Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
The Christian Schacht Clinic is this weekend. I am riding at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday and at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. I am both nervous and excited. I am excited for the obvious reasons: it's a clinic with a well-known trainer whom I have seen before and admire. I am nervous though because Speedy and I are pretty low level riders, and I really don't want to be embarrassed. We work very hard here at home, but no one else is going to know that. They're simply going to see an aging adult amateur on an average horse struggling with the basics. It's too late to back out, and I wouldn't anyway. No matter how inexperienced we are, I am going down there as prepared as I can be: my farrier gave Speedy some sparkly new shoes yesterday, we have good fitting tack, and my pony is pretty darn likable. Our performance may not wow anybody, but I am hoping Speedy's charismatic personality will win them over! On to the real point of this post. I haven't gone anywhere with the horses since October. Remember the dead battery from the other weekend? I decided that maybe I better give my trailer a once-over to be sure that it had weathered this cold snap without any surprises. After I vacuumed the floor, I replaced my large outdoor floor mat and lawn chairs. I also bring an EZ-up if it's going to be hot, but that's stored in my garage. I need to load my generator, but I usually do that on the day I leave as I need to fill it with gas. For a quick one night trip, I'll only run the generator to charge my phone and maybe to watch a DVD on my laptop.
I am pretty sure that I'll be the only out-of-towner at this clinic which means I'll certainly be the only one staying over-night on the grounds. It can be a little intimidating to camp alone, but knowing Speedy is close by always makes me feel less "alone." I always get up in the night to check on him and without exception, he always looks for my arrival. Sometimes I even hang out in his stall with a glass of wine and just visit. I know he enjoys the company as much as I do. If you're interested in seeing Christian Schacht work, we will be at White Birch Farm, 10680 Broadway Road, Moorpark, California.
Karen
1/23/2013 10:27:10 am
Thank you! I love the trailer, but it is a lot of maintenance. :0)
Heather
1/23/2013 03:05:03 am
If I were ever to buy a horse trailer, I want yours! Awesome. I could just live there and park us at the barn.
Karen
1/23/2013 10:28:35 am
It is nice, and there is a long story about it. When I finish paying it off in three months, I promise to write about it! After a week in it, my bathroom at home always feels palatial. :0)
Karen
1/23/2013 10:30:18 am
I had an "eh" ride on Speedy tonight which did zero to bolster my confidence. I am hoping that he got his snottiness out tonight and that it wasn't my anxiety causing him to be stiff. I promise to do my best; that's all I can do! :0) And thank you, it is a nice trailer, but it comes with a ridiculous amount of maintenance!
Karen
1/23/2013 10:30:43 am
Thank you!
Angela
1/23/2013 03:20:50 pm
You have such a nice set up! Love, love your horse trailer!!
Karen
1/23/2013 09:29:50 pm
Thank you so much, Angela. What a great story! What an awesome trip by the way. If you can't see something by horseback, quad riding is the next best thing. And actually it's a story that I can totally relate to as we have trail quads as well. Mine is of course much smaller than Hubby's. We also went on a short, SMALL group ride, and I was worried about keeping up. The men in the group also complimented me (when I was out of earshot) and were impressed that I could keep up so I totally GET your analogy. I hadn't thought of it like that before. Comments are closed.
|
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
|