Friday, July 31, 2009

Dressage at Devon

So I've entered 1 class at Dressage At Devon.

One class has costed me $597.24.
Hotel: $192.24
Stall: $135.00
HandlerFee: $150
Entry Fee: $45
USEF Fees: $75

I'm going to be so poor in September. But at least it's an experience. She's only showing in the ApSHA Breed Class. There is a $500 for first place. So I'll almost break even. If I can sucker my friends to go and help me out with the hotel bill, yeah I'll break even. Woop woop.

The handler's fee might be less. It's actually $75 + his expenses.

I'm going to use Bruce Griffin. I can save money, but it's Devon. My rear end ain't tripping at Devon. haha.

It'll be an experience.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Clinics and Lessons

So our barn is hosting it's own clinic Aug. 15th. Of course I'll be out of town. But my friend suggested I find a friend to ride Lilly in it. Sometimes it helps to see someone else ride your pony. So I'm going to see if my friend Annie wants to ride in the clinic. She's more of a western rider, but I'll see if I can talk her into it. She's been riding Lilly a bit because her mare got injured.

Vada/Nova is having a clinic Oct. 10th with Pascal Martin. Hopefully I get my name on the list. It'd be interesting, I've heard good things about him.

I need to start back lessons up with my trainer Kelly Weatherhead. But I've trying to conserve my money. Need to look at my finances maybe I can squeeze a lesson in. That is if it's not a gizzillion degrees this weekend.

I hate the heat. But I need to be consistent.

Monday, July 27, 2009

Saddle Searching

So right now my next transition from hunters to dressage is finding a dressage saddle. Of course Dover Saddlery had a huge tack sale last weekend, but unfortunately I went on vacation the previous weekend and had no money.

Not that I really had the funds to really blow on the saddle at the moment either. I hope to get a brand new saddle sometime in October/November.

My friend Karen at the barn just got a new Stubben. She needs to sell her two Country saddles. She asked if I was interested. Of course, but I wasn't getting my hopes up. Karen's a bit shorter than me and her butt isn't as large.

It fit Lilly beautiful. Me not so much. :( I needed another inch and I would be rocking.

I plan to go by Champion Saddlery next weekend, see what they have in stock. Hopefully they have some decent used ones. Or see how much trade-in value my Pessoa GenX has.

Saddle Shopping is exciting but trying at the same time.

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Beginning


So I decided to get on the bangwagon of blogging. I blog on livejournal, but that's more of my personal journal.


I have a 6yo Appaloosa mare named Revs Go Go Dancer. Her barn name is Lilly, though sometimes we call her more colorful things, when she's being Miss Evil Appy.


I've owned her since April 2005 officially. I started making payments on her in 2004. I was on a college budget and already had one horse. For whatever stupid reason I believed I could buy another horse. I sold him to a lovely teenage girl who loved him until the end of his days.


I wanted to show hunters with Lilly, without even knowing if she had any jumping ability. Eventually we learned that she was a beautiful hunter. She rounds her back, snaps up her knees, and is just a perfect hunter.


But me and her together just proved to be disasterous. My bad habit of jumping ahead with her unsureness about fences, just resulted in too many spills. Eventually I got scared.


What to do?


Sell her?


I've always loved dressage. So I was like what the heck. I used the local dressage series as a way to get her out and about. So she's shown dressage in Intro levels.


So after our barn's dressage show I talked to the judge, Jan Garlitz. I asked her how far she think Lilly could go. She said she had potential to go to 1st or 2nd level dressage.


So 2009 rolled around and I started showing in dressage. It's been a learning experience. She's young and green and sometimes the shadows hold scary things. Then it's also me, being super hunter rider. It's amazing how different hunters ride. I rode in my friend's Stubben Maestro and I felt so odd.


So this is our journey.