Ella Rak impressed us with her writing ability and fun style so much that she made it to the Final Four of EN’s 2013 Blogger Contest. As with the rest of the finalists, we invited Ella to contribute a weekly piece to the site. Thanks to Ella for writing, and thank you for reading.
From Ella:
Ella Rak, 16, is a High School student, Aspiring Lower Level Eventer, C2 Pony Clubber and Equestrian-procrastinator extraordinare. Defining Characteristics: Strong willed, Easily distracted by horses (I should be studying for final exams right now, but instead cleaned tack and wrote this article), and slightly OCD (that record book WILL be perfect).–
Last week I brought you the story of a rally, and this week I am back with the part of Pony Club I am sure many of us would prefer to forget. Even many of the biggest events fade in comparison to the extreme stress of a rating. Wait, you have to ride well AND be able to talk about what you did?! If my horse has lived 13 years of his life without having his sheath cleaned, why does it need to be spotless now? Next week I embark on an even more frightening prospect: a rating without riding. My first national level rating doesn’t give me the comfort of having a furry friend to lean on. It is entirely knowledge-based and entirely frightening.
Ratings can help you a lot into force-fed effective horse care, but the amount of studying required tests even the most studious eventer’s patience. I am not talking about just skimming through the A manual, hanging around the barn and calling it a day. I currently have a stack of 16 books/instructional DVDs on my bedside table to work through. Conformation, disease, stable management, teaching, conditioning — the list goes on and on and on. You can end up spending more time reading about riding than actually riding, but the feeling of satisfaction you get being able to compare the philosophies of Jimmy Wooford, Phillip Dutton, Sally O’Connor and a slew of others is incredible.
Like the other aspects of Pony Club, ratings make you a very well-rounded horse person, only this time it tests your limits. (Why does this sound more and more like high school?!) You need to be able to teach youngsters, perform basic medical treatments, wrap absurd places you would never need to know until you NEED to know (What the heck IS a spider wrap?!), but most of all, ratings teach you to communicate. The biggest secret to ratings is this: just keep talking. I don’t mean blabber endlessly with no point (I obviously NEVER do that…), but if you can recognize and explain what and why you screwed up and how to fix it, you will be fine. Having trouble telling a horse’s age by his teeth? If you can explain how you do it and make a reasonable guess, you are golden.
Flashcards become your best friend. Oh, you have a final tomorrow? That can wait until you have gone over the equine skeletal system one more time. No matter where you go, any free time must be spent reviewing the nitty-gritty details so you can get the coveted “Exceeds Expectations.” A meaningless check mark is all I ask for (and you thought ribbons were absurd). Yes, I may care a little bit too much about this, but if you are going to drive hours to spend a summer weekend taking a test, why not make it worthwhile?
And just when you think you are done learning everything you can about this animal you didn’t think was smart enough to be so complex, in comes the record book. Sure every horse owner should keep neat and organized records, but do you even want to know the amount you spend on non-essential horse items? I know I don’t. Conditioning schedules, lesson plans, vaccination schedules — that’s all do able. But if you ask me to tally up all that I have spent on horses in the past 18 months and compare it to my net income, that is crossing a line.
As I remove the tack and assorted horse items from my truck and replace them with a plethora of books, binders and flashcards, I slightly question my sanity, but realize what an amazing opportunity this is. I get to go to a new state and talk about horse butt conformation and the life cycle of a roundworm. Go Pony Club!
