Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
This is only marginally equine related as it is an attempt to explain why I won't be writing about Speedy and my efforts at schooling the turn on the haunches or the collected canter. I am simply too tired. I love having dogs, really I do, but nothing will snap you fully awake faster than the sound of barfing. Especially when it's coming from 90 pounds of black lab who is notorious for NOT making it outside. A late night canine-yak wouldn't have been so bad except that we had our home alarm system reinstalled last night. No, I am not going there, but you can see how this story could have been so much worse. The reason the system is not usually armed at night is just for barfing emergencies. We've been down that path many times. No, what made the night so long was that the installation took more than seven hours, twice what was planned. In fact, the technician didn't leave our house until nearly 8:00 p.m. By the time he left, I was dead on my feet. I had cooked dinner while he was here, but we had to let it sit on the stove until he finally left. Once the dishes were done, it was way past my normal bedtime. Hey, don't judge; I get up at 4:30 a.m. So at 1:30 a.m. when Tobi started yakking, I was ripped out of a very sound sleep. But like I said, nothing gets you fully awake faster than that particular sound. There's even a meme floating around on Facebook that shares the sentiment. Fortunately, most of the floors in our new house are hardwood or tile, but that doesn't make it any more pleasant to clean up. As I shuffled both dogs outside, I reached for the paper towels and Bye-Bye Odor. "Clean up on aisle 4!" happens so frequently at my house that we keep supplies close at hand. After my first trip to the trash can, it took three, I heard a very unwelcome CHIRP come from the alarm system's control panel. After the next trip to the trash can, my husband was furiously pushing buttons trying to mute the chirp. His faculties were not quite as sharp as mine though so all that was achieved was freezing the screen. The sound of barfing doesn't usually get him out of bed as quickly as it does me. Once the clean up was completed, I looked at the alarm's screen and simply pushed the home button. The chirping stopped. All four of us, including the barfer, made our way back to bed. I of course lay there tensely waiting for either another round of dog yakking or further squawks from the alarm system. Neither came, but when 4:30 a.m. rolled around, I didn't get up nearly as quickly as I had three hours before.
It is mornings like these when I wish I was a coffee drinker ...
jenj
12/15/2016 06:43:43 am
I hate coffee, so I'm a confirmed chai addict. It has a leeeetle caffeine in it... enough to get me moving in the morning. 12/23/2016 07:46:56 am
I actually LOVE coffee, but I gave it up a few years ago. Most of the time, I feel great without it, but there are those occasional days. :0)
Appydoesdressage
12/15/2016 09:34:43 am
The yakking....and the dread when you wake up and the dog is downstairs. She is only ever downstairs in the AM if she had diarrhea and didn't wake me up. The walk of dread is never fun.
lytha
12/15/2016 09:47:51 am
THREE trips to the garbage can? OH MY.
Lori Bertolucci
12/15/2016 12:24:22 pm
My mom's cats almost daily leave me a number of barf areas in the cattery to clean up...often tracked thru by the other cats before I get in there to find it...sigh...long haired cats do not rule!!
Sarah B
12/20/2016 04:32:53 am
My bedroom was on the second floor, and my dog was an occasional midnight barfer. Because I always had a bag in my trash can I would simply hold her head over it. She would never do it on her own, but she was perfectly ok to calmy barf into the can if pointed at it. 12/23/2016 07:45:42 am
It happened again on Wednesday night - same reason actually, and I glanced over at my trash can and thought about grabbing it, but I couldn't get to it in time. Not only that, it's a smallish can and he's a pretty big dog (around 90 pounds), but I love your idea! 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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