Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
![]() White Birch Farm - Click to enlarge. No, it's not cancelled! My times have changed slightly. I am actually riding at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and 10:45 a.m. on Sunday. There are nine ride times for Saturday. The first is at 10:00 a.m. and the last begins at 4:45 p.m. On Sunday, the first rider will go at 10:00 a.m. with the last riding at 3:15 p.m. Thank you all so much for the many kind and encouraging messages! Wow, what great people I find myself connected to. Not one person has suggested that I am in over my head! I can't wait to get going! And it's a rain or shine deal; check out their covered arena pictured above. Nice, huh?! I feel like I owe an explanation about my trailer pictures the other day. There were so many nice comments about the trailer itself. I hope, hope, hope, the pictures didn't come across as a "brag." My intention was to show that having a bigger trailer with living quarters is expensive and a LOT of extra work!
I never went to horse shows as a kid, and as an adult I've only been to dressage shows. I've been to three or four local h/j shows, but they're not rated and only attract local riders. My experience with traveling with my horse is essentially from competing in endurance races. I have only recently learned (over the last two years) that not everyone who competes has a trailer. It seems that many riders get to shows via their trainers. Endurance riders drive all kinds of rigs. Some are small bumper pulls with a truck with an extended cab that serves as a sleeping area. Some riders make do with a tent. You will see every type of camper/trailer/tent that you can imagine. But the truth is, sleeping in your truck or tent really, really stinks. Any rider who plans to do endurance rides for any length of time eventually upgrades to something bigger. Long time endurance riders have BIG trailers. Doing-it-forever endurance riders have BIG trucks that carry BIG campers. Some of them drive HUMONGOUS RVs that pull even BIGGER trailers. My rig was nothing fancy at an endurance ride. In fact, it was a little on the smallish side, at least out here in California. One of Bakersfield's endurance families (Mom, Dad, two daughters) hauled a 4-horse living quarters trailer that was around 40 some odd feet! My trailer is barely 27 feet long. I once met a woman at a ride whose camper was big enough to host a party with at least ten people, and I am NOT exaggerating! When my trailer is paid off, hopefully in the next three months, I promise to tell you how I went through TWO living quarters trailers. Believe it or not, I've never even owned a regular bumper pull! As always, horses are expensive. Getting them somewhere, even more so!
Karen
1/25/2013 11:17:50 pm
:0)
martina peterson
1/25/2013 02:11:38 am
I love your trailer. Someday I would love to go to one of your shows and then have dinner waiting for you! Moms love tospoil their kids
Karen
1/25/2013 11:18:32 pm
It's a bit of a drive, isn't it? :0) And I think you've done a lot of spoiling lately! I used to have a horse trailer and would haul it myself all through college. My gelding was so reliable showing, that we could go somewhere completely by ourselves with no trainer and nobody with us. Now it just makes more sense for me financially and stress wise to hire my trainer to take us to shows. Much easier!
Karen
1/25/2013 11:21:05 pm
That would be nice. I don't have that kind of trainer. It's also difficult here as I have to drive so far for shows and some of them are over nighters. I think it would be so great to board at a barn where everyone does what I do and trainers are running all over the place. I've seen those barns in distant places, but I've never boarded at one. Sigh ... :0)
Karen
1/25/2013 11:25:05 pm
Oh, I hear that! Before I got my first trailer, I spent several years sleeping in the bed of the truck, in the back of a stock trailer, in a tent, with a friend in her tack room, and so on. Most of those uncomfortable arrangements were done with howling wind and freakishly low temperatures! Hubby made it through two or three of those nights before suggesting I get a living quarters trailer! :0) 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
|