West Coast Friendship: Part Five

What is this?? West Coast Friendship??
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It took me years to realize that I have a fear of making mistakes. No one likes messing up, but I will avoid it at all costs. Whether its speaking up during a classroom debate or dropping my stirrups to correct my lower leg, if there's a chance that I'll do something wrong, I won't do it. Now that I've come to accept this about myself, it is something that I can work through. The problem was, when I rode with Maura, I didn't know it.

We spent countless hours on the flat trying to correct my lower leg. It killed me to have my flawed foundation be the focus of lesson after lesson. I was so used to having my flaws ignored or overlooked. Riding with an instructor who actually focused on what was wrong with my riding made me uncomfortable. But I was rewarded for pushing my boundaries. Despite the heaping amounts of flat work, jumping was always incorporated into the lesson. Maura put more faith in me than my other instructors, and the fences I faced grew from mere speed bumps to actual jumps.

As I read through my riding journal from those first few months at Magnolia, I'm surprised at the amounts of "firsts" I had. With Maura, I jumped my first bending line, rode my first flying change, found my first distance, jumped my first jump without stirrups, and jumped my first oxer. But I experienced one equestrian first at Magnolia that was beyond Maura's control, and this single miracle is the strongest in my memory.

I was riding one Saturday morning when a girl no older than seven came running out to the ring.
"Maura, Maura, come quick!" she called. "I think Moondance is having her baby!"

What? was basically Maura and I's first sentiment. Because it was ten o'clock in the morning, and mare's rarely foal in the daylight. This girl was very young; she had to be confused.

But of course, we ran to the barn to see. We left our horses in the cross-ties and headed to Moondance's stall where, surely enough, she was starting to go into labor.

Maura had never delivered a foal, and I certainly had no experience. There was no one else on the grounds, and the mare's owner, whom we had sent the little girl to call, was still several minutes away. The seconds ticked by slowly, agonizingly, as we waited for someone to arrive--and prayed that nothing went wrong.

But finally, Moondance's owner got to the barn. This wasn't his first foal, and he knew exactly what to do. Even Moondance seemed to relax when she heard his voice. And once he took over, everything happened very quickly. Soon enough, laying in the stall with Moondance was a precious baby girl. She was a dusty black with a lopsided star and, even covered in blood and amniotic fluid, she was beautiful. I managed to capture her on my video phone as she first rose to her feet--surprisingly graceful for a wobbly little filly--and even now, that is the most amazing video I have ever seen.

My first foaling experience. And what an experience it was! Of all the things that I would come to encounter, watching Pia (as she would later be named) be born was the most emotional event of them all. Her arrival at Magnolia coincided nearly perfectly with mine, and as I saw her grow up, in glimpses and bursts, I couldn't help but think that she paralleled me. If only a little bit.
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The lovely little foal in the picture is not Pia, but unfortunately I don't have any photos of her on my computer. This photograph was taken by Deirdre-T at DeviantArt.

Bunnies Are Show Jumpers, Too

Happy Easter, everyone! I collected these pictures from various sites--hope you enjoy!

The Jumps

The Jumpers

First-Class Farms: Sunrise Stables, Lexington, VA

(Yes, I am procrastinating on my West Coast Friendship story. Sorry!)

So, last month, as you may remember, I covered a First-Class Farm in St. Paul, Minnesota. Seventh Farm, however, is only one of the many first class farms I've discovered during my college search, and I'd like to devote today to another First-Class Farm: Sunrise Stables, in Lexington, Virginia.


I've heard great things about Sunrise, through simple word of mouth, and when I started looking at colleges in Virginia, I naturally headed to their website. The first thing I noticed was their About Us page, which immediately screams "Family!" (Y'all know how big I am on the whole "family atmosphere" thing.) But beyond the people, I really love the place.

Two hundred and fifty acres of rolling green woods and winding river... What's there not to love? Sunrise Stables apparently grows their own hay organically, and their turnout paddocks are gorgeous. Add to the natural beauty state of the art eventing facilities, and you've practically got Equestria (or, for those of you who haven't read The Circular Path, horse heaven).

Their 15 acre-large cross-country course was designed by an Olympic judge for Green through Preliminary eventing riders. They also have regular trails for conditioning horses and trail rides and a pretty large outdoor riding ring. Their riding program is complete with lessons from and clinics with professionals like Jim Wofford, Sharon White, Brian Ross, Lynn Symansky and Molly Hooper-Bull.

Sunrise Stables is also a pretty awesome retirement home. They apparently have a soft spot for elderly horses. To quote the website: "Sunrise Stables provides very special care for retired horses. They have worked hard for you for years and deserve only the best in care the final years of their lives. They receive the best feeds and hay. They are dewormed and shod or trimmed regularly. The kids here love to spend time with them and groom them on a regular basis."

A beautiful place with a huge reputation and a seemingly great atmosphere for riders and horses alike, Sunrise Stables is certainly a first-class farm.

Two Glorious Words: CLOSEOUT PRICES

It's that fabulous time of year again. Winter is quickly losing steam, Easter is coming, and the world is coming to life. Which can only mean one thing...

Spring Shopping Spree!

I really didn't feel like writing more of my story today (there's plenty of time for that), so I decided to splurge a little... You may have noticed, I like shopping. Who doesn't? But online shopping is the best, because I rarely make impulse buys. Still, online stores are a danger zone for me, and I try to avoid them as much as I can. But who can resist the lure of those two magical words that seem so popular at this time of year... That's right, Closeout Prices.

I concentrated my shopping on one site: Dover Saddlery. Maybe I'll cover the deals offered by SmartPak or other sites later on. But for now, let's take it one store at a time, shall we?

Among the pages and pages of sales items, Dover is offering...

Dublin Full-Seat Breeches, regularly $80, on sale half-off for about $40. Available in sand, green beige, and black. Who can resist a classic? And at a reduced price, no less.

On Course Full-Seat Breeches, in navy, black, and beige, are on sale 70% off for $40, if you like a slight variety.

And, good thing I am not in charge of purchasing Blaze's blankets. I'm known for parading him around in pink plaid, and you KNOW this "jewel"-toned plaid blanket (magenta, purple, and pink) would just look fabulous on him. And for only $25? Who could resist?

And speaking of plaids, Kensington's Ice Plaid Fly Masks are just one more reason I am glad not to have to shop for Blaze. Even so, I may get this one just as a luxury, as it matches one of my saddlepads. In unique shades of Blue Ice and Plum Ice, who could pass up this plaid?

If you want to stock up on riding shirts, there are several short-sleeve riding tees on sale for very cheap, from Ovation and Irideon. This Dri-Lex Zip Tee, for instance, is available in several Spring pastels, and is on sale for $10 off.

Not yet impressed? Never fear! The list goes on and on and on. Fifty-three pages of closeout prices. I may have died and gone to heaven.

On Deaf Ears II

I went out to dinner tonight, with a group of non-horsey people, and at the end of the meal, the waitress gave us each a peppermint--plus one to spare. The single mint sat, lonely, on the table...

"Is anyone going to take this peppermint? ... No one? Great, I'll take it home for Blaze."

The people who knew that Blaze was a horse were no less confused than the people didn't.

West Coast Friendship: Part Four

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
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Ugh. This weather is driving me crazy. I've been on and off sick for the past few days and came down with an awful fever last night. Some Nyquil and sixteen hours of sleep later (not including the two and a half hour nap I took beforehand!), and I've bounced back pretty vigorously. No fever, some energy, and a few little sniffles. Let's hope my recovery keeps up. Anyhow, I believe I have a story to tell...
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I quite literally prayed that my lesson at Magnolia would go well. Everything was hinged on this barn, or so it seemed at the time. And I was very nervous.

However, Maura had a very soothing presence, and the butterflies in my stomach seemed to disappear after my first minute or so in the saddle. In my riding journal, I have a very detailed summary of that first lesson, so I can describe it pretty accurately here.

Blaze was a little cranky that day- a fixed trait, I would come to find out- but he had more life in him than I was used to. He was energetic and had great transitions. As this was only an evaluation, not a typical lesson, we spent a lot of time on the basics. Maura had us on the flat for a while, practicing transitions and circles and turns, and when we did jump, she kept the fences small.

My years of substandard instruction had taken a toll on both my confidence and my position, and this did not go unnoticed. I had had a few years of excellent training, which gave me a great foundation--a foundation that had then been undermined by other trainers-- and Maura could pick out both in my position. She gave constructive criticism, but in a way that did not shatter my fragile confidence. "You're lower leg is... pretty bad," she admitted. "Usually, when a rider's leg is bad, though, it shows in their upper body. But everything above your hips is great, so you're in a much better condition than you normally would be in." Ten percent of a message, they say, is in words; the rest is in the tone of voice. This message actually gave me a bit of confidence. I had know my position was bad. I didn't know that there was actually something "great" about it.

I did not have to warm up to Maura, as I have to do with most of my instructors and trainers. I instantly liked her and the way that she taught. At that point, I desperately needed someone with experience who could improve my riding without overwhelming me or accidentally undermining my fragile self-esteem. By some stroke of luck, I had found exactly that.

But my journey was only beginning.

I had a lot of growing to do--both physically and mentally. I had the physical flaws in my riding that needed remodeling. I had emotional issues to work out, like a fear of cantering that had slowly begun to develop in me over the past years. And I had to make a place for myself at a new barn, with new people and a different way of operating. Obviously, I had some adjusting to do.

But that was okay. Because I knew I could do it. And over the next several months, Maura--and all of Magnolia--would become more of a family to me than I would have ever expected.

To Be Continued...

A Horse Video

I thought I'd mix it up, as I haven't posted a video in a while. I found this great one on YouTube. The horse is precious, and it reminds me of my own Grace.