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Not-So-Speedy Dressage

From Endurance to Dressage

A Working Vacation Day

1/9/2012

 
Friday was the final day of my vacation.  Saturday and Sunday don't really count.  So what did I do?  I gave myself permission to spend the entire day at the barn.

It started with another field trip for Sydney.  He got to go back to Cha Ching's place for an easy peasy lemmon squeezy morning ride.  He was a very good boy.  Well mostly ... he didn't load up at the barn like I like, but some gentle hazing by a passing neighbor got him in.  Click photos for larger view.
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Just finishing up ...
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One last picture before untacking ...
While Sydney and I were gone, I left Speedy G out in the arena with a flake of hay to enjoy the ridiculously warm California sunshine.  The truth is, when I asked him to come to the gate so I could put him back in his stall while I was gone, he looked at me, thought about it, and said, nah, I'd rather stay out here.  Fine by me. He always wants to come back in so that sun must have felt really good.  When Sydney and I came back an hour later, Speedy was dozing in the sun.  As soon as he spotted the truck and trailer, he very cutely galloped along the fence line toward us.  Ahh ...

I pulled Speedy out of the arena and turned Sydney loose.  Sydney tends to get anxious in there after about ten minutes.  I wanted to see how long he could stay out there while being relaxed.  I gave him a pan of alfalfa cubes to go with the left-over hay and continued with my barn chores.  I checked on him every few minutes, and was delighted that he spent more than an hour just snacking, wandering around, and sunning himself. Hmm ... maybe the Fluphenazine is doing its thing?  

With Speedy in his stall and Sydney out relaxing, I decided to clean the tack room.  I love cleaning the tack room.  It always gives me such a feeling of satisfaction when I am done.  I had bought three new plastic storage tubs and wanted to get all my goodies into them.  The dust at our barn seeps into everything!  Here's my half of the tack room after a good sweeping ...  Click photos for larger view.
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I moved everything and swept, swept, swept!
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The plastic tubs keep things cleaner.
After cleaning everything, including some tack, I saddled up Speedy and took him for a ride around the neighborhood.  We did some pleasant lolly-gagging, a hand gallop, and some naughty, unasked for passage -wish I could get that from him on command!

When I looked at my watch as I was leaving, I was ecstatic to see that I had spent six hours at the barn.  Now that's a vacation!
Kelly RGF link
1/9/2012 02:35:07 am

Mmmmm, sounds like bliss! We are busy busy busy trying to get the outside of our house painted before a) the scaffold comes down b) we go back to work and c) the rain comes back. So not so much riding time for me. I'm happily switch a whole day of painting for a whole day of horsing!

Karen
1/10/2012 09:31:38 am

Truly, it was bliss!

martina Peterson
1/9/2012 11:25:33 pm

sorry your vacation is over but it sounds as if you had fun. Now you can look forward to Spring break. Pete and I ust built a 12x14 ft deck for our hot tub. What a lot of work but well worth the effort. I;m sort of a clean freak myself. A few days ago I ripped up the last of the awful carpet in the downstairs bedroom so I can refurbish and paint it to bring it up to my standards. love you mom

Karen
1/10/2012 09:32:20 am

Sounds like "fun," Mom! Hope all is well!

martina Peterson
1/10/2012 10:10:02 am

well I didn't actually "do" the work because of some health issues with my neck. I supervise Pete because he is the grunt labor, I,m the brains. It is quite frustrating to me because my body just won't let me be physical like I used to be. Past injuries are coming home to nest but that's okay.

Karen
1/10/2012 10:18:46 am

I don't "do" all of the work either, but if I'm the responsible party, then I can claim to have "done" it. "We" replaced a water valve last week even they "we" didn't touch any of it. Since I supervised, I can claim that I did it, or had it done! :0)


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    About the Writer and Rider

    ​I am a lifelong 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.
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    Photo by Lori Ovanessian

    About Speedy G

    ​Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. After helping me earn a USDF Bronze medal in the summer of 2020, he is now semi-retired. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.
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    July 2020 (PC AJSK Photography)

    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 showing at the lower levels. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.
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    March 2021 (PC Tess Michelle Photography)

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Site Designed and Managed by: Karen Sweaney

Among other things, Karen is a Wife, Friend, Reader, Writer, Rider, Traveler, and Dog Lover
Contact her at bakersfielddressage@gmail.com
  • Home
  • About
  • My Horses
    • Horses
    • Imperioso
    • G Ima Starr FA
    • Sunshine
    • Nakota and Gideon
    • Corky
    • Sassy
    • Montoya DSA
    • Mickey Dee
    • Sydney
  • Show Results
    • 2022
    • 2021
    • 2020
    • 2019
    • 2018
    • 2017
    • 2016
    • 2015
    • 2014
    • 2013
    • 2012
    • 2011
    • 2010
  • Dressage Organizations
    • Dressage Organizations
    • Memberships
    • 2019 Dressage Tests
  • Local
    • Shopping List
  • Home