Failing the Jog

MEGAN: After an extra hour of sleep (how lucky am I?) I got my laundry folded and was at the barn via Annie’s Taxi Service by 8:00 am. I fed my boy and gave him water, then turned out Chuck in Paddock #2 and Luke and LB on the hill. It took a bit longer than usual, but eventually all the patient, shuffling horses got out in their appropriate fields. Cleaning Simba’s stall was a bit of an adventure with the slippery ramp up to the dirty straw wagon, but it was complete in time for me to turn out my next set of horses. The trunks in Mica’s barn were the next thing on the agenda, and after sweeping out behind them and cleaning all of them, I cleaned Smartpak containers in the feedroom and took her laundry to the office. Then Annie looked at Simba’s leg which was still swollen, cool, and sound. Unfortunately we still match (with the exception of soundness- one of us needs a good set of legs and that is Simba's responsibility at the moment!). I dressed Dado and Banana to go out on the hill, and after taking LB and Luke back to their stalls walked Dado up to the hill- where he promptly dragged me five feet across the field on my bad leg and took off with the lead rope still attached to his halter. Fifteen minutes later with help from Annie I finally caught him and removed the lead rope from his halter. Annie kindly took me to the drugstore on her way to get lunch and I got an ACE bandage which greatly helped with walking for the rest of the day. After handwalking Simba I swept Mica’s tackroom and rescooped for dinner, then checked and replaced salt blocks in all four barns. Emma and I cleaned up the Hunter barn, fed, and rescooped and I handwalked Mouse and jogged him for Annie. She pronounced him sound, and me lame. It is sad when the handler does not pass the jog, but the horse does! After helping Laura feed the Main barn and helping Mica rescoop for the next day Mica took me home to change and all of us went to Susan Rubin’s house to swim. She has a horse at Gleneden and very kindly provided us with snacks and her gorgeous yard and pool for the afternoon. Wow! Let’s just say that her pool house has a fridge, microwave, freezer, and dishwasher all of which are nicer than the ones in my home. We all enjoyed ourselves thoroughly and upon returning to the house, I leveled Lendon’s mulch pile with help from Emma, swept the front porch, stairs, back deck, and cleaned the kitchen counter. Then I brushed Flurry and gave her a bath complete with shampoo and conditioner. She is beautiful now!! After a quick chat with Annie (Heeder)- who informed me that things were a little crazy because we are all aunts and uncles due to the fact that Christopher’s guppy gave birth to six baby guppies- I talked to Mom and am now sitting with my leg wrapped in ice up to my knee ready for bed. I am exhausted- talk to you all tomorrow!

SIMBA: Mom is moving a bit better today, though I would pass a vet exam much more cleanly then she. She really need to work on articulating that left knee, and stepping more underneath herself with her left hind. But, what can you do? She won’t take any advice from me! Being the mother that she is she still did my stall, gave me breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and walked me- though a bit slower than usual. A horse would expect no less, however, especially when she asks so much of me. With all the work I do for her she should be here from dawn until dusk waiting on my every need. Like a servant I suppose. Allow me to remind you of my royal status. It is King Simba, mother. Remember that in the morning when you greet me. And be sure to add carrots to that breakfast. It is no less than a king would expect.

We Match

MEGAN: I got up at 6:00 and thought immediately of Annie. Today is her First Communion, and is one of the rare days when I wish I were home instead of here in New York. After getting dressed and making the bed I proceeded downstairs and got in the car to get breakfast. Heather and I went to a small, cute diner which very well could have been delicious. As I ordered my French toast I daydreamed about Flap Jack (a small breakfast place by my house) where my family and grandparents would enjoy a delicious breakfast after Mass, said by probably my favorite priest, Fr. Joe Krupp. While I waited for my meal I though about how nice it was that I would enjoy a great breakfast in New York just like my family in Michigan. Then it arrived. I was looking at a totally empty plate except for three limp, thick, square pieces of bread with gray, faded swirls of cinnamon across the top. Hmmm. Not quite the plate presentation of home- triangle pieces of thin, but not too crisp French toast with an orange slice all gently kissed with powdered sugar and a hot cup of maple syrup ready to pour… Well, I told myself, it could still be very good. I took my first bite and though of slightly improved Eggo French toast from the freezer. Internally sighing, my connection with breakfast in Michigan devastated, I finished my breakfast and went to the barn. After walking all the way to the indoor only to be told they were done, I then began the long trek back to the Hunter barn. I did Simba’s stall, water, and handwalked- kind of- and while he was grazing I felt all of his legs, only to discover that his left hind was quite swollen along the outside of his fetlock and cannon bone. Zero heat, just puffy. Wonderful- we match. After a few more minutes of grass I took him back to the barn and got on Charlie- which is much more difficult than it sounds. Without using, touching, or stirruping (like my new verb?) my left leg, I could ride. Not amazingly well, but ride. After Charlie and I went back to the barn, I hacked Simba over hills and through the woods a bit, cursing the yellow flies which pestered him to no end. After arriving back to the barn sweaty (after walking- that’s how hot it is) I bathed Simba and then went to get on Lucy. We hacked as well and I had a great time- she is such a nice, sweet girl. I would love to work with her sometime- I think that I could learn a lot. After a quick lunch and great run-in with Barb Stern (a sweet older lady who rides occasionally at the barn) I tacked Horse up, swept part of the aisle, and got on Horse- again, much more difficult than it may appear. The unfortunate part of being sore is that the exact part of my calf that is supposed to lie against the barrel of the horse is currently swollen, red, and tinted gray, blue, and purple. So, I get a pinch of how it must be to ride as a Para-Equestrian. Let’s just say I will greatly appreciate having my whole athletic self back! After warming Horse up I cleaned up in the Hunter Barn a bit, cleaned Simba’s girth, did laundry, and then unacked Horse and prepped another horse for turnout. After bathing Horse and putting all his tack away I headed over to help with bran mash- only to find we had 3 scoops, not 4. So, I cleaned in the Main Barn and did laundry and helped scoop grain for the next morning until it was time to go home. I stopped at the store for dinner supplies, walked home, and weeded the front flower bed and worked on the mulch pile for awhile. When the thunder and lightening came, I went in, showered, and made rice with peas and corn for dinner, as well as cookies for Heather and Lendon- Lendon is coming home tomorrow night and Heather’s birthday is tomorrow. After reading for the Festival and doing laundry I am all ready for bed. Ice is pretty much my favorite thing at the moment, by the way.

SIMBA: Mom sure is walking funny today. Kind of like a penguin, Ha, ha. Waddle waddle. No, I was really worried about her. She scared me yesterday. I am glad to see her this morning and appreciated not having to work except for walking forward up some hills. Tomorrow is Monday, so I get the day off. Ah, days without work are my favorite. Just grass, attention, and treats. What a nice thought to fall asleep to. Until tomorrow!

Encounter with Horse

MEGAN: Though I woke up at 6:10 am as usual, I was able to roll over and go back to sleep until 8:00 am. Ah. After enjoying a sit-down breakfast I walked to the barn and cleaned Simba’s stall and gave him fresh water in clean buckets. He was very happy to see me- when he saw me and heard my voice he whinnied! I love being greeted by my horses when I walk into the barn. There is nothing quite like it. After I finished all my cleaning I tacked him up and we went in the field and just did walk, trot, and canter. He was good and seemed to enjoy himself. After a bath and some grass I gave him an apple and a kiss and went to leave, stopping in to say, “Hello” to Horse, a Thoroughbred who I have been tacking up and starting for Annie while he is here for training. His stall was absolutely filthy and he had less than a centimeter of water in each water bucket. I dumped both his buckets and as I was filling them, the hose pulled the door of his stall open and he walked out onto the grass near the courtyard of the main stable. Grabbing his halter, I caught him and as we turned to walk back into the barn, a car appeared around the edge of a building and sacred him. He jumped sideways and collided with my left leg from just below the knee to the ankle. Luckily Wilson (a groom) was there to take the horse so I could sit. I was absolutely terrified that my shin was broken, but a boarder who is also a doctor looked at it and proclaimed me “just bruised”. After some time sitting on the ground and one sandwich from the Deli later, Laura loaded me into the car and took me home where I spent the remainder of the afternoon on the couch reading and polishing Lendon’s copper pots. At 5:00 I left to go to church- I should have left at 4:45. It took awhile to get there, and I think people were staring as I proceeded to the Eucharistic Minister in the communion line. After going home Heather invited me over for steak on the grill, salad, and baked potatoes. Dinner was very good and I stayed in her guest room overnight. As I drift off to sleep, adjusting the ice bags which have been present alllll day, I am just so happy that I did not break anything. It may be a bit painful, but my leg is all one piece.

SIMBA: Mom came late today. I was very happy to see her- I mean it was nice of her to finally show up. She cleaned my very dirty stall and gave me fresh water. She knows how particular I am about my water. After all that, we went for a light work in the field. I had fun even though it was miserably hot. What are you doing up there, Mr. Sun? Trying to make a horses’ life torturous? Anyway, then she showered me off (and got my face wet- ugh) and let me have some grass. It was so good- I didn’t want to go back to my stall! After she put me away and said, “Goodbye” she went over to see that other horse- I don’t know why- and then went in his stall and came back out with his water buckets. After putting them back she came over, got the hose, and went in his stall again. A minute later he left the barn, and she dropped the hose and went after him with his funny-looking rope halter. A minute later I heard a scream and crying- It sounded like Mom! I couldn’t see out my window, so I don’t know what happened. I am worried about her. I hope that I get to see her tomorrow to see for myself that she is OK. *Sigh*. It will be a long night, waiting.

Day of Exuberance

MEGAN: After feeding in the hunter barn, doing turnouts (and discovering that Timmy was lame) and raking half of the indoor, I cleaned Simba’s stall, scrubbed and refilled his water buckets, and went for a handwalk. While we were handwalking I decided to practice for the vet jog at LYDF (required for Second Level and above- for the first time I make the cut!) and when we went to trot, Simba went into a very exuberant, forward trot, striking out every couple strides!! He was so proud of himself and I was quite surprised- we have practiced before, and he has yet to respond in that way! He is just too funny; needless to say, that will need a bit more work before any judges see it! After doing some laundry, checking my email, and hand grazing Fyn I then tacked Mr. Simba up for a lesson. We worked with Annie on the canter work from Second Level for most of the lesson- 10 meter circles off the centerline, simple changes, and medium canter. We worked on keeping the canter uphill and forward, which (believe it or not, Lendon and Maryal) is greatly helped by sitting back, NOT leaning forward. Who knew? As part of the warm up we also did shoulder-in to renvere; once again, the more difficult side was where we go from shoulder in right to renvere left (ah, the dreaded left bend), but after working on that for about 10 minutes, the shoulder in to renvere in the opposite direction was great; we only did it twice, and Annie gave us a 9 on it the second time through! After a great ride, walk to cool down, and bath me then did more laundry, hacked Melos, and cleaned some saddles. I then tacked Horse up for Annie and warmed him up- she said he felt better, but to concentrate on my transitions and the balance within them. After scooping in Mica’s barn, bathing Horse, copying Loui’s coggins for Mica, and handwalking Brou, Hannah, Emma and I rescooped in the main barn and went home. After a quick tempo run I showered and was ready to go to Theresa’s for dinner in 9 minutes! We had shrimp as an appetizer, then grilled chicken, salmon, corn on the cob, salad, and tomatoes for dinner. After helping clear the table I helped Theresa’s daughter Diane make brownies! Then Laura, Mica, Annie, Hannah, Emma, and I all sorted, organized, and packed ribbons and trophies for the Festival. We enjoyed brownies and fruit salad, then came home ready for bed!

SIMBA: Mom worked me in under an hour- getting in all the Second Level basics, keeping me forward, and working on her half-halts, core, and elbows! I must say that Annie was quite helpful in all of this, and Mom was quite to the point today! My student is doing well, thanks to my tutelage and that of others. I fell very good- all that grain, icky Muscle Builder, and lots of attention are doing me good! Going forward is not all that bad, though I still try to convince Mom that it is much easier than all of this hard work. Oh, well. I hear we have a hack scheduled for tomorrow- should be nice and relaxing! Mom has been exploring the trails on her own, so she should be able to put together a nice afternoon for us. I am off to bed- to you tomorrow!

Progress Report

MEGAN: Today I was in charge of Charlie again, so after feeding, turning out, and doing the indoor, I cleaned two stalls, scrubbed water buckets, and went for a handwalk/graze. While Simba and I were out, I thought about what I was going to do in my ride to make it better, and planned what we would work on. Upon returning to the barn I helped rotate some difficult turnouts and tacked Simba up. We had a great ride, warming up in the field and going to the indoor to work. Nikki gave us some pointers at the end while she was teaching, and we accomplished a lot: maintaining bend, thoroughness, and energy going from shoulder-in to renvere; medium trots; simple changes on the centerline; counter-canter; walk pirouettes; a very little bit of rein back. So, I tried to be to the point and we were done working in about an hour, warm-up included. Yay!! After a bath for Simba I went over to the main barn and tacked up Danny to go on a hack! I love that stallion-he is so wonderful and has so much personality! We had a lovely hack and after brushing him off again, I put him away and grazed Lily in her paddock to start her turnout (she likes to run). After bringing her in, I did lots of laundry in the office and at 2:00 went to the hunter barn to tack up Horse for Nikki. I warmed him up, and really worked on getting him to bend around my right leg and stop hanging on the right rein, instead coming into a connection on the left. He was better than yesterday (good job, Annie!) and Nikki said that he felt good, just to be sure that he doesn’t run in the trot when trying to bend and supple him. I scooped Mica’s barn and did a few saddles, then put Horse away and cleaned up in Mica’s barn. I scooped breakfast, swept the feedroom and tackroom, replaced the towels for the morning, took the dirty laundry to the office, put saddle pads away, and carried three bags of feed over for the bins which were running low. After her barn was all set I helped Nikki in the main barn and we went home. By this point it has been raining for about an hour, and steadily increasing in strength. Upon coming home I went for a run, showered, and made macaroni and cheese for dinner. After watching “So You Think You Can Dance?” I read a bit for the Festival and went to bed. Tomorrow is Friday, then my day off! (Don’t worry; I will still be at the barn!!)

SIMBA: Mom sure had it together today. When she got on, she knew exactly what she wanted to do. We worked hard (in the heat, might I add) but didn’t work too long. We have a lesson with Annie tomorrow, and then I hear that we are going to hack on Saturday. Yea! Hacks in the woods are the best, except for those nasty yellow flies. Well, I am off to bed. Pupil, you get an A- for the day- you could have been a bit more to-the-point in the canter work, and more inventive in the exercises for shoulder-in to renvere. Overall, a job well done.

Planning for Tomorrow

MEGAN: Today, after feeding and turnouts, I was in charge of Simba (as usual) and Charlie Brown, a hunter. So, I did 2 stalls, changed lots of water, and then re-scooped for lunch in Mica’s barn because today was her day off. Before heading to the indoor to work Simba, we first enjoyed a walk with Jackie and Gino, two friends from the show. I had a nice chat and Simba seemed to enjoy (or at least tolerate) Gino’s company. After a slow warm up, Simba and I worked on simple changes, shoulder in to renvere to shoulder in, and mediums. During our walk breaks we also schooled walk pirouettes. Though I kept in mind being to the point in my ride, I still think I can be more effective. Tomorrow we will walk longer to prevent a slow warm up, which makes it difficult to get Simba really moving forward, and I will work on a) my core b) my half halts and c) doing everything the best we can the first time through to avoid drilling- and if we have to do it again, making a different mistake from the first time, also to avoid drilling. With these goals in mind I am looking forward to tomorrow! After bathing Simba and grazing for about 15 minutes I then headed to the office to do about three loads of laundry and get Softscrub to clean the bathroom in the hunter barn. I also took towels to all the barns, rescooped again in Mica’s barn, and cleaned saddles. Then I grazed Tawny for Annie while he dried, and tacked up Horse. I got to warm him up again today, and he felt much better than yesterday. When Annie got on him she said that he felt good, and said that I did a good job! Yay! After she finished with him I untacked, bathed, and grazed him. After cleaning in the hunter barn and in Mica’s tackroom and feedroom, as well as rescooping, I was all ready to go home. I then dusted the window sills downstairs at Lendon’s, then went to Sunnyfield to do a workout. Once I was done with that (in the 100% humidity-literally) I worked on putting pictures on my blog entries- I am quite impressed with how easy it was! After dinner and a shower I am off to read for the show- my goal is to get through 15 pages tonight. Goodnight!

SIMBA: Mom is digesting all of the information which is being thrown at her- finally. How hard can it be to make a horse go, ride them deep, and keep your ride short and packed with lots of different exercises? Apparently pretty difficult, if you are my mother. Oh, well. She’s figuring it out, even if it has taken her a month. I can feel her growing more confident in her abilities which is always nice as a teacher. Seeing a student grow and gain confidence and knowing that you have played an important in that development is very fulfilling. Makes all the mistakes I have to put up with worthwhile in a way. There is nothing like being a teacher!

Getting Closer to Getting It

MEGAN: Feeding and the indoor took first priority this morning, considering that it rained all day- literally allllll day (and continues as I write)- so there were no turnouts. I groomed for Simba and Ivan (Laura’s day off), then tacked Simba up to ride him in front of Annie, who seemed pretty happy with how he was doing. After work and a shower I then tacked up a TB named Horse. Inspired, huh? He was fun to warm up, and really dislikes bending right. When Annie and I switched I cooled Dado out and then did laundry, laundry, and more laundry in between taking care of horses. Scooping Mica’s grain and doing saddles came next, and then I was able to warm up Astro. He was fun too, but also dislikes bending right. After a good warm up and Q/A session with Annie (very helpful, by the way) I finished saddles and rescooped again in Mica’s barn. Grazing Ovie and helping the vet were the next tasks on the agenda and upon arriving home I went for a really nice run, ate, and sent emails. I also was able to shower, and now am ready for bed. Reading must come first, however. I love to read, but am having difficulty fitting it in. Oh, well. There is only so much time in a day!

SIMBA: I think that show straightened Mom out. She seems to suddenly understand everything Lendon has been reminding her of… and reminding… and reminding. We worked and were done without spending an excessive amount of time in the indoor. Maybe she is getting it. Maybe. My hopes are not too high. Yet.

Playing Catch-Up

MEGAN: Though I got an extra hour, it certainly didn’t feel like it! We went to the stable, fed the horses, and started on our turnouts. I was in charge of the pasture outback, Simba, and Paddock #2. All went well for a change- no wasp stings, trips around pastures still attached to horses by a lead rope due to over-exuberant equines, or mistakes with scheduling. I also did laundry, helped Laura hose off a horse (named Horse oddly enough) who had been running in his field, cleaned all the trunks in Mica’s barn, mopped the tack room, took shipping boots to the showroom, stored blankets for the summer, helped Annie give shots (YAY!!!), helped set up the outdoor arena, and re-organized Mica’s feed room. I also fed and re-scooped in Mica’s barn, carrying some grain bags to get some weight training in for cross. After making sure everything was done in Mica’s barn we went home and I went for an hour-and-a-half run. Not too hard today, just getting out for a long run. Lendon also left a list of things for us to do while she is in Kentucky for the North American Junior/ Young Rider Championships, so I did a few of those tasks as well. After a shower and dinner, I am catching up on stuff from the show. I am really tired, so it’s time to go to bed. Until tomorrow!

SIMBA: Today was just like yesterday- a nice grooming, clean water and stall, lots of food, and walks. A King could get used to this sort of attention. I most certainly deserve all of this fuss, though, and will accept it with grace. Ah, subjects. Where are my carrots? Subjects? Where are you!? In bed already. Lazy, lazy...

Groom for a Day of Showing

MEGAN: Today was a treat- I got to sleep until 6:45! After a quick breakfast I met Mica in the lobby. We went and gave hay and water to all the horses and I cleaned Gino’s stall and (of course) Simba’s. Simba and I also went out for three walks throughout the day, enjoying not having to work; both of us, to be quite honest! Grooming Gino and getting him ready for Jackie’s test was also my responsibility, which I did twice throughout the course of the day. Danny was still at the show, and I also got to hand walk him. He is so wonderful! Even though I don’t ride him any more, I still love him and always will. What a star, the little Connemara stallion. Throughout the course of the day I helped pack up the tack room (a day’s job in itself), watched some Grand Prix tests, Young Rider tests, and FEI freestyles. Overall, a really nice day. After watching Mica’s and Laura’s tests (they were the only two who did not scratch out of their class) I took Simba back to the stable and helped pack the trailer. Once all the stuff was loaded on the horses went on, all loading perfectly. I drove home with Mica, whose philosophy is if one is going to get lost, they should do it in numbers. We did not get lost, but arrived about 10 minutes before the truck. Once all the horses were unloaded and settled and all the show stuff had found its way back to the showroom, we were all exhausted and ready to head home. Upon arrival to Lendon’s I unpacked slightly and decided to go running. One dyno later I was really tired, and more than ready for bed. What a day! Good to be home and looking forward to sleeping for another hour- tomorrow’s Monday!

SIMBA: Today was a bit confusing. We went out for three hand walks, which I greatly appreciated, but never rode. There was a show still going on, and I saw Mom getting other horses ready, but not me. Hmmm. Well, to be quite honest with you, I didn’t exactly mind. It has been a long, hot, and tiring weekend. Not having to work one extra day was great, and a King most certainly deserves an extra night off.

Showing Solo

MEGAN: Day two of showing. We got up a little bit later but were still at the fairgrounds by 6:20. After doing all the waters, hand walking Simba, and doing his stall, I then began to braid. This was my first time braiding a horse all by myself, and for those of you who have never braided, it is hard. I ended up putting 16 braids into his mane, with the total effort taking an hour and 15 minutes. He did look beautiful, if I do say so myself (see the picture above- I am soooo proud!)! After a grooming and getting myself changed (I did my own hair and stock tie with the help of a mirror, also for the first time) I tacked him up and got on. Getting yourself ready with no help (no one to hand you something, make sure your hair is good, stock tie straight, etc.) is amazingly difficult. I now have a new amount of respect for those who show totally on their own! Anyway, we warmed up very forward and simply did some movements from the test. As long as Simba is in front of my leg, the test goes well. It is not difficult for us as long as I am assertive and he is listening. Our ride time was 11:31 and we went into the arena on time and had a good test. I was really happy, and Lendon clapped after the test! I took Simba back to the barn and sponged him off because out next ride was at 1:57, so I didn’t want to bathe him totally. After he was settled in his stall in front of a fan I walked to the show office to get my test. We received a 61% and a red ribbon (second) and I was a bit confused. Looking at the test helped; the judge wanted to see more engagement and uphill balance throughout the test. So, I decided to ride the test more as a Third Level test, and really improve my canter lengthenings because those had received low scores. We tacked up again and had another quick warm up, then did our test. This time it felt good, but not amazing. I think Simba was a bit tired after two days of showing in the hot sun, or maybe I was not assertive enough. The trot lacked a little power, but overall it was a solid performance. After a bath (for Simba), wash with liniment, and getting me out of my coat and breeches, another trip to the show office ensued. This time we received a 68% and won the class! A beautiful hand painted mug was my prize; what a nice way to end my very first recognized dressage show! Even more important than my ribbon or score was that I think (finally) I understand how I have to ride this horse. I must get on with the expectation that I will have to get after Simba and make him go- not hope that the problem has magically disappeared and I won’t have to discipline my wonderful horse. This change in my mentality will hopefully remove the last of our forward problem (which essentially was my problem anyway) and allow us to get the most out of our (almost) last month at Gleneden. After all the classes were done for the day I went back to the hotel and ran, meeting everyone at Applebee’s at 7:30. Ingrid, Brooke, Clair, Peter (Clair’s friend), Jackie, Victoria (Clair’s sweet groom), Mica, and I all had a great time. Apparently they knew the waiter from a past encounter which made for a very interesting evening. When I asked for a pop, the waiter asked me where I was from. Embarrassed, I admitted that I was from Michigan, and vowed not to make the same mistake again. That is a sure way to get teased about being from the Midwest! Upon returning to the room, I took a quick shower and fell asleep immediately- exhausted after only two days of showing!

SIMBA: What a day. Two more classes, another day of having to enjoy, er, put up with all of this pampering and braiding, and the heat- what a day! I am tired. Mom just cleaned my stall before she left, so I think that I will lie down and go to bed for the night. What a day- though Mom is learning how to ride a warm up. She lets me get loose, then goes in, gets moving, and is ready for the show ring in 25 minutes. At least she isn’t one of those hour-long-warmer-uppers. Yeesh. What a weekend this would have been if that had been the case. I can’t even imagine…

Its Showtime!

MEGAN: We got to the stable at 6:15 and I cleaned Simba’s stall and began braiding him. Brooke helped me and took over braiding while I gave him breakfast and groomed him. Once he was clean, groomed, and almost all braided, I got dressed and saddled Simba. Brooke helped me with my hair and stock tie, then I got on and warmed up. Our first test was first level test three and we got through it, though he wasn’t quite in front of my leg or forward. We ended up with a 61% and after begin checked for legal bits, spurs, and whip length, I took Simba back to the stable and took his tack off. After letting him relax for about 15 minutes, I then tack him back up, fixed my hair, and got back on. We had a much better warm up this time, then a better test. We ended up with a 65%- much better, but we will do better tomorrow. There is no reason we can’t get high scores at First Level; both of us can certainly handle it for heaven’s sake! I ended up second in my first class and winning the second, which I found out after bathing Simba with liniment, sweeping, cleaning his stall, cleaning my boot and saddle, grazing Simba until he was dry, and un-braiding him. Above is the picture of us with our prize- a cute gift basket from a tackshop in New Jersey. Through the afternoon I helped others untack, ate lunch, took care of Simba and Deli, cleaned Fern’s trailer, and watched some rather unimpressive freestyles. Then I checked in on Simba and Deli one last time before the competitor’s party where we listened to Lendon commentate on a demonstration done by Dr. Cesar Parra. After some munchies we all went to Applebee’s for dinner with the whole showing group except for Lendon, Fern, and Barb. We fit 15 people into a corner booth- quite impressive, really! I wasn’t hungry so I didn’t eat, just enjoyed being a bit of a socialite for an hour. I left a little early to run on the treadmill- which I still hate. Ick, ick, ick. However, running was nice and made me sleep even better than I would have; even on a horseshow night! After a delicious dessert I am ready for bed- ready to go for that 75% tomorrow!

SIMBA: Mom really is ready to get down to business with this show. She went out into that warm up arena with a mission, and by the end of the day had figured out how to accomplish it. Though we both had a nice first day at the show, I think that this will teach Mom a lot about how to ride me better, in a way which conserves my energy and physical limitations. She only has a short time to warm me up because of the heat, so this will be really good for her. After a fairly successful first show day, Mom wants to do better- she really is not every happy, is she!?

Settling in at Sussex

MEGAN: Today started like any other day, but expectation was hanging in the air. With all of my fundraiser stuff complete with the exception of a few emails, I am now free to worry about the show. After all the morning chores were complete, I cleaned Simba’s stall, handwalked him, and handed out my beautiful thank you’s. Then I helped Laura pack for the show and got Simba and all of his stuff ready for the trailer. He loaded perfectly and had a smooth ride to the show grounds, where we were ready to greet him with shavings in a stall and a smile on our faces. He was a bit shell-shocked after getting off the trailer initially, but settled in pretty well. We set up the tackroom (beginning with two, but due to a stabling error now have one- see the picture for a glimpse of show stuff) and all the stalls and fed our horses, then tacked up Gino for Jackie to ride. After a quick handwalk for our horses, Simon and I put Gino away and helped Laura get on Ivan. Then I checked in to the show office and tacked up Simba, getting on around four. I had a rough warm up, but after the first 15 minutes had a good ride, though Lendon said that I need to be more to the point, lest my horse suffer because of my stupidity* and inexperience* (* denotes my words). After a bath and rub down with Vetrolin, Simba got his dinner and I cleaned my tack. Once he was all taken care of Brooke, Grace, and I went home, showered, and went to dinner at Applebee’s with Simon and his father. Now I am going through my tests and preparing for the show tomorrow- wish me luck!

SIMBA: After taking care of me in the morning Mom disappeared, then showed back up with shipping boots. She put me on a trailer with three other horses and we traveled for about two hours and thirty minutes until we got to a little fairground in Augusta, New Jersey. Mom took care of me and gave me water and hay, but I was more interested in talking to all the other horses. After a short ride, working short and hard, Mom gave me a spa treatment at the wash rack and then I got dinner! I am tired, and now I am off to bed. I hear we have a big day tomorrow- and I know that I am the best, so this will not be a problem. I am all ready to strut my stuff! Besides, these foreign subjects should recognize a king when they see one.

Mission Accomplished

MEGAN: After the normal proceeding of the morning with a bit of an unexpected twist, I tacked Simba up for a lesson with Lendon. We rode through both of our tests and with the exception of poor corners, some problems with the transition to halt, and a lack of preparation for lengthening; it went pretty well, though I know that we can do better. The water was off when Simba needed a bath, so he got to eat hay while I did laundry, got my ride times for the show, and checked salt blocks through the barns. Simba got a good grooming, then I scrubbed his girth and boots to take to the show, as well as his saddle pad and Mattes pad. With everything clean, I then took Lily out for grass in Paddock #3 and was able to get some thank you notes done. After scooping Peter’s grain for the show and rescooping Mica’s barn for breakfast we came home and cleaned the living room and set up for the D4K meeting which I audited. It was very interesting to see how such a meeting is run, and to see the workings behind a show such as Lendon’s, which were much greater and detail-oriented then I expected. After a quick trip to the store and tempo to town I am all packed for the show and am off to bed, with all of my thank you’s complete! Yes- mission accomplished!

SIMBA: Today we went through those tests, though they were less difficult than I remember. Mom has learned something, thanks to me, and I think that we can work together this weekend. It may be a lot of energy, but I think I owe that to my pupil. Remember, trainers and riders, you are not the only ones who work hard at a show. Us horses have to lug you around, put up with whatever warm-up you think is best for us, then be prepared to do our best in the show ring. Phew! Well, it is time to sleep so I can be fresh for my travels tomorrow. See you in the morning!

Mowing the Lawn- for the first time!

MEGAN: After a quick feed, turnout, and sweeping of the hallway, I tacked Simba up for an 8:30 lesson. We ended up having a really good ride, though there were some rough patches, and Lendon seemed pleased, though not satisfied (as if!). After a quick shower and graze, I cleaned Simba’s stall and spoke to some clients about the fundraiser. Within the course of the afternoon I warmed Luke up for Mica, hacked Deauville and Ivan, was responsible for Ivan’s turnout, did laundry, and cleaned saddles in Mica’s barn. I was also able to email many people about the fundraiser, though I still have many thank you’s to write. Those will be done over the next few days; they are so very important!! After coming home I cleaned the kitchen sink, swept the front porch, and mowed the back and side yard. I have never mowed the lawn before, and it was quite an experience. Now, after learning how to start the lawn mower (the hardest part) I am looking forward to doing it again! An hour-long dyno run and shower later left me with an evening of dinner, calls about the fundraiser, and show preparation. I am off to ride through my First Level tests in my head and read for the Festival. Goodnight!

SIMBA: Mom sure is on the warpath against slow trot and floppy reins. As Lendon says, she does need to be more to the point in our rides. I do not need to trot around and wear out my legs- they are tired enough already, as she knows perfectly well. I am hearing whispers of a show this weekend, and I am not at all certain that sounds like a good idea. I am quite unsure of how I feel about showing with this little girl. Really showing takes so much effort, concentration, and energy- Do I really want to go to all that trouble for a 16 year old girl? I don’t know. Let me sleep on it another night, OK? A king must take him time when making these decisions. Ah, well. My hay is calling. Goodnight, loyal, royal subjects. Ha. I am just too funny!

Thank You's and Phone Calls...the Marathon Begins

MEGAN: Today was a Monday, so we all got to get up an hour later than usual. It was a bit crowded with four people in the attic (a new girl, Hannah, came with her adorable pony Springkles) but we managed to get to the girls on time just the same. After feeding Simba, I fed in Mica’s barn and set the feed buckets out to soak with dish soap. I turned out my first horse in Paddock #2, then turned Loui and Rio outback. To hold the gate shut while I released both horses, I placed my leg against the gate. This turned out to be a bad idea, considering that there was a huge wasp’s nest in the bottom of the gate. One huge sting later I was putting mud and ant-sting cream all over my leg. Annie took me home and loaned me shoes which would not irritate the sting, which conveniently was in just the right spot so every time I took a step in my paddock boots, the back of the boot hit the sting. Then I got to be the Official Assistant to the Barn Manager and replace a shopping cart in Staples, Target, the Hardware, and The Horse Connection. Upon returning to the barn I switched both sets of turnouts, having a great time attempting to catch the three ponies who were running like mad around their huge field. In between sets of turnouts I cleaned Simba’s stall and gave him lunch and water, swept out Mica’s tackroom and feedroom, refilled all the Lasersheen bottles as well as fly spray bottles in Mica’s barn, restocked all the barns on Lasersheen, shampoo, and tack oil, and finally fed and rescooped in Mica’s barn after taking care of Simba for the night. As I was leaving I wrapped Joris’s front legs, then all of us went home. Once home I went for a long run and made Chicken Cheese Broccoli and Rice casserole. Now I am settled in the guest room, ready for bed. Tomorrow begins a plethora of thank you notes and phone calls for the fundraiser!!

SIMBA: Today was one of those days of which I never tire. Handwalking, grazing, and just relaxing all day. One problem, though. Mom has started putting some stuff in my grain. She says it is Muscle Builder, but I don’t like the way that it tastes. Can someone please tell her to add some molasses or something to that nasty stuff? She made my dinner all soupy, so I will go and see what it tastes like. Those silly people and all their supplements. Why can’t a horse just enjoy his grain? Goodness. What is a King to do when his personal chef won’t listen to his orders? I simply must look into my staffing arrangements. What a disaster.

Fundraiser Fun!

MEGAN: Getting up absurdly early, I finished all of the poster boards and thank you notes before going to the barn. After turning out, doing the corner of the indoor and feeding/cleaning/watering/walking the appropriate horses, the fundraiser craziness began. We set up tables, put on tablecloths, taped down bid sheets, and then placed items next to their appropriate bid sheets. Luckily, wonderful helpers took over the jewelry station and donation baskets and everything else so Rachel and I could tack up our horses. After a little misunderstanding about the commentary during the afternoon, everything was taken care of and Lendon introduced Courtney and Courtney gave a wonderful little speech and Rachel and I did our demonstration ride. Though it was not amazing, it went reasonably well and after kissing and untacking Simba, I went and acted as a social butterfly and helped with the fundraiser for the rest of the afternoon. After the bidding was over, we collected money from the people who were present and cleaned up. Cleaning up took forever, so about an hour and a half later we were finally heading home. After taking everything upstairs, I made a list of thank-you’s and organized the stuff we had left. Tomorrow will be full of thank-you’s and calls to notify people of what they won, and arrange to get the money. After a huge, exhausting day, I am soooo ready for bed. Until tomorrow!

SIMBA: Today when I went out to the arena there were all these people sitting around pink, flapping tablecloths all watching me! I have to admit that it was rather flattering to have all of these people here to watch me, and I think that I heard my name while Lendon was talking. Mouse was working in the arena too, but I know that everyone had their eyes on me. It was great- I didn’t have to work very hard or long, then Mom put me away and curried me off and I got to enjoy my hay in peace for the rest of the afternoon. Ah, I do love loyal subjects. Let’s hear it, everybody: All hail King Simba! Oh. All my subjects are asleep. Well, then, until tomorrow.

Hints for Mom

MEGAN: With Tina’s two horses in the barn, the first order of business was hay, water and grain for all three horses under my care. After they were all taken care of, I turned the three ponies out in the back pasture- quite nearly getting myself killed. I had to do all three of them myself, so I took Rio and Deli out together and came back for Loui. As I was walking him in the gate, he took off, knocking me to the ground and striking me on the inside of the left shinbone. Terrified, I caught him and made him walk through the gate politely a few times, just to be certain that he understood that behavior similar to that is unacceptable. After sweeping out the hallway, I had the rare chance to chat with Mica for a few minutes while she was grazing Eubie, a new horse who she is riding. She is such a wonderful rider and person, and I love begin able to talk to her about riding and life, though there is not often time for chatting. Simba’s stall came next, which was disgusting as usual, then Colecto’s (Tina’s Grand Prix stallion). He is so sweet, and just wants to play with me the whole time I attempt to clean his stall. After handwalking Simba, I cleaned my tack for my ride later that afternoon in the clinic and did some laundry before helping Emma and Rachel tack up Colecto. Emma, in place of having a lesson, was able to do walk, trot, and canter on Colecto with flying changes! Watching such a talented, powerful stallion go from Tina Konyot (under whom he is simply electric) to little eleven year old Emma who is like a fly on his back was wonderful. If only all international-quality Grand Prix horses were this laid back and sweet, not only in their personality on the ground, but also under saddle. He is the horse in the picture above with me- so sweet, and loves to cuddle! Emma and I showered Colecto after untacking him, and then I worked on getting everything ready for the fundraiser- which is TOMORROW!!!! *deep breath* Anyway, after printing out close to 80 bid sheets, I went over to the Hunter Barn and started braiding and tacking up Mr. Simba. He looked lovely when I was done, and Emma got a great picture which I will attempt to post… We’ll see how far my technological skills will carry me! I had a super ride with Tina- Rachel and I rode together, and she made some very helpful comments:
- Elbows in (don’t look like a pelican)
- Prepare and bend through the corner (Lendon and Maryal, you can claim this one too!)
- Sit back, especially in the canter
- Hold the reins (like there is $100 in each hand)
- In the half pass, don’t ask for too much bend until he is really moving over. Otherwise, it just gets in the way. Bend can be added as the movement develops.
- Sit a little to the outside in the shoulder-in
My tendency is that when Simba sucks back, I lean forward and throw my reins at him. This is totally ineffective and does nothing productive for either of us. He was going beautifully by then end of the lesson (though started a bit stiff- he probably needed another hand walk in the middle of the day). After a quick walk through the woods with Rachel, I untacked Simba and gave him a shower, mostly to scrub off his socks. After we grazed for a few minutes I put him back and changed into nice clothes for Church. Mica drove me, and I barely made it to Mass on time. After a lovely hour of peace, I walked home and did a hard/easy workout, showered, and frantically began to prepare for the fundraiser (after spending 45 minutes making dinner for 2 out of 3 people who had already eaten- mac and cheese is supposed to be easy!). We were up for an extra hour, but still didn’t finish. So, I will be up early in the morning!

SIMBA: There is this great big gray horse living next to me, and I really like talking to him. When Mom cleans my stall, I get to chat with him through the bars of my stall. He certainly likes to talk loudly, though. Anyway, he said that his Mom is a really good teacher, and that she would help my Mom. She certainly made a lot of good changes to Mom’s position, and she felt much more balanced and was using her core when she rode yesterday. She does need to use more half halts when she rides, though. Her aids would be more effective if she gave half halts within every movement, instead of just for preparation. Oh, well. One thing at a time I suppose. Hint for Mom: Use more half halts. Over and out.

King Simba the Superstar

MEGAN: In addition to taking care of Simba, I also was in charge of graining and watering Tina’s two horses: a big, bay, beautiful stallion named Colecto and a gray stallion-like Andalusian named Avatar. They are both very sweet and have great personalities. After the indoor (sweeping the corner) and tracking down Heather, I cleaned Simba’s stall, Colecto’s stall, and handwalked Simba to the field for a nice graze in the shade of a big tree. Walking down, I talked to Simba: You may be the teacher here, but I am in charge of our rides. What am I going to do to make things change? I decided that more half-halts and going forward from the very beginning of our ride, no matter what I had to do were going o be my changes for the day. Walking Simba back to his stall, I heard Lendon over the loudspeaker teaching Morgan on Timmy. She was telling her that she needed to check in every 3 to 4 strides in order to keep Timmy forward, because he sure wasn’t going to give it to her! That thought was very helpful as well, and helped me immensely in my warm-up. With Simba contently munching his breakfast, I cleaned our tack and did laundry. I started tacking up for the clinic an hour before my ride to give myself time to warm-up, and Laura came over with Ivan all braided!
Oh no! Braiding takes me at least a half hour, even if I cheat and use rubber bands. Rachel, however, had developed the skill of 15 minute braids- so, I did the forelock, she did the mane, and a few pictures later (see above) we were on our horses warming up. Annie had recommended earlier that I fold a leg wrap in two and use it under my sheepskin pad to prevent the saddle from hitting Simba in the back, and so I tried it today. What a difference!!! He was FORWARD- really, truly forward, though not without work and energy on my part. Feeling like a queen I marched into the indoor with Rachel, Emma and Laura to begin our lesson. We did trot and canter to warm up, then shoulder-in and shoulder-in to half pass. Tina was very happy with all of this work from me, and the only thing she mentioned was that I needed to keep my hands steadier. While Emma worked with Ali, Rachel, Laura and I did walk pirouettes, and mine were the best they have ever been! As we went to canter, Tina said to keep my elbows in (to prevent me from looking like a pelican), my left shoulder up and sitting over to the left a bit more, my upper body back and my legs forward, most of which sounded very familiar (Thank you Lendon and Maryal!). Overall it was a super ride. I was soooo pleased, and after a canter in the field, untacked and re-groomed Simba. Leaving him with his lunch, I did laundry, cold-hosed Lucy’s leg, organized towels in Mica’s barn, scooped half of her grain, and worked on the fundraiser which is very rapidly drawing near. After a nice hack on Brasil with Laura and Rachel, I took care of Tina’s horses and fed Simba, rescooped in Mica’s barn, put standing wraps on Joris and met the man from EuroAmerican Saddlery who donated two bridles for the fundraiser. Amazing, huh? People are so generous; I can not believe the donations we have received. I am just blown away by how willing people are to help with both their time and money. After finishing up at the barn, Annie took the three of us to Mt. Kisco to get a forty dollar gift certificate signed by the owner of a little Jamaican café. After we got home I went for a run, showered, and Emma and I had dinner. Lendon, going on four hours of trying to fix her email, didn’t want any. I can’t stand trying to figure out computer problems- it is one of the most frustrating things in the world! As I fall asleep I am thinking of you, Lendon (and my awesome ride :).

SIMBA: You can call me Simba the Superstar from now on. Mom, keep that in mind for all of those show entries you sent out. You must contact the show secretaries and have them change that. Maybe, while you are at it, add king to that title. All of my loyal subjects may now address me as: King Simba the Superstar. Got that, everyone? If I am going to behave and work hard, I at least need an impressive title to make up for it. Mom is so happy with me, even though I didn’t do anything differently. She added the riser to my back, and she made me go and rode me well. Oh, well. I can’t tell her otherwise and as her primary instructor, I will take the credit. Off to finish my dinner, loyal subjects. You may bow as I leave the room.

You Can Do Better...

MEGAN: I got up early this morning to read for the Festival. With all the time going into the fundraiser, I have not gotten through as much of the books as I’d hoped to by this point. However, I am going to continue to get up early to study, so hopefully I will be in better shape in a few days. Anyway, we went to the stable, fed our horses and did turnouts as usual. I swept out the corner of the arena, then cleaned my horse’s water buckets and his stall, taking him out for a walk and graze as well. After he was taken care of I took towels to Mica’s barn, did laundry and fundraiser stuff, and found Lendon’s sunglasses. Extra brownie point for me!!! I also found Flurry’s dog bed in the feedroom and let Sam, owner of two horses (Koa and Nexus), listen to the MSUCC on my MP3 player. He loved it, and I love sharing the choir with people who know nothing about it. As I make the decision about whether I will return next year, something that always pulls on my heart is my love of the choir and beauty we create. There is nothing like beautiful, artistic music, and I simply can’t seem to let that go. Oh, well. That is for another day. After talking with Sam, I tacked Simba up and we rode in front of Lendon. It was marginally better than yesterday, but neither she nor I are satisfied. Her parting comment was, “You can do better.” It will come if I keep working, but for everyone else it just sees to happen without effort. They just ride well without exertion, without any extra thought on their part. I am sure it is hard, but from my perspective it does not seem so. After cooling Simba down, I hacked Astro with Nikki on Cambridge and then took Simba out over hills. He is fantastically forward on the trail, so I have hope that I can make that carry over to the arena work. What a good boy he has become on the trail! I am very proud of the progress he has made even in a week. Now he seems to enjoy our walks, a relief for an anxious mother and conditioning coach. After finishing up with Simba I did stuff for the fundraiser, then cleaned over half the saddles in Mica’s barn. Laura took Emma, Rachel and I to Target and Party City to get supplies for the fundraiser, then upon returning home I went for a run, showered, and ate beef stew over rice for dinner. Though not having to cook is nice time-wise, I miss it and hope to be cooking up a storm soon!! Now I am ready for bed, looking forward to the clinic tomorrow. Heather has generously set up a group for the working students, so I will get to ride with Tina Konyot!!! I am soooo excited!

SIMBA: I enjoyed my walk and grass as usual this morning, then Mom rode me in front of Lendon. She keeps telling Mom to ride me forward and round, forward and round, forward and round- you’d think she’d have it figured out by now! Oh, well. Until she gets it, it means I only have to go when she remembers to ask me. Ha, ha. I am not giving her any gifts- she will have to earn everything. After a short rest, Mom took me out in the woods and around the field and barns. Those hills sure are hard! That must be why Mom likes to run up all those hills- I see her almost every night, even though she doesn't think I see her! After you get to the top, you feel like the king of the world. That must be why Mom likes to What a great feeling- similar to which I am experiencing now as I fall asleep. Bye!

Teaching Woes

MEGAN: My day began as usual, caring for my beautiful boy. Then I turned out the three ponies and fed the cats in Mica’s barn who acted as though they had never seen food before! After raking down the track, I cleaned Simba’s stall and took him for a handwalk. The weather was gorgeous, misty and cool, and apparently the grass was as delicious as ever. Upon returning to the barn I was greeted excitedly by Jake, the Hunter’s barn manager Cathy’s dog. They had been away at a show for two weeks, and we had made friends before he left. It appears that he remembers me!! Simba and I then did hills with Eubie and Laura, and then I hacked Chuck with Emma. Laundry came next, then a nice meeting with Heather and Rachel over lunch regarding the fundraiser, which is Sunday! We now have face painting, massage, and fortune telling on the agenda. It is starting to sound like a carnival! Mica is gone today, so I am also in charge of scooping and cleaning in her barn throughout the day. More laundry and fundraiser stuff later, I got on Simba to warm him up for my lesson with Lendon. Though we had some nice moments, I ended the lesson very frustrated with myself. Good riding can’t be that difficult, right? As my mother would say, though, if it was easy everyone would do it. *sigh* Ending the day with feeding and cleaning in Mica’s barn, Nikki then took Rachel and I to the Bakery, Horse Connection, Frame Shop and Near and Natural to check in for the fundraiser. The Horse Connection gave us a beautiful Joules coat, light blue and a large. I love it!!! On the way home the Hardware called me and asked me to come pick up a gift certificate. Rachel and I braved the traffic and walked, then returned home to clean for Lendon. I caught up on fundraiser stuff, going for a run later in the evening, and am now ready for bed. What a day- long, hard, but one more day in an uphill direction, right!? I sure hope so!

SIMBA: Although I enjoy my walks, this work stuff is boring. Lendon keeps telling Mom to make every step count- do lots of stuff in a short amount of time, then put me away. I like that idea, but for some reason my mother finds that concept to be a bit of a challenge. She does not get on me with a lesson plan- like a teacher going in front of a class having no idea what to teach for the day. As mom has often complained to me about in regard to school, that is one of the most difficult things to deal with as a student. Though I am most defiantly the teacher in this situation, she is in charge of or rides. So, she had better get her act together- not only for her sake, but for Lendon’s and mine!!

Closing In

MEGAN: As usual, taking care of Simba was the first thing on the list. When he was all set, I dressed the ponies to go out and turned out Chuck in Pasture #2, continuing on to rake half of the indoor after checking in with Heather about a few things for the fundraiser. Simba and I then enjoyed some grass out in the field- well, he enjoyed the grass and I enjoyed watching the adorable foals in Sunnyfield’s pastures. Later, I did laundry, set up cavaletti in the outdoor, cold-hosed Lucy’s leg and put clean saddle pads away in Mica’s barn and in the main barn. Then I tacked Simba up and had a great lesson with Annie, working on shoulder-in and counter-canter. Though there were moments in driving him forward in which I felt like I was flopping all over, he was very good and going much better than when we arrived. I have improved my position, bringing my elbows in, and keeping my hands soft, especially into the halt to prevent him from stepping backward. Adding leg into the half also helps with this issue. After bathing Simba (and scrubbing his socks so they were white once again instead of a dingy gray) Nancy Pine, a new boarder with a 5 year old Lusitano stallion named Zodiaco, took us to the Horse Connection to talk to them about the fundraiser. If I ever do this again, I will go to the local shops first. They were much more interested and willing to help than any of the other shops in Mt. Kisko. Upon returning to the barn, I worked on fundraiser stuff and cleaned saddles in Mica’s barn. I was responsible for turning Ivan out because it was Laura’s day off, so after doing that, I got on Simba again and we went for a 20 minute hack over hills. He was soooo forward, walking like he actually had someplace to go!!! This absolutely made my day, not to be constantly nagging him about moving in a forward manner. I quickly untacked Simba, groomed him and fed him for the night, then brought Ivan in and undressed him. After changing, Nikki took us to downtown Bedford to hit all the other shops before they closed. Two hours later (and a donation of $75 to a frame shop and 2 movie tickets) we were home, eating dinner and taking showers. I spent the rest of the night working on the fundraiser, which is now in a much better position than before. Sadly, I had to take today off running, but I have a great workout idea for tomorrow!! The fundraiser is so close, it is hard to believe it. Before I start worrying more about that, I am going to bed. Good night!

SIMBA: Mom rode me twice again today, really working me hard in the morning, then just walking in the afternoon. I am really starting to enjoy these little walks- we go through the woods and around the farm. The beauty and change of scenery is really nice, especially after being cooped up in an indoor alllll winter. Mom had to go somewhere, so I got my dinner early. You know, I think that she will turn out OK at the end of this summer. She is learning to ride me like an upper level horse, and I am sure making her work for it!!!

Fundraiser Update

MEGAN: Laura stayed at the house last night, so we caught a ride with her to the barn. I gave Simba his hay and grain and scrubbed out his water buckets, then did my first set of turnouts- Loui, Deli, and Rio in the pasture out back and Deauville in the corner once his feet were done. Then I cleaned Simba’s stall and scrubbed out his feed bucket, then handwalked him and Ali. After making sure Simba was all set, I scrubbed Mica’s sink with Soft-soap and Comet. It was all stained and gross, but was gleaming by the time I was done!!! Then I mopped the tackroom and Mica said that I will get 70% of the “Most Beautiful Tackroom Award”! After scrubbing the door to the feedroom, I switched the ponies outback with Gino and Ovie. Deauville came in and then I helped Annie give the horses their shots. She taught me how to give an IM injection, and let me do the horses who are well-behaved. One of my first steps to a veterinary career!! I cleaned the mirrors in the indoor and then helped Mica feed in her barn, finally bringing in my last set of turnouts and taking care of Simba for the night. Then I read some of my LYDF book and answered some emails regarding the fundraiser which is now less than a week away. Annie gave me a ride home then I did a light tempo run, had dinner and talked to Lendon about the fundraiser. Speaking of the fundraiser, here is a list of all the donations Rachel and I have received so far. Thank you for all those who donated from home, and if anyone sees an item they would like to bid on, let me know at meheeder@aol.com. Thank you all for your continued support!! I could not do it without you!!

Donations Received for Fundraiser:
· MOSS Tack Soap
· Activate Your Horse’s Core autographed by author, Hilary Clayton
· Michigan State University Children’s Choir CD (featuring Megan)
· A private tour of the MET permanent collection for 4, followed by lunch in the Trustees' dining room overlooking Central Park
· 2 Lessons on Rendezvous 3, Francine Walker’s Grand Prix mare, with Courtney King-Dye
· 2 Consulting Sessions with Tammy Vankrevlen. See website for more information: http://intuitiveadvancements.com
· Thinline Saddle Pad
· Custom Hand-Painted Portrait of your animal by Jeanne Pacchiana
· Two hour photography Session by Jayne Tansey-Patron within 75 miles of Bedford at the location of your choice (stable, home, etc.).
· Half hour lesson on Simba with Lendon Gray
· Half hour lesson on Mouse with Lendon Gray
· Half hour lesson on Sunny with Lendon Gray
· Half hour lesson on Loui with Lendon Gray
· Half hour lesson on Danny with Lendon Gray
· Lesson on Ivan taught by owner Laura Satterfield
· 1 Free Clipping by Edgar and Dario
· Copies of Lessons with Lendon
· Copies of Mikhail the Dressage Mouse
· Handheld CD Player
· 2 Lessons with Lendon Gray at HW Dressage to new students on their own horses
· Night of Babysitting
· Trailer Cleaning
· Boot Polishing
· Tack Trunk Cleaning
· Tack Cleaning
· Car Washing
· 2 US PRE polo shirts
· Hat with Hampton Green Farm logo
· Tote with Hampton Green Farm logo
· Afternoon of sailing lessons down the Hudson River for up to 6 people
· Handmade Fleece Blanket- purple and black check with horse heads
· Cooking Class for 6 with Jackie Hjkoop
· Chef for Dinner Party by Jackie Hjkoop
· Saddle Fitting (Done by Katie Gussenhofen of County Saddlery)
· Colored Pencil Sketch done by Laura Satterfield; with horse and owner or from photo.
· Various styles of custom-made jewelry
· Gift Certificate from Burts Ives Tackshop in Columbia, CT
· Stabling at CDI at Saugerties, normally $175 to $200 for the weekend
· 1 Week of Camp at Newberry Farm in Columbia, CT, age 2 - 16
· 2 Movie Tickets to Bedford Playhouse
· Belt and $250 Gift Card to L’Armoire
· Joules Jacket, light blue (Size Large)
· $25 Gift Certificate to Bedford Hardware
· 2 Lessons with Courtney King-Dye on own horse at Millbrook Farm in CT
· 3 desserts for 8 persons each (i.e. flans, tarts, Viennese pastry, mousse) provided by Sue Vock
· Jar of Gift Certificates to Near and Natural in Bedford Village
· Seagull Pewter 5x7” Frame with 2 Hanging Frames
· Chat Now Communicators
· Cusinart Popcorn Maker
· 2 Bridles from EuroAmerican Saddlery
· Yves St. Laurent Towels
· 3 or 4 new blouses
· Yellow comforter
· $40 Gift Certificate to Touch of Jamaica in Mt. Kisco
· 2 Whips donated by Margaret Freeman
· Gourmet Horse Treats made by Emily Edelman (4 Molasses, 4 Peppermint, 2 Oatmeal Raisin, 2 Maple Carrot)
· Pillow Wraps (four sets of 2- 16 inch wraps)
· Mouse pad
· Horse decorated sheet set in blue and white for a twin size bed
· Girl’s Outfit: Navy cotton cardigan, size 10 from the Gap; Ivory cotton tank top, size 5 from Abercrombie; Navy pull-on flare yoga pants size 10 from Land’s End all donated by Susan Rubin

SIMBA: Today all I had to do was walk and eat grass. Now this I could get used to! I spent all day napping and eating and with the exception of the flies, it was a great day. Mom groomed me and got my coat all soft and shiny, and she let me eat my grain while she groomed me. I love spending time with her when she doesn’t make me work. If only grooming were the only thing on the agenda every day. Oh, and grass. Lots and lots of grass. Well, it’s been a pretty slow day. I’m sure I will have more to report tomorrow, including work. *Big Sigh*

Encounters on the Trail

MEGAN: After catching a ride to the barn with Laura, I took care of Simba and made sure everything was taken care of in the Hunter Barn. Rachel is spending a day and a half at home, so I am in charge of the Hunter Barn for the day. Emma and I did turnouts, and then I raked the track in the indoor. Cleaning Simba’s stall was a bit of a process, and while I was cleaning, one of the grooms asked me how old the country is. I missed the word “pais” which means country and thought he was asking how old I was. When I responded 16, he smiled, laughed, and asked again. Blushing, I told him and explained when the Declaration of Independence was signed, much to his lingering amusement. After finishing both Simba’s stall and my history lesson, I hand-walked and grazed Simba, then took him out to the field to warm him up. He was super, spooking once but otherwise very good. Then I rode him for a few minutes with Lendon, who said he looked excellent. Thank you, thank you, thank you Carl!!!! Then she suggested I have a lesson with one of the girls Tuesday while she was away, off to Muskegon, MI (Hey, that seems familiar!). She gave me a list of things to do while she was away and dashed off to catch a flight. I took Simba in the indoor and Annie helped me with a great leg-yielding exercise- ride the closed side of a 20 meter circle, then on the open side of the circle, do 2-3 strides of leg yield away from the inside leg yield, alternating between sideways and forward. Upon correctly performing this exercise, we added a transition to canter after the leg yield. Though it took some work, the exercise was sooo helpful and Simba felt awesome by the end, with Annie even calling him “fancy” by the end- a very big dressage compliment! To top it all off, he was sound as a bell (not the Liberty Bell :). YAY!!!! Emma helped me graze Simba while I mixed Mica’s breakfast for the next morning and did meds for the bran mash. Then I dewormed Simba, thanks to Heather, and refilled soap and did laundry in all three barns. The plan was to clean the sink in Mica’s barn, then take Simba out for a walk over hills to aid in developing him haunches. However, upon returning to the Main Barn after fruitlessly scrubbing at the sink for 20 minutes, I realized another horse had been added to my list. Victor, his groom, helped me tack him up so I could hack him with Astro and Annie. Astro, upon discovering the wonder of water on the trail, jumped a 5 inch wide trickle of water like a deer, quite nearly rear-ending Loui and I and almost losing Annie on the way over. After that eventful experience, all Simba and I encountered were some horse-eating patches of sunlight and a sound/shape/evil goblin which remains unbeknownst to me. Putting Simba away, I then cold-hosed Lucy’s RF tendon and helped bran mash all the horses. Then I did all Mica’s saddles with Emma and finished off the ones in the Main Barn by myself. After a quick tempo run and some work on the fundraiser, Emma and I devoured some delicious chicken curry and went to bed. Luckily I remembered just in a nick of time that tomorrow is Monday so we get one extra hour of sleep. Now the alarm clock is all set, so I will talk to you tomorrow!

SIMBA: Mom has officially lost her mind. Now she thinks that she can work me twice a day, even if one whole ride was just walking. Never admitting it to her, I had some fun strutting my stuff this morning. All those hills later, though, were completely unnecessary. And, boy, there is some scary stuff in those woods- but Mom was patient and gave me time to see everything and move at my own pace. Today was a great day- my feet feel great, and I am very proud of my workout today, Oooh, and there was lots of grass involved- and bran mash with treats. Overall, a four star day. Ah, that was a yawn, so I will get back to you tomorrow. G’Night!

Fireworks!!!

MEGAN: So, my first day off began with waking up at the same time as usual to the sound of the TV. *sigh*. I went back to sleep for a little bit, and then did a workout and got my run out of the way for the day. After a quick shower, I went to the barn to clean Simba’s stall and take him out for a little work and hack. He was soooooo good- he even tried to buck me off and take off with me. I am thrilled. *WARNING: This is an atypical reaction, and therefore this behavior is not usually rewarded in a horse. If your horse partakes in these behaviors, please take appropriate measures.* Then, there was a BBQ at 1:00 for the 4th of July- YAY! The 4th never fails to remind me of the Schoolhouse Rock song, “Fireworks” which we sang in elementary school: “Oooh there’s gonna be fireworks- fireworks- on the 4th of July; Red, white and blue fireworks like diamonds in the sky…” Good times, huh?! After hand grazing Simba and re-grooming him, I worked on material for the fundraiser. Rachel is in charge of phone calls, and I am doing most of the printed material. One of the grooms came in to ask me a question and when I explained what he had asked me in Spanish, he complimented me on how much my Spanish had improved since the past summer. Now I can communicate with the grooms who speak no English. I can explain when I want a horse tacked up and give them messages from owners or working students. With luck, that will improve by the end of the summer as well. With a frightening glance at my watch, I rushed off to Mass and after a quick shower, Emma and I made Bisquick flags- whipped cream, cherries, and blueberries. Yum!! Then Laura took Emma and I to see fireworks in Pound Ridge. Though it took almost 45 minutes for the fireworks to start, once the show started it was great!!! As soon as the booming finale was over, we jumped up and ran to the edge of the park to catch a bus back to the market where we parked the car- but, getting on the same bus you got off of will not necessarily get you to the right place! We ended up at the school (we parked at the market) so we had to go back to the park, get a bus going to the market, then drive home through twisty, scary dirt roads to avoid traffic. Overall a great evening and wonderful day- I love the 4th of July!!!!

SIMBA: When Mom didn’t come in the morning, I didn’t care- but when she walked in later, I nickered at her a lot. But I still didn’t care. Really. Anyway, she took me on a trail walk, then we had a short work in the field. I felt wonderful- Lucky Mom stayed on for the ride!!! Then she gave me lunch and took me out for grass, giving me watermelon for some random holiday. She came back a little while later to give me dinner, then left for the night. There was a lot of booming for awhile, but it seems to have stopped now. When it started it startled me, but after that I was fine. The little buckskin pony next to me seemed to think the sky was falling- so rude, to interrupt my nap like that. Anyway, I had better be catching up on my sleep. Tomorrow will bring more work- and if I’m lucky, treats too!

Fixed Feet

MEGAN: After feeding my horse and doing turnouts, I took Simba over to be shod. Carl said that his dish on the right front was more pronounced that in previous shoeing sessions, and that his hocks were trailing when he worked. He recommended lots of cantering out in the field and lots of transitions from walk to canter- yeah, those need some work, little does Carl know! With Simba being shod, I took the opportunity to clean his stall without having to clean around him or put him on cross-ties. We grazed while waiting for Carl to see him jog, then I tacked him up and we had a lovely light ride. Just walk, trot, and canter, with a bit more trot at the end. I focused on keeping Simba forward, and on keeping my elbows in- or, as Annie would say, on my “beach ball”. After a nice walk with Mica on Eubie, a new, fancy training horse and Laura on her horse Ivan, I put Simba away and tacked up Carreg. We walked around the farm, enjoying a hack along some of the trails maintained by the BRLA (Bedford Riding Lanes Association). Carreg was very well behaved, and it was so nice to just relax and enjoy the beauty of Sunnyfield Farm. After putting Carreg away, I got on Melos. We rode in the field, and he was a lot of work. He is very strong, and it took a lot of core and seat to keep him round instead of having him braced against the bit. Bringing him back to the halt, I would supple him when he got tight and resistant, then went back to another gait to try and keep the softness. We both worked hard, and by the end I feel than I accomplished something. Melos needed a bath, then after putting him away I carried Mica’s laundry over to the office and did some saddles in her barn. Rachel and I were supposed to go to The Horse Connection in downtown Bedford (a very fancy tack store) to talk to them about the fundraiser, but that did not work out. However, Mica took me and I wandered around the store while she got what she needed, hoping to have the opportunity to try on a helmet. Both the salespeople were busy, so I just decided to wait. Mica and I went back to the barn and I helped her with Eubie’s new buckets and supplies. Then we hung out while Annie made the horse list for the next day, just chatting. Once home, I cut up a watermelon and then went for a middle-distance run. Though it was threatening to storm, I was able to enjoy a small sun shower during my run, complete with a beautiful full rainbow at the end! After watermelon and quiche for dinner and a cool shower, I went to bed. Tomorrow is my first real day off ever- I am going to sleep!

SIMBA: It took forever, but my feet are feeling better. That farrier did an excellent job and when Mom rode me, I finally felt more like myself. I am more willing to go forward when my feet don’t hurt, and I think Mom was happy with how our ride went. She didn’t ask me to work for very long, but she did try to stay on top of my energy level in all three gaits. Though she is not used to having to do this, I can feel her checking in on my “forwardness” every 3-4 strides. She forgets sometimes, but overall is doing a good job. Now I get to have some hay for lunch, which means my grain will soon follow. Talk to you later!

Lightbulb Moment

MEGAN: After doing all my normal “chores” (though I enjoy them, so I am not quite sure that is the right word) I rode Simba, who still was not right. We mostly worked on marinating a forward walk with contact, in the beginning keeping him very round regardless of how fast he walked, then later asking him for a bit more. One comment Lendon made which was extremely helpful was that one does not work on riding forward- you do it and move on to something else! Another helpful moment came while watching Mica ride Eubie for the first time; she used lateral movements to improve certain things in the horse. So, instead of just doing circles to get the horse to bend, she did shoulder-in to renvere. Now, of course I have been told this many times by Maryal, Lendon, and the working students, but this is the first time I have understood it for myself. Anyway, after I put Simba away I cleaned up the coolers and chairs from the Pony Clinic and once done, Lendon asked me to bring Rio (Fern Feldman’s 6 year old Holsteiner pony) out. I rode him and had a blast, not asking enough of him at first, but getting what felt like some good trot and canter towards the end of the ride. I had a blast, and it was soooo nice to ride a pony who was so forward!! After Rio, I hacked Astro, a small Danish Warmblood. We had fun, just playing in the field for a half hour. I spoke with Mica as I was untacking Astro and with the exception of making too much beet pulp, I had done everything right in her barn the day before- high praise indeed from Mica! I settled Simba for the night and went home, intending to do a dyno run but actually running for over an hour and 15 minutes. We finished off the baked ziti for dinner and I went to bed after getting all my envelopes and stamps for the show entries- which will be in the mail tomorrow if it is the last thing I ever do!!!

SIMBA: Although I am not working hard, Mom makes my use my brain and is trying to keep me thinking forward, even if all we do is walk. She did say something about the farrier doing my feet soon so maybe that will make me feel better. In the meantime, her contact is improving. She has been using her fingers to soften my mouth, instead of moving both my head and neck side-to-side. I can also feel her trying to keep her shoulders level, instead of ducking the left shoulder down as she tends to do. Well, even though we can’t do a lot of work, she certainly has plenty to work on. I hear dinner in the aisle, so I will chat with you more tomorrow.

Danger in the Feedroom

MEGAN: My morning was spent setting up and helping out with the clinic, as well as taking care of Simba. Because today was Mica’s day off, I was in charge of her barn which would prove to be rather dangerous. I warmed Timmy up for Nikki, being sure he was in front of my leg. If there is one thing I am learning, it is that forward is very important. Timmy was easy to cool off and put away, so after doing a quick job for Annie, I got to watch the clinic (with George Williams). Important points:
*In the half pass, point the chest or forehead on the line before doing the movement.
*Renvere to counter canter from the walk- straight, not in renvere- is a good exercise
*No indirect rein in half pass- it only blocks the shoulder
*Having a ground person is important
*Walk pirouettes indicates a rider’s talent and teachability
After quiche for lunch, I hacked Simba at the walk. He felt better, still not right, and Heather found a pulse in his LF fetlock, so I poulticed his feet. He will also get them done tomorrow if all goes as planned. In taking care of Mica’s barn, I squirted SMZ tablets in my eyes and quite nearly tripped over 3 bags of feed in the feedroom. Dangerous, indeed! Once home, we all helped Lendon unload her car with stuff from the clinic and I did a tempo run. After a small dinner and shower, I filled out show entries. Good news- they can all be shipped off tomorrow!!! Yay! One less thing to worry about- at least for awhile.

SIMBA: My legs are still sore. Mom just walked me today. We got to walk outside, along the roads which run throughout the farm. Though I was a bit ouchy, the hack was wonderful. Being outside in the nice, breezy air was glorious, especially after spending a long night in my stall. After the walk, I got my lunch and just rested in my stall. Right after dinner, Mom packed some nice, cool poultice into my feet. Now they feel great! I am going to sleep, with my feet feeling wonderful!

Feel Better Soon!

MEGAN: After feeding Simba, I raked the track in the indoor and helped Ashley sweep the corner. Then I cleaned Simba’s stall and handwalked him, but the bugs were really bad this morning, so we spent most of our time walking as opposed to grazing. As I was putting Simba away, the delivery truck pulled up with hay and straw. So Emma, Ashley and I spent 3 hours tacking up, cooling down and feeding horses, rather than the expected hour and a half. After we finished, I got a delicious lunch from the clinic- veggie wrap, pasta salad, watermelon, and bruschetta. Delicious! Then I tacked Simba up and tried to have a lesson with Lendon- except Simba was not sound. He was sore in front, so we just worked on going from a free walk to a medium/collected walk for most of our ride. I then cold hosed Simba’s legs for ten minutes apiece, then scooped the evening grain in Mica’s barn. Running frantically over to the Main barn, I intended to get on Atticus- only to find him in his stall, contently munching hay. I grabbed him out of his stall and groomed him, quickly throwing on his tack. As I was putting on his bridle his groom came over and said his feet were sore and I could not ride him. Sighing, I put him away and then took care of Simba for the night, finding only a slight bit of swelling under his knee around the top of each cannon bone. Then I rescooped in Mica’s barn for the next morning and helped with laundry. While waiting for a ride home, I did boxes for cross country. Coach would be proud- my ability with boxes is less than stellar! After a quick shower, we all went to Heather’s for dinner, which was wonderful Italian pastas and german chocolate cake for dessert. After returning to Lendon’s, I called Mom and we had a great talk. Now I am amid a group of hyper, giggly sleepover girls trying to sleep- well, laughter is good for the soul, right???


SIMBA: My legs hurt. Mom took me for a walk but when she took me out later for a ride, I did not feel well. I was a little sore when we stared out, and just got worse as the ride progressed. Then we walked a lot, with Mom riding me forward irregardless of what she was dong with the reins. This was a challenge for both of us! Once in the barn, that water she put on my legs felt really good, just cold! Then she gave me lunch- making the cold worthwhile- and checked on me before she left, taking care of dinner just before I jumped out of my stall to take it from the feedroom myself! Though my legs don’t feel very well, the weather is beautiful. I wish I could be out in one of those beautiful, green fields- to RUN (and that is just the reason Mom handwalks me instead.) I hope that the barn gets that collapsible fence soon, so I can go out in a corner of a pasture!!! Well, I am all set for the night. Hopefully my legs will feel better in the morning!