The Slightest Glimmer of Hope

Hello world!!  Hopefully you are surviving this heat wave we are having here in Kentucky.  It was a steamy 103 degrees today, and it will just get hotter this weekend.  So...since you are sitting at home with nothing to do, I'm finally going to give you an update of my personal progress with Smokey.

Since I have been back to riding, I have felt a complete disconnect with the little grey pony, and everything seemed to be working against us.  First it was my lack of strength after my injury.  Then, he developed this HUGE bug bit/thing that we have not determined on his left stifle.  After that, he had a visit with his favorite massage therapist, Michele.  Even then, Smokey still felt completely wrong. 

Enter my barn friend, Erica.  Erica is a great person to bounce ideas off of, and has a ton of experience as she has spent quality time with eventer Corrine Ashton (competed her chestnut TB Dobbin through the 4* level).  I figured that a completely impartial person might have some insight to something I have been missing.  And, she did!  Erica felt that he was very stiff and lacked the strength to hold himself in a fram.  So, we refocused our training on working to strengthen Smokey's frame with the help of draw reins.  Draw reins are a tool that I like to use to encourage a horse into the desired frame.  Of course, in the wrong hands, they can cause a horse to over-flex and be behind the bit.  But, with Erica's assistance, we can acheive the desired frame by keeping him slightly in front of the vertical and moving forward. 

The first few rides with the draw reins were very positive, although all we did was walk and trot work.  We added some work on the lunge line to change things up at bit.  And then the bottom dropped out, and we had a disasterous ride.  Smokey refused to move on the bit, was tense and over-sensitive to my leg.  Heck, the draw reins weren't even helping as he was so offended by every aid I had on him, I stopped using them.  Disasterous.  Horrendous.  Thoughts of doubt were entering my mind-was I really ever going to be able to ride this horse?  Am I skilled enough to help him work through this?  Heck, am I too old to be doing this and should just sell him?

And then, all of the sudden, everything changed.  Our next ride was so wonderful, a glimmer of hope in the darkness.  Smokey worked wonderfully at the trot and we attempted to canter both leads.  Although his first left lead canter departure had some "unnecessary energy", he settled right in after I asked him to (and picked it up on the first try!...I say this because Lacy says that "the lead is not an issue anymore" but I still get excited when he does it correctly).  A couple days later, I left the draw reins in the barn and rode again and he was brilliant!!  No "excessively exuberant" lead departures, lovely trot work, and even attempted to stretch forward and downward during his canter work...although I don't completely trust him yet that he is going to work and not launch me off!  What a good boy!!  Finally!!! 

I feels so good to ride Smokey when he is working together with me.  He is so much fun to ride when we communicate, and I cannot wait to ride him again to see if we can keep this up!  But, don't let him fool you, he is still goofy. 

Smokey being naughty!!  Can you see what he's trying to do??

My good friend, Krista, has been helping us since the very first day I brought him to Bittersweet Acres.  She said something to me the other day, and I keep that in the front of my mind all the time.  She said "Smokey has such potential and you can see it when he is being really good for those 2 strides".  He is a really nice horse, a lovely mover, with a ton of potential.  But it means nothing if I choose to quit on him.  So, I choose to work through the hard times...even if it is for just 2 strides of excellence! 

Dads are the Best!

First of all, I want to wish all the fathers a Happy Father's Day!!  Of course, you may say that your Dad is the best Dad in the entire world, but I truly believe that my Dad tops them all.  Here is proof:  during our trip to Hawaii last year, my Dad joined me on a horseback riding excursion.  This was a 2 or 3 hour ride, and despite the fact that Dad's horse, Big Mac, really wanted to just head back to the stable the entire time, and the fact that Dad hadn't been on a horse in a very long time, it was worth it to see the island on horseback.  And mom was armed with the Advil for Dad when we got back to the hotel. 

Here is a clip of one of our favorite comedians, Bill Cosby, doing the best Dad song ever!! 

My Dad also instilled in me a love for all things Monty Python.  How do I know this?  Because my Mom rolls her eyes every time she catches us watching any of his movies.  Although, secretly I think she enjoys it just as much as we do because you will catch her giggling every now and then.  There are so many favorite scenes, but this is probably one of my favorites.

Happy Fathers Day!!  Love ya, Dad!

PS-More updates on Smokey this week!  Lots to catch you up on, but until then, give you Dads a big hug!

My Greatest Olympic Memory #2

Before we get to this week's video, let me redefine the word "Greatest" as I use it to describe the following videos.

Greatest can be defined as "remarkable or outstanding in magnitude, degree, or extent."  OR "of outstanding significance or importance."  This one is certainly remarkable in one way or another!!  Enjoy!!

Now this wasn't the first time that all eyes were on Tanya.  Nope, she had to make sure her ticket to Lillehammer was punched, and I don't mean that she decided to train harder.  How do you do that, you ask?  Well...ask Nancy Kerrigan....



Well, guess what Tanya??  They still let her skate in the Olympics!!  And, your little boyfriend, Jeff Gillooly, squealed like a pig!  Due to some threatened legal action by Tanya's lawyers, she was allowed to embarrass herself skate in the Olympics, the scene of the "shoe lace" drama, and ended up placing 8th.  Karma is a bitch, right Tanya?

My Favorite Olympic Memory-Part 1

Since the Summer Olympics are being held in London this year, I thought I would do a few blogs about my favorite Olympic memories. Here's a shocker: most of them are not horse-related!! Most of them are inspiring, some of them are funny, and some of them are just plain unforgettable! So, without further adu, let's check out my first video:

It's funny to think about where you were in the summer of 1996. There was no such thing as youtube or facebook, so this must have been someone's VCR recording of the TV footage. Where was I? Well, I was still an undergrad at U of Illinois....getting ready to start my junior year....probably still working at Party's Galore, blowing up balloons or helping people choose napkins to go with their cake plates or something else life changing like that. But could you just imagine what it would feel like to have all that pressure on your shoulders...an Olympic Gymnastics Team Gold Medal....and the only event that is left in the vault, your best event? And you are just 19 years old?? AND after a disastrous first vault that surly shook her confidence and was later found to cause a third-degree lateral sprain and tendon damage, you had to pull off another top vault? ON ONE FOOT? There is no other word for it other than AMAZING!! If you don't feel THAT in your soul, you might want to check your pulse.

In a related story, Kerri's fame opened many doors for her in other ways, including this little video:
http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/kerri-and-kippy-strug/274196/


A quick update on being back in the saddle: I'm trying to get back in shape, both overall and riding-wise, so lots of trotting, changes of direction, over poles, etc. Boring, but necessary until my strength returns in my legs. I've also joined a local rec center and have been doing Pilates to help with my core strength and balance. I might try some Zumba as well so I can pick up some new dance moves!! Oh, and Smokey showed me his left lead yesterday while we did a little canter work. Good pony!!

Let me know your favorite Olympic memory! I would love to share more this summer leading up to London!

She's baaack!

Let's get right to the main part of this blog post-I have officially been released by my doctor to ride!!!  Actually, I have been released to do everything again, but most importantly RIDE!!!  So, what did I do today?  I RODE!!  How did it go, you ask?  Let me tell you.  The thing that I thought would be the most difficult (my arm) was fine....the thing that I forgot about (my legs) were not.  It only takes 3 weeks to "de-condition" your muscles, so technically I have "de-conditioned" 4 times over.  Not that I was in peak riding shape when I originally broke my arm being it was February...but I digress.  Everything below my knees felt like a foreign object, flapping like they were not attached to the rest of my body, and quickly turning into jello.  Fabulous.  My poor horse tolerated it pretty well considering he was basically doing most of the work with no support or guidance from his rider.  Lots of work to do to get back my strength, but it felt great to actually be back in the saddle!

Now, we need to backtrack a week.  Last Saturday we took Smokey and his good buddy Dorado to Masterson for some cross country playtime.  Both were really good and had a great time!  Adam and I were in charge of capturing all of the moments on film, so here are a couple of cool shots.

Super Dorado, he's so cool!

Good Smokey!  He said "I kinda like the cross country thing"

Smokey says "Hm...I'm not sure how to get down from this thing so here we goooo!"



Lastly, I had the opportunity to do an article for Horse Illustrated (http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-magazines/horse-illustrated/horse-table-of-contents/horse-illustrated-2012-june.aspx) in a section called "Horse Tales".  My good friend, Holly, is the Senior Associate Editor of the magazine, and the article took portions of this blog and put it into a little story.  Check it out!  I have had friends from all over the place contacting me because they saw the article, so that was pretty special. 

So, to sum everything up....I'm back to riding, my legs are going to be really sore all week, and I see a lot of trotting in our near future.  Boy, have I missed this!!

PS-I want to thank everyone at Bittersweet Acres for being super suportive of me, Krista for keeping me laughing when I wanted to cry, and of course, Miss Lacy, who is just awesome.  Love you all bunches!!

My Derby Wrap-Up

I'm sitting here watching the pre-Derby action and it occurred to me that I should blog while the action is taking place.  I have been watching all the coverage on TV all day, and I always wish I was able to watch from Churchill Downs Millionaires Row some day...what are the odds of that happening?!  Hey, a girl can dream, right?

So here are my random pros and cons as we wait for the race to begin:

Pro:  Bob Baffert.  After his heart attack in Dubai this year, he has a new lease on life, and although in the past I haven't cared much for his "better than you" attitude, I honestly got a little teary when he talked about his son Bode.  Go Bodemeister.

Con:  Hansen's trainer, Dr. Hansen.  I don't think anyone should follow his lead and bet on horses to pay for med school.  And don't act like a little child when your trainer makes the smart decision and dyes your horse's tail back to its original color in order to keep your horse in the race!  Drama queen.

Pro:  Union Rags.  Yes, I picked another horse, but Union Rags is adorable.  Love Michael Matz too (mostly because of his eventing background).  Although

Pro:  Laffit Pincay III.  Isn't he a cutie?  Yeah...I like that.

Pro:  John Calipari calling Riders' Up!!  Awesome!

Con:  Donna Brothers' horse.  I don't like him this year.  Usually she is on something cute, but the grey she was on wasn't appealing to me at all.

Con:  The silks on Litte Mike's jockey, Joe Bravo.  You look like Tony the Tiger on Kellogg's Frosted Flakes.  Fashion Fail. 

Their GRRREEAAT!

Pro:  Gary Stevens.  He's so hot.  That is all.

Con Again:  Dr. Hansen....you and your harem of women are weird and disgusting.  What are you, a pimp with your Ho's?

My Derby Pick-Undefeated Gemologist!

The track is fast and the field of 20 are ready!! 

And, the winner of the 138th Kentucky Derby is......


I'll Have Another with Mario Gutierrez.  From the 19th Post Position! 

Go Doug O'Neill.  It was hilarious watching how excited he was about his horse.  I love a long shot!

And speaking of having another (and I don't mean cookies), I'm off to have a few with some friends!  Great Race!!

Now, where were we?

Hello everyone!  It has been a few weeks since I have blogged, but only because I have been super busy with work.  I have a lot of exciting things to tell you about, and I'm going to try and keep it short and in some sort of orderly fashion...so let's see what happens.

Quiz Answer
In my last blog, I gave you a hint on something very exciting that was supposed to happen with Smokey and a certain professional 3-Day Event rider.  But due to the need for Mother Nature to blow up a big snow storm on the East Coast and Smokey's back problems (more about that later), it didn't get to happen.  Those of you who guessed Allison Springer were correct!!  I know, I know...that would have been super cool.  It just wouldn't have been fair for Smokey to get evaluated for his potential without being 100%. 

Cool Stuff I Get To Do And Call It Work!
As you may or may not know, I have been working as the Performance Horse Nutritionist at Buckeye Nutrition (Mars horsecare us, inc.) for about a year and a half.  I love my job and I love helping people feed their horses better.  Last year in September, I had the opportunity to sit down with Allison Springer about working with Buckeye Nutrition and she is now sponsored by the company. 

Allison & Destination Known, AEC's 2011

Of course, we knew that the Rolex KY 3-Day Event held each year here in Lexington would be a big event for Allison.  It is the only 4 Star International Event that takes place in the US, and this year, it happens to be an Olympic qualifier.  Allison was coming off of a win in the Advanced Division at Red Hills with her Irish Draught Horse, Arthur, and Rolex was going to be key to her chances at making the team.  My "team" (Amber and Sara) joined me for the entire Rolex weekend to serve as the official Buckeye cheerleaders for Allison & Arthur.  And what a weekend it was!  Those of you eventing fans probably saw the results, but Allison & Arthur ended up 2nd overall (only to William Fox Pitt of England), received the Pinnacle Cup from the USET Foundation for highest placed American Rider, and most important to us, Best Conditioned Horse!!!  Now, there are many factors that go into the conditioning of a horse, and one of the factors is GREAT NUTRITION...shameless plug for our products will now commence.  Check him out!!

Alright...so, besides being super excited for Allison, and crying about 3 times that weekend because I was so happy for her, we did get to do some pretty special things, like meeting Arthur!! 

The Superstar!!  Arthur, Grace (Arthur's groom) and me!

I was giving Arthur a little pep talk about cross country...I'm sure it made all the difference!

It was a wonderful weekend for everyone, and I have my fingers' crossed that she is chosen to represent the USA for the Eventing Team this summer.  This is a really special pair-Allison bought Arthur when he was 5 years old and brought him up through the levels, so they are truly a team. 

To top off that wonderful weekend, I then HAD to travel to Middleburg, Virginia to check up on some pretty special horses this past week-the Mars horses.  Talk about an awesome place!  It's like the summer home for all eventers in this cute little quaint town (Upperville and The Plains as well).  The coolest thing Amber and I got to do was to check up on retired Upper Level guys, and I think we counted 5 Olympic medals between the 4 horses in one field!  Am I the luckiest girl or what??

Last, but not least, the official Smokey update
So, when I last blogged, Smokey was getting ready for a massage with Michele for his sore back.  After that, he didn't show any improvement in his comfort level, so I had Dr. Cook from Woodford Equine take a look at him.  He was basically in agreement that his muscles over his topline and hindquarters were really tight, and prescribed a bit of stall rest and muscle relaxers.  I bought him a Jolly Ball in case he got bored, but had no idea if he would play with it or not.  Well....this picture says it all!

Hehe, I threw my Jolly Ball out of the window!!

I guess that is how he feels about stall rest!  Don't worry, there wasn't any glass on the window originally.  He is much better after those few days of R&R, and should be back to work next week.  However, now Texas has caught the "sore back" issue, at least I think that is what is ailing her at the moment.  It must be contagious!  Her and her mom, Krista, had a very successful show last weekend at Lakeside Arena, and I cannot tell you how proud I am of those 2.  They have come so far since first showing and it is just fun watching them work together. 

Texas and the Texan!

Right now, there isn't anything on the schedule in terms of shows, and I'm okay with that for now.  I'm anxious to get back to riding and hopefully will be able to do so by the end of May.  Yes, this is later than I originally planned (and I did argue with my doctor about this), but after seeing the x-ray for myself, I agreed that it still needed time to heal.  So, 3 more weeks of "stall rest" for me. 

Next big thing for Smokey-some cross country schooling!!

The Kentucky Derby
Happy Derby Day tomorrow!!  Who is your Derby pick?  I love LOVE Tiznow, and I have to go with his son, Gemologist.