Eventing With A Twist

Dressage doesn’t have to hurt to be right

2011-12-21T10:45:00.000-08:00

Like most eventers, I think of dressage as the icky wall offire that I have to pass through to earn entrance on to the cross-countrycourse. Or maybe it’s justme. Anyway, this weekend we did asort of mini-clinic with USDF Certified Instructor Camilla Fritze at thegorgeous Whitethorne Ranch up in Somis that may change my mind aboutdressage. It was - dare I say it?– actually a lot of fun!

The two days were terrific, with Camilla taking the timewith both Carolyn & I to work out whatever issues we had picked for theday. Day one was naturally themost interesting. While Junior hada brief turn out on Friday & Sat before we left, due to high wind/fainthearted mummy Reese spend Fri in his stall and had a brief turn out on Sat. All things considered, both boys weregreat, but it was the first time I’ve ever felt like Reese was running off withme! I didn’t really think the tinylittle dressage rails would keep him contained but ultimately we managed tostay in the arena.

Here’s some of the homework we took away from the weekend that we can continue to play with on our own:

Rhythm: Numero uno on that Dressage Pyramid thing andin Camilla’s lesson’s as well. Establish your rhythm – key point, YOUR rhythm, don’t just follow thehorse – and keep it no matter what. The rhythm needs to match the horse’s stride so for a horse like Junior,who hasn’t learned to use his front legs yet, the rhythm might seem painfullyslow until he figures his shoulders out. Don’t assume that a faster rhythm will get you a better gait; it mayjust come off as rushy rather than more energetic. It’s too bad that Garmin doesn’t make a watch that makes thetick of a metronome so people like me who are rhythmically challenged (you doNOT want to see me on the dance floor with less than 3 drinks in me) wouldn’thave to conquer genetics AND riding all in one fell swoop!

Don’t obsess about his head: Trying to fake dressage by working with your horse’shead down when he really isn’t coming through doesn’t accomplish anything. Camilla’s focus was on rhythm first andusually, eventually, once the horse kept a steady rhythm with equal, steadycontact on both reins, they were more willing to work through their back andnaturally lower their head to the dressage picture we all carry around in ourheads.

Turn the shoulder, not the nose: Simple concept that I’m sure everyinstructor has tried to ingrain in me since I put a foot in a stirrup butsomehow the way Camilla phrased it really made it pop. I could give a little reminder “hello”with the inside rein if need be but for the most part, but focusing on turningthe shoulder/feet and not the head I reduced (not eliminated – please!) theamount of times that I lost his shoulder in a turn.

Sitting (or stepping) in: This sounds much easier than it is, but was pretty transformational fora horse like Reese, aka Captain Klutzy, who throws you to exactly the spotwhere he doesn’t want you to sit. Trying to break it down in simple terms (‘cause that’s all I remember!)you want your outside seat bone over their outside leg, while putting weight inyour inside stirrup. You’re notleaning in (though sometimes it felt like it) but you should feel more pressureon the inner thigh of your outside leg. (At least until you get used to riding this way.) Make sense? Think about it next time you ride and it might suddenlybecome clear. I had to think of it not just around the turns, but with everysingle stride, particularly on his oh so sensitive right lead. It was amazing how much straighter itmade him. Which leads to…

The straighter the horse, the stronger the engine: With his engine/hind end really behindus, Reese’s gaits felt even stronger and he was able to lengthen out just alittle bit.

The connection mystique: While Iwouldn’t go so far as to say we accomplished true connection by DQ standards,Camilla did make it easy to understand the feel of having your horse in bothyour reins. Another one of thoseconcepts that sounds easier than it is, but boy when you had it, the horseslooked and felt like a million bucks. Bottom line: you have to get the horse to accept both reins before anydressage magic can happen.

Look straight ahead: Years of trying over come thebeginner habit of looking at my horse’s ears has gotten me (and most of you outthere if I had to guess) into the equally bad habit of looking too far ahead. Every time I looked throughhis ears to maybe 5 or 6 strides ahead, the turns just flowed in perfect(ish)balance. When I turned my head tooearly, I couldn’t help but throw my hips one way or the other and my little houseof cards of balance/rhythm/ came crashing down. As much a part of me as putting my heels down, thishabit may prove to be a tough one to break, but it was really obvious how muchof a difference it made.

Staying in balance with your horse: For me, this was actually one of thetoughest concepts to wrap my head around. Shoot, you’re in a jump saddle you lean a bit forward, you’re in adressage saddle and you lean a little bit backwards, right? If only life were that easy… Camilla pointedout the importance of staying in balance with your horse rather than slavishdevotion to the idea of sitting upright for dressage. Yes, your shoulders should always be open (or yourcollarbones opening up, or your spine pushed into your body, or your shoulderblades touching, however you need to picture it) but if your horse has fallen abit on his forehand, go with him and slowly rebalance him. Sticking with the sitting upright nomatter what he’s doing only makes it harder to regroup and after all, this is apartnership like a dance, not a wrestling match. (Ok, I came up that last little bit up as a way for meto think of it. I sincerely doubtCamilla has ever seen a wrestling match, nonetheless referenced it in adressage lesson!)

And finally….

Intent: It sounds weird and all new agey, but it’s amazing how muchsimply focusing your intention on what you want makes a difference. Having a clear picture in my head ofwhat I wanted made it easier for Reese, me or both of us to understand andtherefore achieve the goal. And whileI may not always be able to police myself on whether I’m in rhythm, balance,sitting in or having him in both reins, I can control what my little pea brainis focusing on (mostly)!

Thanks again to Camilla for a great weekend and the folks atWhitethorne Ranch who could not have been nicer.

Day 3 Ram Tap HT: Rain, rain go away...aw, screw it

2011-11-21T19:52:00.001-08:00

After a brilliant, albeit it chilly, Saturday I found it hard to believe all those predictions of rain on Sunday. Come on, what have they got, radars or something that tell them when clouds are coming in?

Needless to say we woke up at 5 to see it pissing rain outside. Again, thank you Holiday Inn Express for sending us on our way with coffee, warm bacon, eggs and biscuits! We got up to go to the barn anyway for Nahmi's cross country round on Simon. We looked at the horse, we looked at the footing (as much as one can in the pitch black). Discretion being the better part of valor, Nahmi decided that she'd be just as happy not running cross-country. Like any good Hobbit, we went back to the hotel for second breakfasts of fresh baked cinammon rolls. Ironically, Sherry reports that the announcer kept calling out, "Nahmi Jones on Simon the Likable clear at fence three" etc. until "Nahmi Jones and Simon the Likable finish with a clean score." How awesome is that - Nahmi got to stay in bed AND have a clean round in the rain? I just feel bad for the poor bugger who actually rode and never heard their name called!

We came back to the Ram Tap to help Sherry and Poznan get dressed for their go. By then it had stopped raining but the wind was still blowing up big pony's skirt. Quite by accident, Sherry discovered that what Poznan really needs as a warm up is a good, brisk 10 minute gallop around the warm up area. Unfortunately, he decided to do it all on his own. One replacement set of reins later and Sherry was back in the irons (leg ups for your wife are definitely your domain, Brent) and doing lovely over some warm up fences. A little coaching from Nahmi and she was on her way.

Nice fashion statement, Nahmi!

Are those Pony Club clean?

It was a gorgeous round fit for a movie. The first few fences were a bit slow, making the round as they disappeared over the hill a real cliff hanger. Would Sherry kick him into the next gear and avoid time faults? Or would she stay safe & secure in hunter land? As they popped out of the water over the hill, the answer was clear. Poznan thundered proudly around the last third of the course and came in at the perfect time.

Another irony in life -- with all the techno-gadgets at her disposal (see the app reference in the last entry) to ensure she was running on time, Sherry ended up going by mostly feel.


Dear Santa: Nahmi needs new windshield wipes for Christmas

We went out to celebrate the day with lunch, only to hear reports of ice on the Grapevine forming around three o'clock. Not nearly enough time for us to get over it before that happens. We changed our orders to lunch to go and headed out the door and on the road. Fortunately, all we found was snow near the Grapevine but no ice on it. Still, we end up home before 6pm and cocktails served before 7. All in all, a successful weekend!

Ram Tap November Horse Trials - Sat 11/19/11

2011-11-20T07:20:00.001-08:00


A new day dawning

So very, very proud of both Sherry & Nahmi today! They're both showing commando style -- no, not that kind of commando. They're both wearing underwear, but are showing without the help of a professional trainer to coach them in warm up. Relying on their own skills acquired from hard work all year (life?) long, experience from past shows, and helpful notes/suggestions from trainers Susan Friend, Gina Economou and the ever awesome Brian Sabo, they're doing it on their own and really shining.

It's really inspiring to see them showing "without a net" as it were, flying or falling on their own wits. At the end of the day, isn't that what we all should be able to do? Not at every show, but if the point of showing is testing your own mettle (and for the kind of $$$ it better not be for the .98 ribbon) we all should consider doing this on our own from time to time. Just a thought...

Hair club for geldings?

Anyway, back to the ladies: of course Sherry had to be an over achiever, scoring the lowest dressage score of the entire show with a 20. (For non-eventers, our sport is like golf, the lowest score wins.) Nahmi had a really great, relaxed, flowing ride on the folliclely challenged Simon - see braid pic) and scored one of their best tests at a 35. I was really happy not just with her ride, but her terrific attitude of looking at this as a building kind of test. She achieved what she set out to do - bring a relaxed partnership into the arena - and will continue to push from there. Considering it was such a brisk, chilly day that even the judge commented on it, that was quite an accomplishment for Simon!

Fortunately, the dawn's arctic breeze blew the gray, overcast sky away to give us a brilliantly sunny late morning for show jumping. Simon's round continued on the same theme of learning and growing. They had a rail and some time faults, so I suppose on paper it doesn't look as successful as rounds from previous shows, but Nahmi was extremely happy with the outcome and rightfully so. Simon wanted to be a pisser in the warm up, but as Brian says she choose to disagree with his choice to lengthen to the fence with her upper body, resisting the urge to pull or or lock up her elbows. Guess what, it worked! In the arena, they rode straight to the fences, Nahmi's form was awesome, she made choices to get Simon to particular spots and achieved those goals. A few wide turns turned out to be costly time wise but she had goals and met them -- what else could you ask for?

Poznan proved to be interesting and entertaining to watch in the warm up. Every time another horse would jump a jump towards him, he went leaping about the place putting poor Sherry's back to the test. At one point he nearly went over a coffin combination that was next to the warm up arena in his exuberance to show his disdain of other horses & riders. All the rails stayed in the cups - good Lord, he cantered over one or two instead of jumping them - but they did have time faults thanks to his laid back style. If only he was the over achiever that his mummy is... Since her one and only goal was to finish with no time faults, Sherry was disappointed, but it's kind of hard to feel sorry for someone sitting in first place! :)

Sorry, no pics of rides as I was busy with the video camera. Maybe videos to follow if Carolyn will be kind enough to link them here?

Have to say, once again Ram Tap's staff and the facility make the unpredictable weather worth enduring. The jump course was challenging but not daunting, the footing in remarkably good shape and everything running pretty much on time and according to plan. For those who know me well, you know that the thing nearest and dearest to my heart is the bathroom situation. Happy to report after touring nearly every port-o-potty on the place that they were all clean, had paper, had hand sanitizer and all in all a pleasure to use. Thank you Ram Tap!

We walked the cross-country courses with a new companion - the course walking app. (Have I mentioned lately how much I hate the word "app"? It sounds like a burp gone wrong, but I digress.) More on that later in another blog entry but clearly we weren't the only ones out there with this handy new device that measures the course and gives you minute markers as you walk. Hard to tell, however, it people were using the app or just texting while walking.... (if you zoom in on the pic, you can just barely see it at work.)

On a very sad note, our dear friend Larry Sawyer lost his eventing partner Caboose today. More than just a successful Intermediate and one star competitor with Auburn Brady in the irons, he was a friend and will be missed.

November Ram Tap Horse Trials - Friday, 11/18/11

2011-11-20T06:43:00.001-08:00

It's freezing, it has rained/is about to rain/just rained and windy -- it must be Ram Tap in November!

When we left LA, it was chilly and foggy so to be fair, crummy weather isn't really Fresno's fault. On the upside, the Ram Tap showgrounds were, as always, really well organized and the folks who run the show were super friendly when we checked in. Nahmi and I got Simon the Likable settled in and shortly after, Sherry arrived in the rolling Taj Mahal with his majesty Poznan.

The ladies hacked around a bit while I snuggled in the nose of Nahmi's trailer bundled up in her (purple, of course) sleeping bag on her surprisingly comfy new mattress. With the shorter days, Sherry and Nahmi both ended up braiding by head-light - literally, with those little miner helmet lights you were on your head. If you show and braid your own horse, this is an invaluable little gadget to have. Thank God Carolyn owns one so Nahmi could borrow it! :)

Working all day made the steaks that Sherry was gracious enough to grill out on her awesome BBQ that much tastier. While it looked like way too much food, magically it was all gone by the end of dinner. (If you look closely you can see Sherry's malibu & firefly lights twinkling - does she know how to do horse shows or what?) Great company and the traditional horse show round (or two) of cocktails almost made you forget how freakin' cold it was! Well... that and we all piled inside Sherry's warm, cozy living quarters for after dinner toast before Nahmi and I made our way to our hotel.

If you've been to Ram Tap before, you know the hotel choices are either a dump next to a crack house or something that's pretty pricey & farther away. Behold the new destination hotel for anyone going to Ram Tap -- The Holiday Inn Express on Kathryn Ave. I shouldn't even be publicizing it for fear that the rooms will fill up all that much faster but who am I kidding, this blog doesn't have that big of a following! Don't know what the price is since, being a mere groom it came as part of my payment package, but I'm in love with the hotel. The beds are firm but comfy, the staff really helpful and most of all FOOD! The gentleman in charge of such things had the continental breakfast ready - and I mean coffee, sausage, eggs, the whole nine yards - by the time we left on Sat. morning at 5:30!! Usually hotels get kind of pissy when you ask if they can open a little earlier than their 7 a.m. posted time so we can have a little sustenance to face the long days at shows. Not only was food ready, the young man was pleasant, eager to please and downright chipper! This happened not just one morning but both days! I am officially in love...

Allowing Mistakes

2011-09-28T18:16:00.000-07:00

Mistakes Happen!

By Carolyn Bahr

It’s okay to fail.

Mistakes can be good.

Without fear, there is no courage.

The last was spoken to me by eventing legend, James Wofford. I had just had the privilege to be the first and only rider to part ways with her horse on day one of a three-day clinic at Eventful Acres. It was a spectacular fall, with my green horse, Junior, managing to duck out in a one stride gymnastic line of three oxers. I got up, dusted myself off, mounted, and tried again. His words help me ditch my embarrassment, self-recrimination, and yes, stage fright in riding with Mr. Wofford.

Perfection Rarely Happens

Being a closet perfectionist control freak (or not so private if you talked to fellow eTwisters), this summer was pivotal in my growth as a rider. Discovering that perfect isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be, that sometimes, allowing mistakes can be the biggest learning experience of all. Which was true for both my horse and me.

Most Eventers know teaching your green horse to have a “fifth” leg is necessary for both horse and rider. The ability of your equine partner to save your ass is essential for safety and competitiveness, especially for an amateur. But in order to achieve it, you have to be willing to give up control and allow your horse to make mistakes so he can learn.

Because, guess what? No one is perfect, neither horse nor rider. I really hate that. I found that out at the clinic. It was impossible for me not to rate Junior to the fences, especially when he came out like a fire breathing dragon. And of course, the hotter and stupider he became, the worse I rode. Talk about a never-ending cycle of embarrassment. But I did learn from it. The times I managed to shut my over-active brain down and do what Jimmy asked, Junior improved and I grew in my horsemanship.

Getting It Done

It wasn’t the weekend I was expecting, but it was probably the weekend I needed.

The clinic was a second in my lessons learned this summer. The first was riding my horse in his first recognized competition. I didn’t want to do it. I normally would have had a professional ride him first. I was afraid I’d mess up and give my boy a horrible ride and wreck him somehow. You know, the one ride that would ruin him forever? It took an amazing amount of faith in my trainer, Susan Friend Le Tourneur, and fellow eTwisters, bashing me upside the head, telling me I could do this, that I sent my entry in as rider.


Learn From Our Mistakes

Did Junior place as high as he could have with a professional in the irons, most likely not. Did my confidence shoot skyward when in a class of 16, I managed to finish in 6^th place on my dressage score and just three time penalties. Absolutely! By allowing myself the room to fail, I accepted a challenge and let go of some control.

Allow mistakes. Give it a try. It just might be good for you.

Day 3 XC Day

2011-09-15T14:27:00.000-07:00

by Nahmi Jones


Master Instruction

Cross country is dressage at a high rate of speed.

Rushing to get ready to ride is a recurrent anxiety dream for me. I do my best to give myself plenty of time to get ready for important events, so I can tack up and warm up methodically and calmly. But the early morning beat the heat schedule on cross country morning, maximum green spot abatement and fussing with Susan's borrowed air vest for the first time and oh no!! suddenly we were late for the fun of cross country day at the Wofford clinic!! Rushing through my warm up was no way to lull the fire breathing dragon into submission.

Jimmy pointed out that my strategy of throwing my shoulders back, standing in the stirrups and hauling on the bit was probably not the most efficient way for me to put on the brakes in the inviting open spaces of Eventful Acres. He had me practice instead holding 2 point position while asking for downward transitions to the halt and all the way through the reinback, just as he describes in the current issue of Practical Horseman.

He suggested a single bridge as my fire breathing dragon is rather strong. That way Simon pulled against himself and not me. He reminded us that just like in dressage, we need to be quick to reward and release the pressure on the reins once the horse softens, even at speed.

When I stabilized my shoulder position and found better body balance, Simon was happy to oblige with more sensitive brakes and we both got a little softer between the fences. Fire breathing dragon placated for the moment.

Simon was brave and bold and definitely up for the challenge of Rod's Intro to Prelim course. The gentle progression in degree of difficulty at the bank, ditch and skinny combinations gave me confidence when we moved up to the prelim sized questions. By the time we got to the water complex we were ready to tackle the whole exercise without any rehearsal. Jimmy's comment? See how much fun Prelim can be on this horse?

I finished the weekend confident and satisfied and clear on what areas I need to improve on at home. It is rumored that Jimmy might have mentioned Simon and Kilkenney's names in the same sentence. Whoa boy, I'm really going to have to get my homework done and raise my game. The fire breathing dragon's going to extra cocky if he gets wind of that kind of nod from the master.

When we were finished, after Simon was hosed off and iced, we snuck into the perfectly manicured Stadium arena for a post XC roll. Up drove Rod in his gator. Uh oh Simon, we're busted for screwing up the footing! But no, Rod just chuckled, "Spoiling your Ferrari? Good, he deserves it!"

Thanks Rod. Good job pony. I hope we can do it again next year!

Day 2 Stadium Jumping

2011-09-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

by Nahmi Jones

When you feel nothing....add


Jimmy's sage advice for Simon

Jimmy's lectures are free form which is cool. He opens the floor for questions about anything that is on our minds. Today's lecture led to a discussion about seeing one's distance.

To paraphrase his take on the subject: If you feel the fence leaning away from you, you're going to be long, better add leg. If you feel the fence leaning towards you, you're going to be short, better half halt. Then every once in a while, it just feels sweet and you don't have to do anything to get to the fence and its a good day.

But what if you feel nothing? Then you're on the perfect half stride kid.

Isn't it wonderful when you can take what you just learned in lecture and apply it to your riding to solidify the learning process the very same day? Yeah, grrreat.

We warmed up for stadium jumping and started to string together a course in Jimmy's ring of related distances. I was just getting over the pucker effect caused by facing a whole course of Prelim sized fences when on the approach to the second line....nothing, yup I felt nothing.

My solution to the nothing feeling was to drop my shoulders and pray--Simon, please get us out of this!--oops...no surprise...no go. And this was how I demonstrated for the class what the perfect half stride looks like. Jimmy pointed out that we get that nothing feeling because our brains can't sort out whether we're long or short on the perfect half stride and that the solution is to fill up the empty feeling with ANOTHER STRIDE. Ok, got it Jimmy, another stride, not prayer.

We went on to complete the exercise in the ring of related distances. There was a 4,5 and 6 stride line set up in a ring and we were to connect them with circles in between each line. This simple stadium course allowed us to practice asking for the correct leads over the fences, adjusting stride length in lines with related distances, and balancing in the turns (or in Simon's case, regaining some semblance of control), all the details we were going to need to have a clean, flowing stadium round.

I finished the day with the wonderful, confident feeling of staying softly connected with my horse as he stepped lightly over a series of large fences. And lots more details to add to the homework list.

Birthday Fun

2011-08-22T19:49:00.000-07:00

by Carolyn Bahr

A few weeks ago, Marla ditched work and heading out for some cross country fun. With Reese, keeping both Sparky and Simon company in the trailer, we headed out to Shepherd Ranch for a day of Schooling.

Nahmi and Simon, rocked the course, taking most of the preliminary jumps in style. I think a move up is in their near future. They both looked amazing. And of course, we all loved the huge grin and pigtails Nahmi wore throughout the day.

Next up, Marla and Reese had their first serious cross country schooling. By the end, they were jumping smoothly and having fun. What a great way to spend your birthday.

Nahmi with Sparky started knocking off the rust tackling combos of training and preliminary jumps. Sparky certainly showed his enthusiasm being back in the field.

And me? With no room in the trailer, Junior stayed at home, but I was able to get some great videos, though risking life and limb to capture the shot. Hey Santa, how about a high definition camcorder this Christmas?

Gymnastics day: Pat the head, rub the belly

2011-07-27T12:19:00.000-07:00

by Nahmi Jones

"Going Training, schooling Prelim" was the chorus for our one sentence intros to Jimmy this morning. Whew, maybe I'm not the only rider who foolishly said "yes" when Karen Hisken asked if I of course wanted to be in the Prelim group for the 2011 Wofford clinic at Eventful Acres. It was a great comfort to be with many of the same horse and rider combos who joined me in the training group last year. Maybe I am in the right place...

Last year on day one of the clinic, the sea of white poles in Rod's huge stadium arena intimidated me. This year, I welcomed the challenge (er...the speed bumps). Simon, the veteran, had the gymnastics game figured out as soon as he set foot in the arena and was eager to show off. Clever with his foot work and able to lengthen and compress easily, he didn't start to settle in until the exercises got more complicated. Bring on those bounces please!

Sea Of Poles

Although Simon had his job figured out, Jimmy was quick to point out that I needed some reminders of where we left off last year. Let go of the reins, ease off on the heels, don't make him anxious and flat by kicking too much. Relaxing the tension in my body came a little quicker this year thanks to all those hours this winter of doing my homework with Susan and Brian's encouragement.

The rest of the day's lesson was about focus. Ironically, focusing on riding the whole course and holding off on celebrations until the whole exercise (or round) is complete is something we've been discussing at home this year.

Jimmy's advice today was about the opposite end of the party spectrum. Focus on setting the horse up straight, let him do him job through the gymnastic, and the focus on pulling up in a controlled fashion. Only after the round is complete should you let the hyper-critical internal dialog start. If you start thinking about what you've done wrong while the horse is still in motion, then he's going to start driving. And Simon definitely likes to drive.

We finished the day with a few encouraging words from Jimmy. "Give yourself permission to be better. You are better, but you don't believe it yet."

Focus the mind, relax the body. Pat the head, rub the belly. We know what this year's homework is gonna be.

Show Jump Day at Shepherd Ranch

2011-07-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Finally, the last day of our show at Shepherd Ranch. The first thing that greeted us was the spectacular prank that someone (who shall remain nameless except I think they spelled Pepperwood out in the prank) pulled on the Mill Creek gang. All their tack trunks were placed in a very festive pile in the middle of the barn aisle. It was pretty funny, actually. Too bad that most of the riders, including their trainer Joe, came down with what we’ve now dubbed The Mill Creek Crud. Food poisoning, flu bug, or nefarious activity? Hmmm. I’m in the clear since all of Joe’s kids already handily beat me in our class. Or am I? :)

As with all shows, the big boys – Nahmi and Susan riding training – went at the a** crack of dawn while the rest of us went at the end of the day, right when the sun had melted both horse and rider into submission. I’m looking forward to both Susan and Nahmi’s move up to Preliminary in the very near future, but dread the thought of how early we’ll have to be at the show for that! My only hope is that Carolyn and I will continue to move up the ranks (and seriously folks, I can’t really move DOWN the ranks, can I?) so we can close the gap between the rounds to something short of mind-numbingly long.

Simon ended up taking a rail, but Sparky – as usual – tied himself up in knots to keep mummy in the clear. It may have been the masterful job that Carolyn did hand-walking Sparky around, lecturing him on distances and speed before his go, who can say for sure.

And then came the wait. Yee gods, it seemed like forever. Let me insert right here before I forget a big thank you to all the folks who kept the show running fairly smooth all weekend long. The crew at Shepherd Ranch did a great job of keeping it together when all of us competitors were losing it. An event like this requires an immense amount of volunteers so be sure to at least try to volunteer at the next event you compete in.

Finally, Carolyn was at bat. After a looooonnnnnngggg walk warm up (note to self: have someone go down and check where the show stands before getting on the horse, no matter how the math works out) they got their shot in the arena. Other than one fence that seemed to take Junior by surprise, it was an excellent effort.

Now it was our turn, the first show jump round Reese and I have ever done. Would I be as slow as the day before? By God, not if I had anything to say about it! And considering my performance the day before, I probably don’t have as much say about it as I think I do… I have to confess to getting a little bit impatient for our round, which probably was for the best. By the time I got in the arena I didn’t care what happened, I just wanted to be done. After a tiny little spook at the crowd, I kicked Reese up into a canter and we were in 3^rd gear (for better or worse) the rest of the way. After a gasp (or laugh if you’re Nahmi) inducing leap over the same fence the Junior was shocked at, we had a relatively good run for a double clear round. Take that little children who have yet to experience puberty! I leapt over um… one kid who was sick as a dog to raise my standings. Doesn’t feel as satisfying when I put it that way…

The show was a terrific experience for one and all, showing us what we need to work on while letting us bask in the glow of our successes for an hour or two at least.

Next: The Wofford Experience!

Chip's Blog - Day One Eventful Acres

2011-07-14T17:44:00.000-07:00

Chip & The Tres Guuiness

Hello, Chip here again. Thursday was Travel Day to Eventful Acres for the Jimmy Wofford clinic. Its was a good day. No one slept through their alarms. Like a well oiled machine, the tres hermanas rolled out of Goldspirit at 10 min till 4am, long before any sane cock would be crowing.

We flew over the grapevine, ducked the heat and landed at Eventful Acres before lunchtime.

Simon and Junior were settled into their corrals, bedrolls unfurled for the girls. Now what's for lunch? Why Guinness please...its a drink and a meal rolled into one! A great start to the summer getaway!

Simon The Likeable's likeables

After a short siesta, a light hack was in order to stretch the ponies' legs and backs after the long trailer ride. Simon and Junior got a look around the property to familiarize them with the playground at Eventful Acres. Creeks, ditches and lots of inviting green grass...pony heaven. Everyone now relaxed and ready for whatever Jimmy had in store for us.

We enjoyed a great dinner served up by Carol and whoopee (cushions :-O) rootbeer floats for dessert! Yum, but at what age does lactose intolerance set in?

Shepherd Ranch Horse Trials Part 3: Reese's "Top Gear" is Apparently 2nd...

2011-07-06T22:01:00.000-07:00

... ok, to be fair that's probably more about his Mummy being a chicken s@#t - could we have gone slower without going backwards???

Warning – spoiler alert! All 4 ponies were cross country superstars today, gaining no jump faults and a few time faults spread amongst a few of us. So very, very proud especially of Nahmi to run two nearly back to back training courses on both of her boys and do them like a champ (wheezing and all).

Nahmi was up first on Simon, who like a grey ghost was a bit hard to follow in the early morning fog. They energetically attacked each fence, getting lots of hoots and hollers from Bill and Maureen who came up to watch as a pre-wine tasting warm up. It was awesome to see them finish the course. From where I was standing I couldn’t see it, but I can only imagine the beaming smile on Nahmi’s face.

After Susan turned in her second great ride of the day, it was Nahmi’s turn again, this time on Sparky. Like an old pro, he just slipped back in to his job like he’s been doing this every weekend while Nahmi wasn’t looking. Nahmi did have the cruel revelation that she is indeed NOT a 12-year-old little girl and had to pull up for a moment to get her air, but all around it was another super effort. Again, pretty sure that her grin was from ear to ear when all was said and done.

There was a long, LONG break in the day until we baby eventers got our turn on the course. Barn mate Lena went first and put in a respectable round with that was terrific save for one unfortunate course error near the end.

Carolyn and Junior came out of the start box looking bold and confident. Watching from the warm up arena, they were an inspiring sight as they smoothly sailed over every fence.

Reese and I... Wow, were we slow. Ouch. Still, we got over everything and that’s what was important, right?

Special thanks to Shepherd Ranch for putting on such a great course at every level. Although to the pros, the intro course SEEMED small, to me and the other 9 little girls on ponies, our “table” seemed like the real deal. Ok, maybe it was only me, but still…. And a BIG THANK YOU to the volunteers - no event could go on without you!

Can’t wait for the next one… hoping our horses feel the same.

Our reward... turned sideways! Thanks Bill & Mo!

Tomorrow, show jump. Fingers crossed everyone is sound and willing.

Chip's First Blog

2011-07-05T18:17:00.000-07:00

Hello world, things are all aflutter at the Jones household this week so I thought I'd take a moment to introduce myself...since the bird brains here don't seem to have the time to.

My name is Chip. I'm the official mascot for the next eTwist adventure and self appointed guest blogger. I'm going to give you a bird's eye view of clinicing with Jimmy Wofford.

Since birds of a feather flock together, the tres hermanas are gathering for a road trip to Oregon House. Yes, this summer time migration pattern is becoming an annual ritual. The eTwisters along with a gaggle of fledgling eventers are once again participating in the Wofford Clinic at Eventful Acres.

The etwist chicks have been hatching their plans for summer vacation, gathering camping gear, road food for the 8+ hr trip, bathing suits with at least a shred or two of elastic still intact, a fully stocked trailer bar and of course single malt for Mr. Wofford. Ponies on their best behavior clipped, cleaned and tack organized.

Eventful Acres, here we come.

Although the early bird gets the...well you get the picture...this sparrow's opinion is that the departure time of truly obscene o'clock is for the birds.

Shepherd Ranch - LIVE!

2011-07-01T15:42:00.000-07:00

Coming your way soon, on a screen near you - live on tape - Shepherd Ranch June 2011. The videos of Training Level, Beginner Novice, and Intro Beginner Novice of our eTwisters are now available for viewing. Check us out!

Shepherd Ranch Horse Trials Part 2: Dressage is hard

2011-07-01T09:43:00.000-07:00

No one took pics of dressage so I just threw this in. Isn't Sparky cute?

So we all survived the first day of the show (the second day at Shepherd for us since we got here on Thursday and took the practice dressage test) and like any show there have been a lot of up and downs. First up was Nahmi on Simon, who turned in such a great performance that someone asked how much she’s willing to sell him for. And still she ended up with a less than stellar score. Watching the test now on tape and it still looks great to me. I didn’t get to see much as I was warming up but what I saw was awesome.

Then it was me on Reese. Ok, since no one else said it, I thought we did awesome. Apparently I’m a fan club of one. :D Watching it now on video… nope, still think it was our best test yet. Thank you Susan, for all your help getting us there. I had a couple of light bulb moments in the warm up that I felt like I really learned something at a show other than dealing with the splashback effect from the porto-potties (beware of the blue sanitizer while wearing tan pants, that’s all I’m saying…). And we were rewarded for our efforts with… yep, a less than stellar score. Oh well, it’s all about the educational experience, right? (In hindsight, I confess I felt like in the intro to beginner novice division, the judge should just be happy I achieved the right gait at the right time. Apparently the judge was holding us to a bit higher standard – hence the reason I got my ass handed to me by a bunch of kids on ponies!)

Next came Nahmi again on Sparky. OMG Sparky is so adorable with his floppy ears!! Beautiful test, a lengthening to die for and…. Another lower than expected score. Bummer.

And then came that ray of sunshine, miracle of miracles, Junior. Junior, who spent the night apparently tearing up his stall and was a bit of a crazed maniac during the day showed up at the show ring ready to show his stuff. After an accidentally long warm up, Junior was STELLAR!! And by that I mean freakin’ amazing. Beyond just the “no bucks, no running backwards, no balking” relatively low bar – it really was awesome! And the score… well, it kind of reflected it. She beat me anyway. :)

At the end of the day, we all walked our cross-country courses and are looking forward to/terrified of tomorrow. Gad, when did INTRO to beginner novice get so BIG? It’ll be fun… and if I keep telling myself that, will it make it true? You’ll find out tomorrow.

Shepherd Ranch Horse Trials - Part 1

2011-06-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

Finally, after all these years of riding together, Carolyn, Nahmi and I are getting to do our first show with everyone on board their horses. Miracle of miracles (knocking on wood here) all four boys – Simon, Sparky, Reese and Junior – are sound, we’re sound (of body anyway), and ready to have a really great weekend.

Getting up at obnoxious o’clock in the morning after a late night finishing up some work I’d been putting off (shocking!) should have been tough, but I think I was so excited that getting up early was easy. And that’s without coffee! (‘cause I wasn’t up early enough to actually make some and Starbucks has not succumbed to my brilliant idea that they deliver at 5:30 am :D)

Loading was great with everyone – including the sometimes sticky Junior – just marching right on. Could it be that the babies are growing up? With a little bit of teamwork we left Goldspirit Farm and were on the road by 6:28, two minutes ahead of schedule.

Susan’s trailer arrived at Shepherd Ranch slightly ahead of Nahmi and me because – be prepared to be shocked – they had to stop to go to the bathroom and Nahmi and I didn’t! I know that only people who have gone to shows with us before will get that, but usually Nahmi and I have the smallest bladders of the gang. The one stop combined with the bigger truck and possibly heavier foot J got them there in time to stake out the best parking spot and find our stalls before our arrival. After that, we moved together with the precision of a Swiss watch to get the stall guards up, waters filled and ponies fed.

Ahhh, time to relax… for about two minutes. Isn’t that the way horse shows always go? We should have had hours to go tack shopping and unwind but before you knew it, it was time to get ready for the practice test we all signed up for.

The practice dressage got off to a bit of an exciting start as Junior bolted on the lunge line, slipped, fell and skidded around the arena on his ass. The cool part is that he got his brain back in gear and Carolyn rode a very respectable test with no bucks, running backwards or balking. Simon and Reese put in respectable tests as well, and everyone got some good coaching from the judge. If you have the opportunity to do a practice test the day before, I highly recommend it. Seasoned vet that he is, Sparky got to sit this out and relax in his stall.

Tomorrow – the real thing!

Playing Hooky

2011-05-06T21:09:00.000-07:00

Dressage 101

By Carolyn Bahr

There comes a time in every working adult amateur’s life when a choice arises, especially when they own a green baby off-the-track thoroughbred. Do they give their baby his/hers first show experience or do they let their trainer/coach do it?

I live in two worlds: my professional busy post-production television career, and my fun, extracurricular, equestrian pursuits. With my first OTTB mare, I chose having my trainers lead the way, and not hopping into the irons until my horse had her show experience laid down.

But this time, I picked a different path. I’m not the same rider I was almost a decade ago, and Junior, certainly isn’t the hot mare I use to own. He’s a solid guy, talented, somewhat easy going, gelding -- the perfect partner in which to step up and challenge my skills.

Junior Studying Sarah's Words To Live By: Be Bold, Ride Tough

Following the advice of both my trainer and my good friends, I entered our first show with me as rider. I christened Junior with a show name, Playing Hooky (‘cause lets face it…. If I ever get to show, it’s ‘cause I skipped out of work!), chose both a level that would be easy for both of us, and venue that would be inviting.

May 1st, The Meadows of Moorpark derby day arrived. The first challenge was met with success, loading into the trailer, and we were on our way traveling with fellow Eventer, Sarah Wood and her horse Tiberius. As our coach, Susan Friend LeTourneur of Goldspirit Farm and eTwister, Marla White, went to get our numbers, we were off to lunge.

Both boys were superstars and very quiet. Things were looking up for my show nerves. We left them happily tied to the trailer as we went to walk our derby jump course. Mine was a combo platter: Easy Beginner Novice was a combination of Beginner Novice fences mixed in with the Intro BN. Nothing struck me as scary or undoable, though I was bit squeamish about the solid log jump back into the arena. Course memorized, it was off to get ready for dressage.

Trek Back To Trailer

Tiberius was up first, and while he was gone, Junior held up well being left at the trailer by himself and only me for companionship. It wasn’t until twenty minutes in when some other horse let out a bellow, that my quiet, well-behaved, baby decided he didn’t like to be alone. Good timing, since we were already tacked and almost ready to head for our warmup. Thank you fellow eTwister, Sherry, for helping me get on my fire-breathing dragon and was quite good-natured about us trotting away and leaving her behind. Warmup was interesting. He tried very hard and at least settled slightly. Off we headed to our arena. Finally, it was show time! Still on the muscle, but trying to be good, as soon as the competitor before us halted and saluted, I was off trotting outside the arena to give Junior a view of what’s to come. We stopped at the judge’s booth, chatted (to make sure he knew they were people in there and not horse eating monsters) and also passed it both directions. After wishing us a good ride, the bell rung and I made our way to letter “A”.

Over Fence #1

With some encouragement after a slight balk, I got Junior into the arena and cantered partway down centerline. Forward is good, right? Or did he think we were going advance? In my dreams. It was an interesting test. The wind picked up and blew down part of our court as we were trotting directly at it. There were some more illegal canters and one tiny buck, but we managed a square halt and salute. With a big smile I patted him and told him he was a good boy. Definitely not the test I was expecting out my fancy TB, but not horrible for the first time out. Hey, we stayed in the arena and didn’t get eliminated after all, and he did show moments of relaxations and throughness. Next time we’ll get ‘em.

Into The Arena

Next up, his favorite phase, jumping. It use to be mine, but after several mishaps with my previous horse, I‘ve learned I don’t bounce as well as I use too… I was determined to put my luggage aside and give my boy the ride and confidence/support that he deserved.

Last Fence!

A few rides ahead, we waited outside the field to watch a few rounds. That’s when I discovered something new about Junior – applause. Apparently with his failed career on the race track, he hadn’t heard the crowds before, or maybe he did and he had a flashback, either way, I, all of sudden, had a very alert, springy, bouncy boy. Needless to say, we left the area and waited for my trainer to tell me to head on in.

Our time had arrived. We galloped into the field, halted and saluted our judge. She rang the bell and we were off. A derby consists of both stadium and solid field jumps, and with a deep breath, we kicked on to the first of the colored poles. I tried to clear my mind of past rides from other shows and concentrated on the here and now. Five strides, four strides, three strides, I waited to see what Junior would do about his first competition fence. I kept my leg, I sat up straight, and lo and behold, he cantered right up and jumped it. Never once taking a “green” look or backing off. Good boy! I just had my first smile of many. Ten jumps total, and he never looked at a thing, just happily cantering and jumping and asking mom, “what’s next?” Even my scary solid fence, he never thought twice about. After clearing our last fence, I was grinning ear-to-ear, so proud of my boy and myself. Jumping was fun again! And boy was it great to hear: “Double clear for Playing Hooky and Carolyn Bahr.”

WINNING Weekend - duh!

2011-03-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Sherry and Poznan had a great showing at the Flintridge Horse Trials (March 12-13). They must have had tiger's blood in their veins (last Charlie Sheen reference, I promise), earning an amazing 24.5 in dressage. They had a couple of time faults for having a bit too much of a stroll through the country side during cross country, but that's just the way they roll. (ok, THAT was the last Charlie Sheen joke... probably). All in all, they ended up in first place, adding another blue ribbon to their collection.

Sherry showed in one of the hybrid classes that Flintridge offered, meaning that she rode the dressage and stadium jumping phases at one level (in their case Novice) and the cross country round at a lower level (Beginner Novice). These classes are a great way for both horse and rider to build their confidence at a sort of in between step,. More people really need to enter these classes to support the effort of keeping our sport safe and fun for all levels of riders.

Brent also got a chance to work on his latest invention - stirrup cam! Figuring that the helmet cam doesn't effectively translate how exciting a cross country course can be, he placed this tiny mini digital recorder where it can catch the up close and personal view of the jump (frankly, a view none of us hope to have!). Haven't heard how well it worked but Brent's attitude is if at first you don't succeed....

Carolyn treated herself to a little bit of winning attitude as well, buying a Hit-Air vest to wear at all the shows and schoolings she knows she and Junior are going to in the future. Even magical Vatican assassin warlocks (ok THAT really is the last Charlie Sheen-ism) don't bounce so good against hard objects and the Hit-Air vest is an air vest that instantly expands when you become involuntarily separated from your saddle (aka fall). In the spirit of e-Twisters hanging together, she's loaning it to Sherry for the event at 3 Day Ranch this coming weekend (March 18-20). Hopefully we'll never learn if it works or not because we won't need it....

The most exciting thing about the weekend though was seeing Sherry and Poznan just continuing to get better and better. Ok, there were a couple of chuckles as, quoting the judge, they "staggered to a halt" but their score also reflected a 9 for a canter transition. They looked really amazing in all three phases and we're keeping fingers and hooves crossed for a great show for both Sherry and Cappa this weekend.

A Moment to Mark the Passage of a Friend

2011-02-05T09:42:00.000-08:00

Normally, Eventing With A Twist is here to report our hopefully interesting adventures following the pursuit of eventing. Today, I'm temporarily hi-jacking our blog to celebrate a life of an honorary e-Twister.

Last week, I had to say goodbye to my horse partner of nearly 19 years, Tequila. At the age of 30 something, she died the way she lived - playing hard and giving it 100%. Some people called her a rescue horse but in fact, I'm pretty sure it was she who rescued me.

Our relationship wasn't always an easy one. I think it was actually mutual disdain at first sight. As a working student at a local riding school, I typically got to ride all the psychos in exchange for my working student hours. I opened her stall door and she came lunging at me, ears back and teeth bared. After recruiting a friend to hold her while I tacked, riding wasn't any easier. We had the "run" and "run like hell" gaits down pat but anything else was questionable at best. (And remained so for months on end.) But this was a gymkhana class, not some hunter eq thing, and when I pointed her at the barrels it was pure magic. A few days later, pole bending was even better. Her manners were still atrocious, but I was undeniably hooked.

She failed out of being a school horse since no one else wanted to ride her and was about to be sent back to an owner intent on dumping her at any cost. Suddenly I was faced with the dilemma of owning a horse for the first time in my life or losing her. Thankfully, three other friends were willing to take the dive with me and "the Tequila moms" were born.

I think our rocky start quickly turned around when disdain became mutual bitchy respect. Soon into our partnership she tried to dump my ass, but riding western at the time I merely got "weaned" on the horn (use your imagination, you'll figure out what it means). Shouting, "I saved your life and I can send you back" like a maniac, she paused and behaved like a lady thereafter. Well, for about 10 minutes but it was enough to teach me about this communication thing. The bond grew until not that many years later, all I had to do was think about turning or changing gaits and she'd pretty much do it. It's a connection I fear I'll never share with another horse - can there ever be another quite like her?

About this time in a blog is where the writer is supposed to share some insight on coping with loss. Sorry to say, I don't have much wisdom to share in that department. After going to the barn to take care of her 5 days a week for 19 years, there hasn't been a day since she's been gone that I haven't started to schedule my day around those visits only to realize she isn't there anymore. I drove down the road that I took to the barn the other day and was suddenly lost, having no idea where anything was if I didn't start the journey from the barn. There's a whole community of people at the barn that I'll never be a part of again. She was my anchor (and I mean that in a good way), she gave my life center and balance right from the start. A friend commented that losing her horse was like losing a spouse. I'm sure people who have lost spouses (ones they liked anyway) would disagree but I will say I feel completely adrift without her.

I started writing this blog as a way of expressing that grief, a catharsis for me even if no one else read it. In the process, I started thinking about all the things I remember about her and I woke up smiling this morning for the first time since she's been gone. So if I do have any wisdom to offer maybe it's to focus on all the gifts these wonderful animals give us in the short time we're blessed to have them in our lives. My favorite was her sense of humor. For instance...

There was time I worked for an hour to get a flying lead change - something I knew she could do because she hit every change doing pole bending. I finally got it, only to have her swap it back a stride later. Or in dressage class once when I asked for a shoulder in and did a piss poor job apparently. After struggling with it, she gave it beautifully, as if to say "you mean this?" then promptly stopped. The message was clear. "Yeah, when you learn to ask for it correctly, then I'll give it to you."
The times that all I had to do was give her a slight twitch of the rein and she make a ferocious shark face at an on-coming rider who was rudely riding too close in the arena, whip lazily cocked in our direction. She quickly got the game and seemed to enjoy scaring off the hunters.

The time someone asked me if she was a Paso Fino when she was being an exasperating nut on the trail. How that grew into her slowing herself down from the canter to the walk when passing other people, then picking up the canter again a polite distance away. Somewhere between those two was the time she took off at a gallop on the trail before I'd quite gotten up in the saddle. There I was, clinging to her side like Spiderman before finally getting all the way in the saddle and bringing her under control, only to be chastised by other riders for galloping at them. Like it was my idea!

The way she'd behave differently with each of the four moms, a feat that stunned animal communicator Lydia Hibby so much that she devoted an entire chapter to her in her book.

How she helped me grow as a rider, putting up with my one-lesson-a-week beginner hands and seat with the patience of Job. Looking back, it's a miracle that I survived it. I doubt very many horses would have put up with the things she did, including riding in reindeer antlers. I know I would never have become an eventer if not for the courage and thrill-seeking she inspired in me.

The way she smelled. And yes, I'm vain enough to say I think we both loved the attention of people commenting on how beautiful she was, the last time being just the day before she died.

The "thumbprint of Allah" that friend pointed out on her neck, a pretty rare thing for a horse that isn't an Arab. Sadly, that friend has long since passed away too. Maybe she's with Teq now, grooming her up for me. It's a nice thought, but I'm kind of hoping for that reincarnation thing being true. Because if there is another horse out there for me, I'm going to look for one with that same slightly wicked twinkle in their eye.

Mostly I remember how she loved to run and finally thinking about her makes me smile. To steal from Bob Hope a little, thanks for the memories Tequila, you were the best.

Ian Stark Clinic; 16,689 steps to enlightenment by marla

2011-01-23T19:11:00.000-08:00

This weekend marked the 13th annual Galway Downs Fundraiser Eventing Clinic. It was, as always, an amazing experience for riders and spectators alike.

Poor Barkley!

Carolyn and I came down Sunday to watch Scottish eventing guru Ian Stark teach his cross country clinic. The day started with the typical Galway welcome - high wind gusts strong enough to knock your socks off. But what's a little free dermabrasion between friends, right? The first group of riders with Ian, including Hawley Bennett-Awad, did an amazing job.

Jack and Cappa over the brush

Then we were off to watch Cappa and Sherry ride with Gina Economou. Both riders and ponies brought their "A" game to the party, achieving the quality of canter needed to accomplish their goals. They ended their session going over a Training oxer and corner. Woo hoo!!!

Look at the snow!!

Later, Tina had her round with Susan Friend and wow, what a difference a year has made. Destino looked like a grown up pony, doing his fences straight and right out of stride. Ok, Tina probably had something to do with it but the duo never looked better. They also ended their session on the Training corner, so kudos to all "eTwisters" all around.

The star of the day, as always, was the incredible Ian Stark. The most fun was watching him with his Preliminary group, including our old friend Madison Loving on her dollar horse, Dan. No kidding, he cost a dollar. They shaved a few tail feathers off the duck in the water complex but overall did an outstanding job. All of us spectators had several laughs off Mr. Stark, including the moment he told Gina Economou to stop being such a woman and just go. Or was he talking to the nervous mare she was on, a new partnership that was on their first cross-country go? His decidedly dry sense of humor and brilliant insights into riding drew a bigger crowd of spectators with every set of jumps he tackled. The great thing was that the man seems to have infinite patience for helping riders over rough spots, while keeping the session light and stress free as well as just darned funny.

Ian's biggest tip of the day that seemed to be recurring theme in all the groups - ALLOW, ALLOW, ALLOW. The most gasp inducing jumps came from riders picking too much in front of the fence. Words of wisdom I hope to use some day when my horse is back to work.

Other trainers who helped make the fundraiser a success included Fredric Bouland, Barb Crabo, Robyn Fisher, Erin Kellerhouse, Debbie Rosen, Alice Sarno, Kim Scheid, Tamie Smith, Sarah Vandenberg, and Wendy Wergeles. Seriously, if you've never been and you're committed to the sport of eventing, you've got to make effort to come to one or both days of the clinic, either as a rider or an auditor. It's worth the drive down.

A special thanks to our friends Larry and Pat Sawyer, who wined us and dined us and let us drink all their Edradour scotch before crashing on their couch the night before. Being an hour closer definitely made it easier (although not easy after all the wining and dining!) to get to Ian's first clinic at 8am. Oh, and the 16,689 steps? That's how many steps we walked during the day to keep up with everyone's rides. Just saying....

Congrats to the eTwister girls and their ponies for a glorious day!

Moving Day by Marla

2011-01-16T20:38:00.000-08:00

Sadly, a few of us had to leave the lovely Day Creek Ranch and head for a barn closer to home. No, we weren't thrown out for bad behavior :) -- it's just the damn economy. We needed to bring Junior (Mints) and Reese ('s Pieces) closer so we could assume the mantle of riders and ride our ponies ourselves instead of leaving their care entirely in the hands of our trainer.

The day dawned windy as heck on the other side of the hill, but perfect for our new destination, Lakeview Terrace. Good omens all around.

Thanks to the help of good friends, the move went smooth as silk and in short order we were popping the cork and drinking champagne toasts at our new digs.

Sherry, victim of silly horse accident #2 couldn't hobble around to help, resting her foot on a bed of ice instead. (Hmm, darned convenient timing though, eh?)

The boys fit right in, and in not time Junior (how do you spell that again? :0) was cozying up to Reese.

Later, Carolyn thanked all the helpers with a fantastic meal at Sherry's house (ours was geographically inconvenient). Suffice to say, as at any EWAT event, a good time was had by all.

Sherry had such a good time, not only did she keep her ankle elevated, she got a chronic case of hiccups. The cure, as seen here, is a bit dubious unless you have someone to help you hold your ears or plug your nose or some such thing. Or is this just an excuse for Brent to get crazy with his wife? :)

Looking forward to all new adventures from our new barn in 2011!

First Outing of the Year!

2011-01-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

Congrats to all the Twisted Eventers who met up at Meadows of Moorpark Equestrian Center on Sunday for a great day of schooling. Though a little chilly (perhaps I should ask East Coasters if that's true? :0) the footing was perfect for a fun and - best of all - safe day of cross country. Kudos to Randee, Tammy and their crew for grooming their new and improved footing to near perfection. Considering all the rains we've had lately, it was amazing.

Getting there? Well, that was a whole new adventure but let's just say it only cements the idea that if you aren't sure where you're going, DON'T ASK ME. I get lost getting out of the back of the trailer, for Pete's sake! All was well eventually and we even managed to find our way home without (much) incident.

Sadly, my still camera ran out of battery power almost as soon as the horse & rider combos took to the course. Even worse, I missed the shot of Boy sleeping in the most awkward position in the truck on the way home, but without the sound affect of his snoring it probably isn't the same anyway.

Jimmy Wofford Clinic at 3 Day Ranch

2010-11-04T18:40:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Wofford: "Ride like you’re going to live forever"

Despite some bad weather on Saturday, it was a “double rainbows all the way” kind of weekend at 3 Day Ranch with Sherry, Nahmi and Brent at the Jimmy Wofford clinic. (If you don’t get the reference, go hit You Tube and then come back to the blog.) It rained, then it was hot, then it was cold, then it got windy… and that was all just by 11:00 the first day! Still, if you’ve never been to a Jimmy Wofford clinic before, I highly recommend going even if it’s just to audit. From the very first morning, it was a completely game-changing experience.

Jimmy starts every day of his clinics with an hour of lecture beginning with, “Ok, who’s got the first question?” It’s an open forum, although both days once the group started on a particular topic most of the questions were all related to the same topic as we all hungered to learn more details about whatever he was discussing. For instance, the first day was about training an event horse and rider, the fitness schedules that he’s been successful with for over thirty years, and the techniques he advises to keep our horses sound and sane at any level. The most effective tool is the calendar, as he drew up an example of how he picks a “destination event” whether it’s Rolex or a Pony Club horse trial, and back times as far as ninety days, planning what the horse will do each day to be prepared for the show. A lot of walking for the horse is a big part of that plan, and in the process he hates gadgets of any kind for riders but most especially iPods! Even at the walk we should be communicating with our horses.

Boy being walked by new friend

After possibly too much red wine and a freezing cold, sleepless night in Nahmi’s usually cozy trailer loft, I was perfectly happy to skip the lecture and remain bundled in both hers and my sleeping bags for my first warm moments in what seemed like weeks. (I’m a wimp about being cold, I admit it.) But, as luck would have it, nature called and I had to get up anyway so I begrudgingly joined the lecture. It turned out to be another amazing one, getting through even to my fuzzy brain the importance of rider position for the horse to be able to do his job. Another fascinating point was the absolute necessity for the horse to be relaxed every time he’s ridden. For upper level horses to achieve dressage movements, for instance, they must have a relaxed enough back to be able to move correctly. Otherwise, it’s like trying to touch your toes when your back is too stiff – all you get is a sharp pain in your back and can’t achieve the motion. Sure, there are times when a putting your heart into a good smack is required, but overall for any horse to be that relaxed, every ride needs to build their confidence and be a good experience.

“You get the horse you ride”

Watching the riding portions of each day, I didn’t learn so much specific information (that was often given individually to each rider in a way that was often hard for us railbirds to hear) but learned A LOT about how we affect our horses. For instance, in nearly every group, from Novice to Prelim/Int., there was at least one person whose horse looked hot and explosive as the rider battled to keep their heads lowered and in a relative frame. Jimmy had those riders turn their reins around in their hands; that is instead of the rein coming up under your ring finger and back out between your thumb and forefinger, the rein came directly in and out between your thumb and forefinger. In that position, the rider no longer had as much pulling power and guess what? The horse’s stopped pulling. The rider in the Novice class even said her horse has never been this soft before. One rider in the Prelim class rode that way, came off over a fence, got back on and continued to ride that way, seeing marked improvement over the next fences. My hat was off to her – if I’d have come off, I’d have been tempted to sneak my hands back to the way I was used to riding, but she gamely stuck with it and was rewarded for her efforts.

That’s the big thing about riding in a Jimmy Wofford clinic; you really need to bring you’re A-game and be willing to do whatever he tells you. One rider, for instance, stopped doing the exercise Jimmy set up for them to do and by the end of the weekend, they had the least improvement in their riding. The man’s a legend, for Pete’s sake, why would you spend all that money to get his feedback and then ignore him? Naturally, both Sherry and Nahmi definitely brought it to the clinic and had amazing rides. I’m in particular awe of Sherry who rode without complaint with a smashed up knee that she could barely walk on between rides. If it were me, I’d have put on some kind of bionic man/Mad Max knee brace contraption so that it was clear I was playing injured. On the other hand, I probably wouldn’t have gotten much sympathy from Jimmy, who in his late 50’s is still an amazing force of nature. Sherry is definitely tough as nails and is my new hero. Nahmi rode spectacularly as well, going over some jumps that would have required a change of pants for me. And she did it all in style on cross-country day, with butterflies flying in formation on her vest and saddle pad as her Halloween costume.

Nahmi gave Mr. Wofford a bottle of Edradour scotch from the “Sapphire Girls” and it was pretty cool to get an e-mail the next day thanking her for the gift (did he not realize it was a bribe?:p) and reported that it was definitely being added to his list of favorite scotches. The man is undeniably a real gentleman.

Margie Molloy, owner of 3 Day Ranch, was a fantastic hostess for the weekend. Breakfast and lunch were included with the clinic and I have to say, the lunches were amazing. For Saturday night’s dinner, Margie was kind enough to loan us her grill and Brent BBQ’d some awesome steaks while Sherry manned the microwave veggies – ah, nothing like roughing it in a live in trailer! Nahmi got to deal with her own soy-cutash – don’t ask.

The facility was just gorgeous, perfectly ridable to most all the fences both days despite the rain. The range of fences they have to offer on the course designed by David O’Connor is great, with small fences side by side with progressively larger ones asking the same question of horse and rider, allowing both to learn and build their confidence in relative safety. It would be nicer if it weren’t so hard to get to, but it’s definitely worth making the effort once you’re there.

The Greg Best Clinic At Flintridge Riding Club

2010-10-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Olympian Greg Best giving advice

It’s amazing to me how much you can learn at a clinic even if you’re just hanging out. I went to the Greg Best clinic held at the Flintridge Riding Club Oct. 23&24 just to cheer on Cappa and Sherry. With my pony (and riding) sidelined for the foreseeable future, I wasn’t really looking to learn any great revelations, but it’s interesting how much you absorb if you keep your mouth shut and eyes open. (That, by the way, is probably not one of the lessons I learned, so don’t count on that happening too often!)

Here’s some of the “Best-isms” that I picked up:

Riding a jump course should be like riding a dressage test with 8 – 12 “elevated steps” along the way. Each jump should be approached like a movement in a dressage test; if you biff one, get over it and focus on the next movement. Like a dressage rider, you can make an error on one movement (in our case a jump), but if you focus on doing your job on the next element instead of lamenting about how you screwed up, you can still score a 10 on the next movement. He also pointed out how the lines and the turns are connected, you can’t just ride the jumps, you have to ride the turns as well, it’s all part of the same dressage test/jump course.

A rider’s job is to ride straight, with impulsion, and some third thing I forgot. Hey, it was cold out there, give me a break. Hopefully Cappa or Sherry will remember. That’s it. When he asked the three riders (Cappa, Sherry and a 10-year-old girl who as an obnoxiously good rider and student) what your job is over the fence, there was a lot of hemming and hawing before the most popular answer came up – staying out of the horse’s way. Makes sense, right? Wrong! According to Best, your job over the job is exactly the same as your job on the flat and in between fences. If you have to correct for your horse’s left drift coming up to a fence, that’s still your job over the fence. Feels like it all relates back to the idea that this is like a dressage test with elevated steps, not a journey tackling one obstacle after another.

Cappa was not so happy to demonstrate how much the shape and consistency of your back, especially your lower back, can influence your riding not just on the flat but over the fence as well. It also dramatically affects your leg position; the more curled your back, the farther out in front your leg slipped. According to Best, while a dressage rider wants their butt to stay connected to the saddle, a stadium jumper keeps their back more still, causing the saddle to tap the rider in the butt with the canter rather than keeping their buns in the seat. (Mind you, that’s my paraphrasing; not his exact explanation but you get the picture.) Though he did smilingly admit that for an eventer, whose main focus is “to survive” (his words that time) he could understand the need to sit a little deeper in the saddle to a cross-country fence.

To me, it looked like a very light version of two-point, with your crotch being the point of consistent connection as the horse’s back and your saddle comes up to meet your butt. By putting an upside down crop through Cappa’s belt so that is smacked her in the face every time her lower back moved, Best demonstrated both how important and how difficult it is to keep your back still. As always, Cappa endured the torture like a sport!

Best pointed out that your back position is something you can practice while just sitting on the horse, you don’t have to wait to be in motion to work on it. I’ve taken it one step further, trying to maintain that perfect posture now in the car, mowing the lawn, even while typing this. And no, I’m not so dedicated that I have a crop hitting me in the face when I lose my position.

An interesting idea Best brought up was that just like when you’re driving a car, you need to slow down around turns. Like a car, your horse needs that collection to maintain (or re-establish) his balance. It’s the rider’s job to get the horse to move forward up out of the turn, however. Gunning them isn’t the answer, much like gunning your car out of a turn is ridiculous, but getting back that forward canter you had before the turn is pretty important as you head towards your next jump (or dressage movement if you want to keep with that analogy.)

Along those lines, Best asked another crowd stumper (ok, except for Carolyn, who gets all these theory questions right) – what should your upper body do as you come out of the corner then? Most of us went with stay still – wrong! Best points out that if you lean forward, what does your horse do? It goes faster. So a little lean forward will encourage them to move up. Conversely, a horse slows down if you sit up straighter and taller in the saddle – not if you lean backwards, which only drives them with your seat. So sit up tall – and by that he actually means sit, have your body connected to your saddle, not hovering over it – to collect in the turn.

It was a little bit of a mind blower when Best told Cappa and Sherry’s class that he doesn’t really worry too much about changing his speed to adjust for the next fence being a vertical versus and oxer. Keep the horse straight, keep it moving, and that third thing that I forgot and that’s all you need to do.

Leaving no illusion unshattered, in Michelle’s class Best corrected a rider who looked at her next fence as she went over the one in front of her. He knows that’s what we’ve all been taught, that’s what Pony Club tells us, but “they’re wrong.” Again, thinking of a jump course in terms of a dressage test, you don’t see a dressage rider complete a move and then look 100 yards forward, they consciously ride every single stride. In a jump course, how you ride the turn is just as important as how you ride over the jump (maybe more from some of the riding we saw this weekend) so you have to be looking at where you’re going in the next two strides, not ten away. He advocates using landmarks when walking and memorizing your jump course, not just learning the jumps in the order they appear. For instance, from jump #5 go around the corner and at the third tree turn left towards jump #6.

I was truly impressed with how fast Best was able to get a handle on both horses and riders. In no short order he pegged Poznan as being lazy and Jack as truly lazy. Sorry girls, that’s what he said. He liked them both, don’t get me wrong, but while it’s possible for a horse to have good initiative or bad initiative, Kong and Poppy had “no initiative on the first day and even less on the second day.” It really didn’t seem all that unusual nor a bad thing in young horses. Much of that, including Poppy getting over his “butterfly brain” is something that they’ll gain with maturity and training. Now Cappa’s self-professed butterfly brain, hmmm…..

Apparently, after a week of rain and hand walking, Gordo apparently found his “on” button out in Flintridge’s cross country field. Michelle bravely agreed when Best suggested removing his bit (holy socks!) and using a very simple English hackamore. It’s really just a noseband with a place to attach the reins and while it seemed to reduce Gordo’s fussiness, it exposed a whole new steering issue Michelle didn’t even know they had! Undaunted, she came back the next day with a similar simple hackamore (as opposed to the mechanical one with the long shanks) and had a beautiful go with Gordo over all the fences. Ok, sure, collecting him back on the downhill line as a little tough, but she got the job done.

Hats off to Cappa, Sherry and Michelle for great rides. Kudos to Flintridge as well for a really well run clinic. Despite the fact that their arena footing had taken a beating from the rain, the footing out on the cross country field was in great shape so they adapted and held the stadium jumping clinic out in the wilds where many of their riders aren’t used to going. Special shout out to Chris Warner, who was so friendly to everyone during the clinic and kept a nice, warm crackling fire going in Flintridge’s massive fireplace. Wish we had one of those at Day Creek for the damp winter days ahead!

Most importantly, many thanks to Greg Best for an entertaining and educational experience. If you want to learn more, go out and buy his videos http://www.horseplaza.com/people/gregbest/index.htm.

New List of Nicknames for Poznan that came as a result of the clinic:

Scuba – due to love of water.

Scoobie – because Tina totally ruined Scuba for me – ask her to explain

The Dude – because of his sun bleached tail and surfer dude attitude

The Dude – re: The Big Lebowski (same name, different reason)

Let the name game continue this weekend at the Jimmy Wofford clinic…

Schooling Day at Shepherd Ranch

2010-08-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

All the cool kids from Sapphire Eventing went up to Shepherd Ranch yesterday to school the cross country fences as a prep for the upcoming show. It took 3 trailers (and a little bit of persuasion to get Junior into one) but the group got there in time for what felt like the highest temps of the hottest day of the year. Still, everyone had loads of fun. Sherry, LOVE the Aloha pad - I'm voting that as the official barn show pad!

A big "thank you" to Dusti for catering the schooling and taking one for the team when someone left the door open and killed her SUV battery. Sherry came to the rescue by being one who actually KNEW how to use jumper cables.

Important to note: Barkley cannot be trusted loose on his own. His spirit of adventure caused him to go missing twice. At least he didn't eat a tent...

In the first group, Gordo and Michelle E. look good and on their way to a great partnership. Tina & Destino are getting more and more professional - like, been there, done that. Chris and Prince had some tough rides, but both preserved (my money is always on Chris). Our adopted German exchange-working student Isa had perhaps the most interesting ride on Vinnie, who returned to his racehorse roots after having not one, but two pasture horses gallop at/past him. Fortunately she met the challenge with a smile and laugh!

While waiting for their turn, Junior and Poppy amused themselves by taking turns splashing in the water bucket, forcing Sherry to refill it at least four times before it was their turn at cross-country.

(Is anyone else seeing a pattern here? Seems like Sherry was doing all the work! ha ha)

In the second group, Michelle E. was up again, this time on Junior who was a super star! The new place, the loose horses and of course, being well-hydrated brought him out a little wound up, but from the very first log he jumped you'd have thought he'd done this a hundred times before. His mummy was very proud! Michelle C & Jack put on their big girl pants and showed their stuff by going over some Novice jumps with ease. Each time Sherry & Poppy go out, they just keep getting better and better - it's so exciting to see the baby of the group grow up! (and Poppy too - ha ha). Have to say that with Isa giving Louie just a brief warm-up, Madison and Louie were just adorable. They are turning out to be quite the young event team!

(Evidence that Marla was not there -- no G&T, all business that day!)

click here for more pics

Those who procrastinate...

2010-08-01T22:05:00.001-07:00

I bought Jack. He are big, red, and gud.

Cappa

Jimmy Wofford at Eventful Acres: Sunday

2010-07-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Wofford Clinic: Day Three by Dr. Nahmi Jones

Last day of the clinic. Cross country! The fun stuff!! Time to play on the Hisken's beautiful property and sample Rod's creativity in fence building.

My videographer and now professional dog wrangler Carolyn was still hanging in there. Invaluable as a groom, networker and drinking buddy also, I shall forever be in her debt for allowing me to drag her along on my little summer vacation.

Of course since things had been going far too smoothly so far, I had to find a way to complicate things. I spent most of the morning worrying about my double reins...keep the snaffle rein? yes or no? Brian Sabo had suggested them the weekend before. They seemed to be working well and the emphasis so far had been on a softer feel with my hands so far but Jimmy was working on a hand slap technique for shortening reins after a drop. Geez, that was going to be complicated with four reins....

In the end I decided not to change anything but still had the choice on my mind. Several times I thought of asking Carolyn to remove my snaffle reins since Simon was more than high on Canadian goose impulsion. You know that kind of impulsion? The kind where you don't know which direction you're going to go next? Jimmy's generous description of our warm up? "Like a hog on ice".

What happened to my co-operative pony of the past two days? The professor had gotten the memo that it was cross country day...no doubt. Perhaps after 18 months off from cross country jumping, the four XC fences we did last weekend with Brian may not have been enough to knock the rust off. Perhaps I was just overthinking everything as usual.

Jimmy's sage advice had nothing to do with riding position today. " Are you riding this horse?"
"Yes" I answered meekly, unsure of where he was going with this line of questioning.
"If you're riding this horse then you're going to be ok"

Clearly Simon, now nicknamed the professor, had earned Jimmy's approval, although I'm pretty sure my abilities were still suspect.

"It's ok to be nervous, after all you do need to feel something while riding cross country. But try to organize your butterflies so they fly in formation"

After a few bad jokes and a couple of deep breaths, I was able to coax my butterflies all to fly in the same general direction and the rest of the day went pretty smoothly.

Most of what Jimmy was trying to teach on XC day will have to wait until I can practice at home: quiet galloping position without posting the canter, the transition from 2 point to light 3 point in front of fences, slipping and gathering the reins efficiently, proper position on up and down banks.

But perhaps learning to being still in my mind was the most important lesson. After all, as Jimmy pointed out, my horse knows me better than I know myself. Maybe I can control the agitated energy that gets in the way of finding my version of Nirvana, jumping out of stride at 520 mpm now that I've had a glimpse of how being an intelligent passenger leads to a happy horse.

Thank you Jimmy Wofford for your patience and generosity with this duffer. I was amazed by the individual attention I received at your clinic. Your attention to detail and useful insights are very much appreciated.

And a huge shout out to Rod and Karen Hisken for hosting this clinic at their beautiful facility.

Jimmy Wofford at Eventful Acres: Saturday

2010-07-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Wofford Clinic: Day Two by Dr. Nahmi Jones

Day 2 was showjumping, but deconstructed.

We watched the preliminary group go from the comfort of the stands, while we enjoyed yummy french toast and fresh fruit. Have I mentioned yet how fantastic the food was all weekend? Many thanks to Carol Von Brandt, the wonderful woman who slaved over the hot grill all weekend to bring us our gourmet meals.

The emphasis was the same as the day before in the gymnastics. Steady rhythm through the lines, don't build to the second fence, soft in the upper body so we don't influence the horse to have a rail either in front or behind.

Jimmy broke the show jumping down into small logical pieces and the gradually introduced more technical questions.

I started out the day with my usual bad habits, locking my hips and elbows over the first few fences. As we warmed up I was reminded to incorporate the lesson from the previous day. Softer reins, then softer leg so I didn't chase Simon out the front door. Simon remembered also, jumping up more lightly over the fences with a softer neck. Wow Jimmy! This stuff really works! He just laughed "Yeah, the professor is actually simple, now you just have to ride him that way!"

Our deconstructed show jump course was a series of simple lines that progressively became to more technical. We jumped a 5 stride oxer to oxer line, then one stride rails on 45 degree angles then on to squeezes.

Jimmy had me concentrate on softening my arms by straightening my elbows every other stride on the approach to fences. By the time we moved over to the corner, the logical progression from the angle/ squeeze questions, I was slowly unlocking my body and Simon and I jumped the corner easily and accurately on this first try.

Jimmy's final comments after our last line of the day, "See those little adjustments you made to make the oxer come out right? That's what we call riding." I have the proof on video, I may have graduated from duffer to rider. That's a good feeling.

Jimmy Wofford at Eventful Acres: Friday

2010-07-22T21:34:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Wofford Clinic at Eventful Acres: Day 1

By Dr. Nahmi Jones

I usually think of gymnastics as simple, straight forward exercises. A couple of innocent standards set up as a chute. The instructor sneaks the rails up. The next thing you know, you are jumping a challenging question without realizing what's been built up.

For the Jimmy Wofford clinic at Eventful Acres last weekend things were a little different. Rod Hisken's huge jumping arena was full of freshly painted white rails and standards, laid out everywhere like an albino logging disaster.

As I rode in I thought: Uh oh Simon, you and I are going to have to do a lot of thinking today. There's nothing simple about what Jimmy has in store for us today.

I knew that at least Simon would get the benefit of the doubt from the 3xOlympian from his comments at our early morning lecture/ introduction. Jimmy's amazing enthusiasm for our sport and our equine partners was summed up in his response to a question about selecting a young event prospect. "I'm automatically going to like it if its a horse".

Jimmy's message for day one, in fact the message for the whole weekend was to teach us to be intelligent passengers.

The goal of his gymnastic exercises was to allow the horse to jump in a way that simulated his natural balanced jumping style unencumbered by the rider.

Through the wide and low oxer/ bounce line Simon had to reach out to stretch and compress his body horizontally. Though the double bounce/ hogsback line he got to reach up vertically to stretch through his bascule.

I was encouraged to ride with a longer rein. Did I lose Simon out the front door this way? You betcha. Jimmy's solution to keep a steady rhythm, to take my lower leg off to prevent driving.

I struggled to keep my position over fences by stabilizing my body with only my upper leg and without using my hands as a crutch. I was thrilled to find Simon responding to my efforts to find the happy balance between a lighter hand and a lighter leg, by jumping with more freedom through his neck and back in a happy relaxed rhythm.

Jimmy Wofford Clinic: Thursday

2010-07-20T22:44:00.000-07:00

By Dr. Nahmi Jones

Carolyn and I made the right hand turn onto Yuba Ranch Road. I was careful to check the speedometer and rear view mirrors to be respectful of the neighbors. No Dust! After 8+ hours of being in the truck, we were almost there!

Carolyn had been a total trooper, going along with my crazy plan of getting up at 2 am to make the long drive up to Oregon House.

But what was this? Mere yards from the driveway to the Hisken's playground for eventer, a maintenance truck parked on the one lane bridge!! Really?? Tree trimming?? Captain Jack Sparrow on Carolyn's new garmin did not warn us of this final obstacle. Argh mateys!

Bleary eyed and too tired to argue, I followed the directions of the guy in a hard hat confidently smiling and beckoning me onto the bridge along side his tree munching truck....keep coming...that's right...a little to the left...Simon, think skinny thoughts!

Just millimeters from the ditch, certain death or at the very least an embarrassing tow truck call, we made it, fenders intact. Hard hat dude grinned and gave us the thumbs up signal and we pulled past.

Whew, we made it! What a relief to see Rod jumping off his tractor to give us a welcoming hug and to take over driving the last few feet and park the trailer.

Simon unloaded calmly and immediately settled into his stall. "Is there hay? Then I'm cool" Rather than being upset about being alone, I think he enjoyed being the center of attention all weekend.

We pitched Carolyn's tent and stretched out for some well earned rest. I was too tired to be nervous about riding for the first time with Jimmy Wofford in the three day clinic at beautiful Eventful Acres.

Cottonwood Derby by Nahmi Jones

2010-07-13T20:07:00.000-07:00

Tales of the Cottonwood Clinic starting Friday 7/2/10 by our own Dr. Jones....

Hmmm, its almost 11p. I'd followed the clearly marked signs from the freeway off ramp to the Event Derby. But now the road has deadended. I hadn't passed a stabling chart, let alone anything that looks stabling. Turned off the engine. Pitch black. Started to rethink the idea of coming up the night before by my lonesome. tick. tick. tick.

Relieved to see Erin Bridges drive up just then to help me find the barn, the light switch, the stabling chart and Simon's stall.

The Cottonwood Ranch late night welcoming committee set the tone, I knew I was in for a relaxed weekend in a supportive atmosphere.

Simon and I were ready to go early the next morning with the Training group in the jump clinic taught by Brain Sabo. I was hoping to be able to demonstrate our progress since our last lesson with Brian a month ago.

Brian's simple, elegant definition of the half halt is taking a horse's power from extension to compression. In the case of horses like Simon, who solve their problems with extension, the answer to too much extension is a small control circle on the counter bend to engage the outside hind. Eventually, the counterbend translates to a clearer half halt.

Both height in the show jump arena and terrain on the XC field pushed beyond my comfort zone. I was able to see how my excitement/anxiety translated into increased extension and loss of balance as the questions got harder. Being able to focus on our new line of communication: counterbend=halfhalt, led to better balance thru compressing and maintaining our power and improved our jumping technique.

My clinic experience was confidence building and loads of fun. Brian maintained his patience, enthusiasm and humor throughout the whole day. He still had one-liners left at the end of the day for Sherry in the baby beginner group, equating Poznan's first attempt at an up bank to a high school kid coming home from his first party.

Thanks to Wendy Wergeles and everyone at Cottonwood.

Big Welcome to the newest Sapphire ponies

2010-05-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Sapphirians Sherry H. and Carolyn B. for buying their next perfect event partners last Wednesday!

Sherry found the regal Poznan after months of searching and several heartbreaking close calls with failed vet checks, etc. Pozer may easily be the biggest horse in our barn, which is fitting since Sherry is easily the tallest rider! He's been with Michelle for a while and has some amazing gaits as well as a very cuddly personality. He also has this absurd amount of mane and tail that will satisfy Sherry's need to groom for hours on end!

Carolyn found Junior, a skinny diamond in the rough, after hours of grueling horse shopping. (Yes, hours... and that's really only if you count the drive down to look at him.) She sat on, er.... just one horse. Lucky for her he's exactly the right horse, with a big canter, a trot that's got potential once he gets used to his new digs, and lots of chrome. The big question of "will he jump" was answered this week as he nonchalantly went over the scary Sapphire plank as if he's been doing it for years. Ok, there were a few baubles at first but what an amazing baby to figure it out in just a few trips (and I do mean trips) over the fence.

Can't wait to see both ladies competing their horses soon!

Wine tasting fund raiser benefit for In Defense of Animals

2010-03-30T12:32:00.001-07:00

Wine tasting fund raiser benefit for In Defense of Animals

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Twin Rivers Aptly Named???

2010-02-28T22:25:00.000-08:00

The first day of the Twin Rivers show started off with a peak of sunshine just long enough for Nahmi to get in her 4th place dressage test. The overcast skies grew more threatening as the day went on, prompting the show folks to run the upper levels of cross country a day ahead of time before rain made the footing too dangerous. The Advanced, Intermediate riders were able to complete their rides but the last few got a little damp as the rain refused to hold off for just a little longer.

Fortunately, Tina got her dressage ride on Destino done in the nick of time. The rain held off really coming down until she was back in her stall. Of course, Nahmi and Carolyn decided to talk their ponies out for a hand walk just as the heavens opened and rain of biblical proportions fell right on top of their heads.

Rainy Day Blues

Overnight, wind and rain wreaked havoc with the cross-country course as well as, sadly, Tina’s County Saddle tent. The lower level cross-country rounds were postponed until Sunday, pending a decision about the footing then.

Tina, being the hard-core eventer that she is, rode Destino in the off-and-onish rain to have an extraordinary round with no jump penalties and two time faults. After an appropriate amount of time to allow a little shopping, the heavens opened up once again. And who do you think was out walking their horses at the time? You guessed it, Carolyn and Nahmi!!

Wine tasting seemed like a really good idea for the rest of the afternoon…

So that’s what we did! The rain seemed to conspire against Nahmi getting to jump her round so we all took off and tasted some really great local wines. Many thanks to the good folks at Tobin James Winery, Clautiere (the wigs were a blast!) and ESO Winery for the generous pours and interesting recommendations.

It’s the end of the day, the sun is out (as are the neighbors sheep) and it’s a brilliant sunset. Fingers crossed about Nahmi’s rides tomorrow.

Meanwhile, it’s bull-riding for all but the decrepit (me) and savoring our excellent wine purchases back at the hotel before an early lights out.

No Joy In Mudville – literally

Sunday morning brought a huge blanket of mist but no more rain. Still, the ring hadn’t dried out enough to make it worth risking Sparky’s legs, especially since the event suddenly (and very responsibly) turned into a Combined Test with no cross-country for anyone but the big boys. On the up-side, Cappa bought a suuuuper cool cross-country jump that’s a bench on one side and a roll top on the other. Donations more than welcome to pay for this really sturdy well made jump.

To see the slide show of the weekend,click here and hit "slideshow".

Party Wars: Sapphire Vs. Equites

2010-01-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

Carolyn & I went down to Temecula to audit the always amazing Ian Stark clinic (more on that at a later post) and made a side trip to 3 Day Ranch to see honorary Sapphirian Larry Sawyer and his new horse Caboose. It was the Holsteiner's first cross-country foray in this country and he was a super star.

Take a look at the size of their "refreshment" cups vs. ours, however. Honestly, who would you rather go to a horse show with? All kidding aside, the Equites folks were a lot of fun and great to hang out with. Best to all of them in the coming year.

Blue Moon brings New Moon to Day Creek

2010-01-13T08:46:00.001-08:00

The year started off with a bang so far. Not only was there a (relatively) rare "Blue Moon" on New Year's Eve, Michelle brought her new horse, Moon, home to Day Creek Ranch.

A (nearly) 5-yr-old Irish TB, his official name is Race the Moon (I think). Michelle is open to any and all suggestions of show name that use "Moon" but haven't been done to death. Ideas?

Click here to see the whole Moon-shot album...

Winter hits Day Creek!

2009-12-08T10:45:00.000-08:00

Brrrr! It must have been 50 degrees on Sunday when Carolyn and Ceilidh bundled up in their matching winter attire. See, it does get cold in CA!

Ram Tap: Sunday, Nov. 15

2009-11-15T20:52:00.000-08:00

Its late on Sunday and I'm happy to report that the day went spectacularly well overall.

Sara and Calvin were the first up. They took a rail or two but after the show was over the two of them schooled some cross-country fences and they looked AWESOME. Whatever imperfections showed up in the show jump arena they clearly worked it out in the field.

Reese was a superstar (she says modestly about her own horse) but his success didn't come without Michelle working her buttocks off to keep Captain Klutzy from stalling out completely. Oddly, he was pretty calm in the morning but after the show was over and people started schooling the cross-country ski-jump he could see, he went BERZERK just like yesterday. Either he's anxious to prove he can do the big boy jumps or he's thinking "are you freaking crazy?".

Still, I couldn't be happier that he finished on his dressage score to take a third place ribbon.

Next up was Carolyn and Ceilidh. To quote Carolyn, "I don't bounce as well as I used to." 'Nuff said.

Ok, not quite enough... Her one boot with the broken zipper was fashionably held together with black duct tape. It looked a little odd to have one shiny, almost patent leather boot and one normal one, but later we saw that her fashion statement is becoming all the rage. There was one other competitor following in her fashion statement today with the bold slash of silvery tape! It's the look that's sweeping the nation!

Nick and Buck pulled a rail and had some time faults but still managed to stay in second place to win Training Level Reserve Champion for Area VI. Way to go boys!

Breaking down was, as always, filled with a little sadness and a little relief. Sad that the fun was over but some relief that, after four days of 5am - 7pm days fighting the damp cold of Fresno, we were going home. It was great to be showing with Nick and Sara, who were super helpful every single step of the way. It was also great of Dusty and her friend Sherri to come up and cheer the riders on with food, drink and moral support. Their sometimes bawdy revelations kept the mood light, that's for sure!

Sorry there's no pictures; the one tragedy of the weekend is that I can't find my digital camera (yet) so no more pics until Carolyn can pull them off the videos or Dusty can forward to me what she took.

Off to bed now for me, it's been a long but fantastic weekend. Thanks to one and all for their help and support!

Ram Tap: Saturday, Nov 14

2009-11-14T20:37:00.000-08:00

CROSS COUNTRY DAY -- better known as the day my four year old turned... three (no....more like the terrible twos! - cjb).

The day started off at a balmy 38 degrees as we left the hotel at 6:30. Brrr! A little coffee and we were off to walk Carolyn & Michelle's course one last time before the rounds started at 8am in the crystal clear frost covered grounds & jumps. After hoofing it around the tricky end of the year course that shared most of the fences (most? try only two additions..... whine..... - cjb) with the championship class we went back to the barn.

As much as Carolyn may have been suffering some show-day butterflies, Ceilidh was IN THE ZONE. Suddenly, the nutty persona was replaced by a cool, calm professional. She even deigned to nibble at her heretofore untouched breakfast to get enough calories to take on the task in store. She studied the back half of the cross-country course, plotting how she would tackle the ski jump-to-the-corner combination that was causing so much trouble for the division ahead of her.

Reese, on the other hand, became the four-year-old baby that he's never acted like before. He saw the first training horses galloping across the course and suddenly, he had a HUGE SPAZ ATTACK in his stall. Running and calling and stomping and kicking - it was like he was doing an immitation of Ceilidh. Once I took him out and walked him around, he calmed down almost immediately but every time you put him back in the stall, he went kooky all over again. Fortunately, once we got him tacked up and Michelle rode him up to the warm-up arena, he was back to his old, dependable self.

Then it came time to go into the start box. Or not. Later, Michelle confessed she could have really used a hand getting in there, although it looked ok from where I was standing. The first jump looked dramatically squirrely and according to Michelle the next five or so were just as weird from where she was sitting. Bottom line? They got around clean though a little fast - a huge surprise to those of us who thought she'd be getting off and pushing by the end!

The only problem was he didn't go to sleep from exhaustion like he should have. Each rider he saw going on the course only revved him up even more. I'm writing this hoping that he's still in his stall tonight - you can only stay so long at the showgrounds before it becomes obsessive after all.

Carolyn had issues to deal with even before she got on her horse. Her inexpensive zip up field boots broke as she was getting dressed to ride!! This is why I HATE zippers on boots. She made quite the colorful picture with silver duct tape holding both boots together. However, Ceilidh was so in the zone and powering around the course all you saw was a silvery blur! The pair re-entered the eventing world after five years with a double clear round, finishing in the middle of the pack.

Sara and Nick both had excellent rides as well, ending the day the best way possible - with every horse and rider combo coming home safe and sound. Sorry, no pics today because my tired, gin soaked brain left the camera at the barn. Look for a retrospective next week sometime.

Tomorrow - show jump day!

Ram Tap: Friday, Nov. 13

2009-11-13T20:35:00.000-08:00

Dressage day. Blch. Bottom line? Everyone did GREAT.

The day started off at, as Nahmi puts it, obnoxious o'clock in the morning. One free breakfast later (thank you La Quinta Inns & Suites!) we were on the road to the barn. The horses were fed by 7am and then we sat around and waited for the dressage to begin. Odd foot note: Ceilidh once again got her stall door open but stayed put with merely her lead rope as a stall guard. Buck got out entirely and wandered the aisle until some kind competitor figured out where he belonged and put him away. Perhaps his show name ought to be "Houdini"??

Good news? Everybody's braids stayed in. Yeah! Bad news? It's still dressage.

Reese and Michelle did FANTASTIC for his first event dressage ever. Ok, he fishtailed a bit like the Mac truck that he is but he is the cutest Mac truck ever. Maybe I'm a little biased, I'm not sure. They got a 32.4 to finish in the middle of the pack at 5th.

Ceilidh has found her show spirit and calmed down a bit. Carolyn had a great warm up and a test that she described as the test of extremes. There were some horrifyingly tragic moments and yet some moments of brilliance. The good thing was that Carolyn stuck to the plan and kept riding no matter what Ceilidh did. She also finished roughly in the middle of the pack with a 40- something score.

Nick and Sara both put in really excellent tests. I've never actually seen either do dressage at a show and they did really well with Janet biting her nails on the sideline both times.

Show statistic: Ceilidh is the oldest in her class while Reese is the youngest in his division. Talk about extremes. (Ceilidh isn't the oldest horse in the show - that honor belongs to a 19-year-old stalwart, God bless!)

A few gin & tonics later, Carolyn and Michelle (plus the dogs) walked their beginner novice course. To see their course, click here.

Stay tuned for the results!

Ram Tap: Thursday, Nov. 12, 2009

2009-11-12T19:31:00.000-08:00

Reese's First Show: Part 2
A Lovely November Day in Fresno

Since Michelle took the horse's up on her own on Wed. night, Carolyn and I got to "sleep in" and leave home at 6am. We got to Ram Tap just in time to see Michelle riding Ceilidh in a vain attempt to try and beat the rain. In Scotland, today would be called "a soft day". Here in So Cal, it was "Storm Watch 2009!!!" Just kidding. It drizzled most of the day and was a balmy 60ish.

Ceilidh continued in her love-struck behavior, being an absolute freak in her stall and even under saddle until Michelle let her blow her jets out and gallop a bit. After that she looked great. Reese returned the nuttiness, bellowing from his stall for his new girlfriend until it was his turn to be ridden. No surprise to his mummy, Reese was picture perfect. He went right to work and didn't take a silly step the whole time which was really good since Michelle's neck and back are really bothering her. The only time he jumped is when he passed Carolyn and I as we got up to in the dressage judge booth we were sitting in to hide from the rain. Michelle worked him past it so hopefully tomorrow it will be no issue.

Braiding this afternoon was a real treat. No seriously, it was really nice to braid in broad daylight for a change instead of by flashlight. Ceilidh was a little wound up but Carolyn got the job done. Reese was stellar, standing there half asleep as Michelle braided him down as if he'd done this a hundred times before. Carolyn finished tying the braids up into buttons for Michelle in an attempt to give him a manly-looking neck. Did I mention Michelle managed to make about a hundred braids in an attempt to make his neck look long as well? We'll see how successful both were tomorrow.

It finally stopped raining late in the afternoon. A quick lunge for both horses, a quick scrubbing of Reese's legs in an attempt to make his white sock white, a few gin and tonics and the next thing you know, it's nearly dark. Carolyn had to clean her tack by lantern light - hopefully she either did a good job or the dressage judge is nearsighted.

Speaking of braiding by flashlight, poor Sara had to do just that since they had to wait for her to get out of school before leaving for the show. I'm sure it will look great --- or maybe she'll get the same nearsighted judge!.

Keeping my fingers crossed that the rain is over because soggy dressage would be a drag.

Here's the photos from today - enjoy!

Can't wait till tomorrow (picture me here biting my nails!)

Reese's first show: Part I

2009-11-11T23:16:00.000-08:00

So Reese's first real recognized event is underway. As I sit here sipping my wine, Michelle is winging her way to Fresno with Reese and Ceilidh in the back... in the trailer, not the back seat. Although from her early reports Ceilidh is raising quite a ruckus just like a big sister. Or maybe a big sister from the south (since she is from Louisiana) as she is waaaaay too hot for her adopted brother. Four plus hours in the trailer won't helping the bonding issue. By the time the get to Fresno she'll be firmly in love and he'll be utterly confused. Sounds like the first boyfriend I had in college. Should make for just that much more exciting weekend for all!

Tomorrow... the day before show day and highlights of Reese's first haircut!

Everyone has settled into the new digs

2009-09-28T03:50:00.000-07:00

It didn't take long for the horses or riders to settle in to the new digs at Day Creek Ranch. We all love how absolutely peaceful it is. I just wish I could have gotten some pics of all the guys who work there. They do a great job of keeping the place sparkling clean and the horses well fed.

Here's some pics of the place - enjoy!

On a side note, last week's fires in Moorpark came dangerously close to our friends back at Vista del Mar but thanks to the efforts of the fire fighters every one was safe and sound.

We have our sights set on getting a big group together to compete at Ram Tap in November so hopefully we'll see some of our local friends there.

New Home at Day Creek Ranch

2009-08-05T09:12:00.000-07:00

It was with a heavy heart that we said goodbye to all of our friends at Vista Del Mar and moved to our new fancy digs at Day Creek Ranch. The move wasn't without some bumps but I think we'll all agree that the new facility is terrific and we're eager to get to work.

Click here to see the photos from moving day. It's better if you hit "slideshow" but be sure to stay tuned to the last photo - it's a winner!!

Jump Painting Crew Hard At Work

2009-07-25T17:22:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everyone who helped with painting the old fences and making everything look brand new again. We're nearly ready for the big move to our new home at Day Creek Ranch come Aug. 1. A big thanks to Dusti, Patti and Michelle C. who did the lion's share of the work - it all looks great girls!!

For a look at the paint crew at work and the crazy new jumps, click on to the jump photo album.

Sapphire Profile: Reese & Vinnie

2009-06-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

Sire: Soul of the Matter
Dam: Alaskan Revelation (Reese)
Clippin Time (Vinnie)
Official Name(s): Top Gear (Reese)
Watsa Matter (Vinnie)

Born: 2005

Barn name: The Boys
Peanut and Captain Klutzy (Reese)
Hey, stop eating that boot! (Vinnie)

It’s hard to believe that the brothers Soul celebrate their one year anniversary with us today, June 2.

Last Memorial Day we skipped the usual celebrations. Instead, Capparelli, Michelle Emmermann, Carolyn and I headed down to Ramona for my first serious day of horse shopping. My past horses – 3 mares – had fallen into my lap at various times of their choosing. Since that method had what could best be described as “mixed results” Michelle (and others) were bound and determined that this time I would be much pickier. Ok, let’s face it; the general consensus was that I should have nothing to do with choosing my next horse. Prepared to leave it to the experts, I had girded my loins for months of searching, sitting on hundreds of horses to find just the right one. For the record, Reese was the third horse I rode. (Ironically, Vinnie was the second but more on that in a second.)

It was freakishly cold the morning we headed down to Ramona. I figured the purpose of the trip was to kick a few tires and dip my toe into the pool of horse shopping. Teeth chattering, I rode the first horse, who was nice, but I didn’t feel any magic in the seat of my pants. Surely if he was The One (cue angels singing) there would have been magic, right?

Horse #2, ironically, was Vinnie. It took me about a half of a loop around the arena to know that I was in way over my head. It took me five more minutes to convince Michelle that my “WTF” reaction was unshakable. The problem was that she was head over heels in love with Vinnie from the first moment she saw him.

Finally came Reese. I was cold, damp, and tired so when I saw him – all 16.3 hands of him – he seemed gigantic compared to my more familiar 15.3 little mares. I was less than enthusiastic especially after the woman who owned/trained him had to lunge him again because he was a maniac. I thought, “Seriously? This is supposed to be my chance to take my time and get my NOT crazy horse.”

Then I got on him. And..... yep, still nothing. No angel choirs singing under my butt. I rode him around, he felt ok but he was also in draw reins so who couldn’t feel ok? Then Michelle says take him over a few jumps. Seriously, in draw reins? I have (or hopefully had) heavier hands than the Iron Giant so jumping in draw reins seemed like a bad idea. Surprisingly, Reese couldn’t have been more perfect. He gallumped up to the jump, floated over it, and gallumped on afterwards. Considering the fact that I was used to riding screaming maniacs you may be asking, “what more does a horse have to do to impress you?” I’m not sure but I still wasn’t feeling the love. Be fair – it was only twelve hours ago that I learned my last beloved little mare had arrived safe in her new home. Did I really have room in my heart for a new horse?

Still, Carolyn and Michelle truly believed that Reese was The One, no need to look any further. Added on top of that was the pressure that someone else made an offer on the horse so it was time to poop or get off the pot. Part of me wanted to believe it was this easy but the part was thinking, “what happened to months of searching, endless rides, etc.?” What was left to say but the words every trainer longs to hear? “Well, if you think I should buy him, ok.” That leap of faith has proven to be the best step I’ve ever taken.

Long story (semi) short, a week later both boys arrived back home. They’ve been beyond fantastic since then and in time will prove that Soul of the Matter should be the daddy of the next generation of event horses. Too bad that his owners have stopped breeding him. Hopefully, once they start showing and revealing to all just how good they are EA Ranches will change their mind. In the meantime, I’ve grown to love and cherish Reese like no horse I’ve ever known.

Congrats to Caps and a Show Update

2009-05-23T22:36:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Michelle Capparelli for her new horse, Cracker Jack, aka Jack.

He's a GINORMOUS 17.1 hand, 4 year-old Irish Sporthorse from Virginia (so he neighs in a brogue with a southern accent, y'all. don't make fun of him, he's very sensitive about it.)

He's a sweetie and definitely the horse she deserves after a long search.

And now for a show update:

Michelle E. and Dixie broke 30, getting a score of 29 on dressage, putting them in second place. Sarah and Calvin were in third after dressage. Don't know the results after today's show jumping so fingers crossed nothing has changed.

Michelle's Round at Galway March 9th

2009-04-29T08:26:00.000-07:00

Click here to see Michelle's round on Dixie.

Thanks Nahmi for finding this video on YouTube...

John's too sexy for his vest!

2009-04-27T11:24:00.001-07:00

Here's the long awaited video of John's maiden voyage on the cross-country field set to music that the collective genius that is Sapphire Eventing thought of as we watched him go. Congrats, John, it was great seeing you out there. Hope you had as much fun as we did watching you go!

Enjoy!

Mini Tornado raises the roof at LAEC

2009-04-16T19:50:00.000-07:00

I’m not accusing anyone of anything, but I’ve been at the Center for nearly twenty years and it wasn’t until Kris showed up that the roof of the barn blew off. Coincidence? Hmmmm...

Volunteering at The Event Derby is fun!

2009-04-06T22:32:00.000-07:00

Kudos to Camille and Carolyn for their diligent volunteer work at the last Event Derby.

To see the whole article about it, go to LAExaminer and learn more about volunteering. Plus earn me a penny every time you click! Hey, sign up to be a subscriber and you won't miss a single word! Next time there'll be pictures, I swear...

Keep in mind that they'll need more volunteers for the next Derby, the first weekend of May. For those of us who celebrate the Kentucky Derby, it's a bit of a conflict but a wee bit of a mint julep might make it better....

Sapphire Profile: Ceilidh

2009-03-10T09:02:00.000-07:00

Sire: Aspro (TB)
Dam: Toy Ploy (TB)

Official Name: Another Toy (grey mare)

Born: January 1992

Barn Name: Ceilidh (Kay-Lay = Gaelic for "a party / gathering"), aka: The White Queen, Big Mama, Energizer Bunny, and Walking Accident

Career 1: "Race Horse"

*Ceilidh raced in her home state of Louisiana. She had an amazing 21 starts from May 1994 thru August 1995 (that's a LOT of racing for those not into the sport, most trainers don't race horses this hard and it took it's toll as her performance flagged) The fact that she didn't break down is a miracle and testament to her nature.

Winnings: 1 first, 4 seconds, 2 thirds
Total Earned: $10,641

Career 2: "Hunter"

Competed "Green" Horse divisions and "Adult Amateur" divisions

*Carolyn's leaving out a few details here in Ceilidh's story. She came to Carolyn's hunter barn a bit of a freak, leaving a trail of broken cross-ties in her wake. Clippers were a big no-no to Ceilidh as was touching her face, ears or looking at her cross-eyed. It took a lot of patience on the part of both owner and the barn manager at her first barn to get her over a lot of issues.

Career 3: "Eventing"

I bought Ceilidh in December of 1996. She was to be my A/O Hunter. As you can see above, we never quite made that goal. The judges thought we had too much "personality" to put it politely, and we thought it was just plan ol' boring! So, the big switch to Eventing.

After "clinic-ing" just once, we entered our first competition - The Event Derby at Flintridge, at the exciting level of "Intro Beginner Novice". She won the class handily on her dressage score of 33.5.

She never looked back. After 20 "starts" with placings no lower than 6th in 16 of those events, she climbed all the way to have 4 Preliminary's under her belt, there seemed no stopping her. She gave her all for her "mommy" and was the "catch-ride-queen / loaner" for our barn when other horses came up injured -- all this on an undiagnosed muscle disorder known as EPSM (equine polysaccharide storage myopothy).

However, Ceilidh had other plans. She decided that she was a cat. And being a cat, she had nine lives. Back in November of 2005, it looked like she used the last of them when she had a horrible accident of her own devising. Being creative, she pretty much chewed up her right hind and lost a good portion of her medial long collateral ligament. No one, including myself thought that she'd ever make it back. But you can't keep the energizer bunny down. *** hello! Aunt Marla told you all along she'd make it back just fine... more importantly Ceilidh knew and that's what really counts.

Proving everyone wrong, with her heart-of-gold and amazing work-ethic, she healed with the clear go ahead that we could compete again. But the lay-up and injury spawned new problems of their own. Just when you thought she was out for the count, she bounces back and is ready to go again.

It's been a rough four years, but things are looking up. She looking for fences and is eager to gallop. Here's to a sparkling 2009!

Hobbies: Near fatal accidents, Ruling/Running the barn, putting the "smack-down" on naughty horses.

** I hate to edit entries that Sapphirians are kind enough to send but I feel compelled, as Ceilidh's Aunt Marla, to add in a few details Carolyn humbly left out.

As a hunter, Ceilidh was a positive SPAZ at shows. I personally watched her drop about 100 pounds at a hunter show in Bakersfield by doing nothing but spinning in her stall all day. Granted, it was Bakersfield and there wasn't much else to do but still. It was only through Carolyn's patience and Michelle's ingenuity that they finally got her to become the calm, show professional that she is but beware, the inner spaz does show through from time to time.

Ceilidh's injuries are much more creative and numerous than Carolyn admits. She left out the gnome wound gained somewhere along the course in Shepherd Ranch that sliced along her hoof. She contentedly bled like a stuck pig all the way back to her stall from the finish line (which is when we knew for certain she was a "cutter") and was very disappointed not to be able to finish the event by doing the show jumping. ("What? It's just a lousy four inch long, two inch deep gash along my hoof, I can still jump!")

Somewhere after that came the poisonous spider bite, the first of the "this horse will never jump again" injuries. Carolyn faithfully stayed by her horse's side and kept walking her since the vet said that would be the best thing. No matter that the leg was gruesomely huge and most owners (myself included) wouldn't be able to handle it. But Carolyn did and with her intense, never-say-die care Ceilidh made a full recovery.

Oh yeah, and then there was the hock infection that Carolyn ended up driving from Burbank to Somis (long before Ceilidh lived in Moorpark) nearly every day as well as working a 40 hour plus week as a music editor. That's about a 50 minute drive for one way those not familiar with the area. All just to go up and cheer up her horse who wasn't allowed to leave her stall.

One other tiny detail Carolyn left out was the whole reaction to her lay-up. "New problems of their own" doesn't quite cover it. Someone (usually Carolyn) had to go about elbow deep in Ceilidh's thigh (yes, insert her gloved hand in between skin and muscle and if you don't think it was weird/gross you aren't imagining this correctly) and clear out the old bandaging material and re-insert new stuff. I'm not even sure what it was all for but I'm not sure I could have done it. The best part was hearing Michelle scream like a girl when a blood clot about the size and consistency of a hot water bottle came splurting out.

The point is, Ceilidh owes a huge part of her miraculous recoveries to Carolyn's undying devotion. Not every horse is the Engergizer Bunny and not every injury is easily overcome, but I have learned a lot about how much difference an owner's care and devotion can make from this stalwart combination.

LA’s secret equestrian Shangri-La

2009-03-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

Back in February, the Kool Kidz went to Hummingbird Nest Ranch. Tucked away in Simi Valley, an area best known for its Presidential library and steamy summer climate, Hummingbird Nest Ranch is a veritable paradise for both horse and rider.

Managed by my friend Angele Fogg, Hummingbird Nest Ranch boasts of a sand arena with state of the art footing, a derby grass field and a Grand Prix field with multiple size banks, 8’ and 12’ water jumps, table bank and double liver pools. It also has a grob. I have no idea what that means. If you do, please e-mail me and let me know. There are also miles of trails that link up to the sumptuous ranch setting.

But that’s just the beginning; the barns have individually heated stalls, fully equipped kitchens, spacious tack rooms and their own veterinary clinic. There’s even an air filtration system to rid the barns of pesky odors. Insider tip: I have it on good authority that even though their poo doesn't stink they still have flies so there you go.

At this time, the three barns have space available for boarders or a trainer looking to set up shop at a world-class equestrian location. (No, Michelle, you can't move there).

Private clinics with top of the line riders of all disciplines are offered at Hummingbird throughout the year. More recently, Hummingbird’s highly experienced staff has turned its attention to equine recovery and rehabilitation. They have a Eurociser, treadmill, Game Ready and Centurion at your equine therapist’s disposal to speed your horse’s recovery.

Hopefully there'll be another schooling in our future but in the meantime thanks to Angela for making everyone feel welcome!

Cross-Country Schooling at Twin Rivers Ranch

2009-02-11T21:56:00.000-08:00

Thank God the Starbucks in Moorpark opens at 5am so we could get caffeinated up to get our horses ready in the pitch black for a 6am departure. Still, there isn’t enough Toffee Nut Latte in the world to make the frigid temperatures pleasant (and for future reference, Nahmi doesn’t get any latte at all – don’t ask). Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we got the ponies loaded up and only left twenty minutes late for the four and a half hour drive up to Twin Rivers in Paso Robles.

The drive up went smoothly (except for Nahmi’s issues with coffee – ha ha) but we were stunned when we pulled into Twin Rivers – there were so many trailers it looked like there was a show going on! It’s a tribute to how well Connie Baxter and her daughter, three-star eventer Andrea, run the place that the big crowd was no problem for them. It also shows how popular the events up at Twin Rivers are since it seemed like every eventing barn in So Cal was trying to squeeze in a schooling before they shut the course down for the show at the end of February.

The excitement level was running pretty high as we unloaded the horses and settled them in. The only veterans of the group were Nahmi on Simon, who used to live at Twin Rivers, and Nick on Buck. Midnight, Vinnie and Reese were all newbies, facing cross-country for the first time. Oddly, it was Simon who bellowed his head off the entire afternoon as everyone else settle in just fine.

It goes without saying that Buck was his usually show-stopping, spectacular self (ok, Nick was pretty good too) and the Nahmi/Simon combo offered a few hair-raising moments but other than that were stellar. But how did the “virgins” do? Here’s the shakedown:

Reese -- SUPERSTAR! Ok, maybe being the mummy I tend to exaggerate but I couldn’t be happier. He even took me over a couple of fences on the second day and seemed much more in tune with the job now that he’s getting a handle on it.

Vinnie – All things considered Vinnie held it together extremely well. His leap into the water is something that only Michelle, his mummy, could ride but other than that he seemed to learn quite a lot from his field trip as well.

Midnight – John and Cathy have had this mare for a long time but have never asked her to do cross-country before. She seemed to take to her new job really well and quickly learned that jumping natural objects was a lot of fun.

John – That’s right, John bravely went out on Angelino, his 20 plus Grand Prix dressage schoolmaster who’s been there, done that on elementary level cross-country jumps. On day two, John even abandoned his western saddle and tried out Cathy’s Antares. Hate to say it, but I think he’s hooked.

At the end of day one, we were all relaxing with gin & tonics and various snacks when there was a call for help. One of the horses who live on the property got cast but in a most unusual way; basically, the horse’s rump was sitting up on the top of the fence that divides the two stalls. John gave a mighty heave, with the rest of us basically serving as back up, and freed the stuck horse without any further ado.

Day Two was noticeably lower key. Maybe it was the early mornings catching up, adrenaline burn-out, or the disappointment of knowing that we’d be packing it up at the end of the day and returning to “real life” but even the other groups seemed quieter. Everything went really well and other than a couple of tough moments trying to get the horses loading back up (either Reese didn’t want to leave or he REALLY didn’t think he’d fit his bulky mass in the last stall of the trailer) the day couldn’t have been better. In fact, the whole weekend was about as perfect as it could possibly be. Thanks to one and all who made it such a memorable weekend.

Pictures and video montage to follow!

Sapphire Profile: Sparky

2009-01-22T19:38:00.001-08:00

We're starting our profiles of Sapphire Eventers with Nahmi and her horse Sparky, arguably the very first official "Sapphirians"!

Sire: Sabotage (Holsteiner)

Dam: Marianas (TB)

Born Aug 1994

Official Name: The Scottsman

Barn Name: Sparky, The Sparkinator, and Mouthy Bas_ _ _ d. (Ok, I added that one because he eats everything)

So in owner Nahmi's own words.....

I bought Sparky Sept 2001, for my birthday, Happy Birthday to me. Yup that would have been right after 9-11-01.

I had just come into a little money, a windfall from the sale of my mom's house. The house I grew up in. Final remnant of my parent's divorce. i had planned to take a trip to Italy Sept 2001. We were scheduled to leave Sept 15th....needless to say, trip didn't happen.

I guess you could say that Sparky was my consolation.

Sparky had very little show experience before I got him. We worked our way up the levels catching lessons were we could. Sparky was amused and somewhat entertained by my early attempts to pilot him around a warm up arena.

Fortunately for us, Michelle moved back from the East coast about a year after I bought sparky.
She has helped us to continue to improve our partnership and now he has learned to tolerate my show nerves. Despite some health setbacks, we have worked up to toying with preliminary level. Long term goal to one day participate in a one star.

Sparky has a mischievous personality. He knows he is super handsome and likes to be the center of attention. If he feels he's not, he will put anything in his mouth to be it. He finds waving manure forks around in the barn aisle particularly effective. His favorite late night snack is a legwrap.

Holiday Celebrations at Sapphire Eventing

2009-01-05T16:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays from all of us at Sapphire Eventing!

We hope you had a safe and happy celebration and are ready for the exciting eventing season coming up in the New Year!

For a whole album of our little “family” celebration, click here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/94jalj_D4JcRAL07KRMkpw?feat=directlink

Son of "Soul of the Matter" A Proven Winner

2008-12-22T11:19:00.000-08:00

The first of Super Derby Winner, Soul of the Matter’s US foals to enter the show ring came out a winner in his dressage debut. Three-year-old Reese, shown as Top Gear, earned first place at the Intrepid Farm's Holiday Dressage Show. His rhythmic gaits, powerful hindquarters and unflappable personality contributed to his overall score of 67% and promise a successful career in his intended job as a three-day eventer.

Intrepid Farms Holiday Show

2008-12-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

We had a great day last Saturday at Intrepid Farms Holiday Dressage show. The threat of rain disappeared, giving us fantastic sunny, crisp fall weather that’s perfect to ride in. This was our first trip to Intrepid Farms, which runs schooling dressage shows throughout the year. The show was small but super friendly, extremely efficient and well run. The folks at Intrepid put out their usual gi-normous food spread, including breakfast goodies and strong coffee for when you first arrive, a wide variety of sandwiches for lunch and snacks to keep you going throughout the day. (Anyone who knows eventers knows that we’re always up for free food!) Intrepid is generous with their prizes and fair but encouraging with their judging. If you live near Moopark, California, you have to check out their shows. If you don’t live nearby, it sucks to be you. We’ll definitely make plans to return in 2009. If you'd like to get more information about their shows, go to www.intrepid-farms.com.

The day started out with our Friesian barn buddy, Haeke, blowing them away in the Intro class. Reese (aka Top Gear) with Michelle E. riding him took first place in Training Level 1 – not bad for his showing debut! But maybe the most fun of the day was when Carolyn on Ceilidh and Nahmi on Simon rode their classes with a (nearly) glimmering display of lights on their saddle pads. Ceilidh, despite being a little naughty before going in the ring for test #2 still came away with two red ribbons. Simon, billed as Simon the Likable sounded more like “Simon Says” as he whinnied and bellowed his way through his two tests – editorial comments about his lights perhaps? The last ride of the day was Nahmi on Sparky who was his usual stellar self and got first place as well.

The show was good practice for all of us who are used to the shorter eventing dressage court (40 meters) to have to deal with all the extra real estate that a regular dressage court (60 meters) gives you. If you think the free walk is long in an event, it’s merciless in a long court! Plus, as Nahmi found out, holding the extended canter all the way down the super-sized long side can take your breath away – literally.

Sorry, as Reese’s proud mummy I was so jazzed about his first show that I forgot to bring a camera but Carolyn did her magic and pulled a few still of every off the video. Check out the photo album at http://picasaweb.google.com/marlaw825/IntrepidFarmsHolidayShow#

The New Antares Saddle Has Arrived

2008-12-02T09:43:00.000-08:00

So the big day finally arrived – Carolyn’s new custom-made Antares was delivered right on time. Per Antares’ instructions, she oiled it three times, giving each layer enough time to dry before even taking the saddle out to the barn. The result was the gorgeous chestnut brown saddle and girth you see in the pictures. I'm not much of a photographer but believe me, they are beatiful. What's even more stunning, however, is the Antares breastplate on her gray mare, Ceilidh. When you buy your Antares saddle, it's definitely worth it to go the extra bit and get the matching equipment - wow!

Then came the moment of truth, the first ride in the saddle meant to end all saddles. Expectations had been built fairly high since everyone in our barn raved about how great their Antares was from the moment they set their delicate little bottoms on them. Carolyn carefully tacked up in all the resplendent gear, including the matching girth and breastplate. She mounted, waiting for the choir of angels to sing and... nothing. No “Hallelujah Chorus,” not even a barber shop quartet. The verdict from the first ride was that it was ok, not great.

Carolyn had a limited time to decide if the saddle was right or not. The problem was (and is) that her horse Ceilidh isn’t approved for jumping after coming back from an injury until the very tail end of her trial period. The whole reason for the new saddle was to boost Carolyn’s feeling of security over fences and there was no way to test it until it was almost too late.

The first step was to have Michelle watch her ride in the saddle. Bearing in mind that Carolyn has been strictly a dressage rider for over a year because of Ceilidh’s injury, Michelle felt that the saddle wasn’t singing to her because Carolyn wasn’t used to the jump saddle position. The other factor is that Carolyn had an injury a few years ago that resulted in a blood clot in her left leg, causing her left leg to be weaker than her right. That weakness was really showing through in the jump position and doubly so in a mono-flap that encourages more leg stability but requires a tighter leg than a regular flap. (Can you say “accident prone horse and rider combination”?). Michelle’s one comment later on, after riding in the saddle a few times to help break it in, is that she really loves the comfort of the wider seat that Carolyn opted for.

Thierry took a look at Carolyn in the saddle as well. He was more than happy to take the time to talk through her issues with her but ultimately declared that in his opinion, the saddle was the perfect fit. But he also assured her that he’d continue to work with her on the saddle if she wasn’t truly happy.

So what’s the deal? For the money you spend on a custom saddle don’t you have the right to expect a choir of angels? With any new saddle there are a huge number of factors to consider. The new leather is stiff and the “sweet spot” of the saddle hasn’t been broken in so it’s like putting on a pair of tall boots and expecting them to be comfortable right away. A new leg position only adds to the confusion.

Bottom line? It’s been a couple of weeks now and Carolyn has ridden in the saddle a number of times. It gets better with each ride although the chorus of angels remains stubbornly mute. The true test will come when they get to jump...

Way to Go Will!!

2008-11-17T13:16:00.000-08:00

A group of us from Sapphire were fortunate enough to be at the Grand Prix here in LA on Saturday night to see gold medalist Will Simpson turn in an amazing first place performance on Archie Bunker. There were a lot of other impressive rides including a clear round from my own personal favorite, Richard Spooner. If you've never seen a Grand Prix you should absolutely go if you get a chance. And they think eventers are crazy!!

SAPPHIRE EVENTING GOES TO A SHOW!

2008-11-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

When I'm Captain of the World, horse shows will be held at reasonable hours, like 10:30 in the morning. Until then, however, shows start at 8 which meant that we had to be at the barn at the ungodly hour of 6am to load horses and get to Flintridge in time for the show.

Other than having to consume vast amounts of caffeine to be able to stay upright and then using the port-o-potty about 103 times throughout the course of the day, a great time was had by all. The weather couldn't have been more perfect and neither could the horses.

To see the pics, click on:

http://picasaweb.google.com/marlaw825/FlintridgeDerby02#

2008-10-23T20:59:00.000-07:00

“You know what dressage means, right?” asked guest clinician Germán Schneider, local dressage rider, trainer and judge. “It’s French for ‘too afraid to jump’ he quipped. (It’s actually French for training, in case you were dying to know). Germán’s sense of humor really set the tone for the mini-clinic we had at the ranch – a necessary ingredient since the first ride was at the ungodly hour of 7 am. (That's Reese, my horse, to the left by the way.) All kidding aside, as anal-retentive as it may seem dressage is the foundation for everything we do and the reason that even us crazy eventers work so hard at it. (We know it may not seem like it, DQ’s, but we really do.) As Germán pointed out to Michelle C. riding her horse Bailey, an unbalanced, unrateable canter might get you a “6” on your test but you'll be eating wood on a cross-country course.
It’s always good to attend clinics or occasional lessons from a different instructor just to get a fresh perspective on your riding. For instance, Germán focuses on the same issues of rhythm, tempo and suppleness that Michelle E. does but verbalizes it in a slightly different way. Combining the two approaches really clarified for me the importance of working my young horse in a lower frame with more flexion at the base of his neck until his back grows stronger. I wasn’t even riding in the clinic so even watching from the sidelines can be and educational experience. Just be sure to choose someone who isn’t at odds with your own trainer’s basic philosophy. Otherwise you won’t be able to incorporate what you’ve learned from the clinic in your day-to-day riding. Definitely talk to your trainer about what you learned at the clinic if they weren’t present to make sure that the ideas you took away from the experience are appropriate for what he or she is trying to work on with you at this point in your riding.

And where was Michelle during all this? Up in Fresno with dynamic duo Nick and Sarah competing at Ram Tap. Michelle took Dixie into her first event ever where she finished 4th with a double clear in cross-country. Nick finished 4th with Buck pulling a rail in show jump while Sarah and Eddie debuted at Training Level with a so-so dressage test but good solid jump rounds. According to Michelle, as well as the general feedback on the Chronicle of the Horse chat forum, Ram Tap’s courses have changed a bit for this show. The Training course in particular was tough but fair so kudos to both riders and horses for a job well done. They’ll both be up there again next month so fingers crossed that those rides will go even better.

WAY TO GO LARRY!

2008-10-15T14:19:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to our friend Larry and his horse, Caruso 202 (not to be confused with the other 201 Caruso’s out there) who finished 7th out of a million in Preliminary level at the recent event at Twin Rivers. Way to go, Bubba and Larry’s trainer, Auburn!

His story also goes to show you that when you go to a show, always be prepared! Their departure from So Cal was delayed from 5:30 am (eek!) to 7:30 am (slightly less eek!) because of a flat tire on Larry’s trailer and a naughty horse (not Caruso). Then, on the way home after a successful show, his trainer Auburn has not one but TWO flat tires on her trailer.

The moral of the story? Larry learned that if you are showing, particularly when the temperature is likely to climb into the triple digits, always be sure Sapphire Eventing is going to be there with the gin & tonics flowing. We didn’t go to this show and poor Larry got mighty parched out there all alone. On the other hand, I learned that unless your last name is Firestone, don’t ever travel with Larry!

PRODUCT REVIEW - THIN LINE PRODUCTS

2008-09-23T20:52:00.000-07:00

Six months ago or so a dressage trainer introduced me to the Thin Line Pad. My horse at the time and I both suffered from back problems and it was love at first sight with the super thin, super shock-absorbent pad. We both felt much better using this pad.

A short time later, I got a pad of my own. I chose the Thin Line contour pad which is slightly thicker than the Ultra Thin Line I originally rode in because, according to the company literature, it was specifically made for people or horses with back issues. The Thin Line has nearly as much shock absorbency but allows for a slightly closer fit. According to the company website, www.thinlineinc.com, “Ultra ThinLine is the only saddle pad endorsed by surgeons for riders with back problems.” I don’t know about surgeons but I can tell you it made a huge difference for my horse and me.

I was so enamored with the pad that I bought their open front and hind boots as well. Not very scientific of me, but I figured quality was quality; if the company’s product worked that well on my horse’s back they should be just as protective and shock absorbing on the legs. I love the fit and the fact that they are so easy to take care of. They also disperse heat and have anti-fungal agents that promote healthy skin no matter how many horses you use the boots or pads on.

Michelle tried the pad out and was soon ordering a pad for herself. Next thing I know she’s telling other clients to get one and now nearly everyone uses the pads and some even have the boots as well. Here’s what Michelle likes about the product:

“For horses that need a little protection I love the contour pad because the saddle stays put (no rolling or shifting side to side) and it doesn’t interfere with saddle fit. The sheepskin saddle pad is great for horses who are a little more sensitive/cold backed, but you don't feel like your too far from your horse. I love the open front boots for their clean look and shock absorbing protection in a lightweight, great fitting boot. Even Dixie doesn’t get boot rubs with these. The full boots have a great cut. The hind boots esp. cover everything important and have a double Velcro closure that ensures they stay put. They are easy to clean (very important) and heavy duty enough to wear for cross-country. So far I love everything Thin Line and you know how picky I am!!”

And she is very picky, trust me. On a final note, the other great feature of Thin Line products is that they are much more affordable than comparable boots and pads from other companies. I truly believe that you get what you pay for but in this case, Thin Line goes above and beyond to give you a great, durable product at a really reasonable price.

So that’s the Sapphire recommendation for the week. (The pictures here are from the Thin Line website, fyi -- check it out for more views.) Best of all, they have a 30 day money back return policy so you know they believe in their product.

Congrats to Those at the SBRC Show 9/13 - 14!

2008-09-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

Big shout out to Michelle, Nick and Sarah for a job well done at the Santa Barbara Riding Club's Back to School Show on Sept. 13 & 14. Michelle and Dixie earned a first and second - not bad considering the number of shows Dixie has gone to still number in the single digits. Sarah hung tough and earned the right to bump up to the 3' 6" class while Nick went through the adult rite of passage - he was edged out of the ribbons by a kid on a pony! Welcome to the world of grown-ups!

Next show - the Flintridge Derby!

PRODUCT REVIEW - ANTARES SADDLE FITTING

2008-09-14T21:49:00.000-07:00

If you’ve ridden for any length of time you know how hard it is to find a saddle that fits both you and your horse. Find one that fits AND helps you keep your position and you’ve found the Holy Grail.

The only sure way to get this kind of fit is to get a custom saddle made specifically to fit you and your horse. Admit it – we’ve all dreamed of getting a custom saddle. Beyond the practical appeal it just sounds so damn cool! So when my barn mate Carolyn needed a new saddle, our trainer Michelle convinced her to let her call Thierry Guiberteau from Antares. (His first name is pronounced “terry” like the towel. You’re on your own for the rest!) You have to realize that Michelle is on her second Antares and is dedicated to converting the world one rider at a time. Impoverished Bates saddle owner that I am, I decided to tag along for the ride.

First of, “tag along” is just a turn of phrase; Thierry and his assistant Jim plus several saddles came out to the boonies to try and fit Carolyn and her TB mare, Ceilidh. Even though I knew some of the basics of saddle fitting before he came out, I have to admit the whole thing was a fascinating experience.

The first thing Thierry did was watch Carolyn ride Ceilidh to get an idea of the issues they were dealing with. He noticed right off that Carolyn has a very dressage-y leg even in a jump saddle. That’s perhaps due to Ceilidh having been on a long, slow rehab program after an injury last year so all they’ve been doing is flat work and often bare back. Carolyn also has a very long thigh, which makes saddle fitting a little difficult.

It was pretty cool that Thierry never measured anything. He claims that he doesn’t need to measure – he can see and feel all he needs to know. Picking a sample saddle that might work, Thierry checked how the saddle fit Ceilidh. First he looked at the wither clearance – you don’t want it too high or it could pinch the wither and inhibit the horse’s forward motion. Of course, too low and it will press on the withers and also inhibit the horse’s motion.
Then he checked the rear of the saddle to make sure it sat flat on the horse’s back. Too much wobbling up and down is bad for both your ride and your horse.

Finally, he put his hand under the knee flap to check the fit there. Again, you don’t want the saddle too tight there or be uneven or it will inhibit your horse’s ability to move forward from his (or her) shoulder.

Next came the moment of truth; Carolyn got in the sample saddle and rode around the arena. And then the next. And the next. As Thierry pointed out, it’s a little like trying on shoes. You may not know what you like but you’ll know right away what you don’t like. Which means trying saddle after saddle to see what works for you AND your horse.

Here’s something I didn’t know: the term "thigh block" is a slight misnomer. Your thigh should never touch the thigh (or rear) block. The block should create a channel in the flap that helps your leg hold its position without giving you a solid object to brace against.

If you ever get a custom saddle fitted (or custom anything for that matter) don’t be afraid to discuss any question or issues you have with the fitter. Thierry’s amazing but he can’t read your mind. He and Carolyn had long discussions about what they liked and didn’t like about each saddle. In the end, with input from both of them they decided on a combo of the flap from one saddle and with a slightly larger knee block from the other.

And that’s what a custom saddle is all about, getting exactly the bits and pieces from several saddles put together into one special package. Carolyn prefers a deeper, wider seat than Michelle, for instance. She also got the mono-flap to give her a closer contact but had the saddle made out of rough leather rather than calfskin for greater durability (and lower price).

So why aren’t we all rushing out to get a custom saddle? For most people, the stumbling block is the perception that they are outrageously more expensive than an “off the rack” model. Actually it wasn’t too bad at the end of the day, especially if you added in all the perks. For a little over $4,000, Carolyn got a custom saddle that’s fully guaranteed to fit her freaky long legs and her horse’s wonky back. Really – guaranteed. She’ll have thirty days to make sure the saddle is what she wants. If not, Thierry will come back out and help figure out what the problem is & make the appropriate adjustments or give her a brand new saddle if necessary. One friend found her new saddle was hurting her back. Thierry figured out that the problem was the flap, took the saddle back and rebuilt it – AT NO CHARGE. Now our friend Nahmi couldn’t be happier.

We’ll let you know in two months when the saddle comes in if Carolyn feels the same way!

To check out Antares products and the gajillion combinations of seat, flap, leather and designs you have to choose from, visit their website at www.antaressaddle.com. If you’re in southern California, you can also contact Thierry directly at thierry@antares-sellier.com. Just be sure to mention that you heard about it from the Sapphire blog!

WOODSIDE AUGUST 8-10/ HORSE SHOPPING ADVENTURE

2008-08-11T21:53:00.000-07:00

FROM FELLOW SAPPHIRE-ER MICHELLE "DISCO" C ---

I’m awakened by the 80’s sound of Huey Lewis and The News and my husband asking, snooze button? My answer is a emphatic yes! It’s early, too early but the next time the alarm goes off I pull myself from my toasty cocoon and stumble towards the bathroom. By the time I get out of the shower, make myself presentable and pack up the last few things, my phone rings. It’s our fearless leader, I’m late. How can this be, I’m never late and Michelle is never on time. I tell her I’m leaving in 5 and will be to her place in 15, and so it was and they journey began. Next stop is Camille’s who has literally been standing outside her home for a ½ hour, oops. So now the truck is fully loaded, Michelle, Camille, myself and of course the dogs, Oscar, Toast, and Mojito.

Team Katleman was headed straight to Woodside while we were going further north to look at a horse. The long trip is passing quickly as we talk about what else, horses. Not long after we get off the 5 Mojito gives us something that we’ll be talking about for the rest of the trip. Camille made mention that she thought that she smelled fertilizer. I was hoping she was right but my nose knew better. Instead the lovely unmistakable aroma we were all enjoying was anal glands. Windows down, heads out! We’re still not sure what Camille was doing to that dog but the end result was one very stinky fleece jacket that quickly found its way to the back of the truck. The horse was nice, but nothing special so we now reverse direction back to Woodside. Team Katleman has called to let us know they have arrived safely, although they nearly ran out of gas causing Nick a small panic attack, but all's well and the horses were settling in nicely. The trip down the coast proves to be quite picturesque as we travel over the Golden Gate Bridge and the outskirts of San Fran. We arrive at Woodside and it’s time to get to work.

Eddie had decided it was going to be a long day at the office. Sara did her best to not fight with him but when he kept on flipping his head we were all ready to change his name to Elmer. Sara struggled through and was able to end on a decent note and hope he got it out of his system. Nick and Buck had a lovely ride with no incident.

After dinner at Hobee’s we came away knowing a little more about Nick in particular. Apparently he’s accident prone and is also very good at inflicting pain on his loved ones. Did I mention he shut his mothers fingers in the truck door earlier in the day? Clearly we’ll have to keep an eye on him.

It’s D day -- what were you thinking? I’m talking about dressage. The horses look great scrubbed, brushed and braided and the kids don’t look half bad either. Sara is up first, warm-up was much better that the day before and Sara is well focused at not engaging with any of Eddie’s antics. If he wants to lift his head she’s going to push him forward into her hand. Sara succeeds with her plan and is able to measure her success with her own knowledge of just how hard he is to ride in dressage. Now Nick, one might think he could have easily been distracted because his girlfriend is warming up at the same time, but Nick has his game face on and I don’t even catch him give his girlfriend a quick smile. He’s hardcore! Success also finds Nick and Buck. When the standings are posted Nick is tied for 3rd and Sara is just outside the ribbons… for now. The rest of the day continues without incident until Michelle and Camille open a bottle of wine and realize they have no glasses. With the classic eventer ingenuity glasses are formed out of containers that previously contained cake and everyone is happy. Later in the evening we join Nick’s girlfriend Hanna and her mother and trainer for dinner. The subject of Janet’s bruised fingers come up in discussion and again in typical eventer style it’s decided that the cure is traumeel. You’ll have to ask Janet if it worked. Just as we pulled into the hotel parking lot Mojito reminded us just who’s in control. Yep, you guessed it that familiar smell filled the truck once more, it must be Camille’s doing because I know my driving was impeccable. Lucky for us he kept on getting it on clothing, things easily cleaned and not on the truck interior.

Time to jump! Camille and I find our seats and watch the open novice and it’s a train wreck. Not until the last rider and finally a double clean. By this time Camille and I have tried to get our timing down for pictures (tried). Sara is the first to go in junior novice and sets the standard with a double clean. WAHOOO!!! You should know there were very few double cleans. Nick was up next and rode a great round with just one rail. Thankfully those rounds go quickly because Janet was seriously going to need the paramedics with her show mom nerves. When the standings were posted Nick was in 3rd alone and Sara was now in 5th. The kids quickly walked there x-country course and Nick being a good brother said he would take care of Eddie for Sara so we could head out to Petaluma to continue horse shopping. Once again the truck was full with the five of us and yes three dogs. An hour and a half later we arrived to find some very nice horses. Prince (aka Bonehead) proved to be a real contender for Sara just as soon as Eddie is sold. After a few hours we were back in the truck headed back to Woodside. Later that night we ate dinner at the hotel and as we talked, to the dismay of the kids it was revealed that my family history includes some, I hate to say it, redneck stories. I would just like to remind them that I cannot be held responsible if my family members chose to eat road kill. After dinner Michelle decided it would be a good idea to bath her dogs in the hotel bathtub, by morning they smelled good but that evening as we drifted off to sleep eau d' wet dog is all I could smell.

It’s time for x-country, what’s there to say, it’s the day we all wait for. Nick and Sara both did fantastic and stayed in the same place. With another long drive ahead of us the horses were taken care of and the things were loaded up quickly. We decided not to caravan seeing how we were not hauling and left around 11:00, contrary to the ride up, the ride home was quiet evidence of a long successful show. Even Mojito made it home with no more incidents. So congratulations to team Katleman on a job well done and hopefully we’ll see everyone at the barn cookout.

WELCOME TO EVENTING

2008-08-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

The first time I rode cross country was on a trip to Ireland. (The picture to the right is NOT me, by the way, it's our fearless leader Michelle.) I went with group from my riding school where we were all working on being very serious hunt seat riders and rarely ever left the ring. Jet-lagged and cranky that first morning, the last thing I really wanted to do was go on a glorified trail ride.

The horse I was assigned, Dearag, apparently liked to be in the front of the pack so would I mind going first down the wooded lane? Stop when you come to a crossroads were my only instructions. And with that we were off. Dearag took me over logs, through box jumps, and flew over anything else in our way. I was having so much fun I didn’t even see the crossroads much less stop there. The wind was whistling in my ears and the blood was pounding in my head so hard I never heard the cries of “whoa” from behind me. I drug the entire group after me until we literally hit the end of the road. After just that one ride, I was hooked.

When I came home and told friends how much fun I had, a friend suggested, “We should try eventing.” Yeah, sure, I thought, that would be great. Um... what is it?

The easiest way to think of eventing is to think of it as a triathlon consisting of dressage, cross country and show jumping phases. Eventing began as a military exercise back in the day when mounted units decided borders of countries and was considered the ultimate test of horse and rider. There’ve been a few changes in the sport, particularly some controversial ones in recent years but the intent remains the same. The goal of eventing remains to test the horse’s endurance, speed, stamina, and obedience under pressure as well as the rider’s nerves and wits. No offense, hunters, but for me it’s a lot more fun and challenging than standing at the in-gate waiting for your turn to go.

A good thing to keep in mind as you watch an event is that the score is translated into penalty points. In other words it’s like golf - lower is better. So if you’re used to dressage riders longing for a 72 on their test don’t be mystified when an eventer is ecstatic at a 28. Dressage is always ridden first (to get the worst part over if you ask me) and then either show jumping or cross country, depending on the way the event is run. In a true, classic test cross country is run next on the second day and then show jumping is ridden on the third day largely as a test of the horse’s soundness and fitness after cross country.

Events can take place in just one day (typically referred to as a derby for those of us on the West coast), two days (usually called a horse trial) or the full three days. Eventers compete at certain levels, starting with Beginner Novice and going all the way up to Intermediate. Levels are set by the difficulty of the dressage test, the height of the fences and the speed you are required/allowed to complete the jump courses in. An event will allow a set number of riders in each level that they choose to run – for instance, some shows later in the year don’t include a Beginner Novice level in order to allow more riders at the higher levels. Also, some facilities only run levels up to a certain height because they don’t have the space or terrain to run the higher, more difficult levels. If you’re just starting out, most cities will have at least one facility that will run the un-recognized Intro to Beginner Novice or even lower so that you can safely give eventing a try without getting in over your head.

But eventing isn’t just about shows. If you don’t take advantage of the opportunities to go schooling just for fun you’re missing out a huge part of the sport. Schooling allows you and your horse to go over obstacles that you wouldn’t normally meet, like water and ditches, and let you confront them without the added baggage of show nerves. You can have all the do-overs you need until you feel comfortable that you and your horse have got it down pat. You also get to do crazy fun stuff like going swimming with your horse - check out "Whoopali's Swimming Lesson" on the video bar to the right to see what I mean. (And yes, that is me getting a dunking...)

Eventing is mostly a state of mind. A fellow competitor will loan you a piece of missing equipment if need be to keep you from being eliminated from the show without hesitation. Thankfully there are specific ride times for both dressage and cross country as well as a fairly sure window for show jumping, allowing you the rest of the day to relax, socialize or work on your show nerves. After the rides are over, there is almost always a formal competitors party at least one evening of the event where everyone can hang out and catch up on the latest news. The other nights there are usually impromptu gatherings traveling from one group’s mini-campsite of tables and chairs to the next. Almost without exception, eventers prefer to care for their own horses rather than having grooms do it for them. Feeding, watering and cleaning out stalls are chores you do yourself or trade off with other people in your barn. It’s really the overall friendly atmosphere of competitors cheering for one another and always being willing to lend a helpful hand that converted me to eventing for good.

Best of all, eventing is a sport for riders of all ages and riding skill levels. So if you know which end of the horse to saddle and like to color a little bit outside of the box give eventing a try – you won’t be disappointed!

2008-07-30T08:29:00.001-07:00

UNDER CONSTRUCTION - FIRST POSTING COMING SOON!