Therapeutic Riding - A Blue Ribbon Day

This has been quite a day. It didn't start out so well when I lost my balance and fell hard to the floor. Those of you with MS know how easily this can happen and how scary it can be. Well, even though my body made a lot of noise when it hit the hardwood floor everything was OK and I got up and continued getting myself ready for the show today.

Even though I wore my rubber boots, I was trying to keep a positive mind frame that I wouldn't have to bring Bouffe in through all the mud, as Barbara and I drove to Gunpowder Stables. When we pulled in to the barn area, I breathed a sigh of relief, when I saw Bouffe's head sticking out of his stall door. 

When I got to his stall Bouffe seem to know this was going to be a special kind of day. Even though all of the other horses were also in, Bouffe came out of his stall quietly and stood calmly as I groomed him, pulled his mane and put on his shipping bandages. I remembered then how lucky I was to have such a horse. Words I would hear again in a few hours.

I can't say enough good things about the shipping company, Stokes Creek LLC, I hired through uShip. Steve Pelham arrived with his gooseneck right on time at 7 AM. This began a day of the highest quality service I have ever experienced when shipping horses. Steve stayed with us the entire morning, always ready to help wherever he could.

Bouffe shipped well, but became agitated in being tied up outside the gooseneck. He wanted to work, which became obvious when I brought his tack out and he again stood quietly while I put it on.
He was back to his usual calm collected self once I mounted.

Our first class was therapeutic (as all the classes were) walk halt. Bouffe did no wrong and we won first place! When we turned and faced the judge she commented, "You are very lucky to have such a fine horse." I couldn't have agreed more. 

The second class was walk, trot and I felt I didn't do as well. I knew I was on the wrong diagonal several times and didn't do real well at the sitting trot either, but Bouffe went on and did his job well enough that we won the blue ribbon again!

I was overwhelmed with the results and all the congratulations we received as we left the ring. Bouffe was such a ham and stood still any time someone wanted to take our picture.

The last class was trail: over through and around cavaleties, barrels, cones, and stopping in a square and at a mailbox. This was held in the indoor ring and Bouffe was starting to get tired but still did well enough to earn another blue ribbon. Quite a day for our first show.

I decided today to board Bouffe at Four Quarters Farm, http://fourqtrsfarm.com/  which was where the show was held, and also where I take hippotherapy. That way I will continue to do my hippotherapy with Robin and also take lessons from Leslie Bosley who owns the farm and was very supportive in Bouffe's and my show ring debut.

Winning these ribbons today was just as rewarding as any race I ever won when I was training and I really believe Bouffe knew he had won them too.

      

What a Difference a Day Makes

The weather today is ideal and I had an appointment for a lesson with Tricie at 1 PM. I got to Gunpowder at 12:30 and one of the barn help immediately brought Bouffe in for me. 

The new saddle pad fit well and I thought I had the new stirrups and leathers adjusted properly until I got on. The stirrup leathers were too long and had only one more hole to pull them up to, which still wasn't short enough but had to do for today's lesson. Also, the stirrups themselves were too wide. I had tried to set up the Crosby saddle so everything matched, but so much for looks, I need to be able to post. Because of the weakness in my legs from MS, I need shorter stirrups and irons that won't let my foot slip through when my balance becomes awkward and I have more weight in one stirrup than the other. All of this can be fixed with stirrups and leathers I already have, which might not be as fancy but will work. 

Besides for the stirrup problem the lesson went well and Bouffe is very responsive now that I am carrying a crop. I never used it, but just showing it to him when it was time to trot and he picked up his pace. I am still having problems with being on the right diagonal and I wish I had more time to practice. I never had to post when I rode on the racetrack or schooling horses on the farm, I was always in a two point stance; so, I am out of practice and I feel like a beginner.

Tricie turned Bouffe back out when we were finished our lesson and carried my saddle bag to the car. I guess I am spoiled, because in all my years of hippotherapy Robin always did everything or had someone else do it, so all I had to do was get on the horse.

Bouffe was pretty tired when we were finished and he is getting the day off tomorrow. I hope this is the right thing to do in getting him ready for Sunday's show. Time will tell. I keep on reminding myself Sunday is a schooling show, which is what Bouffe and I will be doing. 

Another Day of Awful Weather

I couldn't ride again today. The weather was the worst yet, with tornadoes, severe thunder storms, hale, and flooding. The mud at Gunpowder was thigh deep yesterday; I may have sunk down to my hips today. And what about Bouffe. I hope they had the common sense to bring all the horses in. I have contacted Trecie by email (there is no phone) but have not yet received a reply. I am trying to keep a positive outlook, and hope the weather will be better tomorrow.

Finding a new place to board Bouffe is easier said than done. I have sent numerous emails requesting rates and availability, but so far have not received any replies. 

I am feeling good with no adverse MS symptoms from the stress. I made up my mind today to show on Sunday no matter if I ride Bouffe tomorrow and/or Saturday or not. We will just do the best we can. It is a schooling show and we will definitely be schooling. 

Comments to my post are welcomed and I look forward to hearing from you.

Another Lost Day

I am not real happy with Gunpowder Stables and I told them so. I will never understand why Bouffe was turned out this morning when Tricie knew I had a lesson scheduled with her first thing. But as I pulled in the lane, there was Bouffe, being turned out in a field whose lower part consisted of thigh deep mud and muck of old bedding, which after trudging through it, made it physically impossible for me to go any farther to catch Bouffe and then bring him in through the same mess. So, my planned day of training for Sunday's show was lost and instead, I am now looking for somewhere else to board Bouffe.

Then The Rains Came

The sun finally came out from behind the clouds as it rose on the eastern horizon this morning. It had been raining, sometimes with torrential downpours since Friday and I had not ridden, or even been to the barn, since my lesson on Wednesday. 

But all had not been wasted. During this down time I managed to buy several well needed items and an older Crosby Prix de Nations, which is my favorite saddle of all time. I have been riding for a long time and until recently I always sat on a close contact or an exercise saddle. No matter the saddle, I have had three different ones, I do not feel comfortable on a dressage saddle. The high cantle is not only difficult to get my leg over when mounting and dismounting, but it also pushes me forward and I no longer feel balanced, like I do in this "new" Crosby. After riding for just a few minutes today, I decided to sell my Wintec dressage saddle, which is now listed on eBay.

Now the Crosby didn't fit Bouffe as well as the Wintec did, but the problem can be solved with a withers pad, which was one of the items I bought today. The other was a crop. My legs are just not strong enough yet to continually encourage Boufee to trot and also be able to use them for the other aids. I need some help and I hope the crop will be the answer. 

One other thing I purchased was a pair of rubber riding boots, which will help me get through all the mud I experienced today while bringing Bouffe in from the field. They will also give me an idea of how riding in tall boots will feel. It has been so long since I rode on boots I have forgotten. 

Well tomorrow is my regular lesson and I have a lot of things to work out with Boufee for the show on Sunday. I rode him today in a standing martingale, which did bring his head down enough that I hope it will be something I won't have to thinking about, while I am getting him to walk, halt and trot in the show on Sunday.

A Change In Lesson Plans

Well, I might as well start right off with my news, Bouffe and I are doing a show! The farm where I take hippotherapy, Four Quarters Farm, http://fourqtrsfarm.com/ has a series of schooling shows during the year, which have classes for therapeutic riders. The next show is June the 16th and Bouffe and I are entered in three classes: Walk Halt, Walk Trot, and Trail. I showed in the walk halt and the trail last year and placed second in both, riding my hippotherapy horse who is a retired 1st level dressage horse. To say she was push button is putting it mildly. I knew this year was going to be different.

I told Trecie about my plans before we started the lesson. She knew exactly what I was talking about and wasted no time in getting us started. Of course, the walk halt was easy and Bouffe stopped with just light pressure on the reins. The trotting was a different story. Bouffe was in a lazy mood and also got bored with the constant repetition of walk halt and walk trot. Once I got him to trot he did fine but again my legs told me they still needed more strength to give Bouffe the right signs. After a couple of trips around the ring posting I was tired and getting sloppy, being on the wrong diagonal on several occasions. I have ten days to get my act together or I will have to withdraw Bouffe from the walk trot class.

I knew what I had to do: swim and exercise. Riding Bouffe as many times as I could was going to be helpful also. 

Checking Out The Compitition

The show started at 8:30 this morning and my wife, Barbara and I left our house at 7:30, which gave us plenty of time to make the trip from Lutherville to BelAir. 

It was going to be a hot day, as the temperature was already in the eighties when we arrived. Now, the heat doesn't bother me as much as most people with MS, but I still had to be careful and set my folding chair up in the shade of a large tree that was conveniently located between the two rings.  

The show information mentioned that proper dress was required. It has been so long since I was in a show that I wasn't exactly sure what "proper dress" would in tale. I found out as soon as the first class entered the show ring: dark colored coat, white show shirt, white breeches, and black boots, along with the required head gear. 

I had all of these items except the show shirt, which I could fake with a white oxford cloth button down shirt for the time being. At least for the schooling shows I was planning for Bouffe and I to be in.

Being a retired elementary school teacher, Barbara really enjoyed the lead line classes, which were part of the early classes that Steuart Pittman was judging.

All the horses were very well turned out and I knew Bouffe could look just as good. I was most interested in the walk, trot, canter, (WTC) classes and in watching them I could see Bouffe would be OK but I had a lot of work to do.