The Importance of Good Horsemanship

It has been a while since I have last written but It has been a busy few weeks. I went horse shopping with one of my students, the vet came and did annual shots on all 26 horses and then I got sick. We are also preparing for a clinic with Dom Schramm this weekend at the farm. Working at a horse farm sure does keep me busy and my days always stay interesting. Maddie got some routine joint maintenance when the vet visited on Tuesday.She seems to be feeling great and ready to get back to work after a few days off. I started thinking about everything it takes to keep a horse going and how much care it truly takes beyond just riding. Horsemanship off the horse is just as important as actually riding to develop your horses fitness and muscle condition. The careful planning that goes into their nutritional needs, daily grooming, and knowing every inch of your horse. Knowing how your horses legs normally look and how their personality normally is can really help if one day they aren't acting right. Some things that I like to do in order to care for my horse are to make sure I wash down her legs with antibacterial soap a few times a week to help keep fungus away. Make sure I keep my saddle pads, polos, and jumping boots clean so that my horse can feel her best and therefore perform her best.Check to make sure you have enough of your horses supplements and when you need to order more so they don't run out. Even on a day your not going to ride take the time to groom your horse check them over for any cuts or anything out of the ordinary. Take time to find out what is normal for your horse so that you can better identify when something is wrong with them. If the ground is especially hard then it is not a good idea to do gallop sets or jump a lot. It puts extra stress on their joints. When things like this happen try and alter your plans so that you can better take care of your horse and they will be able to make it safe and happy around cross country without injury. On days that I work Maddie extra hard in conditioning or jumping I will ice her legs for preventative measure and to make sure I am taking good care of her tendons and ligaments. A true rider puts the extra time in to take care of their horse and their things. When I see a well turned out horse and rider and see riders put their horses needs before their own I know that they are true horsemen/horsewomen and that they really care about what they are doing. So remember to to give your horse some love and special attention even when not riding. Take care of them and they will take care of you.

The Little Things...

When trying to achieve a goal we sometimes just look at the big picture and forget the little steps along the way. When working with horses we often have to reroute our plans due to injuries, pulled shoes, or even weather conditions. While these things can be discouraging it is important to keep pushing towards that ultimate goal, but more importantly have some smaller goals in mind to help you keep going along the way. Always try and find something positive about your ride and take into consideration different factors as to why something didn't go as planned. Maybe there was somehing wrong with you saddle pad that bothered your horse or maybe you were in a bad mood and that transfers over to your riding. Always remember the little things that help you build your way to your ultimate goal.

Maddie is doing really well getting back to work and was very happy to have her first jump school in a while last Thursday. She is feeling great and hopefully things stay on a good track. I am preping her for a clinic with the Schramms at the beginning of September and hope to do a few dressage test as a local schooling show at the end of September. Some of the little things I cherish today is a much needed rainy day relaxing at the house with my favorite barn dog. He has been napping all afternoon storing up his energy for another busy week at the barn. So stay positive, keep riding and moving towards those little goals that lead to the big picture.

Staying Your Course!

As I was cleaning stalls this morning I started thinking about change. No, not the kind that jingles in you pocket or purse but the everyday, inevitable change that occurs. Change is a part of daily life. There is that saying that the only thing constant in this life is change. In my opinion there is good change and bad change. Change must happen in order for us to learn new things and to grow as a person. Everyday stalls must be cleaned, horses demands don't change they want to eat, eat, and eat some more! Thinking back on when I first got Maddie I know she was a green 3 year old who hardly knew anything. Now when I get on her she knows what I expect and she responds to my commands from leg yielding to jumping a prelim cross country course. It's hard for me to remember what she was like when I first got her, that she didn't bend and had never seen a jump in her life. That change happened slowly over time and it continues to change and develop. We still have so much to work on together and I know that with time and patience we will get there. I see so many people who let others change their view or their path. Jealousy, thinking the grass is greener on the other side or just simply wanting something new or to be somewhere else. I'm not saying that the grass isn't always "greener on the side" but I challenge you to be patient, look at the positives in change and not just the negatives. Take your time with your horse, don't rush and expect so much from them praise them for small accomplishments but keep pushing them for greatness. As a wise person once told me - just keep your nose to the grind stone, stay patient don't let others negatively

influence you and your hard work will pay off. I had a pretty good ride on Maddie this morning and made sure to see some positives in our work and also make note of things to work on. Maddie has a light work schedule this summer and I am just now beginning to push her a little more and get her back into shape. I know that as I continue to get her back into shape she will continue to meet and out do my expectations. I ask each of you to find something positive about your ride each day. Hold yourself accountable for the change and progress you make in your riding or even just in everyday matters. You can seek help from others but in the end it comes down to the hours you put in, you have to apply the things you learn from others and you will see progress. Until s next time happy riding and stay positive!

The Beginning

I have decided to start writing this blog about my journey to my first one star as a motivational tool to help me keep pursuing my dreams and to hopefully inspire other that it can be done! I have a quote that seems to fit me well as my journey is 10 years in the making! "Direction is so much more important than speed. Many are going nowhere fast." I'm not sure of the Author of this quote but I know that in reading it I felt better about it taking me so long to move up in the levels.

I have had a lot of speed bumps just as many of us in the horse world do! I have keep the right direction and keep pushing through. Since I began riding I have always worked for my lessons, just like most horse crazy 13 year old I spent my Saturday's cleaning stalls, sweeping tack rooms, grooming horses, and cleaning tack. I have been at Sandstone for 10 years as of July and have been working there ever since! My trainer and coach when I arrived at Sandstone discovered she had a relapse in her cancer not even a month or two after I began taking lessons. She was an amazing horse woman who had a courageous, kind, classy,but not afraid to get her hands dirty and work, kind of spirit. I could go on and on about how amazing of a woman she was in so many ways! She fought the fight with cancer for 5 long years and she is forever in my heart with all that I do. She introduced me to the sport of Eventing,helped me purchase my first and second horse (whom I am aiming to compete in a one star) and taught me so many valuable lessons. It has been 5 years since she has been gone but she still has an impact on my daily life and the lives of so many others she touched. I got my second horse Maddie about two years before she passed away. She helped me get started on this journey and I owe it to so many others for helping me stay on track. Her husband continued with the barn and he has been my main motivator in getting me to shows, clinic and encouraging me to not give up and keep pursuing my dreams.I know I would not be where I am today without his help. All of my wonderful students over the years and girls at the barn have helped me in keeping up with the barn work, cleaning stalls and taking care of horses. I currently have an great group of students who have a passion for horses and riding like no other! Their passion and drive to ride and succeed also helps to keep me going. I want to continue to better myself so that I can continue to better help them on their horse journey. I would also like to thank my parents and friends for supporting and putting up with my horse crazy ways over the years! All of these factors help me to keep going and not give up on my dreams!

Now that I have told you a little about myself and how I got started on this journey I will give you some information on my beloved horse Maddie! Maddie is an 11 year old thoroughbred mare. I have owned her for 7 years and we have come along together in the sport of Eventing from out first recognized beginner novice all the way to prelim. Yes it has taken us 7 years to get to prelim but that is with a few injury set backs and making it through 4 years of college. The last year and a half I went to class from 8-3:30, went to the barn taught lessons and rode and was home around 8:30 or 9 to start homework and then do it all again the next day. I am proud to say that I completed college in 4 years making the move up to prelim the week before I graduated! The last year I have spent figuring out what life after college is like and what living in the "real" world is all about! I am excited to keep updating on Maddie's progress as we journey to our first one start and all the exciting things that come with it!

Can't forget a picture of the precious pup Harvey! My other fur child and barn buddy! I know he will make his way into the blog! He did go to my first prelim with me after all!