October Questions

YAY bloghop because no riveting content....yet. Thanks VivaCarlos!

Sidenote, not sure why the formatting is weird, but sorry.

1. What do you consider jumping high for yourself?

Well, that depends. If we are talking XC, anything over 2ft. LULZ what happened to me. 

If we are talking difficulty level, I say anything above 3'6 really really starts to test me as a rider and thats where mistakes and glaring issues (ahem, jumping ahead) come out. So I consider that high for me. But not scary.

If we are talking scare me shitless, that would be anything above 5ft. I jumped Yankee 5ft and almost peed myself. I might have a little on landing. It was awesome, but not something I will likely do again. Jackie ended up jumping him 5'3...no fucking way was I doing that. Those 3 inches are a LOT. Def high. Too high, no thanks. 

never. again.

2. What are your short-term goals for riding?  Do you think youll reach them?

Short term, I would like to get back into riding shape. Right now I'm about 10lbs heavier than normal and a little floppy. Muscle memory still there, but mostly floppy. I will absolutely reach them now that my back is 100% better. 

3. Long term goals for riding? Do you think you’ll reach them?

Long term...so many, such evolving. I think right now, I would really like to become a better dressage rider. I think getting a bronze would be sick. Also, in the jumper realm, competing at HITS is a huge goal of mine. Also not at piddly 2'9, something like 3'6, 3'9, 4ft+ would also be sick. 

So, bronze medal and HITS.

If I will reach them? I'm not sure. Showing involves money, not something I have right now. But you can be damn sure that I am going to bust my ass trying to get better so when the money is available I'm ready.

4. How many barns have you been at in your riding career?

Considering I didn't start boarding until I went to college (kept my horses on my parents farm) I have only been at 4. First was at She Who Must Not Be Named's barn in MO. Then I moved to Stony Hill in MO with the sweetest BO in the entire world. She's quite old but still rides her 4th level dressage horse everyday. He's equally as old and they are ADORABLE. Then I move home back to my parents farm. After a year  I realized B hated it there so I moved to Ends Meet Eventing and haven't left. I don't ever want to actually, BO is perfection.

5. How many different trainers have you been with in your riding career?

LAWD. This is hard. I first started riding at a hunter barn (gag) when I was a wee child, and until I realized what that was about (sorry hunters), I stayed. I was there for about 6 years. Then, I started training with Mann O Mann Eventing Stables and Jurgen Gohler. 

This was Jurgen/Wonder Pony days, I think I was about 13 here

He was TOUGH but he made me the rider I am today. After that I moved to Janice Holmes. BY FAR my favorite trainer of all time. I absolutely loved her methods, knowledge and get it done attitude. She molded what Jurgen created. I was so so sad when I had to leave her for school. In MO I lessoned regularly with She Who Must Not Be Named, along with a lot of other randos like Brian Sabo, Stony Hill BO, etc. But I never took regular lessons. When I moved back to OH and to EME I started training with BO there who is an actual eventing god. 

6. Ever worked at a barn?

Yep! Several. In high school I was a groom for an Arab trainer (bleh), and also worked on some Paso Fino breeding farms (so random). When I moved to MO I worked for Stony Hill and became their Barn Manager. I loved it, but it was a tough job. Its so hard to please everyone! I always applaud boarding farm owners and managers--its hard.

Some of my SH friends

7.Scariest thing that has happened at your barn?

Does Yankee getting surgery count, because I am pretty sure I was legally dead from numerous heart attacks that day.

Or one time at SH an old horse fell down and broke her hip and had to be put down on the spot. Scary and sad.

8. Have you ever given a lesson? What level was the rider?

Yes, I used to actually work a lot with kids. Apparently I'm good with them even though I don't like them. I did make money doing that. You could call them beginners. Here and there I helped friends out and now I lesson with V every Friday. But I am no pro and I don't ask for money. 

9. What is your opinion on the accuracy of critiquing riders online?

First, I loathe online "critiques" with a fiery passion. I know I am guilty sometimes of judging people/horses/things by one moment in time (a picture), but it is SO unfair. I know my horses can have a moment and look awful but get over it in 5 seconds and go around the rest of the ride looking perfect, but if someone managed to snap a pic of said "moment" it would look awful. Pics are awful. If you want to critique, look at videos.

People online are nasty, brutal things and I think its quite awful and they really like to hide behind their keyboards. Also, most people on the internet are CLUELESS. I think is hilarious when teenagers critique people. Like, you know nothing. So the accuracy is sometimes laughable. 

10. What is the ideal height of a horse for you?

For me, because Amazon, anything taller than 17 hands with well sprung ribs is chill. I literally look like an obese tree on Yankee and he's 16.1 and small. B is 17.1 and thicker around and I still look slightly awkward on him. Ideally, I would love an 18h horse, but they tend to be clumsy. 

this horse was 18.1 I think. And MASSIVE. Half perch/half TB

so, 17h.

C'mon ya'll jump in! Its fun.