I finally got my shit together to ride today. Probably mostly the fact that my trainer M was going down to the ring to give Tammy a lesson. The best part was riding in M's saddle. It's a custom-made DK made for her little Dutch stud, and it is AMAZING! as in, makes everything better because I can just sit deep and go, that's nice Lily, but you need to slow down because my back is telling you to, and you can't pull me out of this seat!
I should have lunged her because she's had two days off and I usually lunge before ever ride (to let her loosen her back); but since M was working with Tammy I couldn't. So, she was hot and a bit stupid at the walk, but I got one of the best right lead canters I've had in a long time. I know this sound weird, but because the saddle is for a upper level, very collected horse, I could just sit and tell Lily to get over it and come back to me. Apparently it was so good that M even told me so (and she's kind of like Big K from the mugwump chronicles in her compliments, they don't happen).
Lily's getting a little better, but boy can she be beast about her left side. It's all my fault from pulling the past 3 years on my left rein, but jeez, it was a lot easier to create the problem then it is to fix it! Today I really focused on sitting sit, and really "having a back" as M puts it. It made a world of difference. When I focus I can really hold Lily with my back, and keep her relaxed and slow, and be very light in my reins, which Lily loves. But, if I'm not trying 110% to do this, Lily completely blows me off and takes off at whatever speed she feels is appropriate, usually Mach 10. Once I'm off her mouth (it's not that I'm always pulling, it's that I'm constantly asking her to come back, take then give, take then give, about 5 million times every stride), she completely loosens in her neck. Now we just need to work on her accepting my leg better. She was a bit jumpy about it today, but I can't blame her as she's had two days off and I didn't lunge her.
the rescue
While tacking up Tammy and I found...a barn mouse! and not just any mouse, a tiny itty-bitty baby one!! We used a crop to pick it up at first, but soon realized how nice he was and soon he was in my hands. We went to go ask M for a box of some kind, and got this exact reaction, "I don't want to see, don't show it to me! awww, it's soo cute!" typical :) . So we got a box, some wonderful 2nd cut hay and made "him" (not like we have any clue if its a boy or girl) a temporary home. I then proceeded to spend $50 at the pet store getting the newly named "Merlin" a mouse cage, food, and treats. It was a good reminder that no animal is free!
however, I also signify this event as my first rescue, yay!!
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
the heat is killing my motivation
I am usually really motivated to ride. I take the time to groom properly, itch the itchy spots, change into riding pants and tall boots, lunge, everything. It's been a struggle the past few days. By the time I get up, drive 30min to work (which is taking care of 5 rescue horses), drive back and find some food, I am hot, sweaty, and tired. Not sleeping well is part of it, but growing up in the North with the long cold winters, the heat just kills me. It's one thing to sit on the beach in an itsy-bitsy bathing suit; but jeans and boots while doing physical labor just take it right out of me.
Anyways, what this all means is that I have been slacking. The past two days I rode for all of 20min. Granted they were good 20min, nice and deep with a steady contact, but as soon as a got a little something, I called it quits. Then today, I didn't get out to the barn until 7:30pm (I'm usually out by 5pm at the latest), and wasn't even going to ride. Then my friend wanted help with her gelding, and begged me to stay. Basically Lily got spoiled rotten. The guy I work for believes that there is no such thing as too many treats. And every once in a while Lily gets lucky and I don't empty my pockets before getting to the barn, tonight was one of those days. Plus, I had Gatorade, one of her personal favorites!
My ride tonight consisted of a a halter and lead rope with me wearing shorts and flip-flops, yes, I know, I'm a terrible person. Lily was hysterical! With-in 3 minutes on the ground she figured out which pocket had the treats in them, and would not leave me alone. She just gets so excited and wants them sooo badly, but knows better then to get really pushy. It's like watching a toddler try and be really nice so he can have another cookie.
So I sat in the middle of the ring bareback for 25min and gave my friend a lesson. Lily was super relaxed, in fact, my friend asked jokingly if she was drugged. Her head was down she had a foot cocked, happy as can be. Every couple minutes she would nudge my foot and ask for a treat. It was one of those nights where you know exactly why you love these amazing animals such.
Anyways, what this all means is that I have been slacking. The past two days I rode for all of 20min. Granted they were good 20min, nice and deep with a steady contact, but as soon as a got a little something, I called it quits. Then today, I didn't get out to the barn until 7:30pm (I'm usually out by 5pm at the latest), and wasn't even going to ride. Then my friend wanted help with her gelding, and begged me to stay. Basically Lily got spoiled rotten. The guy I work for believes that there is no such thing as too many treats. And every once in a while Lily gets lucky and I don't empty my pockets before getting to the barn, tonight was one of those days. Plus, I had Gatorade, one of her personal favorites!
My ride tonight consisted of a a halter and lead rope with me wearing shorts and flip-flops, yes, I know, I'm a terrible person. Lily was hysterical! With-in 3 minutes on the ground she figured out which pocket had the treats in them, and would not leave me alone. She just gets so excited and wants them sooo badly, but knows better then to get really pushy. It's like watching a toddler try and be really nice so he can have another cookie.
So I sat in the middle of the ring bareback for 25min and gave my friend a lesson. Lily was super relaxed, in fact, my friend asked jokingly if she was drugged. Her head was down she had a foot cocked, happy as can be. Every couple minutes she would nudge my foot and ask for a treat. It was one of those nights where you know exactly why you love these amazing animals such.
Monday, July 14, 2008
whoa damnit!
I recently took the stirrups off my saddle because I am apparently retarded at sitting the trot if my feet are in stirrups. I tried lowering them, raising, them, and then gave up and got rid of them. Since Lily is so hot, she does not require a lot of leg, and because I lunge her before getting on (to let her back loosen), I generally just sit while riding other than stretchy circles. However, also because she is a hot horse, this can make things very interesting when she decides to be explosive in her canter transitions, and hop up and down (not bucking, just tiny super bouncy strides), in the canter. Due to all these factors, I decided to pick a fairly slow-paced goal for the day: I wanted to feel like I could halt at any moment when I was riding; and not because I could just haul on the reins.
Lily was pretty good when I lunged her, for some reason she is always a little more silly going to the right. She does little things such as pretending she doesn't know what the word, "out" with the lunge whip pointed at her shoulder means even though she listened perfectly going the other way. But, I got a nice canter both ways, and she was starting to stretch down in the trot, so I got on. From driving Lily got an excellent base in her voice commands, which I try to always reinforce. So, while walking I tightened my back, braced a little against her, and said, "whoa". I then followed with a small rein cue to help enforce the idea. I praised her and backed her up a few steps, which she was not happy about. Well, 10min later she had finally caught onto the idea and I could get a nice square halt just using my seat and back. I also continued to ask for a rein-back if the halt was not responsive enough.
When I went to ask for the trot, it was amazing. The other person in the ring looked over and said, "that's the most relaxed I've ever seen her, and she's really using her hind-end" bingo! I did the same thing in the trot: I tightened my back, braced against her motion, and said, "whoa" with a rein cue to help with any confusion. It was bliss. She was totally on my aides, not running, relaxed in her back and poll. We then had a near disaster. As I was in the middle of the ring on a 20meter circle, the other person in the ring started clucking at their horse. Lily latched on to it, put her head straight in the air and pretended like I asked her to canter. While doing so she tightened her back so much she almost popped me straight up and out of the saddle. I brought her back to halt stroked her neck, and waited for her head to drop thus telling me she was relaxed. We never really got it all the way back.
I attempted a canter, but with out stirrups I cling a little too much with my leg because she gets so stiff and a bit hard to stay with, which means she is not at all comfortable with the amount of leg I use. I got a stride or two of a decent, round canter, but lost it and decided we were better off working on the trot. Of course since she had gotten to canter she was completely revved-up: jiggy, tight, and wanting nothing to do with bending. Back to the walk it was. We did some leg-yielding (with-out running), spiral-in and spiral out, and then one of the best exercises my trainer M has given me: shoulder-in on a circle.
Now, I consider myself a fairly coordinated person while on a horse. The first time I tried to do this I couldn't figure out which way was up. M had to break it down to super baby steps for me: bend the horse to the inside, ask the haunches to step out, and half-halt with your outside hand. Once Lily figured out what I was asking her body to do, I was able to start asking her shoulders to come in and keep her haunches on their track. Because this exercise keeps you going in a few different directions at once Lily is thinking so much she forgets to fight my half-halts, it's wonderful! It also really engages her inside hind leg and gets her stepping through her back more. And once you can coordinate this, shoulder-in down the long side in a piece of cake!
So, after a good 15 minutes of trying to relax after cantering, I finally got a decent trot back. She was listening to my aides, bending, and really on my back. I got a beautiful shoulder-in down the long side, and asked for a halt. For some reason Lily thought the halt might be optional. So we did a rein-back, picked the trot up and tried again, it was perfect. She was listening, quiet, kept a good connection, and didn't just fall onto her forehand. I dropped the reins and called it quits. I had accomplished the three most important things while working a horse: 1. keep yourself safe, 2. keep the horse safe, and 3. end with the horse more relaxed then when you started.
plan B
I got all ready to ride yesterday. It was rainy, gross, a little on the cold side (for summer in New England), but I was excited. I started currying Lily, and got all the seriously itchy spots. She was loving it! I then went to brush her off, and she wanted nothing to do with me. She backed up, turned around and went into the far corner of her stall. Apparently she did not want to go for a ride. Now, usually I am not one to let horses make decisions like this, however, it's a little different with her. Lily is a Morgan. Which means she is workaholic down to her very last bone. She comes to the gate every time, and stands quietly by the door of her stall when I tack-up. This horse loves to work. So when she turned her butt, I decided not to push it. I came up with a plan B: braid her mane over.
Considering that I've shown Lily and she's been braided before, this all seems fairly basic and easy...right? Not so much. Lily is one of those, "sedate until barely standing" type horses when you have to pull her mane. Just lightly touching her neck up by her crest will have her shaking her head. But, hey, she's gotta get over it sometime, and I decided that it would be then.
So, I went and got my black braiding yarn (I didn't have and rubber bands) and put Lily in the aisle; I have been working on ground tying, so I figured this would be a pretty good opportunity to practice. Then I couldn't find a bucket, which meant a refresher course in giving to pressure. I stood next to Lily, and gently tugged down on her halter, as soon as she relaxed down the tiniest bit I gave lots of praise and rubbed her neck. Less then three tries later I could get her head at the level of my knees...well, at least until I tried to touch her mane. Her head went flying up, she took a step backwards and gave me the evil eye; The, "how dare you! You know I don't like that!" kind of evil eye. So we went back to the beginning. I put her feet back where we started, and asked her to lower her head, she was not so fond of the idea this time, but she gave in.
30 minutes later along with a lot of head shaking, yelling, and praise, I had braided almost half her mane over. I gave up. She would put her head down, and although she was shaking, she wasn't moving her feet. Which was good enough for me. I put her back in her stall, got some treats to practice bowing. and said goodnight.
A little background Part 2
Since moving Lily to a dressage barn and riding on the UVM Equestrian Team, we have learned a lot. By the spring semester (January 2007) I was taking a weekly private dressage lesson; plus riding in the twice-weekly team lessons. My new trainer's first comment was, well, she kind of looks like a mini-Trakehner. I was really excited, M (my trainer) said my little Morgan mare looked like a warmblood! Looking back I realize I'm not sure how much of compliment it was seeing as I don't like Trakehners for their serious lack of brains and tendencies to be stupid and dangerous, and M agrees with my opinions.
As I headed home that summer with Lily, I was so excited. I was loving the dressage, and how much easier it was making Lily to ride. We had also been jumping a lot and M felt that Lily had a real talent over fences. By spring I had been jumping her 3'6" on the occasion and she was still showing amazing scope (such as leaving out two strides before a 3'3" oxer). The summer of 2007 however, was a disaster.
By the end of June Lily was rearing. This is a horse that I started myself and had never even kicked out while under saddle, let along rear. She was very attached to the barn (even though she went out by herself, she didn't have a turn-out buddy), and by July had reared and taken-off with me back from the lower pasture to the barn. By August I could barely ride her. Every couple of steps she would toss her head up, and if I pushed the issue she would go up. I had looked at her feed, her feet, checked her back, had the vet come out. Checked her saddle, bridle, bit (french training snaffle), and nothing seemed wrong.
September came and I brought her back up to school with me. She turned into an angel. The first week was like having my horse back. She was happy to work and wonderful to ride. Then she started rearing again. We looked at everything again. Then it got worse, she started kicking out when I touched her left side. It started when I was riding, and progressed to even just went touched her left flank. M took a look at my saddle and decided that with the muscles she had developed from doing all the dressage, it didn't fit, when I was sitting in it. Hence why I never figured it out on my own. The saddle was fine until my weight sat in it (and I'm not big, 5'9" and about 130lbs) and then it started pinching her withers.
Unfortunately the damage was already done. It didn't matter what saddle I put on her, it still hurt. So, from October 2007 to January 2008, I rode her bareback. And everyone thought I was completely nuts. I even questioned my own sanity at some points. I was getting on a super hot sneaky mare that had just learned that rearing gets her out of work, with no saddle. We didn't canter for at least 5wks, and the first 3wks included a whole lot of walking and learning not to jigg. In December my best friends mother let me borrow her old keiffer wide tree dressage saddle. Bingo!
Over the summer Lily was getting grain, being turned out on grass, and being taken care of by a barn manager that believed a horse should always have hay when in a stall. She has gained probably about 200lbs. So a wide-tree was perfect. I slowing started putting the saddle on her again. I also had a saddle fitter come out. After ruling out pain, I started on a major attitude adjustment; because not only is Lily a mare, she's a Morgan mare. Which means she was born as a super alpha opinionated horse.
Basically my rides went like this: brush gently, and ever time she kicked out, give a good slap and touch the area again until she got over it. Then get on. Walk, ask for trot. Then just just kick. She had no interest in going forward. If kicking out didn't work she would start to back up then rear. I put on spurs. Ever time she tried to rear I doubled her (pulled her head to one side) and dug my spur in to go forward. I added the spurs because I tried this very unsuccessfully with out them. For such a sensitive mare, she sure is good at ignoring me when she wants to. As M put it, I had to get rid of her rearing before she killed me. And if I couldn't make her go forward, I could get her to stop rearing.
About 4wks later she was getting pretty sick of the whole thing, and starting to act like a normal sane horse again. We started private lessons again, and she just got better and better. Soon we were jumping again. However, through all of this, I made a sad decision. I decided that I wanted to sell her. As much as I love her to death and she is an amazingly athletic horse, she is not what I want right now. I want something more consistent that is easier to ride. I may only be 20 (almost 21!), but I have had green horses my entire life. My first horse was a 4yr old with 6month of professional saddle seat training. Next was Mylo (the love of my life and one horse I would always take back in a heartbeat) who I bought as a 2.5yr old that drove and was being introduced to a saddle when I got him. So I want something for me. I am happy to put in the finishing work, but I want something not quite so hot. I am in college taking a full course load, I ride on the UVM Team, am in charge of Fundraising this year, plus I work at least 20hrs a week. When I go to the barn I want to know I will have a decent ride at least 8 times out of 10.
As I headed home that summer with Lily, I was so excited. I was loving the dressage, and how much easier it was making Lily to ride. We had also been jumping a lot and M felt that Lily had a real talent over fences. By spring I had been jumping her 3'6" on the occasion and she was still showing amazing scope (such as leaving out two strides before a 3'3" oxer). The summer of 2007 however, was a disaster.
By the end of June Lily was rearing. This is a horse that I started myself and had never even kicked out while under saddle, let along rear. She was very attached to the barn (even though she went out by herself, she didn't have a turn-out buddy), and by July had reared and taken-off with me back from the lower pasture to the barn. By August I could barely ride her. Every couple of steps she would toss her head up, and if I pushed the issue she would go up. I had looked at her feed, her feet, checked her back, had the vet come out. Checked her saddle, bridle, bit (french training snaffle), and nothing seemed wrong.
September came and I brought her back up to school with me. She turned into an angel. The first week was like having my horse back. She was happy to work and wonderful to ride. Then she started rearing again. We looked at everything again. Then it got worse, she started kicking out when I touched her left side. It started when I was riding, and progressed to even just went touched her left flank. M took a look at my saddle and decided that with the muscles she had developed from doing all the dressage, it didn't fit, when I was sitting in it. Hence why I never figured it out on my own. The saddle was fine until my weight sat in it (and I'm not big, 5'9" and about 130lbs) and then it started pinching her withers.
Unfortunately the damage was already done. It didn't matter what saddle I put on her, it still hurt. So, from October 2007 to January 2008, I rode her bareback. And everyone thought I was completely nuts. I even questioned my own sanity at some points. I was getting on a super hot sneaky mare that had just learned that rearing gets her out of work, with no saddle. We didn't canter for at least 5wks, and the first 3wks included a whole lot of walking and learning not to jigg. In December my best friends mother let me borrow her old keiffer wide tree dressage saddle. Bingo!
Over the summer Lily was getting grain, being turned out on grass, and being taken care of by a barn manager that believed a horse should always have hay when in a stall. She has gained probably about 200lbs. So a wide-tree was perfect. I slowing started putting the saddle on her again. I also had a saddle fitter come out. After ruling out pain, I started on a major attitude adjustment; because not only is Lily a mare, she's a Morgan mare. Which means she was born as a super alpha opinionated horse.
Basically my rides went like this: brush gently, and ever time she kicked out, give a good slap and touch the area again until she got over it. Then get on. Walk, ask for trot. Then just just kick. She had no interest in going forward. If kicking out didn't work she would start to back up then rear. I put on spurs. Ever time she tried to rear I doubled her (pulled her head to one side) and dug my spur in to go forward. I added the spurs because I tried this very unsuccessfully with out them. For such a sensitive mare, she sure is good at ignoring me when she wants to. As M put it, I had to get rid of her rearing before she killed me. And if I couldn't make her go forward, I could get her to stop rearing.
About 4wks later she was getting pretty sick of the whole thing, and starting to act like a normal sane horse again. We started private lessons again, and she just got better and better. Soon we were jumping again. However, through all of this, I made a sad decision. I decided that I wanted to sell her. As much as I love her to death and she is an amazingly athletic horse, she is not what I want right now. I want something more consistent that is easier to ride. I may only be 20 (almost 21!), but I have had green horses my entire life. My first horse was a 4yr old with 6month of professional saddle seat training. Next was Mylo (the love of my life and one horse I would always take back in a heartbeat) who I bought as a 2.5yr old that drove and was being introduced to a saddle when I got him. So I want something for me. I am happy to put in the finishing work, but I want something not quite so hot. I am in college taking a full course load, I ride on the UVM Team, am in charge of Fundraising this year, plus I work at least 20hrs a week. When I go to the barn I want to know I will have a decent ride at least 8 times out of 10.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
A little background
December 1st, 2005 I bought my third horse. I had been showing on the Morgan Circuit and my last horse just hadn't grown as much as I had hoped (I bought him as a 14.2h 2.5yr old, sold him as a 14.3h 4yr old); so I sold him to buy something bigger. For those unfamiliar with Morgan Horses, anything over 15.2h is considered "big". So, I bought a 15.2h four year old with no training. Her name was LPN Just My Style, "Lily".
I bought her as she came into my training barn, Meadowmere, where she was hitched and driving in 2weeks. By January she was going under saddle, and she was easy, super easy, in fact looking back, I should have been suspicious.
That first show season I took her the whole circuit. We did UPHA Chapt. 14 in April all the way through to Mass. Morgan in August. Not only that, but we did well. The highlight of the year being a 2nd place a New England Regions in the 14-17 Hunter Seat Pleasure. Not bad for a horse with just 7month under saddle!
With less than a week to go before entries were due for Oklahoma (the Morgan World National and Grand Champion Horse Show), my trainers started to flip-flop about whether they were going. It was my last year in the junior divisions. I had qualified for several classes. They decided not to go the day entries were due. I was crushed.
With the school year starting in September, I moved "Lily" to a hunter jumper barn down the road from my school where I had boarded my two previous horses. Over the past 9 months Lily had just gotten hotter and hotter. Basically, just had gotten comfortable with someone on her back and started to get muscles. She never did anything stupid, no bucking, rearing, spooking, but she was a pistol. To this day I still think she would have made a fine English Pleasure horse if she had the neck for it. So, at the hunter jumper barn, Mt. Heights Equestrian Club (MHEC), my trainer Melanie worked on us slowing down and starting to jump, we had a blast! Lily was more focused, more ridable, and oh boy could she jump! By February 2006 I had jumped her 3'9", and she just cantered right down to the base and jumped with her knees to her eyeballs, no problem.
By March the horse show bug was kicking in. I called MM (Meadowmere), and asked if I could stable with them at UPHA. Meanwhile, I had been talking about going to Oklahoma with my parents. I did not want to get dropped the day entries were due, and so I started looking for a bigger show barn. Which is how I found Chrislar.
I have never talked to someone that has been to Chrislar or met Chris Cassenti and had anything bad to say. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made concerning horses. However, explaining to the trainers at MM that I would not be continuing the season with them, did not go over well. I told them at the end of UPHA, and left the barn aisle at the show in tears. I have never had two adults act more like children in my life. Needless to say, my only interactions with them since then have not been pleasant either.
That June I graduated from high school (the Putney school) and took the year off to work and focus on showing. Chrislar was amazing! Well, except for the 3.5hr drive. Lessons for the "A" circuit group were Thursdays at 5pm and Saturdays at 10am. So I left work early on Thursdays drove out for my lesson, and stayed with my cousins in Kittery, ME 30min north for the weekends. Chris always made sure everyone had realistic expectations. When I came into the barn she told me she liked Lily, but she wasn't going to get me a National Championship. That was fine with me, I just wanted to qualify and go. It didn't matter if I won, I just wanted the experience.
The 2006 show season was the best in my life. I placed in almost all my classes, including winning a split novice stake class, and coming back to win the championship class of 33 entries. The Chrislar team really made it all happen. My horse was turned-out beyond belief, the white on her hind ankles was pink it was so clean before every class, and her braids amazing. Chris prepped me before every class, and was always ring side when I was showing. Not to mention the girls at the barn were wonderful. All younger than me (in the A circuit group), but so nice, well brought up, and grateful for what they were doing.
Oklahoma was everything and more! I qualified for hunt seat amature mares, hunt seat ladies mares, and hunt seat youth; I also entered the hunter hack which does not have any qualifying classes. I left with a top ten and a huge smile, and my favorite picture of Lily and me.
Oklahoma was in October, and I had just started as a freshman at the University of Vermont that August. So before I even went to nationals I had gotten a spot on the riding team, and a stall at the team barn for Lily. UVM competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association in the hunter/jumper section. So basically everyone shows hunters, jumpers, or equitation over fences. A lot of the girls on the team had their own horses, fancy warmbloods, thoroughbreds, or thoroughbred crosses. I was, "the girl with the Morgan". People would ask, "do you have a horse?", to which I would respond, "yes, I have a little Morgan mare." At which point I would always get the token confused, "what do you do with that?".
Another tidbit that might be important is to mention that the barn the UVM ISHA hunter/jumper team rides at, is a dressage and Dutch Warmblood breeding barn. In fact, our trainer (who is beyond amazing!) is an FEI dressage instructor/trainer/rider. So I had just gone from the Morgan Nationals, to a dressage barn. If you ever need a culture shock, I suggest trying it.
Lily arrived November 1st, impeccably clean, in her leather halter with a chain lead rope, and her tail bagged. She was wearing her Radon Inc. maroon and silver mid-weight blanket with "Lily" embroidered on it (On a side note, if you have never heard of Radon, check them out!!! http://www.radoninc.com, super durable, almost custom (you pick the cut, open or closed front, the colors, and any embroidery), plus they're incredible cheap compared to name brands such as Rambo). There where lots of whispers. Most of them asking, "what do you do with that?". I was about to find out.
I bought her as she came into my training barn, Meadowmere, where she was hitched and driving in 2weeks. By January she was going under saddle, and she was easy, super easy, in fact looking back, I should have been suspicious.
That first show season I took her the whole circuit. We did UPHA Chapt. 14 in April all the way through to Mass. Morgan in August. Not only that, but we did well. The highlight of the year being a 2nd place a New England Regions in the 14-17 Hunter Seat Pleasure. Not bad for a horse with just 7month under saddle!
With less than a week to go before entries were due for Oklahoma (the Morgan World National and Grand Champion Horse Show), my trainers started to flip-flop about whether they were going. It was my last year in the junior divisions. I had qualified for several classes. They decided not to go the day entries were due. I was crushed.
With the school year starting in September, I moved "Lily" to a hunter jumper barn down the road from my school where I had boarded my two previous horses. Over the past 9 months Lily had just gotten hotter and hotter. Basically, just had gotten comfortable with someone on her back and started to get muscles. She never did anything stupid, no bucking, rearing, spooking, but she was a pistol. To this day I still think she would have made a fine English Pleasure horse if she had the neck for it. So, at the hunter jumper barn, Mt. Heights Equestrian Club (MHEC), my trainer Melanie worked on us slowing down and starting to jump, we had a blast! Lily was more focused, more ridable, and oh boy could she jump! By February 2006 I had jumped her 3'9", and she just cantered right down to the base and jumped with her knees to her eyeballs, no problem.
By March the horse show bug was kicking in. I called MM (Meadowmere), and asked if I could stable with them at UPHA. Meanwhile, I had been talking about going to Oklahoma with my parents. I did not want to get dropped the day entries were due, and so I started looking for a bigger show barn. Which is how I found Chrislar.
I have never talked to someone that has been to Chrislar or met Chris Cassenti and had anything bad to say. It was one of the best decisions I've ever made concerning horses. However, explaining to the trainers at MM that I would not be continuing the season with them, did not go over well. I told them at the end of UPHA, and left the barn aisle at the show in tears. I have never had two adults act more like children in my life. Needless to say, my only interactions with them since then have not been pleasant either.
That June I graduated from high school (the Putney school) and took the year off to work and focus on showing. Chrislar was amazing! Well, except for the 3.5hr drive. Lessons for the "A" circuit group were Thursdays at 5pm and Saturdays at 10am. So I left work early on Thursdays drove out for my lesson, and stayed with my cousins in Kittery, ME 30min north for the weekends. Chris always made sure everyone had realistic expectations. When I came into the barn she told me she liked Lily, but she wasn't going to get me a National Championship. That was fine with me, I just wanted to qualify and go. It didn't matter if I won, I just wanted the experience.
The 2006 show season was the best in my life. I placed in almost all my classes, including winning a split novice stake class, and coming back to win the championship class of 33 entries. The Chrislar team really made it all happen. My horse was turned-out beyond belief, the white on her hind ankles was pink it was so clean before every class, and her braids amazing. Chris prepped me before every class, and was always ring side when I was showing. Not to mention the girls at the barn were wonderful. All younger than me (in the A circuit group), but so nice, well brought up, and grateful for what they were doing.
Oklahoma was everything and more! I qualified for hunt seat amature mares, hunt seat ladies mares, and hunt seat youth; I also entered the hunter hack which does not have any qualifying classes. I left with a top ten and a huge smile, and my favorite picture of Lily and me.
Oklahoma was in October, and I had just started as a freshman at the University of Vermont that August. So before I even went to nationals I had gotten a spot on the riding team, and a stall at the team barn for Lily. UVM competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association in the hunter/jumper section. So basically everyone shows hunters, jumpers, or equitation over fences. A lot of the girls on the team had their own horses, fancy warmbloods, thoroughbreds, or thoroughbred crosses. I was, "the girl with the Morgan". People would ask, "do you have a horse?", to which I would respond, "yes, I have a little Morgan mare." At which point I would always get the token confused, "what do you do with that?".
Another tidbit that might be important is to mention that the barn the UVM ISHA hunter/jumper team rides at, is a dressage and Dutch Warmblood breeding barn. In fact, our trainer (who is beyond amazing!) is an FEI dressage instructor/trainer/rider. So I had just gone from the Morgan Nationals, to a dressage barn. If you ever need a culture shock, I suggest trying it.
Lily arrived November 1st, impeccably clean, in her leather halter with a chain lead rope, and her tail bagged. She was wearing her Radon Inc. maroon and silver mid-weight blanket with "Lily" embroidered on it (On a side note, if you have never heard of Radon, check them out!!! http://www.radoninc.com, super durable, almost custom (you pick the cut, open or closed front, the colors, and any embroidery), plus they're incredible cheap compared to name brands such as Rambo). There where lots of whispers. Most of them asking, "what do you do with that?". I was about to find out.
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