Kentucky is still going through it’s final tantrum of summer, and my knee is still a bit out of whack. Soooo when Viva Carlos posted a blog hop, I just had to jump in. 🙂
1. Favorite quirk your horse (or a horse you’ve spent time with) has?
This is not a good habit. It is not a habit I condone… but May’s proclivity for escaping and causing zero trouble is somehow endearing haha. I am sure my trainer is rolling her eyes so hard at this, because it is a terrible habit. BUT she doesn’t “break out” of her stall. She only sneaks out if her stall guard isn’t fully attached, sooooo I think it’s cute. Honestly, other than that, she’s a pretty business-like mare.
2. Three adjectives that perfectly describe your horse?
Opinionated, pretty, confident
May isn’t a conventional beauty. She’s more like Ashley Graham. Aka – part of her beauty is her total confidence in herself. It makes her a fun eventing partner for sure!
3. Plan your next ride. What will you do/work on?
Ahahahaha well… someone on COTH called me out for my fat horse. (fun times) Sooo I think we will be doing a fitness ride tonight. She got a bit ribby in June, so we upped her forage. Then I got busy with work/travel/life, so her work load dropped a bit and BOOM fat mare. We pulled back the calories and are increasing the workload to help her be a bit more fit for Team Challenge next month.
4. Have you ever trained an OTTB? If yes, what was the biggest challenge?
A straight off the track OTTB? Nope. As I mentioned before, I have ridden lots and lots of green horses. From 3 yr old pony’s just being broke to saddle, to older horses of the slaughter truck bound for Mexico. Training horses is definitely one of those “learn on the job” type of things. Experience is exactly what you get 30 seconds after you need it.
Here is a video (MANY YEARS LATER) of one of the Welsh Cobs I started. He turned into a pretty cool dude!
5. Have you ever groomed or worked for a professional rider?
I have spent a lot of time as a barn rat… I used to go to HITS Saugerties, Old Salem, etc as a groom for friends. Since moving to eventing, I have tried to get to events to support pros and friends. However, true groom/working student situation? Not something I was able to do.
6. Favorite horse and rider combination?
Oh man. I know she is having a huge year right now, but I loved Beezie Madden & Judgement. He was a horse that just looked like he LOVED show jumping. The higher, harder, and more technical the jumps got. The better he was. SUCH a cool horse, and of course, I have major respect for her and her program.
7. Have you ever ridden a horse at the beach?
Yes! Actually, in the Grand Cayman Islands. They heard I could ride (big mistake mom), so I got this spicy little mare. Who I ADORED. Gosh I wish I knew where the photos were from that, but it was an amazing day.
The Grand Cayman Islands are a British colony, so I was actually fairly impressed with their horsemanship for what resources they had available. This was YEARS ago, but it looks like they are still around and still have nicely fed ponies: http://ponies.ky/
8. If you could experience the equestrian community (i.e. ride and compete) in another country, what country would you choose and why?
Ireland or England. And I would foxhunt. I would probably die, but I would die with a smile on my face.
9. In your opinion, what is an item of tack that is given unnecessary hype?
This was actually a hard one for me. I think that all horses are individuals and what is useless to you and your horse might be a godsend to someone else. I guess I will say like lorenzini stirrups are probably something I don’t get. I have seem many on resale pages for a lot less than their purchase value due to the paint scratching and chipping.
I will take my MDC Stirrups any day. Had to look up the instagram post when I got them… turns out, they predate May! Next month they will be 5 years old, and they still look this good. To me, that’s a great purchase!
10. What was the first horse you rode called? Are they still alive?
Aww Frisbee. He was OLD when I rode him, and that was… 23 years ago. Unfortunately, he passed away like 3 days before my first show. He was a saint of a horse, and I am 100% sure he is in the best part of heaven.
Stacie also did this blog hope, and I look forward to seeing more of y’all answers!
finally catching up on blogs (YAY for conference calls that i just have to zone out on) I love my MDC stirrups too. And loL on May getting out of her stall. DO NOT let her text Remus how to do this….:) I would do this blog hop but dont think i have the energy 🙂
L did good with these questions, loving everyone’s answers! (And thanks for the shout out!) I have the MDC stirrups too, and I mostly like them, but to be honest, in certain boots, I’m constantly fighting with them to keep them in the right spot on my foot! I think it’s when the shoes are low on tread. Guess it’s a boot problem not a stirrup problem… Thanks for talking that out with me! Lol.
Anyway, I think May is SO pretty! Maybe not in the svelte super model way, but in the awesome yellow horse way for sure.
Bahahah I have never really noticed the MDCs slipping. Unless I am doing something really insane. (Jumping over a 5* ditch filled with rushing water at KHP when I am SOAKED THROUGH). Even then.. I don’t think I lost them hahaha.
I think May is pretty. She makes me smile when I see her handing her head over her stall guard every day. IN my opinion, that’s half the battle.
Same with the Lorenzini stirrups. I coveted them at first, but all the used ones are chipped! Love my MDCs as well.
I can’t believe (well, I CAN) someone on COTH called you out on May’s weight. She’s adorable.
That one got a BIG eye roll. The comment was along the lines of her fat deposits were making my saddle fit incorrectly. Ummmm she’s probably like a 6.5… which is about as skinny as you can get this horse without 5 days a week of INTENSE work or completely starving her hahaha
let’s talk fat rolls. May doesn’t have them. A certain fat buckskin does. 🙂
COTH can be an uh interesting place. I remember one blogger was lambasted pretty hard on COTH when she first started her blog, it was appalling what they said about her there. Don’t take what they said to heart!
Hahaha yeah. I very rarely turn there for anything. And I definitely only do when I am 100% ready to throw some feedback where it belongs.
She’s never going to look like a sleek thoroughbred, and I am ok with that. (and so every professional that has ever met her)