Month: October 2016

How to completely fry your brain in one easy step: sign up for a YEH judging workshop. I learned so much that I’m not even sure I can fully absorb it all. My brain is still mush. In the absolute best way possible, of course.

On Thursday we met Marilyn Payne and the rest of our group beside the dressage arena, spent some time talking about dressage judging in general, the YEH program specifically, and what they’re looking for. Then we started practice judging, first as a group, and then on our own, followed by a group discussion. I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever been so interested in watching very basic dressage tests in my life. It was pretty cool to see that most of the time my scores were pretty close to Marilyn’s, though.

The way the YEH stuff works is a lot different from a regular dressage test. They don’t judge the YEH test by each movement, but rather by the overall impression you get as the horse performs it. As you watch the horse perform the test, you’re looking for it’s best possible walk, trot, and canter, and giving a score based on those “best moments”. We also gave an overall score for submission (where obedience and rideability came into play), and the impression of the horse as a potential future 3* or 4* competitor. The dressage portion counts for 35% of the final score.

In the YEH judging, you are truly hunting for talent. Riders who sacrificed brilliance for the sake of accuracy did not do their horses any favors in the scoring. I actually wondered if some of them really knew how the YEH classes are judged and what exactly the judges are looking for. There were many instances where we thought the horse likely had another level of brilliance lurking in there, but the rider just wouldn’t quite be bold enough to show it. You can’t score brilliance if you don’t ever see it.

After we watched several of the 5yo tests, we walked back down to watch some of the conformation portion. We discussed what makes a good event type, things that were particular positives, and things that were particular negatives. The most important part of conformation is type – does it look like the right type of horse to be an eventer? We want something that isn’t too heavy or too light of bone. Something proportionate, with good feet, a good neck set, well-balanced, with correct legs and a strong hind end. You want a horse that looks as if it’s built correctly enough to stay sound at the 3* or 4* level. Of course, while conformation CAN certainly be a predictor of a horse’s future potential, there have definitely proven to be many exceptions. Conformation only counts for 15% of the final score.

After the conformation lecture, we went back to the dressage and this time judged the 4yos. It was more of the same of what we did with the 5yo’s, really searching for that moment of brilliance in each gait and the overall impression of the horse’s potential. It’s hard to really see it in some of these horses, being so young and green, but it almost became a bit of a game to try to find that glimmer of what the horse might someday become.

At the end of the day we compared our group scores to what the actual judges had, and while we were consistently lower than they were number-wise, we pretty much had the horses in the same order. A couple of things raised some collective eyebrows (especially one horse in particular in the conformation section), but overall I think there weren’t many surprises in how the order shook out.

Marilyn of course gave us homework… we were to walk the course for the jumping portion and be prepared with our thoughts/comments by the following morning, and we were to study the materials she’d given us on how the jumping portions are judged. Clipboards, folders, and pens in hand, we marched over to the jumping course to look it over, then lugged everything home and read about what was to come the following day.

Day 1 was definitely really long, but SO enlightening. As someone who is really interested in young horses, breeding, and the YEH program, what I learned was valuable beyond measure. To be able to sit with someone like Marilyn, in a group comprised mostly of judges, and hear/be a part of these conversations… wow. Just wow. I really think that having a good eye for a horse is super important, and this kind of thing is such a great way to fine tune it. Many thanks to the USEA and Marilyn for the opportunity.

Tomorrow, on to Day 2 (the fun part)!

 

The most common response I get when I tell people that Henry is away at rehab is “Wow, that must be expensive!”. If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard that, I might almost be able to cover the cost of rehab. (Heh… no, not really…)

 

And while yes it’s expensive, it’s really not that bad when you look at the services we’re getting. Most people that have heard the overall 30-day figure have said “that’s really not that bad, considering”. They’re right, it’s really not that bad, considering. From all the shopping around I did, what I’m paying is pretty average for a rehab type of facility. I kinda wish I’d known a long time ago just how (relatively) affordable this kind of thing can be… I guess I just assumed it would be crazy big bucks.

So for the sake of spreading the word in a “the more you know…” kind of way, I figured I’d share some numbers. Hopefully you never need services like this, but if you do, maybe this will help you figure out whether or not it could possibly be within your budget. Like I said, most of the places in Texas that I looked at were very similarly priced, so I would assume the costs would be relatively comparable elsewhere too.

The way our particular rehab place works is that there’s a basic board fee, and then whatever rehab services you opt for (the aquatred, laser therapy, saltwater spa, theraplate, etc) add a set per diem cost on top of that figure. Pretty standard setup across the board, from the research I did. The base board fee is $600 and includes:

• double size stall
• whatever feed you want (mine eats Triple Crown)
• coastal hay (pretty much constant, so however many flakes per day that they eat)
• a flake of alfalfa at each meal
• daily grooming
• fly mask on/off or blanketing if necessary
• turnout, if the horse is allowed (mine isn’t)

Already a pretty good rate with the alfalfa, premium feed, and daily grooming thrown in. A nice perk is that the owners live on site plus have other employees there daily, so there are always people around. They also let me leave my trailer there for no additional charge, which is nice.

Beyond the basic board rate, things take a pretty individual turn. My vet only had two specific requests: aquatred 5x per week, and bandaging when necessary (the vet laid out criteria for when he wants the leg bandaged, so it’s up to the facility staff to determine the necessity).

The rate for the aquatred at this place goes up or down depending on how often you use it. Once a week, no price break, but the more you use it per week, the cheaper it is per use. Most places I saw just had a flat rate, so getting a little bit of a price break was nice. With the frequency that Henry goes in the aquatred, it brought that figure down to only about $23 per time. Use of the aquatred also comes with time on the equiciser (at a walk, to warm up and cool down) which is a nice inclusion. So figuring he’s in the aquatred 5 x a week at a rate of $23 per time, that adds about $460 for the month.

Bandaging/wound care is a rate they quote you depending on how intense it is – some things are easier than others, obviously. Henry’s is $5 per time he needs to be wrapped, so they keep track of it and we figure that number out at the end of his stay. So far it hasn’t been many. This seemed to be on the cheaper side of industry standard… $10 was the most common rate I saw.

As for the rest of the services, I can’t really speak on individual pricing. I know that just like the aquatred, they too had a sliding scale depending on how often it was used. I suppose if you wanted to utilize lots of different therapies, things could get expensive pretty quickly, but it’s also pretty easy to tailor a program that will work for you and still be relatively affordable.

For a month of individualized care and rehabilitation, while still keeping my horse gorgeous and shiny and fit… seems like a pretty good deal to me. If you ever find yourself in a really crappy My-Horse-Is-Broken situation, definitely take the time to look around at some rehab facilities in your area and see what they can do for you… it might be worth it.

Having an injured horse is kind of like the Universe’s double Eff You. Not only is your horse hurt and you can’t ride him, you’re also probably so tapped out from vet bills and/or rehab that you can’t even treat your feelings with some proper retail therapy. It’s annoying when you’re forced to just have the feelings instead of buying lots of pretty things to bury them under.

I’m incapable of going very long without acquiring something though, even if it’s a low budget item. I might have gone a tad crazy on Thriftbooks, buying some more breeding books. Yes I already have a bunch of similar books already in my collection, which may or may not include a Holsteiner book and a Hanoverian book written entirely in German. Don’t judge me.

I do some sort of massive Thriftbooks purchase at least once a year… last time it was about a dozen eventing and dressage books, everything from Charles de Kunffy to Mark Todd. They’re pretty much all under $5 a pop, who can resist that? I’m turning into a random-equestrian-books library, and I’m ok with it.

I think the Universe tried to pay me back a little bit last week though, by letting me win not just one but TWO giveaways for a Triple Crown Custom cooler. Yeah, I have no idea how I pulled that off either… two totally separate giveaways for the exact same item. When I won the second one I reluctantly emailed them and let them know that I had already won one, and they should draw another winner. It was slightly tempting to not say anything and take two, but that just seems wrong and I don’t need that kind of bad karma in my life. Nor do I really need two wool coolers. Pretty excited about it though, the TCC coolers are awesome. It should end up looking something like this:

Gotta represent Anchor Equestrian.

There’s also a Mrs Tutton’s shirt on it’s way to me, the one I was drooling over so much. Too bad I won’t really get to wear it until next show season. Unless I wear it to work. Which… might happen.

I’ve been teetering on the brink of ordering an Ogilvy Eventer pad… some days I’m stronger than others. I’ve gone so far as to add it to the cart, but managed to talk myself down from the ledge before I actually paid for it. We’ll see how long I last. We’ll also see how much damage I do at Fair Hill this weekend… we hit one consignment tack shop yesterday and I didn’t find anything I couldn’t live without.

At least Henny seems to be having a good time swimming my money away?

I guess it’s a good thing I’m used to getting up early, since I’m currently sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to Baltimore. Super excited for our little mini horse vacation to Fair Hill! I even packed appropriate reading material.

I’ll still be posting here the next couple days as usual… sorry, you don’t get a break from me.

If anyone wants to meet up at FH, send me a message and let’s coordinate! I’m ready for 3 days of ponies and shopping and nice weather (or so my weather app is promising).

 

Oh and BTW, we officially crossed day 180 of Sadie’s pregnancy (not that I’m literally counting the days or anything), so baby Presto is now about the size of a beagle.

Next stop, day 240, when he’ll be the size of a lamb!

  

Yeah yeah, I know, it’s not even Halloween, calm down with Christmas already.

I’m not really ready to hear about it yet either, but all the best things are custom, and custom stuff has longer lead times (especially around the holidays) so really – now is the time to start thinking about gifts and getting stuff ordered. Plus I come bearing coupon codes and order cutoff dates, therefore this post is totally valid. Hang in there.

Without further ado, my top 5 picks for affordable custom Christmas gifts (in no particular order because that’s just impossible)…

Hamer & Clay custom ornaments

Hamer & Clay‘s custom ornaments/magnets are always incredibly popular and once her list is full, that’s it, so definitely order these soon if you’re gonna. Everybody knows that her stuff is one of my favorite things to give, and the prices are super reasonable (they start at only $22!). Plus, she was so kind as to offer my readers 15% off with coupon code Gohennygo. Knock yourselves out, order a dozen, and have fun with them.

Boy-O-Boy Bridleworks custom accessories

My love for Boy-O-Boy Bridleworks is also no secret, and their stuff makes a great Christmas gift as well. They offer belts, dog collars, leashes, browbands, and a few other things in whatever colors/pattern you choose, plus embroidery options to make it even more personalized. The deadline to guarantee Christmas delivery on custom orders is 11/25, or for items in stock colors (assuming they still have the size you need) is 12/10. They also offer a discount when you order 4 or more identical custom items (matching belts and/or browbands in barn colors, anyone?). I get tons of compliments on my Boy-O-Boy belt, the workmanship is amazing.

Deco Pony custom stall guards

I ordered a Deco Pony stall guard for Trainer last year and it was a huge hit. They look great as part of the stabling set up at shows, plus they’re easy to pack and wipe clean. It’s truly the perfect gift for someone that shows a lot. The cutoff date for Christmas delivery is December 1, and you want to make sure to give yourself time to pick a good design, get logos together, make sure everything is exactly how you want it, etc. Earlier is better! Bonus – mention this blog and get $5 off your order!

Valentine Equine custom pinney

Know an eventer that already has everything? They probably don’t have a custom pinney from Valentine Equine. These are super affordable at only $60-65 AUD, or right under $50 USD. They offer a single color or a two color option, in literally whatever colors you want… if they don’t have it, they will dye a batch for you. Words that make an eventer’s heart go pitter patter. Of course, keep in mind that they’re an Australian company so aside from the normal lead times for a custom item, you should also allow extra time for shipping.

It’s a Haggerty’s custom sunshirts

We might be headed into winter now, but the sun will be back before you know it… unless you’re in the South, where it’s basically summer all year. It’s a Haggerty’s offers custom sunshirts in any color combo you want, plus FREE embroidery. You can get one in your barn colors, your XC colors, or just whatever colors you damn well please, with any logo or monogram. They even have patterned fabrics or collar/cuff accents if you’re into something more bold. The prices are great too, only $50-55 (plus a discount on orders larger than 10)!