Humpty Dumpty

Okay. This is getting ridiculous.

I fell again.

This time, it was a bit harder to get up. I fell on my hip, and it took me a moment to get up again. Wow, did that HURT. No bruising today that can be seen, but I think someone may have inserted a golf ball in my hip as I fell. And I feel a little whiplash in my neck. Definitely some hitch in my giddy-up today (poor horse joke, I know!!).

I thought Clinton spooked again, but Mary thinks I lost my balance. (She is probably right) I got back on and trotted and walked. I needed to do that, or I don’t know if I would ever get the nerve up.

And I haven’t fallen off a horse in YEARS…now twice in two weeks?

So I am being relegated back to being on the lunge line for the next few rides, until I can get myself together. Instead of being nervous on the horse, I am starting to get a little scared. And that just makes me mad.

I want this too much to quit, or let being terrified stop me. And the more I feel that niggling twinge of fear in my gut, the madder I get, and the more determined I get.

No more falling.

Pinkie swear!!

Horses…always a learning moment (Part 1)

I am on a roll with my posts! I’d been meaning to post about my show for weeks now, but you know how that pesky thing called life gets in the way.

Now for a more current “Horse Life” post. 

MONDAY (cue Law and Order “duh duh”)

I have changed a few pieces of equipment, and by gosh, they have changed our rides! I punched a new hole in Clinton’s nose band, added spurs, lost the whip, and added a strap to the saddle (for extra hand-stilling support). Clinton has really been stepping under himself and staying on the bit for longer and longer….instead of fighting for control for 20 minutes (thus leaving a mere 10 minutes for learning), we have flip flopped. Yay!!!

Feeling confident, we had several good rides, both in instruction and by ourselves. On Monday, I was feeling like a champ. Confidence to the extreme. So when Mary left the arena to talk to her son for a second, I decided that Clinton and I should practice just a bit more with our trot on the bit while waiting. As we rounded a corner at the other end of the arena, Clinton spooked.

Clinton, as I’m probably sure I told you, is a spooky horse. I like to think that he is simply a sensitive soul. He often sees goblins and ghouls, especially at the far side of the arena, the gate to the outside arena, the outdoor dressage arena, any open door, and any area where a scary pigeon may be (I agree with him there. Damn pigeons will swoop on you and fly in a horse’s face). Often, the spooks consist of a spontaneous canter, which lasts a few steps, or a balletic jump in the air. Once, he tore off at a full gallop. I have not fallen off yet, each time able to calm Clinton (in the case of the gallop, I didn’t have stirrups, but I managed to stop him by making him turn circles).

My time was up.

Clinton went one way, and I went the other. I’m not sure what he saw, or what I did…whether I tensed, or Javier (the barn manager of sorts) scared him, and I don’t know why I fell…just that I did. As Clinton made a sharp turn, I went over the side, hitting the wall, and sliding facedown into the dirt. I looked up just in time to see Clinton slide to a stop in front of the mirrors (no doubt to admire his rider-less appearance, silly pony).

The funny thing about my falls (I don’t know if you do this too) is that I have two reactions. The first is to get up and out of danger immediately (when one falls off a horse, one wants to make sure the horse doesn’t then turn around and trample said stunned body into the ground). The second, is to test all body parts to make sure they are not broken, bleeding, swelling, torn or bruised. Seeing that Clinton was stopped (and a boarder was heading over to catch him), I took the time to check myself out. Nothing broken, but my shoulder was twisted, and I could feel my boot tighten around my ankle (just a hematoma. I love that word. Say it like The Terminator. Silly, I know. But try not to laugh at yourself after saying it).

Once I figured out nothing was particularly maimed, I started walking toward the boarder and Clinton, as well as a clearly worried Mary. She took Clinton, and made me sit down, thus eliminating my good intention to get back on.

Fast forward to Thursday. Now, I wanted to ride Tuesday and Wednesday, but the eye doctor dilated my eyes on Tuesday, and Wednesday I had plans. So on Thursday, a lesson day, I had some serious nerves.

But there was nothing to fear. Despite a plethora of little girls running in and out of the arena, Clinton was calm and collected, and his sweet normal self. I had to remind myself to breathe, and not anticipate a spook, but we did really well. And on Saturday, I rode again. Still a bit nervous, but Clinton was fine.

So what did I learn? First, that I really need to work on my balance. I really shouldn’t have fallen…he didn’t trip or buck or rear. He simply ran off. So I am starting yoga and trying to work on being centered and balanced. The second thing I learned (and it’s a lesson I learn over and over) that horses are unpredictable. I have been bragging lately that I don’t fall off Clinton. Lesson learned. 

Showing...a Baby Step at a Time

A few weekends ago, Clinton and I broke our maiden, as they say in the racing world.

We had our first show together.

My barn held a fun show this weekend, and I decided to swallow my fear of failure, and enter. Because it was a relaxed, fun show, I didn’t have to wear the traditional garb, nor braid and bathe Clinton. It was a great beginning point for us. I have been taking lessons for three years at my barn, and it was beyond time to put all of those lessons and rides to the test.

Since I was the oldest person at the show, Mary (my instructor) put me in three classes with a teenager who was just beginning in dressage. We competed in Walk/Trot/Sitting Trot, Walk/Trot/Canter, and a very simple dressage test….create a figure eight, halt at the end of the arena, break into a canter, and halt at the gate.

Clinton and I placed second in Walk/Trot, first in the canter class, and second in the dressage test. (Later, Mary told me I would have won that too, had I changed my diagonals in the figure eight. Argh!)

So at the end of this story, you might be thinking, well. This show didn’t prove anything. I basically lost twice. And I was only competing against another girl. So what’s the big deal?

The big deal is that this show was a huge confidence booster. Until now, I never felt confident enough to show. But we did great. Clinton was mostly on the bit during all three classes. Our canter was large and fluid (in fact, I overheard someone saying, “that Clinton doesn’t want to stop!”). And we actually cantered clockwise against the fence! We were so relaxed, too. At the beginning, I took a deep breath, forgot the crowd, and centered on Clinton. We were very relaxed, and to be honest, I forgot anyone was there!

In a few weeks, I am taking a huge leap of faith. I am entering my very first USEF/USDF recognized show in Gainesville, Florida. We will only be competing in Intro tests, but from being unsure I could show, to wanting to make my mark in the show ring, I’d say I’ve grown quite a bit.  Now to figure out how to make those fancy braids…..

Derby Fever

In a mere 12 days, a crowd of thousands, wearing all manner of dress (and hats!), will raise their mint juleps skyward as the strains of "My Old Kentucky Home" waft through the air. Minutes later, 20 three-year-old colts will sidestep, eyeball the crowd and arch their necks, as they warm up for the Big Dance. They will enter the gates as mere colts, and leave as a crush of men. They will stream by the cheering crowd, thunder in their hooves and resounding in the air. Snorts, yells of jockeys will follow, as they round the first turn, heading for the backstretch. On and on they will go, fighting for the lead, fighting to keep their position, fighting the dirt being flung in their faces. At last, the Twin Spires will emerge around the bend. Some will tire and fade, others will grind on, and still others will stream toward the front. And as the wire approaches, one of these jockeys will cluck to his horse, and show him the whip, and that horse will break away from the pack, and cross the wire first.

That horse, whomever he may be, will be crowned King of Racing, be adorned with a blanket of the reddest roses, and showered with love and affection.

And later on that day, his name will be painted onto the walls of Churchill Downs, forever more the winner of the 2011 Kentucky Derby.

There is no other race like this one in the world, this event come the First Saturday in May, every May, since 1875. This is the race that begins the infamous Triple Crown series. The race that the immortal Secretariat won, whose race time still lives on as the fastest time in history. The race that Kings and Sheiks, Billionaires and the Everyman desire to win. To win the Derby, as a trainer, owner, jockey and horse, means that you belong to an elite group of people, raised up among peers.

It is a Kingmaker, a Queenmaker, and a test of true mettle.

For the next 12 days, I will cover each of the horses who are as of now, running in this year's race. It's my favorite time of year, and I hope that you'll enjoy my take on the Run for the Roses!

A-MO-zing

Any Triple Crown discussion obviously has to begin with Uncle Mo, the sensational three-year-old who tops all standings for the Kentucky Derby at the moment.

Mo, a son of Indian Charlie, out of the mare Playa May, has exceeded all expectations as a two-year-old, most notably taking the Grade I Champagne Stakes and the Breeders Cup Juvenile, the race that stamped Mo as the favorite for the Derby and won him the Two-Year-Old Champion at the Eclipse Awards in January.

If the accolades don't interest you, this might....Uncle Mo LOVES Churchill Downs' track.

As a three-year-old, Mo hasn't raced, yet he has the stamp of approval from a lot of horse players around the world. His price in Vegas keeps dropping, and European odds makers have set him at 4-1. Various bloggers and writers have even mentioned the possibility of Mo becoming the first Triple Crown winner in over 30 years.

What makes Mo even more endearing, especially to the public at large, is his huge social media network. A Twitter-holic and Facebook megastar, the flashy colt keeps his fan base up to date on all things Uncle Mo, including timed workouts, meetings with trainer Todd Pletcher and visits from his owner, Mike Repole. He even snapped a picture of himself before the Eclipse Awards, wearing a tux.

And his larger than life owner is becoming a fan favorite in his own right. Mike Repole, of Vitaminwater fame, is a fan first, owner second; making sure that fans get the access social networking provides, and always available for commentary on his horse. He even writes a blog for Bloodhorse.com, chronicling his love of racing, and the love for his special horse. (But more on him later. This is about Uncle Mo!)

But for all the good that can be said about Uncle Mo, there are some questions that will need to be answered. Indian Charlie, Mo's sire, is known for breeding sprinters; not distance horses. And he has yet to race, while several of his top competitors already have a few races under their belts...and getting better every day. Plus, he will have only two prep races..the Tampa Bay Derby on March 12th and the Wood Memorial on April 9th. While that schedule has worked in the past, one stroke of bad luck, and Mo could be unprepared for the Run for the Roses.

My take? I happen to like him. I like his race style and his connections. So far, he is my feel good pick. Should he do well in his next races, he will deserve the title "Derby Favorite," and I will be behind him 100%.

What is your take on Uncle Mo? Let me know what you think. To help, below is Uncle Mo's last race.

It's been a long time (time to get down to business)

Wow. As I look at my blog, the words of a song come to me....

"Hi. Nice to see ya. It's been a looong ti-ime...."

Well, I'm back! And ready to tackle the subjects that are closest to my heart.

KENTUCKY DERBY TRAIL!!

As the smell of fresh red roses waft through the halls of my workplace (its Valentines Day, after all), I am reminded that smell also heralds the beginnings of Derby thoughts. Red roses, mint juleps, the sounds of the horses racing by.

But in order to get down to just 20 colts (and fillies), there are quite a few tests to be taken, roads to be travelled, and rivalries to be won.

And I can't WAIT to tell you all about them. The next few months, I'll dig up the dirt on the Derby hopefuls, so that when the gates open on May 7th, you have a horse (or horses) to root for.

Time to get down to business. More to follow!!

Peace, love and Reins...
DG