New goal for 2015: The Iron Horse Preliminary Challenge at Plantation

Earlier this week Advanced level event rider, Evention star, and sweet Dressage Skillz rapper Dom Schramm announced on his FB page that a plan was in the works for Plantation Field to run an Iron Horse horse trials/triathlon competition at their international horse trials next fall.

Sounds awesome right?!

From what I gather so far from his post they plan to run it as a Prelim horse trial (http://discovereventing.com/?q=glossary/term/93), followed by a Sprint Triathlon (http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triathlon). The top finishing scores from the horse trial will be combined with their finishing score in the triathlon for an average combined score to determine the winner. First prize: $5000 cash!

Since I've started my weightloss journey this year- down 20lbs since mid February- I've gotten a bit stuck lately. I'm very goal oriented, so what better way to motivate myself on this fitness adventure than a competition that involves both eventing and running/swimming/biking?!

So here's the hard part(s):

1) I have never competed in any fitness competitions, apart from swimming races at summer camp about 15 years ago.

2) I have never evented recognized above Novice (2'11") and never schooled cross country above Training (3'3").

3) I retired my event horse last year.

4) My current competition horse has never so much as schooled a cross country fence. 

Sounds pretty impossible right?? Well, tell me I can't do it and I'll try harder! I've assembled a pretty fantastic group of people to help me with the first problem. I've also joined the YMCA and started on a training schedule, today was day one!

Second, my horse, although never having evented before, is not without competition experience. CSS Cor De La Mar (Nicki) is a 16 hand, 8 year old Bavarian Warmblood mare. She is a granddaughter of Cor De La Bryere out a a TB mare. She has a fabulous uphill build, 3 stunning gaits, and a big snappy jump. She is an absolutely amazing partner and gives 110% every ride. She is athletic, brave, and has a ton of heart. I think she will take to eventing like a duck to water. 

She has shown in the hunter ring to 3ft over the last couple years so is used to a busy environment. She focuses well on her job and doesn't seem to be flustered by much going on outside the arena. I have shown her in one dressage schooling show at Training Level where we received very high marks and scores in the mid to upper 60's and we will be giving First level a go on Saturday at another schooling show. 

My goal for her is to do a couple BN's this fall, as well as paper chases, cross country schoolings, and the occasional hunt this winter. The big goal for both of us this winter is fitness. Lots of trot sets for Nicki, lots of running and biking for me, hill work for us both....many many lessons. Late winter/early spring I will try to do a couple recognized Novices, start the summer at Novice/Training and then make the leap to Prelim. I also plan to enter at least 1 triathlon, several 5ks and a couple mud runs for myself.

I realize all of this seems ambitious, but without goals what are we working towards?? I plan to try and document this journey here in my blog with at least monthly updates on progress!

Cheers!

Rain, rain go away....

It seems after that last snow storm cycle that we are finally done with the cold white stuff, I say 2 days before the first of April....Mother Nature seems to have shifted gears and we are now on day 2 of heavy rain, get it together girl friend!! Without an indoor, the horses are getting some down time, as if they haven't had enough already this year. The only plus side I see here is that everyone will come back fresh and ready to work as soon as the weather cooperates.

Days like these are great for spring projects and catching up on all the fun paperwork. Today I will be scraping more jumps to be painted as soon as (if ever) they dry, renewing my insurance with Equisure for the farm, and giving everyone a good grooming and they're all shedding like crazy!! There's also the task of cleaning all the stalls for the umpteenth time in the last 36 hours as well as bandage changing on Nancy Toby's Total Eclipse of the Art who got in a nasty fight with a round bail feeder and lost....

This is the first major open wound I've had since my partnership with RevitaVet systems, and I am eager to use it to aid in the healing time of Mr. Eclipses battle wound. I am very lucky to be able to have such a fantastic product in my bag of tricks to help keep the ponies on the right track, whether it be open wounds, muscle soreness, etc. I have noticed an enormous difference in my horses since adding this to my program, especially in conjunction with my sponsor BeneFab Products. Both products work absolutely fantastic together! 

Most horses who come into my program show signs of being sore in their backs. This is partly because I'm taking TBs off the track who are generally sore all over. Other back soreness issues have been caused by poor saddle fit, incorrectly developed top lines (or non at all), and more. The RevitaVet system works really well to address these issues using a system of LED/infrared lights on various settings. After treatment with the RevitaVet system, I then ride each horse in either my BeneFab all purpose or dressage saddle pads. BeneFabs products are all made with ceramic fiber woven into the fabric which creates far-infrared light to continue to warm and sooth sore muscles in the back. This week I have used both these products on horses that I travel to ride and the difference in their way of going after just one time with both products was notable! If anyone wants to try or purchase these products let me know and I can get you in touch with the appropriate people :) 

Now I'm off to swim the horses in my Olympic sizes swimming pool, oh wait....

Cheers!

So you wanted to have a career in horses, huh?

Words of wisdom from my favorite farrier, Bill Mills. Yes, in fact, I do want to have a career in horses! It's exhausting, the hours are long, the pay is minimal, the expense is outrageous- but let's face it, some one has to do it!

All joking aside, I've wanted a career in horses for roughly 23 of my 27 years in existence. God bless my poor mother for starting the downward spiral that was my first riding lesson. My father still to this day chimes in with "are you sure you don't just want to do horses for a hobby?" 23 years, countless dollars (I'd hate to actually count), 7 years in Pony Club, and 4 years in college studying horses.......yes dad, I'm sure!

I've been operating under the business name Close Up Show Stables since 2005. CSS has never been full time until this month, although I'm sure I've put in enough overtime hours throughout the years to already retire early. It has survived 8 barns, 2 states, 3 boyfriends (one who I think is finally in for the long haul), college, 5 part time jobs, and my own mistakes along the way. Just two weeks ago I made the move to quit my part time job and make CSS and the horses my full time job.....talk about scary! Today marks the day that all my work, learning, and time has been leading up to: I became Close Up Show Stables, LLC!

I'll tell you right now they do not prepare you in college equine business classes for filling out state business licensing documents, or FEIN (federal employee income number) forms, or that you need both these things to open up a business checking account. Or that if when filling out said documents that if you're filing for LLC you need to actually write LLC after the business name- as opposes to assuming they know you want to be Business, LLC- or they will let you fill the whole thing out and pay for it, only to email you roughly 3 hours later to tell you you've been declined because you're an idiot and of course you need to put LLC after the name- NOW FILL IT ALL OUT AGAIN! Ooops!

But, after all that, today is a landmark for Close Up Show Stables, LLC! After 9 years, I am officially a business! I have my fantastic and loyal clients to thank for this, because without them it would be impossible! More landmarks to come this year, I can feel it!

Cheers!