Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
In case you're new here, you should probably know that Izzy, my big brown horse, is not the easiest horse to ride or own. That boy has more issues than my last ten horses combined. I think he has some special need for each month of the year. He doesn't like cloudy days, he doesn't like the wind (who does?), he doesn't like to be ridden late in the day, and the list goes on. Unlike normal horses, he goes all drama llama as soon as whatever it is that offends him even peeks around the corner. Sheesh. One of his annual "things" is an itchy nose. The first warm day that we have, usually in February, Izzy gets this allergy-like thing going on with his nose. Sometimes he'll sneeze and sneeze for several days. It always comes with a high degree of itchiness, and sometimes, it's best not to even ride. My vet swears that horses don't get the hay fever type of allergies that people get, but the way Izzy reacts to the first warm day of the year leaves me with questions. Last week, the weather flipped a switch. We went from near freezing mornings to high 70s. Like clockwork, Izzy's nose began to itch terribly. He rubbed his nose on my helmet while walking. He rubbed his nose on the gate, he rubbed his nose on his leg, he rubbed all over the mounting block trying to get relief. Besides being itchy, he also reacts very strongly to the wee little gnats that have just hatched. So between an itchy nose and gnats pinging him in the eyeballs, he wasn't too happy last week.
By Thursday, I gave up and just attached the nose net I bought years ago. I haven't needed it in several years, but this spring, everything is driving him crazy. It doesn't stop the itchiness and the head flinging, but it cuts it down sufficiently so that we can still work. I am just about ready to order a thin enough flymask that I can use for riding, but I am certain that by the time it gets here, the itchiness will have passed, and I won't need it. The only time of year Izzy seems to like is July when it's 110 degrees. 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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