Year: 2014

It’s true, and probably not a surprise, that I’ve been a diehard lover of TB’s and warmbloods for the vast majority of my riding career. It’s just an obvious side effect of wanting a horse than jumps things for  a living… you’re attracted to those who do it most naturally and are most popular. I admit that I can also be a bit of a snob about horses sometimes, although less now than I used to be.

But my first love was not either of those breeds. As a kid I obsessed over one particular breed, collecting books and model horses and stickers and shirts and basically anything I could find with one of them on it. The breed name was even my favorite human name, and I swore someday I’d name my kid that, as a tribute to the horse. I know their whole history, I know all the different types, and to this day I still occasionally peruse dreamhorse and equine.com looking at what is available and for how much. I know most of the major breeders and have a handful of stallions that I online stalk from time to time. I’ve had the chance to ride several of them over the years and have always had a total blast. They’re forward thinking, they’re cheeky, they’re intelligent, and they’re hardy. All of my favorite qualities in a horse.

So what breed is it?

Morgans! Definitely not the typical choice for most horse crazy kids or jumper enthusiasts. They’re usually bay, not particularly elegant, not very big, and not very common. But there’s something about them that has always seemed so REGAL to me, even 20 years ago to my barn rat, lesson kid self. And I’m not talking about the modern show type Morgans that look more Saddlebred than anything else. I’m talking about the government/cavalry type Morgans with bigger, blockier heads, more bone, and butts so wide you could have a picnic on them.

I’ll never forget one of the most fun rides I’ve ever had in my life… it was when I was a working student at an eventing farm in Maryland. One of the boarders had a couple of (very obese and very very cheeky) Morgans that she mainly just trail rode. Every once in a while we would get to take them out into the neighboring state park and ride around. One day I was on one of them and another working student was on another, and we decided to race each other across the top of a grassy levee beside the lake. On the count of 3 there we went on these two Morgans… legs flying, manes flying, fat just a-jiggling all over the place. They flattened themselves out and galloped for all they were worth (which, granted, was not very fast), because if there’s one thing about a Morgan, they have a ton of “try”. We were laughing so hard both of us almost fell off, and those Morgans were so proud of themselves they pranced the whole way back to the barn, neither of them wanting to let the other in front. What those two lacked in size they made up for ten times over in personality and sheer will.

One of these days I’ll eventually own a Morgan. It’s on my bucket list. Or maybe even a Morgan x TB? They might not be the scopiest thing or the most athletic thing or have the best gaits or the best style, but there’s just something about them I’ve never been able to shake.

At one point Denny Emerson was even interviewed for an article about Morgans in eventing. I am not the only one enamored by these keen little horses.

And look at this little guy jump. Springs for legs and super honest. One of these days, little Morgan… one of these days.

Time for everyone else to fess up. What’s that “weird” breed that you’re totally smitten with, but isn’t at all mainstream for your discipline?

The weekend started out with so much promise. I got an awesome package of new Mango Bay in the mail, had a nice gallop out in the field, and had a lovely happy hour at the barn on Friday night with food and drink and great company.

By Saturday morning it was still going well. Trainer has been working like crazy to get the property ready for the horse show next weekend so the arenas were perfectly dragged and watered and fresh jumps had been newly set. We always lesson on Sunday so I hacked in the ring then went and rode for a few minutes in the field before calling it a day and heading home for a day with the SO.

Then it rained 1.5″ overnight. The perfectly watered rings became perfectly swampy and all riding plans came skidding to a halt. Womp womp. So instead I headed to the store for some hair dye and we had a spa day! Henry’s previously sunbleached tail is now re-vamped and ready to go for the fall show season.

 

Since my weekend was so boring, here’s a bonus. Chasing the Dream gave us 10 more questions to follow up from Viva Carlos’ from last week!

1. If your horse was a person, who would they be? (you can generalize personality if you can’t think of someone).
Maybe Johnny Depp? He can be really broody or really funny, but he’s always eccentric. Plus versatile and intelligent.

2. What is one (or two…or five) piece(s) of equipment you CANNOT live without.
my CWD, for sure.

3. When did you start riding/ what discipline?  
Started weekly lessons at 10, at an eventing/Pony Club barn.

4. Do you have a barn dog? If so, what breed?
two dogs – my JRT mix and SO’s GSD mix, but they don’t get to go to the barn very often. No horse sense. The JRT doesn’t stay out from underneath them and the GSD just tries to play with them.

5. Do you like doing stalls or nah?
I’ve worked at many barns in my life and mucked a hell of a lot of stalls. I don’t mind it but I’m appreciative of not having to do it on a regular basis.

6. What treat(s) does your horse go nuts over?
Basically anything except apples or hard/strongly flavored peppermints. He loves anything oat and molasses based the most.

7. If you’ve switched disciplines, why? If not, also why.
Several times. Sometimes you just need a change of pace.

8. What is your least favorite discipline and why (yeah, I ain’t afraid to be scandalous)?
Barrel racing, TWH gaited stuff and hunters (sorrynotsorry).

9. Who is currently your favorite rider? 
Joe Fargis has always been my favorite.

10. What is your BIGGEST pet peeve regarding horses?
In horse people: Willful ignorance. Not putting the horse’s welfare first. Recklessness.
In horses: Bad manners and bad work ethic.
 

If you’re a loser like me and sitting at home on a Saturday night at 6pm trying desperately to just not fall asleep this early, have a go at this fun toy at Horse Pilot. Because designing custom coats is really fun, especially when they have options like elbow patches and colored buttons.

Horse Pilot custom coat configurator

See you in a few hours.

First – a few clips from an impromptu hop through the gymnastic on Wednesday night. The third time through counts as my Fail Friday when he tripped over the tiny crossrail and we almost ate it.

Gymnastics 9/3 from amanda chance on Vimeo.

As for the other topic of the day: I’m super disappointed with Equine Couture. I bought their quilted suede belt this summer and really liked it at first. Unfortunately after only 4-5 wears (and nothing crazy, just regular to-the-barn-for-a-couple-hours wear) the fabric on the keeper started to unravel pretty badly at the edges. Now pretty much every time you touch it, more fabric unravels and comes off. After so little wear it just shouldn’t look like this.

I sent EC a message with pictures via Facebook a few weeks ago, which was read within an hour of me sending it. I even included my email address if they’d rather contact me there or forward it to an appropriate party. I sent the same message via their “Contact Us” form on the JPC (their parent company) page. Unfortunately that’s as far as it went. They never contacted me back at all. I will take this as a lesson about EC/JPC and choose to not buy anymore of their products.

Boo, EC. Boo.

Fall as in the season… not fall as in from atop the horse. Hopefully.

I’ve been dickering over the fall horse show schedule for a while. It briefly seemed like the VS outbreak might derail everyone’s plans, but knock on wood, it seems to have slowed down a lot in the last month. So, with three main criteria in mind – cost, fun, confidence – I finally made a plan. It’s a sorta weird and diverse plan, but I think it’ll work for us.

Sept 13 Jumper show. This show is held at my barn so it’s a given for me. Unfortunately our local show circuit doesn’t have a lot to choose from as far as jumper divisions go… there’s a 2’6″-2’9″ division and a 3′-3’3″ division. We’re schooling 3’3″ in lessons but I don’t think we’re ready to show that height yet, so 2’6″-2’9″ it is. A little on the smaller side of what I’d prefer, but on the other hand Henry IS still a pretty green horse, so the miles are helpful no matter how we get them. And knowing me I’ll probably do something really stupid anyway so the smaller height will be appreciated.

Sept 20 benefit show. I’m going to be out of town for the Mon-Thurs leading up to this so maybe not an ideal prep, but I can’t pass up a show that benefits an OTTB rescue. Henry really should be good to go if I can find someone to hack him a time or two while I’m gone… he doesn’t really get wild or bad with time off. This show is offering a little bit of everything but nothing over 2’6″, so I think I’m going to enter the hunter derby and the 2’6″ jumpers. Again on the small side, BUT I think I’m going to use this show as the first time Henry doesn’t get to school in the ring and see the jumps before he has to go in for the class. All spring we went to multi-day shows where we were able to get in the ring and school the day before. Might as well test him “cold” at a show where the classes are cheap and it’s all for fun anyway, that way if it’s a disaster I’m not that upset.

Here’s where things get a little less set in stone, but this is what I’m hoping to have happen:

Oct 18 Eventing Derby. I really want the late fall and winter to be fun and low-pressure for both of us, so I’m choosing to stray off my normal path and mix it up a bit. I’ve heard good things about this venue as far as it being pretty “first timer/greenie” friendly, therefore this seems like a good intro to eventing for Henry. Plus I really want to take advantage of having a cool eventing trainer and eventing peeps at my barn, so after I’m done with my two jumper shows I’ll start wandering into some of their lessons too. I’ve evented (ok, a decade ago) but I’ve never done an eventing derby, so this will be new to me too. Aside from that pesky dressage part (kill me now) it looks pretty fun. We’ll probably just keep it easy and enter BN since the whole thing is new to him and it’s been such a long time for me.

Dec 7 Event. Yup, the full shebang. I really don’t care if we’re competitive at all, I just want to finish. But I’m hoping that this will help make him more confident, more bold, and prevent him from getting bored with the sometimes monotonous day-in-day-out jumper lifestyle, plus help my riding. We’ll most likely stick to BN again because a) a confident horse is the main goal b) solid things start to freak me out over a certain height, and that height is roughly Novice. I evented through Training before but that was back when I was young enough to not care so much about the fences not falling down when I messed up. Self-preservation, I has it.

In case you’re keeping track: yes that’s hunters, jumpers and eventing all in one season. Because why the heck not? Hope you’re happy, eventers… dark side, here I come (to dip my toe very delicately into your business, then go running back to jumperland in the spring where dressage tests are not required).

Of course now that I’ve put it in writing I’ve probably cursed myself for sure.