Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
Will someone remind me again why taking your horse somewhere overnight is fun? It had been quite a while (like maybe more than a year?), since I took Speedy anywhere for the night. As I was packing things up for the CDS Adult Amateur Clinic, I realized I was out of practice. Since moving to the ranch in August, we haven't done any traveling outside of lessons and trips to the vet. That meant that I couldn't remember where anything was. I have bins for everything, so I had to drag them all out into the open to root around for stuff. I don't think I mentioned that I did all of this on the hottest day of the year. Bakersfield's official high was 104℉ which broke the record of 101℉. The east end of town, where I live and where the ranch is, saw temperatures of 107℉, which was reported as the warmest temperature in the state! So I schlepped my stuff to the truck one cartful at a time, slowly remembering how to do it. Not long ago, I had it down to such a science that I could have everything loaded in about 15 minutes. The only fun part to the process was hosing off blue truck. The truck stays parked with my trailer so it tends to get dusty, decorated with cobwebs, and this spring, layered in bird poop. Scrubbing poop wasn't fun, but getting wet made the job a lot more pleasant. After the first cartful, I finally found my groove and got things loaded fairly quickly. Packing things in a rear tack is a lot like working out a vertical puzzle. I was dreading loading my hay, but I caught Reggie, our live in handyman/doer-of-all-the-things using the tractor. He gladly threw a bale in the bucket and dropped it into my truck bed for me. You gotta love men! I love packing human clothes and have developed quite a system. Even when we travel outside of the country, I do it the same way. I pack one outfit at a time which includes undies to accessories. Come to think of it, I packed Speedy's clothes the same way. This pad for that day, this pad for the other day ... As "fun" as packing things for an overnight trip with your horse can be, unpacking it all when you get home is a lot less enjoyable. Where's Reggie?
5/11/2017 12:58:32 pm
Staying here isn't an option, but I sure wish it was!!!!
Laura
5/8/2017 08:25:21 am
The amount of stuff needed for an overnight with horses is wild! I haven't had to do it in a while either. I don't have my own trailer, so when I do go, I have to load all my junk in a generous friend's trailer. So much easier when the trailer is yours! I might be going to a 2 night show the first weekend in June (if the stars align) so I just realized this am that I have no idea where all my "stuff" is!!! 5/11/2017 12:59:39 pm
I am going to stop complaining. At least half of my stuff just gets stored in the trailer so I don't have to pack or unpack it. Now I just feel selfish. LOL 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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