Good Advice

I've never been the type to be all "I can do this all by myself, I don't need anyone's help" type of person. So, I seek help and advice from all areas.

In the sport of Eventing, I have found one of the best places to look is the Chronicle of the Horse Forums.  It's a bunch of people all trying to do the same stuff I'm trying to do (or have been there, done that) and have lots of tips and tricks.  So, recently, I posted the following in the Eventing Forum:

So, I am moving up to Beginner Novice this year and am kind of a wimp about Stadium (and certain things on XC like Tables). When you first made the move from Maiden to Beginner Novice, what did you wish someone told you? What surprised you? Was it really a big jump up from Maiden or was it no sweat? Did your horse even notice?

I'd love to hear your stories about when you moved up to BN and any advice you might give to an adult riding a pony (who is super bold, luckily) going out on their first BN Horse Trial together.

Thanks!

And I received lots of great advice.  Don't walk right up to the fence if it's going to wig you out, because the horse sees it how you see it approx 15' away.  Walk the bigger levels first so your jumps don't look so scary.  Go ride a 2'6"/2'9" course at a hunter show. Lots of this advice, I'll be taking to heart... but below was by far the best I received and I wanted to share with everyone from xctrygirl aka Emily:

Ok different approach here. I will mention what happened my first Intermediate. (I know... not the same... but it is)

I was scared out of my gourd. I had schooled tons, both horse and I are well prepared yadda yadda. As we all know when the vest, pinny and watch are on and you're in the warm up, lots of nerves can be overwhelming. I looked over in the warmup and saw Bruce D. Now I had purchased a nice horse from him, I had done clinics with him, we're event-friendly. I walked up and flat said "Bruce I am scared... this is my first Int. Please give me some good advice."

He nodded and did not laugh at my pithiness. He smiled and said "Ok Emily. Keep one leg on each side of the horse."

Really.

It is that simple. When you're ready at the heart of the ride all you have to do is keep one leg on each side of the horse. Sure there are 5 million things whirring in your head at any one moment, heels down, eyes up, hands low, not too fast, bend in the turns, remember not to yank his teeth and so on.

But I have found great success by accepting my imperfections, nerves and rider errors and sticking to don't get lost, and keep one leg on each side.

Bottom line, we are all nervous in some way. Be it our first event, a new level, a new horse, a new trainer watching us at a show for the first time, a course you've had bad luck at... and it goes on. Do not make yourself feel like an outsider for emotions that in fact make you a true eventer. Nerves are a vital piece of the pie and you'll know when you are ready to move up when you feel less or no nerves at the level you have been competing at.

I know BN isn't that big to me, but I get it is to you. ENJOY that feeling of seeing a "big" BN table. Don't negate it. Because when you soar over it, your pride in yourself will blossom. You're only a new BN rider for a bit. And then it's old hat. Enjoy this time and let yourself believe that you can do it, even if you have to rally your heart to kick for a long spot to the biggest fence on course. (Note, do not do this at INT without a very nice horse!!! :-)

We want a full report. We want pics and most of all we want for you to be grinning afterwards with all the new things you learned about your horse and yourself.

We've all been there.

~Emily

Taking the Plunge: The (beginning of) the Road to Beginner Novice

They say a goal is just a pipe dream until you write it down.  And 5 years ago when I plucked Nova out of a field with all his semi-feral Haflinger brethren, I thought that he might be my Beginner Novice (or better) Event horse pony. That was a pipe dream which I have been slowly but surely chasing for half a decade.  

So, after having moved to Thalia Farm and riding with my new friends some of whom are now competing at Novice level, it was just the push I needed to make my pipe dream of Beginner Novice into a reality.  You may wonder what has been holding me back all these years. And here is the short list of things we now have that allow us to proceed:

1. We have a canter, and we can make 20 meter circles with it.  Yay!
2. We have banks, ditches, water, drops.  Nova a.k.a. Mellow Yellow does not blink an eye at the woodland obstacles at all.
3. We have won at Maiden semi-repeatedly.
4. Nova now knows his job and carries his often discombobulated pilot through hill and dale and doesn't complain.
5. We have someone to help aforementioned pilot with dreaded Stadium (more on this in a moment).

Here are the things we need:

1. Someone to help us with dreaded Stadium... check.
2. Jump confidently and consistently at 2'7" and above... in progress/trending green (green is good for the non-project manager that might be reading this).
3. Get my shoulders back so that we can accomplish #2... in progress
4. Develop a plan for the move up... check!

So- who is this wonderful human that is helping quite literally catapult us over BN?  The lovely Becca Macanas, that is... We have this plan where we are trading out lessons (me helping her in the dressage, and her helping me over fences).  So far it's been quite awesome.  I really enjoy helping her in the flatwork because it makes me think my flatwork through a bit more than normal, and she is someone who's been to the chicken house when it comes to jumping and pulled herself out of it so she knows the terror that I face cantering towards these jumps that seem somewhat massive (okay everything is massive in comparison to Tadpole and Maiden). (Okay just in my brain. We are only talking a 4" difference! sheesh!)

We both are pretty hard on ourselves and have a healthy dose of self deprecation.  I like to think we help keep our nerves, successes and non-successes (not failures! see I'm trying...) in perspective with a little whoop ass and understanding to help usher us along. 

So this weekend was a winner on the road to BN (which is happening this May at a Schooling Horse Trial Near You). Becca had a epic show on one of the boarder's horses, had great scores in the dressage and I was so proud of her, I wept. Seriously.

And, I found out that I can keep my shoulders back and ride like a real person through a 2'6"/2'9" gymnastic.  Also, Nova can jump 2'11" (with me on his back).  So it was a great ride and I'm looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish this year.