♣Ambitious♣

Favorite Show Picture Favorite Non Show Picture Favorite Thing You Bought Boots! Even though they put me through hell! Favorite Moment on Horseback Favorite Moment out of the Saddle I don't have any pictures, but . . . the drunken walk from brunch to the Longines Arena . . . 10/10 would recommend. Favorite "Between The Ears" Picture Y'all know the drill. Favorite Horse Book or Article Identifying and Understanding Saddle Panel Options from Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop. This article was a game changer for me in understanding saddle fit and helped me get back on course to find the right fit. It's older and better viewed on mobile. Favorite horse ridden (or groomed/cared for) aside from your own I've ridden a lot more horses this year than I've posted about. Someday, I'll share those updates. Favorite funny picture of your horse Why the long face? Favorite fence that you successfully jumped or movement that you conquered First and second favorite. That ju...

So . . . I bought the wrong saddle. But it's not my fault! I specifically asked the seller if it was the high wither version of the T8 saddle. She said yes, and the panels did have a drop to them. Like, I literally went back and forth between her pictures and Thorowgoods, and they looked identical. So I pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, it was the medium wither, boo! It nearly went back on the market immediately until I started to compare it to the Circuit saddle my trainer originally had me in on Fuego. Y'all, just putting these things on my flat saddle rack . . . there was a huge difference in how they sat. The Thorowgood sat much higher and had significantly more clearance than the Circuit. That's not to say that the Thorowgood is better than the Circuit (tbh it was quite the opposite), but these are both "average" saddles in that they're medium tree, medium wither, average back, and yet they fit completely different. This echoes what I was saying in my la...

I was a little hesitant going into my lesson last weekend only because I wasn't sure where my endurance would be. The fatigue was a bit on and off. I was happy to share the lesson. It meant more breaks for me. Fuego had a lesson earlier in the morning, so my warmup was a quick WTC. He was a bit spicy with the kid, which made sense since Trainer T was trying a new gut supplement. Good chance that his tummy was a little upset. Hopefully, this supplement makes a difference. When I got on him, I took a long walk break. The tension was palpable. He was weirdly reactive to things happening outside of the ring. My legs also meant pretty much nothing, and he generally didn't want to bend his body at all. I can manage tension as long as he remains generally workmanlike. When he's nervous but still dialed into what I'm asking, that's all I can hope for. At that point, it's on me to create a positive experience. I'm hoping this continued process will help us out when h...

Seems the whole pandemic thing has finally caught up to me; I contracted coronavirus over the holiday weekend. It's a mild case. Symptoms have been . . . odd. No one told me about the moderate to severe joint pain. I'm over here thinking I've got a case of early onset rheumatoid arthritis. I'm begrudgingly working from home for this week. Thursday will be day 4.5 since symptoms appeared; fingers crossed I test negative and can still go to my lesson on Saturday. In the meantime, Fuego still has my undying attention in the form of saddle shopping. When I shared his glamour shots, they received the exact response that I expected. Folks, I hear you loud and clear. Two things to address: "Why are you buying a saddle for a horse you don't own???" Because he deserves it, and I do not feel comfortable asking for more of him until he learns how and has the space to properly use his topline. "You shouldn't buy a saddle without working with a fitter!!!...

 

The only media I have is of one singular round, so we're milking it I forget how much of a time commitment horse shows can be. Would y'all believe me if I said I almost scratched after the first day simply because I wanted to sleep? My initial plan was to get to the showgrounds early and spend most of the day hand grazing Fuego. He grazed decently the night before and became more comfortable over time. During schooling, he was definitely spooked by people sitting at the edge of the ring. While our ring at home can get hectic, we don't really have lots of people standing at the fence. I figured if I could get him to graze around the commotion, it would help him remain relaxed once we were in the ring. It helped, for sure. He was definitely still more comfortable in his stall and tried to walk back multiple times. While his comfort was a top priority, the horse usually gets 12 hours of turnout daily. No way in hell I was going to cave on this. "Why does my back hurt so m...

Rarely do I make myself eat my own words. A little under a year ago, when Fuego was first introduced on this platform , I asserted that he'd never be a showhorse because of how tense he was. And I felt certain of that. Even when Trainer T initially mentioned him going to shows, I didn't feel good about taking him. We all know how bad my nerves get at shows. It felt like a recipe for disaster. But here we are now, heading into the show ring together for the first time. And we're doing jumpers. This was a huge decision for me to make. Previously, I felt guilty about the idea of showing him. I thought it would be way too much stress, and I didn't want to see him go through all of that. Had it not been for all the changes - and then consistency - that I've seen over the past few months, this never would have happened. I never would have pushed him. It didn't matter to me. On top of that . . . I'm carrying a metric ton of baggage when it comes to showing. I woul...

I love being an adult and making dumb adult mistakes. When you're a kid and you're growing up, you get bigger and stronger. It's fun. When you're an adult and still kind of growing up, instead of getting bigger and stronger, you get IBS and hangovers. What was supposed to be a couple beers and board games with friends somehow turned into a 3am excursion on South Beach. Mind you, I already struggle to make it to a 10am lesson when I'm fully rested. Long story short, my horse is a saint. He was an absolute idiot on the ground, but once I got on, it was like he knew I wasn't at my best. That being said, he also let me know that I wasn't at my best and was way too in his face. Commence head flinging . . . The green box was a fiend once more I do wish I had done some more canter with him because he was decently responsive. I think it might be worthwhile to do some more work on simple changes. Once he already has the momentum, the transition comes easier. It also ...

Very good news: Fuego's got kids! Not horse kids, but student kids. One of them he's had for a while. She's super capable, and it took a moment, but they've clicked well. She hasn't been out to the barn in a few weeks, but in that time, he's also picked up another less experienced kid. I've watched them go a few times, and, y'all, this horse is an absolute saint. I'm hoping with some more time and work, he can consistently be used in up downer lessons. It gives him the chance to get out of the stall and get moving. Haven't recorded my hacks lately, so here are some photos from a Chase Me Charlie that we did a while ago The only downside to this is that he's gone full school pony. Y'all ever thought this horse would be a stick & spur ride? Yeah, me neither . . . I think once I've got a saddle that fits him properly, we'll need a couple Dressage lessons to address how behind the leg he is. I think it'll also help to install ...

  Crazy in a non-stigmatizing way . . .

It's not as bad as it sounds, trust me. Personally, I'm traumatized by this absolute flyer he took to a fence that did not require so much effort Between the Maryland 5*, a visit to see my girlfriend, and the general lack of work life balance that exudes from the architecture profession, I went a full two weeks with zero Fuego time. Plus, that was after several weeks of coming out multiple times within a week just to hang out and hand graze. I was in a bit of a rush the other night after work. The sun is setting earlier and earlier. This is typically my easy time of year when it comes to riding simply because daylight is fleeting. The hitch this year is that, well . . . . . . . I might be going to a show in November. More on that as it materializes. I knew I was crunched for time, but I wanted to get some saddle time. I hauled myself out there and met up with a friend for a quick bareback ride to make sure all the software was still installed. After this week's lesson, I ca...

Fuego is all good to go! Stitches are out, and he's moving like nothing ever happened. Not sure how he'll be about loading now, but that's an issue for another day. I wasn't in any rush to get back to work with him. We spent a week or so just hanging out, plodding around, not doing anything too serious. Despite being inside for a full four weeks, his skin somehow broke out into . . . something. I'm guessing it's bugs only because he's had multiple fungal treatments recently, and it hasn't made a difference. The whole thing is just doing its rounds. Other than being a little itchy at the top of his neck, he's feeling fine. From now on, I'm integrating the bridleless work into our rides. Believe me when I say it's for me, not for him, but by extension, it does benefit him. When we finally had a lesson this past weekend, I was shockingly much much much softer with my hands, therefore he was much much softer in his jaw. Literally, this high strun...