The derby is over and Simon is extremely relieved that he doesn’t have to wear braids for probably at least another year. We came, we saw and we huntered. For us, it was a personal best. Since we’re not exactly hunters, my goal for the derby is usually just survival and photographs. Mid-last week I texted my trainer and asked if she would be embarrassed if her fat client with the leadchangeless ottb was the only horse at the horse…
I used to be so type A when it came to horses, and followed through on everything as text book as I possibly could. In this new phase of my life, that person has been locked in a basement or something. I don’t know what’s happened to me, but I’m heading to San Antonio this afternoon the least prepared I’ve ever been for a horse show in my entire life. Here’s a synposis: How to Prep for a Horse Show…
One of the great things about having a barn family versus somewhere to just take lessons is that nobody questions why you would choose to spend your entire weekend at a horse show where you are not showing. Instead they say things like, “We’re ordering pizza for the classic. Can you bring ice for the beer?” Why yes, I can bring ice. I can also drink 3 ciders in an hour after not eating much and being super dehydrated. I can…
As you know, I’ve been thinking a lot about horses and horse showing lately. While a lot of this has been deep and theoretically, I have decided something concrete – I need to host a horse show. I’m thinking a low key, no thrills event with satin as long as our torsos since everything is better with amazing ribbons. Location to be determined, but I wanted to toss out my tentative divisions to y’all and get some feedback! I’m Over…
My weekend of showing has come and gone. I’m sitting at home with a light sunburn, a mild headache and a lot of feels. Then again, when don’t I have a lot of feelings? When I came back from the San Antonio show in February, I was exploding with happiness and hope. My feelings as I write this blog post tonight are quite a bit more complicated and a lot less positive. I’ve decided to break up this show report into…
On day two of the horse show, Simon and I were kind of over it. It’s not that I didn’t wake up excited and ready to horse show (and maybe a little bit hungover… turns out day drinking isn’t really my style)… I did! However, when the hunter ring is dragging and a nap feels like a super solid idea, it can be hard to motivate one’s self. By the time we got to my first class, the 2’6″ Equitation, I…
On Friday night when we were schooling, I trotted around the jumps in the hunter ring and told my trainer how small everything looked. They were all set to around 2′, which used to be my comfort level but now looks like speed bumps. Don’t think I’m knocking all the 2′ hunter riders aren’t there who think schooling that height at the show is scary. I’ve been there. I know your feels, but now it looks itty bitty. After we cruised down…
This weekend I took my two dogs and a cooler full of bubbly & cheese to meet Simon and my barn family in San Antonio for a schooling show. I had made the executive decision months ago to focus on the hunters, so this was to be our first legitimate show back in that ring. I wasn’t sure what to expect. Part of me felt like we’d win everything, and part of me thought it’d be a huge failure and…