That Should Have Been My Pony!

Sometimes life isn't fair, we all know that - here's an example:

About a year ago, I popped on Facebook to find a picture of a cute little pony with a caption from my cousin saying "Meet the new member of our family!".  I immediately call her up to see what this is all about.  She does not ride, her kids don't ride (2 and 1 year old).  She grew up across the street from a hunter/jumper barn and never had any interest in horses.  So I had to find out how a pony entered the picture.

Turns out her dad (my uncle) decided to buy it for her kids (again 2 &1).  He's keeping it at his place and the pony (a miniature Shetland to be more accurate) came with a saddle and bridle and everything.  Now my uncle also never had interest in horses, that I know of.  I do know he's never owned or ridden one.  So as I talked with my cousin I gave her some tips to pass along to my uncle, you know, get a vet out, make sure to keep her feet trimmed, and don't change her feed from what the previous owner suggests unless the vet says to.  My husbands family lives nearby so I promised to come by the next time we were in town (we live in CO they live in FL so its not a quick trip).

We we visited a month or so later I came bearing State Line Catalogs.  The pony was  adorable, a little miniature Shetland chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail.... just what I pictured when I used to wish for one, all she was missing was a pink bow in her hair.  (Only mildly jealous at this point.) 

I gave my uncle a few lessons on how to pick up her feet, saddle her and bridle her.  Although after working with 16 and 17 hand (even 15 hands for that matter) horses, this 10 hand horse proved to be quite a challenge.  I'm not used to having to buckle things up so low.  The first thing I noticed was that the bridle did not fit at all, she had a teeny tiny head and even at the tightest settings the bit knocked her teeth.  But since no one was going to be riding without a lead line for a while (ahem... 2 &1 ) I told him to forget the bridle and just use the halter.

We then took the 2 year old and plopped him on the pony and I lead him around while people took pictures.  This is where the jealousy started to set in.  While my cousins son was enjoying himself, he wasn't as ecstatic as I would have been.  He didn't even ask to ride the pony we just told him to.  He never asked for this pony, he didn't dream about it every Christmas eve.  Heck, he's 2!  He hadn't had the chance to want a pony, but here he is riding along on his very own pony!  And because he got this pony before he even knew he wanted one he may never really want or appreciate it.... so unfair.

Disclaimer:
I'm not really upset my cute little cousin got a pony when I didn't.  I think it's great that they have the land and ability to do these things.  And even if he doesn't ride it, I know he loves giving his 'ony carrots.  And I know that I have nothing to complain about, I got my first lesson when I was 7 and my first horse when I was 12.  Not many little girls who dream of ponies can say that.  Its just fun to rant some times.

Ode to USPC

I've mentioned before I'm a product of the Pony Club, I was a member and competed for 3-4 years as a teenager. When I moved out here to the close to nowhere plains of Colorado I realized it is not as widespread as I thought.  Out here we have 4H, very similar, but not quite the same.  Anyways, I thought I'd take some time to advocate Pony Club and thank them for all they've taught me. 

As a child of a non-horsey family, when I got interested in horses, we really didn't have a clue about anything - how to buy, take care of, show, etc.  And as we all know for every horse owner there is a different opinion on all of these things.

Some friends of mine had joined Pony Club so we decided to try it out.  What Pony Club gave me that regular lessons didn't was the knowledge and discipline around everything other than just riding.  Sure they had an outline of what you should know as far as how to ride, but most of the rank tests consisted of ground work, horse knowledge, and horse care, very little time was spent in the saddle.  Pony Club taught me how to wrap my horses legs, tell if he's colicing, how to dress a wound, tie a stock tie, clean a sheath, etc.... things that just didn't come up in regular lessons. 

Pony Club's emphasis on horse and equipment knowledge, as well as safety made me learn and focus on things that I normally wouldn't have thought of.... always trailer a horse in a leather halter in case it panics it can get free, always tie a horse up with a quick release knot (this has come in handy more than once), wear your helmet, put your spurs on last so you don't trip.  Some rules seemed a little silly (like the last one) but this kind of attitude reminded me that this was an animal I was working with and to always be prepared.

The shows were "Rallies" and you competed in teams.  This taught you teamwork and that riding wasn't about who won but also about having fun.  And the Rallies didn't just judge you in the ring, but also the care of your horse and tack.  There was a giant list of things your team was required to bring including tools to fix broken tack and a first aid kit for both you and your horse.  They came around and judged the organization of your tack room and kept an eye on the teams and even judge you on your sportsmanship.  There was also a written portion to every rally where you were tested on your knowledge of parts of the horse and tack, and proper procedures.  You had to present yourself to the judges and often answer questions on the fly.  This gave me more confidence in talking with authority and showing my knowledge.

Really, the amount of things Pony Club taught me are too numerous to name.  They taught me how to be a good horseman and good sportsman.    They gave a kid with no horse experience a place to learn and grow with other kids.  They teach you the "proper" way to do everything so everyone in the group is doing the same thing.  And while I don't deny there are different ways to do things than what Pony Club taught me, I still believe it was the most detailed and the safest bet 99% of the time.

I'm sure I've forgotten more things than I remember, but that's the great thing, even if you only remember 25% of the rules you still come out ahead.  I still clean my tack before every show, I still keep a leather halter for trailering, I always wrap my horses legs when trailering, and I always run my hand along the horses butt as I walk behind them.  I know I  have tons of little habits that I'm not even aware of thanks to Pony Club.  And are all of them necessary all the time? No probably not.  But I know I'm grateful I automatically tie my horse with a quick release knot every time they spook and I can get them free quick enough before anyone gets hurt.

So to sum it up :) - Thank you United State Pony Club for giving a kid a positive environment to learn how to ride well and safely, how to be a good sport, take criticism,  and take care of my horse.  Thanks for not only teaching me how to be a better rider but also a better competitor and owner.

For more information on Pony Club visit www.ponyclub.org . This isn't a paid advertisement, I swear.

Bred for Dressage

As I return home from a long weekend with the in-laws I am reminded that I was bred for dressage.  I love my in-laws, they are the best in-laws a person could ask for.  They are loving, fun and treat me like their own.  But any time you spend a length of time with a group of people so different from you, you can't help but feel a little lost and start to do some soul searching... I'll get to how this relates to dressage in a minute... I promise.

Some background... My husband and his family are very laid back, I am not.  They go with the flow, I like to steer.  They are happy-go-lucky people who have a loose plan but for the most part, things happen as they happen.  For better or worse, I am not one of those people, I am constantly planning, thinking about what is going to happen next and what time it needs to happen.  Its how I was raised; it is what makes me comfortable.  Without a plan I feel lost and disconnected. So as I was sitting there with my husbands family trying my hardest to be easy going and deal with the constantly changing up-in the air agenda I started thinking about it.  And I started making parallels to the horse show world.  And I realized my need for a plan is probably why I gravitated towards dressage so easily.

In dressage training there is a specific pyramid you are supposed to follow to train your horse.  And the tests are very specific tests, they tell you what to do, when to do it and even what they are looking for when you do it.  No question left unanswered.  And you get the test well ahead of time, so you can train and know what to expect.  In the jumping world, sure you know you are going to jump a course and you know how high it is going to be, and you get the course... but not until the day of the show.  You usually have a few hours at best to memorize the course and you and your horse don't get to practice it, the first time you ride the course is in your class... yikes.  But at least you know what is coming next.  The worst (for me) is the flat hunter type classes.  You know the ones, where you ride around in the ring just waiting for the judge to yell out commands.  You trot along never knowing when they are going to ask you to canter and for how long.  I'm not bashing these types of riding or shows, I'm just saying they aren't for me.  I remember when I used to ride hunter/jumper I would get so nervous in the ring; waiting, anticipating what was to happen next.  Would I be in a good spot for the transition?  What if I'm hidden behind another horse?  How long will I be expected to hold my 2-point? 

Now that I ride dressage, I go in the ring knowing I'm ready.  I know the test, I know my horse, I know exactly when and where our transitions will occur.  And because I've practiced the test a few times (not enough that the horse has memorized it) I know our trouble spots and will be prepared for them.  This kind of preparation may be seen as a crutch in other show circles; a good horse and rider should be able to think on their toes and not need so much preparation.  I don't disagree, in fact other than the anxiety I enjoyed hunter/jumper classes.  But dressage came along and took away the anxiety so all I was left with was fun and determination.  As always, I may have veered away from my point a little.  I just think knowing my challenge at hand makes me a calmer more confident rider, and even if no else does, I know my horse probably appreciates it.  Now if I could get the in-laws to send me an agenda 6 months in advance everything would be  perfect!