A good read...

In talking about "Jack Benny" on a friend's Facebook status, I googled the name to find out more about the man who lends his name to horse show classes for riders over a certain "mature" age.  ;-)  After looking at a Wikipedia article, the next link was this story.


Sometimes it helps to remember how truly lucky you are...

Saddleseat??

Longtime readers know that I fooled around with saddleseat last year (read here and here) on my big mare.  I know very little about saddleseat, but Reva has a big trot and I liked the way the clothes look, so I thought WHY NOT?  LOL!  I am stupid and brave, what can I say?  I basically looked like a hunt seat rider dressed in a saddleseat suit and tack.  :-D  Looking at the pics now, I see how low my hands were, etc.  But we had a blast!  I knew that we were not perfect, but it was about having fun (and wearing cool clothing! LOL!!!)


In an effort to actually LEARN more about this discipline for real, I took my first saddleseat lesson today!  It was super fun!  I love that my instructor Theresa did not make me feel like a complete idiot!  LOL!  I rode a cute chestnut Saddlebred mare named Gina.  (Oh, how I love chestnut mares!!) Theresa's daughter rode her in a big show last fall and did quite well.

Obviously, the mare looks 100000 times better when ridden by someone who knows what they are doing!  LOL!  But I figured this was a fun photo to share!  

Anyway, it was definitely interesting to be on a horse that moves so differently than I am used to.  My biggest problems right now are not sitting back far enough in the saddle and not keeping my hands high enough.  And trying to figure out how to tighten one rein (the snaffle) while not touching the other rein (the curb) is going to take some getting used to!  Gina was uncomplicated to ride, but I know she was a bit confused by me and my wishy washy aids.  We basically just walked, trotted, and cantered while I tried to stay on and not completely embarrass myself, and I had so much fun.  Her gaits were nice and the way she moves is different than what we look for in dressage or hunt seat.  Her canter was very comfortable but felt so rocking and odd!  It even sounded different to me!  She doesn't bend like I expect her to, so that will take some time for me to understand as well.  


I am going back next weekend for another lesson.  I'd like to take a bunch, because I think it is a cool new thing to learn!  It is funny that some people have been a bit taken aback by my desire to try something new.  This completely drives me nuts.  I admit I will always love dressage and eventing and will probably always show in those disciplines.  Any horse I own will be ridden with dressage basics.  I love my dressage lessons with Judy and will resume those once the footing improves (we are in the midst of ice and snow here...).  


But I have never been a discipline snob.  The only thing I am not too fond of is the way QHs are ridden at the high levels, but all that means to me is that I know I personally will never ride that way.  Do I care what people do with their horses?  No way!  As long as you are having fun and taking good care of your horse, then knock yourself out.  I would never look down on or crack jokes about someone doing something different with their horse.  I think it is cool to see/learn about new things.  I have friends with Hackney ponies, and while I know NOTHING about how to ride/show them, I think it is totally cool.  I have friends who only like to trail ride.  Do I think they are beneath me or that I should crack jokes because they don't compete like I do?  NO WAY!


And as I explained it further, I have won a shit ton of ribbons, awards, championships, year ends, etc. with my three horses and I have nothing to prove to anyone.  Sparky is retired, Dreamy is pretty much plateaued, and Reva is only six so I have lots of time to do lots of things with her.  I have been riding for nearly 30 years and I just have a desire to be versatile!  I have NEVER tried saddleseat before now.  Will any of my current horses ever be truly competitive in open saddleseat competition?  No way.  Do I plan to buy a Saddlebred?  No, at least not right now.  (And actually, I think if I ever wanted to actually ride and show saddleseat I would buy a Morgan.  They were my first love after all.  :-)  Sorry to my SB friends!  LOL!!)  But why not try something for fun and enjoy myself?  Someone asked me recently what my horse/showing plans were for 2012.  I immediately answered "to have fun".  And this is totally in line with that goal.  I have a plan to try team penning this year too as well as foxhunting.  We might just do them each once, but I have always wanted to do these things.  


I have never been able to choose between straight dressage and eventing, so I have always done both.  I have played around in hunter/pleasure shows forever as well.  So why not add saddleseat, team penning, and foxhunting to my repertoire?   


Think before you judge someone.  Obviously this applies to life in general, but also to horses.  Nothing irks me more than someone being a discipline snob.  Enjoy the variety of what is out there to do with horses.  Even if YOU don't want to do it with your horse, appreciate that others do.  There is more to life than 20 meter circles in a dressage ring.  


Even though I really do LOVE riding 20 meter circles in a dressage ring.  LOL!!!!  ;-D  Just writing that makes me want to take a dressage lesson...

Shameless plea!

Kate over at The Adventures of Lucy is holding a contest to win one of her beautiful hand painted saddle pads.  In order to enter, I had to write a poem (not my strong suit) and post a pic on Facebook.  If you have a FB account, please hop over and like my mare's photo and poem please?  I really appreciate it!!  :-)  And be sure to like Kate's business, Polar Square Designs!  I have been coveting these gorgeous pads for a while, but have not been able to save up to purchase one yet.  With your help, Reva could win one!


This is the pic I used for the contest:

Maine Dressage Society Banquet 2011

Today was the Maine Dressage Society Banquet for 2011.  I brought my fabulous instructor Judy along with me.  Dreamy won a bunch of awards and I am super proud!


Training level - 4th place
First level - 11th place 
Aged Horse division - 4th place
Standardbred breed recognition certificates at Training and First!


I have to say, my favorite ribbon is the 11th place!  That is the coolest ribbon ever!  I don't have anything like that!  :-)


Just one banquet left in February for the SPHO-NJ!

2012 Goals

I searched around and realized I never wrote down my 2011 goals!  LOL!!!  Oh well!  I had an amazing year and I do feel I accomplished many things I set out to do:

• All the mares were healthy, happy, and sound - this is usually my main goal of any year
• Reva successfully started her show career and did very well
• I tried saddleseat with Reva just on a whim...and we even tried western too!
• I took Dreamy on an overnight 3-day trip to Acadia!
• Dreamy was successful in her first year at First level and Prix Caprilli, as well as her first time out at Beginner Novice (eventing)
• I completed NaBloPoMo 2011!

What a great year!  :-)  Now, on to goals for 2012...

Sparky
My old mare will be 30 years old this year!  Go Sparky!  My sweet mare is doing so well.  As always, I just want to keep her happy and safe.  She deserves the best retirement I can provide for her!

• Keep her healthy, happy, and sound

Dreamy

My fabulous Standardbred mare is turning 21 this year!  It is amazing how quickly times goes by.  I was just thinking how I wish it was 2003 again and I was just starting Dreamy under saddle.  She has helped me achieve so many different goals and taught me so much.  She is the ultimate ambassador for her breed, in my own eyes anyway.  ;-)

• Keep her healthy, happy, and sound
• Compete in at least one horse trial (or more) at Beginner Novice level
• Go foxhunting!!
• Hopefully attend a few hunter paces
• Attend at least one team penning clinic (May)
• Marshal at the track when asked
• Ride at Acadia again (July)
• Continue all of our good dressage work, take a few lessons here and there with Judy
• Maybe take a few jumping lessons...???  Would need to find an instructor

Reva

The Super Filly is turning SIX this year!  Ahhhh!  Where does the time go?  Seems like just yesterday I was starting this awkward three year old and now she is a big grown up girl!  LOL!  Reva blew me away in 2011, proving just how great Standardbreds really are and how much you can accomplish when you work your tail off.

• Keep her healthy, happy, and sound
• Continue the excellent under saddle work from late fall 2011
• Work on bending, transitions, and transitions within gaits
• Work on balance at the canter to be ready for 3-gait (and Intro C/Training 1??)  in 2013
• Attend at least one clinic
• Take at least 2 lessons per month with Judy, preferably more if possible
• Compete in Intro A and B at SMDA schooling shows and maybe other venues too...
• Compete in MHA shows in 2-gait classes (maybe roadster under saddle as well?)

My Personal Goals

• Strengthen my core and use the Wii to work out
• Attend Standardbred Nationals with Dreamy or Reva....maybe.  It is being held in September this year!  :-(  That is a very tough time of year for me to go away, since I am back teaching at the high school.  I have already been down there four times to show and I don't feel a HUGE MAJOR NEED to go.  If it works out for me, great!  If not, it is OK too.
• Go on beach rides with Dreamy/Reva as much as possible!
• The Standardbred Performance Society needs to be more active.  I am not sure how this might look, but I have some ideas.

Award

Yay!  My blog won an award!  This was given to me by Emily over at Born to Trot.  Emily has a Standardbred gelding named Jet.  Definitely check out her blog!  Liebster means "dearest" in German, and the award is intended to help up-and-coming blogs get the attention they deserve.

Here are the rules:
1. Copy and paste the award on this blog into your blog.
2. Link back to the blogger who gave the award.
3. Pick your five favorite blogs with less than 200 followers and leave a comment on their blog to let them know they received the award.
4. Hope that the five blogs chosen will keep spreading the love and pass it on to five more blogs!


Grey Brook Eventing
Kate is a very accomplished horsewoman and I enjoy reading about her dressage and eventing journey out in CA where she attends Stanford, as well as here in Area 1. 
 
Little Keebler
Laura writes about her horse Dolly and is looking for a new house!   She is a blogger friend from up in Canada!


Riding From the Ground up
Kate is another blogger friend from Canada.  She owns a lovely mare Cadence and does dressage and eventing.


Tania and Otis
Tania is a real life friend and we have had many adventures together!  She has not posted in a while, but maybe this award will help motivate her.  ;-)


The Foxhunting Friesian
Sarah is another real life friend; actually we went to UNH together!  She writes about her Friesian mare Daatje and their foxhunting escapades!

SMDA dressage banquet 2011

Southern Maine Dressage Association held their banquet on January 20, 2012.  I was excited to see how Dreamy fared this year, her first year at First Level.  SMDA awards are divided up by test, which is more fun than by level like the state banquet.

We ended up Grand Champion at Prix Caprilli, which I expected, having been undefeated in all five shows this past summer.  We were Reserve Champion at Training level, which was exciting!  We were third in First 1 and fourth in First 2.  Yay Dreamy!  Here is the link.

There was only one pic posted from the professional photographer that was there.  I am not that impressed, as it just seems like an odd angle to set up your camera.......?  Many of the photos of others were like that as well.  Weird.  Oh well, it does not matter.  We had fun this past year back at SMDA since 2008.  I did not do SMDA in 2009 or 2010 since I only competed in USDF/USEF shows those two years.  

Prix Caprilli champions!  I won a pretty navy blue embroidered fleece jacket as well.

Our pretty SMDA year end awards!  Go Dreamy!

This Sunday is the state banquet through Maine Dressage Society!