Greg Best Clinic

My friends Ayla and Nancy rode with Greg Best yesterday. He is doing a 3 day Showjumping clinic here this weekend. I almost did it since its Greg-freaking-Best, but since it was $250 a lesson I sat it out. TWO FIFTY A LESSON? Are you high? Also,  he was a big meanie jerk-face anyways so I am glad I ended up just watching. Not that I learned much...

I was really excited to watch, since it is the famous Greg! He rode Gem Twist in the Olympics and won 2 silver medals in Showjumping. I thought I would learn a ton from this guy, since he has done it all SJ wise.

Alas, I learned only that "horses need to be straight after a fence". A-duh. Everyone knows that. He did not focus on any of the riders ACTUAL goals or problems, but merely chose his favorite "pretty" pair and worked with them the most while the others either stood there or trotted meekly around. I was pissed for them.

In 2 1/2 hours, they jumped all of 2 jumps and he spent the majority of the time yelling at them telling them how much they suck. Literally. I was in awe just at his mean-ness, not his brilliant teaching skills, like I was expecting. 

They spent over and hour on canterwork and by the time they came around to jumping, the horses seemed pretty tired, espechially the pony and the little girl. This was a BN group with young horses (well the pony was old and fat, but very safe for a little girl) and they were getting anxious/exhousted about being out there so long. Overall, I was dissapointed with his teaching and how rude he was, even to the little girl, she had to be but 7. I felt bad for my friends, who basically overpaid a guy to yell at them and not constructively give them anything to work on.

Greg did have one good peice of advice....oh wait, no he didn't.

In other news, I have been laying in my bed/couch for 2 days, too depressed to ride or do anything. I've had the days off from work, so literally, I have done nothing except go to meetings with my advisors at school. I either sleep, or lay in bed watching netflix. Its a fun pity party. Hopefully it passes soon.

Speaking of Gem twist....Who do you think is better? Click their names for video.

Gem Twist (Gem Twist 2) or

Milton? Milton 2

The 2nd video of each is at the same show in Stockholm 1990.

I vote Milton actually. He was so much lighter, quicker and nimbler then good ole Gemmy. Both amazing horses, but I prefer Milton.

Sometimes I feel like I should become a SJ, they can make SOOOO much $$. You never see an Eventer get rich from the sport, but damn, SJ bring in some bank!

My Horse Is Rich...I Am Just His Shitty Accountant

Bad news comes in droves instead of 3's for me apparently.

Long story short (long story can be viewed down the page if you are really that curious),due to some unexpected bad news and expenses I am broke and asked my mom for $ and now she wants me to "cut costs"...meaning get rid of all my animals...and possibly my horse.

No. Way.

Thats like asking a mother to put her children up for adoption, right now.

I can't possibly imagine losing my wonderful animals that give me so much joy and love in my house let alone fathom losing my courageous, beautiful, sweet, strong ponyface.

I feel like it can't get any worse right now. But I know it can, still though.

I love my mom and appreciate her help...but man, I just can't :(

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Ok for the LONG STORY if anyone wants to know.

Bad news #1

I am in college, most know this. I pay for college with financial aid through the VA, benefits from my mother serving in Iraq. She gives me the benefits graciously, since she has no need for the money. Thank you mom!

Anyways, the benefits expired in June. We were not aware of this and I continued living like normal. Now, 2 weeks from Fall semester, I find out that I have a hold on my account due and no stipend to past due tuition. WHAT?

I owe over $12, 000...tuition the VA usually pays. Since it is automatic payments, I never think anything of it. Usually, there is a delay in payments, since there are so many cases to handle, but my University withdraws holds from VA students automatically since they know the payments from the VA take longer. I saw the hold, and assumed it would go away in 3 days, per usual, since this always happens. However, EXPIRED benefits are different from WAITING on benefits. I had to re-apply for another year, and that can take months....

The biggest, worst part of that is I depend on is my living stipend, whihc is substantial. I did not come through August 1st like it should have. I know I could not have pets, or my  horse, but they are my life. Always have been. Since I am in college, when class is in session, I cannot work full time like I do in summer (and even then, I make minimum wage), so I depend on that stipend.

I budgeted my $ for that (the stipend to come through) to happen....I am now FLAT broke. Like, $90 in my account.

Bad news #2

Since I overdrafted, I now owe over $400 to my bank...

Bad news #3

Cheryl kicking me out...that took care of $400 worth of expenses, me being able to work that off...now that adds $400 worth of expenses a month.

Bad news#4-6

We got raped on our electric bill, no thanks to my management here at my appartments. I have been telling them, SOMETHING IS FREAKING WRONG with my AC unit and is running my electric bill up to massive amounts. Last month it was $193. We turned the AC up to 75 deg instead of 65 deg and keep all our lights off (my apartment is like a cave, haha). Apparently, this did not help since our bill this month was...$298!!!!!! WTF!!!! For a 600sq/ft apartment. My mom has a 3 story, 14 bedroom house and keeps her house at 60 and she doesn't even top $150. FML.

Also, our manangement is redoing the parking lots. They gave us diagrams and dates of work, so that we could move our vehicles accordingly. I stuck strictly to it, since I could not afford a tow. WELLLLL, they did an area early, and didn't tell anyone and lo-and-behold my truck got towed. Awesome, guys. Real excellent.

ON TOP OF ALLLL THAT, our lease expires in October and we have to renew it. Our apartment complex got bought out by a different company. This company is a bunch of bigot racist money whores and I am quite upset with the whole business. They are in the process of kicking out all the people they don't like, even if they are approved (aka families on welfare) and only accepting young, white college aged students. OUR ISSUE arises with the lease renewal. They are making us RE_effing_APPLY and charging us $520 in expenses, app fees and whatnot...thats not even counting the new lease price or the new parking fee...what the fuuuuh!? We've lived here a YEAR and never once been late on rent...some months we even paid extra so the next month we would have a step up...

Bad news #7

Schoolbooks are expensive.

FML.

Vaca Sucks...Sometimes

I hate vaca sometimes. 

Only sometimes though. Cuz there are cute little goats to pet at the fair. Check out the awkward tan ( super brown arms and face...white, pasty legs)

My sweet pups in the car. Zoey likes to lay on Tonka sometimes...

....he obviously does not care.

But mostly I hate vaca...I gain like 7 lbs because I have 2 families stuffing food in my face and I am a poor college girl so free food is like, GOLD.

But I miss my horse, tons.

But I also get a break from work and school...which is much needed

But I also have to deal with two families shoving food in my mouth all day :P....

Anyways, I am back and ready to ride. I was going to give Yanks 2 weeks off, but I can't not ride my horse...what was I thinking. I won't be doing competition conditioning or work, just hacks and a few dressage schools here and then. And some jumping, of course.

On the boarding front, I found a place. Pro's-she will let me work off board and lessons, indoor, outdoor, XC, amazing dressage instructor. Con's- haven't seen it yet, SELF CARE-own hay, grain, sawdust ($$$) (am I crazy??) and a bit of a drive (25 minutes is a lot for a full time college student/full time worker).

I am a bad horse mom. I am literally saying I don't want to see my horse everday. Well, scratch that, I CAN'T see my horse everyday. I am too busy, simple as that. I cannot make it out TWICE a day with above said full-time things. I really took for granted having someone feed him twice a day for me if I couldn't make it out. I fed my own horses for 9 years (I don't mind it, in fact I prefer it, just my barn was right outside my front door then), but in my situation and time limit, full-care is the best option. I am on the wait-list for a full-care stall, but for now, I might move him into a self-care stall for the arenas. Plus I can't imagine the gas bills I will rack up on top of board fee and grain and hay and farrier and vet and supps and sadface. I am going to see it Tuesday...

As for the bit update and retraining decision...I haven't QUITE figured out what to do yet re-training wise since he is simply just too erratic and hyper to formulate a simple retraining program. I will think of something though that will work out. I need to talk to that OTTB girl on Youtube...

I am going to try THIS bit in the meantime, since I can't afford a $140 Myler combo bit, even though that is the one I want. If it doesn't work the way I want and need it to, it goes in the trunk.

Here are some fun pics for you from when I was younger and WAAAAY younger.

Yankee and I when we first started competing together. WOW was I skinny. Sometimes I think we were better as a team back then...when I was taking lessons. I mean, look at that frame! Don't worry folks, I am starting lessons here in a bit! I need them!

And how cute is this! I was ten here, even though I don't look it! I was pretty tiny for my age, but Dolly was only 14 hands. She was my pretty girl and I could've asked for a better first horse, even if she was a brat and bucked me off everyday, I still love her. I got her when she was 18, and she had just come off the breeding farm after having been an pureblood Arabian broodmare for 10 years. She is 28 now, and I worry she will be leaving this earth soon :(She lost most her teeth, and she is not keeping weight and laying down more and more. Prayers for my sweet baby girl in South Carolina, stay happy girl.