Not-So-Speedy Dressage
From Endurance to Dressage
Yesterday I showed you a small video clip of our Equestrian Lounge. I ended the post with the idea that there might still be some elements that I wanted to add. There is something that I want to do, but I need some words of inspiration. I have found 4" galvanized metal letters at a price that seem fairly reasonable. The letters come in a 2-pack for $1.99, so using a letter twice is a bonus. The ranch owner's daughter is the one who suggested the project. She saw the pallet that I have repurposed as a screen to block out some unsightly potted trees. She told me that she had used some pallets as planter boxes and had affixed letters to add some words that she liked - Live, Laugh, Love ... I think. I loved the idea immediately. I have three rows that are tall enough to attach words. The trick is to come up with words that are meaningful. As I sat in front of my online cart, I just couldn't think of what I wanted to say that could be written in just a few words. A dollar a letter sounds great until you realize your sentiment has 50 letters. Suddenly, I didn't feel the need to be so inspired. I came up with a variety of words and simple sentences. Live, Love, Ride would have been pretty cheap since it has lots of repeated letters, as would Happiness is Horses. I considered the words Dressage, Harmony, Connection, Balance, Welcome, and Heart. Saddle Up & Ride, Courage, and Ride Humble were other ideas that spoke to me. Two of my favorite quotes are Never ride faster than your guardian angel can follow, and Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway; but they're too long. Choosing a meaningful message is a lot like getting a tattoo, something I've never done because I can't ever think of anything that I like well enough to have inked onto my body for the rest of my life. And then I reminded myself that it's just a pallet with tin letters tacked on, so pick something already!
In the end, I decided to use the quote attributed to John Wayne, but I modified it to fit my space and stay within my budget. On its way to me now are the letters to form this sentiment: Saddle Up Anyway. It says who I am. It's hot, It's cold, I had a stressful day ... Saddle Up Anyway. For me, I rarely need to talk myself into riding because I know that when I Saddle Up Anyway, I am going to be so glad I did. 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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