Devon, Dressage, and DQs

I've only been to Devon once before...and it was for the Spring Hunter/Jumper show. The whole scene there is a little strange for me...I mean, I grew up riding bad ponies, mucking stalls for lessons. I'm not implying that some of the people who go to Devon didn't start there too, but the money that is seeping out of pores around the Dixon Oval is hard to comprehend. Just waiting for the restroom you get an idea of the caliber of THIS horse world vs. the one you might be playing in. There's not a horse listed on the classifieds wall (outside the restrooms) under 25K. Green 7-8 year olds are going for around 10K. It's pretty amazing really. Don't get me wrong, the horses are gorgeous, but wow. But...long story short, the Grand Prix Freestyle was amazing and two-thirds of the riders performed their tests in a chilly downpour! I felt surrounded by greatness and indeed I was in the company of riders and horses of Olympic caliber.

Busy, busy, busy...

I've been busy lately...but not riding. While I would love this blog to be strictly horse-related, I think that being a multifaceted individual allows me some wiggle room to talk about the other parts of my life that are distracting me from, or keeping me from riding. I am admittedly, a bit of an over-sharer, even though I consider myself intensely private at times.

One Year

Today marks one year since I last rode Kiki. It all seems more like a dream than my actual life when I think about it now.

:(

Meet Spot!

More on my lesson later (I've got the bf in town and he's taking up nearly all of my attention!) but I will say it was good. Sneak preview: We Jumped! WOO HOO!

My mount for the day was a lovely gelding named Spot. I met him last time I was out there and his owner is a lovely woman who is a professor at Tyler School of Art in Philly. How cool is that? Spot is a mix of some sort (I am convinced he has a hint of something draft in there) and he has a lovely refined face. His owner mostly does dressage with him, but he's done a little bit of everything, including skijoring!!! After not riding in two months (and not having a lesson in over 6) he was just what I need to boost m confidence a little. I remembered how to tack up a horse and wasn't flopping around all over the place once I got on!

Here we are!

I interrupted Spot's grazing for this, he's not amused.

Hi pony!!!

More to come!

Spoiler Alert

I scheduled a lesson with a new instructor tomorrow. She teaches at the farm that my friend Emity boards her horse at and she's an ex-advanced level eventer and she's shown in upper levels for Dressage and jumpers. She is also a yoga instructor and apparently uses it in her approach with teaching. I met her briefly when I was out riding Emily's horse Charlie and she seems super nice.

I am really excited* to ride again, though I am a bit worried I've forgotten how to tack up a horse, much less how to get around on one!

I figure if I am going to buy a horse down the road, finding a good instructor that teaches the discipline I want to ride (and compete in) is crucial -- and so I don't over face myself with a horse I can't handle when it comes time to buy one!

Wish me luck!

*I feel like I am going to throw up a little thinking about it.

Burghley, Burghley, Burghley...

I can hardly get enough.

Want to kill 20 hours of your day? Go here

I have watched through '95 so far, rationing out a video a day so I don't get fired or find myself surrounded by chores at home. I will say, I've been watching the dressage coverage and cross country and have skipped most of the show jumping (partially because they have the winners posted on the links). Some of the courses have been completely outrageous, notably a few sunken roads that make my palms sweaty just thinking about, and some nail-biting combinations that Captain Mark Phillips seems to think are hilarious (hearing him giggle while doing the course walk seems quite sinister). Of all the **** tracks, I think Burghley may be the biggest test of skill and endurance on both the horse and rider. It is the place where riders show their true grit (that's not to say that any other **** track is a walk in the park), but I think Burghley is different. Undulating terrain, huge fences, technical questions, and a tough optimum time to meet, it's unforgiving and certainly not for the faint of heart...I mean, I get weak in the knees just watching. What is apparent from watching the earlier videos is that the British riders are just Gods. They ooze class and showmanship and have incredible horses. I was wondering if something about ex-steeplechase horses gives them an edge. There are certainly a ton of OTTBs running around *** and **** tracks, but I wonder if the British steeple chasing gives them an edge. The horses seem braver, and hungry for each fence. Even some of the really young horses running around Burghley recently pulled off the track have a sense of maturity that I don't get from most of our horses. What's more is that so many of these horses have the coveted "5th leg". They save their riders by being smart and catty at the jumps and can get themselves out of heaps of trouble without being separated from their rider. Obviously, the rider plays a huge role too, but I have been seriously blown away by the horses.

Canter USA -- Part Two

Again with links due to restrictions...

Warner's Way


Talk about a dream horse...under 16 hands (perfect for me)...built uphill and an amazing front end. I love how his neck is tied into to his body and he exudes personality! Only 3 years old with a handful of starts!

Double the Dare

What's not to love about this guy? Flashy, check...kind eye, check...nice conformation, check! He reminds me a bit of my friend's horse (recently featured on this blog, City Diplomat)...plus, his name makes me think of Nickelodeon! And no starts!

And something a little different...from Sport Horse Nation...
Bourbon Ginger Bear

I will admit, I was attracted to this ad primarily because of his name...but, that said he's right up my alley! 7 years old, 15.2 hh and Chestnut...quiet and straight forward! Woot!

*end horse stalking*

A visit to the old farm

It had been nearly 7 months since I had visited my trainer's farm. How time flies! I'll admit, I felt a little nervous about seeing everyone and braced myself for the onslaught of "where have you been" and "what have you been up to" questions, worse though, was having to explain that I am NOT currently riding...sigh. Everyone seemed very excited to see me and I got plenty of hugs from the girls! We stayed for their end of camp show and I got some photos of all the fun.

City Diplomat -- who proved to be my most frustrating equine subject to date!

Munchie and Major -- riding in a pairs class

All of these horses came from the same racehorse trainer in NYC !!! I've also ridden all but one of them!

Arizona -- looking fancy

Reddy -- dream horse

Lucy and Munchie in the jackpot jumper round -- too much cute!

City and Natalie -- I've been trying to convince her to event this boy!

One of the coolest parts of the day was seeing how much City has progressed since I first met him last summer. You can read about me meeting him here. He was given to Natalie as a Christmas gift last year (I remember Betsy telling me when I was there in November and I burst into tears -- it hit a little too close home, chestnut horse and all) and she's done some really amazing things with him. Lately, they have been kicking butt and taking names on the Virginia hunt point-to-point scene. when i rode him a year ago he had just arrived at the farm and was a bit of a green bean. I learned how to play polo on him and he was terrified about the mallet, the mallet's shadow, and anytime I moved my arm with the mallet. He barely had a canter, and when he did it was unbalanced and goofy. But, what he did have going for him in those early days was that he had such a great attitude. He was game and willing to do whatever was asked of him. And now? Well, he's a dream horse. Unflappable, he hunts regularly in the first and second flight, he's been running some steeplechase and point-to-point races, and traveling around with a "been there, done that" attitude that everyone hopes their horse will develop. Oh, and best of all, this horse has a beautiful JUMP!!! Although he gave us tons of trouble during our little impromptu photo shoot (see: unflappable horse will not prick it's ears for ANYTHING) he was still my favorite horse to watch all day!

The truth is, I miss the girls, my instructor, the atmosphere and most of all the horses (especially Charlie)...but right now with my hard work paying off left and right, I know I made the right (um, mature) decision to take a small hiatus.

Agoraphobia: fear of situations in which escape is difficult

Sing it, Freddy!

A few nights ago, I watched a brilliant documentary about Queen (ahem, the music group not her Majesty). I held a sing-a-long for 2 hours, alone  -- though my neighbors probably heard me -- and I found myself reminiscing about long car rides with my Dad as a child. These were hours spent driving to and from the horse farm and it was then that his musical tastes started to influence me. Living in England it seemed natural to love The Beatles (and we did), and my Dad had a real thing for Paul McCartney. We listened to Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, Tracy Chapman and of course Queen. Queen was a group that was misunderstood initially in the US, but in England they were already huge stars. I would watch concerts replayed on television and thought naively how amazing it must have been to stand there in a sea of people and sing "We Are The Champions" along with Freddy and the rest of the boys. Watching the documentary rekindled that though...oh my, how special it must have been to see them play. Thousands and thousands of people all singing together in solidarity...suddenly, I found myself feeling nauseous...my hands got clammy and before I knew it I started thinking about worst case scenarios in that big stadium. You see, as someone who has struggled with slight variations of panic disorder, I find the idea of being in a massive crowd like that nearly sickening. Want some insight into the anxious/worrier personality? Here's how my thought process develops: first and foremost, how do you use the bathroom? I mean, do people wear diapers? Go on the floor? Ask someone to hold their spot to make the trek off to the port-a-potty to wait in line for an hour? What happens if you lose the people you came to the concert with? They didn't have cell phones back then...did they have a meet up spot? Nah, all those people seemed too cool for that. What if there was a fire? What if the stage collapsed? Did they know where the closest exit was? What if you passed out, was there ANY chance of getting medical care or would you have your face stomped to the beat of "We Will Rock You"? Sigh.

Can you even imagine?

This, my friends, is a sad reality I have to deal with as an adult. I am plagued with a mild case of Agoraphobia (and not in the sense that I have a fear of open spaces or leaving the house) the fear of situations in which escape is difficult. I generally avoid large crowds and stick to smaller venues to see bands I like. I have gone to very few big sporting events (and I am developing a love for baseball living in Philadelphia). Working in downtown Philly, although not nearly as crowded as NYC, can be a challenge for me at times. I don't necessarily worry about what I will do in a high stress situation (I am actually quite good at keeping my cool and helping others) but I worry what a sea of strangers would do if suddenly there was some sort of emergency. But I know I have it in me to PANIC. A few years ago, we had a fire scare in my office building. We work on the penthouse floor, 19 floors up...not terribly high as far as city buildings goes, but it's one hell of a hike to go down 19 floors of stairs. In fact, it takes about 15-20 minutes at an uninterrupted pace. This particular day they entire building evacuated, I could hear the screaming fire engines racing down Walnut St and the energy amongst the people heading into the stairwell was becoming a little grim. People weren't politely chatting or laughing any more, they were focused on one thing...getting out. I heard whispers of smoke on the 3rd or 4th floor -- we were still at the 14th floor...I picked up the pace springing down the steps. Then I found myself behind two women walking side-by-side blocking the stairwell. I not-so-patiently slowed down behind them and felt my heart rate speeding up...they were casually walking down the steps, putting both feet on each and every stair. The panic bubbled up and I pushed past them and ran down another 8-9 flights only to find myself stuck behind hundreds of people near the 3rd floor. I think I scared a few of my coworkers who eventually caught up with me only to find me near tears and about to throw up. For someone who acts cool, calm and collected 98% of the time I am sure it must have been some sight to see.

I swear this story is loosely related to horses. You see, watching that documentary about Queen made me think about the Olympics. Specifically, the crowds at the Olympics. I am preemptively worried about how I will feel surrounded by thousands of strangers trying to get to and from the same places (what if there's a Tube strike!). I'll be with family, so that will help, but I start feeling a little nauseous just thinking about being there. Luckily, the cross country day of eventing only allows 12,000 people (only, ha) and the other events are held in a stadium, so I should be ok...right? I am worried that while horses from all over the world are competing before my eyes, I will be looking for the nearest exit, or trying to figure out whether or not the overweight guy two seats over can move quickly enough in an emergency...

Perhaps I should chill out. We don't even have our tickets yet.

**I am going to my trainer's farm this weekend to take pictures at event camp! The girls and Betsy are coming up from VA! Can't wait!

My future horse OR the white whale

As a true horse girl I have always dreamt of my "future horse". I've not only etched out what this horse looks like but what its personality would be like, how it would come running across a huge field, hooves thundering, to greet me at the sound of my voice. How we'd ride around bareback exploring new territory together, go for picnics and share lunch, swim in rivers together, and maybe one day even win a few blue ribbons. This imaginary horse has changed over the years and as I have gotten a little older, and less idealistic, I have a fairly good idea of what I want my future horse to be, and this time it doesn't involve wings or the ability to speak English. So as I think longingly about my future horse I've given a lot of thought (more than I should even admit to) about what it's show name would be. I decided this name years and years ago and I've kept it a carefully guarded secret until now.

in which I love my job (for a fleeting moment)

We're on the backside of the London Book Fair now and as the carts of books come through receiving and onto cataloging, I can only hope that there might be something on those carts to pique my interest. To the everyday person my job is quite interesting, and it's true, I am surrounded by rare pieces of history all day long -- in fact, I am one of the few people in the office that gets to handle each and every piece of inventory. But, as I close in on my 6th year here I will admit, I am jaded by these beautiful, scarce texts. I joke with my assistant about how boring certain volumes are (for example, anything written about economics or the stock market -- no matter how valuable -- is completely snooze-worthy), I cringe when an elephant folio comes my way (Roberts Holy Land, I'm looking at you -- 8 volumes weighing in at a combined 350lbs -- and all yours for $500,000) and don't get me started on signed baseball books written in the last 100 years. Barf.

So last week, as the books started to pour through the office and carts started filling up outside my studio, I crossed my fingers that something cool would be waiting for me. Protocol here means that I photograph the "expensive" stuff first (usually sales people already have it selected for clients) and then I shoot all the "other inventory". This other inventory we refer to as "B" books, basically anything under 5K. This is usually where the dregs of the rare book industry are lurking, so I often put off shooting these books until the inventory manger is breathing down my neck.

of google calendars and taking care of business...

So, as stated in previous posts, I've had quite a bit of Real. Life. Responsibility to take care of. I'm getting it done. I have a new roommate nearly secured, though I will miss my current one desperately -- he's leaving big shoes to fill (quite literally). I've been meeting new and exciting people, gardening, and enjoying the beautiful weather. Everything seems to be a little easier even after just a few weeks of FOCUS. I had yet another root canal last week *shakes fist at dentist stealing my horse funds*...but I can see a light at the end of that tunnel there and that feels rewarding. I spent a large portion of the last week working out my finances so I can switch everything over to a credit union instead of a major bank. The long term goal here is to get a car in the next year, and after that...a horse. Having my money in a credit union will make all of that much easier to attain even if switching my bank account over is a HUGE pain in the butt right now.

My google calendar is filling up again...appointments, dates, and events...just the next few weeks are going to be so busy (but FUN) -- and only ONE of those plans is horse related!. Next week the movie "BUCK" comes to Landmark theaters in Philadelphia and I CANNOT wait to see it. For those of you unfamiliar, Buck Brannaman was the inspiration for the film, "The Horse Whisperer". Here's a quote from the movie that hits close to home for me these days...followed by the trailer.

Your horse is a mirror to your soul, and sometimes you may not like what you see. Sometimes, you will.

 **If you live near Philly, let's go see this together!
***He's coming to this area in the fall and I really want to audit a course!
****Also, I am going to sob like a child watching this film...you've been forewarned.