Not-So-Speedy Dressage

"Stifle" Injury

1/17/2020

Many years ago, Montoya injured her stifle. She got hung up in a blanket and strained the soft tissue. As a result, the tendon would hook on the femur giving her a hitch in her gait. After a few moments, the tendon would flip back over the patella and she would be sound.

Montoya's getting a lot of coverage this week.

Two weeks ago, I saw the exact same irregularity in Yellow Dog's gait.

Yellow Dog

Yellow Dog is a rambunctious, four year old Labrador Retriever. She's had several lameness issues and illnesses over her short life, all of which we've been able to mange.

Yellow Dog with Tobias, our 8 year old black Lab.

Both dogs have a drawer full of medications. Tobias, our black lab, suffers from anxiety so he occasionally gets a bit of Ace; New Year's eve and the Fourth of July are not his favorite days of the year. He also gets a bit achey so we have some pain relievers for him. Both dogs also get a daily MovoFlex chew, a joint supplement.

My husband takes them EVERYWHERE.

When I saw Yellow Dog take that first "hitchy" step, I knew she had a stifle injury. My husband used to be a bit skeptical about my ability to diagnose canine issues, but that was long ago. We don't go to the vet until I feel it's a red flag issue. For this, I knew what it was, I just didn't know how severe it might be. My worst fear was that she had suffered a torn cruciate ligament. When after a week she was no better, I called the vet.

Tobias, my husband, and Yellow Dog.

Yesterday afternoon, my husband drove both dogs to the vet, and I met him there after work. He took Tobias for a walk and then joined me in the exam room. While he's a very capable man, my husband doesn't do vet appointments the way I do. You know what I mean. There are 10,000 questions to ask: What's wrong? How do we fix it? What do we do if that doesn't work? How long should I wait to see if this will work? What's the long term prognosis? He asks 1 or 2 questions, maybe, pays the bill, and brings me home the checkout sheet. That's why I talk to the vet.

That's not a smile. It was a plea to get her the hell out of there.

When Dr. Thurman was finally able to see us, he must have been really busy, I gave him the run down: what her gait looked like, how long it had been, and what we were doing about it. He manipulated the joint, laid her on her side to manipulate it even more, and then diagnosed it as a patellar luxation. I hate it when I'm right.

"Really, GET ME OUT OF HERE!"

Basically, the knee cap is popping out of place and then snapping back in. I actually had the same injury a number of years ago, but mine took several days to pop back in. I still guard that knee carefully. Anyway, the prognosis is ... mixed. We started her on some anti-inflammatories hoping that will reduce any inflammation which might help the knee cap stay in place. If so, great. If not, she might just have to live with it. Sort of.

If the patella continues to slide out of the groove, or track, in which it should slide up and down, it might eventually wear it down enough so that it slides more easily. This of course results in a lot less stability, but it won't be as painful. There are some possible surgical options like tacking everything in place, but we're not really looking at that as an option.

For now, we'll give the anti-inflammatories a try. It took Montoya the better part of year to heal, but she did go back to endurance racing and never had a relapse. Fingers crossed for Yellow Dog.

Here's an excellent article on Luxating Patella in dogs.

2 Comments

What Day is It?

1/16/2020

1 Comment

I am a perpetual clock and calendar watcher. I need to know the time at any given minute of the day. Same thing for the date. I recently finished reading The Wall, a post apocalyptic novel where the main character also worries about the time until her time pieces fail. Why would you need to worry about the time after the apocalypse?

By the way, the apocalypse is a favorite day dreaming topic of mine. How nice it would be to simply worry about getting food, finding shelter, and not dying from whatever catastrophe that has tried to wipe out mankind. Sometimes, the apocalypse seems preferable to whatever First World problems I am currently struggling with.

Back to the time and date.

The last five years.

Each December I wait patiently for the next year's calendar. In the past I used to get 2 or 3 as gifts. The last few years, I've had to buy my own. The weird thing is that I am super picky about my calendar. I prefer the pages to be attached with wire because they hang flatter. I also need big squares for writing.

Lots of room to write.

This year, I bought my calendar from Amazon. It took a bit of hunting, but I found the perfect will-reorder-it-again calendar. It uses wire to hold the pages together, win. Not only are the squares large, but there are also lines for notes, another win. And then, making all of my dreams come true, there is space for a To-Do list and additional Notes. We have a winner, folks!

An NQR day.

I keep the calendar hanging at the barn for use as a daily log or journal. I write down how the horses look, it's called an SG check and an Iz check. On the days I ride, I note for how long and "grade" the ride. I also note any wounds or anything that's Not Quite Right (NQR).

If it's written down, my OCD tendencies force me to fill in the blanks.

Keeping a quick daily log has proven incredibly useful when something crops up. I can look back to see when that "thing" first started and how long it's taking to heal. I can also answer the vet's questions more intelligently. Instead of it's been there "awhile," I can be very specific.

The notes also remind me that we enjoy far more good days together than bad. Even though the wounds, lamenesses, and jackassery seem to rule my world, they don't. At the end of each month, the squares are always filled with more hearts and smiley faces than grouchy ones.

Does anyone else keep a daily journal?

1 Comment

Horse Hair Jewelry

1/15/2020

5 Comments

I am going to be honest here. It sort of creeps me out that people have jewelry made from the manes and tails of horses who are no longer with us. My shield is up; take your best shot.

It wasn't until Montoya, my most beloved horse of all time, passed that I had even heard about cutting off the tail and keeping it as a memento. I am sorry, but no. Hell no. When the vet asked me if I wanted to cut off her tail, I was absolutely horrified. It felt like I would be maiming her to even consider such a thing.

Montoya - Doing the Fire Mountain 50 Miler in January of 2009

After much insisting, I was finally persuaded to take a small piece of her forelock which I placed in a sparkly, gauzy bag along with her bridle tag. I never look at it, and in fact, I had to hunt around my office to even find it.

She passed in January of 2010.

Cutting off one of my horse's tails after death will not be anything that I ever do. I am also opposed to burials. I have made my husband promise, and I mean PROMISE, that my body will be cremated. That's assuming that he outlives me.

I have zero connection to the remains of the deceased. And when it comes to the cremains of a loved one; scatter 'em, I say. And I mean no disrespect. For me, the corporeal shell is just that, a place to hold the essence of who we are. Once we no longer inhabit that being, it is a meaningless bag of bones and hair that should be allowed to return to the earth.

Well, hello there.

So imagine my ... disgust, creep factor, wariness when I opened my birthday card from my dad and stepmom. In it was a gift card to a company that makes jewelry from horse hair. My very first thought was a simple, no. My plan was to just let the gift card sit there unused and hopefully forgotten. But ...

I am also horridly opposed to waste. The gift card was sent with love and the hope that jewelry made from Speedy's or Izzy's hair would bring me joy. I decided to look at the web site and see what it was all about. SpiritHorse Designs is a small company that specializes in meeting the needs of each of its customers. From what I can tell, the company is a one-woman show.

At first, I decided I would just order a piece of jewelry using the horse hair they keep in stock. I didn't want to know where the hair came from, I just didn't want it be from Montoya. And then I read something that really struck me.

Don't wait until you have to say goodbye to have a special horse hair bracelet or jewelry created.
Don't wait until it's too late and you are on the floor, sobbing in heart felt pain.
Don't wait until your barn bestie is beside themselves in a grief so deep they don't even hear you comforting them.
Create an incredible moment of giving and love right now - so you can see and feel the joy a custom horse hair bracelet brings!

Don't wait until you have to say goodbye ... I never thought of it like that. It didn't both me at all to cut a hunk of Speedy's and Izzy's tails while they munched happily on their breakfast.

i don't think either horse will miss this little bit.

It didn't bother me one little bit to carefully shampoo each strand ...

Angela, the owner of SpiritHorse Designs provides directions for how to send her your horse's hair.

As I happily shampoo'ed, I realized how horrible it would be to wash away the dirt and debris knowing your horse was gone. But mine aren't gone. They're right here with me.

Speedy's yellow tail hairs started to turn white.

As I scrubbed and rubbed, it was done with joy in my heart knowing that both of my boys were happily eating their dinners after having been ridden and loved on during the morning.

Izzy's tail was a lot dirtier!

As I washed and rinsed, I actually felt excited about wearing a piece of jewelry made from their hair. They didn't mind giving it up, and now wearing a bracelet will make me smile every time I look down at it.

Clean and nearly dry.

It takes two to four weeks for your jewelry to arrive, so I'll be sure to let you know how the bracelet turns out. I no longer feel creeped out by the thought of wearing a piece of jewelry made from my horses' hair. Instead, it feels me with joy.

As it turns out, the gift certificate was the perfect gift. I am filled with joy and gratitude at just the thought of seeing that bracelet.

Thank you, Dad and Judy! I am going to love it, I know.

5 Comments

Updated Medical Kit

1/14/2020

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While I was never a boy scout, or a girl scout for that matter, I do adhere to the Be Prepared! motto. Or as they say, prepare for the worst, but expect the best. Because really, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. With horses, you simply can't be prepared enough.

My medical kit is now comprised of two drawers and a plastic tub filled with jars of goop.

When I took my new bottle of saline solution out to the barn over the weekend, I realized that I needed to do some reorganizing to get everything to fit. After taking care of the ranch owner's horse's abscess a few weeks ago, things were in a bit of a disarray. I pulled out of each of the drawers and took stock.

What size bandage do you need?

The bottom drawer of my kit holds bandaging material. The sheet cotton is stored elsewhere as it takes up too much room. In this drawer, I have vet wrap - for some reason I prefer blue. I buy this stuff in bulk because when you need it, you'll need at least a dozen rolls. I also have brown gauze which is super handy for any kind of wrap. I also keep cotton rolls on hand because sometimes sheet cotton is too tall.

Telfa pads are great for loading goop onto a wound, and they won't stick to the wound unless you inadvertently stick it fuzzy side down in the dark. Ask me how I know. I also keep a supply of hydrophilic foam pads which are excellent for treating proud flesh. Gauze pads, the 4 inch kind, are just good for everything. Duct tape. It requires no explanation. And yes, all of that fits inside this drawer although I don't know how.

The top drawer.

The top drawer of my medical kit is reserved for my delicate items, the most sensitive of which are stored in a second plastic container with a snap-on lid. Around the edges are stored things like the saline solution - the lids screws on so it doesn't leak. I also keep a small plastic box with a snap on lid that is great for syringing out of. Of course, no kit is complete without scissors, a hoof pick, a hoof knife, AluShield wound spray, and a Sharpie marker. You wouldn't believe how helpful a Sharpie marker can be.

The tub within a tub.

The innermost tub contains everything that I wouldn't want to get dirty. I keep syringes and prescription strength medications in here. There's also a stethoscope and a thermometer - please learn how to use them before you need to. I also keep ointments, Ace, plastic baggies, and plastic sleeves - the kind the vets use for rectal exams, in this tub. Frankly, I am not entirely sure what all is in there as most of it is small.

Who ya gonna call?

While I have my vet's number memorized, I am not guaranteed to be the one to find one of my boys in distress. Just to help that person, whomever they might be, I also keep my vet's card in the front of the box where you can see it through the plastic.

It's to the point now that I have so much that when when of the horses does need to see the vet it's for stuff that I simply can't do: sutures, tooth extractions, surgery, cryotherapy ... give me a few more years though. With just a bit more practice, I could probably yank a tooth and stitch something back up.

Don't tell Dr. Tolley though; he might start making me do all the work!

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What's in the Box?

1/13/2020

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I don't know a single horse girl who doesn't receive regular deliveries of equine related products. And if she's smart, she has Amazon Prime. We get something delivered at least once a week.

When I saw a box sitting patiently alongside the house - Yellow Dog chews so there's a sign directing the delivery person to leave things on the LEFT SIDE OF THE HOUSE, I rubbed my hands in delight.

Good things come in packages large and small.

I eagerly pulled out my package-opening scissors and cut the tape.

What is it? What is it?

I order so frequently that I often can't remember which box is due which day. The day before this box, there was a huge box, and for the life of me, I couldn't remember what I had ordered that would come in such a huge box. It was two new skillets.

This time?

Womp, womp.

Saline solution. Yes, I know it's not worth getting excited about, but my supply was running low. Given how often my horses try to poke an eye out, I thought I had better stock up before it was an emergency.

My Public Service Announcement for the week: have saline solution on hand!

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When You Don't Have Crossties

1/10/2020

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I've owned horses for nearly 40 years. I just turned 49, so that number keeps creeping up. Better than the alternative as my mom would say. In all those years, I've only kept my horses at a barn that had crossties exactly once. The rest of the time, I've tied my horses to whatever was handy - trees, hitching rails, my own trailer, fences, and even old trailers. Sort of like now.

It's just an old trailer.

You've all seen one of my horses tied up to this old trailer about a million times. Someone once asked if Izzy could fit in there. No, I don't believe he would. It seems like such a nothing special kind of place, but over the years, I've turned this tacking up spot into home.

For Izzy, it's a great place to tie because he has learned to stand patiently at a trailer and eat. Every square inch of the back of that trailer serves a purpose. I can leave either horse there for as long as I need to, and I know they're safe.

Everything but the bridle and grooming bucket live there all year round. As the hay gets wet or dusty, I dump it out, but the horses usually empty it before that happens. The wood chips are an absolute godsend; they keep the area free of dust, and rain just percolates right on through, so no puddles form. Before the wood chips, A lake would form every time it rained.

The mounting block usually holds my grooming bucket, but it's also convenient for when I need to stand on it for braiding, clipping bridle paths, or medicating goopy eyes. We have a three-step mounting block in the arena, so this one just serves the barn.

The ranch owner had the wheel cover built to protect the tires from sun, but it was also designed to protect the horses in the event that someone decides to throw an impromptu temper tantrum.

All the conveniences of home.

The little trailer is parked next to the barn, but not too close as to make the area feel crowded. When I am ready to saddle, I don't need a saddle stand outside. It's 3 or 4 short steps from my saddle rack to my horse. When I sit on my little stool to put on boots or check my phone, I can keep my eye on whoever is tied up at the moment.

Probably best of all is that there are lights for outside and an electrical outlet for running my clippers. I keep a short extension cord with my clippers which gives me plenty of room. In all my years of owning horses, this is only the second time I've had an electrical outlet that didn't require 12 miles of extension cords. That and the wood chips have me boarding here for life.

That's Speedy in the little red circle.

Not only can I keep my eye on whomever is tied up, but Izzy and Speedy can keep an eye on each other as well. When Speedy's tied up, Izzy comes up to the fence to hang out with us. Speedy lives on the other half of the field, so he can't get quite as close, but the horses like being able to see one another.

I am not sure who has adopted whom.

While tacking up in a barn certainly has its advantages, I find that unless it's pouring rain, the little niche that we've managed to carve out serves us quite well. Besides, I don't think Bunny would come as willing into a barn as he does with just a little trailer. Anyone else? What does your tacking up spot look like?

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Tack Week Continues

1/9/2020

3 Comments

At 15 years of age, Speedy knows how to be bridled. I've had quite a few different bits on him over the years - some for endurance racing, some for dressage, so he's very well schooled in getting tacked up. With that said, bridling him with the double bridle didn't go as smoothly as I expected.

One of my favorite photos.

Most of the trouble was mine. Figuring out how to get all of that hardware in his mouth and all those straps on his smaller head was quite a challenge. Small horses and ponies don't have as much room on their faces for all of that gear. Bigger horses like Izzy, and his head is just horse-sized, have more room for all of that leather. It took Speedy and me some time to figure out how to get all of that gear onto his small head.

Hard candies are really helpful.

When Izzy started refusing his snaffle bit a few years ago, I developed a technique to encourage him to open his mouth. It worked Just as well with Speedy. Just before I bridle, I pop a candy in his mouth. Hard candies work great because once crunched, they stick to the teeth and encourage the horses to move their jaws while keeping the mouth wet.

Open the noseband.

In the beginning, Speedy would pull back as I tried to slip the crown piece over his ears. It took me a while to figure out why I couldn't pull the bridle up; I wasn't opening the noseband wide enough. Unbeknownst to me, it was catching on the bit straps and pinching Speedy's face and mouth. Once I fixed that, things went a lot more smoothly.

Over the ears.

While Speedy sucks and chews on his peppermint, I also discovered that he prefers me to pull the crown piece over his near side ear first. I've always done the off ear first (which he doesn't mind with a snaffle bridle). If I do the near side first, the bridle is at least partially secured so I can walk around his nose and check to be sure that all of the other straps are free. Only then do I pull the other side up over his ears without pinching him.

Now to buckle everything.

Once everything is on over his ears, I always stop and give him a second peppermint. While his eyes go to half mast and he contentedly chews and sucks, I buckle the throat latch, tighten the noseband, and clip the curb chain. I've also started giving him a third candy once everything is in place.

Throatlatch and noseband ...

Speedy is a really good guy. He only complains if it's legitimate. And even though I've been bridling horses for 40 years, there was a learning curve to putting the double on him. Since he fussed about it, I knew that I was doing something wrong. It has taken a few weeks to get each step right, but now he's opening his mouth again, trying to grab the bits to "help" me.

Curb chain last.

Now that I've had time to condition the leather, it should start to get softer and more pliable. Even so, it's still a lot of bridle to put on a little face. I think we've finally worked it out though, Speedy and me. It's helpful to have a teammate who offers such great feedback.

Team Speedy is nothing if not determined.

3 Comments

Speaking of Tack

1/8/2020

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This is turning out to be tack week ...

I've had a lot on my mind lately, damn you, middle age, so I spent a lot of time with my tack over the weekend. Cleaning tack is one way for me to organize my thoughts and process "stuff." Vacuuming does the same thing.

After installing a new saddle cover and padding my saddle rack, I realized my saddle was looking a bit dusty and grimy. Saturday was warm and sunny, so I hauled my saddle outside and set to work. With a funky playlist setting the mood, I worked on removing the gunk from my saddle and clearing away some mental cobwebs.

Clean enough.

A clean saddle wasn't enough though; middle age gives you a lot to analyze, so I pulled out Speedy's double bridle. Even though I've had it for nearly two months, I hadn't yet given it an initial conditioning. It took so long to get it to fit correctly that I was reluctant to take it apart to clean it. Knowing how long it took to put together, I realized that unless I wrote down each buckle's placement, it was safer to clean it without taking it completely apart.

One buckle at a time.

First, I dropped both bits with their reins. The curb bit has beta reins, so that whole section went straight into a bucket to soak. The snaffle has Thinline reins, so I only soaked the bit, and later wiped down the Thinline portion with a damp cloth. Then I took all of the buckles out of their keepers. I unbuckled one buckle at a time to clean it, but then I re-buckled it immediately. It's a much longer process than than just laying everything out, but this bridle has too many parts for me to remember on what hole everything goes.

I wish my camera could capture the sparkle of those Swarovski crystals.

When I was finished, I stepped back to admire how pretty this bridle really is. It's not a fancy pants bridle, but it sure looks nice when it's all cleaned up. Even after unbuckling and re-buckling 400 straps, my mental housekeeping still wasn't done, so I dragged out Izzy's bridle.

That browband sure does make this bridle look fancier.

I will never again complain about cleaning a snaffle bridle. After tackling Speedy's double, this thing was a breeze to clean. In fact, it was so quick that the next day I did my other two bridles - Speedy's snaffle bridle and Izzy's bridle with the correction bit.

4 bridles in 2 days.

My tack certainly looks better, and I felt better for all the work, but damn, middle age is a real pain in the butt.

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A Saddle Mattress?

1/7/2020

2 Comments

Yes, it is exactly what it sounds like, a mattress for your saddle. I saw this on Facebook, and was quite intrigued.

Photo from their website.

I use a pretty standard saddle rack, the kind that you can carry easily to shows. I keep it padded with two old saddle pads.

Somewhat padded.

After reading about the Saddle Mattress, I decided to look at my saddle closely to see if there were any pressure points.

Yep. Right there.

Both sides of my saddle have an indentation where it rests against the saddle stand.

Fortunately, the pressure points hit my saddle just below the saddle's panels, but still, the pressure points can't be healthy. I have my saddle's flocking adjusted at least once a year, and so far, the fitter has never mentioned the "indentations." Over the weekend, I asked her about the Saddle Mattress, and she loved the idea. She also suggested padding the rack with fleece or pool noodles, which I had already planned to try.

Saddle Mattress photo

The Saddle mattress is a great idea, and using one can only be a healthy option for your saddle. As soon as I saw the product, I knew I wanted one, but at $100, it's kind of pricey for what is basically a piece of foam covered nicely in cloth. In the meantime, here's what it looks like with a pool noodle instead.

Much cheaper than $100.

I sent my saddle fitter the above photo. I asked her to evaluate the width and overall efficacy of my cheaper solution. Her response was very positive. She thought it all looked great.

I sliced the pool noodle with a pocket knife.

I use pool noodles a lot for P.E. with my students, so I have had some experience in cutting them to size. I simply measured the length of the saddle rack to determine how much noodle I needed and then sawed off the desired length with a hacksaw. I took a pocket knife and sliced down through the pool noodle so I could slide it onto the saddle rack. I thought I might need duct tape to secure the noodles, but so far, they fit snuggly without sliding around or falling off.

They slid on easily.

While I really like the idea of the Saddle Mattress, and I may eventually just get one, I thought I'd try this out for a while to see how it holds up.

New cover and better padding for my saddle. Now it just needs to be cleaned.

We have a pool, so I buy new pool noodles every year anyway. Now I have a use for last year's pool noodles. Out of curiosity, has anyone tried a Saddle Mattress, and if so, do you like it?

2 Comments

LeMieux Saddle Cover

1/6/2020

4 Comments

My saddle cover was a nice one. It had a soft, fleece liner, sturdy polyester fabric on the outside, and it had velcro openings in the side to allow your stirrups to come through. It's no longer nice.

Back when it was brand new.

I was actually embarrassed by it at the last show I did. You can see why.

I think it's time to retire it.

I have been looking around for a new one for quite some time. I know there are even some bloggers who make custom saddle covers. The thing is that I am not that great at dealing with too many choices. If I can't even pick out a browband by myself, how am I expected to custom order a saddle cover? I can't, so I didn't.

I am not even sure where I saw the ad, probably on Facebook, but LeMieux makes a saddle cover that checks off all my boxes. It's made of a durable polyester outer with a soft fleece inside, it has an adjustable elastic drawstring, and as an added bonus, it has a sleeve to store the girth. And it's black which means no agonizing over a color choice. My birthday was coming up, so I sent a link to my husband.

Photo from the LeMIeux website

Guess what I unwrapped over the weekend? At right around 35 bucks, it was a win-win for everybody. My husband got off pretty light, and I got something I've been wanting for a long, long time. It is just as nice in person, too.

The edges are really stretchy, so they enclose my saddle perfectly. As the elastic wears out, there are drawstrings up near the pommel to make it fit more snugly. I also love, love, love the sleeve for the girth.

It's only a sleeve, not a pocket, so a longer girth will fit as well.

For every day use, I hang my girths on the pull handle of my other saddle stand. At shows though, my girth is forever sliding off my saddle as I tote it back to the trailer for storage. I am too poor to get a tack stall, so I schlepp my saddle and bridle back and forth each day from my trailer to my stall and back again. That ingenious little sleeve is going to make that task a whole lot easier.

The inside of the saddle cover.

While I don't have a lot of experience with the LeMieux brand, I do like the one pair of breeches that I own, so I expected the saddle cover to be of at least equal quality. It does not disappoint. The fabric on the top feels very durable, and the fleece on the underside is soft and smooth.

The cover has an added feature that some might find helpful, but I can't see that I'll use it much. There is a lower slot through which you can run your billets. I suppose that for traveling, it will help secure the cover to the saddle, but for day in and day out usage, that would be a bit unnecessary for my barn. My tack is very secure where it is with no one bumping my saddles or sliding theirs past mine. For carrying my saddle back and forth to the trailer, this might be a handy feature, otherwise, not so much.

A place for your billets.

Overall, my first impression is that this saddle cover earns an A+ for both quality and value. I can't say how long it's going to last, but my guess is that it will be around for a while.

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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 …
3/7-8 El Sueno (***)
3/22 Fresno (***)
4/11-12 El Sueno (***)
4/26 TMC (*)
5/9-10 El Sueno (***)
5/31 TMC (*)
6/13-14 El Sueno (***)
6/28 TMC (*)
7/11-12 El Sueno (***)
7/26 TMC (*)
8/8-9 RAAC (Q)
8/30 TMC (*)
10/24-25 SCEC (***)

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 -

"Stifle" Injury

What Day is It?

Horse Hair Jewelry

Updated Medical Kit

What's in the Box?

When You Don't Have Crossties

Tack Week Continues

Speaking of Tack

A Saddle Mattress?

LeMieux Saddle Cover

About the
Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

By Topic

Archives

About the Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

By Topic

Archives

About the
Writer & Rider