Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
Poor Izzy. He is having a devil of a time with the flies. Late summer is the absolute worst time for flies here in Bakersfield. Most of us joke that the flies are getting in their last hurrah before the cooler weather sets in. They come out in force, and they're particularly sticky and bothersome. They go for your eyes and ears and land on places from which you can't shoo them. Summer lasts a long time here in the Central Valley, and so does fly season. It won't get cooler for a while yet. And when fall finally does arrive, it will last approximately three days, and then winter sneaks in. The flies will be gone though. The ranch owner uses Fly Predators, and I apply my fly spray liberally, but the flies still torment poor Izzy. When I showed up the other day, he was perched over his barrel gently rubbing the flies away from his belly. At the same time, he was nodding his head up and down trying to dislodge the flies that had made his noggin their home. I grabbed my fly spray and climbed through the fence. I sprayed every inch of his body and let him rub his face on my shoulder until he was satisfied. He went back to his barrel, but this time it was to play. He grabbed it a few times and rocked it off the ground. He likes the thunk sound it makes as it stands back up. And then he was over it. Once the flies had left him alone, he ditched his barrel in favor of standing by the fence, waiting for the stallion to come over and chat.
I know both of us will be glad when summer is over.
Marlane
9/27/2018 03:44:13 pm
I am presuming no fly mask because he, or a horse next to him takes them off ? Then there is clear swat which is a life saver for around eyes and tummies. 9/27/2018 05:36:00 pm
Fly masks and fly sheets have a shelf life of about 27 minutes. The big brown horse is quite adept at removing and then thoroughly destroying any type of physical barrier to flies. He gets sprayed each day. After that, he's on his own. :0) 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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