Rookie Mistake

I am not going to give a play-by-play of the show.  I don’t want to bore you.  We didn’t get in a wreck on the way, I didn’t get lost, and the show was where it was supposed to be.  Instead, I want to tell you about the interesting parts, although that might still bore you!  Read what you like, skip the rest.

So … the rookie mistake.  Even I know not to do this.  Endurance riders NEVER EVER try something new at a race, not even new underwear.  If it hasn’t been tested, don’t use it.  Why did I think I could try something new at this show?  I will give myself at least a little credit as I did bring a back up.  So what’s the mistake?  You know those new dressage boots I bought last year?  The ones I’ve been saving for SHOWS ONLY?  The ones I have put on three times.  Yep, that pair. 

So there I am dressing in my finest breeches and recently hemmed coat and smiling oh-so-smugly to myself as I slide my feet into those beautiful, black boots.  As I tugged on the slightly stiff zipper to get it over my calf, I grimaced a little, and then did a peg-leg wobble over to Speedy.   Boy, these boots sure are stiff!  I laughed as I tried to get on Speedy G with what felt like boards strapped to my calves and feet.  I finally mounted, but it wasn't pretty.

I walked over to the warm up arena all the while admiring how beautiful my feet were looking.  I asked for some spiral-out at the walk and was slightly dismayed at how it felt like I was pressing against a wall with my inner leg.  Hmmm … not quite what I was expecting.  As everyone else was working on canter departures, extended trots, and other highly sophisticated maneuvers, I decided I should at least pick up some kind of trot.

Uh-oh … What the hell?  Where did my seat go?  Speedy’s trot was literally launching me out of the saddle and slamming me back down.  I took a deep breath, opened my legs a little so that I wasn’t so grippy, sat back a bit so that I wasn’t leaning forward, and sank my heels.  Except my heels didn’t sink.  In fact, I couldn’t even feel my feet.  It truly felt as though someone had encased my entire leg with cement.  I knew it was the boots.  No biggie, I knew what to do.  Rather ungracefully, I hopped off, which is how you do it when you have cement wrapped around your lower leg.  I dropped my stirrups a hole and climbed back on.  When I picked up the trot again, I wasn’t being launched upward, but I was having a heck of a time keeping my feet in the stirrups.  

Rats!  I had worked too hard for this day to be sidelined by a pair of pretty boots.  And here’s where my endurance experience kicked in.  When things are falling apart, pull off the trail, take a breather, re-evaluate what you’ve got going on, and FIX it.  So that’s what I did.  I rode back to the trailer.  While holding Speedy’s reins in one hand, I climbed into the trailer, and with my other hand I unzipped my boots and slid into my old field boots.  Ah … instant relief!

You know what happened.  I put in a nice ride earning 71.88%.  I’d say I made a good call!  

So here’s what I learned: when I first started riding dressage, I rode in my endurance trail boots and saved my used, but still nice, Ariat field boots for shows.  I showed in them five times and was uncomfortable all five times.  I bought a pair of SHOW only boots and turned my field boots into schooling boots.  I used them regularly for five months until they felt really good.  Guess what I need to start schooling in?  What use is a nice pair of boots if you can’t use them to ride successfully?

Ah … the perils of being a rookie!

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