My first west coast training gig

If you may recall, I have mentioned in previous posts that it essential that I pursue an equestrian career to truly be happy, and I'm pleased to say that Stamm Sport Horse is open for business. While I have done some training back on the east coast, it was always within the context of some larger farm at which I was employed. This is my first time acting as an independent contractor, and venturing out into the often crazy horse world on my own has been very scary.

Last month I started working with my first training horse, Scotchgard G, better known as the goofy and lovable Henri. Henri is an extremely powerful and talented half-Arabian gelding that has the ability to make me laugh and lift my mood when I'm in the foulest of states. He is owned by Gina Bressler, a very talented and very well-respected trainer in her own right who wanted to give Henri a shot at a new discipline, and me a shot at training (THANK YOU!). Gina also owns and manages the farm where I keep my little munchkin (Gentle Oaks Stables), and has kindly allowed me to base my training business out of her farm.

While I was thrilled to get Henri as a training horse, I also felt a tremendous deal of pressure training for someone who I regard in such high esteem. So... First independent training job working for someone who is a fantastic rider/trainer... color me terrified!

One month later, the feelings of self-doubt still creep in here and there, but I am starting to trust myself, and slowly but surely, I am starting to have confidence in my own ability. I couldn't have asked for better horse/owner combination to get started with. I also feel extremely lucky to be at a place like Gentle Oaks. While I don't technically work for the farm, being surrounded by all of the wonderful people there makes me feel a lot less like I'm on my own. Oh jeez.... Now I'm getting teary-eyed.

That's how I roll!

Dressage saddles with giant knee rolls seem to be a requirement these days for anyone wanting to look legit. This trend is something I refuse to accept, and here is my anti giant knee roll manifesto.

I have ridden in saddles with oversized knee rolls on a few occasions and can say emphatically that I don't like them. I understand that they are suppose to keep the riders leg in a correct position, but chances are, unless the saddle was custom made to fit your leg exactly, you will be fighting the saddle to achieve good position. Since I ride a variety of different horses and leg position is never exactly the same from horse to horse, a big knee-rolled saddle seems like a bad option for me.

I have also noticed that riders that choose giant knee rolls have a tendency to brace against them, especially at the sitting trot. While this may be an effective way to stay in the saddle, it is also an equally effective way to interfere with the horse's back.

The two saddles I use are the Neidersuss Symphony which have small knee rolls that suggest rather than command where your leg should go, and...

the Stubben Tristan which lacks a knee roll all together.

I love both of these saddles, and feel that they have a wonderful impact on my riding.

How do you roll?

The musical freestyle and lyrics

My absolute favorite aspect of dressage is the musical freestyle. I love it so much because I feel that it truly has the potential to blur the line between art and sport. It is probably the major reason I choose pure dressage over all other equestrian disciplines. Currently, using music with lyrics, while not prohibited, is strongly discouraged because it is "distracting."

Often times popular songs are redone on synthesizer to create lyric-free versions that sound like circus music at best, and elevator music at worst. How is that not distracting? Other riders opt for classical pieces , which can be very beautiful, but can also come across dated. I mean, it is the 21st century!

Aside from the cheesey sound the is often the product of eliminating lyrics from a song, the sound of a singer's voice, the words they say, and the intention with which they say them can make what was just a pretty melody into an emotionally moving song. Add the brilliant performance of a beautiful horse, and there you have it. Art!

Opinions?

The Handmade Horse

Blogging has been a bit slow for me while the whole thesis writing thing is happening, but I promise I will be better as soon as I am done. If you're in need of a blogtastic horsey fix in the mean time, a friend is diving into the world of sewing her own riding clothes and sharing her experience with all of the blogosphere. My friend will be sharing her sewing shenanigans on The Handmade Horse, so be sure to check it out. She is one funny girl, and her blog is bound to be both instructive and hilarious.

Adventures in baby training: Episode 1- Baby's first hoof trim

Today was a momentous occasion in the life of the young Heliodoro. Today, baby got his very first haircut hoof trim. He was a good boy, relatively speaking... so long as your relative perspective considers the spawn of satan good. It's a miracle that between the rearing up, striking out, kicking the farrier, and attempting to trample all who got in his way, that his feet got done at all. I have to give Jason Peacock, of Jason Peacock horse shoeing, a ton of credit. He was the perfect combination of assertive and gentle. I highly recommend him to anyone with a young horse. He really was wonderful.

The main issue with Helix's behavior is that **** WARNING! APPROACHING EXTREME NERDDOM**** he wants to be an alpha Helix, and in this situation, the beta configuration is preferable (Sorry. I had to.). More simply put, Helix has to learn that people are in charge, and it isn't acceptable to try and boss them around. Towards the end of the trim session, his attitude changed dramatically. While he didn't seem defeated, he was definitely mulling over the pros and cons of putting up a fight for something so silly as a hoof trim. And let me be clear. I never want my horse to feel defeated. I never want him to lose that edge in his personality. That edge is what makes him special, and it's what will make him be great in the future, but I'd also like him to be safe to handle.

I like to think of myself as a strict parent, and seeing as I've only had him for just over a week at this point, I won't go blaming myself for his behavior just yet. This was, however, a bit of a wake-up call to just how dangerous he could be if I let him grow up without demanding respect and obedience.

Helix the Bold!

Helix is not the first horse I have ever owned, but he is the first horse I have owned as an adult, and the first horse that Mom and Dad (thanks for the first three!) did not buy for me. As a result his purchase means that much more. One week later, I feel less like a new horse owner, and more like a new mother. I spend as much time at the barn as possible, obsessively cleaning his stall, playing with him out in the pasture, and spending lots of time grooming his scruffy, baby coat. Mom and Dad as well as Dave's mom are playing the role of the extremely supportive grand parents, asking for updates and pictures of the new baby.

While I quite enjoy babying Helix, it has also become quite clear that he requires a as much discipline, as the love and attention he demands. He is a bold little horse that fears very little, and he likes to remind me quite often that he sure deosn't fear me. Initially, when I began handling him, his attitude toward me was that of a step child telling their step parent "How dare you tell me what to do! You're not my mother!" The tactic I've adopted to handle his attitude is to be annoyingly persistent. Dave employed a similar tactic when initially trying to date me, and I figured it worked for him, so why not give it a try.

For example, the first time I attempted to brush his legs, he responded by kicking me in the back of the hand. After giving him a little tap on the bottom to let him know that kicking was not ok, I placed my hand on the top of his leg and left it there while he fidgeted and gave me irritated looks. The second he stopped fidgeting, I removed my hand and patted him on the neck. After about 20 minutes of placing my hands all over his legs and patting him when he was calm, he became accepting of my touch and relaxed.

Hopefully, over time Helix will get to the point where he doesn't constantly question authority, but until then it's going to take some tough love, and a lot of patience.

kiger mustang auction

The kiger mustang auction is coming up next month, and I am fairly determined to come home from it with a new horse. I'm extremely interested in the kigers because, aside from being beautiful and having obvious Spanish ancestry, they are well known for being extremely trainable. While good conformation is extremely important, trainability may be the most important quality in a good dressage mount.

The one downside to getting a kiger is that the auctions are highly competitive. At the last kiger auction in 2007, the highest bid was $7,800. That being said, there were also 29 horses that went for the minimum bid of $125. Another thing to consider is that the last auction took place before the economy completely tanked. Perhaps low consumer confidence will keep the bids reasonably low.

I have picked out several horses that I would be interested in taking home, and now I'm interested in what everyone else has to say. Visit the BLM kiger adoption website, and vote for your favorite by commenting on the blog (FB works too). Use the horse's ID number when you cast your vote.

Living the dream

A wise man (William Shatner) once said "live like you're gonna die....because you're going to." Using this reasoning, I have made the decision that I would like to need to pursue a career as a professional rider/trainer/and possibly instructor. This has been my dream ever since I was a little girl, and I'm not sure whether it was people telling me that I was too smart to just ride, or the seeming financial impossibility of becoming an equestrian professional that dissuaded me, but it has become quite clear that I will not be happy doing anything else. If I don't at least try to make it happen, I will regret it for the rest of my life.

While I'm still not able to train a horse through Grand Prix (though I'm confident that with Doug's help I will get there one day), I can train a horse to walk, trot, canter, jump, and move off the the leg as well as anyone. With most horses in the area being general english or western horses, my abilities suit the needs of potential clients just fine.

This, of course, will require a great deal of planning, and some source of income to get everything started, but I am truly committed to making this happen. If I don't wake up and start living my dreams now, chances are I never will.

My crooked nature: an update

As riders, we expect our horses to be strong, flexible, relaxed and balanced. Why not expect the same of ourselves? I started doing yoga to improve upon my equitation, and in the process have found that I am now holding myself to the same standards to which I hold my (hypothetical) horse. After about a months time, I am starting to see several benefits from the practice.

Mental benefits:

1. A greater sense of body awareness, especially concerning my overall posture. It turns out my position flaws on horseback are also present on the ground.

2. The ability to induce a relaxed state of mind. Or more specifically in my case, the ability to effectively deal with stress-induced insomnia.

3. A sense that I can be in control of each part of my body.

Physical benefits

1. Greater muscle definition over my entire body.

2. The return of that thing I used to have in my early 20's. What's it called again? Oh right. A waist.

3. Greater flexibility in my legs, hips, and abdomen.

Is my position perfect now? Absolutely not. Is it improving more quickly than it was when I was just making corrections on horseback? Most definitely! The increased body awareness allows me to recognize when there is a problem with my position, and as I get stronger, I am more able to make the proper correction.

Because yoga is helping me so much to develop into a more effective rider, I have decided to write a series of posts addressing common position flaws, and yoga positions that can be used to correct them. Feel free to chime in with your particular position flaw.

Gus practices "sideways facing cat" as I practice "downward facing dog."

World class riders and the return to lightness

Currently, the FEI European Dressage Championships are underway. Today marked the end of the team competition, and team Great Britain walked away victoriously with their first ever gold medal. Not wanting my subscription to FEITV to go to waste, I watched as much as I could.

Dressage has changed a lot over the years, and for the past several years has been moving in a direction I found most disheartening. Along with the use of rollkur at epidemic proportions amongst top riders, the emphasis on lightness and harmony seemed to be lost. It became evident that riders were becoming much more reliant on their curb rein than on their seat. Instead of a dance between horse and rider, Grand Prix rides appeared to be more of a fight.

During the European Championships, there was no doubt, a great deal of heavy-handed riding, including Matthias Rath on the great Moorlands Totilas (pictured left), and Laura Bechtolsheimer on Minstral Horis (pictured below). In all fairness to Laura, Mistral Horis did appear hotter than normal, and seemed to be running away with her, but I have never seen her ride with light hands in competition.

I was most pleasantly surprised by the superb test put in by British rider, Carl Hester, and his horse Utopia. Utopia seems to be a fitting name for the horse since almost everything about the ride was perfect. Seeing the pair was a reminder that their are still top riders that strive for lightness and harmony, and I'm happy to say, with Carl Hester topping out the individual scores (BEATING TOTILAS!), judges are beginning to reward this type of riding again.

Addressing my crooked nature

So many of my friends reading this may be expecting me to confess my devious nature despite a somewhat innocent appearance, but I am in fact crooked in a much more literal sense. Some may even call me left leaning and be referring to something having nothing to do with politics. I am just crooked. This as you can imagine creates quite a conundrum when trying to teach a horse to be sensitive to my body weight, while giving it mixed signals with my poor position. Aside from hindering good equitation, my crookedness comes with sciatica as an irritating side effect, which I have mostly learned to ignore, but would be delighted if it would just go away.

My poor riding instructor has been addressing this issue from the beginning, and after almost a full year, I have made zero headway on the problem. He does a pretty good job hiding his frustration, but I suspect he feels similarly to how I feel after spending a whole term explaining the null hypothesis to a biology class and still not having the concept sink in. I take improving my skill as a rider very seriously, and for that reason I feel that it is time to address my crooked nature in earnest.

After seeing doctors, chiropractors and physical therapists, it has been confirmed that my crookedness is the product of uneven strength and flexibility on my left and right sides. My left side is both stronger and less flexible than my right side causing my 4 lower vertebrae to be pulled out of alignment. My left hip flexor is also incredible tight when compared to the right. Based on that diagnosis, the solution seems simple. Do strengthening and stretching exercises to even everything out.

After having no luck with chiropractic work and the physical therapists offered by the OSU student health center, I have decided to take matters into my own hands. I have taken up the ultimate form of strength and flexibility training, yoga. Yoga is great for stretching, strenghtening, improving balance, and let's not forget the intended purpose, achieving a meditative mind state.

I've been at it for almost two weeks now, so it's probably a bit early to see any physical results, but I will write in update post in a month or so to fill you in on how things are going. Until then, Namaste!

Ever After Mustang Rescue

People are often baffled when I tell them I am adopting a mustang to be my next equine partner. While mustangs do require a bit more time and patience to train than domestic breeds, their strong desire to gain approval from the alpha horse in a herd (which hopefully in a training situation is you) makes them try their little hearts out. Who doesn't love a little horse with a whole lot of try?

I acquired my love of mustangs while working for Mona Jerome at Ever After Mustang Rescue in Biddeford, ME. Ever After takes in mustangs from a number of sources. Some are adopted from BLM auctions, some are surrendered by owners who have decided they can't handle or don't want their mustang, and some are seized from situations of abuse and neglect.

In order to fund this operation, Mona hosts several money-raising events, many of which are riding clinics. I met Mona when I started attending a fantastic, week-long eventing clinic at the farm. The clinic was so fantastic, that I attended 5 years straight (once on one of Mona's mustangs). One fine spring day, I received a call from Mona, and I assumed that it was regarding the clinic dates for that year. Instead, Mona asked me if I would be interested in coming to ride and train for her. I enthusiastically accepted the offer and packed my bags for Biddeford.

After arriving at the farm, Mona took a lot of time teaching me the art of training wild horses. I learned so much while with Mona, and I will now and try to condense what I learned into a few succinct bullet points

* When training a wild horse, there is very little room for error. While domestically born horse can tolerate quite a bit of incorrect training and turn out ok, mistakes made while training a wild horse can produce dangerous outcomes. In order to avoid these dangerous outcomes, it is important to correct bad behavior as soon as it happens.

* Attempting to muscle around a horse, regardless of how big or small, is a futile endeavor. Just don't do it.

* Be aware of the horse's body language as well as your own. Initally, body language is the only way you can communicate with your wild horse.

* Demand obedience and reward profusely when it's given. You'd be surprised how much a simple pat on the neck and a "good boy" means to your horse.

While these concepts are essential to successfully training a wild horse, I have also found that applying them to the training of any horse can lead to a deeper connection and better partnership between horse and rider. I am very grateful for all that Mona taught me, and I look forward to applying my knowledge to a mustang of my own. Please take the time to visit the Ever After Mustang Rescue website and see all the good work she is doing.

and some more life changes

I received a phone call over the weekend stating that due to some unforeseen circumstances, my working student position would not be happening. With only a looming thesis deadline and the promise of unemployment to look forward to, it was hard to find much to be happy about.

On Monday, all of that changed when I learned my grant had been extended to keep me on through December. While it's still not enough to finish a PhD, I will be able to get a publication out of this beast of a project I've been working on, and will get 4 more months of pay and benefits out of it. There is also a strong possibility that I will get hired part time after I finish my project to do data analysis for other projects.

So what does this mean in terms of horses? Well, first and foremost it means the hunt for my own mustang is back on. Secondly, a part time job will allow me the freedom to do other things part time.....like train horses. This career interest makes it that much more crucial that I get my own horse on which to compete and earn a reputation. I will also be important to have a horse on which to continue my own education, because there is still so much I need to learn, especially if I plan on competing at FEI level.

So there it is folks, my life plan squeezed into an itty bitty blog entry. Look forward to lots more entries on potential prospects, trips to the holding facility, and mustang training.

Let's talk about collection

Collection is a word that is often casually flung around, and as a result, frequently misused. Many people incorrectly use it to refer to the general shortening of a horse's frame, or the slowing of a horse's tempo. True collection involves the horse accepting more weight behind, lowering the haunches, and raising the poll.

This past weekend I was reminded of what collection means on a cow horse of all places. While visiting some friends in Bend, a local, western performance horse trainer was kind enough to offer me a ride on his amazing cutting horse, Bugs. I was told to saddle Bugs with whatever tack in which I was most comfortable, so naturally I grabbed the nearest dressage saddle and snaffle bridle.

I took Bugs into the arena for a quick warm-up and found him to be wonderfully light off the leg and seat, and even lighter in the bridle. After experimenting with some spins and sliding stops, I was informed that it was time to "work the flag." Seeing as I have zero experience with cutting horses, I had no clue what "working the flag" would entail. Cutting horses are trained to separate (or cut) a cow from the rest of a herd and keep it away for a short period of time. In order to do this they need to be able to track cows with very little rider direction. Since not all farms that train cutting horses have cows handy, the horses often practice by learning to track a flag on a string. So that's what I was doing. Here's a video example of someone using a flag to train their cutting horse: Flag training.

We started our flag work very slowly (for my sake) with the flag lazily moving back and forth on the arena wall. Bugs jogged along side it, and made a simple change of direction whenever the flag did so. Soon the flag started moving faster, and we were cantering to keep up with it. When the flag would suddenly change direction, Bugs would bend his hocks and shift his weight backwards to free up his front end, and spin. Holy collection! It's not like I had never felt collection before, but when a horse goes from an open and downhill frame to such a high level of collection within a fraction of a second, you feel it. Watch the hocks and hind end on this horse as he works: Champion cutting horse.

While the front end of a dressage horse behaves very differently than that of a cutting horse, very similar action is required by the hind end, and classical dressage training revolves around the idea that everything must come from behind. For any dressage rider out there who wants a better understanding of collection, I highly recommend taking a ride on a cutting horse.

Sonic Boom

Every horse person has one extremely special horse in their life to which they will compare all other horses in their life. For me, that horse came in the form of 16.1 hand, chestnut, thoroughbred gelding, with a quirky and loveable personality, and a mane that that insisted on sticking straight up, named Sonic Boom (Boomer for short). I found Boomer at a sales farm in Southern MA, while looking for a new eventing prospect. He was extremely underweight, and covered in bedsores. Despite his ragged appearance, their was something so kind about his eye that made me instantly fall in love.

About a week later, we were back with the trailer, and Boomer was on his way to the Cutter Farm where his recovery could begin under skilled eye of the farm owner and trainer, Marina Burliss. After a month with Marina, Boomer had put on a substantial amount of weight, and in addition to the already kind nature of his eyes, a little sparkle became evident as well. We decided that Boomer was healthy enough to bring home, and he was brought the the small two stall barn in my back yard.

Initially, training Boomer was extremely difficult. His only training had been on the race track, and as the weight came back, so did the racehorse energy and spunk. He was under the impression that while he was being ridden, it was in fact play time, and let me know this by bucking, rearing, spinning, and bolting. It is fair to say that in those first few months, I spent almost as much time on the ground as I did in the saddle. My father would often ask me after my rides how my "flying lesson" was that day. On top of Boomer being difficult, I was only 14 years old, and relatively inexperienced, but I stuck with him. Eventually Boomer started to settle down, and learned how to focus on the task at hand.

It was at this time I thought it was appropriate to introduce him to jumping. Boomer took to jumping like a fish to water. Aside from the ocassional excited leap, he was calm and patient to the fences, and did not know the meaning of the word "refuse." Even if I gave him a terrible approach, he would find some way to get his body over the fence.

After years of riding my pony, Dixee, who was truly wonderful but had a tendency to be a dirty little stopper, my confidence jumping wasn't great. This didn't bother Boomer at all as he seemed to have enough courage for the both of us. Riding such an honest horse can do wonders for one's confidence, and before you knew it we were out on the x-country school jumping banks, ditches, coops, roll tops, and any other kind of jump you can think of. I soon overcame my fear of jumps larger than 2'6'', and learned to trust in my very brave horse.

While Boomer and I were very strong in both x-country and stadium jumping, dressage was a weak phase for us (ironic, I know). I use to blame it on Boomer not liking dressage, but it has become quite clear that I was just a terrible dressage rider at the time.

After three years of the most amazing equine partnership I have ever experienced, Boomer's life ended tragically at the age of 7 after a severe bout of colic. This was one of the most devastating things I have ever experienced, but now instead of being sad about what could have been if he were still alive, I am so grateful for the time I did have with him. Several years after Boomer's death, I got a tattoo in his honor. The tattoo represents the most important lesson Boomer ever taught me: ride for the love riding, the love of the horse, and love of the partnership between horse and rider.

Equine Couture Ladies Bobbi Denim Riding Breeches:

How many times have you been on your way home from the barn, and decided to make a quick stop at the grocery store, still completely decked out in your boots and breeches. This, without fail, will produce sideways glances from fellow shoppers, and my favorite is when people approach to ask "do you ride?" In my head I reply "No you idiot. I dress this way for fun, and my odor is a new perfume called 'Essence of Manure.'" I try to be more polite out loud, but need to be careful because as I become older, the filter between my brain and mouth is deteriorating.

Last week I ordered myself some Equine Couture Ladies Bobbi Denim Riding Breeches, mostly hoping for a more durable option to traditional schooling breeches. When they arrived, I tried them on and was in total shock of how gosh darn cute they were. These are not the "mom jeans" denim breeches of the past. The cut is extremely flattering, especially for a curvy woman like myself, and the stretch denim has a nice slimming effect. Thanks to all the sorority girls who made skinny jeans and knee-high leather boots popular, I feel like I can parade around the grocery store unnoticed.

Now all this cuteness would be wasted if the breeches weren't functional. Luckily I found them very comfortable to ride in. I can't comment on durability since I've only had them for a week at this point, but I hope they last a long time because I love wearing them.

Project kiger mustang

So I was browsing craigslist looking at horses for sale and laughing at some fantastic grammatical and spelling errors when I came across and ad for seven kiger mustangs up for adoption. These horses were all domestically born, but had to given up after their original owner lost his job. They were then passed around to several different homes where proper feeding and care wasn't always a top priority. As a result, they became malnourished, and many were aslo scared due to improper handling.

In March, they found themselves at farm outside of Portland that started an organization called Project Kiger Mustang with the goal of getting all horses back up to a healthy weight and starting their training.


After several months, the horses are looking much better and many are ready to be adopted. The adoption fees for the kigers range from$700-$1500 dollars, which is extremely reasonable compared to what I've seen elsewhere. They have several different colors available including black, buckskin, and my all time favorite color, grulla. I remember my mother mentioning that the kiger herd was her favorite. Wouldn't a cute little kiger baby make a fantastic graduation present for your darling daughter?!

I'm heading up to the farm on Saturday morning to take some video of all the horses and see if there are any standouts.

Equitation: More than looking pretty

For the majority of my life, I have found myself riding horses that are green, difficult, or a combination of the two. This has been the case for a number of reasons. First off, I enjoy the challenge of figuring out what makes a horse tick, and I live for the feeling the comes along with making a frustrated and confused horse enjoy its work. Because of this, I have always been drawn to riding difficult horses, and for the same reasons, riding instructors have always been inclined to put me on horses that no one else wants to ride. The result of this has been that much of my lesson time in the past was spent focused on the horse, and very little time was focused on me. While riding so many green and difficult horses was good for my riding in several ways, it has kept me from developing some basic skills that separate the good riders from the great riders.

This past year, my primary mount has been a horse named Flame, a 19 year old, Country English Pleasure, Arabian gelding. While Flame is far from an easy ride, he is extremely well schooled in the basics, and very sensitive to subtle changes in rider position. I have also been riding with an instructor that is adamant that I have proper equitation.

So what have I learned from all of this? Well first and foremost I have learned that correct equitation is "correct" for a reason. The geometry of a rider's leg position directly influences the geometry of the horse's rib cage, and the overall outline of the horse. A rider's seat can be unbelievably influential in terms of controlling the energy of the gaits. I have also learned that bad equitation can have an adverse impact on a horse's way of going just as much as good equitation can improve a horse's way of going.

Riding a horse such as Flame has allowed me to focus on improving my leg position and I am FINALLY learning how to properly sit the trot. The sitting trot is the ultimate test of a rider's seat in my eyes. I have always been told to "follow" the horse's movement while sitting the trot, but if you strive to "follow," you will always be behind the motion. I have recently learned that they key to the sitting trot is to actively move WITH the horse's motion by engaging your core muscles. I have been shocked and amazed by what I am able to do with my seat now that I am no longer just struggling to keep my butt in the saddle.

I guess the crux of the biscuit here is that good equitation is really important. Listen to your instructor when he/she says "heels down!" or "sit up straight!" because it really does matter. If you use the excuse that you are an effective rider if not the most elegant, to avoid working on your equitation (as I use to), you are only inhibiting your ability to become even more effective and to look damn good while riding. And seriously, who doesn't like looking good?

Catch riding

Within the past couple months I have taken on the challenge of being a catch rider. My first catch riding gig was at the Eugene horse and tack expo, riding and handling sale horses for a local trainer. Everything went smoothly for the first two days, and I even got some experience handling and riding stallions which was really exciting.

On the third day, I was showing a 4 year old, 17 hand quarter horse gelding in a sale horse class. While he was a gorgeous animal, and an ideal candidate for the AQHA hunter under saddle circuit, he was also (unbeknownst to me) completely herd bound. The way the sale horse classes work is that all the horses line up on one side of arena, and then one by one, each sale horse is given 5 minutes to strut his or her stuff. When it was my turn, I confidently made my way to the center of the arena, and for a moment it seemed we were going to have an excellent showing. That was not to be. Soon enough the horse realized he was no longer with the other horses. My steering and breaks instantly vanished, and I became no more influential than the saddle on his back. Before I knew it, I was on the ground, and the gelding was happily strutting back to other horses.

He soon came to a stop next to a miniature mule that he had befriended during the entire 15 minutes we had spent in line. I climbed back up all 17 hands of him, still shaky from the adrenaline pumping through my veins, thinking of the epinephrine pathway I had memorized in biochemistry. I used up the remainder of my time trotting in a circle near the line of other horses.

The trainer was impressed with my toughness and fearlessness in the situation and asked me to ride the horse again at an upcoming horse show. Because of my previously mentioned stupidity fearlessness, I agreed.

The next weekend I met the trainer and her team of horses at the show and prepared to ride. My giant QH friend showed his ability for airs above the ground in the warmup, so I prepared for an exciting day. I was pleasantly surprised when our first class passed without incident, and then even more surprised when my name was announced after the words "in first place." The pattern of good behavior and top placings continued. Later in the day, we were named the hi-point combination for our division and handed a shiny, silver goblet. Now that's what I call redemption!

The HJ Hampton Story

This story has nothing to do with mustangs, but has much to do with a horse that changed me for the better. If you are a sucker for happy endings, this story is for you.

In 2006 I had the great challenge/pleasure of riding HJ Hampton (Henry) immediately after his return from intense training as hunter/jumper. He was a challenging, yet rewarding mount who always gave his all, and had a personality that melted the hearts of all that came in contact with him.

He had some training, but he was very fearful and distrusting of his rider, initially trying to evade my cues instead of looking to me for guidance. Eventually he learned to trust me and became much more relaxed. His flatwork progressed rapidly and he had an endless capacity to learn. Before too long he had become solid at first level work and was schooling 2nd level movements.

Despite his previous training as a hunter/jumper, the prospect of jumping terrified him. I only attempted jumping him on a couple occasions, and his reaction to those attempts were enough to convince me that “this horse will make someone a nice dressage horse, but he’s not meant to jump.”

Henry and I posing for a photography class.

Since I had previously made the decision to focus on dressage, Henry’s fear of jumping did not impact my desire to ride him one bit. In fact, I spent many hours at my day job as a chemist thinking about my evening rides on Henry. I loved how he challenged me and made me think. He was very insistent that my cues were tactful and instructive, and he was not afraid to let me know when he didn’t understand. Even though Henry let me believe that I was doing the training, I’m pretty sure he knew he was actually the one training me. I will forever be a better riding for the hours I spent on his back.

In 2007, I left for Oregon to pursue a graduate degree, under the impression that Henry was to be sent back into hunter/jumper training. That was the last I saw/heard of him until spring, 2010 when on a random whim, I decided to do a google search for HJ Hampton to see if I could find him.

To my shock, the first thing that popped up was a helmet cam video….of Henry…at ROLEX!? Those big ears were unmistakably his, and I quickly started searching the internet for more video. I found several more videos of Henry jumping, with what can only be described as a look of pure joy in his eyes. I have never been happier to eat my words. It did my heart so much good to see that he was happy and healthy, not to mention tremendously successful.

I later learned that Henry’s training had been taken over by Australian rider, Peter Atkins, an eventer/miracle worker who taught Henry to love jumping. Their strong bond was evident in the helmet cam videos, with Henry’s big ears flicking backwards after every combination as if to say, “am I a good boy Dad?” and Peter enthusiastically replying, that yes, he was indeed a good boy. This relationship led to a successful outing at the World Equestrian Games and rise to fame in the equestrian community.

I won’t say much about what happened next, but here’s the story in a nutshell. Peter had agreed to train, care for, and campaign Henry in exchange for half ownership. Henry's owner claimed that was never the deal. A jury decided that based on evidence presented by Peter, there was in fact a partnership. The judge ruled that the partnership was to be dissolved, and Henry was to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. At the last second, Henry's owner agreed to sell her half of Henry to Peter, giving Peter full ownership.

It is my belief that Henry is now in the right place. It is clear that not only Peter, but his entire family adore him. He has become far more than just the horse of a top rider. He is a family member, and I could wish him no better life.

During the ownership dispute Peter and I came to know each other since I was Henry’s previous rider and had information on his training history. Now that the ownership dispute is over, Peter has generously invited me to come visit Henry at his farm. I am extremely excited to say the least, and look forward to seeing the great HJ Hampton once again.

There is a chance I may be obsessed: update

Well it seems as though Blogger is being temperamental and has deleted my post from yesterday. The post was in reference to a Mustang filly with which I have become completely obsessed (It's official). I have become so obsessed, I have started considering some possible names for her. The names range from Princess Zelda, in honor of my video game loving boyfriend, to Amanita, in honor of my fascination with all things mycological.

A potential prospect

A couple weeks ago a friend sent me a link to a rescue organization that had a 3 year old mustang up for adoption. The rescue involved typically deals with off the track thoroughbreds, but will often take in horses of any breed that need rescuing. The mustang is absolutely adorable and has the conformation and movement to be a successful dressage horse. With an adoption fee of just $400, he was tough to turn down, but because I will be leaving for my working student position in just a few short months, the timing isn't right. If he is still available when I get back, I will certainly seriously consider adopting him then. If not, then the search will continue.

Mustang video

Some serious life changes

So every once in awhile life throws you a curve ball that causes you to reconsider what you thought were your life plans. Back in February life threw me one of those curve balls when I found out that the state of Oregon had decided to stop fighting the good fight against sudden oak death and would no longer be funding research projects on the disease. For those of you that don't know, my graduate studies are funded by work on sudden oak, and as of June, that funding will be completely gone. As result, I will be finishing up with a masters (for now).

I was lucky enough to find a wonderful opportunity working for Jeri Neider, at Twin Ridge Farm where I will temporarily follow my dream of being a full time rider before heading back to the real world. This means that I will be spending around 4 months in my home state of New Hampshire in the fall. I will have to leave Dave behind which will definitely be the hardest part for me (though he is already planning a visit in October. What a guy. They don't get any better than him.), but it will be nice to be close to my parents who I miss dearly for a little while. I would like to stress, however, that this is only a temporary move and I will be back to the PNW in time for Thanksgiving.

I still believe that there is an Oregon mustang waiting to be my dressage horse, and hopefully I will find him or her when I get back. In the mean time, the tone of the blog may change to be more general dressage and horse related. I'm contemplating a temporary name change to "The Dressage Princess Diaries." What do you think?

Why Dressage?

It is easy to see why people love horses, and it's understandable why people become enthralled with the "more exciting" disciplines such as show jumping and eventing, but I am frequently questioned as to why I am so utterly and completely obsessed with dressage. Well! Let me tell you! My answer may surprise you. The expected response would be "Well I just love feeling connected with my horse and thinking through every stride blah blah blah **cough cough** dressage riders are superior ** cough cough**" , but the truth is to be successful in any discipline, you need to be connected with your horse and think through every stride.

The major reason I love dressage can be summed up in one word: freestyle! I love the musical freestyle. Those of you that know me well know how much I love music. In my eyes, watching a horse move can often be compared to a synesthetic experience where you can see sound. Horses and music go together like strawberries and Gorgonzola (a delicious combo I promise!), and it seems that dressage is the one discipline, aside from possibly vaulting (and no one wants to see me attempt that), that allows one to compete at the very highest level while still leaving room for some artistic expression.

While far from a freestyle, here is a video of me on a horse I use to ride and train, named Hank put to music courtesy of the Flaming Lips. Enjoy!

Hanks Smokin' Gun

Girls that ride and the boys that love them

While I'm not one who typically makes a big deal out of Valentine's day, I thought this would be an appropriate time to show my appreciation to the man in my life who so patiently puts up with my horse craziness. Here is a list of things he puts up with on a regular basis. I'm sure all boys who date riders can relate.

1. 90% of girlfriend's free time is spent at the barn or participating in horse related activities.
2. Saturday morning cartoons have been replaced by the FEI world cup qualifiers for all FEI disciplines.
3. Girlfriend regularly passages down the street on foot while others are watching.

4. Girlfriend babbles on about some horse related news and you have to pretend like you actually care.

5. (sorry mom and dad) Girlfriend comes home several nights a week sweaty and exhausted from riding someone other than you.

Dave you truly are the best! Feel free to add to the list.

I promise

Within the past year, there has been much controversy over a training method known as rollkur. This method is known by many names including hyperflexion, and low-deep-and-round (LDR). It involves horses being ridden with their nose's far past the vertical, often bent deeply to one direction or the other. While I do not know enough horse biomechanics say whether or not this practice is physically damaging, I can say that I have never seen a horse being trained with this method that looks happy. The most troubling thing in my opinion about this practice is the heavy handedness of the riders that employ it.


Public controversy over the use of this method began when video footage of grand prix dressage rider, Patrick Kittel, was released that showed him holding his reins so tightly that his horse's tongue turned blue. Anky Van Grunsven, the sweetheart of Dutch dressage (and cowgirl wannabe), openly uses and defends the technique claiming that it necessary to work certain muscles in her horses' bodies, but I am far from convinced that these heavy-handed methods are necessary.

While the dressage world has taken the most heat for use of rollkur, it is widley used across disciplines from hunter/jumper to western. In the jumper ring it is common to see horses and riders involved in an all out tug-o-war. It seems to me that riders as a whole are becoming less and less willing to put in the work required to train a horse correctly, and would rather do it quickly than do it right.

There are still many riders out there at the top who do put in the extra work to do things right . Adelinde Cornellissen has a lovely and soft way of riding her powerful gelding (not to mention the giant hug he receives after his final salute), Jerich Parzival, which is probably why she is capable of winning so often with a notoriously temperamental horse. Rodrigo Pessoa is able to win grand prix jump-offs with horses that appear so relaxed they could be on a leisurely hack. It is obvious that these riders truly love and respect their horses. These are the riders I look up to and will strive to emulate.

Today I make a promise to any and all horses I may train, ride, or own in the future, that I will do my very best to do things right and always put your well being and happiness ahead quick results.

Happily ever after?

So what happens to all those mustangs that are put up for adoption each year? It would be nice to think that each one finds a wonderful owner and then ride off happily into the sunset. Unfortunately, such a fairytale ending is not common for these horses. Many well-intentioned people adopt mustangs without giving much thought to what caring for and training a wild animal will actually entail. This is not an endeavor one should not take lightly, and should really only be considered by someone with experience, or someone willing to enlist the help of a capable trainer.

While in college, I spent time working at Ever After Mustang Rescue, a place that took in mustangs, trained them, and then placed in approved homes. Most of the horses there were surrendered by owners that realized they were not qualified to train a wild horse. Many came to the rescue neglected, abused, and more fearful of humans than they were when they were wild, but with the hard work and dedication of rescue coordinator, Mona Jerome, many of these horses have been trained and placed with loving families.

While there are many similar rescue facilities, there aren't nearly enough to handle the number of untrained and unwanted wild horses in the country. Just yesterday I went to look at a young, mustang gelding who was purchased at the Eugene livestock auction, and is on his way back there at the end of the month. He is barely halter broke and spends all of his time in a muddy round pen with a leaky run-in shelter. While very cute, he isn't exactly what I am looking for. He is just over 14 h and at six years old, he probably doesn't have much growing left. He also doesn't quite have the build I am looking for in a dressage mount (though I think he'd make a killer little event pony). I was tempted to take him just to relieve him of his current situation, but reminded myself that I will be saving any BLM horse I choose to adopt from a similar fate, so I might as well get one that meets my needs.


Far too many adopted mustangs end up like this little gelding; untrained, getting passed from home to home. Mustangs have the potential to make wonderful horses, but do require a bit more work initially. If you are considering adopting, please really think about what you are getting yourself into.

Inspiration

Here is a link to a video of Padre, the beautiful mustang stallion that won the dressage suitability stallion class at the Devon horse show this year. Not only is Padre an inspiration, but his rider with her fantastic seat, and beautiful soft hands, really gives me something to aspire to.

Padre schooling 3rd level

Links

BLM adoption website

Ever After Mustang Rescue

Run Henny Run

Dearborn Dressage

Murphy Eventing

Lovely Blogspot: regarding the lovely aspects of life

Herds of interest

The BLM adoption center is currently home to over 500 horses, and that number is sure to increase after the next round-up. That is a lot of horses to look at, and only a fraction will fit my criteria which includes:
- Uphill build
- Elegant movement
- Between the ages of 2 and 4
- Height of over 15 hands when fully mature
- Being pretty is a plus

In order to narrow down the number of horses to look at, I have looked into what particular herds are most likely to possess the characteristics I am looking for.

The first herd that struck my attention is the Stinkingwater herd. Horses in this herd tend to be on the larger side and have a relatively uphill build. The horse in the photo to the left is a 2-year-old filly from this herd, and has quite a nice build. Some horses from this herd however have long backs and short legs, which would not be ideal for dressage. I also learned that horses from this herd are notoriously difficult to train due to their strong "fight or flight" instinct which will be important to keep in mind while choosing a horse for myself.



Another herd I am interested in is the famous Kiger herd. Horses in this herd are known for having a strong Spanish influence in their genetic make-up, extravagant movement with expressive front legs, and beautiful buckskin coloring. The horse in the photo to the right is an example of a Kiger mustang and, boy does he take my breath away. Horses from the Kiger herd are also suppose to be quite docile and easily trained. One disadvantage to Kigers is that because of their beauty and trainability, they are often adopted very quickly, or auctioned for high prices (I guess really only a disadvantage to me, but an advantage for them). They are also often on the smaller side, and finding one over 15 hands might be challenging. If any Kigers are available at the time I adopt, I will certainly take them into strong consideration.

A herd in lower demand than the Kiger, but no less beautiful (in my opinion) is the Cold Springs herd. Many horses in this herd are also strongly influenced by the Spanish breeds, and they tend to be a bit larger than the Kigers. I know very little about the trainability of horses from this herd, but I know there are several currently residing at the adoption facility waiting for a new home. Maybe one is waiting for me !




I would be interested in hearing from people about which herd they like, or if there is an Oregon herd that I have not mentioned that may contain horses I would be interested in.

The search begins

Within the past few months, I've come to realize that I will be able to afford a horse of my own in the near future. Those of you that know me well realize how important horses are in my life. Dave, my ridiculously understanding boyfriend, describes me as a full blown junkie, except my heroin is horses. My discipline of choice is dressage, though I have dabbled in eventing and show jumping in the past, and every once in awhile (thanks to my new, Oregon horse friends), I get the pleasure of riding a quick, catty cow pony.

While I am yet to come across a horse I don't like, I really want to take care in finding a horse that has suitable conformation to go far in the dressage world. Initially, I was only looking at warmbloods and Baroque breeds, but with an average price tag of 10k + for a quality untrained horse, it soon became obvious that this was an unrealistic choice for me. Over Christmas break, I was contacted by an old friend, and owner of a mustang rescue at which I use to work. Hearing from her reminded me how much I connected with the horses at her farm, and how fiercely loyal they became after they were accustomed to human contact. While working at the farm, I guess I never paid too much attention to the conformation of the horses I was working with, but revisiting the breed now it has become evident that certain herds still have a strong Iberian influence and horses from these herds are ideal for dressage. In fact, this year at Dressage at Devon, a mustang won the dressage suitability stallion class!

So now that I've decided I want to adopt a mustang, what's next?

1. Research trainers in the area that can help me with the halter breaking process.

2. Look into boarding facilities that meet my needs
- Must have daily turnout (at least in good weather)
- Reasonably priced
- Must allow outside trainers/instructors (I currently have an amazing instructor and have no interest in making a switch)

3. Buy standard items I will need when I get my horse (halters, brushes, blankets, etc...)

4. Plan a trip to the adoption center in Burns, OR (probably in the spring or summer).

I am very excited and look forward to beginning this process.