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Eventing Guest Writers: February 2010 Archives

Lauren Kieffer and Snooze Alarm PTR: Chapter 2

By John on February 19, 2010 11:31 PM, Filed Under ,
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    Chapter 1

    So as we all know eventing is the most predictable sport and career choice anyone could decide to devote their entire life to... predictable as in that you can guarantee that no matter what your plans and schedule are they are most definitely not going to go as planned.  Luckily, the blip in my plan was pretty  minor, at least for this week.  Snooze was suppose to have his first outing at the Florida Horse Park in the intermediate this weekend but unfortunately he pulled a muscle in his back so I couldn't put a saddle on him for a couple days, so then I did a frantic scramble to scratch him from there and enter him in the the preliminary at Rocking Horse on the Tuesday, which I never could have gotten done without the patience and understanding of the awesome event secretaries Jennifer Holling (who had to deal with me being a pretty big pain in the you know what all weekend since I was running 5 other horses) and Rick Dunkerton putting me into Rocking Horse at the last minute.  I'm pretty sure event secretaries should get saint hood or knighted or maybe we should all just bring them a bottle of their favorite booze every once in awhile, because I sure know if it was me I would most definitely not answer my calls.

    As for Snooze's run at Rocking Horse, he was a pretty big brat for the dressage, but what can you do but laugh when you go to trot around the dressage ring and your 3* horse stops dead and snorts like an elephant at the letter K, sure haven't ever seen a dressage ring before.  But his changes were clean, even though they aren't in the preliminary test.... minor details.  The judges comments probably read something like "horse a bit green and tense today, with time and experience he may have potential for the future..."  He was super in the show jumping and on cross country and I pulled him up after he got his feet wet at the water because I didn't want to run him the whole track when he's suppose to compete in the advanced at Pine Top in 10 days.  The next fence judge was pretty confused when I pulled up petting my horse and telling him what a good boy he was," um you know that's not the finish right?"

    I most definitely have to give a shout out to Kendal Lehari who busted her hump all weekend competing her own horse and coming back to the farm and keeping Snooze going while I was at the event, and to Annie Yaeger (she's going to be soooo stoked to get two shout outs, she deserves them though), for being helper/groom at the show for Karen, Hannah, and myself all weekend.  And of course Maximus Corcoran for all her help and for making sure I keep my sense of humor when Snooze tries to make a fool of me every chance he gets.  And I most definitely can't leave out KOC and DOC, I couldn't do this without them, and my owners and sponsors and parents and friends and family.....  We all know that it takes a huge team and a lot of support to get this done. 

    Snooze and I will be off to Pine Top with KOC next weekend with a trailerful and if everyone could just cross their fingers for no snow for us that would be super.  Until then, stay tuned in the EN!  

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    Carrie Meehan and Blue Devil: Chapter 2

    By John on February 18, 2010 3:10 PM, Filed Under
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    Chapter 1

    Alright, so John told me I should include setbacks in my blogs. Well let me just say the last few weeks have seemed like nothing but a giant setback. Just a few days after my first post, the snow started falling here in Virginia. I was trapped inside my house for 3 days straight, and we ended up having something close to 3 feet of snow after all was said and done.  And it didn't stop there, because just a few days later we got more snow. I've actually lost track of how many days of snow we've gotten here, but the point is that it's too much!!

                 We've had the privilege of using a local indoor arena that's about a half hour drive from the barn, but of course it cost money and is a pain to trailer somewhere to simply ride every day.  At least we have a little indoor at the barn that's about the size of a 20 meter circle, and are able to do some sort of work in it. Now conditioning days have become 20 minutes of trotting in the indoor and then walking around the farm in 3 feet of snow. I will admit, walking around in the snow is pretty fun, but it gets old pretty quickly. The roads are covered in 2-3 inch sheets of ice so walking on the roads is no longer a possibility. Needless to say I'm coming close to losing my mind.

                Emily and I decided because we don't have the ability to really jump and condition our horses properly, we have moved our first events from Southern Pines I and II to Morven Park and Fair Hill instead. The theory is that it's better to start later, than try to compete and not be prepared. I think we've got a good game plan, and I'll just keep my fingers crossed that I can get in enough qualifying rounds to make it to Bromont in June. Normally I would have plenty to keep me busy during these down times of riding with college work...but I chose to take the semester off from school to focus on riding and training. Needless to say, since I'm not able to spend much time riding, I'm feeling slightly lost being a 'normal kid' with a lot of spare time. All I can hope for is that the snow melts quickly and that spring time really is just around the corner.

    ~Carrie


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    Lindsay Pearce Spring Blog Part 2

    By John on February 8, 2010 4:38 PM, Filed Under
    Lindsay Pearce is our Canadian guest writer who is working in England with Lucy Wiegersma.   Click here to read Lindsay's first entry.  Thanks Lindsay and thank you for reading.
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    From Lindsay: 

    After I made the decision to move to England, I asked everyone I knew who had been here what to expect. Along with many different pieces of advice I was given, the one thing everyone said was to be prepared for rain, rain, and more rain. Check, got it - I came prepared for rain. I got a new super duper never going to leak no matter what rain coat for Christmas. What I wasn't prepared for was snow! When I got here everyone said the snow must make me feel right at home. Not quite. I haven't spent a winter in Canada in about 5 years. Even though the snow put a bit of a damper on most people's activities here, there was no shortage of action here at Waren Farm. Even with 10 of us working in the yard, there is always something that needs to be done. This makes me feel at home much more than the snow, as it is true of any place I have ever been that involved horses. 

    On a typical day, everyone is out in the yard at 7:30. Quite leisurely in my experience, but don't tell anyone I said that. We all feed, muck out, get horses on and off the walker, tidy up the yard, and tend to anything else that might need to be done. This takes us to about 9:30 when we go in for breakfast. I have never seen people consume so much toast! We then receive our list of horses to ride for the day. I usually have my own plus at least 4 others. Since the footing in the outdoor school is currently being redone, we have about a 20 minute hack to and from the ring. This includes riding down a main road. That can be quite interesting when huge lorries come flying past. "Hang on!" We go back in again for lunch at 1:00 sharp. No joke, don't be late! Lucy's mom, Pippa, is amazing and cooks delicious meals for the whole group, including any vet, farrier, horse dentist, etc. that might be around the property that day. It reminds me a lot of my time at the O'Connors when I lived with Joanne and Phil Lende in the The Plains, Virginia. Everyone was always welcome for dinner and it felt like a second family away from home. After lunch we finish riding, put the horses to bed, and feed which takes us until 6:00p.m. 

    The farm isn't exactly in the middle of horse country, but it is a very rural area. You can't walk 5 minutes in any direction without seeing sheep. They are everywhere! And sometimes in places they shouldn't be. Many are "fenced in" by large hedges. Even though sheep aren't the most brilliant of species, they do manage to work their way out of their fields once in a while. The other day I was out hacking with one of the other girls, something we do a lot of this time of year here on the roads to get a good fitness base, when we saw some sheep that had escaped. We mentioned this to the farmer when we saw him and he said, "Oh, OK thank you, I'll get them tomorrow." Tomorrow? I can just imagine the horses getting loose and thinking it would be fine and I would worry about it tomorrow. I guess sheep farmers are a little more laid back? 

    Nearly all of us that work here live together. It's a good thing everyone is so friendly, as most of us are sharing one shower! Even with the close living quarters and cold weather, I am loving England. It helps that there is an amazing number of quality horses to ride. You can't help but learn a lot when you are schooling multiple advanced horses in a day. I've been learning many other useful things as well, like its not banana, its buh-nah-nah. You also have to be careful as some words have different meanings here. The one that gets me in trouble the most is that pants aren't pants, they are trousers. Pants here are underpants. I got some funny looks when I asked if I should wear white pants to the dressage show the other day. 

    We have a busy week ahead, as Lucy leaves with 5 of the younger horses for Portugal competitions soon. There is cross country schooling and much packing to be done in preparation for their trip. I'll have much to work on here in England with my amazing new little mare, Saniki (Sneaky), like figuring out how not to get jumped out of the tack! I'm looking forward to the challenge and there really isn't anything else I would rather be doing.  
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    Marty Whitehouse Spring Blog Extravaganza: January

    By John on February 4, 2010 7:45 AM, Filed Under
    I am extremely pleased to introduce our final (I think) guest writer/blogger for the Spring season, and we may have saved the best for last.   Marty Whitehouse is an old friend and I can only describe her as the consummate equine professional.  She always handes her horses and training program with intelligence and class; if I wanted advice on anything related to horses, Marty would be one of my first calls.  Marty's farm is located in Lexington, KY (go Cats), and I think I am allowed to say that Marty is currently applying to vet schools.  Hopefully some good old fashioned EN Karma will help with that.  Click here for more info about Marty.  Thanks for writing this Marty, and thank you for reading.  Go eventing.

    Photocred: Emily Daily


    From Marty:

    Competing in eventing has been a lifelong endeavor I have taken on whole heartedly. I competed in my first recognized horse trial in 1997 and from that moment on I was trapped in the sport. For most people goals are obtained and new ones are set and I have been no different. I have been fortunate enough to compete in two NAYRC competitions, ridden through Intermediate, and have had many special horses. The bond between horse and rider is one that words can not always express. When one losses a great partner for any reason it is hard, but it is inevitable that (for most of us fortunate eventers) a new partnership will come along. I am no different. Three years ago a gifted little mare came into my life, as a special partnership was beginning to wind down for my thoroughbred gelding, Final Score. I had her in training for Claire Latimer and fell into something special. Her name was Tzarina and she was a 15.2 hand, 4 year old, Holsteiner who had an attitude much bigger than her stature. I was lucky enough to purchase her in 2008. Over the last three years we have gone from a green broke mare to trying to move up into the Preliminary ranks. 

    I believe the hardest part in deciding to move up or not is timing. Safety and confidence both have to be in perfect alignment for one to move up the levels no matter what level this may be. Working with a trainer helps immensely for all riders even if you have ridden to the next level on another horse. Luckily, I was involved with the Keeneland Pony Club and Area VIII Young Riders which both emphasized safe riding. My young rider's coach was Holly Hudspeth (formerly Holly Hepp) and under her watchful eye I was successful on Final Score at the One Star level. Last fall my mom and I discussed the possibility of moving up to Preliminary on Tzarina and made the decision to go down to train again with Holly in North Carolina over my Christmas Break. When riding with a knowledgeable and trustworthy trainer, you and your horse can gain confidence which translates to safer riding. Holly put Tzarina and me through many different exercises both on the flat and over fences to strengthen us for the next level. 

    During the week both Tzarina and I developed a new set of skills and understanding for each other. Holly had us working on staying more uphill as is needed in the new 2010 Preliminary dressage tests. Engagement and collection were also brought to our attention (since neither of these words were in Tzarina's vocabulary) because the Preliminary cross country and stadium are becoming more technical each year. When we jumped we worked on rhythm and not interfering with her jump since that interrupts the correct (and safe) bascule over the fences. To wrap the week up (and since the weather broke) we were able to put this all together over cross country where all of the week's hard work came together. The training with Holly led me to a deeper knowledge of my weak areas and I was sent home to work on these concepts. 

    Arriving home I had the confidence to set out on the journey of moving to the next level, but a set back came quickly. Abscess is a word that all eventers hate hearing and, yes, I heard it loud and clear. Ten days before my Preliminary Training at Poplar Place I hopped on Tzarina and instantly felt her off in her hind end. I am fortunate to have a fantastic team of veterinarians, Dr. Rhonda Rathgeber and Dr. Jennifer Feiner of Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, that frequent our farm and determined that yes indeed she had an abscess. As riders and owners moving up can be difficult when medical problems arise, but making sure you establish a great relationship with a regular veterinarian and farrier can make the difference in whether or not you make it to upcoming shows. I also have a wonderful farrier, Matt Taydus with Limestone Forge, who put back on her shoe. I was lucky and made it to the show sound and happy once the abscess was drained. 

    Arriving to Poplar Place was exciting because up to this weekend I had never competed any other horse (of my own) at Preliminary, except Final Score. I had Tzarina and her brother, Caper, a 5 year old 17H Holsteiner gelding, both moving up this weekend. She was signed up for the Preliminary Training division (one of the best ideas the USEA has ever had) and he was doing his first Novice. The IP, PT, and TN are great new divisions being offered by USEA to try to provide a safer way to move up and test out the dressage and show jumping at a new level before adding a new cross country level into the mix. I had the experience I am sure the USEA was intending on having at the PT level. Tzarina was in first after dressage, had a stellar clean cross country round (in some muddy footing from local rains), and a wonderful show jumping round. I ended up third from two rails, but I could not have been more pleased. Caper ended up in third as well from the result of a brilliant and educating cross country round, where I believed he matured to the six years old he is to be this summer. 

    I hope that all riders reading this entry considering moving up to the next level contemplate doing it in a reasonable manner as I felt I have. I took the time at the lower levels the last three years getting a solid foundation, have had professional help that I fully trusted, and used the new Preliminary Training level to check to make sure I was safe before embarking onto a full Preliminary. I am signed up to do the Preliminary at the Valentines Day Pine Top and will hopefully be reporting the next time I write another successful step in the direction of making my second Preliminary horse.
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    Carrie Meehan and Blue Devil: Chapter 1

    By John on February 2, 2010 12:41 AM, Filed Under
    I am pleased to introduce our 5th and perhaps final guest rider/blogger for the Spring, Carrie Meehan and the fantastic Blue Devil.  Carrie and "Duke" won the T3DE at Waredaca last fall, and give us the perspective of very talented rising pair in our sport.  For those of you keeping score at home, our other four bloggers are the Rolex-targeting Holly Hudspeth and Lauren Kieffer, FHI Champ Hannah Burnett, and the Canadian sensation taking England by storm Lindsay Pearce.  Their posts will start to space out a bit over the next few weeks, and we hope they will provide a welcome first-hand perspective, from many angles, on our great sport.  Go eventing.

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    From Carrie:

    Well the time has finally come for my first entry! So I suppose I should introduce myself and my horse. My name is Carrie Meehan, I'm 20 years old, and I live in Charlottesville, Virginia. 'Blue Devil' aka Duke and I started our partnership the summer of '09 and after a rocky start, we started to click and things just seemed to fall into place after that. Duke has been a wonderful teacher for me and it never ceases to amaze me how smart he is. He will be 16 years old this year, but you would never know it if I didn't tell you. For example, the recent snowfall in central Virginia has left many melting snow piles along the road. Duke must take the time to observe (and spook) at every one of them as we pass. I keep trying to convince him that those big Advanced level tables he's jumped with Emily are much scarier. Speaking of, Emily Beshear is my trainer and the one who has made Duke into what he is today (though I can't forget Jeff Beshear who also played a big role and took Duke through the Intermediate level). I owe so much of my success to her and all the time and encouragement she has given to me. 

    So these last few weeks since Christmas break have been pretty low-key. I must say 'going back to basics' has been the theme of my training schedule. Since Duke had a light program during the holiday break, we spent an entire week doing nothing but walking and trotting on the roads. Duke has a history of weak stifles, so Emily encouraged me to 'nip it in the bud' and not let it become a problem later down the road this season, especially with an older horse like Duke. Knowing this type of work will pay off in the long run makes it worth it, even though the same roads can get pretty boring after a couple days haha! Though I must say, I have also joined Duke in the conditioning process by going to a gym a couple times a week. 

    Once we finally got back into the arena, it was time to pick apart my position! Emily says I have a habit of sitting too far back on my seat bones and gripping with my thighs. So here comes many days of no stirrups! But I know all of this fine-tuning will make all the difference in the long run. When it comes to jumping, we have started back doing poles on the ground. Before you laugh, don't underestimate the difficulty of it, especially when you're working on nothing but the smallest of details. All of this is done in my jumping position, so that adds more difficulty. I can't feel too bad for making Duke work hard anymore because I'm working just as hard (though he doesn't seem convinced). 

    We started jumping this past week, and Duke definitely isn't holding back his excitement! Needless to say I think I may start lifting heavier weights at the gym. I can't wait for the ground to dry up from all this rain we've been having so we can go out trotting on the hills. I've been planning out my spring season the past couple days, and it's crazy to think my first event is in just a little over a month! Where has time gone? I'm starting to hear that clock ticking, so that means it's time to get down to business! Southern Pines will be here before we know it. But then again, knowing it's getting closer gets me amped up every time I ride. I must say, I can't wait to get back out there and compete. Not to mention, going cross-country with Duke has to be one of the most amazing feelings on Earth. He's one in a million that's for sure. Well, I think that's all for now, but until next time, happy riding!
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