Product Review

Dover Sport Boot

When I am feeling to lazy to wrap Whin's legs I use the Dover Sport Boot.

Whin gives it Three Hooves up!

This Boot looks nice comes in black with white lining or white on white. This boot is also affordable. I have never used other brands of fleece lined boots but this is the most affordable one that I have been able to find. It also protects the leg well from knocks that might happen while riding.  I have found it to keep the leg cooler than polo wraps which is nice during the summer. The white cleans up better than I feared it would.  It doesn't stay looking new for ever but it cleans up well.

The only draw back is durability. I would not call it a rip off, it holds up reasonably but now that I have had a pair for about a year they are starting to look old.  The elastic is starting to wear out and the plastic on the out side is cracked.  I have ridden in them regularly for a year but my last pair of cheap neoprene boots lasted about 5 years.

Over all good for the price, and looks very nice!

All King Edwards Horses Can Make Big Fences

Getting my feet wet

This was Whins first time out this week. I was a little under the weather so she had 3 days off. She came out really lazy, I think most horses get hotter when not ridden Whin gets more sluggish.  As a result going forward was all that we worked on today. Transitions in the gait, in between gaits. but that was one of my goals so I guess that was good.

After our work out I met up with some eventing friends who convinced me to try to get Whin in to a stream near by.  Whin does not, I repeat does not go into water, not puddles, not trickles of water... it doesn't happen.  

So we walked up to the water the other horses went in Whin stayed out, boy was she nervous, she really wanted to go with her buddies but she was too scared, so she stood shaking by the bank. It really was adorable and pathetic. I just don't think that spurs and whips help much in these situations when a horse is genuinely nervous about something.

One of my friends was wearing rubber boots so she hopped off her horse and tried to lead Whin in, Whin was not having it, It was like she wanted to go in, but was too scared. I thought If I just walk into the water she will decide its ok. I was in by yucky boots with holes any ways, so I bit the bullet.   I hopped off and waded into the stream... sure enough one hoof after the other Whin cautiously stepped in. I then mounted and rode around in the water for a bit.  Ironically she was hard to get back out.

With this mare sometimes I seriously wonder if she doesn't have a twisted sense of humor, that she is like, I am not getting wet  unless you are...

I swear she was laughing as we walked back to the trailer and with every step the water slogged around in my shoes.

All King Edwards Horses Can Make Best Friends

Local Championships

So  this really is not a big deal, but to me it is kind of a nice thing. I received an email that says that Whin and I qualified for the little local dressage championships.

Last year I went to two really little not even scored schooling shows, I was a ball of nerves and Whin spent most of the warm up rearing, bolting and spooking at every thing from the 4wheeler bringing hay, to the trainer standing still by the side of the arena. It was a mess. So I set my goals low and decided I would take a try at the "short tour" my GMO was hosting this year, with a championship class at the end. I thought it would be a fun way to get Whin and I accustomed to showing and not have the presser of a recognized show or qualifying for Regional Championships.

So this year Whin has grown up a ton and has been a star at shows, she only bucked in one of our tests. (Thanks to the public arena, one day I will have a whole post about public arenas). She is even calmer than my first horse, Pixie, a seasoned had been there done that ottb.  So I am happy with our little accomplishment, over coming my nerves and Whins... Chestnut Mareishness, enough to qualify for the Short Tour Championships.

Who knows maybe next year we will try to qualify for regional Championships

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All Fat Bay Mares Can Hardly Ever Kick

Wish List Brown and Blue

I have been style crushing on the USG saddle pads lately as I am sure you could tell. They just come in so many colors with beautiful colors, I think at some point I will need to buy one... with matching fly hood of course!

Helmet- Troxel Dakota

Saddle Pad- KL Select or USG

Fly Hood- KL Select or USG

Bell Boots- Horze

Polo Wraps-Tolkat

Breeches- Pikuer Lagauna

Vest- Irrideon

Tradition!

Dressage is a very traditional sport. I mean when non-dressagey people see my drawings of dressage riders they think I am drawing 18th century people. 

And really they aren't far off. 

I appreciate the tradition and there is a beauty and elegance in the outfit. However the shadbelly is very masculine, in a sport dominated by women.  My mother has always maintained that it is hard to tell the girls from the boys.

Tophats give 0 protection should a rider fall off.  I love the new rule  that all riders not in FEI competition, must wear a helmet at all times while mounted. It smarter and safer, but the traditional look is already thrown off when a rider wears a helmet so why continue on with shadbelly?

Dressage competitions are usually held when it's very hot.  This is a sport, it takes a lot of effort to sit the trot etc. No one wears suit jackets to run track, or play basketball, why do we wear so many layers to ride in?

This year at the  NAJYRC riders were required to wear polo shirts, due to the heat.

I think it looks lovely!  It is still a very tidy clean look, but it is not as hot and allows for more individuality!  Maybe it's time to put function before form, and retire the 1800's look.

What are your opinions?

All King Edwards Horses  Canter Many Big Fences 

Saturday

Yesterday I rode Whin at the public arena I usually ride  at, it was deserted (not unusual for this heat). I was really trying to focus on getting her rounder.  I think she was although she also slows a little as she gets rounder.

Doing Canter trot transitions helped, I worked on true lead, trot, counter canter, trot. that really woke her up. I do have to leg her slightly to pick up the  counter canter to the right, but she is obedient. After cantering I brought her back to the trot and did more shoulder in to haunches in, she was much better, it seems that being forward fixes our haunches in problems.

Tomorrow I want to focus more on transitions in Warm up. Especially within the gait. To get her moving off my leg better.

Also I want to hack her out more, really get her endurance up, and do hill work.  I need to round some one up to come with me on a nice hack up the mountain!

Lost in Translation

I am not particularly new to dressage, I have been puttering around showing the lower levels for some time. however there are still terms that I have been translating incorrectly. Most recently Thrust, all of the judges kept commenting in the rider marks that we need more thrust.

What is thrust? In  Dreamworks "Chicken Run" they needed more thrust to launch themselves high in the air, in an attempt to fly (I can safely rule that definition out). However I was thinking along the lines of  this.

I kept pondering how an earth I was going to get Whin more forward, faster. Every judge seemed to think that needed to happen. They can't all be wrong? 

I mentioned this to my Trainer in my last lesson, she informed me that I didn't need to go faster or more forward but I needed more of this.

(I know, I know, we all need more of that) Meaning I needed to get Whin to bring her poll a little higher and spring more.  Not go faster. So maybe the "Chicken Run" thing was not so far off.

While its a relief to not have to go faster, we have some work to do, to gain this elusive Thrust!

All King Edwards Horses Call Me Blessed Fool