Month: June 2023

Sorry I’m so late with Foal Friday today! It’s been super busy and this is the first time I’ve had to sit down. I’ve also not had a lot of time to hang out and get pics of them with the good camera, so I thought we’d do something a little different this week and play a game.

One of my favorite views of the foals is what I call Giraffe Mode. That view from the ground, looking up toward their lil snoots. Especially when you’re scratching their withers. It is epic and endlessly amusing (at least to me). So I went out and took a Giraffe Mode pic of each of the foals (Lucy, Rhett, Andy, Rihanna, and Rue), and now it’s up to you to try to tell which one is which.

Some are easy…. others, not so much. Let’s see how well you know the class of 2023!

Sometimes I think my XC recaps are the only posts of mine that anyone reads anymore. Honestly, I don’t blame you… this is the fun part, is it not?

We walked the XC course on Friday afternoon before the show, since it was a one day affair and all my ride times were in the first half of the day. Also poor Steph had her first ride of the day set for 8:30 and her last for 6:15. Did not envy that.

After the International Festival in April, which is considered kind of peak difficulty, the courses at the Florida Horse Park tend to go back down and then rebuild in intensity again through the second half of the year. We knew this one would be pretty inviting for this venue (which is generally one of the more difficult ones here) and it definitely was. The jumps were to size for what you’d expect at the level, with a lot of tables, but there was nothing particularly hard or technical. The coffin and the big bank complex weren’t on the course, but they did utilize both waters.

It started out friendly with a wide gallopy ramp, then a smaller rolltop, then the first table. The rolltop was set a little bit angled on the path, so if you wanted to jump it straight-on you’d be weaving a bit to do it… we planned to just jump it on the angle. The first combo was at 4AB, a slightly bending 6 strides from house to house. The approach was a bit short, through some trees, but otherwise quite straightforward.

After that there was another table (which again, the more direct route would take you over it at a bit of an angle) and then the next combo down in the basin where there was another rampy house thing, and then 8 or 9 strides up through the gap and right over a corner. A pretty legit corner, and you only got a couple strides of straight approach, so that was a good question. We’ve seen similar (but smaller) at Training, and he’s schooled harder, so I wasn’t worried about it but you would def need to be deliberate about your path and ride positive to it.

Then we had another table (a collapsible one – fun to see the frangible technology) before the next combo, a smaller table, 7 strides to a skinny brush wedge. Again, a question to take seriously, but we’ve seen harder. Then it was another table before we got to the first water, a skinny house, 7 bending strides on a 90 degree turn to a rolltop heading into the water, and then a skinny table out of the water. The hardest part of this IMO was the fact that this was RIGHT next to the road, which is where the barns and all the trailer parking are. It would be very easy for them to get distracted there and blow past something.

After the water we had a MIM oxer, then a log ramp, then another table. Pretty basic. Then you got to the second water, which was a (you’ll never guess) table a couple strides before the water, then a skinnyish rolltop in the water. After that you were home free over a log box and a log table. There was plenty to do of course, but nothing that was particularly concerning.

To add a little spice to things, the FHP just started building this big bridge complex for their combined driving course, and it was just behind the first jump. Honestly I was more concerned with that than anything else, because it had never been there before and Presto can be weird about random non-jump-related things. He didn’t care though. He came out of the box all business and marched down to the first jump like a damn professional. What a difference a season makes.

Fences 2 and 3 went by without any problem (and I was kinda proud of him at 2, because there was an SUV with the back open sitting under a tree RIGHT THERE by the jump, and he put his eye it for a few strides but never waivered from his jump or balked in any way. Again… maturity at work?

He got a little crooked coming through the trees to 4AB, looking off into the brush, but it rode easy. Then it was over the table and off to the next combo, the corner. He pinged over the house, marched up the more direct route in 8, and hopped over the corner like he was out for a Sunday stroll. He put his eye on the corner as soon as it popped into his line of sight and went straight to it. Hunting the flags? Check.

Then it was over another table before the next combo, the smaller table to the brush wedge. Again, easy peasy, he had his eye on the brush from the second he jumped the A and marched straight down to it.

Then it was the peach table, which I saw a flyer to from a mile out and he did a super job of moving up to it but also keeping his balance up. Six months ago he was struggling with that still – not anymore. I did have to really get him back quickly after that to make the turn for the bending line into the water, but he was very rideable and made that one easy. Not even so much as a waiver of his focus.

We hopped out of the water over the table, then over to the MIM oxer, the log stack, and the blue table. Just like that we were already at the second water. I gave him a very positive and encouraging ride in here since we had a jump in the water, but it was never a question. Eyes on the jump and away he went.

Then it was to the log box, which I angled because it was easier, and badabing badaboom, over the log oxer and through the finish.

Overall? It felt easy for him. He never once waivered from his rhythm, and the course was so flowy and galloping that I didn’t really have to do all that much. He’s focused, he’s figuring out the questions, and his balance and gallop get better and better every time out. He felt very well within himself in every way.

We finished well within the time allowed, 14 seconds to spare without really even pushing, just letting him cruise. We didn’t move up any, but we didn’t move down either, and finishing on our dressage score was good enough to secure us 3rd place (one measly point away from the win – damn my brain fart in dressage!) behind two 5* riders.

Once again, this kiddo is proving his class. If I’d entered the Rider division he’d have won by a mile, but I’m endlessly proud of how well he’s been holding his own in these Open divisions with some top riders and really good horses. After all, he’s only 6, is being brought along by his amateur, and lives in what is essentially my front yard. He gets extra credit for that! Finishing on his dressage score in his second Modified… what a dude. The best part though? He still finds this all very easy. He’s getting better and better as things get harder.

We’ve got 2.5 weeks now til we head up to Aiken for Stable View, which will probably be the most stout and technical course he’s seen yet, plus will be our first out of town show together. Then he’ll get his summer vacay and we’ll start making a plan for the fall! It’s hard not to feel excited with a horse like this one… what a dream come true he is.

I was hoping that show photos would be up by now but no such luck, so we’re gonna have to do this with the media I’ve got.

The Ocala Summer 1 show at the Florida Horse Park this past weekend marked our second Modified. The good thing about shows here once everyone leaves after season is that they get considerably more casual. Especially if ride times start early or it’s a one day, a lot of people don’t braid and don’t wear a coat. Which… generally if possible I’ll always opt to braid and wear a coat, but this time I didn’t. It felt weird, but also my dressage ride was at 8:20, my finger is still pissed as hell, and it was hot. Summer casual, it is.

We were on the road to the Horse Park by 6:40, got parked by 7:30, and I was on Presto and headed to warmup at 8. The ring was very full, which was 99% fine because it was almost all pros and Modified/Intermediate, but I will say there’s one pro here that just has a real hard time steering. Every time I’m in warmup with him he’s running people over left and right, and has gotten me twice. Steer, man. STEER. I tried to avoid him like the plague. Also, entirely unrelated, but at one point I looked over and saw Off The Record exiting the warmup and a few minutes later in comes Tight Lines. Look at you kiddo, warming up with the 5* horses. LOL.

Anyway – Presto was actually really stellar in warmup and I was like “ok maybe this is the time I actually pull out a good one”. And then I went in the ring, did 3 movements, and promptly went entirely blank. Like my brain just went eeee-errrrrr-pssshhhhh and blue-screened. I had to stop and ask the judge what the next movement was. Fucks sake. That hasn’t happened in a really long time. So, ya know… it was not my best work.

Still we were tied for 4th after dressage out of 11 horses on a score of 34. The judge was scoring everyone high, but she did so across the board, so although painful it was fair. We did manage an 8 for our entrance and an 8.5 for our final centerline and halt, so… there were good scores in there. One of these days I’ll actually put it all together consistently, not just like every 4th or 5th show.

After dressage I had a few hours before show jumping, most of which I spent grazing Presto next to the ring so I could watch the Intermediate and some of the Prelim. I also walked the course while they were setting for Prelim, with me going “I feel like these oxers should look smaller than they do considering Modified is only a hole lower…”. I never really stand next to the things we jump, and they always look considerably smaller from on top of a 17.1h Presto.

Also while I was grazing him there was a western drill team practicing in another ring and when they pulled out their flags Presto thought they’d morphed into dragons. That was fun.

By the time I got on and headed to warmup the day was turning warmer and swampier by the minute. Again though, Presto warmed up great (he considered shenanigans briefly but was convinced to abandon the mission) and we just popped over a handful of oxers. If he’s jumping well there’s no point in boring him or making him tired, so we tend to take the “as much as necessary but as little as possible” approach.

He went in the ring and jumped like he had springs for feet. Well okay… the first jump was great, a single oxer off the rail. I saw a bit of a quiet one to the vertical at 2, then made the rollback to 3 and saw another quiet one. As I turned to 4 I was a little behind where I needed to be and thought “If I try to micromanage this whole round instead of just sending him forward, we’re gonna have no flow whatsoever” so I closed my leg and rode him up to 4. He went “YES THIS IS THE WAY” and absolutely pinged over it. It’s not very often that this horse actually gives a lot of effort so when he does I’m like oh dang, he really can jump.

That was what we needed, just a bit more forward of a ride, and once I clicked that in, the rest of the round was super.

He jumped great, everything came up out of stride, and I swear I think he was having a good time.

Almost too good of a time at one point, because when I tried to steer him inside of jump 2 to make the turn to the one stride, he momentarily locked onto that one again, which, bro, if I was actually aiming at that we would have jumped the standard on a most impossible angle, but I do appreciate your dedication. I had to be like “NO NOT THAT ONE”. Bless him.

Patreon folks, you have the full video on your dashboard!

It was a good round though, much better than I rode at Majestic. The clear round (one of only 4 clears out of the 18 horses in both Modified divisions!) moved us up to 3rd, just one point off the leader. No pressure for XC.

Also many thanks to Hannah who was the patron saint of media this show, since Hillary and I had conflicting ride times. Thanks Hannah!

Lucy’s mom Lija caught this super cute clip of Rhett and Lucy last night… I felt like it sums them up perfectly.

Happy Friday!

Well ok I’m willing to admit that my beginning of the week update is perhaps running a wee bit late this time considering it’s now Thursday. Don’t worry, you haven’t missed anything too exciting.

Last Friday the horses all got their teeth done. We’re lucky to have an amazing dentist here in Ocala that has a super cool, specially modified dental trailer. It works amazing, so convenient and a great set-up. She came and did everyone last year too, so this was their second visit from her. No one had anything particularly crazy going on, just kind of the usual stuff for each of them, and they were all well-behaved. It was quick and easy!

I also had her check the fit of my bits and bridles while she was there, just to make sure everything was sitting well in Presto’s mouth and not potentially causing any issues. He’s got particularly fleshy lips so it can make him harder to fit and more prone to pinching and discomfort, so I just wanted to check and make sure she was happy with everything and how it sat/was adjusted. She raised my dressage bit one hole (his canines sit a little high in his mouth) but otherwise all good.

Presto got Saturday off, but the weather was divine so Henry and Lex went for a road hack. I’ve been able to get on Henry a few times over the last week to start trying to build some his topline back up and get him back in some kind of shape. He mostly seems happy to be getting more cookies again.

On Sunday we took Presto and Lex over to Sweet Dixie to hack the hills. Typically that would have been our gallop day but Presto was at the end of his shoeing cycle and I wasn’t loving how long his hind toes were looking, so we just opted for some trot sets on the hills. Again the weather was beautiful, so it was a nice morning out.

Presto spent the rest of his day partaking in some serious naps, during which I served as Pillow for long enough to make my leg fall completely asleep. These horses and their tough tough lives.

The farrier was here on Tuesday, and yesterday morning Presto had a chiro appointment (for those who are keeping track, yes the past week has been just as $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ as it sounds). He was a bit sore in his lower lumbar, my guess is most likely from those long toes he’d been sporting there for the previous week, and needed a bit of extra work on his poll area too. His feet are looking superb now though, much better with a fresh set. He’s on a 5 week cycle but if he gets that long again this time we might move to 4 weeks for the summer. The horses seem to be growing a ton of foot right now for whatever reason.

I also had the farrier pull Henry’s hind shoes. We’ll see how he does. I’d really prefer for him to be barefoot behind in case he finds himself babysitting/ponying any of the babies, but I’m not totally convinced his feet will stay together. The farrier felt pretty optimistic that it would be ok so we figured it was worth a shot. So far Henry hasn’t shown any discomfort or anything so fingers crossed (and Keratex activated) that it works out. He was barefoot when I got him but the ground in Texas was so rocky and hard that it destroyed his feet and he’s been shod on all 4 the whole time I’ve owned him. Florida’s ground is much more forgiving.

Yesterday we had a jump lesson, just a quick pop around a few things since we’re showing this weekend. Presto was a righteously egotistical turd for like 75% of it (HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING), so that’s cool. Hopefully he decides to be a good child this weekend.

Hope everyone else is having a good (although perhaps slightly less expensive) week!