Pancakes - thanks!
Dewey - no knee rolls or thigh blocks and no suede - all leather. Will try to get a picture and post it here.
Thanks, jaslyn–I am just curious. I have ridden in Stubbens my entire life, so I love them.
bumknees, I am so so sorry…I have been through that a few times, and as recently as a year ago, and it doesn’t get any easier each time. I am so sorry to hear of this, and hope that you are doing OK.
Pancakes glad you seem to be at least at the st art of being on the mend!
So my boy was A-W-E-S-O-M-E today. REALLY awesome. We trotted in and cantered out of jumps, and not a single sign of bucking or pissiness. And he came out at a super nice, even pace. I am so proud of him!! I am so encouraged that he might be on the mend and that the combo of hock injections and the low-starch diet have turned him around. I can’t believe this is the same horse I had not even three weeks ago. It was a fantastic day.
PH. That’s fantastic news. I’m so happy for you!! Looking forward to hearing more good things about his progress. You must be so happy:)
Yay PH! Congrats on your awesome ride and your horse feeling much better 
Happiness for everyone! It’s hard sometimes to pinpoint a horse’s issue but you did. Enjoy your future rides
So our show went well! We waited so.long. to get to our classes (5 hours from when we got there) and we were hot and tired by the time they rolled around. We ended up doing a 18" division because 1) I am still broken and 2) we have never shown Dash over a course before and if anything silly were to happen, we couldn’t take a chance. The jumps were ridiculously small and we could’ve done 2’ or 2’3" easily BUT we did it well! We got ALL our distances, and I got all of my leads. My position probably left something to be desired as I didn’t pin in the first class and I got a 6th in the second. But I will say this…she was SUPER wiggly going down some of the lines the first time around (I could feel her thinking “you want me to jump that? really? that one??”). And there were over 10 in our division!
The best part of the day came when we got 3rd in the huge flat class! It was a gorgeous round and I’m so proud of it. I wanted do to more after it, haha! Then when I pulled my cards from the other divisions, the judge gave us compliments. He was blown away that it was only my horse’s second show and first time over a course in a show. He had some really great things to say So, I feel hopeful! If only I had the time to devote to only her…I’m sure she’d go farther.
I have mixed feelings about her impending sale. On the one hand, I’m happy that she’ll have the chance to blossom like I know she can and have seen with someone else. She REALLY enjoyed showing yesterday and her job. She was happy with a new task. At home? She gets sour with the old lesson pony routine. So I know the fit isn’t right. I am excited to get on the new guy, Paisley, and see what he can do. He has SO much potential and is a gorgeous mover to boot, so we really have the chance to do great things. And then I get to ride my trainer’s grand prix jumper more, who will help me develop a stronger jumping position and will help me work on me more.
But I just will miss Dash. We’ve definitely formed a bond and she looks to me like I look to her sometimes. I went through a shitty breakup with her and will miss her calm demeanor.
Thanks for letting me ramble. Pictures are soon to come!
The saddle fit like a dream - as long as I didn’t actually want to sit on it while it was on Finn. So, back it went. Oh, well, I still love my Crosby PDN!
Took my first lesson in I don’t know when on Sunday. Went much better than I expected, despite the bulging and fast trotting tb. The important thing is that it got better as the lesson went on! I just need to to learn to relax on command!
Pancakes, I’m glad you had such a terrific day! Look forward to the pics!
Sorry about the saddle, jaslyn! 
Hey all, hope everyone is doing well. I need to really read through the thread, I have been slacking!
Nothing too exciting to report on my end. I am getting horse fever again, it comes and goes! I am more than grateful to have horses to ride but its just not the same as having your own. Its frustrating at times! The horse I have free rein to ride is nice and all but I’m not sure if I can show him in the summer, and ultimately that’s what I want to do.
I’m not too keen on spending alot on something right now when I know if I’m patient something will probably fall into my lap, with how many freebies there are out there, but in my area OTTB’s rule in that category, and I’m not sure its what I really want unless the right one comes along. I need something mellow that can just be a kick-along ride for me.
Not rushing into something but darn it, its bugging me!
Pancakes: So sorry about the horse you ride getting sold. I left not one, but two of my primary lesson horses behind when my trainer switched barns. I miss them a lot, but now I’m on a nice TB and he’s working out. I try not to ever get too attached to lesson horses, but it’s hard.
Jaslyn: Bummer about the saddle not working out. I have a feeling when I decide to buy a new saddle, I’m going to be in for a shock. It seems my M Crosby PDN fits darn near everything I’ve rode the past 14 months.
Dewey: So cool about Sky’s progress!
[QUOTE=spacytracy;6232950]
Not rushing into something but darn it, its bugging me![/QUOTE]
I completely understand. I keep on browsing horse for sale ads – which has become a hobby in and of itself. Again, I’m telling myself it’s purely for research. And it’s working, because I can see an ad now online and pretty much know if they’re asking too much or too little for it based on the area they’re in. I’m hoping this will help me later in the year when I begin a serious search again.
Plus – I need more riding time. Desperately. And a lease or purchase is the only way I’m going to get it.
====
I finally bit the bullet and decided I’d like to do an Intro A and/or Intro B dressage class at a show in late May. I figure it’s now or never. This will be my first show since college, so I’m excited.
So, while I cool my heels on the horse buying/leasing front, I figure I’ll spend my time picking and choosing the right show clothes. At least for dressage. Which is cool, because I can show in colors I normally wouldn’t for hunter eq.
I’m looking at a grey and silver IRH Elite Extreme helmet, this LL Bean polo shirt in mountain red, and some white, full-seat breeches. Either these from Tuff Rider, where the grey seat would match my helmet, or even these from Kerrits where it’s a black seat and white fabric. Grand Prix also has some that I love, but I can’t find them online at the moment.
I think it’ll be a nice look that’s a little different. Plus, it’s kind of fun looking at colors other than tan/puke green tan breeches, black helmet and blue/black coat.
Oh, I’m not even going to bother with a dressage coat, since it’s already in the 90s here and will be through October. Ish.
Speaking of the heat –
Good lord. It was 92 during my lesson at 3 p.m. yesterday. :eek: So, my hour lesson got changed into a 35-minute lesson because it was hot and both my trainer and I remember how I almost fell out from heat exhaustion last year. So, I’ll now be back to riding in the mornings. And breaking out my performance fabric stuff.
Thanks Opus…yeah, it’s really hard when you get attached. She’s not just a lesson horse though, she’s my lease horse, so I spend more time with her than just a lesson horse.
I would love to give you fashion tips but I’ve only spent time in hunter/jumper/eq land, and I wouldn’t know the first thing about a dressage show!
Spacytracy, I understand the “urge” especially when you don’t have something consistent to ride. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with browsing. A lease situation might sound ideal for you, though I know it’s hard to find the right horse. Maybe the right one will fall into your lap
Enjoyed the fashion show, Opus. I haven’t shown dressage since my youth when I did Pony Club rallies and one-day horse trials. Still have my dressage coat, white breeches, and stock tie–all too small for me now. My daughter wore them twice at 4-H State when she showed dressage. It was fun to see her wear them although she quickly decided that dressage was not for her.
I like the idea of the polo shirt. Wish I could wear one at our local shows, but we must “dress.” I still have the red polo I used to wear on the cross-country course along with the red-and-white helmet cover my mom made for me.
Yes, it’s been warm her as well. My new safety vest has arrived, and I have ridden in it twice. It’s not uncomfortable though a tad bulky under the arms. It’s HOT though. I have quickly decided that in this heat, I will only wear it while doing over fences work.
Back from NYC where I had the pleasure of meeting TarheelJD and attending CliClopNYC, the event in support of the NYC carriage horses. It was so much fun!
But back to reality. Mr. Stall Rest is up to turnout on the whole round pen (not just half of the pen) and is down to .4 cc of ace. Sometime in the next week or so he should have a vet recheck. Please hope, pray and jingle for sound trotting on the lunge line. If he trots sound, he can begin some slow tackwalking. He continues to relish his Uncle Jimmy’s Hanging Balls, and is much happier now that he gets turnout. They moved the pen so that it’s on all new grass, so he’s not been inclined to roll and buck. Munch, munch, munch!
Had a great lesson tonight on the sale pony I’ve been riding most of the time. Pony is progressing nicely, and will be a very nice pony for some kid someday soon. If he doesn’t sell, I may get to take him to some fun shows later in the season.
[QUOTE=Pancakes;6233770]
Thanks Opus…yeah, it’s really hard when you get attached. She’s not just a lesson horse though, she’s my lease horse, so I spend more time with her than just a lesson horse.[/QUOTE]
Oh, apologies about the mix up. Either way, it’s hard seeing horses come and go. I even get a little attached to the privately owned horses, especially after seeing them and getting to know them.
[QUOTE=Dewey;6233896]I like the idea of the polo shirt. Wish I could wear one at our local shows, but we must “dress.”
Yes, it’s been warm her as well. My new safety vest has arrived, and I have ridden in it twice. It’s not uncomfortable though a tad bulky under the arms. It’s HOT though. I have quickly decided that in this heat, I will only wear it while doing over fences work.[/QUOTE]
If this were hunters, I’d definitely be in a coat. I don’t mess around with hunters. But as it is, I’ve seen enough schooling dressage shows to know about 75-80% of people wear polos instead of coats.
As for the vest and heat, I don’t blame you. It’s only going to get worse, and I fear that our ridiculously warm winter is going to mean pure hell and humidity (and gnats!) this summer. I plan on getting some more Under Armor shirts, a case of water to keep at the barn and maybe get some soft gel ice packs to help me recover after my lessons.
Speaking of – if you could find some of those soft gel ice packs, that may be an option when you ride in your vest. You could probably even open up the packs and repack the gooey stuff into smaller ziploc bags, if they’re too big or bulky.
“Jaslyn: Bummer about the saddle not working out. I have a feeling when I decide to buy a new saddle, I’m going to be in for a shock. It seems my M Crosby PDN fits darn near everything I’ve rode the past 14 months.”
LOL Opus, that’s exactly why I bought the Crosby in the first place. I did not own a horse and none of the lesson saddles fit me.
For the heat - at shows and at the barn, in hot weather, I pack a zip lock full of ice cubes and put in a washcloth. It’s great to pull out to put on necks, etc.
A couple of us at my barn are delving into the land of dressage and doing the Intro A and B at a local show in May. We will be in hunter attire as that’s all we have. If it’s hot, yes there will be polos. However, we all have black polos for show, so it will look nice with our tan breeches and black boots.
Jaslyn, your washcloth-and-icecubes method is great. I often stick a few washcloths in the cooler at shows–maybe I should do it every day at the barn as well.
Opus, I was thinking of trying one of these under the safety vest:
http://www.smartipony.com/cool-medics-cropped-cooling-vest
I bought the yarmulke-like helmet version but have not tried it yet. If it works, I may get the vest. I saw in another thread that there’s a cheaper one marketed to motorcyclists–will have to investigate. If they make it small and fitted, I may get that instead.
Show pictures! Don’t laugh at the little jumps…
Flat Class – you don’t know how much work we put into her to get her to go like this!!!
Pancakes, the pics are gorgeous! You and Dash look so beautifully turned out! And don’t worry about the little jumps–those are the size I’m jumping now in the shows. I don’t think anyone in this thread would be anything but supportive.
I was just wasting a little time on youtube looking at old jumping videos from the 70s–one of my favorite things to do. I came across an old video of the stadium jumping from Ledyard '75 and thought I recognized a clip of my high school pal who rode in the advanced division that year and finished maybe 13th…I got so excited, I watched it a couple of times and felt sure it was she, then I emailed her the link. Will let you know what she says. Maybe no one cares, but I thought it was cool. What a blast from the past.
Great pictures! You two look good together and you look happy!
[QUOTE=Pancakes;6235590]
Show pictures! Don’t laugh at the little jumps…
Flat Class – you don’t know how much work we put into her to get her to go like this!!!
Proud after the fact! And one more[/QUOTE]
Had a riding lesson today after another week off due to dog shows and rain. The asthma is gone but now I’m back to just being rusty and a bit weak from time off riding. I don’t know if I will get to ride any more this week, dog show again this weekend and the forecast is for rain the next two days.
