Blog Posts

Review: Ovation Aerowick Full Seat Tights

6/5/2019

First off, yes, I like these tights/breeches. But who in the heck is that model and how much does she weigh because there is no way in a million years I'd tuck a shirt in with these.

Eat a cheeseburger, girlfriend!

For the record, I am fairly thin at 123 pounds, but at 5'3" I am not skinny. Being vertically challenged means the weight gets compressed into a small package. I chose the Ovation Aerowicks because they have belt loops which means I should be able to tuck stuff in and wear a belt. Less self-conscious ladies might do so, but not me. Proof below.

And that's why I am not tucking anything in.

Unlike traditional full seats, these tights have definitely kept me cooler and drier on the warm days that I've worn them. But let me warn you, these babies give new meaning to the word "tights." They're super stretchy, and I love, love, love, the freedom of movement they give me, but they cling to every curve I've got. I probably should have gone for a darker color, but I was looking for something to help beat the heat.

Matching pockets on each side.

These tights have a lot going for them that I do like. The pockets are what really sold me though. I don't ride with my phone, but I like it on me as I putter around the ranch doing chores. The Horze Juliet tights I bought last year don't have a pocket, something I really miss even though I love those tights. The pockets on these tights are big enough to hold my chunky phone, but when nothing is shoved in there, they lie flat and smooth against my thigh.

Subtle and just grippy enough.

I also love the silicone seat, about which I am pretty picky. Some are just flat out too sticky. If I can hear the silicone ripping away every time I post, you've lost me. I've said this about 7 million times already; I want just enough texture on my full seats to keep me from sliding around, but that's all I want. And while I prefer a traditional full seat breech, they're just too hot for California's summer months.

Less to cling to in the back.

I've been wearing this pair of tights for close to a week, and they look clean every time I pick them up off the floor. They were even dirty in these photos, but you can't tell. Even after laundering, they looked brand new. Will they still look good after 6 months? I am thinking they will.

I am still searching for that magical pair of tights that hides all of my lumps and bumps, possesses the perfect grip, has pockets, and comes cheap. These don't check off every box completely, but at $54.95 (less since I used a 20% off coupon), they are nearly perfect.

Next time I'm getting them in navy!

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Want v. Need

6/4/2019

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My equine purchases tend toward the need category. It's rare that I just spot something and decide to get it without first assessing whether I actually need it or not. Of course, most of the time I can justify things as needs. This time, not so much.

From Riding Warehouse's Instagram page

Over the weekend, Riding Warehouse shared on Instagram a photo of some new western shirts that they're carrying. While western wear is not really my jam, the hat caught my eye. I immediately fell in love. It's super cute, it's fun, it has my name written all over it. Do I need it? No, not really. I have two perfectly good straw hats hanging by my front door already.

I love you. I need you. Please come home to me.

Even so, I quickly searched Riding Warehouse's site and found the hat - Charlie 1 Horse Ladies' Vaquera Wild West Collection Hat. At $44.95, it's just a wee bit too expensive to throw in to meet a minimum purchase price for free shipping. It's also too expensive for an impulse buy on a month where I have a bunch of adult bills to cover (DMV registration, you suck!).

Do I still want the hat? Of course. Will I probably order it? Probably eventually. Do I hope someone will just buy it for me? Yes, please! Size small would do nicely.

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Let's Get it Started In Here

6/3/2019

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If you're a regular reader, you'll have already noticed that I'm a bit late in posting this morning. Today marks the first day of summer break. It's the day/week/month that every teacher lives for. I slept in a few minutes before catching up on everything that's been waiting for me since last summer's break.

Truth!

While it might appear that teacher's get a three-month paid holiday, don't be fooled; I get paid for 183 days. In years past, teachers in my district had to save enough money from their monthly paycheck to live on over the summer. Not long ago, my district decided to do it for us. Each month a portion of my check is withheld and then doled out to me in July and August. So no, teachers don't actually get "paid" in the summer.

Every teacher I know works far more hours than we get paid for. Myself, I arrive at school an hour early every single day, and quite often I work late. I also work through lunch. That means I "donate" at least 2 hours a day for 180 school days. After some quick math, that comes out to 45 days of unpaid work. So much for a "paid summer vacation."

The kids get 10 weeks of break, but I'll start back after 9 weeks in order to get my room set up and make lesson plans. Over the summer I am also taking a 45-hour class in June (that cost $343) and another two days of classes offered by my district in August, all for "professional development."

Even more truth!

"The lady doth protest too much, methinks." I do tend to get a little defensive at this time of year. Teachers have become the public's favorite punching bag. Everyone knows a teacher, and everyone can share a horror story of how their child was tragically mistreated by said teacher. All I can say is that it's a tough job and kids aren't always truthful.

My every day.

Moving on though. I plan to spend the next few weeks catching my breath, riding my horses, and eventually gearing up for the 2019/2020 school year. If you have kids, enjoy your summer!

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Did I Break the Canter Half Pass?

5/31/2019

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Half pass at canter is hard. Really hard. Super hard if you're on a horse who just doesn't really like lateral work. You know, horses like the gray speedy pony. Speedy doesn't much care for the half pass at trot or canter. He's not particularly fond of leg yielding either.

He likes to eat though.

After getting some good lateral work after that hard-to-name canter exercise, I thought I'd try a canter half pass with the correct bend. Since the canter half pass is still a relatively new movement for me, I don't always know how to best set it up. The flailing fail we had was probably a lot my fault since I decided to half pass from the center of my very wide arena to no place in particular.

As we came around the corner, I set Speedy up as we came down the middle of the arena. I asked for sideways and he shot forward as though he had never stepped sideways a day in his life. When I say shot forward, I mean he kind of bolted. Jerk. I immediately changed the bend, and smacked his hip with the whip and said move it, mister! in a pretty stern voice.

Why bend when you can eat instead?

As soon as I changed the bend and threatened his butt with another good whack, he was all about the sideways. Unfortunately, a canter half pass with the wrong bend is not going to score very well.

Not wanting him to think that a canter half pass has a wrong bend, I tried it again, but the next effort was out of the corner and back to the rail. That he can do. I am fairly certain his "success" had a lot to do with the fact that I was aiming at tree (I don't have letters) and riding it like renvers along a diagonal line.

If the canter half pass is broken, it's totally my fault. That's what you get when you play around with something without using it correctly. Stuff gets broken. Good thing I have a good trainer and a lesson (hopefully) this weekend.

Enjoy your weekend!

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Hey, Tooth Fairy!

5/30/2019

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Boy do I have a good one for her. Hopefully she leaves me enough money to cover Speedy's latest vet bill. His tooth got pulled yesterday.

Very sleepy pony.

In mid-March, Speedy whacked his jaw on one of the poles that supports the roof over his shelter, knocking a tooth loose. He has a frustrating habit of whirling and pacing when he's anxious, so that was our best guess. Hoping to save the tooth, my vet anchored it to the neighboring tooth with wire. You can read about it here. When after two months the tooth still hadn't settled back in place, Dr. Tolley said it needed to come out.

Numbing his mouth.

Equine dentistry is very similar to human dentistry. Speedy first got a tranquilizer/sedative and then just like you'd do to a human patient, Dr. Tolley numbed Speedy's gums and lips. After that, he snipped the two wires that were holding the tooth in place. He first tried to pull the tooth with a good wiggle, and then he grabbed a tool similar to a flat-tipped screw driver and attempted to dig it free.

Using pliers.

When neither of his first attempts accomplished the job, Dr. Tolley grabbed a pair of good old pliers. With a firm tug, Speedy's tooth popped free.

We all cheered when it came out.

Just like when a kid looses a tooth, there was a fair amount of bleeding that Dr. Tolley mopped up with gauze. Once he cleaned up Speedy's mouth, the bleeding stopped. He next examined the hole searching for fragments.

Clean up.

The incisors, like all equine teeth, attach deep within the jaw bone. Without an x-ray to confirm it, Dr. Tolley wanted to be sure that the fracture had been a clean one without tooth fragments hindering the healing process. It should be completely healed in about three weeks, but I am to check it daily for any signs of an infection.

Bottom row, just below his tongue.

When I asked Dr. Tolley about aftercare, he shrugged and said there wasn't a therapy that he thought would hasten the healing process. He said to just ride him. By the time we got home, Speedy was happy and appeared pain free. I gave him nearly an hour to graze and wander. He might have still been numb of course, but he happily chomped on the grass, pausing for a long drink at Izzy's trough.

Hopefully he ate dinner last night. I warned the ranch owner, who doles out Speedy's morning Prascend, that he might be particularly grouchy about getting his pill this morning. Hopefully the text I get is a good one.

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A New Exercise Using "Half Pass"

5/29/2019

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When I had my last lesson with Chemaine Hurtado, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, she showed me an exercise that I haven't yet shared. It came as we ended the lesson, kind of in response to a question I had about getting Speedy to MOVE his hind end over, particularly in the half pass. Be prepared for your brain to melt just a little bit.

After the exercise - very balanced.

Speedy is built to go forward in a pretty level frame. Moving sideways is hard for him. Sitting is equally difficult. Third Level is all about lateral movements with collection though, so we're always looking for ways to show him how to move his body over and stay balanced.

Right lead canter asking for sideways.

The exercise Chemaine showed us doesn't really have a name. On Facebook, someone called it a "counter canter leg yield." If that helps you visualize it, then the name suits. Essentially, it's a canter half pass with the wrong bend. How do you even ... and why would you? I know, smoke came out of my ears, too.

Still right lead canter, still asking for sideways.

Here's how it goes: pick up a canter. For us, the more difficult half pass and flying change is the right to left canter, so we started with a right lead canter. As you come through the corner, cross the diagonal. Change the bend, BUT HOLD THE LEAD. Push the haunches to the right with the intention of getting them parallel to the shoulders. Once you arrive at the rail or corner, do the flying change.

Almost parallel ...

The difficulty with this exercise, of the many actually, was keeping my inside leg forward to say hold the lead while at the same time pushing my outside hip into him to tell tell him to move his hips OVER.

We're getting it!

We only did the exercise with Chemaine once or twice in each direction, enough so that I understood what I would be asking for. When I rode Speedy a day or two later, I tried it again near the beginning of the ride while he was still fresh. A battle of near epic proportions ensued.

Instead of moving his haunches and body, he barreled through my right rein with his shoulder, and gave me a huge middle finger. I jerked him to halt and then picked up the right lead canter again. And again he blew through my rein and again I halted him. We ran through the exercise until he finally started to respect my right rein, and suddenly, he could move laterally. He gave a very good flying change, and that was it.

The next time I rode him, there was no fight in the exercise, and he did it correctly in both directions. The flying changes were smooth and easy. This exercise is now my go-to for fixing a dragging hind end. Here's a quick video of riding it with Chemaine explaining.

If you've used this, share what it fixed, and if you try it, share how it helped. I am still trying to get the hang of it.

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More Dressage on the Trail

5/28/2019

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As hoped, Izzy and I hit the trail on Saturday with my friend Marci and her Arabian gelding Gem. I am over the moon happy with how much progress Izzy has made over the past few weeks. Just one month ago, I told my husband that I had had it with Izzy and that he was officially for sale. I just couldn't get through to him. We had great days, great months even, but then the jackassery would begin anew.

No longer for sale.

In desperation, I had a clandestine lesson in April with a trainer who I knew would be honest with me. I needed someone who had no personal relationship with me to critically evaluate my riding. I needed to know if I was the right rider for Izzy. Since that lesson, everything about our relationship has changed. A few things clicked into place giving me some new strategies for deescalating Izzy's tension.

Hanging out in Marci's yard.

One thing that Sean Cunningham, the trainer with whom I met, observed was that under saddle, Izzy wasn't really looking to me for security or guidance. While there are a lot of ways to gain your horse's trust, it happens best for me on the trail. With Sean's words fresh in my mind, I took Izzy to Summer Lane Farm's annual trail ride in early May. The next weekend I met up with Marci and Gem for a trail ride along the river bottom. And when Sunday's show got cancelled, I hastily emailed Marci and asked if she had plans for Saturday. Izzy has done more traveling in a month than he has over the past two years. I think I've been a little remiss.

Watching Marci's pastured horses.

We didn't take pictures, so it's hard to show you the kind of trail we rode, but it presented both of our horses with plenty of challenges. To my utter delight, Izzy tackled them like a seasoned pro. We started out by climbing the bluffs which look just like you would imagine - a mostly vertical wall with trails carved along its face.

When green horses are first asked to go downhill, they often lean forward, threatening to go ass over tea kettle. When we turned around to head back to the river bottom, I prepared for the ubiquitous nose dive that was sure to come. Instead, Izzy rocked back on his haunches, got light on his front end, and carefully picked his way down to level ground. I am not going to lie, my jaw might have hit the ground in total surprise. Who was this horse and where has he been hiding?

Soon to be a rockstar!

We rode for a solid two hours climbing whoop-dee-dos, stepping over logs, squeezing through narrow channels, crossing the bike bridges (again), and even splashing in the Kern River. Izzy never jigged, choosing instead to plod along (mostly) willing to go where I pointed him.

The only "issue" he had was staying focused on such a busy day. The trails were filled with hikers, runners, other horses, cyclists, and dogs. HIs head was on a swivel. I insisted he keep his poll loose though. That was the purpose of these trail rides: learning to stay relaxed even when things are distracting.

With school ending on Friday, I'll have a lot more free time to do more away-from-home things. On the agenda are more Saturday rides with Marci, at least one more lesson with STC Dressage, and maybe even another trail ride back at Summer Lane Farm. While my main goal for the summer is to get my Bronze Medal with Speedy, getting Izzy to a show is also on the list.

All we can do is try!

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Memorial Day Sale

5/27/2019

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I needed some retail therapy this weekend, so it's a good thing the sales were aplenty. There wasn't any particular reason as to why I felt the need to spend money that I shouldn't other than maybe being bummed out by yesterday's show being cancelled. And truthfully, I really should be using my money to chip away at Speedy's winter vet bill. I still owe $819.40, and I'll be adding to that on Wednesday when I take him in to have that pesky tooth pulled.

As I paid bills and budgeted for the month of June, I threw caution to the wind and hit the Place Order button. I just couldn't resist Riding Warehouse's Memorial Day sale. The 20% off nearly everything sale goes through today, so you've still got time to order.

It was a modest cart anyway.

I am pretty sure a hundred bucks isn't going to break the bank, and really, it's not like I went hog wild or anything. Most of it was stuff that I will be needing in the next month or so. Body Glide is a savior over the summer, and I throw in a bottle of Pyranha nearly every time I order, especially in the summer.

Still on the fence ...

The Flaxen Flow is something I am using to see if I can keep Izzy's skin and coat better moisturized. I had Speedy on Platinum Performance's flaxseed oil for more than a year to help him with his weight. While I think it's a great product, it's pricey, something I've mentioned before. Flaxen flow is a lot cheaper. The first bag lasted three months. At $27 a bag, that comes out to $9 a month, well worth the price of experimentation.

From Saturday - you'll see this photo again this week.

Izzy's coat takes such a beating in the summer that I am experimenting with a couple of different products to see if I can keep his coat moisturized. The flaxseed oil is one of them. His coat has already lightened considerably over the past month, and I am beginning to think it's less from sun fading though and more from genetics. Maybe this is really his summer coat color.

The entire month of May has been cloudy and rainy. We've had longer daylight hours, but we haven't had the intense sunshine we typically get this time of year. Izzy's coat still lightened, but it's also a lot silkier than last summer. Is that because the sun hasn't burned it, or is the flaxseed oil keeping his skin and coat moisturized? By the end of this second bag, I'll know that it was working if his coat stays soft.

Just because ...

While I can sort of justify buying another pair of breeches - it's ridiculously hot here in the summer, and I NEEDED another pair of cooler riding tights; the three pair of tights I bought last year are still awesome but too big for my smaller self; I needed a pocket; the truth is that I couldn't pass up a pair of full seat tights for under $45. That's a great price, especially if I like them. They should be here on Wednesday, so I'll let you know what I think.

So? Anything you couldn't pass up this weekend? Or maybe you're heading over to the Riding Warehouse right now to get in on the bargains. Let me know what you got!

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Show Cancelled

5/24/2019

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I don't think Speedy and I are ever going to make it to a show this season. Between California's freakishly weird weather and Speedy's attempts to maim himself, we're still stuck at home. For the first time in its history, which is looooong, the Tehachapi Chapter of CDS has had to cancel a show.

From our very first show ever which was the spring Tehachapi show.

I am super disappointed, but that's horses. If something can go awry, it will. There's no sense in boohooing about it. Instead, I've already printed the show premium for our next show which is a USDF/USEF/CDS affair.

Shhh ... I printed it at work.

My friend Jen is the show manager/secretary for all of the El Sueno shows, which are my favorite. The rings are lovely, stabling is swanky if you pay for the upgrade, and she lets me camp on the cross country course for free.

I always go the cheap route.

El Sueno also has a fun Loyalty Card program where after you pay for ten classes, you get a class free. I have eight stamps right now, so this show, a two-day event, will fill my card and get me started on another.

Loyalty Cards!

Given how expensive USDF/USEF shows are, El Sueno's got a good plan in attracting riders by giving them something back for their repeat business.

Grumble, grumble.

When Speedy and I made the move to Second Level last show season, I was annoyed to find that our hard work was going to cost me an extra 40 bucks since I ride two tests over two days. I had never paid attention to the costs of the higher level classes. I never thought we'd actually get that far.

Besides the two El Sueno shows, the only other USDF/USEF-rated show I did in 2018 was the Regional Adult Amateur Competition, and it already has added costs since it's run like an AA Championship (even though it isn't. They give lots of swag so the extra cost is worth it). Now that we're showing Third Level, the sticker shock has worn off, but I am curious to know if other shows charge more for the mid- and FEI Level tests.

El Sueno in 2013

Since I'm not showing on Sunday, I've messaged my endurance friend Marci to see if she wants to hit the trail again on Saturday. If I can't show, I might as well give Izzy some more out and about experience.

To those of you showing this weekend, good luck!

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Consistency of Frame

5/23/2019

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On Tuesday, I had one of those lessons where your brain gets buzzy, and you almost feel like you had too much to drink. But in a good way. With Sunday's show likely to be cancelled, I told Chemaine, owner and trainer at Symphony Dressage Stables, that I just wanted a regular lesson. There wasn't any need to try and polish anything up for the show. I am glad that's the direction we went because we tackled some of our fundamental weaknesses.

Shoulder-in right

The first was our consistency. Chemaine used that word over and over throughout the lesson: consistency of frame. consistency of rhythm, consistency of bend, and so on. Now that we're showing Third Level, we have to kick it up a notch, tighten things up, and smooth out the rough edges.

Shoulder-in left

Keeping Speedy consistent in his frame is my job. Too often he plays around trying to avoid the frame that I've established. As soon as Chemaine encouraged me to "get him consistent in the frame," something just clicked. She probably didn't see the light bulb come on over my head, but I sure felt it. By maintaining that consistency in his frame, he'll be more balanced in his collection and of course steadier in the bridle.

Renvers

For the rest of the lesson, consistency became the theme. For the shoulder-in, Chemaine reminded me to keep a steadier tempo. Move the shoulders over, half halt to keep him on the rail, but then release the halt halt to allow him to move. So often my half halt is too long, preventing Speedy from moving forward. Chemaine encouraged a half halt, half halt, let go. Half halt, half halt, let go rhythm to encourage more fluidity in the shoulder-in.

Still renvers

She employed the same strategy for the renvers and the half pass. Half halt to move the haunches, keep a consistent bend, and allow him to move forward. Repeat, repeat, repeat. When we moved to the trot half pass, she changed the aids slightly by directing me to do shoulder-in slightly to haunches in to shoulder-in to haunches in. By putting all of this together, I was able to keep better flexion while keeping his haunches to the inside of the bend all while still maintaining a consistent tempo.

One weakness that's no longer is our medium trot. A year and a half ago, I could barely sit a working trot. I made it my mission to be able to a) sit the trot so that I could show at Second Level, and b) sit the trot so that I could someday get out of Second Level. I worked on it over last winter and by our first show in March of 2018, I could sit the collected trot, but I bounced all over the place for the medium.

I continued to work at it last summer until I could more or less sit the medium trot without too much air beneath my butt. Chemaine promised me that as Speedy's medium trot got more balanced, more powerful, and more uphill, the medium and extended trot would be easier to sit. She was right. I still don't sit it as effortlessly as I would like, but I am sitting it, and more importantly, I am actually creating the medium trot with my seat.

This series of screen shots is from one medium/extended trot across the long diagonal. Our extended trot looks suspiciously like our medium trot. Maybe the judge won't notice.

I love his hock action here.

He's actually extending!

A big moment of suspension!

We couldn't finish the lesson without schooling the flying changes. They are so much improved, but there's still work to be done. The left to right change is almost reliable if I set him up correctly and remember to look in the direction of the new lead. The right to left change is still a bit hit or miss. It happens, but they're often dramatic or not clean or he simply changes before I ask. Here's a left to right change done relatively correctly (after about five attempts).

At the end of the lesson, I asked Chemaine to be straight with me. Compared to other adult amateurs on horses that they're bringing up from ground zero - in other words, riders not on school masters or $80,000 imports whose extended trot has to be tempered rather than developed, how do I stack up? I don't need to be awesome. I don't need a 70%. I just don't want to embarrass myself or her at a show. I don't want to be that rider that causes the judge and everyone around her to cringe.

As collected as he can get right now. We're working on getting him to sit more.

While Chemaine's response didn't make me shout out hell yeah!, I was relieved. She replied, Let me put it this way: everything is recognizable. You know what? I'll take that. Recognizable is at least a 5, and maybe even a 6. We're ready.

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About the
Writer & Rider

I am a lifetime 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.

Photo by Lori Ovanessian

Email Karen

About Speedy G

Speedy went from endurance horse to dressage horse. We're currently schooling Third Level in preparation for the 2019 show season. Speedy is a 2004, 15'1 hand, purebred Arabian gelding. His Arabian Horse Registry name is G Ima Starr FA.

August 2018

About Izzy

Izzy 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 schooling the dressage basics. He is a 2008, 16'3 hand warmblood gelding. His Rheinland Pfalz-saar International (RPSI) name is Imperioso.

March 2019

Bakersfield Dressage approved!

FOR THE SMALLER EQUINE ATHLETE

National Awards

USDF Second Level Rider Performance Award - 2018
USDF First Level Rider Performance Award - 2015
USDF Training Level Rider Performance Award - 2013

State Awards

CDS Ruby Rider Award - 2018
CDS Second Level Horse Performance Award - 2018

Ruby Rider Award, 2018

2019 Show Season

Show Rating
(***) CDS/USDF/USEF
(*) CDS
(s) Schooling
(c) Clinic
(t) Ride-a-Test Clinic
(Q) Must Qualify

2019 Pending …

6/15-16/19 - El Sueno (***)
6/23/19 - TMC (*)
7/13-14/19 - El Sueno (***)
7/28/19 - TMC (*)
8/10/19 - RAAC (Q) (***)
8/25/19 - TMC (*)
10/26-27/19 SCEC (***)

2019 Completed …

Qualifying Scores for 2019

Regional Adult Amateur Competition (RAAC) Qualifying Scores
Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:

CDS Championship Third Level Scores:
Score 1:
Score 2:
Score 3:
Score 4:
Score 5:

Working Towards:

CDS Sapphire Rider Award
Third Level:
Third Level:
Fourth Level:
Fourth Level:

USDF Bronze Medal
First Level - 70.179%
First Level - 72.600%
Second Level - 62.879%
Second Level - 61.970%
Third Level -
Third Level -

Review: Ovation Aerowick Full Seat Tights

Want v. Need

Let's Get it Started In Here

Did I Break the Canter Half Pass?

Hey, Tooth Fairy!

A New Exercise Using "Half Pass"

More Dressage on the Trail

Memorial Day Sale

Show Cancelled

Consistency of Frame

About the
Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

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About the Writer & Rider

About Speedy G

About Izzy

National Awards

Stuff I Read

By Topic

Archives

About the
Writer & Rider