Saturday evening/night to make my life (and everyone else's) a little bit better. I'm not sure how pleased Smash was but she dealt with it ok.

We arrived at Waredaca at 5:45am and loaded Smash and her field-mate, Centi. Both were not thrilled to be put on the trailer, but we made it work. GPS took us the dumbest way to Pleasant Ridge but we arrived right on time and started getting ready for my first ride. The farm was really pretty! Looked brand spankin' new! Unfortunately, Centi decided he was not getting off of the trailer. Smash, on the other hand had no problem getting off! After about 30min of trying to get Centi off, Nick took the partition out of the trailer and Centi turned around and walked off that way.

My first ride wasn't too bad but Smash was definitely not in front of my leg. She was also distracted since it was her first time going into this very large indoor ring. The judge's comments after my ride, however, were just "pretty horse!" and I was kind of shocked since that was not constructive at all but thought maybe it meant I rode really well. I ended with a penalty score of 36 and 4th place.

My second test I thought was even better yet this time the judge said I was too tense and needed to stop holding Smash back (she was still behind my leg, actually) and let her stretch more. I disagree with those comments but what can I say? I said I understood, practiced it as I walked Smash out of the arena and let it go in one ear and out the other. I ended this test with a penalty score of 35.23 and another 4th place.

My Mom rode next. She had a rocky first test with a few wobbles here and there but dramatically improved in her second test! They both did very well!

It was then time to load the horses back up. Smash did not want to go back on the trailer. After about ten min I got some grain as a last resort bribe and randomly it worked. I don't understand horses. But then the real drama happened. Centi REALLY didn't want to get back on the trailer. It took 4 people, 3 whips, moving cars around the trailer to create a chute, an episode where he reared and fell over backwards, and over 30min to finally get him back on. *sigh* At this point I was so exhausted and hungry I wanted to be home, showered, and in PJs. When we got back to Waredaca we didn't mess around with trying to get Centi off the traditional way and took the partition out immediately. He was fine with that decision, too.  Craziness happens when dealing with horses but it's normal and just comes with the territory. Having had episodes with Smash lasting over an hour, myself, I completely sympathize! I am just so THANKFUL for all of the friends who helped us that day even though they didn't have to! We would still have been at Pleasant Ridge if we didn't have their help!

Only then did we finally drive home and spend the rest of the day entertaining the dogs (they were so neglected all morning) and sleeping. I ended up going to bed at 8pm last night because I was so exhausted. I'm not sure if I'll go to another dressage show there again but I do think it was a good overall experience for Smash and me.

How to REALLY Buy a Horse

Lately I feel like I've been told things that I should have looked for or asked before buying Smash which, now after it's too late, explain moments when she's up or mare-ish. So for all of you out there who are considering buying a horse here are a few tips your instructor might not point out when horse shopping:

Swirls/Cowlicks/Whorls

Whorls and Cowlicks are apparently the Astrology signs for horses. If a cowlick is centered, above the eye line, below the eye line, off center, or a horse has more than one tells you about their temperament. There are also many schools of thought about it, too. Lots of books, articles, and personal opinions. 

This article has a bunch of great information regarding whorls/swirls/cowlicks and reference books if you choose to get super educated about it. 

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Smash's whorl is off center which, according to theory, means she is 'spirited' and I'd have to agree with that assessment. If only I had known to check for whorl placement before purchasing her!

Horse Butt: Rider Butt

No, this is not an SAT exam question but rather a ratio system I have devised. I think the rider's butt should be approximately 1/3 the size of your horse's butt. This ratio allows you to know you are appropriately sized and weighted for your horse. If your butt is 2/3 the size of your horse's - you're too big and should consider a larger horse. Here are a few examples:

As you can see here, even though my butt is covered by a costume, it sits in the middle third of Smash's butt. 

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This here is a great example of how this guy's butt is more than 1/3 the size of his horse's and should consider a larger horse (never mind the fact that his legs are barely off the ground)

Here is my Mom (Hi, Mom!) and a horse she used to ride. They have great butt proportion, too.

Let's face it, nothing is more uncomfortable than watching someone ride a horse that makes their butt look big (no one wants to hear their butt is as big as a horse's!). Horse showing is not all about looks, but we all know the more confident we look on our horse the better we ride. 

Like Horse Like Owner

It's argued that most humans resemble their pets in one way or another. Some are looks, some are personality, and some are both. While I like to think I look more human-like and less horse-like I do think this statement is true for me and Smash. When assessing potential horses, be ready to be humbled that whichever horse you end up really falling in love with probably resembles you in some way, shape, or form.

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As you can see, even celebrities can resemble horses.

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And not always in a good way...

The same goes for us non-celebrities:

In this photo with Satchmo, a willing culprit, I am ecstatic and he seems embarrassed. We got along pretty well for a little over 2 years but he was not 'the one'. 

Contrary, in this photo with Smash from a few years ago, Smash and I have the exact same expression. 

I've also had to come to terms with the fact that I, too, like to be Queen Bee (Smash is in charge of the herd at the farm right now), I can be rather cranky and sometimes b*tchy when things don't go my way (although I refrain from kicking other people), and I love apples. On the opposite side of personalities, Smash and I share the same determination to be great, have a great work ethic and know when to get down to business, and can appreciate and trust one another when we are in trouble/need help.

This is a photo of my first horse, Monty. He and I shared many different qualities like stubbornness, a sense of humor, and we were always game to try something new. He, unlike Smash, loved affection and taught me patience and ALWAYS made me laugh. He was a true comedian!  He was my rock for a few years and a great horse. He even smiled a little in this photo.


None of these tips will be considered a high priority by your instructor or someone helping you find a horse with a certain ability and I think you should take them with a grain of salt - however, thinking about these tips won't hurt, either. It's a fun way to think about horse shopping and if you're going to spend a few thousand dollars on essentially a pet, why not make it as fun and enjoyable as possible :) Go forth and find that horsey soul mate!

FINALLY!

It has finally happened! Good news for everyone! Smash's abscess is draining (and actually has been since the 8th) and should be all better in about 5 days!

I called another vet to come out and give me a second opinion because hearing her abscess hadn't popped in 2 weeks was disconcerting. Not to mention pumping Banamine in her system for so long was not something I thought she needed, either. Once the other vet came out she pointed out the same hole I thought I had seen on the 8th as being an actual hole from the abscess! The only thing is it was very small so while it had popped and was draining, it was taking a long time. She made the hole just slightly bigger and gave me instructions on what I need to do now to get all the pus out and get her on the mend!

What she thinks happened is a nail hit the 'white line' of Smash's hoof which sent the infection up into her fetlock and caused some celulitis. This explains the swelling we saw in her leg that first week.

So we've been doing a lot of this:

Smash, being Smash, only seems to tolerate 10-15min worth of soaking her hoof. I try to keep her occupied by brushing her while she soaks and checking the rest of her body but she always gets antsy. I don't blame her. Two weeks of having nothing to do and being sort of sore sucks. Even I'm antsy from not being able to ride her and it has been difficult to muster up energy every evening to go out and see her to change her wrap. Especially when the weather is poor! #Horseownerwoes

In the meantime I've been occasionally riding Tanner, my friend Amanda's, horse.

So cute! He is as big as Smash, if not bigger. I've taken a flat lesson on him and now a jumping lesson. He is not an easy ride! But I am very thankful for having any horse to hop on while Smash and Amanda recover from injuries. I'm at the barn every day - might as well ride, right? 

Aside from soaking and wrapping Smash up every day I thought I'd share a non horse photo *gasp! The horror!* just because it's not often I'm not in workout clothes or riding gear. My parents, Nick, and I were invited to a wedding last Saturday in Frederick, MD and it was a lot of fun. It made me excited for my own wedding coming up in 6 months! 

ignore the squinty left eye. I was being blinded by the flash

So there you have it. What I've been doing in the past 2 weeks. I am more than excited to get back in Smash's saddle and see if we can't accomplish anything before show season really ends! Stay tuned!