I admittedly feel like I’m hitting a wall with Presto right now. Now because of anything HE is doing, he’s continued to be a Good Baby Horse and also the cutest even when he’s causing trouble (which is always).

The problem right now is really threefold. 1) Q1 is really really busy for me at work, and we’ve got some other things going down at the moment that just pile on top of that. I’m struggling to get consistent time to work two horses during the week, and when I do I’m often rushing or not 100% focused on the ride. This is obviously not the situation you want when you’re riding a neon green baby horse. 2) I absolutely love my grass jump field with it’s beautiful trees, but it’s a very challenging space for trying to teach a big gawky horse the basics of jumping. I’ve about knocked my block off on branches at least 4 times, and not because he was doing anything bad, but just because he’s wiggly and green and not necessarily precise about steering through and around trees while also trying to jump. Plus it’s on a bit of a slope, which adds to the struggle. I can’t really ride him the way he needs to be ridden right now when we’re constantly dodging trees or having to balance down a hill. 3) His canter balance is still a bit of a struggle in general. In the dressage arena he struggles because his stride is big and gangly and kind of all over the place for a space that small. But then we go out in the field and we have the issue with the slope. Plus like, let’s be totally honest, I’m a capable enough rider but I’m far from great, so I’m 100% certain there’s something I could be doing to help him more. It’s one of those things where he feels so so so close to finally “getting it”, but I think he needs someone who rides better than me to help him click that last piece into place.

Plus there are a few other finishing touches I want him to have with his groundwork training that aren’t 100% there. I want him to self-load, because I’m always alone and my horses need that skill. He’s about 50/50 on that, and last time when he backed off the trailer he fell and kind of scared himself a bit, so a re-visit of trailer training would be good I think. I also need for him to be better at standing for the farrier than he currently is. He’s not BAD, but he’s just not patient enough for that and is wiggly and annoying. He’s about to get his first set of shoes next time and really needs to be better with his patience and keeping his foot on the stand (or not flailing it around for fun).

The way I see it, I have a few options. One, I could just put him on the back burner until work slows down. That doesn’t really help with my #2 issue, and it’s not really what I want to do at the moment given #3 – I do feel like he’s incredibly close to nailing down some major fundamentals and stopping now feels like the wrong thing. Plus I want to get the groundwork things ironed out fully before we really start diving into his “career”. I thought about finding someone local to haul him to for rides, but that becomes problematic due to item #1 – I have no idea when I’d find the time. The third option is that I could send him off for a month or so of training, to someone that has a nice big jump ring to ride him in and some cross country jumps and can help him put the pieces together without the additional challenges I have here at home, plus has the bandwidth to work on the groundwork things as well.

The thought of sending him off kind of makes me want to vomit, if I’m being honest. To be fair, even some kind of fantasy scenario with guaranteed rainbows and butterflies would still make me want to vomit. The latent trauma I still have from this horse’s early life is real and I am very weird about letting him out of my sight or my care. I’m also particular that he be in a relatively safe, Presto-proof environment, because if there’s potential for trouble he will find it. He puts his feet in fences and buckets. If you leave something within his reach, it WILL become a toy and you WON’T like what he does to it. That’s just who he is, so he has to live somewhere where the potential for injury is at least minimized. He also requires a lot of turnout, the more the better. And, let’s be honest, someone who understands a personality like his (monkey, he’s a monkey) and knows how to deal with it. Some would find him… really freaking annoying. Sense of humor is required as is a good understanding of NH type groundwork.

While the thought of him not being just outside my window sends me spiraling into a pit of anxiety, the practical side of me knows it’s something that will happen sooner or later. I also can’t shelter him forever – it would probably be good for him to be exposed to a busier environment and someone who might do things a little differently than I would. I’m also the only one that’s ridden him, and I actually don’t think that’s a great thing. He needs to experience other riders, and any of my own weaknesses that I may be transmitting to him should be addressed early. I am definitely not the kind of person that wants to hoard the horse or is hesitant to get him pro rides. I just have to… cut the cord. I was planning on sending him off for a little while in the summer anyway, so it’s not like this is a new idea. And I really really really want to get the trailer loading and farrier skills at 100% ASAP, so that he’s fully prepared for his life moving forward.

I’m letting the thought percolate in my mind a bit, but I already know what my options are and have thought about it extensively. This is more of me venting/explaining than looking for ideas. My gut says it’s the right thing, even if it’s just for a month to help get us over the current hump, but I think my internal helicopter mom needs to finish coming to terms with the idea.

Spoiler alert, the third piggie is Henry because omg Becky look at that butt gut.

Really, I swear he doesn’t eat much grain. I wish I could take some of his chunk and put it on Presto, who eats everything I can possibly shove down his gullet yet it just disappears as if he is a black hole stuffed inside a giraffe.

Anyyywaaaayyy, my little Amazon piggies arrived yesterday! I’m really impressed with them considering it was less than $30 for the pair, they’re really sturdy and thicker than I was expecting. I wish the horse ones weren’t $50 (admittedly still a decent deal for a pair but just not as satisfyingly good) or I’d nab those too.

I immediately had to tote them out and put them on a jump.

Which, the cuteness of the piggies mostly just highlighted how sad and underwhelming my jumps are in general (stop laughing at my flowers) and I can’t quite decide if they’re helping or making it worse. Look, they were free 99 and I used discounted Oops paint to paint them last year, so at a point beggars can’t be choosers. I’m delighted to have anything at all. I do need to up my flower and filler game though, I think. Not that Presto has yet to register a difference between a no-frills jump and a nicely filled one. The piggies bring me a lot of joy, at least.

I was doing some pole work with Henry yesterday afternoon after I set the piggies out in the jump field and I glanced over at them and thought… “Ya know what else those could be? Skinnies!”. Henry is the champion of skinnies by now, considering all the single upright barrels and cardboard boxes and mounting blocks and whatever the heck else I’ve asked him to jump over the years. It’s a fun game.

Once I saw them as skinnies I couldn’t unsee it, so we left the ring, walked over to the jump field, and I pulled them out from their oxer and set them in the middle. First I set them side by side, got back on, and cantered over them. Henry gave zero shits. So then I was like ok what if I jump both of them as singles? First I set them as a one stride, but then figured that seemed kind of easy, so I decided on a bending line instead. I eyeballed a distance, set up each pig, got back on, and pointed Henry at them.

Naturally he nailed it on the first shot, and true to form he looked bored AF about the whole thing. Add “jumps piggies in a sidepull” to his resume, please. Mostly I think he’s just learned by now that if he humors me the first time, it’s over sooner. And he was right, he got to be done with that and we went in and I gave him an oatmeal creme pie. His life is simple these days.

I still haven’t been able to find any good and reasonably priced giraffes or unicorns for jump fill, but I haven’t given up trying. Now that I have the piggies I think I kind of need them. I also ordered a pair to send to my trainer for her new facility, because what better barnwarming gift could there possibly be? Piggies for everyone! Except Henry, that particular piggie is just for me.

Is it just me or has it been a really long week? I cannot handle anymore meetings or metrics. Someone wake me up when Q1 is over.

A few fun little noteworthy things have been happening this week, though. First and foremost, I finally did an official wither tracing of Presto’s back. Getting him to stand square and still and make sure the flexible curve was straight and flush with his body on both sides at the same time was about as fun as it sounds. I still don’t actually have any appointments with saddle fitters yet, because (and this is shocking) I haven’t heard back from them. I figure the local ones get another week to respond before I try to book something remotely, but at least now with the tracing I have… something? Visible proof that his withers are shaped like a mountain, at the very least.

On a maybe more fun note, Eventing Nation announced that they now have a Patreon. After all the drama last year I sit firmly on EN’s side, and I was happy to be able to toss a little bit of financial support their way. There are 3 membership levels starting at $5 a month that each come with their own little perks, so it’s not much of an imposition. Plus if you sign up early you get an EN Yeti mug (or wine tumbler, if you’re into that). I just cancelled my Horse and Country subscription so it pretty much equals out cost wise. I’ve never joined a Patreon before so this is a new one for me but we’ll see how it pans out.

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On a semi-similar note, I’ve become completely and unequivocally OBSESSED with the First Pets’ fan page Instagram account The Oval Pawffice. Like… new President? Cool. First female VP? Fan-freaking-tastic. BUT THE PETS. I don’t know who is behind this account but they’re brilliant. I am so entertained by it and it’s friggin adorable. Plus they sell some merch and a children’s book about Major, the first rescue dog to call The White House home, and part of the proceeds go to pet charities.

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Yesterday Emily was telling me about these little pig stools that her trainer had found to use as jump filler and OMG y’all I had to have them. They’re PERFECT, and naturally I immediately spiraled into a very deep internet rabbit hole looking for something similar that was giraffes or monkeys or unicorns. I came up blank. But if anyone sees some economical little (like 18-24″?) things like this that I could use to add some pizazz to jumps, send them my way. I can’t wait to get the pigs. I’ve never put much fill on my jumps at home because shows that actually had fill were usually the only places Henry gave enough of a peek at the fences to jump clear and I didn’t want to take away that peek. For him keeping the jumps at home more boring was my tactic. Presto needs to start seeing interesting stuff now though so that when we do get to shows with fill, he isn’t taken by surprise.

One of my favorite online horse shops, Corro, has taken notice of our favorite ball-loving monkey. They seem to like Presto’s ball videos as much as I do, and they definitely don’t seem to mind how many balls I constantly buy from them. They reached out and offered Presto a free ball (buy 537, get one free? LOL) which was super nice of them and considering how quickly he murders them I’ll never refuse a free one. They were also kind enough to set up a link where Presto fans can get 10% off their first order (it will automatically apply the coupon code when you go to checkout). Recent favor aside, I’ve been ordering from Corro for over a year now and have been really pleased. Fast shipping, free shipping over $50, and the one time there was an issue (FedEx damaged my shipment) they were very quick to replace it, no problem. They don’t have a ton of inventory yet but they have a lot of the basic stuff that I seem to order on a regular basis (plus my glittery Cavallo boots came from there). Pro tip: check your follow-up emails from them after you order too, they often put additional coupon codes in them for next time.

Last but not least, it looks like (fingers crossed) Red Hills Horse Trials will be getting a live stream this year, and I’ve been asked to put together a book of all the entered horses with their breeding info for the commentators to have for the live stream. That means – correct registry information, where the horse was bred, pedigree, any interesting facts about the horse’s sire or dam or siblings, etc. Usually they’re only given the entry sheet, which may or may not even have a correct age, much less any detailed information. I’ll try not to go overboard with what I include but I’m excited for the opportunity and hope the commentators are able to use the information I give them. Is there any other info you always find yourself wishing they would mention on live streams? Let me know! Once I know more about the live stream I’ll post links and dates.

Happy Friday everyone!

Yesterday we talked about a change with USEA that reformulates how points are tabulated… now lets talk a little about rule changes! Specifically – the ones regarding dress.

The changes to the eventing rules were announced a few weeks ago, and their dressage dress code updates look like this:

5. DRESSAGE TEST.
   a. Horse Trials (Beginner Novice through Preliminary)—protective headgear—any color helmet will be allowed; tasteful and discreet accents such as a different color or modest piping or crystal decorations, are acceptable, including National Flags; Coat—any single color jacket will be allowed, including tweeds and pinstripes, tasteful and discreet accents, such as a collar, cuff, lapel, piping, of any color, or crystal decorations, are acceptable. Tail coats are not permitted; Shirt— of any color and design, tasteful and discreet accents, such as a collar, cuff, piping, are acceptable with stock and pin, or choker, or tie; Gloves (if worn)—dark color, tan, beige or white; Jodhpurs, Breeches—light color or white; Boots— black, brown, or other dark hue, modest piping of a different color is permitted, field, jodhpur or a black or brown full grain smooth leather leg piece and matching leather boots. Chaps and/or half-chaps are not allowed. Members of armed and police forces, service dress, regulation headgear and spurs in accordance with EV114.
   b. Competitors at Beginner Novice through Modified may compete without a jacket. In such cases, shirt – long or short sleeved with collar and without neckwear, any color and design; tasteful and discreet accents, such as a collar, cuff, piping, is acceptable, neatly tucked into riding breeches.
   c. Horse Trials (Intermediate and Advanced) As above, with the exception gloves and coats required. Tail Coats permitted. Members of armed and police forces, service dress with gloves, regulation headgear and spurs in accordance with EV114. Members of armed and police forces, service dress with gloves, regulation headgear and spurs in accordance with EV114.

Basically it made any color coat or helmet acceptable, rather than specifying colors or tones, and gave you more options all around for colors and whether or not you have to wear a jacket. It didn’t really get a lot of chatter amongst the eventing crowd that I saw, mostly just some “oh cool”s in passing.

And then this week USDF announced some rule change proposals that would be similar – any color coat, and also the possibility of dark colored breeches.

And omg. I think I’ve seen people discussing and/or arguing about this on every social media platform by now.

Most people seem to be in favor of it, especially the coats. But there’s also a lot of pearl-clutching from some of the self-proclaimed “traditionalists” (I’m starting to hate that word). Some of them are a little spun up with visions of how everyone will be wearing yellow and lime green and hot pink coats and it’ll be SO DISTRACTING. But um, let’s be honest, 1) nobody is really gonna wear that, 2) some of them are already so covered in bling and/or patent that they’re basically a mirrored surface – colored jackets aren’t worse than that. Ok, maybe two people will roll out a crazy color coat or something. Most folks will just keep on keeping on with what they’ve got thought or maybe there will be a splash of boldness here and there. No one will die from it, I promise. Just avert your eyes. We’re all used to doing that anyway.

The breeches seem to be getting more of a mixed reception. I personally think allowing dark breeches would be great, but then again despite the fact that I am a lover of navy and white, I am not a traditionalist. Despite how much I prefer my whites to tan, if it was widely accepted to wear dark breeches you’d never see my cellulite ass stuffed into white breeches again. And if it were really up to me I’d get equestrians into some actual modern athletic apparel like every other sport in the world. Maybe we’d look less like butlers.

But anyway – some dark gray or navy or black breeches don’t seem like the end of the world to me either. There IS some precedent for the look, after all, with military uniforms.

Not to say that a lot of people would go with a monotone, but dark breeches in the show ring aren’t completely unheard of. There’s certainly nothing more traditional than military dress.

I think the great thing about these rule changes it that it gives people more options. More options to buy what they actually like, more options to feel comfortable and happy with what they’re wearing, and more options on what to buy and how to spend their money. Want to keep wearing your black and white? Great, no problem. Want to go get that coat you’ve always wanted but couldn’t wear? Do it, girl, YOLO. Want to burn your white breeches in a fire pit and never have to wear them in public again? Well… maybe wait to see what rules actually pass first.

Me though, I’m all for it. Even if I’m sitting over here in my corner clutching my navy and being boring.

What are your thoughts on the rule changes or rule change proposals? Would you buy a “wild” colored coat or wear dark breeches if you could?

I admit that I have a bit of a hard time caring about year end awards. Back in the day (gosh, maybe 15 years ago now) when I was caught up in the oh so competitive world of our local h/j circuit, I definitely cared. Gotta show in the same divisions all year so you can get more points, definitely always do the under saddle even if you only get a low ribbon because every point counts, look through the points the second they’re posted online, and so on and so on and so on. It only took a couple years of that for me to realize how absolutely idiotic it was. If you went to every single horse show you’d end up racking up enough points to get a year end award pretty much default, and what did that really prove? You’re good at filling out a show entry?

You’d also see people entering tons of classes, trying to rack up rider points. There’s a time at which you cross the line into excessive and I’ll go out on a limb here and say that 20+ classes in a weekend is well beyond that. Sometimes it was just… ridiculous. I’ve seen people make some seriously bad decisions for themselves and their horse just in the sake of trying to rack up as many points as they can get, and it left a sour taste. When I really thought about it the whole thing just didn’t sit right with me, and I’ve never chased points since.

And while I definitely don’t think you see this situation as much in eventing – after all, you only have one opportunity for points per show – I have seen people enter more shows than they otherwise might in order to try to get more points. The whole “quantity” method of point tabulation has never seemed like the best way. It feels like we’re rewarding the wrong thing. I felt like I’d always rather see some kind of average, or a different way of doing the math that didn’t just go for sheer quantity.

It seems I’m not the only one that thought that way, because this week USEA announced that they’ll be changing the way they tabulate points, going from a basic quantity method to a “quality” method. It’s a bit complicated and intricate (details here if you want to read) but basically it calculates only the rider’s top 6 results, and they have to be MER’s in order to be counted.

I definitely like this method better, although I still think it doesn’t really dissuade the folks who want to show their horses’ legs off in order to get more points. They could still just go to tons of shows in a quest for getting the best “top 6 results” they possibly can. Then again, I think (hope?) those types of people are few and far between in this sport. It does, however, kind of even up the playing field a bit for the people who can’t afford to show as much, if their performances are good. If you only show a handful of times a year but hit it out of the park every time, you now actually stand a chance in the year end points against people who are showing every other weekend. This points method isn’t foolproof or perfect, but it’s definitely an improvement, IMO. It seems more fair all around.

It’s interesting to think about how this method might work in the h/j world though… would it? Theirs is far more complicated, given all the classes and the fact that they have no such thing as MER’s. And at the end of the day would it even really change anything with the true pointchasers? Meh… I’m not sold on that one.

I won’t even pretend to understand how the dressage world does its awards, I feel like they’ve got special prizes and awards for literally every scenario. Ride a one-eyed Bashkir Curly that never scores over 50%? There’s probably an award for that, and it likely includes a wine glass. (Joking, dressage people, don’t get mad at me. Ok I’m not really joking, y’all seriously love your awards. And wine.)

What do you think of the new changes? If you’re not an eventer, do you think something similar could apply to your discipline, and do you think it would be better or worse?