Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
I recently saw this meme on Facebook and spent a ridiculously long time pondering which button I would press. I can be quite literal, so even though I regularly play the I Just Won the Lottery; What Would I Buy? game, I had a hard time choosing which button to press given my current living/financial situation. If I had my own horse property, the answer would be easy, but I don't, so here's why only one of those buttons works for me. The Red Button - How would this work if you board your horse though? Where would I store it? Does it mean I get free board? The hay might be free, but the horses I would want to feed aren't. I have to skip this button.
The Yellow Button - Unless I am getting free hay, I don't need another horse. Can I get Valegro and then sell him and use the money to buy a new truck and an African Safari? Probably not. Does the free horse come with its vet bills and board paid for because if not, I have to decline. Sorry, Valegro. The Orange Button - Unless I get to spend the million dollars buying my own property, this option would only be fun for about 45 minutes. After that, I would run out of stuff to buy. Even $10,000 would be hard to spend. I have to say no. The Purple Button - Yes please, oh my stars this would be AMAZING! In our brutal summers, I could easily charge people for a shaded place to ride. But when I change barns someday, do I get to take it with me? No? Then never mind. The Green Button - Shows aren't that expensive, and I am nearing 50. How many more years do I have left to show? Not enough to make this option even a possibility. A hard pass, thank you. So which button does that leave? Yep, the blue one. This is the one thing that I can take with me wherever I live. And in fact, as I get older, I am going to need a lot of free training to start the next youngster who makes its way into my barn. And with free training for life, who needs a free horse? With enough training, a young project will hopefully turn into the "free horse" that everyone else wants. What about you? Which button would you press?
I like your logic... I can see why free training for life would be a good one for you. 8/18/2019 01:45:21 pm
An indoor arena would be my first choice too, but like I said, I am too literal. LOL Since I can't take it with me in real life, I can't seem to choose it in the land of make believe. LOL
Tracy
8/16/2019 04:07:32 pm
I'm torn between the blue one and the purple... although like you, I don't have my own barn yet so essentially giving someone else a free indoor arena sounds a little bit wasteful of this "opportunity" LOL 8/18/2019 01:45:59 pm
Right? If I could take it with me, an indoor ring would easily be my first choice. :0)
Marlane
8/16/2019 05:45:33 pm
The yellow for the free horse. We have only one ridable horse.My husband and I take turns out on the trail. 8/18/2019 01:46:49 pm
It would be nice to own a perfect unicorn of a horse. I wouldn't know what to do with myself though. LOL
Marlane
8/19/2019 03:35:00 pm
I know .. for me now as a former TB exercise rider and trainer of two Arabians and one crazy horse from almost scratch. I have had a lot of falls and adrenaline rushes. I am ready to just relax when I ride as long as the horse does not just poke along. Comments are closed.
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About the Writer and RiderI 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. About Speedy GSpeedy 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.
About IzzyIzzy 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.
National Rider AwardsState Rider Awards
State Horse Awards
Working Towards:
CDS Sapphire Rider Award Third Level: 63.514% Third Level: 62.105% Fourth Level: Fourth Level: 2023 Show Season
Show Rating (***) CDS/USDF/USEF (*) CDS (s) Schooling (c) Clinic (r) Ride-a-Test Clinic 2023 Show Schedule
TBD 2023 Completed … Pending 2023 Qualifying Scores
Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Training Level 3 Scores/2 Judges/60%: Score 1: Score 2: Score 3: Archives
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