Not-So-Speedy Dressage

Harry's Grand Prix Double Bridle

11/20/2019

Last week I told you that I ordered a double bridle for Speedy. Yes, I know that I had said we would continue on at Third Level in a snaffle bridle, but Speedy didn't get that memo. And as someone recently said to me, "What are horses for, if not to prove us wrong at almost every turn?"

Just as nice as promised.

I also told you that I ordered the double from The Dressage Pony Store which is owned by my friend, Valerie. I don't get any kickbacks from promoting her site by the way, but honestly, if you need something, check out her store. While her focus is on smaller equine athletes, she does carry a lot of stuff for the big guys, and her prices are truly hard to beat.

Even nicer than I was expecting.

As soon as I unwrapped the bridle - Valerie always packages everything so prettily, I started oohing and ahhing. For $135, this bridle is a steal. It's from Harry's Horse, a European tack supplier that carries absolutely everything ever made for horses and riders. I can't speak to the quality of the rest of their products, but if they're even half as nice as this bridle, I'd definitely try some of their other stuff.

One of Harry's "collections."

Admittedly, $135 is pretty dang cheap for a bridle, especially a double, and at that price point you can't expect much. Even so, this bridle delivers. The leather is much softer than I was anticipating, the stitching is tight and even, and the buckles and other hardware are stainless steel.

Padded crown piece.

The crown piece, crank noseband, and browband are all nicely padded. The crank noseband tapers along the side, which is perfect for ponies and smaller horses. I ordered the cob. The noseband is also finished with patent leather, something I wasn't too sure I'd like. But as Valerie reassured me, it's actually pretty subtle, especially since the noseband is tapered.

Crank noseband tapers and is finished in patent leather.

The noseband, both bit hangers, and the throat latch are all rolled leather, which helps keep the bridle from overwhelming a smaller face. If you have a big guy, you probably don't even think of these things, but with ponies, Arabians, and other smaller breeds, the double bridle can cover a lot of real estate, something these smaller guys don't have a lot of.

Rolled edges.

The bridle also came with two sets of reins, one for the curb and one for the bradoon. I never expect a bridle's "free" reins to be anything worth keeping, especially so when the bridle costs about as much as a nice pair of reins. I was pleasantly surprised by what came with this bridle. Both sets are leather, and one set is lined with rubber grips. Both sets of reins are ¾" wide, and the final 18" - 19" are rolled to match the cheek pieces.

Both sets are leather, but one is rubber lined.

While the bridle is quite lovely, fit is really the key. So how did it fit Speedy G? Take a look.

It needs some adjustments still.

Poor Speedy; he was not a fan. He didn't fight me over anything, but he worked those bits furiously. All double bridles have a lot of buckles, but when you're not experienced at positioning everything, the process takes a while which didn't make it any easier for Speedy.

I actually quite like the gray stitching which pairs nicely with Speedy's white coat, and the patent leather on the noseband is subtle in a good way. I am not sure whether I'll use the baucher as my bradoon which is how I have it set up now, or a traditional bradoon which I also have.

A basic weymouth and the baucher as the bradoon.

I'll feel better when Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, has a chance to make adjustments. For now, I'll spend the week just putting it on and taking it off so Speedy can get used to having so much hardware in his mouth.

The baucher looks legal as a bradoon.

And of course once the new browband comes in, it'll look really nice! Thank you, Dressage Pony Store!

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When You Hope It's an Abscess

11/19/2019

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I rode Speedy on Thursday, gave him a visual inspection on Friday, and then tacked him up on Saturday morning. On the walk up to the arena, he took a few funky steps, but I waited until we were in the arena to ask for a trot out. Yep. Lame. But of course. I just bought him a new bridle.

My med kit is fully stocked for just about any emergency.

The older (and presumably wiser?) I get, the less this stuff freaks me out. Don't misunderstand, I am not happy he's lame, but I also know that this too shall pass. Or it won't. Worrying myself sick about it won't change the outcome.

There's no heat or swelling or sign of an injury, so it's most likely an abscess, which has happened many times before, or it's a bruise. The only thing that will heal a bruise is time, so that's an easy fix. To check for an abscess, I pulled out my brand new hoof testers and squeezed for all I was worth. I have no idea how hard you really have to squeeze, probably harder than I can do, but he didn't react. I did notice that he didn't want to land on his heal during a trot out though, so I am guessing it's a brewing abscess.

I have tons of poultice, duct tape, and vet wrap.

Bandaging, whether it's for an abscess or a wound, is one thing that I am really good at. And the good thing with applying a poultice is that it can't hurt if there isn't an abscess, but it will help if there is. Speedy's been down this "sudden onset lameness" road so many times over the past few years that I feel pretty confident that an abscess is the issue.

And if it's not, well, then it's not. Either way he's definitely getting a few days off which is easy to do when you work full time and it's dark by 5:00.

Fingers crossed. Although for what I am not sure.

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Newt, Meet Everyone. Everyone, Meet Newt!

11/18/2019

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All my life I dreamed of owning my own truck and trailer. Every single time I passed a truck and trailer motoring down the road, I stared longingly with envy, certain that the driver had to be the happiest human being on the planet.

First trailer.

When I was 29 years old, we bought Blue Truck, our second truck, but the first truck big enough to pull a trailer. A few months later we bought the trailer, a two-horse with living quarters. I really and truly thought I had died and gone to Heaven. I could not have been happier. The very first weekend that we had that trailer we went to the Sunland 50-mile endurance race. Having my own transportation meant I could go wherever I wanted, whenever I wanted.

Blue Truck and my current trailer, a three horse with living quarters.

My childhood dreams did not disappoint. Having a truck and trailer has been been just as awesome as I always imagined it to be. In the mid-2000s, my first trailer was stolen, so I replaced it with the model I have now, a Silverlite three-horse with living quarters.

That 2000 F250 Super Duty 4x4 with a Triton V-10 engine was still around though, doing her job with nary a complaint. The second trailer was bigger, but even at 15 years old, Blue Truck did her job. As you already know, last week I finally decided to trade her in for a younger model. A less likely to break down model. Something with a 100,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty.

Meet Newt.

This is Newt.

When I told my students that I was trading in Blue Truck for a new truck, they laughed and said I should call the new truck, NEW TRUCK, because it rhymed with Blue Truck. Kids are funny. And often times right. Instead of New Truck, I shortened it to New T, or Newt.

She looks good coming and going.

While Newt is new to me, she's actually been around the block already. Newt is a 2019 model with only 22,000 miles on her. Buying slightly "used" saved me about $15,000. Newt is a Ford F250 6.2L Power Stroke Diesel. She has four-wheel drive, a crew cab (which seats 6), and an 8' long bed.

My Triton V-10 was pretty powerful, but I think this one will do the job just as well, if not better!

Before shopping for a new truck, I made a list of absolute must haves, things I wouldn't compromise on no matter what. On my list was a Ford F250 with a diesel engine. It had to be no older than 2018 and have less than 30,000 miles. It also had to have Blue Tooth, navigation, and a built in trailer brake. And I needed all of that for around $50,000.

Newt's front seats.

Surprisingly, it didn't take me long to find almost what I was searching for, and actually, I got a lot more than I needed. Newt came with four-wheel drive, something I didn't need, but it's nice to have. Newt checked off all of the boxes except for one. There was no navigation system. Paso Robles Ford was interested in a sale though, so they got creative pretty quickly.

And suddenly, we have navigation!

It turns out that replacing a Sync system without navigation for one with navigation is pretty simple to do. In fact, it only took a few hours. With the navigation installed on a 2019 F250 diesel with well under 30,000 miles, I signed on the dotted line. Since the navigation unit had to be ordered and installed, I asked that Paso Ford also arrange for the installation of the gooseneck hitch. I am super pleased with how that turned out.

You can hardly see the ball with the way B&W now designs its hitches.

The truck is now ready for hauling. The ball is installed and a wiring harness was also installed in the truck bed. The truck comes with the wiring for the plug at the bumper, but that doesn't work too well for gooseneck hitches, so now I have one installed in the bed itself.

New plug.

Yesterday, I hooked up to the trailer. It took me a minute as I needed to get my bearings; Blue Truck had a short bed while Newt has a long bed, a difference of about two feet. After a few back and forths, I had everything lined up. I've been hooking up by myself for almost twenty years. Newt might be longer, but the process is the same.

After adjusting the mirrors and checking that the lights and brakes were working, I took the trailer for a short drive. All I did was drive the trailer out through the neighborhood and back, but that short little jaunt left me feeling quite impressed. I couldn't even feel the trailer back there.

Ready to roll.

After unhooking, I took Newt to the gas station and topped off the tank. Blue Truck's tank was around 25 gallons, but its fuel mileage was so poor that I had to get gas before I hit 200 miles. Newt's tank? It's HUGE! It will cost a fortune to fill it up, but at least I can get to a show and back without needing to stop for diesel. Twice. Sorry, Blue Truck. Your mph kind of sucked in your old age.

568 miles to empty? Yes, please!

All that's left to do is actually go somewhere. 

5 Comments

Crow, It's What's For Dinner

11/15/2019

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Oh, boy, do I hate it when I am wrong. To my credit, I usually admit it, albeit begrudgingly, but I do at least make the acknowledgement. So what am I wrong about this time? Well ... the double bridle. And it's not that I am wrong exactly; it's more like I seriously miscalculated. I was certain that Speedy could work his way through Third Level and maybe even Fourth in a snaffle bridle. Go ahead. You can laugh.

Harry's Grand Prix Double Bridle

We've been doing "okay" in the snaffle bridle. Our struggles felt more related to my lack of understanding the level. There was also the assumption that Speedy just found the movements too hard. None of it seemed related to the bit.

After I asked for some feedback though, some of your responses started to resonate, especially those about the flying changes. After one particularly frustrating ride where Speedy would not let go of the inside right rein, it occurred to me that if Izzy had behaved that way, I would have popped my correction bit on him for a quick little reminder.

Patent leather nose band.

As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I realized that it might do Speedy some good to go in a curb for a ride or two. He slurped up Izzy's correction bit like it was his daily driver. What is it with that bit by the way? Both of my horses love it. All of a sudden, I had a half halt and a half pass and changes that didn't include a woohoo-buck and bolt combo.

For my next lesson, I used the correction bit and asked Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, if she thought Speedy was finally in need of the double bridle. Based on what she saw, she agreed with my "realization."

The bradoon bit hanger can be removed to turn the bridle back into a snaffle bridle.

Having friends in the tack business can be a real advantage. I looked around for inexpensive double bridles and came back to my friend Valerie's shop, The Dressage Pony Store. She carries a few different bridles in a variety of price ranges, but it was the Grand Prix Double Bridle that caught my eye. At $135, it seemed too good to be true. What are friends for though if not to call when you need advice?

I sent her an email with a few questions and then called her up with a few more. She assured me that the bridle looks and feels way nicer than the price would suggest. She sent me a photo of her pony Clooney wearing the bridle, and then she put on one of the browbands I had ordered to check the fit of that. Mine aren't here yet since they're being custom made somewhere in Europe. So, along with two new browbands, I now have a brand new double bridle on its way. It's scheduled to arrive tomorrow.

Good thing I don't mind eating crow.

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Score Stalking (or Almost There!)

11/14/2019

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In all the hubbub of finding a new truck, I completely forgot about my newest dressage score. I mean, I know I earned it, but waiting for USDF to see that I've earned it feels like an eternity. On Monday, after I rode Speedy, it suddenly popped into my head that USDF had probably updated their scores. I barely made it in the door before I was checking my scores. I told you I'm a score stalker.

Bronze Medal Check

In case you can't read the pinkish box, it says, "Two scores at Third Level, must be awarded by two different judges. Rider has one qualifying score at this level." Rider has one qualifying score; that means I only need ONE MORE score for a USDF Bronze Medal.

You hear that, Speedy G? ONE MORE SCORE!

If you've checked my scores, no offense taken if you have, and frankly, I'd be disappointed if you haven't. How can you weigh the veracity or relevance of anything I say if I don't have the credentials to support what I write? My mediocre scores should prove to you that I am indeed what I say I am - a struggling adult amateur on a horse not bred for dressage but who is doing it anyway.

Median scores that won't knock your socks off.

I am kind of surprised by the sheer number of USDF scores Speedy and I have earned, 81 at last count. And those scores don't include schooling shows or CDS only shows. We're at well over a hundred if you toss those in. What we may lack in quality, we've made up for in volume.

I know a lot of people will look at my scores and tsk, tsk them. Yes, I would like my averages to be higher, but showing is how I get better. I don't have access to weekly lessons. Shoot, sometimes I am lucky to squeeze in a monthly lesson. Over the years, most of my feedback has come from judges. I ride a test, I read what the judge thought, and then I try to improve on what we did before. If you go back to review all of my scores, you'll generally see a progression from low to at least higher within each level.

I didn't stay at Second long enough to increase our average.

Once Speedy and I earn that last score for the Bronze Medal, we're going to hang out at Third until I feel that he has developed more lightness in his collected work. And that half pass has to improve before we even think about moving on to Fourth Level. Frankly, I need to get better, too. This level is requiring a lot more balance on my part as well.

Move along, nothing to see here.

I know I tend toward self-deprecation, but it's said in all earnestness. Seriously. If you have a goal, go for it. What I lack in talent and natural ability, I make up for in grit and determination. Most of the time, it ain't pretty, but it gets the job done. Dig deep, friend, and it will happen.

At least that's the pep talk I keep giving myself.

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B&W Hitches and Trying Not to Get Lost

11/13/2019

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One of the reasons that Newt, my new truck, didn't make it home on Saturday was because she's getting a gooseneck hitch installed. Blue Truck had a B&W Hitch with a roll-over ball. You pulled a pin, and the ball flipped down beneath the level of the bed. The safety chain was hooked to two large eye bolts that screwed in and out. With the ball flipped over and the eye bolts removed, the truck's bed was flat and ready for use.

Blue Truck's hitch - you can hardly see it..

There was no way in hell that my husband and I were going to install the new hitch, even though B&W provides a great video with instructions. Instead, I opted to have Paso Robles Ford use their local company to get the job done before I even brought the truck home.

B&W has made a ton of improvements over the past two decades. They've changed the way the ball appears in the bed while (hopefully) improving its performance. To move the ball out of the way now, you pull a pin from under the wheel well which releases the ball. You lift the ball out of a 4 inch hole, flip it over, and drop it back in on its head - so to speak. Then you re-engage the pin.

I love how clean it looks when it's not being used.

Since I traded in both Blue Truck and Juke, Newt will serve as both my hauling vehicle and my daily driver. Having a cleaner bed with nothing to unscrew and remove will be pretty convenient.

While I was perusing B&W's website, I found a great video that explains how they designed their gooseneck hitches. If you're at all interested in buying a trailer or you have a new one, it's worth the two and a half minutes. They also have a long list of towing products including bumper pull hitches.

Besides a new hitch, Newt is also getting a navigation system installed. Newt came with Ford's Sync option, but it only allowed for music, voice, calling, and entertainment, not navigation. That was a deal breaker for me. One of the things I most wanted in Blue Truck's replacement was GPS. Newt will have it in the next few days.

No navigation.

Hopefully at least one one of these things is being installed today. Monday's holiday slowed down the shipping process, but I was assured that deliveries would be made in two days, and that was as of Saturday. I'm a realist though, so the truth is that Newt is probably still sitting on the lot awaiting the arrival of either the hitch or the navigation system. It's no biggie. I can wait.

To be continued ...

2 Comments

Saddle Box

11/12/2019

3 Comments

I am a Stitch Fix girl, although you would never guess it. I hate to shop. I hate to try clothes on. And I used to hate most everything in my closet. Riding clothes excepted. I love shopping for those. It's sad when your selection of breeches and riding tops are the most expensive and nicest things in your closet.

When I found Stitch Fix on Facebook a year and a half ago, I gave it a try and have been looking forward to my monthly fixes ever since. I LOVE getting my box full of new stuff, and I almost always keep everything. So when Phil Van Treuren, owner of SaddleBox, reached out to me to ask if I would be interested in giving SaddleBox a try, I jumped at the chance!

SaddleBox

If you haven't heard of SaddleBox, it works like this: You sign up for a monthly shipment for just under $35 a month. Each month, you get a box full of mystery horsey items like gourmet horse treats, grooming tools and tack, and gifts for the horse owner.

My box.

I have to say, the "Christmasy" element of the box is really one of the coolest things about it. When my husband brought the box in with a quizzical look on his face, I rubbed my hands together in glee and tore it open on the spot. It was really fun digging through the contents to see what I had received.

Raise your hand if you want one!

My box contained 8 items:

1 pound bag of Buckeye brand Peppermint bits
Tough 1 curry blade
Tough 1 8' Poly Lead Rope
Co-Flex Cohesive bandage
Carat Cake horse treat
Decker face brush
If My Horse Doesn't Like You I Probably Won't Either sticker
Hoofpick

SaddleBox is a great idea. Is it for me? Well, I would love to say YES, who wouldn't want to get a box of goodies every month? But the reality is that I am on a pretty tight budget, and Newt's not helping with that.

I LOVED some of the items ...

The sticker is already stuck to my trailer.

You can never have too many rolls of elastic bandages or hoof picks. That Carat Cake looks good enough to eat myself, and while I have tons of soft brushes, I hoard them so another one is always welcome. And that sticker needs no explanation. It's my favorite thing in the box.

But some of the items just weren't in my wheelhouse.

Hard pass on the curry blade.

Speedy used to LOVE peppermints, but since stuffing his Pergolide in various treats, he's grown suspicious of anything that I can actually afford. Izzy might like them though. Speedy would also kick the crap out of me if I tried to use a metal blade on any part of his body. Izzy's not much of a fan of metal either. I only use long clinician style lead ropes since my boys can get a bit (cough cough) fractious at times, so the 8-foot rope is too short for my needs.

However. I definitely would consider sending a SaddleBox as a gift. No horse person that I know would say thanks, no thanks to a gift like that. How many gifts are easy to pick out while still being fun and creative? Not many.

If my budget had just a tiny bit more padding, I'd be all over a monthly SaddleBox. I love NOT having to shop. I LOVE having things delivered to my house. I LOVE horse stuff.

Please sign up for one, and if you do, let me know. I am happy to live vicariously through your monthly box of joy. And if you get something that doesn't float your boat, I'll take it!

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Buy-Buy!

11/11/2019

4 Comments

This weekend was a bit bittersweet. I finally let go of Blue Truck. I am not going to lie; it was hard to do, and I got pretty emotional about it. I am Blue Truck's original owner, having had her for nearly 20 years. That's longer than many of you have had your spouse or kids.

I am going to miss you, Blue Truck.

After our first house, Blue Truck was the most expensive thing we had ever purchased. That body style had just come out, so what we were looking for wasn't yet sitting on a lot. We took a lot of time custom ordering her. She had a Triton V-10 engine, four-wheel drive, beefed up differentials, a tow package, no carpet (for which we paid extra!), and a crew cab body style to accommodate two rowdy Labrador Retrievers. Blue Truck also had power everything from the windows to the door locks. And this was when windows were still rolled up with a crank handle. Oh, and we had a CD player.

We spared no expense on that truck knowing that we would have it at least ten years. Little did we know that it would exceed our expectations by another decade. We ordered Blue Truck in the late winter, but didn't get to drive it home until the end of May. We were living large, that's for sure.

In the beginning "the truck" - she didn't yet carry the moniker, Blue Truck, belonged to both my husband and myself. There was a lot of arguing over who got to drive it. Eventually, we settled on a weekly rotation. My husband drove the truck one week, and I got to drive it the next.

Eventually, the newness wore off, and our lives changed. In 2005, Blue Truck officially became mine alone. We even changed the title to reflect my sole ownership. Somewhere along about that time I started calling her Blue Truck.

I already miss this face.

I've been contemplating replacing Blue Truck for more than three years. New trucks are expensive though, and I am still waiting on that money tree. I didn't suddenly inherit any money, but I finally came to the conclusion that Blue Truck was probably approaching the point where my chances of getting stranded were getting pretty good. Last weekend, I started internet shopping. I found something that looked right, so I made a few calls and threw in my perky, super-fun Juke for good measure.

It's not you, Juke, it's me. We just can't see each other any more.

Over the weekend, we drove both vehicles to the Ford Dealership in Paso Robles, a two-hour drive. It seemed unusual to me, but the dealership was quite used to taking multiple vehicles in on trade. Apparently it's done with some regularity.

Blue Truck and Juke.

I did all of my searching and then negotiating through the internet, emails, and texting. How weird is it to negotiate for a vehicle via text? Not that weird apparently. When the sales guy and I needed to find a text I had sent, I had to look over his shoulder to help him spot the right part of the message, and he had to scroll through a LOT of texts. Selling cars through a text message is his normal.

I am already loving THIS face!

New Truck, Newt, for short, didn't make it home with us though. Newt needs a gooseneck hitch and a navigation system installed, so we drove home in a loaner. If everything goes to plan, which only happens sometimes, Newt will get delivered on Friday. I thought last week was long. This week is going to take forever.

To be continued ...

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2 Horses, 1 Month

11/8/2019

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We all acknowledge that horses aren't cheap. Or easy. Or everyone's cup of tea. Mine certainly aren't anyway. In fact, mine are more than a handful. Just last night I spent a fair amount of time filling in a massive pit that Izzy had dug. It was so deep that it extended several feet into Speedy's dry pasture. I was so busy looking for Izzy's pulled shoe that I forgot to grab a photo of the pit.

So no, my horses aren't simple hay burners. They're hay burners for sure though. They also burn through a lot of other feed.

This is my November supply.

A few days ago I made my monthly run to the feed store. I never browse while I am there because they carry a lot of other stuff that would be hard on my wallet. Some of it's not even related to animals. Things like this beauty.

It's an antique scale that actually works.

I couldn't help it. After I paid my bill, I stopped for a quick glance at an antique scale. I picked it up and was shocked at how heavy it was. I was even more surprised that it worked. I turned around and headed back to the register. It's now living atop my cupboards in my kitchen. It makes me smile every time I look at it.

So what will Izzy and Speedy eat this month? Four bags of senior feed, a bag and a half of rice bran, a bag and a half of beet pulp, a bag and a few drops of flaxseed oil, a bag and a quarter of vitamins, and an antique scale. Well, not the scale.

So there it is - two horses, one month.

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Blingy Browbands

11/7/2019

1 Comment

A couple of months ago, I asked for some advice on how to select a blingy browband for the big brown horse. I got a lot of great suggestions. As it turns out, Valerie, owner of the Dressage Pony Store, not only had great advice herself, but she had samples to back up her recommendations.

Not just for smaller equine athletes.

Since Valerie lives in the Ventura area where I do most of my showing, a few days before heading to October's SCEC show, I contacted her and asked if she might be able to bring some browbands for me to see. I didn't think she had the couple that I had been interested in - she sold a LOT at the USDF Region 7 Championship show, but I knew she'd have a few pretty ones.

Although it is new, this is not one of Valerie's browbands.

I wish I had taken some pictures. She brought mounds of browbands, all of which were so much more gorgeous in person than I had imagined. It was really funny actually. It felt like a drug deal out of some guy's van. Valerie dropped her tailgate and spread her stash as a couple of us greedily reached in to lay claim to to what we wanted. Sorry, no photos.

For this browband to really pop on him, it needs three rows of crystals.

As it turns out, I liked something completely different from what I had picked out online. Valerie showed me how the arrangement of the stones matters as much as the color you pick. Dark faced horses, like Izzy, actually need light stones on the edges of the browband to provide contrast between their coat color and the center row of stones. Light colored horses need a darker edge to help provide that contrast.

How great will this look?

What I didn't know was that Valerie can order custom browbands, which is what we decided to do. Izzy's new browband will have a soft wave or curve. We did a row of clear Swarovski crystals on the top and bottom rows. The middle row will be done in black diamond Swarovski crystals that actually pick up whatever color is near. When I held the black crystals up to my show shirts, it paired perfectly. I don't know if the one pictured above is the exact browband we ordered, but it's pretty close.

This is pretty, but imagine Valerie's on him.

As we looked at each browband and compared the style and shape and color combinations, I started imagining Speedy wearing an equally fabulous browband. The one I have is five years old, and while it still looks great, Valerie's are so much prettier. We scooped up a few that we thought would look good on Speedy and walked over to his stall.

Not exactly the one we picked, but pretty close.

It was great to "try them on" especially since the one Valerie and I had picked as our favorite didn't end up looking that good on Speedy. The colors were too light and looked "washed out" next to his white coat. We ended up choosing a solid row of dark blue Swarovski crystals with clear crystals on the top and bottom.

He's due for an update!

I have no idea when the browbands will arrive. Valerie orders them from Europe, but she'll let me know when they're here. It would be great if they arrive in time for Speedy's next show in December, but if not, no biggie.

Wearing his new "working" browband.

In the meantime, Speedy and I were awarded a "hardest working pair" prize at the show at SCEC. I picked the browband that Izzy now sports. It fit him perfectly and replaces the old one which was missing the center clincher. While I couldn't get a good picture of it, it's a Beasties™ Brillance Crystal browband with, get this, Swarovski Black Diamond crystals.

Apparently, black diamonds are a girl's best friend. And hey, if you're looking for reasonably priced bling, check out Valerie's selection; you won't be disappointed.

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About the
Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime rider.
I began endurance riding in 1996 where I ultimately completed five, one-day 100 mile races, the 200-mile Death Valley Encounter, and numerous other 50, 65, and 75 mile races. I began showing dressage in 2010.
Welcome to my dressage journey.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian

Email Karen

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently showing Third Level for the 2019 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

August 2018

About Izzy

Izzy was started as a four-year old and then spent the next 18 months in pasture growing up. I bought him as a six-year old, and together, we are schooling and showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

March 2019

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE

I love her stuff!

National Awards

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018

2nd Level Rider Performance, 2018

USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015

1st Level Rider Performance, 2015

USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

Training Level Rider Performance, 2013

State Awards

CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
CDS Second Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

Ruby Rider Award, 2018

2020 Show Season

Show Rating
(***) CDS/USDF/USEF
(*) CDS
(s) Schooling
(c) Clinic
(r) Ride-a-Test Clinic
(Q) Must Qualify

2020 Pending …
11/17/19 Pacific Dress. (s)
12/7/19 El Sueno (***)

2020 Completed …
10/26-27/19 SCEC (***)

Qualifying Scores for 2020

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC)
3rd Level Qualifying
3 Scores/2 Judges:
Score 1: 60.405% Atkins
Score 2: 62.432% Atkins
Score 3:

CDS Championship
3rd Level Qualifying
5 Scores/4 Judges:
Score 1: 60.405% Atkins
Score 2: 62.432% Atkins
Score 3:
Score 4:
Score 5:

Working Towards:

CDS 3rd Level Horse Performance Award
3 Judges/3 Shows:
Score 1: 63.514% Lindholm
Score 2: 62.105% Lindholm
Score 3: 63.243% Wadeborn
Score 4: 60.405% Atkins
Score 5: 62.432% Atkins
Score 6:

CDS Sapphire Rider Award
Third Level: 63.514%
Third Level: 62.105%
Fourth Level:
Fourth Level:

USDF Bronze Medal
First Level - 70.179%
First Level - 72.600%
Second Level - 62.879%
Second Level - 61.970%
Third Level - 62.432%
Third Level -

Harry's Grand Prix Double Bridle

When You Hope It's an Abscess

Newt, Meet Everyone. Everyone, Meet Newt!

Crow, It's What's For Dinner

Score Stalking (or Almost There!)

B&W Hitches and Trying Not to Get Lost

Saddle Box

Buy-Buy!

2 Horses, 1 Month

Blingy Browbands

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