Blog Archives

That's a Relief!

12/30/2016

When I pulled Izzy up to the mounting block on Monday, he took a really wonky step. I hand walked him a few strides and noticed that there was definitely a hitch in his stride coming from the hind end. My first thought was that it was a cramp from all of the backing up he had done to avoid the bridle.

I reasoned that he might walk out of it. I got on anyway and asked him to just keep it slow and easy at the walk. Given how dramatic his meltdown had been over the bridling process, I figured that a quiet walk was probably just what he needed. After twenty minutes, he was no sounder, but not worse either, so I called it quits.

There was no swelling nor a wound, and he was bearing weight on it, so I turned him out in his paddock and hoped for the best. I watched him for a while as I puttered around, but the lameness got worse by the minute. By the time I left for home, I knew it had to be an abscess.

Heel bulb, right side. I love being right?!

A lifetime caring for my own horses has given me a pretty good sense for when the vet needs to be called. A horse who is eating happily with a cocked leg is not one of those times. Even though Izzy took the classic stance - toe pointed down and a reluctance to bear weight, I decided to just watch it and see how bad it would or wouldn't get.

I gave him a gram of bute for several days, which he refused to eat, but other than poke around with a hoof pick, I just let it be. The next day, he actually looked better. He was bearing more weight on it, and by Wednesday, I started to think the abscess had absorbed or that it had been a cramp afterall.

On Thursday, I found the telltale drainage hole. It must have just blown before I got there because it was still oozing. I gave it a gentle squeeze and was rewarded with clear seepage that was odor free. Again, I left it alone without washing it or soaking it.

We had record rainfall last weekend which turned parts of Izzy's paddock into a soupy mess. He had high ground to stand on, but the mud no doubt softened his feet allowing a grain of something to work its way in. For me, having the abscess blow out through the heel bulb is the perfect scenario. Those heal almost as soon as they pop.

It's raining again right now with a forecast for continued rain through Saturday, but we had really warm and dry weather this week which eliminated nearly all of the mud. Hopefully the hole closed yesterday afternoon, but I am defintiely going to give it another close examination today.

If my horse is going to be lame, an abscess is just about the best case scenario!

2 Comments

If You Have to Ask ...

12/29/2016

13 Comments

In my experience, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Even so, I am occasionally tempted and even fall prey to the shiny or amazing. Right now, the StripHair grooming product is calling my name.

Have you seen it? It's all over Facebook and has even generated a thread or two on Coth. I am not a COTH member myself, too much drama, but it is a good resource for getting reviews. Invariably, someone on the site has tried whatever it is you're searching for.

On the other hand, almot none of the naysayers has even seen the StripHair in person. COTH is filled with readers/commenters who appear to thrive on negativity and a distain for life that borders on maniacle. I don't put a lot of stock in what comes from that page.

Even Ben looks doubtful.

The reason I am so hesitant to indulge my curiosity is that the product, essentially two hunks of rubber, goes for $48. That's an awful exenpensive grooming product that may or may not deliver as touted. The only reason that I am even considering spending that much money is because I have some Christmas cash itching to be spent.

I've never used a cactus cloth, but maybe it works about the same for a tenth of the price. Maybe I should get one of those first. I would love to hear what you all think. Is the StripHair worth it? Am I better off with a cactus cloth? Or, if I have to ask do I already know the answer?

I am okay with my jelly scrubber and soft brush. They're paid for and work pretty well. But there's still the matter of that hundred dollar bill ...

13 Comments

Book Review: A Whole Bit Better

12/28/2016

2 Comments

If you like bits, you should probably pick up a copy of the Myler brothers' book about bits. The book has been updated since I bought mine; it's now called The Level Best for Your Horse. It's on sale for $11.16.

My version of the book is quite small, pocket-sized really, but the pages are packed with great information about how bits work, how to know if a bit is not working, and what all of the different mouth and cheek pieces are designed to do. It's written in simple terms without being too technical. Even if you're not a Myler bit enthusiast, the book is a great resource about bits in general.

This is the mouthpiece that izzy likes.

The last 100 pages of the book make up the appendix. Each page shows a mouthpiece with an explanation as to the function of that bit and then how it might be used.

I ordered the wide low version of this mouthpiece.

Included in the appendix is a section on cheek pieces and their function. In English disciplines, it's common to simply use the cheekpiece most generally seen in your sport. Many of my bits have Kimberwick cheek pieces because that's what endurance riders used when I was competing. I don't have any Dee rings because they're typically seen in the hunter ring.

This is the cheek piece that will come with the ported barrel bit.

The book explains the purpose of various cheek pieces including the loose ring, the eggbutt, the dee ring, the full cheek, and all of the western shanks.

The new bit.

After researching the various mouth and cheek pieces, I decided (with the help of my trainer, Chemaine Hurtado) on the loose ring low wide ported barrel bit. The loose rings will allow me to be super subtle when Izzy is willing. The low and wide port is dressage legal while also offering Izzy the maximum amount of tongue relief.

The Myler philsophy centers around keeping horses comfortable and relaxed. "When the horse is resisting the current bit, it is too much bit for him and he can't relax." When izzy decides to be naughty, the ported barrel won't allow me any control which is why I am going to stick with the correction bit for a while. When he's behaving, we'll switch to the ported barrel. Hopefully he'll develop some confidence and decide that it's easier working with me rather than against me.

Check out the book. For the price, it's a super handy resource that offers easy to undestand explanations about a piece of tack that we riders don't always think about.

2 Comments

Double Bridle Fail

12/27/2016

15 Comments

Well that didn't take long. The first few times that I used the double bridle, Izzy took it willingly, and then worked better than ever. The next few times I tried it, he started to show some resistance to bridling again.

Over the weekend, I spent time just bridling without the added pressure of a ride. Yesterday, he had a full on melt down over the bridle and gave me an impossible to ignore NO.

I did get it on, but he flew backwards each time I tried to bring it over his ears to secure it. And no, it's not an ear issue; he just knows over the ears means it's on.

Once I finally did get it on, he stood there practically trembling, but not quite. His entire body was rigid, and a near panic filled his eyes. No way was I going to ride him looking like that. I gently removed the double, gave him a reassuring pat, and let him stand and recover.

I heard you loud and clear.

A few minutes later, I pulled out my original bridle with the correction bit attached. He gave it the hairy eye ball, but stood quietly as I slowly drew the crown piece over his ears. The dude knew the difference.

When I bought Izzy, his first owner told me that he was very expressive about his dislikes. Her experience came with a poor fitting saddle. According to her, Izzy had a complete fit about using a saddle that he didn't like. She couldn't get it off fast enough.

This is twice now that he's shown an obvious dislike for a bit. For the first, a thick and gentle double jointed snaffle, it took him months to convince me that he didn't like it. This time, he decided to be more persuasive; it only took him a handlful of bridling days to convince me that the double is not for him.

Before anyway suggests dental work, believe me, I've thought of it too. My horses get their teeth done by my veterinarian once or twice a year. Izzy's teeth were done this past March. While it is possible that something has changed in his mouth since then, I have felt around in there and even taken a quick peek. Nothing seems to be amiss, but I will let my vet know we've had some bitting issues.

Still the leading contender.

The main reason I don't suspect a dental problem is because he seems to like the Myler Correction bit. He packed it around for three solid weeks without complaint or resistance. And in fact, even after having a melt down over the double, he stood quietly and let me put that bit on.

I am ordering a dressage legal Myler bit today. If I am going to have a tack issue, which I'd rather not, but if so, I'd much rather it be bits than saddles. And no, Universe, I am NOT tempting you. Who all has been down this particular path?

15 Comments

Perks of the Job

12/26/2016

4 Comments

Today marks the beginning of my winter break - two weeks to rest, relax, and ride my horses. Lots of vacation days are definitely one of the perks of being a teacher.

I didn't get to ride over the weekend as it poured rain on Friday night. Here in my neck of the woods, we got 1.55 inches, a record for that date. While the arena footing was still firm, everything else was so saturated that I just didn't feel like mincing around through the mud to get there.

Tacking up in the mud? No thanks.

Cleaning up a muddy horse? Again, no thanks.

Riding a fresh horse while avoiding this puddle ... eh. Still, no thanks.

I never did unwrap a box filled with patience, nor did I find it in the toe of my stocking. Instead, I took a deep breath and tried to see this all from Izzy's point of view. He's not trying to avoid being a dressage horse, he's just a young horse who's still trying to get comfortable with his job.

So instead of riding, I spent a few minutes each day working on taking the bridle with confidence. Last week, he got a little resistant about lowering his head and opening his mouth. Instead of getting frustrated, I turned the practice into a game with lots of praise and treats.

My work space.

The kids in my class brought lots of candy canes for our Friday party. When I told them how much Speedy loves sweets, they all rushed my desk to donate to the cause. While Izzy doesn't snatch them up as quickly as Speedy, he still likes them well enough to look for a second one.

Speedy would love the big one!

After sliding the bridle off, I gave Izzy a piece of candy cane and a short break. While he was still sucking at the pieces of candy cane stuck to his teeth, I asked him to take the bit(s) again. I only put the bridle all the way on twice, and after that it was just about encouraging him to open his mouth and take the bits with his head low. After doing that two or three times with a candy in between, I called it good.

We worked through this two years ago when I first got him. But it seems that after going in the snaffle that he didn't like and then switching to the double, he's lost some confidence about what's going in his mouth. He shows his tension with a tight back and a raised head, so getting him to keep his head low for bridling is an important step for him.

Merry Christmas!

My husband came through with the double bridle, so today I am getting my bits moved from the temporary double to this one. I found the dressage legal bit that I want, and I'll order it in the next few weeks to put on my regular bridle. My plan is to alternate between the two bridles.

Totally off the subject here, but I've been watching my neighbors fish in our little lake. It looked like such a relaxing thing to do (which can only help give me patience) that I mentioned to my husband that I'd like a fishing pole of my own. Even though I've fished since I was a little kid, someone else always set the pole up for me. All I had to do was cast and reel it in.

He's an avid outdoorsman himself who enjoys hunting and fishing, so I knew he could set me up with a rig that I could handle. On Christmas morning, he showed me how to tie on a hook and then gave me some tips for casting and reeling in. Bass fishing is not the same as fishing from the beach, so I spent some time practicing.

Yep, that's me with my brand new pole and a couple of hunting dogs by my side.

Now that I have a new hobby, you might find me casting a line as I ponder the next training dilemma. I think that will be a lot healthier than worrying about why my dressage horse isn't at the Grand Prix (yet).

4 Comments

All I Want For Christmas Is ...

12/23/2016

6 Comments

I know it's a little late, and all the Black Friday sales are over, but this is something that I really need. There's still time for an "e" gift certificate!

I want Izzy to be just like Speedy: patient himself, honest, a go with the flow fellow, but then I remember I've had Speedy nine years (December was his Gotcha month). It took us NINE YEARS to get here. Speedy is now 12. Izzy is only 8.

I keep asking my close friends just how long this is going to take. My friend, Jen, who, with the help of our trainer, Chemaine Hurtado, brought her home-bred Hanoverian to the International levels of dressage where they now compete successfully. It wasn't easy. She said it took her boy until he was 10 before he started acting like a real horse, and she's had him since the beginning. That's patience.

I know Izzy is making progress. When I doubt it, I read my Facebook reminder posts. While those are usually encouraging, sometimes I read a post that I could have written again today because we're stuck on the same issue.

For Christmas, I am asking for patience, and equally valuable, the positive attitude that I will need to embrace the wait, the suck, and those days that don't go as well as I want.

I am not sure that Santa has a lot of extra patience laying around that he's willing to part with, so I turned to yet another friend who is kind of an expert in these kinds of things. She gave me some things to read this Christmas weekend. Taking the time to do that is my Christmas gift to myself.

All I want for Christmas ...

6 Comments

What's In an Inch, Anyway?

12/22/2016

4 Comments

Well, it depends. For me, an inch is one of the big things between me and Second Level. For Speedy, an inch is the difference between go and I don't think so.

On Tuesday afternoon, I forgot to wear spurs. I didn't notice until I was already riding. Hopping off and walking all the way back down to the barn and than back again just wasn't worth it. And then I reasoned that Speedy has learned so much in the past few months that spurs aren't really all that important anymore. I don't know where I got that idea from, but it is not true.

This is one very important inch.

Speedy warmed up okay at the walk, but as soon as I asked for the trot, his hind legs decided to take the day off. I could not get him off of his forehand and there was zero attempt at any stretching of the topline. Without my spurs, the lateral work was almost non-existant. I had the whip with me, and I did use it for forward, but it wasn't the same.

FInally, I whacked him into a canter and did some collected and lengthening work to try and get him more forward. It worked to some degree, but he knew he had my number. He is going to be quite surprised when I ride him again. I won't be forgetting how important that inch is.

Another important inch.

Showing at Second Level is a goal of mine, but teaching Speedy the movements is only half of the story. If I am totally honest, I am also holding us back.

Speedy is not the easiest horse to ride. While his rib cage is very well sprung, making him big and round, he's still not much bigger than a pony, and his gaits reflect that. He has a very quick little stride that requires a lot of coordination from his rider. I know people think sitting the trot of a big, fancy warmblood is hard, but I think it is just as difficult to sit the trot of a horse that takes twice as many strides to cross the diagonal.

I've finally reached a point in our work where the fourth hole on my stirrup leathers is just too short. It's the right length of leg for riding Izzy, but with Speedy, I'm feeling top heavy. I finally had to drop down an inch (less, really) to the next longer hole. That didn't make riding him any any easier, but I know if I stick it out, my ability to sit the trot will improve.

Who knew inches were so important?

4 Comments

It's All in the Stretch Down

12/21/2016

4 Comments

You know how your trainer tells you something over and over or you read the same words again and again and then suddenly, one day, those words have meaning? Yeah, that happened this weekend.

When Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, was here a few weeks ago, she had me work on essentially the same thing we always work on - softening both horses and then increasing their stride. I don't know what she said that was any different, but over the weekend, I was able to put it all together in a new way.

I may have mentioned this a time or two, but Speedy is not exactly forward thinking. Getting a decent stride is hard enough, but lengthening that stride leaves me gasping for breath. For the first time ever, I was able to get Speedy to easily lengthen his stride even though we were half way across the diagonal. That's big, believe me. Usually, I have to crawl around the short side so that it appears we've lengthened his stride across the diagonal.

To increase his stride, Chemaine had me do lots of half halts to soften and then move out again while on a circle. We did it in little bursts. The one thing that was different was that for the half halt, she had me bring both elbows back while thinking about lifting his withers with my seat. Once I got him soft, she instructed me to send him forward without giving the reins away.

I don't really throw away the contact anymore, but what I finally felt over the weekend was that I can give without actually giving any rein length. It's all in the stretch down. During that moment of half halt, when Speedy would stretch his topline and lift his withers, he created space in which to then go forward.

Imagine packing a horse into a cardboard box where his nose and tail are touching the front and back of the box. If he compresses his frame a little by rounding his body and lifting his withers, his nose will no longer touch the box. Now he has "room" to move forward. That's what we did. To lengthen the stride without giving the reins, I just posted "bigger."

His eye was kind of swollen that day. It was fine after riding.

I am really happy with where Speedy is going these days. He is getting all kinds of new buttons installed, and he seems to really like them. It's like all these years of working on the basics is finally paying off. His canter is getting so light and balanced that it's all I want to work on. We finally have a leg yield that has some rhythm and bounce, and the turn on the haunches is helping to really supple his body.

Chemaine is coming back for another clinic weekend on January 7th and 8th. If you'd like to ride or just come out and watch, let me know!

4 Comments

Accidents Happen

12/20/2016

2 Comments

While we're on the subject of grooming ...

How did I get it so even?

I "accidentally" gave Speedy the best hair cut of his life. I mean, I meant to bang his tail; that wasn't an accident. But given that my grooming skills are not the best, I was a bit shocked at how smart his tail looked over the weekend.

Check out how perfectly coiffed that tail is!

It inspired me to use that thinning comb I bought from Germany to thin Izzy's mane and trim the bushy hairs from both boys' tail heads. We are looking good enough to go somewhere!

2 Comments

The Braid Worked!

12/19/2016

14 Comments

Last week, I shared a video with a braiding technique for long manes. To my surprise, it worked pretty well. Let's be honest; nothing is ever going to look as nice as braids sewn in by someone with some skill. I hate to sew, and I am sorely lacking in the "skillz" department. Girlfriend ain't got none. I may be short on skills (and patience and actually caring), but what I do have is a very patient pony who has perfectly long mane.

Not bad for not following the directions!

If you want to try this at home, you should probably watch the video and actually follow the advice given. Even though I didn't, it still turned out pretty well, which tells me it's a pretty idiot proof braid.

1. I did not wet the mane. I simply combed it free of tangles.
2. I made no effort to be neat or tidy.
3. I combined the tail of each looped braid with one of the three sections needed for the next braid rather than using it alone for a section.
4. I played around with how far down to braid.
5. I played around with how big of a chunk to braid.
6. My last braid was a disaster. A new ending strategy must be employed before using these braids for show.

Much better than the running French braid.

What I discovered was that this braiding technique is better the longer the mane is. I also think it would look better with a thick mane. Speedy's mane is fairly long, but of only medium thickness. Even so, it worked quite well.

With thinner manes, braid less than the finger length shown on the video. If the braided part is too long, the rubber band shows when you loop the braid though. You will have to adjust the length of the braided part depending on the thickness of the braid. Thick, fat braids will need to be longer while thin, small braids will need to be shorter.

I love the variated colors this braid created.

Everything about this braid was very straightforward to do, except that very last part. I was surprised at how easy it was to twist the unbraided part and slide it through the base of the loop. It didn't seem to matter if I got it through the center or not. I also discovered that you can make the braid taller and poofier by not pulling the braided end through as far. Conversely, pulling the braid through tightly will make smaller, tighter braids.

Um. No. Just no.

The true test for me was how long it would actually stay braided without the regular droop I get with the French braid. To put it to the test, I braided Speedy's mane and then groomed Izzy. I saddled Izzy and then took both horses to the arena. I rode Izzy for 40 minutes while Speedy stood tied at the fence. I untacked the big brown horses, put him away, and then saddled Speedy. I schooled him for the better part of 30 minutes and then checked the braid.

It's still in!

Considering that I made no effort to get it neat or tight, it looked pretty good after nearly two hours. The French braid never lasts that long. I need a bit more practice and some fine tuning, but this is going to be my new braid for shows.

As long as there is candy involved, Speedy approves.

Did anyone else try it?

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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 schooling Third Level in preparation 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 the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

Second Show - July 2016

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

National Awards

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

State Awards

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

2019 Show Season

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

2019 Pending …

3/9-10/19 - Somis (***)
4/12-14/19 - AA Clinic (c)
5/26/19 - TMC (*)
6/15-16/19 - El Sueno (***)
6/22-23/19 - SCEC (***)
6/23/19 - TMC (*)
7/13-14/19 - El Sueno (***)
7/28/19 - TMC (*)
8/10/19 - RAAC (Q) (***)
8/25/19 - TMC (*)
10/26-27/19 SCEC (***)

2019 Completed …

Qualifying Scores for 2019

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Scores
Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:

CDS Championship Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:
Score 4:
Score 5:

Working Towards:

CDS Sapphire Rider Award
Third Level:
Third Level:
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 -
Third Level -

That's a Relief!

If You Have to Ask ...

Book Review: A Whole Bit Better

Double Bridle Fail

Perks of the Job

All I Want For Christmas Is ...

What's In an Inch, Anyway?

It's All in the Stretch Down

Accidents Happen

The Braid Worked!

About the
Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

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About the Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

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About the
Writer & Rider