Savvy Equestrian - Horse Blog

January 3, 2008 - 10:51 AM

It's 2008?!

Hey

I can hardly believe that it's 2008 already! It seems like yesterday wehen I wrote my first blog!

Everything is still the same over here- we're still stuck inside, and right now it's 13 degrees on the thermometer. There's only so much you can do in a tiny ring (not much bigger than a 20 meter circle), but it's okay because most people don't even have an opportunity to ride in the winter.

We like to go to Emily's during Christmas break every year, so we brought Sydney with us and we all went tubing at Seven Springs. Mary came along too and then the next day we went bowling. It was nice to see everyone again and get away from home.

Another big event coming up is the Pony Club Annual Meeting in Boston, Massachusetts. We finally get to go on an airplane!! The Annual Meeting is a huge convention of workshops and things like that- for instance my mom does a workshop on musical freestyles, which teaches you how to put one together. They also have dinners for DCs, RSs, and other PC officials. It should be a lot of fun!

I'll update again if anything else interesting happens, and at the very least after the annual meeting.

Andy

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December 8, 2007 - 8:42 PM

Birthday Surprise!

Hello

Sorry for the long gap between blogs- nothing really much has been happening! I did have my birthday last week, and it was a good one- had some friends over.

Now we're riding inside all the time, and we have even less space than usual because we have a wagon of hay for the winter. It's harder to get out and get on the horses too because the weather is so horribly cold.

We also had our Pony Club Christmas Party last weekend. Ariel, Sydney, Lindsey and I had to write short papers about what we learned at Nationals. Some parts of them were read, and we each got 100 dollars in money for going. It was a nice way to end the Pony Club year.

I have to go now- I got the Sims Complete Collection for my birthday and I'm completely addicted- and I'll try to write back soon!

Andy

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November 14, 2007 - 5:16 PM

Riding Inside Again

Hello

This week we had to ride inside. The temperature has dropped a ton, and it looks like we're in for the winter. Our indoor ring is seeming less like a ring and more like a 20 meter circle....

I heard this week that they are planning to have a rating at Bath. Since I'm thinking of rating up next year, I think this is a perfect opportunity. The only downside is that they're using National Examiners.

We also weaned our colt, Cheerio. He now goes out with Duke around the pond, and Miah goes out with Bella and Red. He has been ten times better since we weaned him. It sort of opened his eyes that life isn't all fun and games, and not every horse is as accepting of his attitude as his mother. Duke has given him a few lessons in how to get along.

Nothing really else has happened around here- my birthday is week after next so that's occupying a lot of my attention!

Andy

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October 29, 2007 - 7:01 PM

October(Fest)

Hello

Our Poker Run went well- I had a really nice hack, and I was able to school some more at Bath. I practiced the bank and the ditch again as well. It was really fun, but unfortunatly didn't win any money.

Saturday, however, was our pony club Halloween party. We found out on Friday, so we had to pull something together fast. I dressed up as Ugly Betty. It was a really good costume. I found a perfect wig at Walmart, glasses, and a skirt and cardigan.

The weather was horrible though. It was 50 degrees and raining, and Ariel's horse was freaking out, but it was okay in the end. We played the donut race, a veriation on the flag race, and egg and spoon. I tied Ariel at egg and spoon, eventually ending up at the canter.

I had a good time, and trick-or-treating on Wednesday! Happy Halloween!

Andy

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October 18, 2007 - 5:05 PM

Another Sucessful X-Country School

Hello

I had another sucessful cross country school this week, this time in a different place. This one was maybe even better than last time's, which is a good sign- it means Red will most likely jump XC more consistently than Show Jumping.

This time we schooled a bigger variety of feeders and coops, rather than just the regular stuff at Bath. It was really fun.

Nothing else has been happening around here- except for October Fest is next week- I'll write back about that!

Andy

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October 6, 2007 - 7:17 PM

Awesome!! Cross Country Jumping

Hello

I had the best school ever today- cross country went great! The weather was perfect- we hauled out around ten, and it was really quite, nobody was there. We warmed up quick, and went out to the water jump (the one that would fill up the fastest).

The water was empty, so I trotted around for a bit, then trotted over a gate, then cantered over a bigger gate. Then I trotted through the water a few times, and the jumped up out, which was awesome!! Then came the funnest part: jumping over the Novice log into water, out over the bank, then over a Novice roll top. What was so satisfying about that, was I'm usually sitting on the side while everybody goes out and does this, but this time, I finally got to do it. That was half of why the entire school was so exhilarating- I was finally jumping cross country!

We then went over to the coop/hanging log line. This was simple, but next we went to the Bath Train- this was a fun jump as well, but nothing on the water. I jumped the Beginner Novice Train car, and then we went to the bank. This part was my least favorite. Jumping up was just like jumping the water, but jumping down was way uncomfortable.

Pilot, my pony, always jumped the bank so smoothly, but Red was different. You have to lean back and let your reins slip a little, and look up, and wait for the landing. Th problem is getting your reins back fast enough. I only walked down the bank, but we are going back next weekend, so hopefully I can manage to trot down.

I keep saying this, but I can't say enough, how profoundly that whole year of ringowrk has done for both me and Red- that, believe me, was the quickest, least frustrating route, rather than jumping right off the bat, creating bad habits, and jumping bad for years.

This way, your horse is responsive, and even though it's tough not being able to jump cross country, it all pays off in the end when you can do that stuff effectively for years to come without major problems.

So that's basically my lesson for the year! I'll write back for next weekend's school.

Andy

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October 5, 2007 - 6:16 PM

Cross Country Schooling!

Hello

Tomorrow I am definitely going to the schooling day. It will be interesting because it is the first time I've had to deal with more than a few logs in the field in over a year. That's really thought provoking. It shows how much a year of solid flatwork did for my riding, and Red's as well.

That's basically everything that has been happening around here, besides school. It's mostly flatowrk with some jumping mixed in, as we get ready to go inside for winter. Another winter of riding on a 20 meter circle.....

Andy

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September 22, 2007 - 7:32 PM

Looking Back

Hello

First off I'd like to say congrats to Emily Yslas who won 12th place out of 80 riders- at an giant event near Lamplight. Yay!

It's interesting to look back at Nationals and see how much fun it was, and how much experience I gained. Even though the rally didn't seem like that much fun during, it feels more fun now. I can't wait for the Kentucky nationals in 09.

Nothing else very interesting has happened around here, so I'm going to go work on the newsletter!

Andy

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September 13, 2007 - 5:38 PM

Starting Over

Hello

I'm just in from riding- today we jumped. I'm going back to the basics because I'm learning a whole new jump form. Before I would sort of stay in two point all the way up to the jump and over, but now I sit all the way to the base. It's really strange at first, but it's becoming more natural now.

I want to say congrats to the eventers that were at Event Rally last weekend. Mary- you'll get 'em next time! Sydney's team placed first overall, and fourth in HM, plus she qualified to go to nationals in training! Ariel's team got 2nd in HM and 3rd overall.

Pretty soon we're going to wean the colt, so Red can go out where all the grass is, and the colt will have his own stall!

Later,

Andy

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September 3, 2007 - 7:56 AM

Back To School

Hello

I went back to school on Monday. It was really weird getting up that early after so long. All my teachers are nice, so the school year should be good.

We went to a Rush concert on Thursday. It was awesome! It was way loud though- After the first set I couldn't hear anything. Of course, we had to go to school the next day so, we were wiped.

I'm not the only one going back to school- Red is getting back to work after a sort of on-off series of work. We're working on getting his jumping up to scratch after a long "dressage break".

Later,

Andy

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August 21, 2007 - 3:17 PM

Getting Busy

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August 18, 2007 - 3:36 PM

Winding Down

Hello

We're winding down again for the year, so not a whole lot has been going on. Mostly plans for next year when I'll be doing my C2 rating for Pony Club.

Speaking of ratings, Ariel passed her C3 and HB testing, and Emily passed her HB also. They did a lot of studying, and it all payed off. Congratulations!

I'd like to say something for Mary Wray- her old pony Smokey had to be euthanized earlier this week. It was a hard decision for Mary, but it kept Smokey from a lot of pain and suffering he would have otherwise had.

Good luck to everyone going to Erie this weekend- I know Sydney is going, and so is Lindsey.

We've been taking the colt out and training him a lot, so he'll be manageable when we want to start riding him. He's easy over poles and has a nice step. I think he's going to be a good show horse.

Also, Miah is in foal again with a Consul baby, so next year, we're going to have another foal running around, and we'll be starting to train Bella to be ridden!

Bye for now,

Andy

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August 8, 2007 - 12:00 AM

Getting Back To Normal

Links: [ Champs Pics ]

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August 1, 2007 - 8:40 PM

USPC Nationals '07

Hello

Well- I'm back! I have to say that I'm glad I'm home again- a week in Kentucky makes you tired.

We arrived on Monday, and met up with Danielle and Natalie. We put up our curtains, and put up the navy blue ones around the sides, and the tie-dye ones around the door and grating. We had a very small space, so, there wasn't much room. I had a good school on Tuesday down in the infield.

On Wednesday, however, things weren't quite as good. Red wasn't very pleased with being taken away from his buddy, Duke, so the freestyle was very disappointing. He put his head up in the air the entire time, and the canter was insane. Sadly, the score was a 52.

The next things were better, and yet they weren't. I rode Training 2 and 4. Red was better, but I only scraped together a 56 and a 58. It was very frustrating because Ariel, Danielle, and Natalie were all scoring in the sixties.

By this time, we had about 15 Horse Management points, which put us in about last place, but we were 5th in riding.

The next day was about the same- a good test, but only a 58.

Ariel had scored a 67.9 in her freestyle, and 65s on her other tests. Danielle had a 65, and some 61s and Natalie a 59, a 66, a 63 and 72. They were all great.

We didn't manage to stay ahead, though. We finished 16th out of about 24 teams. Ariel placed 8th on her freestyle out of about 90 competitors. That's 8th in the nation, a great job.

Overall, I thought my performance was really mixed toward the bad side. If Red had scored like he did at the rally, we might have placed higher. The experience was worth it all though and we now have that first huge show behind us.

The Tri-State event team had better luck though- Sydney, Emily, Mary, and Kristen Wilkens came in second overall, ninth in horse management, and Sydney won third in her division, and Emily, first. Congratulations!

Festival
After a quick cleanup, we started Festival. On the whole, Festival was fun. I got some good shooting and running techniques, and the riding lessons were great; I rode with a British woman named Shirley Antrobus. We mainly worked on the slip-rail and gait for Tetrathlon. It was tough jumping 4 jumps then stopping, then going. Red was much better to jump.

Finally we got home yesterday. The next thing I have to look forward to is the Bath mini-event. Which means cross-country!

I'll post pics after I dig out my camera from a weeks worth of luggage!

I'll write after this weekend,

Andy

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July 22, 2007 - 10:22 PM

USPC Championships! and a bit of HP

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