It Takes a TEAM

I decided we needed a fresh prospective this week so I called in some help from my best friend and fellow DIY Amateur Rider, Kaity Arthur. She thoughtfully wrote this wonderful blog about the "team" behind the scenes of a showman. 

“It Takes a Team”

 

Manny. Lori, Faith and I

A team is generally thought of as a group of players forming one side in a competitive game or sport. I like to think of the word team as more of a verb; coming together as a team to achieve a common goal. To me, horse showing is all about goals. Though showing horses can be considered a very individual sport, there is still a team. This is my ‘team’ that I have put together in my life that helps me reach my goals when it comes to showing my horse.

I’m going to start with my Dad. Often people don’t know what my Dad even looks like because he rarely comes to shows.  I have never felt unsupported by him however because he is doing a very important job while my Mom and I are away at the shows all summer:  He takes care of EVERYTHING at home! We have 2 other horses that don’t travel with us to the shows that need care, as well as their 2 dogs that don’t tag along. He tends to the garden, waters my Mom’s flowers, mows the grass etc. Although he doesn't come with, he is always in touch. He wants to know what fairgrounds we are going to, when we arrive and is always a ringing text in – “how is the show going?” He doesn't understand much of the lingo, drama, placings, points and all that, but he is such a great support system at home.  The most important thing that he does though is give my Mom and I the final hug and kiss as we pull out of that driveway with the trailer and he is the first one to hug and kiss us when we get home, knowing that every moment is precious with us.

Along with my Dad, I have some other very important family members that are a part of my winning ‘team’.  My Grandma Dottie and my Great Aunt Ann are huge players as well. Until she retired, my Grandma helped support all of my horse shows. She loved helping out and would help me with my entry fees before I had a job to pay for my own. Mowing lawns and dusting shelves sure didn't equal what she helped me with, but I did what I could to help re pay her.  My Great Aunt Ann is actually who got my Mom into showing. When she retired from the Army and moved to Midland she built the barn and indoor arena where I have always kept my horses. Only a few miles down the road from my parent’s house, I have practically grown up in this barn. Because of her, I always have a safe place and nice indoor to ride my horse in year round.

The next couple members of my ‘team’ are behind the scenes type guys. Fred Pickering is our one and only diesel mechanic. Our 1999 Ford truck has 250,000+ miles on it, so to say that we drive a lot, would be an understatement. Fred always gives our truck a great once over before we head to a big show, and is always just a phone call away with questions on the strange noises we hear while driving down the road. We also love our local RV guy! Anything that needs a tune up or fixed on our horse trailer, Brian Harvey is right around the corner. We can drop the trailer off and have it fixed and ready to pick up in just a matter of hours. These men are life savers, literally!

Manny’s side of the team is also important. We have used the same farrier for 20 years now and he was actually the one who found my very first kid horse for me when I was 6 years old.  Ron Sullivan knows our horses inside and out and even though he is a big time barrel racer, he has learned how we want pleasure horses to move, just so he can help trim and shoe our horses to maximize their potential. There is never a dull moment with him and our appointments are filled with sarcasm, poking fun of one another and hearing the new nick names he has for Manny, but his favorite is always “Princess.”  

Through all the stress and anxiety that horse shows can cause, there is always one member of my team that can take it all away… our dogs. Bailey the German shepherd traveled with us for 10 years of showing across the country. Known as the dog with the pink Frisbee, everyone at the shows loved Bailey. Two years ago we made the tough decision to let her cross the Rainbow Bridge, and horse shows (and win pictures) haven’t been the same without her. Trying to fill her big doggie paw prints, however, is my 3 year old Weimeraner named Faith.  Faith is great support in the form of a lick to the face or a warm body to sit next to while waiting for showmanship! Our back seat is never lacking a dog, because they are such important parts of our summers showing horses!

The famous Bailey and her Frisbee

Of course, the other HUGELY important member of my team is Manny himself. I could write for days about this horse. I have always said he has the personality of a Golden Retriever crossed with a Giraffe. He makes shows SO much fun and relaxing. He is my best friend and I know him inside and out. He works tirelessly at shows, showing up to 15 classes a day, going well past his supper, but you would never know that because of his great attitude. He honestly LIVES for horse shows, leaping into the trailer, ready for any amount of miles/states/hours to get there. He is my once in a lifetime horse and I love him so much it is crazy!

Some other fundamental members of my team would include Brandy Smith and the Smith family. Brandy wears many hats on my team, including my fashion consultant, shoulder to cry on, hardest high fiver after a big win, huge competitor and best friend! At any moment Brandy will lend me anything big or small! From her favorite Golden West saddle pad at World Show, to a different colored ribbon for my hair. As much as my Mom and I pride ourselves on being a “do it yourself” type team, anytime I need a refresher or Manny needs a tune up, I can always look to Mark Smith. His easy going attitude and soft hands make him the best coach around! Laura is a wonderful second show mom who always makes sure we are at the right early and dressed to impress AND know our patterns.

My best friend 

The final member of my team could be considered my team captain –my Mom, Lori. I don’t think she knew what she was getting herself into when she put me on that horse in front of her for the very first time. What a wonderful 20+ years of showing horses with her it has been.  We are SO close it is actually kind of scary sometimes! We joke and say that we share the same brain, but I swear we do.  With an average of 15-20 shows a summer, close to 300 miles a show – it is safe to say we have spent a fair amount of time together in the truck! On Sunday nights she would drive through the night to get me home safe and let me sleep the whole way because I had school the next day.  She is my best friend, my rock and the best show Mom anyone could ever ask for! (Seriously, ask anyone we show with, she is known as the best!)

Momma Lori is the best!

So there you have it! That is my roster for my ‘team!’ Going to horse shows and doing well just cannot be done by one person, it takes a bunch! Some good support behind the scenes and right beside you is important to being successful in the show ring! I am already filling my calendars with my shows for next year. I hope my team is ready for it!

 “It isn’t about how many ribbons you win or how much money you make. Life’s about doing something you love and never giving up.” – Unknown. 

Thank you Kaity for this wonderful post. Who is on your team? Post in the comments!

Have a great, horse-filled weekend :)

~Brandy

WOW!

I am amazed!

Since I started this blog, it has been viewed by over 3,070 people! Wow is all I can say! Thank you so much to everyone for reading. The feedback, comments, questions and response has been amazing. I hope to continue doing this as long as it is helping people so watch for more blog posts in the near future!

If you have any questions or there is something you would like to see covered, please comment with it. Once again, thank you readers- your the reason I do this!

~Brandy

On the Road Again...

The life of a competitive show horse involves many miles up and down the road. We all want our horses to be able to perform at their best when they hit the show pen and helping them stay safe on the trailer is vitally important. I have hauled for many titles nationally and logged many hours on the road heading to another horse show. As result, I have a specific shipping method I use on all my horses to help their hours in the trailer go as comfortably as possible.

1. Leg Protection
The first and most important part of safe trailering is leg protection. I ALWAYS wrap my horses legs for trailer rides even if it is only 30 minutes. I wrap all four legs on the horses that will allow me to; some horses really don't like back wraps so in that case I leave them off to prevent kicking. I use no-bow's with polo's over them. I only like the No-Bows with stitching going horizontally; less chance for wrinkles. I use a nice fluffy polo wrap that is plenty long. The wraps should by smooth and wrinkle free; mistakes and wrinkles can cause harm to your horses legs so please be careful and make sure you are properly taught before wrapping for long trailer rides.  They should be snug, not loose and not tight. I should be able to slip my finger under the wrap.

Typical shipping attire for Charlie

2. Special Booties
Many of you have seen these special booties called Soft-Ride Boots. I LOVE these for hauling. This extra layer of impact absorbing gel fits snugly and safely on the horses foot and helps to make their ride even more comfortable. Charlie never steps on a trailer without his Soft-Rides.

 

3. Fuzzy Wuzzy Halters
Laugh at it all you want but doesn't it look soft and cuddly for a long road trip? I do put fuzzy shipping halters on all of my horses for long road trips. They look so comfortable for them and I do tend to spoil my horses a little bit... They help to eliminate rubbing when halters are on for extended periods of time on the trailer. and they just look so darn cute!

4. Blankies: Yes or No?
Some say not to blanket horses on the trailer, I disagree. Blanket accordingly. If you close the trailer all up and have no air movement, they don't need a blanket but if windows are open, they might need a sheet. More horses on the trailer means more body heat so less layers are okay then. You defiantly don't want them sweating under blankets but you don't want them chilled so you have to find a happy medium. During summer months, I haul in fly sheets because they have no way to get away from flies so I try to help that as much as possible.

Charlie before getting on the trailer in June with a fly sheet

5. Tail Bags
I put tail bags in for hauling to keep them from peeing and pooping in their tails as much. If it is summer and they do not have a fly sheet, I leave their tails down so they can swish at flies.

6. Everlasting Hay
I keep hay in front of my horses on the trailer at all times. It keeps them busy and keeps their bellies happy. When it is hot, I will poor some water on the hay so they get some water while on the trailer.  I also offer water at every rest stop; I carry water from home in jugs because they don't usually like the taste of gas station water and they need to stay hydrated, especially in the summer.

7. Lots of Bedding
I bed my trailer heavily to make it a more comfortable ride. We have triple layer rubber mats to absorb impact as well as lots of soft, fresh sawdust for a nice comfy floor. I always keep at least one window open for venting of the sawdust dust though.

8. Air Ride
We had an Air Ride hitch put on our trailer to take out a little more of the jounce and bounce of the road the year before I ran for number one for the first time to help my horse to stay as healthy and happy as possible. It makes a huge difference and was so worth the money; the horses have a smoother ride then we do now! I highly suggest looking into one if you are planning on doing lots of long distance hauling.

9. Drive Safely
When hauling such precious cargo, please drive safely and carefully. Smooth turns, soft stops and don't gun it. Take plenty of rests, for both you and your horses. Your horses will thank you.

10. Always Know Health Regulations
Health regulations on livestock can vary by state. When hauling out of state, make sure to check on the rules and have your papers and horse up to date for those regulations. Better safe then sorry!

Happy Horses enjoying a rest stop

As you can see, I am rather OCD about shipping. I just want my horses to be as safe and sound as possible and to make trailer rides as relaxing and comfortable as possible for my precious ponies. I hope this helps you in some way and I wish everyone safe and uneventful road trips!

What special things do you do when you ship your horses?

~Brandy

P.S. I am on my way to a horse show right now! What timing right? Here was Charlie all bubblewrapped before getting on the trailer this morning!

Saying Goodbye

It is never easy to say goodbye to a beloved horse, especially one you have owned since birth. I have done it many times but it never gets easier. It is a nature of owning and breeding horses, you can't keep them all. This past weekend we sold our 2 year old gelding, Milton Hershey. The plan all along was to sell Milton and even though I knew it was coming, it didn't make it any easier. I remember the day Milton was born and sadly he is the last baby my mare Rosie ever had. He was a joy to raise and train and we had a blast in the time that we owned him. When we showed him he won and his last class with us was a unanimous win and circuit championship in the 2yo western pleasure; what a way to end it! He is Charlie's half brother and they have the same personality which obviously drew me to him and I couldn't help but love him. Even though he wasn't my show horse and I wasn't supposed to get attached to him, I still cried like a baby when we left without him on the trailer and saw his empty stall at home.

 The pain is eased by the excellent home he is going to: he will be a little girls 13 and under horse, a job he was born for. As she led him away from me I couldn't help but tear up with happy tears seeing him start nuzzling her immediately and see her smile and pet his neck. They were already bonding. I know she will love him to death and he will be her best friend and what more could you ask for in a new home. Every horse deserves to be loved by a little girl; Milton is lucky that he gets that joy early in life. I wish his new owners all the success in the world and I hope he will be to her what Charlie is to me: not just a horse but a best friend. We will see you down the road Milton <3

Last moments with precious Milton

Exercises for Young Horses

Young horses can be so infuriating and so fun at the same time. I love playing with the babies; they are blank slates and it is so much fun to have a hand in every step of their progression. Most of my horses were bred on our farm so I broke my first 2yo when I was in middle school and ever since, the young ones have had a special place in my heart. This rewarding process can be very confusing if it is your first time and if you don't have someone around to guide you. I have had  a request for the exercises I use to help my young horses mentally and physically. So with no further ado, here is what has worked for me in the past with my horses.

1. Ch-ch-ch-changes
I like to keep my young ones minds and bodies busy in the beginning. I do a lot of bending and hip movement, trail poles, pivots, backing, etc. keeping the job ever changing. I don't like to go out and do the same thing every single day and I am sure they also get bored of doing the same thing every day, especially young ADD horses. So one day I will do showmanship with my 2yo. The next day English. The next day trail. Then a day off. Then western pleasure and horsemanship the following day. This keeps them mentally challenged and helps them to build muscle and strength in different parts of their body. It also gets more handle on them; Trail helps teach steering and can slow down one that likes to rush and make them think. While changing things up is great, make sure you are keeping consistency in your cues and methods to avoid confusion and frustration.

2. Forward, Lift, Forward, Lift
Push them babies FORWARD. Don't cramp their style. Let them set the pace (as long as it isn't a run) and they will gain confidence in their movement. Don't discourage their natural movement. You can slow them down later but once lost, the confidence and forward is hard to regain. Also, LIFT their shoulders. Penny pushers are so 10 years ago so we want level heads and lifted shoulders. Everything I do with my babies is in a lifting motion; steering, stopping, pivots, etc.

3. Rewards > Punishments
I am a huge believer in rewarding them for correctness. You can hear me patting on my horses from the other arena usually. This is good for any horse but crucial for young ones. They need to know when they are good. They will behave more often when they are praised for it. My young horses get tons of love and affection when they are being good so that they seek out that desired reward through good behavior. I love it when they do something right, know they do it right and almost anticipate the reward of a pet, scratch or treat. It shows me they are learning in a positive way which is the best way to teach young horses in my opinion. When they do it right, they get love. When they don't, they have to keep working. The positive rewards should be more frequent and bigger then the negative punishments.

4. Keep Calm and take them to their stall
They may be young, but they can still sense your feelings, fear, frustration, anger. Try to avoid getting frustrated and angry with them, that will create more problems down the road. Everything is a learning experience even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. Sometimes its better to take them back to the stall and let your frustration go and let them relax instead of getting angry and trying to hammer it into them. They just don't understand that. Your not giving up, your simply saving that lesson for another day when you both may be in a better mood. They are young and have so much thrown at them so you have to give them a free pass on mistakes sometimes.

5. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Maybe not a race but it will win Western Pleasure. Young horses get so much thrown at them in the training process and if you go too far too fast you will burn them out. I prefer frequent short rides with my young ones. I keep my cues and methods slow and steady to give them confidence and understanding. I don't want to scare them, I want them to know and understand.

6. Support
Young horses need a lot of physical support. Always always always wrap their legs, I often wrap all 4 legs for added protection. A thick saddle pad and well fitted, light saddle are better for their back. Also, I like to start them from the beginning on a maintenance supplement system of MSM for joint support and U-Guard to avoid Ulcers (which young horses can be very prone to when first in training). They also see the chiropractor bimonthly as do all of my horses. I think that starting them physically right makes a horse last so much longer and have much longer careers in the show pen.

7. Join Their Herd

Some young horses already love and trust humans. Many do not. Something I find crucially important is forming a strong bond with them. I want them to love and trust me just as I love and trust them. If you have their love, trust and respect, they will work harder for you in my experience. For example, Charlie was born and raised on our farm however he was simply hanging out in the pasture until he was almost 3. He started out as one of the least trusting and fearful yearlings I have ever owned. Through lots of love and encouragement and bonding, he came to trust us completely. Now, he loves and trusts us so much, I think he thinks he IS a human. Our bond has allowed that 1100lb. animal to follow me through things that once scared. He sometimes starts to refuse or get scared and with my reassurance will follow me almost anywhere. This helps us in the show ring also; he goes above and beyond for me because he loves me. If you can get them to love and trust you in the early stage, it makes the future much easier.

That some ideas of what I do with my young ones. Not every horse is the same. It may not all work for you but those are just the things I keep in mind with my young horses. Young horses are very challenging and frustrating but the result is so rewarding. It is completely worth it. When you win that first class knowing you have done it all with that horse and put your heart and soul in, it is so fulfilling and gratifying. Most of all, enjoy the experience. Learn from them as much as they learn from you. I hope this helps in some small or big way. Good luck with those babies :)

~Brandy

Disclaimer: These are my opinions and exercises. I am not a trainer, I do not wish to portray myself as one. These are just general ideas I find helpful in my own horse ownership.  

Some Days You Gotta Dance...

Live it up when you get the chance, then your feeling just a little less tense. Loosen up them strings and dance.... anyone recognize that song? A Dixie Chicks classic, it seems to capture my recent mood quite nicely. I have been running like crazy: starting a new job, school, trips, Congress, preparing for my last 2014 horse show, wedding planning finding barn time, keeping up with this (which I failed at the last few weeks) and other random things like cleaning my house and eating. Things I used to take for granted like time with my fiance and riding have become so much more important and precious suddenly. Looking back through my instagram this morning while driving home from congress to spend yet another day at work, I realized that even though the last few weeks have seemed like a drag, I have actually had a lot of fun times. At the time, it may have seemed like a fleeting moment between stressed moments but looking back, they seem so much more special.

So here is my top 10 recent moments where I remembered to laugh and smile through the stress. (you may notice a common theme. His name is Charlie)

1. Haven't had an english saddle on since the last show Charlie? Still want to be perfect Charlie? Okay, Charlie, lets do it your way.  Granted, I am still sore from that lovely two point I self inflicted but hey, no pain no ribbons right?

2. Homemade Stromboli all by myself. Call my Betty Crocker folks, I nearly know how to cook. Sometimes it's the little victories, like not burning your dinner, remembering to turn the stove off and not setting off a smoke alarm. #winning

3. COFFEE. Few things make me smile more then this nectar of the gods. and it seems to be the only thing that keeps me going sometimes. My Keurig works pretty hard on a daily basis. Oh and a cute mug is also one of my favorite things. Starbucks has some of the best (like this blue one!).

4. Seeing this dude smile. Seriously he just randomly does this. Ask the people at the barn, Charlie literally smiles and when he smiles, you just have to smile back :)

5. My Best Friend. Always a text message away, she keeps me supplied with random snapchats and hilarious texts day in and day out. Seriously, my soul sister. Good thing we live apart because the world couldn't handle us together all the time.

6. Looking at these AMAZING pictures by Impulse Photography. Seriously I can't handle how perfect they are. They always make me smile. This is quite possibly my favorite...

7. GARTH, the most perfect aussie puppy alive. Enough said.

8. Attempted Selfies with sir camera hog. Seriously, he has to be the center of the picture. Amazing how self righteous those cover models get...

9. My fiance being all adorable and amazing and the love of my life. Couldn't get through the days without him.

10. The amazing, long haired trail beast. He may win trail at the weekend shows but he eats poles at home... literally chewing on wood.... I never said he was smart...

There you have it. A snapchat into my crazy life and the things that keep me giggling and happy. Even just seeing the pictures on my phone makes the smile come right back.

So what makes you smile? What makes you laugh? Share a fun story that made your bad day better. (I just hope none of you are chewing on trail poles...)

~Brandy

Oh and a bonus one: gas prices right now. Filled up at this beautiful price. I know I'm growing up when this is what makes me happy...