County

A saddle may arguably be the single most important investment one can make in their riding career. Saddles, like cars, are a combination of function, comfort, style and durability. Saddles, also like cars, can cost a small fortune, ESPECIALLY when you (rightfully) choose a brand of high quality and reputation. 

As far as saddles go, there are a zillion makes and models, styles, fits, etc. It is absolutely best to research and compare different ones. I am personally of the belief that the comfort of the horse is the most important factor in saddle shopping. The rider needs to be comfortable and secure, of course and able to hold correct position, but the horse's back is the most at risk. Thus, I always advise to find the best fit for the horse first and foremost and not worry too much if your comfort is a little compromised. 

before our County dreams came true

As far as saddles go, County Saddlery is a cut above most American brands, and are widely known for the benefits to both horse and rider. My coach, Brendan Curtis *USDF Gold Medalist* swears by this brand, and steers all his clients toward them when they are in need of a new one. He's told me that over the 20+ years of his riding career, he's tried many a saddle and he will always go to County first, as they have met every possible standard and never steered him wrong. 

As luck would have it, County Saddlery agreed to sponsor me with one of their saddles to aid me in trying to make the 2016 Paralympic Team. I was so pleasantly surprised when after I wrote to the company asking for a saddle, the president, Gene Freeze responded to me in the affirmative! I had been concerned about finding a way to purchase a saddle for my new gorgeous steed, Right Tyme, because with a horse of this caliber, you want to do every detail right. I knew I wanted a County, but wasn't going to be able to afford one anytime soon. So, on a whim, I reached out to the company through their website's "contact us" section, explained my intent, who I am, what my accomplishments are thus far, and where I am now, and went right ahead and asked for a saddle. It took very little time for Mr. Freeze to reply, and he was very complimentary and wonderfully helpful. 

Shortly thereafter, an appointment was set up for County rep Roxanne Bowman to come to Flintrock with demo saddles to try to fit my boy and me with a saddle. Lo and behold, we found a match! Our fitting was today, and Roxanne's first guess was the magic one. I's a 16.5" Perfection-my personal favorite of the brand's line, a medium tree, and it is gorgeous. it feels like it just sucks me into the horse's back and locks me in, and it's unbelievably comfortable. My handsome boy took the opportunity to act up a bit today, but nothing terrible, and I felt perfectly stable anyway! 

Just to put the icing on the cake, Roxanne threw in a gorgeous no-slip pad as an added gift. It sports the County logo so that I can show off my awesome sponsors at shows. They adjusted the flocking on sight to fit my boy, and once he muscles up and reaches his top fitness again, we will be unstoppable!! I am so honored, and so grateful to be backed by this proven and respected brand, and I will happily advocate to everyone who's looking for saddles! What a day (and MONTH) it's been. THANKS COUNTY SADDLERY!!!

The best of the best

Spooky Nook Sports

I don't dare talk back to these guys! (But I love them) 

Many people don't consider riding to be a real sport. It's understandable-after all, when riding well, it does appear that the rider is merely a passenger while the horse does all the work. However, in order to achieve an international level of riding, it takes an astronomical amount of strength, flexibility, "feel," quick reflexes, and utter control over your entire body. One must easily be able to isolate muscle groups while managing to think about a test or course etc, and aren't these components consistent with all other extreme sports? Herein, I feel, lies the issue with our sport-especially in America. Too many people consider riding something that any person can go do. This is where horses suffer at times. Imagine the discomfort a hose has to endure if a very larger person with minimal coordination or balance hops on and starts flapping about?
I strongly advocate a high level of fitness, and truly feel riding is a privilege and not a right. I don't wish to offend anyone, but I've seen too much of vastly overweight people pounding on a rose's back, and its painful to watch! Please, be kind enough to at least be in a healthy body weight range before attempting to gallop off into the sunset. * #endrant
In order to ride at a very competitive level, then, it makes sense that one must strive to have a superior level of fitness and all aforementioned attributes, no? It is ESPECIALLY important for para athletes to go the extra mile when not in the saddle. We have less to work with than our able bodied counterparts, and must maximize what we have! 
Which brings me to this massive news that I'm very proud of:
In Manheim, PA (about 8 miles from my apartment) is the largest indoor sports complex in North America. Spooky Nook Fitness is home of the USA women's Olympic field hockey team, and they are renowned as one of the very top programs for turning out professional level elite athletes in many sports, including NFL, MLB pro tennis, pro volleyball, track and field, pro soccer, and the list goes on. They have top trainers of strength/fitness/agility/speed, who customize workouts for athletes who are attempting to go pro. They also focus on young athletes, molding them for futures as stars in their chosen arena. 
I have a close friend who pointed me to 'The Nook' to try to gain them as a sponsor. I figured why not, and I went in and deposited my brochure with little hope of hearing back. I was promptly contacted by the head of sponsorship department who stated that though they could not offer me financial backing, they would like to offer me full sponsorship of their elite pro athlete training program. 
A better thing could not have fallen into my lap!
I started there about 3 weeks ago, and let me tell you: this is not for the faint of heart! It is so hard that I can't remember a day where some muscle group didn't hurt, and there have been a handful of days where I sincerely didn't know how I was going to physically be capable of walking out of the Nook after a workout. 
*Keep in mind, this level of activity is harder for me on the premise that half my body has been working at only 50% or less for the last 15 years!* I will outline what they make me do. The workout takes 2 hours and I am expected  5 days a week. Right off the bat I was asked if I wanted to be treated any differently (they already knew the answer) and I workout with about 7 guys gearing up for the NFL draft, one girl who is going for pro tennis, and a couple pro baseball guys, and I am absolutely expected to keep up. Here's what a typical day looks like:
10 min warmup at full speed on elliptical

shuffle runs: (60yds down and back, meaning 120yds total 4x)

walking: as fast as possible 120yds perfectly straight 3/4inch line, one foot directly in front of the other (4x)

over/unders: a ballet bar with 2 heights of bar (like a paddock fence) that i straddle the lower bar and have to squat to duck under the top bar (so going between) back and forth 3x16

single leg hamstring holds: like a reverse plank, I lie on my back with feet elevated on lower bar and one leg at a time i lift my body so it's a straight line angle off the floor. Each leg I have to hold for 45sec. x3.

glute raises: feet up with knees bent, I have to raise my hips high up while squeezing everything down the back side. 3x12

ab/aductor: lying on my side I have to do straight legs apart as high as possible (abductor) then cross the top leg with knee bent and lift the bottom leg up off the floor (adductor) and do both 3x12 on each side. 

abs: leg lifts 3x20 between 30sec bicycling hold(3x30sec)

firehydrants: On hands and knees I have to raise one leg at a time from the hip outward with knee bent like a dog peeing on a hydrant. 3x12 on both sides

kickbacks: on hands and knees I have to kick straight out backwards with heel going high as possible toward the ceiling. 3x12 each side

Birdogs: On hands and knees I have to raise the opposing arm and leg  straight out in front and behind at the same time like a hunting dog. 3x12-you cannot imagine how hard it is for me to balance on left arm!!! But now I can.:)

Sorry for the novel, but now you can see why I have been absolutely wiped out, because after all that, then I get to go ride! And then all I want to do is sleep! 
I can't say I love the butt-whooping, but I GRATLY appreciate it, and the noticeable progress keeps me going. I've cut off a whole half hour from the date that I began to today! That is something to be proud of. I'm positive I would not be able to ride Right Tyme if I didn't have this program in place. Lets just say I hibernate on the weekends! 

Proud to be sponsored by this world class facility

I Apologize for the Delay but....

...There is a very good explanation as to why I've been MIA for the past month. My fingers (and the rest of my body in it's entirety) have been too knackered to so much as type a sentence. And if that's the case how do you think my brain feels? No, no, no. It's just that I've only got 5 fingers to work with and they're responsible for absolutely everything, and sometimes they just can't go on. When I tell you why, you will understand.

Now, I've had three MASSIVE, COLOSSAL, ASTOUNDING things occur since  December 1st. It's going to take quite a bit of explaining for each, so I am going to detail each development separately. I shall start with the BIGGEST and most EXCITING, and follow with the others in the next couple days. 

1. I GOT A HORSE

2.I'm sponsored by Spooky Nook Sports

3. I'm sponsored by COUNTY SADDLERY (!!!!)


Ok. I will start with the obvious biggest piece-my new horse. After Thanksgiving, I was on the way back to PA with my brother and his girlfriend, thinking about the fact that it was December 1st and I still didn't have a horse to compete for the upcoming season. Brendan had told me several weeks ago that if by Dec 1 we didn't have a horse, then most likely 2016 would be unattainable. I had come to accept the thought and turn my vision then to 2020 Olympics. We were driving and I received a call from USPEA president Hope Hand, who without any lead in, said "We got you a horse!"
Insert shock/disbelief/mindblow/elation/reeling here.
She said he was from Canada Olympian Evi Strasser's Good Tyme stables, and had competed through I1 with 70%, and had been donated to Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center to be paired with a para equestrian, and they thought he and I would make a great match. The only other information I got from that call was that he was 16.1 Oldenburg, chestnut and dull to the leg. 
The following week was rife with butterfly excitement on my part and refusal to bounce up and down with me on Brendan's. Ever the charmer, my coach airs on the side of pessimism, but who can blame him-the horse business is a crooked one after all, and we love him anyway! Luckily, he was not so disbelieving that he declined to have a look at this lead with me. Within the next week, I had us booked for a weekend jaunt to sunny S.W. Florida  to follow through. Florida was, shall we say, a success? I honestly haven't the words, but let me just say that when my coach starts getting excited about something, you know it's a bit beyond phenomenal. 
As if fate was quite literally shaking me by the shoulder's, the horse's name is 'Right Tyme.' He'd been imported from Germany as a preium  stallion, and gelded only because he was arguing with other studs in Ms. Strasser's barn. He is sired by Royal Olymp, the second most expensive horse ever auctioned in Vechta. Royal Olymp had none other than the renowned Rubenstein as sire. Right Tyme's dam line is from Donnerhall. Take it from me, these are champion bloodlines. 
What a striking horse! burnished chestnut and covered in dapples, he stands tall  and alert, with a stripe down his face, 3 socks and rich burgundy mane and tail. He looks like a stallion, with an impressive crest and traditional thick Oldenburg bone. He has a very alert and maybe mischievous eye. He's certainly a head turner! Friendly as they come, this horse thrives on attention. He basically tried to crawl in my lap the first time we met!
Brendan had him perfectly figured out from the moment he mounted of course. He had him looking like a Grand Prix horse within minutes. And when I got on, I may as well have floated away. He isn't what I'd call an "easy ride," he has that stallion trait of shutting down  when you apply too much pressure, and he's not the easiest to move forward. But oh my, when he goes, it's like a cloud. I felt that we never really touched the ground. This horse does't know what it is to be on the forehand, and instead, even cantering with literally zero contact, he kept his frame and his pace the entire time. I was just a passenger. I've never felt movement like that. Brendan later told me the horse rides just like his stallion, Flavius, in that they need some convincing, but he also said this boy was a stroke of pure luck. To make a long story short(er), B and I wholeheartedly jumped on the opportunity to work with this awesome horse, and after lengthy talks of strategy and next moves, agreed to bring him up north with us for bootcamp before heading south for the season in february. 
We arrived home Monday after what ended up being a fun and thrilling weekend, and By Friday morning, our new partner arrived at Flintrock, where he is borrowing a blanket until I can get him some of his own because the poor thing is entirely body clipped which looks awesome but leaves him an ice pop! I hung out with him a lot today and he was an instant barn favorite. Very playful and outgoing. I am beyond excited to go to work with him monday and I have no doubts we are going to do great things! And once the princess, Clever heals up fully I will be blessed to have 2 outstanding equine partners to shine with! 
I' like to take this opportunity to give ENORMOUS THANKS to Susan Guinan of Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, for allowing me use of this lovely animal, Hope Hand-president of the USPEA for choosing me to pair with him, Sarah Jancik,who donated Right Tyme rather than selling him, Kelly Layne, Australian WEG team member for giving the horse years of correct and advanced training, Evi Strasser for giving Right Tyme the Right start! And, as ever, USDF gold medalist Brendan Curtis of Curtis Dressage, LLC for taking this journey with me, believing in and supporting me, and being a coach who is at the same time fantastically fun to be around, AND a cool, calculating competitor whom I entirely trust with my education. THIS IS THE BREAK I NEEDED!!! I will share the other parts of this mind boggling past couple weeks shortly. 

Check out my horse with Kelly Layne up doing breathtaking Prix St. Georges! 
http://youtu.be/QvSH4xjMBik


And here you can see his lovely dapples:

Right Tyme, indeed!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's been a long time since I lived in close proximity to any family, but there's nothing nicer than that during the holiday season. As I type this post, I'm in the warm and buzzing living room of my dad's farmhouse, along with his wit, his best friend, and my brother and his girlfriend. There's fresh fallen deep poofy sparkling snow, the glow of lamplight, a football game and the smell of dozens of edible things being prepared to feast on. The dogs and cats are in our midst, making sure they are not overlooked in the cheerful gathering. I miss my mom and rest of the extended family, but am so happy she is where she is! 
I literally can't wait to ride again. The thought of taking 5 days off is unappealing, but I know I need a mental and physical reset. So I'll take this time to regroup, strategize and come back swinging next week. I will be starting training double time, with much exciting news there, but more about that later! Tonight is about being thankful for the abundance of love and support and good things I've encountered throughout my life. So, Kick back, relax, fill your minds and hearts with cheer and dig in! I'll leave you all with this bit of Turkey Day humor:

HOW TO COOK A TURKEY:

Step 1) Buy a turkey
Step 2) Have a glass of wine
Step 3) Stuff turkey
Step 4) Have a glass of wine
Step 5) Put turkey in oven
Step 6) Relax and have a glass of wine
Step 7) Turk the bastey
Step 8) Wine of glass another get
Step 9) Hunt for meat thermometer
Step 10) Glass yourself another pour of wine
Step 11) Bake the wine for 4 hours
Step 12) Take the oven out of the turkey
Step 13) Tet the sable
Step 14) Grab another wottle of bine
Step 15) Turk the carvey!


Thank you all for taking an interest in what I have to say. Wishing you all a wonderful holiday season and lots of love!

Making Cranberry Juice

God help the folks in the world who were not blessed with a sense of humor.
I haven't led what you'd call an easy life. I've had a roller coaster ride of ups and downs, and when I hit the downs, the only way I can get through is by laughing at the absurdity  of life. I will never forget my very dearest friend's wise advice during one of my stressful spells: she said to me, with an absolutely deadpan face, "When life gives you lemons, you make cranberry juice and surprise the F-*#! out of the world!" 
Well, that incidentally surprised the F-*#! out of ME, and took me so off guard it caused immediate giggles. I quite like that idea. I've never been a follower, more of an oddball, march to my own drum type..so making cranberry juice out of lemons appealed to me just fine.

When I first regained consciousness in the hospital after having a stroke, I hated everything. I was so sad. I felt that it was pointless to have survived at all. I could no longer move, the thing I loved over anything else in the world. Me, the pint sized athlete who never walked anywhere, but instead danced, bounced, sprinted, flitted, who loved to climb into the tip tip top of the tallest trees around, the one who could outrun all the boys in my age group, took 3 types of dance, karate, gymnastics, and swam for days in the summer time, was now reduced to a lump in a wheelchair. I couldn't walk more than a few steps without exhaustion (or tripping) I needed canes, wheelchair, leg braces. I was embarrassed to be what I'd become. I lost nearly all the friends I'd been close to prior to the accident. I hated seeing myself. For a longer time than I care to admit, I wished I hadn't pulled through. 
It's painful to recall these memories, many of which are deep beneath the surface but still haunt my subconscious at times. I think of the trauma I put my family through and it still brings tears. It was so so long ago but somehow it's still like yesterday. I am absolutely certain that my family is what saved me. The amount of love and support they gave (still give)..well, let's just say, I couldn't leave them. 
Things are infinitely different now, but there's still the little girl inside who feels like she lost herself.
Horses brought back my light. Slowly at first, because in the beginning, when riding was physical therapy, I resented the fact that I couldn't do what I'd done before in the saddle. But that feeling is what then propelled me to change myself. I didn't like who I was, so a fire ignited in me to make myself into someone I DID want to be. It's been a wearisome path, but the struggle is what makes humans feel alive. Facing death, facing a tragedy as huge as what I did, sweetens the good parts of life far beyond what the average person experiences. I honestly think that going through that loss makes me appreciate positive things to a heightened extreme, and everything that I overcome becomes a source of self esteem. 
I've been in a low swing for a couple weeks now. I'm under an astronomical amount of pressure to acquire a new horse in time to compete with the team this winter in Wellington, and the time has come down to the wire. I've all but stopped sleeping, which of course messes with your sanity. 
I've always been a bit dramatic. I don't do shades of gray, I don't do things by halves, I have a voracious life force that causes me to be extremely passionate. About EVERYTHING. Which is why I can come across as high strung, or anxious. Honestly, I just feel things more acutely than most people. And that is why, I just have to keep thinking of those cremons (lemonberries?) and keep surprising the  F-*#! out of the world!!  Also, the off color jokes that constantly fly around the barn do wonders to lift the spirits.

And now the song is stuck in my head...

P.S. My friend Hannah at the barn, who is deathly afraid of fish..(???) got upset today when I said something about tuna. As she walked by, I said, "It's not my fault you have FISHSUES!!!!!"
And solidified the fact that I am a comic genius.

PLUG IN

One of my previous coach's favorite phrases when teaching was, "plug in." It was what she would tell us when we needed to sit deeper into the horse, or when there was too much daylight between our butts and the saddles. It is an odd thing to say and made us all giggle, but man that lesson really sunk in today.
Enter Ringo, Le Crazy Bucking Bronco of the Century!
It started out like a normal day. Brendan had another lesson going on so I was doing my own thing whilst he taught the other student and kept half an eye on me. Ringo didn't feel off or ornery, and I started out to the right lead canter. Things immediately took a certain turn when the thoroughbred let out a buck and squeal, and the situation escalated quickly. I ignored the naughty behavior, calmly insisted he get back under control, and revisited the issue. We had several of what I think are the best canter transitions that I've ever had on this horse, with the result being the most uphill and collected right lead I've had. Then, Ringo proceeded to lurch his head down and swing it around, equal and absolutely take off on a bucking spree. 
I mean rodeo status. We went up, we went down, we spun and had all 4 feet off the ground, we grunted and kicked and made piggy squeals. Ultimate horse tantrum. He was most decidedly trying to launch me into the stratosphere. Without doubt, the nuttiest meltdown I've ever had the pleasure of riding. I think I counted at least 6 bucks in a row with crow hops, half rears and head swinging in between, and guess what?

I. Stayed. On. 

I lost count after about 5 of these

I'm telling you it was like being in a trance. I literally just sat there, plugged into his saddle, not even the SLIGHTEST imbalance. I could have put mascara on if I'd had some. My heart rate didn't even change. We just went merrily bucking and ripping around the perimeter of the arena (Brendan all agog and trying to figure out where he should stand to catch me) And I sat there and may as well have done the royal wave. I somehow even managed to avoid all 5 jumps set up without crashing or jumping. Controlled chaos at it's best. 

Lady Boss.

When I'd regained control, the mother of the other girl riding was just staring at me and said "My god I can't believe you stayed on. Are you O.K?!" I just shrugged my thanks and rode on, back to right lead canter. 

Unfortunately, it seems Ringo may have reached the end of his dressage career. Brendan had me quit early, not because he was worried about my safety but because apparently what caused this explosion seems to have been pain. Oddly enough I didn't feel the slightest offness in the horse (and I'm EXTREMELY sensitive to lameness) but Brendan and the other spectators informed me that Ringo was SEVERELY short in the right hind, and it looked to be stifle related. I felt quite badly that I didn't feel his pain, but I am exceedingly proud that I remained utterly calm and unflappable during the episode. I was more amused than anything, and I never once thought to punish the horse. So I walked him and sent him back to his stall. Brendan said I'll ride him tomorrow and have someone watch from the ground to see what he looks like, and we'll decide then what to do. I really hope he's not lame and it's just soreness from work that can be rested off and alleviated! I don't see how the riding I've put on him thus far could have done damage, we've been very lenient and only working on bare basics. Poor guy! No wonder he wanted to send me to China. 

Honestly though, today was phenomenal for me because I found out I am not only a tight enough rider to sit through a rodeo show but that I'm no longer afraid of bucking! One year ago, a bucking horse would put me in tears, ready to bail, absolutely quit. Today I nearly laughed. It didn't bother me even a tiny bit. And that, my friends, is huge! So thanks Cyndy, for making me plug in my butt. (To the saddle). It clearly works! 

Balance is the key to life. And riding. 

Know When to Ask for Help

Ringo, our resident OTTB, has been a total butt lately. 

Well, not a TOTAL one, to be fair. But mostly. Gone is the eager fellow who really tried to do things my way, and in his place is a pretzel-horse with the mentality of a cranky old man who does anything he can to get out of proper work. 

Such is the horse life. 

We've reached a level of training now where I demand a certain level of cooperation, and Ringo has decided that the hard work and resulting sore muscles really isn't his cup of tea. The good thing is I know this is a phase that happens with all green horses as there training progresses. Another good thing is, he's reached a fitness level that allows me to ride seriously for up to nearly a hour without me worrying he's going to keel over. 
Here's our issue: to the right, the horse has become quite balanced and even soft through his back. He no longer hauls along on the forehand, but pushes from the back and can even do the very beginnings of collection. He will canter straight and easily for as long as I want. We're starting 10m circles and counter flexion etc, and it's pretty cool. To the left however, Ringo is completely unbalanced and really needs extra support to hold him up on the inside, and of course, the left is MY weak side so we're ultimately SOL there. 
Yesterday's ride was not going all too well and the blowing off my left leg was starting to get to me. I needed to out smart the horse, since my leg wasn't going to magically get all the strength back to hold him up. So, I regrouped, and got Brian to put me on the lunge. He literally did NOTHING except stand there holding the line and the whip, while I did the work. But what it did was take away Ringo's ability to grab the bit and run off, and just the presence of Brian there gave Ringo the reminder to stay out on the circle instead of cut in on me. Then I could actually get him to focus on cleaning up trot/canter transitions without fighting him and getting frustrated. I drilled him for probably 8-10 transitions, asking in different spots on the circle, until he stopped being braced. Then I got Brian to let me loose and I tried it without the ground support. It worked! Ringo forgot about twisting to the outside and fighting against my left leg, and actually gave me a pretty decent, pretty straight circle of canter. That was all he needed to do to be done for the day, so we ended on a good note after a long week of crap rides. Coach went out of town midweek so I trained by myself on Thursday and Friday.
On a better note, Brendan gave me what might be the highest compliment he's given thus far. He was cooling out his stallion and chatting with me about his rides with Danish Olympian Lars Peterson (I'm so peanut butter and jealous!!), and we were talking again about the importance of being fearless in the saddle. He gave me a sideways glance and said, "trust me, if you weren't (a brave rider) I guarantee you wouldn't be here." 
Yes, yes, we've established that I'm unafraid but can you just start telling me how GOOD I am???

Just kidding, I'll take it! 

Setting the Record Straight

I thought it would be a good idea to explain the difference between para dressage and therapeutic riding. Oftentimes, the two are referred to interchangeable, but nothing could be further from the truth.

For many many years, horses have been admired for their ability to improve the human emotional well-being. Horses have LITERALLY been scientifically proven to improve human ailments-anything from depression, anxiety, autism and other behavioral conditions, to physically rehabbing injured people. They truly are magical beings. For this reason, hippotherapy (or therapeutic riding) was developed.  When I was first recovering from my head injury, a physical therapist suggested that I begin riding again to improve my strength. Funnily enough, the gaits of a horse (walk especially) follow the same motion as a human's gaits, and thus can help rehab people with physical disabilities. Especially someone who has little control in the lower body. When I sat on a horse, even though I was not able to control my left leg walking on the ground, the horse's walk forced my body to move properly, and it is largely due to my immersion in riding that I am as fit and mobile as I am today. Horses are often used to assist stroke patients with physical therapy. Most of the time, it involves a team of qualified personnel on the ground guiding the horse and ensuring that the rider stay in the saddle. 

Now, ParaDressage is a high performance international sport. The prefix "para" simply means "parallel to able bodied." It is an event in the Paralympics, (completely separate from Special Olympics) in which athletes are graded according to their level of impairment (not the level of riding skill, unfortunately) so that competition henceforth is on equal playing field. 
Paradressage is an FEI level of dressage, just like upper level in the able-bodied circuit. The movements are not as difficult as the ones in PSG-Grand Prix, but the degree of difficulty is as hard. The tests in paradressage range from 30-40 moves each, and consist of extreme technicality and odd patterns to amp up the difficulty. 
There are 5 grades in paradressage, going from Ia, Ib, II,III,IV. Classification can be a murky area. grade Ia is most impaired, and soeone with quadriplegia or someone totally blind may be found in this grade. These tests are walk only. Grade IV is for the least impaired rider; someone with a missing limb or certain degenerative diseases may be here. The hardest movements in this grade are simple lead changes and half pass. Now, I have a hard time with this personally, because your grade does not reflect your level of skill. It is simply determined with a set of tests reflecting the amount of physical difficulty you have with coordination. It does not reflect the way you are able to compensate while mounted. I was recently downgraded from a grade III to a II, which is walk/trot only. The tests are still tricky, but there is no collective work or lateral work, and honestly, for myself, canter is my best gait simply because it is the easiest for me to make a horse round at a canter. Not to mention, my seat is quite good, and canter shows that off. The reason for the downgrade is because the classifiers felt I didn't have adequate hip control. It's annoying, but there's nothing I can do, except own that walk/trot in the competition ring! Luckily we can do some canter in our freestyles. 

This girl always puts a smile on my face

So, I hope that clears up some confusion surrounding the paradresage sport. 
Happily, we para riders can still compete in the able bodied circuit. Most judges are very accommodating and will allow us to use whatever gear we need in order to get through a test. I fully intend to get into that able body FEI ring in the next couple years. It will be harder, yes, but I am 100% confident that I'll be able to get there. I've already learned flying changes, canter half pass and started pirouettes, so I'm coming for it! Now, off to ride. 

Taking Matters Into My Own Hands

Today Coach had a hectic schedule and so he left me to it to ride Ringo solo. We had such a successful day yesterday I guess he saw it as time to prove my skill and step up to the plate. I was happy to do it, and felt confident with my plan. 
All went accordingly, except one tiny little detail, which is that my left foot has to be secured in my stirrup because I'm not coordinated enough to weight my heel on that side to keep the foot in the stirrup.  We use a rubber band that is figure 8'd underneath the stirrup and back over my toes, and it works great. Extra incentive to not fall off! (Although I'm quite sure the rubber band would break should I fall). Anyway, the woman who helps groom for Brendan, Ana, is a wonderful help but English is her second language, and I utterly failed at communicating with her clearly on how to secure my foot. So no sooner had I begun to warm up than my foot came out of the stirrup and there I was with no way to regroup.  Therefore, I decided to work on my sitting trot. 

When sitting trot, your body position must
be perfectly balanced on the horse's back 

Funny how circumstance often dictates the game plan in my sport. I removed my right foot and focused on short trot/walk transitions at the sitting trot. I improved quickly, and as soon as I became unstable I'd down-tran.  I initially planned on focusing mostly on transitions, as I really felt the difference in ride ability when Brendan has me work those. The one-stirrup fiasco only helped up the ante. So, sit trot it was, and I honestly felt pretty tight in the saddle after about 20 minutes of it. Still keeping in mind I also incorporate many circles of different sizes and changes in direction. I'm really starting to feel Ringo submit his toppline. He's far more limber and supple, and less braced in the neck. He's starting to carry himself and stay straight and balanced. 
The first canter set was really good. I started to the left lead, with one stirrup, and it was as nice as yesterday's. The second transition was crap. So I decided it was time for an intervention. The next time Ringo grabbed the bit from me and ignored my half-halt and decided to run, things got a bit ugly. I had to let him know it wasn't acceptable to me that he pull my arm out, so I gave an abrupt and sharp yank (only one), which made him toss his head, but ultimately sit on his butt. I felt bad afterward because obviously this maneuver is not pleasant for the horse. However, I made sure to immediately back off when he reacted, and reward him with a 0pat and a "good boy" when he then sharpened his transition to trot and walk. I only had to do that about 3 times before he got the message and quit pulling through me. Then we revisited the canter in both directions and he was successful in staying balanced and off his forehand for longer. 
The key here is that these tough lessons will help the horse in the long run. It is far better to make one quick point and then forgive/forget so the horse can be saved from a lifetime of hands constantly pulling on their mouth and ultimately becoming dull or hard-mouthed. 
Riding sometimes isn't pretty! 
I always have the gut reaction of guilt when I cause the animal discomfort, but the trick is to be fair, which means to release immediately, and then reassure when they give the correct answer. 
Brendan asked about my ride later on, and I told him about the "discussion we had, to which he agreed that I did the right thing. 
You gotta do what you gotta do. 
I aso noticed that after my ride, Ringo seemed much more respectful of me and as though he was looking for guidance from me. Standing in the wash rack he neither tried to bite me, nor cocked a hoof in my direction. I also caught him gazing after me when I went out the door to return my tack. I think he's starting to bond with me! 
After B finished his day we all (the barn crew) went to a local bar to celebrate his birthday. great company and many laughs concluded this productive Tuesday. Tomorrow Brian will ride the thoroughbred, his first ride since being gone for a week, so, although I'll miss my ride, I look forward to watching the improvements from the ground!

Fearless

When we start up again after a green horse (or any for that matter) has had off four days in a row, we expect a certain level of antics from the horse in question. Especially after all the struggles of last week. Imagine my surprise then, when Ringo gave me arguably our best ride yet. 
Mentally, Ringo was a bit snarky. He has an annoying habit of grabbing the bit and yanking your hands, and his little monkey brain was always thinking of how to spin out on me (it's his favorite maneuver, but I no longer put up with it). But PHYSICALLY, as Brendan pointed out, he was like a different horse. When B pointed out Ringo's attitude, I actually disagreed with him because I was so focused and pleased on the quality of the lesson that I didn't notice the rude behavior. Plus Ringo's "attitude"  just pales in comparison to some other horses I've ridden..*cough cough*
Anyway, the thoroughbred was neither stiff nor running on the forehand. 
Let me explain something: horses are said to be built in thirds. The forehand is made up of head/neck/shoulders, the second third is the barrel and back (from behind front legs to before back legs) and the last third is the haunches or hindquarters and back legs. It is also logical then, that the forehand is most heavily loaded, carrying about 70% of a horse's weight as the neck etc makes up quite a lot of their weight.

when on the forehand it appears that the horse is traveling downhill.

 In dressage, we are ultimately asking our horses to shift all that excess weight, including that of the rider, to bear on his hindquarters. In this position the horse then can elevate his front end and move freely and lightly through the shoulder which gives the appearance that he is buoyant and dancing.

it's easy to see that this horse's weight is shifted back, and he is "sitting" on the haunches
which gives the appearance of moving uphill

So, since Ringo is a thoroughbred who used to race, he is accustomed (and built) to load his front end and careen around. This is no fault of his own, but no fun for either of us. Today Ringo really sharpened up on our down transitions (trot to walk was the worst last week). We use transitions to redistribute the horse's weight backward and rebalance them. They are starting to work. His canter departs were actually starting to be uphill, instead of running into them, and the canter-trots were less falling on his face and more waiting for me. Brendan and I were very pleased! 
Brendan's tidbit of brilliance today was that generally horses give us 3-4 really awesome rides when we are first paired with them, followed by a period of 5-8 or so rides that are truly awful, which are lastly followed by a truer representation of progress and strengths/weaknesses. I'd say this was very accurate as I can remember the exact same thing happening with Clever. A short, sweet "honeymoon," followed by, "what the heck am I doing?!" followed by, "oh right, this is why I love this sport." So I guess we could say we're right on track! Ringo was also much less crooked, much more inclined to give through his back and flex slightly. I had the first several canter sets today where I was able to just sit there and look pretty while giving with my hand and pushing him forward slightly. There's LITERALLY no better feeling than having that kind of easy, relaxed forward canter where your butt is just glued in the saddle and you're just enjoying the breeze!
The other awesome part about today was that coach mentioned a possible horse for me to compete with short term as a lease for backup until I'm able to find my next true equine partner. He described the mare as a solid 70% 4th level horse, close to Prix St. Georges, who the previous rider just can't handle. He said it's a very fancy horse, but needs a more competent rider, and I'M the one he thought of. He said the horse can be a bully unless the rider is confident enough to insist that she do what is asked. I am so psyched that I've reached that level with Brendan. I told him I thought she sounded like a great option, and I was glad that he didn't find me to be a "timid rider," to which he replied, "no way. Not AT ALL." 

A rider must be two things if they ever wish to achieve greatness: Brave, and fair.  

For The Love Of Green Horses

My ride today be like

And it had me like

Nuff said.

Angry Ears

It was a tough start to the week. Ringo had completely regressed back to the same guy he was during my first ride, somewhat disproving my theory that he was really into this work. What can I say, he is a horse, after all. 
Monday and Tuesday rides were quite similar I felt; Brendan thinks Tuesday showed slight improvement but the poor horse was more crooked than a crunchy pretzel. Not a soft-baked one mind, because that would insinuate some semblance of suppleness. Nope, crooked and  stiff as a board. I was semi irritated with him on Monday, because he a) blew through my shoulder-nothing like trying to stop an ex racehorse! And b) he was very dramatic about the whole scene. He made it known via angry ears and tail swishing exactly what he thought of hard work. I was affronted, really, because we'd made such big strides last week. Brendan thinks I was riding a bit too aggressively by rushing transitions and overcorrecting Ringo's behavior. I wasn't trying to do those things, I need to really keep it in my mind that the poor guy has zero dressage or even basic training and doing all this hard work probably makes him sore. I will try to stay more laid back and forgiving. Sometimes, because I know some horses will take advantage of my weak side, I tend to overcompensate by trying to push too much and ride too strong. I can't blame poor boy for getting annoyed! The trick is to tell myself at least I didn't punish him or hurt him. It's really important to me as a rider to be fair and remind myself the horse has shown himself to be open minded about doing the work, and I must match his pace. 
Now for the fun stuff-last night, Brendan and I went to dinner in "the City" to meet up with Hope Hand, president of the U.S. Para Equestrian Association (USPEA). It was time for those two to meet, and for all three of us to discuss the next steps in this crazy game we're doing. 
The meeting was a total blast! Not only really fun and great to catch up with Hope, but also great news and a game plan sort of started to take shape. Hope really liked coach, and thought his enthusiasm for starting with the para scene was awesome. She also informed me that she has started scouting and contacting people in order to find an FEI horse to be donated to me. I was so excited to know she's already on the lookout! No one can keep up with Hope. That lady is 5steps ahead of everyone. 
She told B and me that we will need to certainly plan on being in Welly for the CDI the first week of Jan; whether or not I have a horse to ride. There is a huge clinic the week after for all the trainers and riders and she said she really wants me to be there to network at least. And then she told Brendan to put me on SOMETHING that I can start competing with immediately, just to start putting out some scores. Ringo is not even suitable for training level at this point, which brings me to the best part (in my mind) o the evening:

that's code for Wednesday

There is this darling young horse at the barn named Cydrick who is four years old and is what we call a Frankinhorse. He has a lovely face, great neck, nice back and gorgeous legs, all from different horses. He is put together quite strangely, but I've been impressed from first watching him with his movement. He's got big swingy gaits, and just an all around sweet horse. Brendan's assistant trainer Hannah has been bringing him along, and I've been totally envious. Last night Brendan said it was time to put me on baby Cyd and just see what happens. For competition reasons! I'm pumped. Not sure when this will ensue, but I can't wait. Cyd will not be old enough to do the CDI with me, but he will at least be nice enough for me to get down centerline some more! He's a big boy, but he's light in the bridle and quite uncomplicated and I'm so happy that coach is willing to take that chance to see what we look like together. I think it'll go well! Off to ride, I'll update later! 

Weekend

When your coach says, "do what you did yesterday. Because you kicked ass yesterday." 

It's the best way to finish the week!

If You Give a Monkey a Razor Blade....

Where to start? This has been a very eventful week. It got very cold, very quickly, which can mean all sorts of fun with the ponies!
By cold, I mean below 60deg, I can hear you all laughing from here!

Monday's ride was very good. Ringo seemed looser and less fussy throughout the whole lesson. Lessons are still less than half an hour (am I the only one who sees the humor in the fact that my fitness level is higher than an ex race-horse?!) Balance issues still, (the gorse, not me) and resisting contact, but really a decent ride for three days off. 

Tuesday we got the rodeo show. Bucks, spin outs, weird lead changes and taking off. But it really didn't phase me, I just kinda sat there and said, "no, butthead, we're going to do this my way. Sorry, not sorry!" And then he listened. Brendan mentioned something Mike Barisone had told him, which made me laugh but sadly the metaphor escapes me. It involved giving a monkey a razor blade. I think the point is that a horse is going to take advantage of anything you give it...? Maybe? Anyhow, it was a butting-heads day. 

Then after the lesson I made the mistake of mentioning to my girlfriend that some guy had called me "Pancake-Butt" (because I am on the skinny side) and now the barn manager Brian calls me "Flapjacks." Wonderful. 

Wednesday Brian rode Ringo and I found it interesting to be able to observe the horse from the ground. Brian is just starting out and has only been on a horse a handful of times. They worked on walk/trot, keeping and feeling posting diagonals, etc. Ringo was very sore-sorry boy! That was my doing. He was hollow and had uneven strides, and basically just kept quitting on Brian. Which was a bit amusing, it had to be said. And a bird pooped on my head, which Brendan found to be very amusing. Karma!

Today was the best Ringo has been. We did a much longer trot warmup, Brendan told me he really likes my method of warming up with so many bending/turning sets, so he let me do all that and then we jumped to the canter. Now, I must note that I've been on Ringo a total of maybe 7 times, and the horse has steadily progressed. He hasn't once decided that he forgot the lesson from the last day, and instead, today he actually gave me moments of roundness! Very brief moments, but little seconds of doing over his back and giving to my hand. Progress!! I made sure to reward him every time. I focused so much today on keeping my right shoulder back, and keeping my elbow. And then I just pushed him really forward and met him in the contact, and he started to give without flinging his head. I'm excited about that. So, the canter was far easier to pick up and maintain to both directions; it's the trot transition at the left lead that gets me into trouble. Because my left leg is weak, Ringo cuts straight into the middle of the circle when we transition down. So Brendan has me steer as wide as I can to counter this. Over all though, the horse is looser, more supple, starting to bend, starting to come through his back, and maintaining straightness better, which I'd say are some quick and correct steps toward the basics! I told Brendan I think right now we are just teaching the horse how to walk/trot/canter in balance, and he agreed, saying we can't really try any "dressage stuff" until we get him solid here. But let me just ask, what is dressage, if not all the basics working together?!

 This'll be the first week where I've had four rides. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Rainy days for girly girls

I've found that being a horse girl, I make certain sacrifices in the appearance department. We have perpetual helmet-hair-the flattened, sweat-clumped frizzy look, which, let's face it, is never in style; broken, dirt-caked nails; dust and grime everywhere in fact, and we don't always smell the best. Being a very girly girl, this is often a disappointment. I love to look pretty when possible, and while living in LA I always made sure I had awesome hair. Now as I sit here writing, I'm simultaneously doing a mask to try to unclog my poor pores. I found a cheap and very practical way to freshen my look-acrylic nails!! Before you go all judgy on me, let me just say something. If you've ever jammed your finger in a stall door, or under a saddle, or in the chain on a lead rope, you will understand where I'm going with this. I find that since I can't actually cut my nails on my right hand, mine are always breaking when I handle horses, and the worst part is that they break way down in the quick. Then it hurts for weeks for me to do anything at all with the only working 5 fingers i got! Solution? I saw an advert for a $20 manicure, and I thought let's just try this. I got nice clean french tips, very very short-the nail doesn't even extend past the end of my fingertips. The deciding factor was that I recently split my thumbnail when a foal jammed her chain on it, and it kept snagging on everything which was agony. Now, I'm pleased to say I have a full set of finger armor. And they look FABULOUS!! Very unassuming and simple and yet so sophistique! And, I've already banged them plenty and not even a chip. voila!
It's the simple pleasures.

Now for the riding portion of our program: 

Now we've established that I rode on Monday. Brendan's barn manager, Brian, rode Ringo (the TB) yesterday. We have it set up so that I will ride 4x/week and Brian 1, sharing the schoolhorse. 
I'm all about positive thinking, but I don't expect leaps and bounds of improvement between the initial ride and the second. It would seem though, that this is what occurred. 
Today, I began again with lots of changes in direction, loops and different sized circles, and the minute I took him to trot, he not only accepted my leg, but stopped fussing with his head so much. Brendan's first comment was that we looked much more solid as a pair; more together through turns etc. Ringo was still very stiff, but moved away from my legs better without throwing a fit. 
I am very proud with my lack of soreness (knock on wood) because I feel that is a testament to my fitness level. Usually the first and second rides after a long break are brutal but I think my gym time has payed off well.
There was one nasty moment when Ringo pulled a spin/bolt combo because his left side is very weak and hard for him. But my sweet Clever taught me last year how to deal with that, and Ringo's move was wasted on me. My heart rate didn't even change! I'm quite happy about that actually, I used to get so scared when horses pulled tricks, but I was utterly unfazed and remained calm and cool. I rode through it, insisted he go back the other way, and just tried again. We got it right the next time. Brendan said,"That was very well ridden!" I've become such a confident rider. It was a surprising revelation I had today when I felt literally zero apprehension in anything the horse did. I just simply enjoyed the ride. 
Then we started working the canter, and Ringo is very much on the forehand (downhill) and wants to run along quickly like a wheelbarrow that's out of control. So to counter this, we do very short bursts of work and lots of transitions through the gaits. Eventually this will train the horse to shift his weight back to his haunches. 
Mostly I focused on keeping the horse forward and straight. Brendan was saying we can't get any other movement from a horse until it can go forward and straight and that is where we start. But overall, I think coach and I were both surprised and excited to see the vast improvement in such short time!
I'm also happy because the horse being very weak on the same side as me, it's the ultimate therapy. If I'm not aware at all times of what my leg is doing, Ringo will either beeline to the middle of the arena or have some sort of meltdown. It is really forcing me to use that side as much as I use my right. Which I can see as a happy coincidence! 
Now we're off till next week as Brendan has a championship show (BLMS) over the weekend. To him we say GOOD LUCK!

poetry in motion

At the risk of sounding cliche......

It has happened! I am officially back in the saddle. (Har, har). On this dreary, wet fall day, I was finally, FINALLY put on a horse again. I make a big deal out of it only because it's the first ride (other than 2 spins on a friend's horse, who was kind enough to take pity and let me ride hers) since Nationals back in June. 
The school horse, Ringo, was my noble steed du jour. He's a seven year old thoroughbred, used strictly for hunter lessons. What this actually means is that he simply does not know the meaning of self-carriage, stride adjustment, collection, or bend. What he DOES know is, leg means go, hand means stop, and either rein means change direction. 
We have some work to do. 
Let me start out by saying I was a bit apprehensive about this first ride in front of Brendan. I certainly had a lot to prove, simply because he decided to take me on, it meant I had better have a certain level of skill. Also, getting on a new horse with no idea how it acts is always an awkward situation. Like a first date with someone you don't know-you aren't aware of mannerisms or what is ok to ask etc. 
Being the balls-to-the-wall kinda girl I am, I slapped some spurs on (despite several cautions from third parties, because the TB wasn't used to spurs), and up I got. 
First off, I felt like I had no stirrups whatever. Were my legs really that straight last time I rode? Jeez I have to get my muscle memory back. And second thing, Ringo scooted off straight after I mounted, which took me by surprise because so many different people had told me he's very dull and needs tons of leg. WRONG! Perhaps it was the spurs, and let me tell you the reason I use those suckers, regardless of the horse's attitude: simply because they give me extra support on the left side where I just don't have the coordination to turn my toe out and put leg on. Therefore, having a spur, a horse can actually feel the tiny amount of pressure I am able to apply. 
I want to start with what pleased me about Ringo: he is very smart. He was unsure at times of what I was asking, but as soon as I asked another way or fixed an issue by insisting, he would figure it out in no time. 
I worked mostly in trot, after a very long warm up in the walk. He wasn't thrilled when I tried to pick him up-long and low is the hunter MO and the opposite of what we want.

the dreaded hunter frame

so he fussed a lot with his face and acted claustrophobic. Once we lengthened the reins a notch he was much quieter. In picking up the trot, I immediately started in on bending exercises. 10m, 20m circles, serpentines, half 10m circles, so many changes of direction I think we both got dizzy. But he went quickly from being horridly stiff to becoming relaxed and happier. 

the outline we want in dressage 

Brendan kept reminding me to get a bigger trot-you have to have enough forward to be able to do anything at all. Most of the time, when I applied more leg, Ringo would go to canter, even though I was still posting.
My first canter sets were quite fast. As in, almost out of control. He is extremely on his forehand, so Brendan said our homework for the next month is to do half a circle in canter (roughly 3-5 strides) and then immediately down to trot again. This gives him no time to fall on his face, and instead retrains him how to transfer his balance to his hind end. 
It's funny to see how similar the issues we had today were to Clever when I first started working with her. It's an unfortunate fact that  Ringo doesn't want to stay out on a circle or on the wall to the left, seeing as how that is my weak point. That was the only area that Brendan really stepped in to instruct me, toward the end of our ride. I was tracking left and asked for the canter and Ringo honestly twisted into a pretzel and spun in a tiny circle like a western horse. His body language said in a whiney voice, "I can't do it, it's too hard." 
Brendan was like make it straight, fix it in the trot. And I did. I just focused extra hard on my left leg, and used my seat to push the horse outward, and he did. And then we got a nice balanced transition. Solving problems one equation at a time. 
Overall, I was quite pleased with myself, not having any idea what to expect with this guy. I think it will be a phenomenal opportunity to learn how to train a green horse and to become more clear as a rider. {In my best Cher voice from Clueless,}-*PROJECT!*