District Manager

MEGAN: I was able to read and take notes on The Principles of Riding this morning before our entourage (or quartet, really-Me, Emma, Ashley and Rachel) left for the stable. Then, it was a typical Monday, except all the work was spread among six people. I was in charge of Mica’s barn as well, and helped Mica with cleaning and feeding in there. The barn was very clean by the time we left, with Mica and I feeling quite proud. Simba’s unofficial quarantine ended today, an extra security measure to protect the foals at Sunnyfield. Rachel and I, after a very quick shower, went to downtown Mt. Kisko and made copies of the fundraiser flyer at Kinko’s and walked to what seemed to be at least 30 stores. I could give our little speech in my sleep!!! Many stores, especially those which are franchises, had to fax the information to a district manager. I do believe that if one more person says district manager to me, I may scream. We may as well just start asking people to fax things to their district manager without spending 10 minutes in the store trying to find the general manager, then talking to them, then hearing about their district manager. Oh, well. People are so willing to help- I recieved contact information from about 10 stores. I also have to call a few people from Gleneden (farrier, transporter, etc.) to see if they will donate a free service of some sort. Two clients of Lendon’s have offered 2 lessons with Courtney King on their Grand Prix, a tour of a private collection of the Met for 4 with dinner overlooking Central Park, and a portrait. I am simply amazed at people’s generosity! When all of us arrived home we picked up around the house for George Williams, who is giving a pony clinic tomorrow, then went to bed. Asking people for money is absolutely exhausting, so I am settling in for a long, deep sleep.

SIMBA: Yay! No work for me today! Mom handwalked me, taking me somewhere different for a change. I sure was getting bored of walking the same old route every single day. Other than when she cleaned my stall and fed me, I did not see her much today. I have mostly kept to myself, but a cute grey pony just came in for some event tomorrow- I don’t have all the details yet. Mom left without filling me in on the plan for tomorrow. How inconsiderate. How is a horse supposed to keep up with these things if his own mother does not keep him informed?? I know, we need a district manager. Ah, well. I will get all my information from a primary source. See you in the morning, all.

A New York Minute

MEGAN: Today was Rachel’s day off and Nikki took Michael Poulin to the airport, so I was in charge of meds in the Main barn and all the horses in the hunter barn. After doing turnouts and the arena, I was working on Simba’s stall when Lendon yelled from across the property, asking if I could ride immediately. I tacked Simba up and was warming up about 10 minutes later- my speed grooming is improving!! We had a good ride- Lendon discovered if I am very clear with the use of my leg and do not drop contact or hold the right rein, and she uses a lunge whip and taps the bottom of my boot, Simba will go. After a successful ride, I bathed Simba, hand grazed him until he was dry, and scrubbed my girth and Simba’s boots. Lots of laundry later, I cleaned my tack and carried boxes from the indoor to the Hunter barn. I worked Atticus in the field, and helped Nikki with bran mash. Emma and Ashley (from Bermuda) are here, so we were the main bran mash team tonight!! Though void of a classic bran mash fight, we successfully bran mashed the entire Gleneden equine population and cleaned up in Mica’s barn and the Hunter barn before heading home. I quickly washed my face and walked to church, which (like everything in New York) was celebrated in a New York minute. Then I did a workout, running over lots of hills in the meantime. After a quick shower, I served baked ziti and broccoli. It was very good, if I do say so myself. I did a core workout on the Total Gym and am now more then ready for bed. Before I turn in for the night, I want to thank everyone who has made this summer in paradise possible. I am having so much fun, and have had so many opportunities, mostly due to the generosity of people in Michigan and New York. You are all appreciated, and thought of often. Hope you are enjoying the blog!!

SIMBA: They certainly are creative. A lunge whip in a plastic trash bag- never seen that before! Mom tacked my up very quickly, but made up for it with a nice bath and long hand graze afterward. I am beginning to re-learn this whole forward concept, but I hope Mom understands that it will take time. She can’t just expect me to change overnight after all this time and everything I have been through. I think that she wants me to understand, and to trust that she will not overface me. I want to make her happy, and I can tell that she wants to work as a team. It may just take a little time. This is one thing that will not get done in a New York minute!

Balancing Life

MEGAN: After spending the morning scrubbing arena ledges, Rachel and I did turnouts and watched the clinic. I was able to watch two of the same rides I saw yesterday with great improvement from the previous day. Then Annie helped me with Simba, who was honestly forward!! YAY!! She gave me advice on structuring my ride, instead of slowly progressing through movements, which was very helpful. After talking to Simon’s mom about YDF, I curried Simba, gave him lunch, and was able to watch the rest of the clinic. (Simon is the boy who rides Danny, the Connemara stallion who I rode last summer, and is on my team for the Festival. The team is Simon, Rachel, Rachel's brother, and me). After feeding, I went home for a nice hard run over hills and a cool shower. Lendon and I enjoyed baked ziti for dinner, then after a bit of redecorating and fundraiser planning, Rachel and I went to bed early. It has been a long week, and though I have accomplished a lot running-wise and at the stable, school work has received very little attention. But, until the fundraiser is over, that may just be the way things are.

SIMBA: Like all good teachers, I am thrilled to see so much improvement. Unfortunately, as I have mentioned before, this entails much more work on my part. A simple ride becomes more effort when moving with forward energy. I hear that we have a show soon- I can’t decide whether to be happy or annoyed. I will get back to you on that. I really enjoyed the nice, cool breeze today. The weather was beautiful for a change- amazingly, there was no rain. Well, I am drifting off to enjoy a night's rest. Tomorrow will bring another update!

Clinic and Success!

MEGAN: Well, my morning began with scrubbing bird poop off the ledges of the arena. Great way to start the day, huh? After that I took care of Simba and audited the Michael Poulin Clinic for about 2 hours. He had a lot of insight and I picked up some interesting things:
*Instead of moving the neck side to side to loosen the jaw, jiggle the reins with tension
*Know the Training Scale like your own body- it will speed up your learning process.
*With a horse really resistant to going forward, use 2 whips on the shoulder. Very helpful for Nexus and Mica.
*Half halts should be given in rhythm- if not, they only upset the horse’s balance.
*Praise often!! (“I have never seen a horse die from being praised too much…”)
*With a horse who threw his head up in the air to evade the bit, it was helpful to use a running martingale to help him ‘train himself’.
After watching Nexus and Mica I rode Simba- who went forward! I am very happy. We still have a lot to work on, but at least we are getting somewhere. After a short, but very hot ride, I let Simba graze for about 10 minutes, and then ended up scooping lunch in Mica’s barn and in the Main barn. I then rode Atticus out in the field in a slight bit of rain- I think that we have had rain every day since I have been here!! But, running in the rain or in the nice, cool weather after the rain has been great. After putting Atticus away I checked my email for the second time since arriving, due to technological difficulties. I then helped feed in Mica’s barn and settled Simba for the night. Mica took me home and it began to pour. So, I made biscuits and baked ziti and am now hoping for the rain to stop so I can go run. I did a 3 mile tempo workout yesterday and was planning on 50 minutes today (about 7 miles). I don’t mind the rain, but it has to stop storming!! So, I have to send a check for the Windy Hollow Hunt show tomorrow, and get my other entries in as well. I have done next to nothing as far as schoolwork goes- I simply have not had time! Now, I am taking notes on the first 30 pages of the YDF (Youth Dressage Festival) book Principles of Riding. Hopefully I can get that done tonight so I can read on. Well, I am off to see if the rain has lessened. I’ll get back to you later!

SIMBA: She may actually be getting it. As much as I would enjoy our rides if Mom never figured out how to get me forward, I think I may be teaching her something. She was very careful about when her legs were on, and did pretty well keeping her heel down and spur off. Keeping her forearms relaxed allowed the forward energy in my haunches to travel up through my back and propel myself forward. In speaking of today in terms other than the ride, there were lots of different horses in and out all day. I got to talk to some pretty cool guys- and pretty girls. One even gave me her horseshoe as a calling card. Don’t tell Mom, but I am calling her up tonight!! Better go get ready- lucky mom gave me a mint before she left!

Ready for Tomorrow

MEGAN: Today, I was in charge of Charlie Brown, a hunter, in addition to Simba. So, hay, water, and stall cleaning took a bit longer than usual today. In addition, the hallway was a mess, and I swept it out. After helping with turnouts, I handwalked and rode Simba. Today was better than yesterday- not that better means much of anything in this situation. I hope to have an even better ride tomorrow- more sensitivity to a light leg would be appreciated. My attitude is also very important- and now, let me say: He will go well tomorrow. He is a good horse and he and I will work together to have a good, productive ride. I will keep my position and determination when he resists and we will have a good, forward, energetic ride. After cooling Simba out and taking care of him and Charlie, I rode Atticus. He was very good, soft and light in the hand and to the leg- but I only rode him lightly. Then I took Ivan out for a hack and cleaned two stalls for horses coming in for the Michael Poulin clinic tomorrow. I then filled out entries for the Windy Hollow Hunt show and, after calling both Annie and the show secretary, Nikki mailed it for me. With that all taken care of, I helped clean in the arena for the clinic and tacked up Charlie for Nikki to ride. After a quick chat with Mom, I ran for about 40 minutes and showered, then waited for Mr. Poulin to arrive. Annie, Mica, Rachel and I all went to Lucia’s for dinner. I got a spinach salad with cheese, poached pears, asparagus, mushrooms, bacon, and artichoke. Oh, it was soooo delicious. Then Mr. Poulin showed us some videos- a German training video, a beautiful video about nature and finally, one of him showing Graf George at Gladstone in 1993! It was a hot, long day but I look forward to tomorrow!

SIMBA: Mom just won’t give up. She works me so hard in this hot, humid weather. I just am not ready to believe her- I really do not want to go. I feel bad because I am giving her a hard time. That is not my intention; I just do not want to work. As I have stated before, nowhere in the job description is excess amounts of energy mentioned. Ah, well. I am sure we will come to an agreement eventually, but until then, I believe it will be a battle of the wills. After a nice meal, I am off to sleep (my favorite thing to do other than eat- and eat…) early. Good night!

Oh, What a Day!

MEGAN: After helping with the feeding, doing turnouts, and sweeping the corner of the arena, Annie asked Rachel and me to set up for the show. After some confusion over the photocopying of a dressage test, I cleaned Simba’s stall and scribed for the schooling show. Then I quickly groomed and tacked up Simba, and got almost no warm up for my ride. Our first test was terrible. Canter was a problem, and the whole test was slow. Specifically, the canter at F in Second Level test 1. Our warm up for the second test was much better. He was forward, and all transitions were better overall. Then, as we turned in to do the test, he just died. He shut down and it was very, very slightly better. The first test was a 58.68% and the second a 60%. Both times, flustered, I ended up off course and extremely frustrated. We bucked, passaged, and did many other interesting movements unfortunately not part of the dressage test. I went in the indoor and Annie helped me with him, getting him in front of my leg once again. There are days when I wonder why I ride horses, and this was one of them! I then cooled Simba down and rode Atticus in the field- he was wonderful! Forward, fairly soft, just a good boy. Then I got pictures of Simba for the fundraiser flyer, and cleaned tack. I helped feed and swept out the tack room, then scrubbed off Timmy’s legs. Then I was able, with Nikki, to discover that trails were indeed available for running. With Grace and Rachel at the pastry and Pizzeria, I ran for an hour and 15 minutes then showered, ate dinner, and talked with Maryal. Talking with her about my test was helpful, and I feel more prepared to make a decision about my show entry for tomorrow. Well, let us just say that bed is a welcome end to this trying day!

SIMBA: I was just not feeling it today. She did my stall, got a little girl to take me out for a walk and grass before my ride and spent lots of time prettying me up- and I just didn’t want to. It is that simple. She got a bit tight going in that arena, and I was having none of it, even after a nice, forward warm up the second time through. After that, though, she worked me in the indoor. I could feel her frustration and disappointment, but I have to teach her these lessons. Experienced horses like me tend to want to run the show (no pun intended) and she will have to learn to overcome that if she wants to be successful with me. OK, so maybe I am being a bit harsh, but she’ll have to learn how to deal with it one day- why not today??? Then, I got my picture taken and smacked poor Mom in the face when something startled me- on top of her slammed foot and jammed fingers. Phew, what a day- she’ll be happy to hit the straw tonight! Oh, and tomorrow morning when she has to clean my stall. Ha, ha!

Lesson with Lendon

MEGAN: Boy, what a day! I was in charge in the Main Barn because Nikki took the day off and grain over there takes forever. Then, for some reason, turnouts took longer than normal, and before I knew it I had 45 minutes before my first lesson with Lendon! I groomed Simba quickly but thoroughly and walked him for awhile to get him totally warmed up. Then, in the warm-up in the arena, I made sure he was in front of my leg, doing transitions all the time. My lesson was very good. When Lendon comes back (she will be gone for 2 days) she wants to see better canter from walk and begin able to trot out of nowhere. Bend through the corners, especially, needs to improve as does my tendency to drop my left shoulder. However, she only mentioned forward in general once or maybe twice, which is a huge accomplishment for me! I hosed Simba off and let him dry while I cleaned his stall, also giving him more hay and water. Then, after scooping lunch in Mica’s barn and in the main barn, I rode Chuck. We had fun and my last canter half pass was great! I was then supposed to ride Zamora with someone, so I was sure that Annie was in the ring when I got on her. She was very lazy and a bit unwilling to bend, and I was disappointed in the way our ride went. Because I was still working with her, I missed getting on Astro and after scooping dinner in the main barn, hacked Deauville. He was very good and we had a nice time out in the field. Rachel and I then fed the Hunter Barn and the Main Barn, but when I went to scoop she disappeared. So, I ended up scooping mostly by myself while Mica did laundry. After cleaning out the feed room I went home and was planning to go to Mt. Kisko to collect donations for the fundraiser. Lendon wanted us to do some things for her, so we changed two lights, moved blankets upstairs, cleaned out a closet, organized the front porch, and moved boxes downstairs. Then I re-did the flyer for the fundraiser using Lendon’s suggestions, and Rachel was in charge of writing an email. After a bit, I was also able to get the necessary signatures on all my show forms and go to bed. Though long, it was a great day!

SIMBA: Now she has Lendon making her ride better. Ahhh! Though I enjoy a better balanced and more correct rider, she made me go forward again and now she has me bending and stretching in my neck, too. But, if she can fix her left shoulder, all this work might be worth it. Though I won’t admit it to her, it was fun strutting my stuff and we had some really nice moments. I hear that there is a schooling show tomorrow and that we will do a test- should be fun! I enjoyed a nice hand graze with Mouse at the end of the day, and even got dinner a little early. If I get food early, it can be considered a good day. Well, Mom tried to convince me to be good for this show tomorrow, so I better get some sleep. Even a star like me can’t perform without sleep!

Manic Monday

MEGAN: I got to sleep a little longer then normal today, which is one of the nicest things about Mondays during the summer. I was in charge of three fields and Simba, as usual. Having to switch turnouts on Mondays is never ending- once you get one set of horses out, it is time to begin dressing the next set and once the other set comes in you must undress them… So it takes all day. Rachel and I also cleaned the ledges in the arena, scrubbing all the dirt and bird droppings off with a solution of bleach and water (which I thankfully did not get on my new polos!). I was in charge of Mica’s barn all day so I also cleaned the feed room a bit and did laundry. Scrubbing her feed buckets took all morning, but after letting them soak for the afternoon, it was much easier to get all the extra grain and supplements out of the bottom. Simba got a quick handwalk, and I cleaned up some of the extra stuff from the long trip from Michigan. After coming home, Lendon was there to greet us! Rachel and I both got hugs and then went out for a run. The run was quick because Heather invited us over for dinner, a business meeting of sorts. It was a great experience to see how a barn is run, and to watch how and why the working students suggested the ideas they did. We got home at 10:00 and went straight to bed, tired after a long day.

SIMBA: Well, the best part of today was not having to work! All I had to do was eat and eat and walk and eat. It was a great day. The best would be eating all day, but Mom always says that if I eat all day, I will get sick. So, she gives me grain three times a day and hay (more in the morning and evening) often. Mom also got rid of all my extra stuff from the trip and took me for a nice handwalk complete with grass. I didn’t get to see much of Mom today because she was so busy with other horses, but I enjoyed the quiet time. Mom just left and shut off the light, so I will get back with you tomorrow.

First Day of "Work"

MEGAN: Though waking up was a bit rough, the day got off to a great start. After feeding Simba, I helped with turnouts and swept out the walkways in the arena. An hour later, Simba’s stall was clean and he had gotten out of his stall for some grass and to stretch his legs. I tacked up Brasil and lightly worked him, appreciating his enormous amount of energy for a twenty-something year old horse. Then, after yet another load of never-ending laundry, I was supposed to hack Luke, a little chestnut pony over hills- but, someone neglected to tell the weatherman about these plans. It poured, so we ended up lightly working in the arena instead. He was so much fun! I was able to use my core more effectively and bring my elbows in (something I really need to fix) to get Luke really nice and round. Then I rode Simba for the first time. He was good in that he felt very sound, but he was lazy! It had just rained, and the humidity was horrible, so he got all hot and sweaty after a very small amount of work. The guys started working out behind the arena, throwing stuff into dumpsters, and going by the back door Simba spooked, wheeling off the track and quite nearly dumping me off his shoulder. Being the good boy that he is, however, I was able to work him through it and eventually finish with some nice trot work, though I still wanted it to be more forward. I was especially pleased with the good work at the end because after the spook, when we trotted again, Simba felt a little funny in front. He scared me half to death, but was just fine after a minute or two of walk. So, I hosed him down after a good cool-down, and then helped grain and close the barn up for the night. Nikki drove me home and I quickly changed and zoomed off to Mass, walking in about a minute late. Mass was much shorter than at home, about 45 minutes, so I got a little quiet time in the church to myself which was very much needed and appreciated after the craziness of the last few days. I then was able to enjoy a quick tempo run to town and back a few times, with plenty of strides at the end. One trip to the store later, I enjoyed a caser salad and pretzels for dinner, with a granola bar to top it all off. What a great day! I got a lot accomplished and still didn’t feel super rushed, which was one of the nicest parts.

SIMBA: Argh! Not only did Mom work me, but the weather was rainy and downcast all day. To top it all off, there were scary people out behind the arena the whole time I was in there! Making lots of noise, talking loudly, and banging things against the side of the arena- yeesh! You’d think that they would understand that a horse was trying to work in there! But, on the bright side, Mom handwalked me and let me graze, and she cleaned my stall so the straw was fluffy and soft. That trip really tired me out. I have been lying down to sleep on the last two nights in a row, which is not typical of me. Other than that, it was a pretty boring day. I am off to finish my dinner; talk to you again tomorrow!

Airport Adventure

MEGAN: I slept all the way and, two hours later, unloaded my huge suitcase at the North Terminal of the Detroit Airport. I tentatively approached the check-in area, and sure enough, just as I had predicted, my bag was overweight. Sighting wearily, I unloaded my suitcase in the middle of the airport and after about 10 minutes had removed enough items to make the bag sufficiently underweight. After checking in, the airline agent said that I was not scheduled on the flight for which I was attempting, unsuccessfully, to print out a boarding pass. After another 10 minutes, that problem was also resolved and I was on my way through security. I then proceeded to walk the entire terminal in search of Einstein Bros. Bagels. Sadly, it was in another terminal which would require another adventure through security- which was not going to happen. So, I settled for a white chocolate raspberry scone- Yum! I finished the last of my AP bio note cards and boarded the plane. I enjoyed a turbulent flight, leaving a half hour behind schedule. So, in order to make my connecting flight, I was escorted directly from 1 plane to the other. I felt like a VIP- better not let it go to my head! Then, after a very quick flight from D.C. to Westchester next to an interesting WWII veteran who told me many stories about his time in New York, I got my luggage and Heather Ward (she took over the barn from Lendon) drove me to Sunnyfield. I strode quickly into the Hunter Barn, calling Simba’s name and he answered (either happy to see me or in anticipation of my treats) with nickers. After thoroughly checking Simba over, grooming him, taking him out for grass and a bit of handwalking, I began doing laundry. Due to the fact that both Annie and Rachel were away at shows and the other working students were trading off days to watch the competition at Gladstone in New Jersey, not much laundry had been done the past few days. About four loads later, I finally set out for home. After lugging my suitcase up the stairs, I unpacked and changed out of my travel clothes and into running stuff. I did a workout and after showering, had a bagel, apple, and granola bar for dinner- needless to say I wasn’t very hungry. Four boxes later, all of my food was set out on the kitchen counter and I was ready for bed! What a day!

SIMBA: I spent my first night in the Big Apple wishing for apples from my Mom- but all I got was hay and a bran mash! The whole day was passed in my stall, looking curiously out the window and waiting for someone special to come see me. Then, just as I was ready to resign myself to the fact that Mom had abandoned me forever, she brought me treats! (OK, maybe I was a little excited to see her too- but just a little.) Then she groomed me and took me out for grass, my first trip out of my stall since arriving. I am so happy that she didn’t abandon me- you never know, with the way the world is these days! Even better, she didn’t ride me. I am still a bit drowsy from my trip, so I appreciated the extra time off. As you may know, excess amounts of energy are not really in my job description. Ah, well, that beauty rest is calling me, so I’m off for a nap. Munch with you later!

MI to NY

MEGAN: Well, after a long night of cleaning and packing, Simba set out for New York this afternoon. After a bit of confusion over transportation for me, I was picked up from my house in a 15-horse commercial shipping truck and taken to the barn to frantically pack a trunk with things from home and get Simba all ready for his adventure on the "big truck". After he was loaded I cleaned his stall, rode GT (a school horse at Horsescape) and clipped Sonny. I also enjoyed using up a complete package of index cards for the first half of the terms I have to memorize for AP Bio... Sounds like fun, I know! Then friends came out to the barn to ride Sonny, which he thoroughly enjoyed, and I came home and created this blog. Since this is my first entry, I would like to discuss the title. Uphill movement is not only desired in dressage, but also in cross-country races and life. In addition to my passion for dressage, I also love to run. Hills are one of my favorite parts of training and races because on the way up, it is so hard. Sometimes, if the hill is really big, you wonder if you will even make it to the top. But, when you do, not only do you get to go downhill, but your body screams for air and you feel a sense of accomplishment, knowing that it will be easier next time. Life is the same way- becoming a better person is hard, something many people shy away from (like hills), but in the end, it is all worth it. So, at the end of my two months in New York, I hope to look back at this entry and not only have advanced in my knowledge of dressage and competence as a rider both in training and showing, but to have grown or moved uphill in my development as a person. Oh, and by the way, Happy Birthday, Simba!

SIMBA: After being brought in from the lovely sunshine in my paddock and quickly groomed, I am now resting in Lexington, KY.Tomorrow morning,I will proceed to Bedford, NY,home of Gleneden Dressage. My mom received an amazingly generous scholarship from Dressage 4 Kids, an organization dedicated to advancing the knowledge and skill of young riders in dressage and by which I am also owned. This scholarship is allowing us to travel from East Lansing, MI to New York to train with Lendon Gray and travel to a few shows in the area, returning to MI before Mom's school begins. Ah, school. Seems as though I should have some sort of a degree for all of the knowledge I have passed on to young riders, with my mother not being an exception. By the time these two months come to a close, she will have learned so much- and I am not letting anyone else take credit for my hard work in teaching her much of what she will have learned! Well, I am dozing off here in my stall, so I must go. I am 12 today, and an horse needs his beauty rest, especially as he gets older. So goodnight, and I will write again from the Big Apple- if I don't eat it first!