(Because fortune favors the prepared, you know.)
My background: Re-rider (low-level, about a decade’s worth bisected into two periods, the last of which was about a decade ago) and current sack of potatoes extraordinare who has always dreamed of eventing. I am still, apparently, pretty sticky from my days of riding naughty schoolies, but currently my equitation would move Wofford to cry real tears and my mounts frequently resemble giraffes.
My current goal: Finish at BN with a number score, which implies finding a suitable horse, unsucking enough to start jumping again, and doing the thing. I do not care about my dressage score, but I would like to not have the TD follow me in the golf cart when I’m going cross-country.
What I have done so far to make progress towards said goal, in rough chronological order: Read a lot of COTH. Found an amazing eventing barn. Started back in February with 1-2x/week group lessons. Began looking for a part lease in March. Started jump judging at events. Obtained and am working through a pile of relevant books[1]. Acquired a 1x/week part lease on a saintly elder statesman. Successfully tricked an instructor who’s gone Advanced into giving me lessons as our schedules align (every 1-2 weeks.) Started working on my off-horse fitness[2]. Instituted No Stirrup EverySingleFrigginRide. Acquired another 2x/week part lease on a lovely boy.
My current plan: Continuing to do what I’m doing while looking for a full lease on a BN/N packer; I’ve been looking for a couple months, but nothing has popped up. Given that, I’ve spoken with my instructor about going ahead and purchasing, but she thinks it would be best for me to hold off at the moment. (Possibly because she expects improvement and thus suitable-now won’t be in a year. Possibly because I-am-so-bad-there-is-nothing-suitable! I chose not to ask because I drink enough already.)
My budgetary/time constraints: My schedule can accommodate riding 4x/week; my budget can accommodate weekly lessons and expenses on a free lease (I have no idea if a BN/N packer would typically be a paid lease, and if so, how much; assuming we’re not in crazypants H/J land of $30K a year, I can manage a modest lease fee as well. Input welcome here as well.)
Anything else I can do to help myself in the interim, COTH? Any and all thoughts and advice are welcome. Happy to provide any additional pertinent details as well!
[1]: Training the Three-Day Event Horse and Rider, Centered Riding, Dressage in Harmony, Hunter Seat Equitation, Know Better to Do Better, How Good Riders Get Good, Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship. Other recommendations welcome.
[2]: Rowing using the Maffetone protocol recommended by @JER in this thread (had a strength focus prior to starting back with riding, so was/am OK there.)
