No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth or fallen in a hole. I've simply neglected to blog in the past seven months! While this blog has been in suspended animation, life has not. It's been busy 'round these parts! It's no surprise that my last post was just before school started up in the fall and it has been nothing but crickets around here since then. School has been crazy this year - it feels more busy than normal, but I'm sure that's just me. Nevertheless, I still feel a bit breathless by the time we get to the end of each week.
Obe has been amazing the last few months. Last year's show season was so good for her simply because we traveled quite a bit. Discovering that she's better travelling alone made a world of difference, and I actually felt relaxed and confident at the last two shows of the season. This winter, we've done several lessons with Debra, and those are always revolutionary for me. I've also been doing quite a bit of riding without stirrups, which has been an eye-opener on so many levels. First, I'm a weakling overall, especially in my core! Second, I collapse my left ribcage (which I knew) because I tip my right hip/seatbone down off the side of the saddle. When I have a right stirrup, I don't feel that part of the equation...I only feel the left ribcage shorten. Without stirrups, though, the slipping right seatbone is abundantly clear! Nearly everything about my position goes back to my wonky left leg. If I'm able to sit down into my left thigh and keep my left hamstring engaged, it keeps my thigh flat on the saddle, my knee against the saddle flap, and my foot somewhat parallel to my horse's side. My natural tendency is to turn my toe out and shorten my leg up the saddle with my knee turned out with my toe. Hideous....
All that to say that the fall and winter have been great for me and Obe. She is growing up, and I am getting stronger and addressing the finesse pieces that I've needed to put in place for a while. I'm hoping to get to a schooling show at the end of this month...but I haven't planned my show season beyond that. We'll see what comes my way.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Humbled
Humility isn't a topic that we like to talk about much, at least not in our individualistic, do-it-yourself, pursue-the-American-Dream society. Being humble isn't something that is readily sought after. But, if God in man's body humbled Himself even to the point of death on a cross, I certainly believe that I should be seeking after humility.
But...have you ever heard the maxim, "Be careful what you wish for"? Praying for humility is borderline insane. After all, you learn humility by being....humbled. Another word built on that same root is "humiliated." It's certainly not the same in meaning, but the words are definitely related - and they frequently FEEL the same in the heat of the moment.
We can be humbled in many ways, though, and in the past month, I've experienced this from two separate events.
First, on June 23, I took Obe to the second recognized show of the season. Fortunately, my ride times were both in the morning, because the weekend temperatures hovered in the 90s, and Tryon always feel hotter than Asheville - the sun just seems to BLAZE down there. Remember last year's schooling show? My first ride was at 9:20 in the covered arena. After getting to the barn at 6 AM, catching Obe, cleaning her up, and braiding her (in 30 minutes...a personal record), we were off. She came off the trailer like a rock star, totally chill, just taking in her surroundings. I had about an hour until my ride time, so we prepped slowly, giving myself about 30 minutes of warm up time. She warmed up beatifully, but the test in the covered was a tough question to ask her first thing. Weird shadows popped around; you could see the legs of the horses walking up on the steeplechase track up the bank; there are barns nearby with the hustle and bustle of the show going on. Needless to say, she was a bit distracted. We had a few bobbles in our canter work, and we didn't quite get the 60% that I wanted (and need for my Bronze). I had enough time between rides to go back to the trailer, untack for about 25 minutes, and prep for the second ride.
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My second ride was at 10:37 in one of the outdoor arenas. Thankfully, coats had been waived, so I wore a neat blue Oxford shirt with sleeves. Again, she warmed up amazingly well, and this time the test went beautifully! There were a few places where she was tighter than I wanted, and our lengthenings are a work in progress, but that's the very definition of First Level. Her walk work was spot on (always is), and her canter was balanced, ground covering, and willing. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face after the ride...
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....until I got my score. It was actually TWO POINTS LOWER than the first ride that had major mistakes!! I couldn't believe my eyes. I had scored a 5 on our free walk, a move that Obe does in her sleep...and looking back at the video, I have no clue what the judge was seeing. I was frustrated...and humbled.
See, dressage - despite it's seemingly "objective" scoring system - is actually a pretty subjective sport. This particular judge had a "pet peeve," which happened to be suppleness. So, any time that Obe showed any amount of questioning or tension, she penalized us HARD. All I could do was take her feedback to heart, realize that there's a kernel of truth in it all, and get to work.
This past Wednesday (the 4th of July), I had a lesson with Debra to talk about it all. She admitted that the scoring was harsh, but she basically said, "Here's the approach to take with this. Assume that you'll show under this judge all the time, and aim to make her love you." So that's what the past week has been - a lot of hard work on getting Obe pushing, using her hocks, and being supple all the time. We'll see if it's working...it's a bit too soon to tell.
The second event happened just under an hour ago. I have this amazing friend, Koryn, whom I haven't seen in way too long. We became friends as we both worked for a less-than-scrupulous trainer in Virginia, and that rough experience helped to bond us deeply together. Even though she's quite a bit younger than me, she's certainly my peer in her maturity, her work ethic, and her love for friends, family, horses, and God. She's amazing...did I mention that? (and it makes me sad that I don't have any pictures with her!)
We keep in touch regularly through Facebook and through text messages, and it's fun to see what she's working on as she works with one of the best dressage riders and trainers our country has had in the recent past. I miss her - her wonderful sense of humor, the way she talks to the horses, the way she's already ready with a hug when I need it most. Today, though, she surprised and, yes, humbled me. She emailed me, giving me a gift that not only did I not expect, but I also don't really deserve! She says I do - she says my hard work inspires her. That only humbles me more, because I know deep down how hard it is to keep going and how much I question the work I do.
But I'm humbled...I'm blessed beyond anything that I could ask or imagine...and I'm humbled.
But...have you ever heard the maxim, "Be careful what you wish for"? Praying for humility is borderline insane. After all, you learn humility by being....humbled. Another word built on that same root is "humiliated." It's certainly not the same in meaning, but the words are definitely related - and they frequently FEEL the same in the heat of the moment.
We can be humbled in many ways, though, and in the past month, I've experienced this from two separate events.
First, on June 23, I took Obe to the second recognized show of the season. Fortunately, my ride times were both in the morning, because the weekend temperatures hovered in the 90s, and Tryon always feel hotter than Asheville - the sun just seems to BLAZE down there. Remember last year's schooling show? My first ride was at 9:20 in the covered arena. After getting to the barn at 6 AM, catching Obe, cleaning her up, and braiding her (in 30 minutes...a personal record), we were off. She came off the trailer like a rock star, totally chill, just taking in her surroundings. I had about an hour until my ride time, so we prepped slowly, giving myself about 30 minutes of warm up time. She warmed up beatifully, but the test in the covered was a tough question to ask her first thing. Weird shadows popped around; you could see the legs of the horses walking up on the steeplechase track up the bank; there are barns nearby with the hustle and bustle of the show going on. Needless to say, she was a bit distracted. We had a few bobbles in our canter work, and we didn't quite get the 60% that I wanted (and need for my Bronze). I had enough time between rides to go back to the trailer, untack for about 25 minutes, and prep for the second ride.
See how calm she is? ;)
My second ride was at 10:37 in one of the outdoor arenas. Thankfully, coats had been waived, so I wore a neat blue Oxford shirt with sleeves. Again, she warmed up amazingly well, and this time the test went beautifully! There were a few places where she was tighter than I wanted, and our lengthenings are a work in progress, but that's the very definition of First Level. Her walk work was spot on (always is), and her canter was balanced, ground covering, and willing. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face after the ride...
Note ridiculous smile on face....Obe was too embarassed by my foolishness to even be photographed
....until I got my score. It was actually TWO POINTS LOWER than the first ride that had major mistakes!! I couldn't believe my eyes. I had scored a 5 on our free walk, a move that Obe does in her sleep...and looking back at the video, I have no clue what the judge was seeing. I was frustrated...and humbled.
See, dressage - despite it's seemingly "objective" scoring system - is actually a pretty subjective sport. This particular judge had a "pet peeve," which happened to be suppleness. So, any time that Obe showed any amount of questioning or tension, she penalized us HARD. All I could do was take her feedback to heart, realize that there's a kernel of truth in it all, and get to work.
This past Wednesday (the 4th of July), I had a lesson with Debra to talk about it all. She admitted that the scoring was harsh, but she basically said, "Here's the approach to take with this. Assume that you'll show under this judge all the time, and aim to make her love you." So that's what the past week has been - a lot of hard work on getting Obe pushing, using her hocks, and being supple all the time. We'll see if it's working...it's a bit too soon to tell.
The second event happened just under an hour ago. I have this amazing friend, Koryn, whom I haven't seen in way too long. We became friends as we both worked for a less-than-scrupulous trainer in Virginia, and that rough experience helped to bond us deeply together. Even though she's quite a bit younger than me, she's certainly my peer in her maturity, her work ethic, and her love for friends, family, horses, and God. She's amazing...did I mention that? (and it makes me sad that I don't have any pictures with her!)
We keep in touch regularly through Facebook and through text messages, and it's fun to see what she's working on as she works with one of the best dressage riders and trainers our country has had in the recent past. I miss her - her wonderful sense of humor, the way she talks to the horses, the way she's already ready with a hug when I need it most. Today, though, she surprised and, yes, humbled me. She emailed me, giving me a gift that not only did I not expect, but I also don't really deserve! She says I do - she says my hard work inspires her. That only humbles me more, because I know deep down how hard it is to keep going and how much I question the work I do.
But I'm humbled...I'm blessed beyond anything that I could ask or imagine...and I'm humbled.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
My turn...
This Saturday...it's MY turn. It's my turn to be the one getting dressed, getting packed, bathing MY horse and braiding MY horse's mane. After years of watching others....after years of HELPING others so that they could be successful...now I get to do it!!!
When I pause in all the craziness of getting ready for a show, I can't help but be grateful for where I am. I've worked hard over the past couple of years to be in a place both in my riding and in my finances so that I can afford to show. I'm proud of that work...and now I get to see it come to fruition. Sure, it freaks me out a bit to think that I'm getting what I want. But, I'm not letting that be at the forefront of my mind. When I swing up on Obe at that show on Saturday, and we march off towards the warm up, I'm going to smile up into the shining sun and be GRATEFUL.
It brings tears to my eyes just typing it. I may be a slobbery mess at the show! That'll make for some great photos! ;)
When I pause in all the craziness of getting ready for a show, I can't help but be grateful for where I am. I've worked hard over the past couple of years to be in a place both in my riding and in my finances so that I can afford to show. I'm proud of that work...and now I get to see it come to fruition. Sure, it freaks me out a bit to think that I'm getting what I want. But, I'm not letting that be at the forefront of my mind. When I swing up on Obe at that show on Saturday, and we march off towards the warm up, I'm going to smile up into the shining sun and be GRATEFUL.
It brings tears to my eyes just typing it. I may be a slobbery mess at the show! That'll make for some great photos! ;)
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Moving right along...
On March 24, I went down to Tryon to Harmon Field with Michele and her young OTTB Timber. Normally, if I trailer Obe with another horse anywhere, she is SUDDENLY best friends with that horse and cannot stand to be separated from him. She'll pitch insane fits...like "airs above the ground" kind of fits. That's why all our trailer this year has been solo, and she's done amazingly well! I have definitely hit on a strategy that works for us, so I was a little concerned that this most recent show would be with another horse AND we'd be attempting to ride a test.
When we got down there, we unloaded the horses and tied them to the sides of the trailer. Obe couldn't really see Timber too well even though we had both escape doors open on each side (and the horses were tied on opposite sides of the trailer...right next to the escape doors). I ran to the office to check in and get my number. When I came back, Michele told me that Obe had climbed up into the escape door (the person-sized door on the side of the trailer) and tried to get across the trailer to Timber's side....she did this THREE times. I rolled my eyes and tried to groom my prancing, dancing, shifting around horse. She kept craning around to try to see Timber around the trailer's front. I just knew this was going to be a wasted day.
I finally got her tacked up (it's a little more difficult to tack up a moving target), and had Michele hold her while I got on. Timber was still tied to his side of the trailer (sweet boy...he didn't care where Obe was, but he loves to know where Michele is. She's HIS girl). I swung up, and Obe marched right off towards warm-up. She didn't even whinny for Timber! We walked straight over to warm-up, checked in with the ring steward, and started doing our thing! I was a bit blown away to say the least.
The warm-up was tiny, and I kept swerving around to miss horses that weren't exactly being steered. At one point, one lady was bent WAY over her horse's side tightening her girth, and her horse was just roaming around aimlessly....RIGHT into my pathway as I cantered around. I swerved and shot her a look, but she wasn't even paying enough attention to notice that. Oh well...welcome to warm up.
I think I warmed up a bit too long. I got on about 30 minutes before my ride time since I wasn't sure what kind of horse I'd have once I was on. However, at the 15 minute mark, she was perfect. She wasn't tired, she was on my aids and responsive in a non-blowing-up kind of way. The final 15 minutes kind of pushed her over the edge and she got a bit more dull to my leg and a tad more pissy about things in general.
We went to the show arena and rode our test. I didn't have a reader, and after I crossed the first diagonal (First Level Test 2), I got a little lost. The test is bizarre at that point, I must say, because you're supposed to just trot all the way around to S....which is a long way away. I was lost for the entire short side...not sure if I should leg yield or canter or what. Then, I remembered the trot marathon and continued on down the long side. We had some good moments after that...we also had a few "uh oh" moments, like when Obe kicked out on our canter transition and when she broke while coming back from our canter lengthening. But, she held it together, we rode the whole test, and we succeeded at not rearing/sucking back/acting like a lunatic at any point! Yay, Obe!
Last night, I had a lesson with Debra (and I have another next Wednesday evening) to work on a few issues before the big show on the 14th. Obe definitely needs work on her trot lengthenings, not dying in the lateral work, and staying soft coming back from canter lengthenings. We worked on ALL of that last night in creative ways (of course...Debra is amazing). First, we worked on a 20m circle doing renvers with energy. Then, I'd slide my inside leg back up to the girth and ask for her to PUSH and lengthen out of it. I went back and forth between the longer stride and the renvers until I had her on my aids...completely soft to my leg...fluid through her loin. That sets us up well for the leg yield/ten meter circle figure 8/leg yield part of the trot work in First 3.
We then moved to canter work. I started on the right lead (her easier) on a 20m circle on true canter, then an adjoining 20m circle in canter counter. Basically, a figure 8 without changing lead. That proved difficult for her, especially the counter canter, so I had to play with letting my inside rein open and soften to allow her shoulders to raise and come through. What I loved about it was that my outside rein became the main communication with her so that when I came back onto the 20m true canter circle, I was able to ask for a lengthening in her canter stride and bring her back softly without her breaking. It was all in that connection on the outside rein/seatbone/leg. Wow...seriously, wow. The left lead (the one we broke on in the test) was even softer, especially after I got brave and LET GO of my left rein and fully connected onto my right rein. It was awesome!
So...moving right along. I feel like she's in a good place right now and, given that I have over a week before the big show, I think we'll be exactly where we need to be when the 14th rolls around. I'm excited to have one more lesson with Debra next week...good stuff, that.
When we got down there, we unloaded the horses and tied them to the sides of the trailer. Obe couldn't really see Timber too well even though we had both escape doors open on each side (and the horses were tied on opposite sides of the trailer...right next to the escape doors). I ran to the office to check in and get my number. When I came back, Michele told me that Obe had climbed up into the escape door (the person-sized door on the side of the trailer) and tried to get across the trailer to Timber's side....she did this THREE times. I rolled my eyes and tried to groom my prancing, dancing, shifting around horse. She kept craning around to try to see Timber around the trailer's front. I just knew this was going to be a wasted day.
I finally got her tacked up (it's a little more difficult to tack up a moving target), and had Michele hold her while I got on. Timber was still tied to his side of the trailer (sweet boy...he didn't care where Obe was, but he loves to know where Michele is. She's HIS girl). I swung up, and Obe marched right off towards warm-up. She didn't even whinny for Timber! We walked straight over to warm-up, checked in with the ring steward, and started doing our thing! I was a bit blown away to say the least.
The warm-up was tiny, and I kept swerving around to miss horses that weren't exactly being steered. At one point, one lady was bent WAY over her horse's side tightening her girth, and her horse was just roaming around aimlessly....RIGHT into my pathway as I cantered around. I swerved and shot her a look, but she wasn't even paying enough attention to notice that. Oh well...welcome to warm up.
I think I warmed up a bit too long. I got on about 30 minutes before my ride time since I wasn't sure what kind of horse I'd have once I was on. However, at the 15 minute mark, she was perfect. She wasn't tired, she was on my aids and responsive in a non-blowing-up kind of way. The final 15 minutes kind of pushed her over the edge and she got a bit more dull to my leg and a tad more pissy about things in general.
We went to the show arena and rode our test. I didn't have a reader, and after I crossed the first diagonal (First Level Test 2), I got a little lost. The test is bizarre at that point, I must say, because you're supposed to just trot all the way around to S....which is a long way away. I was lost for the entire short side...not sure if I should leg yield or canter or what. Then, I remembered the trot marathon and continued on down the long side. We had some good moments after that...we also had a few "uh oh" moments, like when Obe kicked out on our canter transition and when she broke while coming back from our canter lengthening. But, she held it together, we rode the whole test, and we succeeded at not rearing/sucking back/acting like a lunatic at any point! Yay, Obe!
Last night, I had a lesson with Debra (and I have another next Wednesday evening) to work on a few issues before the big show on the 14th. Obe definitely needs work on her trot lengthenings, not dying in the lateral work, and staying soft coming back from canter lengthenings. We worked on ALL of that last night in creative ways (of course...Debra is amazing). First, we worked on a 20m circle doing renvers with energy. Then, I'd slide my inside leg back up to the girth and ask for her to PUSH and lengthen out of it. I went back and forth between the longer stride and the renvers until I had her on my aids...completely soft to my leg...fluid through her loin. That sets us up well for the leg yield/ten meter circle figure 8/leg yield part of the trot work in First 3.
We then moved to canter work. I started on the right lead (her easier) on a 20m circle on true canter, then an adjoining 20m circle in canter counter. Basically, a figure 8 without changing lead. That proved difficult for her, especially the counter canter, so I had to play with letting my inside rein open and soften to allow her shoulders to raise and come through. What I loved about it was that my outside rein became the main communication with her so that when I came back onto the 20m true canter circle, I was able to ask for a lengthening in her canter stride and bring her back softly without her breaking. It was all in that connection on the outside rein/seatbone/leg. Wow...seriously, wow. The left lead (the one we broke on in the test) was even softer, especially after I got brave and LET GO of my left rein and fully connected onto my right rein. It was awesome!
So...moving right along. I feel like she's in a good place right now and, given that I have over a week before the big show, I think we'll be exactly where we need to be when the 14th rolls around. I'm excited to have one more lesson with Debra next week...good stuff, that.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Both ends of the spectrum...
As you may recall, I was planning on taking Obe out to a schooling show down in Tryon on Saturday, Mar. 3. In fact...I DID! I got to the barn extra early that day to get the stalls cleaned. The horses weren't turned out thanks to the outrageous thunderstorms and even a few tornado watches and warnings the night before. So, the barn didn't take that long to complete. The weather had cleared by mid-morning, and I felt encouraged and happy, though my stomach was in a few knots.
Once I got the truck and trailer pulled up to the barn, I decided to be very responsible and put a bit of air in the trailer tires that looked a tad low. I plugged in the incredibly loud air compressor and managed to NOT blow myself up.
Obe walked right on the trailer, and we headed off down the road. As we pulled out of the Encore driveway, I could feel my insides quivering. I was so nervous! Trailering to a lesson was one thing - if I made a complete fool out of myself, only a couple of people saw it and knew about it. If Obe flipped out, I had backup in the form of Debra. However, this time...I was all on my own. Once I was on the road, it was me and my horse. Those thoughts started to take over my brain, and I had to do a few deep breathing exercises as we drove to the on-ramp to the Interstate. By the time I got on the Interstate, my jaw muscles were beginning to ache from clinching.
I finally settled a bit as I switched from I-40 to I-26 and everything was still going well. Of course, we got near the busy exits around Biltmore Park and traffic came to a complete stop. My jaw was threatening to completely seize up at this point. As we creeped along in traffic, an SUV pulled alongside me and honked the horn, telling me I had a window open in the back. I shrugged and said it was okay...of course I had the windows open! I had slid them all open to let some air in the trailer while we went along. So, I shrugged it off, and saw the reason for the incredibly slow traffic...a car - ON THE SHOULDER - where the driver was replacing a flat tire. Seriously, people??? I understand slowing a bit so you don't plow down the driver, but stopping? Sheesh.
We got down to Tryon without any other incident. I parked alongside the other trucks and trailers and got out of the truck. I looked the trailer over - and one of the back DOORS (the top doors over the ramp) had come open. The little pin that holds it shut was gone. THAT'S what the SUV driver was trying to tell me. Poor Obe...that door was probably banging and swinging around the whole time. I checked to make sure she was still alive (she was) and then went to check in at the show office. I wasn't competing, but I still had paid my trailer-in fee and needed to get a number so taht I would be easily identifiable on the show grounds in case I landed in the dirt and my horse took off to gallavant around the steeplechase course.
When I got back to the trailer, things just clicked. I settled into a place inside my head that was calm, patient, well-planned, and awesome! I got Obe off the trailer and tied her to the side. She glanced at the other horses, but not once did she even whinny!! What a change from this same show last year when she went down with Butterbean (in the pouring rain) and she would leap and buck and scream when he went out of sight. Seriously, taking her places by herself is awesome!
I tacked up, remembered my number, and hopped on at the trailer. We walked freely and purposefully to a small warm up area near the large dressage arena. There were no more tests being ridden in that arena for the rest of the day, so we got to play around and in it. The wind was flapping the judge's tent a bit, so it was good practice. Of course, Obe doesn't care about the tents, the tractors, the dogs, the people...she's just worried about what the other horses are doing. She glanced at the other horses, but she was actually very easy to re-focus and get working. I was greatly pleased with the work she was giving me. And...I rode in the same ring as Eric Dierks. Yep...I did.
I walked her over to the jumping warm up. There wasn't anyone jumping, so I just wanted to get her in the ring and move around a bit, just to see the different sights. Then, we walked over one of the bridges and stood outside the competition arenas, watching the dressage tests and jumping rounds. She fell asleep in the sunshine as we stood there, and my heart sang with joy!!!
Shortly thereafter, I got off, loaded her back up in the trailer, and headed home. It was the most successful outing we've had in AGES. I had great work from her, I felt like I could have ridden a test and done well, and I was headed back home.
If you've ever driven the stretch of I-26 West between Tryon and Asheville, you know that there's a substantial climb coming up out of Tryon towards Hendersonville. It's a steep grade...tractor trailers typically struggle to make 35 mph, and it lasts for several miles. Along that stretch of highway, the truck was not pulling well. I didn't have much power at all, and the engine was whining this strange whine. It wasn't rpms...they were generally around 2,000...nothing huge. But there was a whine to the engine that worried me. I limped along at about 35 mph, but once the road leveled, things got a bit better. Then, just past Hendersonville, there was a huge puff of smoke that came out of the truck. It was beginning to struggle to pull again (there are several smaller climbs coming out of Hendersonville back up to Asheville), and now I was worried. Soon, the temperature gauge hit the roof and the oil pressure disappeared. I did not want to pull over on the side of crazy I-26 with my horse in the trailer, so I nursed the truck to the nearest exit (about two miles) and got off onto a small side street. When I stopped the truck, smoke came up out from under the hood. I was completely alone with my horse in a trailer and a broken truck. I almost flipped out completely.
When all was said and done...an hour later, Patti showed up with her horse trailer to switch Obe (which Obe did without even batting an eyelid. Switch trailers on the side of the road? Sure! Why not?). Elizabeth showed up with her truck to pick up the trailer. And the tow service showed up to get the broken truck.
This week, I learned that motor was completely blown. Ugh...I feel horrible, especially since it's not my truck. It belongs to the barn owners who have trusted me with it. Though, they've been amazing...they don't blame me, and they realize that it was going to happen at some point. The mechanic told them that before I did anything to it, only three of the eight injectors were fully working. No wonder I didn't have power coming out of Tryon...I was working on three cylinders. Like pulling a horse trailer with a Ford Festiva.
I still feel crappy about it. So, that day ran the entire spectrum of emotions...nervous, downright anxious, stressed, sick, happy, elated, freaked, joyous. No wonder I was exhausted for most of the following week (which was thankfully Spring Break).
So now...the show season is still on, I'll just be going in different vehicles. I'll keep you updated!
Once I got the truck and trailer pulled up to the barn, I decided to be very responsible and put a bit of air in the trailer tires that looked a tad low. I plugged in the incredibly loud air compressor and managed to NOT blow myself up.
Obe walked right on the trailer, and we headed off down the road. As we pulled out of the Encore driveway, I could feel my insides quivering. I was so nervous! Trailering to a lesson was one thing - if I made a complete fool out of myself, only a couple of people saw it and knew about it. If Obe flipped out, I had backup in the form of Debra. However, this time...I was all on my own. Once I was on the road, it was me and my horse. Those thoughts started to take over my brain, and I had to do a few deep breathing exercises as we drove to the on-ramp to the Interstate. By the time I got on the Interstate, my jaw muscles were beginning to ache from clinching.
I finally settled a bit as I switched from I-40 to I-26 and everything was still going well. Of course, we got near the busy exits around Biltmore Park and traffic came to a complete stop. My jaw was threatening to completely seize up at this point. As we creeped along in traffic, an SUV pulled alongside me and honked the horn, telling me I had a window open in the back. I shrugged and said it was okay...of course I had the windows open! I had slid them all open to let some air in the trailer while we went along. So, I shrugged it off, and saw the reason for the incredibly slow traffic...a car - ON THE SHOULDER - where the driver was replacing a flat tire. Seriously, people??? I understand slowing a bit so you don't plow down the driver, but stopping? Sheesh.
We got down to Tryon without any other incident. I parked alongside the other trucks and trailers and got out of the truck. I looked the trailer over - and one of the back DOORS (the top doors over the ramp) had come open. The little pin that holds it shut was gone. THAT'S what the SUV driver was trying to tell me. Poor Obe...that door was probably banging and swinging around the whole time. I checked to make sure she was still alive (she was) and then went to check in at the show office. I wasn't competing, but I still had paid my trailer-in fee and needed to get a number so taht I would be easily identifiable on the show grounds in case I landed in the dirt and my horse took off to gallavant around the steeplechase course.
When I got back to the trailer, things just clicked. I settled into a place inside my head that was calm, patient, well-planned, and awesome! I got Obe off the trailer and tied her to the side. She glanced at the other horses, but not once did she even whinny!! What a change from this same show last year when she went down with Butterbean (in the pouring rain) and she would leap and buck and scream when he went out of sight. Seriously, taking her places by herself is awesome!
I tacked up, remembered my number, and hopped on at the trailer. We walked freely and purposefully to a small warm up area near the large dressage arena. There were no more tests being ridden in that arena for the rest of the day, so we got to play around and in it. The wind was flapping the judge's tent a bit, so it was good practice. Of course, Obe doesn't care about the tents, the tractors, the dogs, the people...she's just worried about what the other horses are doing. She glanced at the other horses, but she was actually very easy to re-focus and get working. I was greatly pleased with the work she was giving me. And...I rode in the same ring as Eric Dierks. Yep...I did.
I walked her over to the jumping warm up. There wasn't anyone jumping, so I just wanted to get her in the ring and move around a bit, just to see the different sights. Then, we walked over one of the bridges and stood outside the competition arenas, watching the dressage tests and jumping rounds. She fell asleep in the sunshine as we stood there, and my heart sang with joy!!!
Shortly thereafter, I got off, loaded her back up in the trailer, and headed home. It was the most successful outing we've had in AGES. I had great work from her, I felt like I could have ridden a test and done well, and I was headed back home.
If you've ever driven the stretch of I-26 West between Tryon and Asheville, you know that there's a substantial climb coming up out of Tryon towards Hendersonville. It's a steep grade...tractor trailers typically struggle to make 35 mph, and it lasts for several miles. Along that stretch of highway, the truck was not pulling well. I didn't have much power at all, and the engine was whining this strange whine. It wasn't rpms...they were generally around 2,000...nothing huge. But there was a whine to the engine that worried me. I limped along at about 35 mph, but once the road leveled, things got a bit better. Then, just past Hendersonville, there was a huge puff of smoke that came out of the truck. It was beginning to struggle to pull again (there are several smaller climbs coming out of Hendersonville back up to Asheville), and now I was worried. Soon, the temperature gauge hit the roof and the oil pressure disappeared. I did not want to pull over on the side of crazy I-26 with my horse in the trailer, so I nursed the truck to the nearest exit (about two miles) and got off onto a small side street. When I stopped the truck, smoke came up out from under the hood. I was completely alone with my horse in a trailer and a broken truck. I almost flipped out completely.
When all was said and done...an hour later, Patti showed up with her horse trailer to switch Obe (which Obe did without even batting an eyelid. Switch trailers on the side of the road? Sure! Why not?). Elizabeth showed up with her truck to pick up the trailer. And the tow service showed up to get the broken truck.
This week, I learned that motor was completely blown. Ugh...I feel horrible, especially since it's not my truck. It belongs to the barn owners who have trusted me with it. Though, they've been amazing...they don't blame me, and they realize that it was going to happen at some point. The mechanic told them that before I did anything to it, only three of the eight injectors were fully working. No wonder I didn't have power coming out of Tryon...I was working on three cylinders. Like pulling a horse trailer with a Ford Festiva.
I still feel crappy about it. So, that day ran the entire spectrum of emotions...nervous, downright anxious, stressed, sick, happy, elated, freaked, joyous. No wonder I was exhausted for most of the following week (which was thankfully Spring Break).
So now...the show season is still on, I'll just be going in different vehicles. I'll keep you updated!
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Grrrr....
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Leap Day!
Happy Leap Day, everyone!
It's a Leap Year, which means it is also the year of the presidential election in the USA...and also the year of the summer Olympics!!!
Everyone probably knows that the Olympics this summer are being held in London, England. I'll be watching the equestrian events with great interest (of course) and I already have my picks for who should be on each team (particularly the dressage and eventing teams). I'm also excited to see the cross-country course, which is set in a small park in London (it's usually held in some faraway spot because there's not enough room in the host city for a cross country course). However, I'm also excited to watch swimming, diving, track and field, and gymnastics. There's always high drama in those events, not to mention just out-and-out physicality and strength. They are beautiful to watch!
In other news, I'm getting ready to order a new dressage show coat and a new pair of white breeches....eeek! This means this whole showing thing is getting real...and close...and real! Yay!
I have a lesson with Debra tomorrow evening, which will be a great prelude to our trip off the farm this coming Saturday. We're heading down to a schooling show just to hack around and school in the environment (and possibly stalk Eric Dierks - mentioned in my last post - because he'll be there with a couple of horses). Then, towards the end of March, I'll ride a test at a schooling show to prep for the upcoming April show. Whew! One step at a time, though....I'm focusing on my lesson with Debra and the discussion I want to have about which First Level test to work on right now. I like the way First 2 breaks up the canter coefficient (it's for the return to working canter after the lengthening). That's different from First 3 which INCLUDES the lengthening on that movement (and therefore in the coefficient). I ALWAYS get "show more" on my canter lengthenings, mostly because I'm a little nervous to ask for too much at a show. Who knows? We may just end up in another county if I ask for too much. So, I'm not sure I want to try First 3 quite yet because that would bring the score down - and if it's a coefficient, that means TWO low scores. So, that's my focus right now...lesson and discussion with Debra. Then I'll think about Saturday....and then later all that other stuff I mentioned.....eeep!
It's a Leap Year, which means it is also the year of the presidential election in the USA...and also the year of the summer Olympics!!!
Everyone probably knows that the Olympics this summer are being held in London, England. I'll be watching the equestrian events with great interest (of course) and I already have my picks for who should be on each team (particularly the dressage and eventing teams). I'm also excited to see the cross-country course, which is set in a small park in London (it's usually held in some faraway spot because there's not enough room in the host city for a cross country course). However, I'm also excited to watch swimming, diving, track and field, and gymnastics. There's always high drama in those events, not to mention just out-and-out physicality and strength. They are beautiful to watch!
In other news, I'm getting ready to order a new dressage show coat and a new pair of white breeches....eeek! This means this whole showing thing is getting real...and close...and real! Yay!
I have a lesson with Debra tomorrow evening, which will be a great prelude to our trip off the farm this coming Saturday. We're heading down to a schooling show just to hack around and school in the environment (and possibly stalk Eric Dierks - mentioned in my last post - because he'll be there with a couple of horses). Then, towards the end of March, I'll ride a test at a schooling show to prep for the upcoming April show. Whew! One step at a time, though....I'm focusing on my lesson with Debra and the discussion I want to have about which First Level test to work on right now. I like the way First 2 breaks up the canter coefficient (it's for the return to working canter after the lengthening). That's different from First 3 which INCLUDES the lengthening on that movement (and therefore in the coefficient). I ALWAYS get "show more" on my canter lengthenings, mostly because I'm a little nervous to ask for too much at a show. Who knows? We may just end up in another county if I ask for too much. So, I'm not sure I want to try First 3 quite yet because that would bring the score down - and if it's a coefficient, that means TWO low scores. So, that's my focus right now...lesson and discussion with Debra. Then I'll think about Saturday....and then later all that other stuff I mentioned.....eeep!
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