On June 4 I took boarders Ali & Deidre to their first rated dressage show to compete in Silver First Level, at Westar Farms.  We were blessed with afternoon riding times and cool, cloudy weather.  

Ali showed her new partnership with Ludwig to a 2nd and 4th place, and Deidre with her Bodhi won Champion of the division.  It was the best kind of horse show: a wonderful day with kind people and their faithful horses, proving their training at a well-run event.  

Super Dandy was the 18th horse I've started under saddle, and he is securely ranked among the easiest.  We began a few days after Joanne's clinic, took our first solo steps together as horse and rider on May 4, and on May 23 he went for a one hour, 5km trail ride on the property with friends.  

On April 9-10 we hosted a spring Dressage Clinic with EC Level 2 Coach and FEI 3* Dressage Judge Joanne Bouwhuis.  Most of the riders had seen her in the fall clinic, so we were committed to showing her that we'd been keeping up the work she'd assigned to us.  I'm so happy to say that she noticed the progress!

We also took a moment to bring out Super Dandy for a strut, free longing in the outdoor ring so Joanne could get an impression of him. She said it was time to get him going under saddle, and that it was nice to see his desire to move forward so freely.

If someone wants to try competing in dressage, or to improve their results in the sport, the best advice I could offer is to take lessons with a judge.  Dressage Canada rules are such that you cannot ride in front of a judge in competition within 30 days of your last lesson with them, which is pretty accommodating.  We packed up our little squad for a semi private lesson with EC Level 2 Coach and Medium Judge Ron King, focusing on test practice well before the competition season starts.

It was very productive!  I ran through a Second Level test and heard him say 'Brave.' when it was time to show Ehren's big canter.  Sometimes the sport of dressage attracts riders who are more fearful of riding at speed and over obstacles, but I can tell you that dressage judges wait for many long hours in their booths for a rider to come along that will take some risk in exploring what their horses can actually do in movement, without holding them back.  We had a great day with lots of notes and hope to visit Ron again.

Google says it's over 2600 kilometres from Mozhabong Lake in Ontario to Varadero, Cuba.  I would recommend travelling the North-South direction in February!

On January 30 we packed Ludi & Ehren into the trailer for a lesson together with Gina Smith at Queenswood Stables in Navan.  It had been a cold January but we'd kept up our homework with Joanne and had a very productive lesson, running through some First Level schooling movements and touching on the walk half-pirouettes.  

I realized this was Ehren's first dressage clinic away from home, ever!  It was wonderful to hear Gina say 'He's pretty cool!'.  She shared that she has lessons in the new Ride IQ app, which has a free trial period.  I would not turn down any chance to have Gina in my ear!

Occasionally I wistfully think of the past: talking to my father, petting my old horses, hugging my old dogs...but then I come back to the present and hug my new dogs, admire the horses here today and help the people around me now to fulfill their own dreams with their horses, to the best of my ability, and know that my father only wanted for me to be content.  So I am content, and wish you a Happy New Year.

"...You're Just Reacting." - Joanne Bouwhuis, FEI 3* Dressage Judge

We welcomed Joanne back on November 27-28 for another clinic.  The barn was full of new and engaged boarders, the fall weather had been very mild, and I was thrilled to fill up a weekend of lessons for my friend and mentor.  

There were so many highlights for me: the fun social of bringing new people together, Joanne assessing Ali and Ludi together "That's a nice pair!", she gently pushed my friend Katrina through a mental barrier to enjoy cantering around on her lovely mare Elsa, she tirelessly transformed horses through their riders to move more athletically, from dawn till after dusk, and she watched me present Ehren with hopes of showing at First Level in 2022, and then said, "And why not SECOND level?".

We promised to do our homework and hope to have her back in March!

A few years ago I met a young woman in a friend's back yard riding ring.  She had moved to the area with her spouse, both in the military, and they'd just bought their first home.  She'd ridden through her teens and wanted to get back into it, and would take a ride on anything she could tack up.  She was friendly, coachable and always showed up.  It didn't take long for her riding skills to exceed the capabilities of the horses she had access to, and she came for a few lessons on Ehren and Ludi when the weather was bad, but she really wanted and needed something more permanent.  When one of our boarders was looking for a leasor, someone to help share riding time and costs, Ali came to mind immediately and the fit was perfect.  Everyone was happy!  When our boarder had her job posted to Alberta this year, Ali started looking for a horse of her own and we all had our eyes opened wide to how much the equine industry has changed over the last few years.  Fewer horses were bred after the financial crisis of 2008 and fewer stables to produce them had led to a real shortage of supply, therefore wildly increasing prices for animals that had very little on their resumes.  We looked and looked together and nothing out there was matching the vision I had for my friend.

The idea started out small in the back of my mind, "What if I offered Ludi to Ali?".  I tried the thought on, took it off and put it away, took it out again and casually mentioned it to my husband so we could discuss it a little more and see how it felt.  

I knew Ali loved riding him.  I knew that two horses of my own were about as much as I could comfortably ride and care for, particularly with horses-in-training consistently on my plate.  Super Dandy needs to be started in the spring, and John and I were looking forward to doing some travelling.  The idea sat comfortably in my mind; having Ludi stay in the yard for the near-term and having Ali around more felt like everyone was winning again.  We chatted after this jumping lesson and I let Ali think it over, but I don't think she had to deliberate much!

The very next day I took a nasty fall (trust in the cosmic source, but tighten your own girth) and needed Ali to help keep him fit so that I could heal up in time to ride in the Jen Hamilton Clinic at Westar October 16-17.  I didn't touch a horse for 2 weeks and tentatively climbed aboard the day before.  I'd badly bruised the back side of my pelvis and transitioning in and out of 2-point position was still very painful.  I wanted to show all that Ludi could do, and there is nothing like a lesson with Jen to produce that.  I gritted my teeth and tried.  

My riding was most definitely not the best part of the experience, it was feeling my horse do his best despite that.  It was the perfect note to end our decade together on, to hand his reins to someone else who safely enjoys him, learns from him, and will love him forever.

August and September brought many changes to the yard, even though the weather remained hot and sunny.  It was time to say a sad goodbye to our faithful friend Ryan, and we were so grateful to have some time with him and the puppies together.

We upgraded the truck and trailer and I still can't believe this rig is ours!  

Our boarders moved on to different locations from New Brunswick to Alberta and we welcomed Miss Elsa Marie back with open arms for a training refresher.  Her owner has been working very hard during the pandemic and it was time to swing the work-life balance back towards her life and passion for riding!  Elsa had forgotten nothing during her time off.