Does anyone read this anymore!!??

Me and the lovely ladies at the barn:

Karen, Courtney and Monica

The long walk down the aisle

Night check after a night on the town!

I can't believe it has been so long since I last posted anything on my blog! My last heading was "over the six month hump" and now I have made it over the ONE YEAR hump!! Amazing how time flies!! I can't believe that I have already been here a year! I remember when I origionally signed on to this endeavor and feeling like a year was SO long but really it hasn't felt AS long as I had anticipated it would feel.

Let's see... lots has happened since my last entry. I came home for a visit at the end of July, which was glorious! For some reason I had it in my head that my two weeks at home this summer was going to be my last two weeks alive. Maybe it was because of the freedom and not working 60 hrs/wk. I don't know but I lived it up. Spent a lot of time running around between Port Townsend, Seattle and Vashon and tried to see as many people and do as much as my time and energy would allow. It was hard because there were a lot of you at home that I really didn't get to spend as much quality time with as I would have liked but the clock was ticking and it went by so fast! I was surprised at how it took me a week to sort of unwind. I felt a bit edgy and go go go which is more of the pace that I have adjusted to in Florida. It was weird but it really wasn't until the second week that I was really able to relax and go with the flow. All is all it went quick, too quick and with all the activites that I had packed in on my vacation I was actually ready to get back to Florida, which felt good. I was afraid that I wasn't going to want to leave WA and would be all torn up inside and have to go through the pains of missing home but it wasn't so bad.

Lars and Melissa decided to take me as a groom to a CDI in Saugerties, NY and to Dressage at Devon in PA. We were on the road for three weeks and stayed at a lovely barn in Brewster, NY for the down week in between the two shows. It was pretty cool to go and see first hand what goes on behind the scenes for a big training/sales barn at competitions. None the less, I have come the the realization that I am a shit show groom :) Not really, I tried to do my best but I was born to ride! After watching all of that riding all I wanted to do was some of it myself! But I am sure that it rubbed off a little in my attitude :( Again, I was glad to get back to Florida and see my dog, my horse and get IN that saddle! After absorbing all of that stuff at the shows I really was in full force when I got home and felt like I was riding better than ever! As someone said, I didn't miss a beat!

Lars and Melissa and a handful of clients went on a huge horse shopping trip in Europe for a week at the end of October. They went to Blue Hors in Denmark, Klimke's barn in Germany and PSI in Holland and after looking at something like 150 horses have selected a handful of their choice. I can't wait to see what they bring back, at this point most of the horses are in the vetting process so it's still up in the air but it's very exciting! The coolest thing for me was that while they were away they had me ride most of the horses that they wanted to keep going. Lars wanted eight horses to keep working for the week they were gone and the rest off. He wanted me to ride six of the eight! This was a tremendous honor and very flattering that he respected and trusted me enough. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. His last words to me before he left were, "Take care of my horses," in a very serious voice. But thankfully everything went well while they were away and I got a good "Lars is inspired after his Europe trip" butt kicking when he got back! It was great!!!

Right now things at the barn are running pretty smoothly. Lars is clinicing every weekend up to season and we are busy getting the farm prepped and looking it's best! It kind of feels like the calm before the storm right now but at least this year I know a bit more of what to expect. We are supposed to have even more horses this season than last year! That's all for now :)

Over the 6 month hump!

When the weather's tropical sometimes you have to sport many different types of fashion! Obviously it was raining very hard and I was the only one brave (or stupid) enough to volunteer to close the stall shutters!

So I have officially made it over the six month hump. Part of me feels like I have been here much longer and another part of me feels like it hasn't been that long at all. It's sort of a surreal feeling. My life has become completely routine. It took some adjusting and getting used to but now I almost find comfort within the routine. You pretty much know what to expect and what is expected of you. There usually aren't any big surprises and my work is starting to feel like home to me. I enjoy what I do and I love it here! In a lot of ways it has turned out better than I could have hoped. I really did move down here on a whim and it could have turned out much worse. I like working hard and I love being with the horses. I feel very lucky to be under Lars' tutelage and to ride so many high quality horses, I really couldn't ask for anything more!

This week was our first full week of normalcy since their return from their two week road trip. I was excited for their return. I busted my butt to do the best job possible while they were away and it paid off! When Lars rode my first horse he told me that I had done a really good job with the horse and that the it felt much better. He said that he was very happy with the job I had done with all my horses! It really doesn't get any better than that!! Coming from that man, who doesn't give away compliments for anything, really meant a lot to me. It refueled me and felt so good to be rewarded for my hard work and effort! I have been here long enough now that I am learning their style and how they like to have their horses ridden. While they were away I was able to sort of put my spin on it and really felt like I was riding my personal best! I really ran with all the information I have been given.

I am so thankful for the background I have in dressage. It wouldn't be possible for me to be doing as well as I am without my roots and knowing what I knew before I came here. I can't honestly say that I have really learned any "new" concepts. Maybe here there is a different means to the end but there are many roads to Rome. The biggest difference is that I am riding better quality horses with more training. Ultimately, the horses have been my teachers. Feeling their improvement through Lars' riding and having Lars help me with them has given me so many good feels and "ah ha" moments. I know that I have gotten stronger in my seat and clearer in my asking of the horse. Which ultimately means that I have gotten quicker and more clear. I feel like I have gotten better and more courageous at taking the horse to their wall. You can feel it on every horse, where their limit is. Where they're happy to be and where they don't want to go. I have heard from many trainers about taking the horse to their wall and pushing against it a little and then backing off and then pushing against a little again and then taking the pressure off again and so on. Kind of like molding clay. I think that I have gotten better at this because I have gotten stronger and because I am more clear in my feel and in my mind of what I want. I still feel like there's a long way to go because the more I improve the more that I see is possible. :)

Another thing that I am grateful for is all that I gained out of my experience in pony club as a child! It is something that I think I had taken for granted but I was thinking the other day about all that I have learned from this excellent organization! I think some of the key things that I got from pony club was how to bandage properly, an introduction to lunging safely and learning about diseases and lameness. Not to mention the discipline it takes to exercise and execute proper stable management, good horsemanship and team work! Developing these skills at a young age has really molded and shaped the horse person that I am today and it dawned on me just how much I really got out of being a pony clubber!

FINALLY!!! Some pics of Vioen

Vioen and I posing for the camera!

Vioen and I working in the arena this winter.

She's wondering if anyone's got a treat?

Deb,

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to own such a fabulous mare!!! I can't wait for our future together!

Keep your eyes peeled for the upcoming USDF Connections issue where they will be displaying USDF Certified Instructor Profile Updates.

Two Weeks Can Be a Long Time!

The Indoor didn't fare to well in the last storm, rain was blowing sideways!

Hello All!

Well everything's going great here. We have slowly settled back into the "out of season" routine. At the moment Lars, Melissa, Caroline (her dad and Lars are partners in the sales horses of Global Dressage) and Tayna (barn manager/head groom) are all on the road. The left Tuesday the 19th at about 11:00 pm headed for a show in Kentucky and from there they were headed to Raleigh in North Carolina for a CDI. They took eight horses with them which left me and one other person with six horses each to take care of. It is amazing how much work it is to ride and handwalk six horses! Right now I usually get done by 6:00 pm but there have been several days where I don't get finished with work until 6:30 or 7:00. We aren't able to take days off while they are away which will mean that I will have worked at least 21 days straight with no days off! Honestly, I'm not complaining but maybe I want you all to feel a little sorry for me :) No, Just kidding... In a way it has been nice having the barn and arena to myself (almost). I can set my own routine and I am getting to ride some really nice horses! I thoroughly enjoy being able to sit on horses that have been trained by Lars! They are all of very nice quality and it has been a lot of fun to play around with them in the arena. I feel like I am getting stronger and stronger and quicker and quicker with the timing of my aids. I also feel like I am getting a better feel of collection and the balance and impulsion that collection requires. Ultimately, the horses are my teachers. They should be home by the 1st or 2nd and I'm looking forward to them getting back. It's a little to quiet and I need to get yelled at by Lars some more! When I'm riding the horses I can hear him in my mind but it's just not the same.

The weather is really starting to change here in Florida! There have been incredible thunder and lightning storms everyday for over a week now! It has taken some getting used to let me tell you! The weather in unpredictable and I have to keep reminding myself that getting hit my lightning kills people! It's almost impossible to get anything done when the storms hit other than get things out of the rain! You usually can hear the boom boom of thunder in the distance and see a black wall coming your way but the tricky part is that you never know exaclty when it's going to hit you or how long. Last week we had a storm hit us that the local news was calling a tropical storm that lasted for three hours! When the storm is on us it literally sounds like a sonic boom. It's totally crazy! Max hates it! He's almost to the point that everytime it rains or the wind picks up he starts shaking in anticipation of the thunder. He really gets freaked out by it and I have had to buy him some herbal calming drops and treats because I don't think it's good for him to be tranq-ed everyday :( But I think he's getting a bit used to it as well. He's learning to trust that when it's gone it's gone and he can carry on enjoying his day.

Vioen is doing super. I am still struggling getting to ride her as much as I would like or as is needed to really get her stronger but I am just going to have to accept that it's going to be like that in a working student situation. Nonetheless she getting better muscling and more and more rideable. I am really happy with where she's at right now. I am starting to focus more on her balance through doing lots of transitions and increasing the difficulty in the lateral movements. She seems to always be proud of herself after every ride but doesn't hesitate to tell me that she thinks it's a bit hard sometimes :)

I have to go now because I am very tired, doing night check every other night sucks! Tonight's my night. I took some videos on my camera of the weather but my computer doesn't recognize the files :( Will see if I can get those uploaded at some point. Hoe everyone at home is well. I am planning to come home for a quick visit in July/Aug. Feel free to ask me any questions on here if there's anything you would like to know about my experiences so far :)

Bitter Sweet...

The infamous road we hand walk the horses down

Polo pony pastures boarder both sides of the road

This is Jack or Jacleen or what I named our little friend rather :)

Max and I went for a joy ride with a friend in Wellington. So cool to see so many amazing barns!!! Elmo was the tour guide :)

Well as season has comed to an end you can definitely feel the days are much quiter and the work load is much less as was promised. On the flip side it's a bit lonely. My house mates have moved back home. Kim has gone back to Georgia and Chris (my surrogate mother who made sure I ate properly) has gone back to her family's farm in Canada. It's nice that the days are easier and that things are less hectic but I feel that the family I had created here is now gone and has left me a little melancholy. I find that it has been a series of constant adjustments. Adjusting to people leaving (four people total since I have been here) and having to train their replacements or simply just adjusting to not having as many people as you once had. It seems that in the past two weeks as things have slowed down we are all bit by bit settling into our new routine. But it doesn't feel the same for me without the friends that I could trust and rely on. Enough of my sob story :)

I have been riding quite a bit and it has been fun and I am learing a lot. Lars and Melissa are always pushing me to push myself and the horse. There is no slacking in that arena! So it has been good for me to dig deeper and deeper to improve myself and the horses that I'm riding. I find it's a bit tricky because it's not like I am in the arena all day long doing nothing but riding. There is a lot more to my day and there are some days where I am just plain worn out and don't have the energy and mental focus that riding sometimes requires but even so I have to step up which is why I'm here. I am definitely seeing and learing the discipline and hard work it takes to ride upper level dressage and make upper level dressage horses. So that makes me happy and the long days/no life worth it.

Florida oh Florida. Florida is a neat place. It is almost magical in a way. There is a sort of tranquility about it. Must be because it is so tropical. There are bugs, birds and lizards here that I have never seen before! The other day when I was hand walking a horse I saw this beautiful yellow butterfly and then in the next instant the horse and I were being accousted my two huge deer flies! There is also a duck couple that have babies (was four now only two) that hang out on the property. They are very pretty and have stricking colors and marking of orange and yellow around their faces. The alligators have seemingly relocated for the time being which is good. I suspect that maybe they have gone elsewhere where there isn't so much activity since most of the barns have cleared out for the season.

The weather is starting to change. It is getting hotter and more humid and the bugs are starting to come out! Vioen HATES and I mean HATES the flies. She flips her head in her stall everytime one lands on her mozzle and looks like she's having some sort of an attack. I feel bad for her :( But thanks to my dad and Shelley they are sending me one of those fly masks that have the flap that goes down over the front of the face. Don't worry, as I was enjoying the warmth and sunshine this winter, I will be equally miserable this summer. I hear that there are zillions of bugs and mosquitoes and that in the heart of summer it pours rain every afternoon and the land just fills with water. And of course, there's hurricane season. Not looking forward to that!

Vioen is doing well. She is starting to develop more muscle over her neck and haunches. I still haven't been able to get into as much of a routine as I would like with her but Lars told me two days ago that I need to start getting serious with her. LOL! Ok, well I guess that's the bosses orders! But she's happy and coming along and just needs a little more consistency to develop her strength and fitness and then she'll be ready for more serious work.

That's all for now! Hope that you all are well!!!

Relocating Where I Sleep...

I have just finished moving a majority of my things from the house into the appartment. At this rate I have moved at an average of every two months (I'm not complaining but maybe whining a little). I so enjoyed living in the house because on my day off I could lounge around and not feel like I was still in the barn (the apartment is above the barn) but on the flip side I didn't have internet access whereas in the appartment I do. (I think that was what you call a run on sentence). Anyhow the house was a bit lonely because everyone has moved back home for the summer and so it was feeling a little empty and sad being in there alone excluding Max-i-poo. So at the end of the day it is probably better but I was a little pissy when I was told I had to move again! I don't know how I manage to have SO much stuff but at the same time it all fit in the car :) For some reason that feels freeing. Not quite sure why?

Rain, rain go away!

Florida has the most amazing thunder and lightning storms. Yesterday late afternoon was one of the most fierce. You can feel it coming. There's a blackness in the sky that is lurking it's way towards you and at that point you feel this sudden urgency to get the horses in from the paddocks, close the shutters on the stall windows and make sure that there are no horses on the treadmill. You know that the storm is upon you when temperature drops and then suddenly the loudest thunder hits with amazing lightning bolts! The thunder is so loud it almost sounds as if the sky is splitting in half then within an instant the skies literally open up and it rains like you would not believe. It completely dumps down rain. The rains in Florida remind me of the tropics of Costa Rica. It rains so heavy and so hard that the earth cannot take it all in and it doesn't settle. The ground just fills with water.
Last week after my quick little lay out time at the beach I could see the black sky coming my way so I decided it was time to head out. Once I got in my car and started heading home it rained SO hard, I could hardly see the road. Traffic slowed to about 20 mph, I had my windshield wipers on full blast and was struggling to see road signs and the lines on the road. There was at least 6 in. of water on the road. When trying to make my way through the angry storm there was water splashing up along the sides of my car from the river that was forming on the road.
I went to Miami for St. Paddies Day and there was a similar rain storm. Maiken (working student from Denmark) and I were in a club dancing the night away with no care in the world except the rhythm of the music. When it was time for everyone to leave there was a huge line at the door and we couldn't understand why people weren't exiting. The night was over and it was time for us all to go home. Maiken and I pushed our way through the crowd to get closer to the door and then understood why there was a crowd at the door. There we saw the monstrous rain coming down outside. Well we weren't going to just stand there and wait for it to settle down! So we pushed our way through the double doors and went out into the rain. For some reason at the time is seemed like a good idea and I have to say that it was an adventure but completely insane! There was so much water that it was flowing onto the sidewalks! I was literally wading through water and we had several blocks to go before we got to our final destination! I just kept telling Maiken that I couldn't believe the rain, it was unreal and we were laughing our heads off in disbelief! There were cars trying to drive through the force of mother nature and water was up to the bottom of the cars! When we finally got to the hostel we were completely soaked and I mean completely! I felt like a drowned rat and am pretty sure that we were a sight to be seen. Our hair was completely wet, we had make-up running down our faces and our clothes were sticking to us like wet noodles! Completely crazy! The bazaar thing is that it isn't cold just very very wet! The next day I found a leaf in my shoe that must have gotten in there from treading through the water.
Usually what happens is these tropical storms come through with an incredible force and they do their thing then when it's all done the sun shines again and it's blue skies again. It becomes calm the birds begin to sing and it's like nothing ever happened. Blows me away a bit. Although yesterday the blue skies did not return and it drizzled a bit for the rest of the evening and into the night. It is bazaar to me because it's gray and wet yet warm. Coming from the northwest one would expect it to be cold out by the sights of it but I was sweating under my jacket. At about 2:00am this morning (I'm guessing what time it was) there was another thunder storm and I woke to the sound of it raining outside this morning. I have to say that it was kind of comforting. Reminded me of home.

Pics and More...

Here we are riding in the arena. That's Neve on a 3yo going across the diagonal, Chris (client from Canada) on her Grand Prix horse and Vioen and me in the corner!

Beautiful West Palm Beach. My favorite place to go on my day off!

Florida has the most amazing sun sets and even more spectacular sun rises!!!

Usually what we spend our time doing after work, that's Kim to the left. Definitley living the bachelorette life!

Auntie Suzanne took this pic of me on her visit in January.

Hello All!

I am writing you from a Star Bucks, can't believe that you have to PAY to use the Internet here! :) Things have been going well since I last wrote. Busy and exhausting. I am just not used to not being in control of my own schedule and I am still adjusting to the fact that I can't say, I'm tired, worn out, burned out and need to take the weekend off! :) But it's good for me. Building character I suppose. I kind of feel like it's my life's version of the military. My mom reminded me today when I spoke to her that I am getting more out of the experience than I can even realize at this moment because I am in the middle of the experience as we speak. I know that this will be something that I will look back on and really appreciate how much I've had to grow and how strong I have had to be. Above and beyond the riding and "horse experience" this really has been a personal growing experience. It really isn't easy being so far away from home, friends, familiarity and the comfort of your support system. Even though I know that you all aren't right here next to me, I know that I can always pick up the phone and make a call to get the reassurance that there are people who do genuinely care about me and who want the best for me. I am hoping to get to come home for a visit in June. I have to talk to Melissa and am hoping that I can make it work out. I honestly don't know what I'll do if I can't come back for a bit of a break and also relaxing/rejuvenating visit. I can't see why it would be a problem but for some reason I am apprehensive about asking and of course I will have to figure what arrangements will need to be made for Vioen.

Vioen... She's doing really well. I gave her some time off, a couple of weeks. Work got crazy and for some reason I felt guilty about working her when I knew there was so much to be done. Vioen needed a bit of a break too though. I think that she was a little burned out and she went from a 6 month rehab from the surgery to shipping across the country and then going directly into a full 6 day a week work routine. She had a bit of an opinion about that which is completely understandable, poor girl. I have managed to somehow get myself off of Melissa's list for the day so there's no pressure to have to drill her in the ring. So now it's just Vioen and I and we are having a great time going at our own pace and having fun. I have made a training schedule for her and we both really enjoy mixing it up. We'll do a day or two in the arena followed by trot poles and hill work in the field followed by a double lining session then I'll talk walk her for a break. It goes something like that but I try to mix it up and listen to her and how her body is feeling so that I'm not always pushing her and then she gets sore and then pushed some more. I was planning on taking her to a show today to school her. She has never been to a show and I wanted to take her over in the morning and hand graze her and just hang out. Then the plan was to let her eat some lunch and take her back in the afternoon to ride her. Last night after work I spent some time cleaning her up. I was brushing her tail (yes, her tail! It's down to her fetlocks now!) and thinking that I am really starting to fall in love with this horse! You know it really has turned in to our adventure that we are doing together. I am so glad that I have her here with me! It's hard being in this business, I find myself trying to not get to attached to these animals because you just never know but I am glad to say that Vioen and I are really bonding and she's my girl. Not to mention that she is going to have a gorgeous tail!! She has the most beautiful dark red almost purple long strands that are mixed with golden high lights. I can't wait until it completely grows and fills out. If it's anything like her mane it will be super thick!

Ahhh, season is almost at an end. Which will mean less shows, a lot less clients, less horses and I am hoping ultimately a lot less stress. In a lot of people's minds the season ends April 1st but there are still a few shows in April and all of Lars' clients will be staying until the end of the month. I can see that Lars is getting very tired. That man works so incredibly hard! He said once that to get to the top of this sport takes an incredible amount of discipline. Let me tell you that man is VERY disciplined! He is out there every morning dragging the arena at 6am. Sometimes I think he must be crazy. (which I think he might be!) But he is very driven and I can tell that he's worn out. He keeps saying, only a couple more weeks, only a couple more weeks of these long days, etc. But I suppose it's better to busy up to your eye balls then struggling to fill your barn. He's definitely a popular trainer and very well respected here in Florida. I am still riding a lot but as soon as things start to slow down I want to start pushing for my end of the bargain, LESSONS! One on one time with the man! Part of me is very empathetic and understands that now he is burned out and exhausted BUT you can bet that as soon as the schedule isn't so full I am going to toot my little horn and start pushing to get some help. My goal at this point is to get 1 lesson a week on Vioen and 1 lesson a week on one of their horses. I think to start off 1 lesson a week will be max. for miss Vioen-y. She still is very weak and needs to get in better shape and I know that he is going to push her out of her comfort zone, and mine too! :) In addition I came here to get more upper level riding experience! So that's my plan and I can't see any reason why it won't work out. I have heard that he's done by 2pm on the off season so I know that there will be plenty of time and I also get the inkling that Lars really likes me because I am a hard worker and it is clear that I am here to learn. Unfortunately Lars and Succes didn't qualify for the World Cup. He was the first alternate for the North American League and he didn't want to put the wear and tear on Succes to try to get him to peak in time for the World Cup if meant banking on the fact that another horse would go lame. I know that he was disappointed although he would never admit it but he busted his butt to try to get the scores to qualify but the other riders are better mounted so what can you do. He's got another up and coming Grand Prix horse that he might try to qualify for the WEG next year but it isn't owned by him and that sort of stuff can be a little tricky but fingers crossed it will work out for him. He deserves it with how hard he works.

The weather... ummm it's been getting hot! You can start to feel that summer is upon us and I can honestly say that I am afraid! I can see that in August I will be whining and complaining about how hot and muggy it is. While I was basking in the rays of sun this winter when you all were dealing with the rain, snow, rain, snow, etc I know that it will be a trade off this summer. The good news is that I will have had some time to adjust to it and acclimate a bit. But I am still not looking forward to it! So far it's been nice, I am starting to get brown. Wait, let me re-phrase that, my arms are getting brown :) Still bound and determined to work on the rest of my body but it's a bit tricky b/c I don't think they will let me hand walk horses in my bikini :)

A lot of you have been asking about Max. He's good. He sleeps with me every night and I make him spoon with me! He moans and groans but does his duty of keeping my from feeling to lonely. He has made many friends both human and K-9 alike. He is very popular and definitely has the most energy of any of us at the barn. He likes to join me for my morning hand walks and for night check. Otherwise he mostly likes to hang out by or in the house during the day. I think it's his safety zone. You all remember how he was with my car. He'd rather be in my car at my dad's barn than anywhere else when I was busy teaching and such. Well the house is his new car. Chris one of my roommates at the house (pictured above) gives him lots of dog treats. Sometimes I think she's the "dog lady" because when she gets to the barn in the morning all of the dogs swarm her for the hope that they'll get a biscuit but Max is the most loyal (to her or the treats I'm not sure) and he will follow her around for a better part of the day and gets jealous if she gives another dog any attention. He's been good about staying away from the canal. Which is good because we've had about 5 alligators that have been hanging around and have been starting to get a little to comfortable. Two of them are about 6 ft long! So obviously the thought of an alligator eating my dog terrifies my and I have actually had night mares about it. So all in all Max has totally settled in and has been very obedient at showing off his tricks (only for food of course) when his mom asks him to.

I hope everyone at home is doing well, in good health and good spirits. I miss you all so much! When I have time to think, which isn't often, I get SOOOOOO homesick! Love you all!

P.S.

We are looking for another girl to join the Legacy Team ready to start asap. There was a girl who was supposed to start March 1st but there was troubles with getting a visa so if any of you know anyone please let me know! Thanks!!!

Finally!!!

Ahhh... Finally a moment to sit, relax and catch up.  It's my day off and I have been almost forced to take a moment and chill.  Green Bean, this is the name for out trusty 1987 emerald green Ford Explorer that has been responsible for transporting all of us girls when we need or want to go anywhere, has finally had enough.  She's in the shop in hopes of getting fixed but after dying twice both times within in 10 miles of home, I think that the car has had enough.  So on my cherished day off I have no choice but to stay home and do nothing.  All of us girls have an on going joke about needing to get out of the gates on our one day off.  It's almost a necessity.  Actually I would have to say that it is a necessity.  It helps to get away from the barn to regain some perspective and to go do something "normal".  

I think that it has been almost a month since I have last written and a lot has been happening since I last wrote: My mom visiting, Suzanne visiting, The Masters, going to Miami and all that has been going on here!  So I will try to start from the beginning.

VISITORS

In mid January I had the wonderful chance to see my mom.  It was a great visit but too short.  She coincided her trip of seeing me with attending the USDF FEI Trainer's Conference with Henk Van Bergen.  It worked out great because the Trainer's Conference was here in White Fences, literally around the corner from Legacy Farms.  I had an extra day off saved up from Christmas (we all got to choose which Holiday we wanted off, New Years or Christmas and I saved mine for when my mom came to visit).  The first day we just stayed here on the farm and both watched Lars ride and teach.  It was great for her to see the training style here, the horses and all that goes on at the barn.  On my second day off my mom, Max and I went to the beach.  It was a nice relaxing time, windy but warm.  We also drove around Wellington and checked out all of the big training barns.  You can drive down miles of roads and they are all lined with the most beautiful barns you could imagine.  Then the following two days she was at the clinic while I was working and we got to spend time together in the evenings.  It was so hard for me when she had to leave.  I was the most sad and homesick that I have been since I have been here.  I have to admit that I cried.  I found a little place to hide and choke back my tears until I could get myself together again to go back to work.  It was a bitter sweet visit.  I was glad for her to see where I am and what I'm doing.  Her last night here Lars and Melissa took us and all of the other girls that work here out for dinner.  Lars and Melissa really are good people and it was good for my mom to see how well they take care of us girls.  They are kind of like my aunt and uncle to me.  Always watching out for us.

I also got to see Suzanne Beaudoin from home.  She was here around the same time as my mom and stopped in for a quick visit.  She was here for a Hubertus Schmidt clinic and to spend some time with Betsy Steiner.  Again, it was great for Suzanne to see where I am and what I'm doing.  She was a huge support in helping me get down here and had tons of information about what the Florida scene was all about and things that I would need for me and my horse.  She was like a proud aunt and very happy for me and still as supportive as ever!

THE MASTERS

I had the fabulous opportunity to be here in Florida for the Masters.  This was a huge event and it was incredible to see some of the top horse and rider combos from around the world!  To be honest it felt a little like the Anky show.  She gave a clinic type demo on Friday displaying her teaching styles and techniques.  I found it interesting.  She honestly doesn't have any secret that unravels the mysterious of competitive dressage, or at least if she did she didn't share it with the audience.  :)  On Saturday she did a reining demo and to be blunt I got a little tired of her :)  I believe that she got payed a lot of money to participate in the competition and to give her time at the end of both days to give her demos.  I think this way it kind of put the show on the map and also gave it the recognition as a serious competition.  

On Saturday night we got general admission seats which is really a better place to watch because you are much closer to the arena and can see the horses and riders much better.  The two highlights for me were watching Steffan Peters ride and Lars' kur.  For me, Steffan Peters rides with such fluidity and softness with his horse that I find it really inspiring.  He and his horse are in harmony and unity and really it seems a seamless partnership.  He had some bobbles in his kur which was disappointing because I was really hoping for someone to beat Anky.  I know that this sounds vindictive but come on!  Am I the only one who is a bit tired of her winning everything!  She was on her 2nd string Grand Prix horse, Painted Black and I thought that Steffan stood a good chance.  He beet her on Friday, given she went off course twice I think.  Guess the new test threw everyone off a bit and she wasn't the only one who went off course.  Regardless, when I watched him ride I really felt that this is how dressage is supposed to look.  I also really enjoyed Lars' kur music.  It is great music and was a definite crowd pleaser.  Lars and Succes finished 6th.  I was proud to be associated with this team and to know that I am a small part of helping all of this happen behind the scenes.  Lars has recently changed his canter tour for his freestyle making it a bit less technically difficult so improve his scores.  The following weekend he rode his new freestyle at another CDI and took home the winning rides on both Friday and Saturday.

MIAMI

I went to Miami for the day to visit Leah.  For those of you who don't know Leah, she is one of my students from home.  Like a little sister to me.  I taught her riding lessons since she was eight years old and now she is 16!  She was here for her mid-winter break with her aunt and cousin and I was able to go see her while she was in Miami!  Miami is just under a two hour drive from where I'm at, depending on the traffic.  It is a very cool city.  She was staying in South Beach so I met up with her there.  We had lunch and then laid out on the beach.  It was great to feel like a normal person laying out and drinking cold beer.  Let me tell you, I am a whitey!  Everything but my arms and face.  It's the curse of being an equestrian!  :)  Once the sun started to go down we went up Ocean drive, where all the restaurants are bordering the beautiful beach and had appetizers and dessert.  Miami is a lot of fun and place that I would love to spend more time!

WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON HERE

I have been riding A LOT more!  It's been great.  I am getting in better and better shape.  Lars has been very generous with getting me on more horses and helping me out.  A few weeks ago I was tack walking Succes for him.  Succes was on a light work load just coming back from a show and Lars was just going to get on and do a little trot work to keep him loose but instead he had me take up the reins and do the trot work.  He wanted to see him go and wanted to see how he was looking after all the hard work after the Masters so he said, "why don't you pick up the reins and do a little trot."  I'm like, "ok?"  So off I went.  It was cool, he was asking me how he felt and we were comparing notes on how he looked and how he was feeling under saddle.  It was so cool.  Then he was like, "why don't you do a little passage, just for fun."  I was thinking, oh my!  So I sat the trot and asked for some passage.  Or what I thought was passage.  The horse got very cadenced and it felt to so cool, then Lars was like "come on, he's trained, just sit in and ride and he'll do it!"  Ok, so I thought he was passaging but apparently not so I got a little stronger in my seat asked for more behind and hello!  The horse clicked into a whole different gear!!!  It was the coolest feeling ever!  I dream of that floating cadence in a trot.  It is like this mysterious feeling that you can only imagine and what you are always searching for and it was out of this world to actually feel it to that level of power!

I have had the wonderful learning opportunity to start up a couple of the horses for Lars but it is evolving more into riding them a bit more with Lars helping me and a little less of just warming up their muscles and joints.  It has been amazing to feel the horse's improve each day and to learn what Lars wants through feeling these changes in the horse.  The other day I was cantering around and Lars told me to go across the diagonal and do a line of four tempis.  I told him that I had never done tempi changes before.  His reply was that there was a first time for everything and now was as good a time as any so off I went!  I got the fours the second try but couldn't quite get the threes.  I ended up doing something like, four, three, two, three.  He was patient but had to get on so it left me wanting more and gave me some time to really think about the timing of the aids and yesterday I got the fours and threes my first try and then I got to do twos!  So cool and so much fun!!!  When I decided to take the huge leap and move I was really looking for a situation where I could get more experience at riding FEI and am really happy with the experiences I have gained here thus far!  I am getting stronger in my seat, quicker with my timing and bolder with my aids.  So when Vioen is ready for FEI I will be all the more experienced to get her there!  

I have to say that there are days that aren't so bright.  There can be a lot of drama and egos run maniacally wild here!  I am learning how to keep a bit of a thicker skin and brush off some of the bull@#$%!  There are hoops that one has to jump through to stay in good graces and it's not easy being a working student.  Sometimes you aren't treated like a human but I know that everyone has to pay their dues and I realize that this is my time to bite my tongue and keep my eye on the ball.  :)  However, on the really bad days I wish that I could teleport home!

Best be off, I am on my way to go be a girl and get my hair cut!  My friend is giving me a ride to the Mall.  Yeah!!!  Miss and love you all more that words can say!  Hoping to plan a trip home when season is at it's end and will let you all know when!

SO SORRY!!!!

For all of you who follow my blog, I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to catch you all up on everything that has been going on. We did some shifting in the living arrangements and I no longer have internet access in my room because I moved to the house and at night after work I usually just lounge around the house and don't have the energy to go back to the barn to go online. :( There is lots to fill you all in on though so I hope to be able to write soon!

Legacy Horses

Melissa on Schumacker, 1994 Danish Warmblood Gelding

Kismo: 11 y.o. Danish Warmblood Gelding

Beemer: 1998, 17.2h Oldenburg Gelding

Radenberger: 2003 Hanoverian Gelding a.k.a. "Burger"

Willano: 16.3 hand, coming 7 y.o. Danish Warmblood Gelding

Here are some pics of some of the horses that I have ridden here at Legacy. They are all sales horses. I would say that I have ridden Willano the most. He is a very talented horse but also very sensitive. The last time I rode him Lars gave me a mini lesson on him and it was so much fun and also a lot of work! He starts off behind the rider and sucked back into a little turtle shell. Lars wanted me to kick him forward and get him in front of me. When you do this he usually lets out a little buck or spooky bolt thing and it can be a bit hair raising. But once you get it out of him he usually settles down and goes right to work but you have to stay on him about it! After I got him going and really in front of me he felt amazing! Then Lars wanted me to bring him back a little more on his hind legs and Willano gave me a beautiful passage-y trot. It was so exhilarating! Within the first month of being here one of my duties was to take him out in the field and do some light walk and trot work out there. The second time I took him out there he did a big, four feet off the ground buck landed and then stood on his hind legs. Needless to say it got my adrenaline running. Another time I was riding him the arena was really busy with lots of horses, sometimes it feels like you are in a warm up arena at a show. Anyhow Willano gets spooky when other horses come at him. He kept trying to rear and spin away from the other horses. Lars kicked my butt into kicking his butt. He's quick so you have to be quick. He's strong so you have to be strong. He's a phenomenal horse with loads of talent but can be a lot to handle. Sometimes I have to make sure I took my courage pills before I get on him. But it is amazing to sit on such a talented horse that has been primarily trained by Lars.

Burger is a really super horse. Another one I would take home with me if I could. The assistant trainer rides him the most. When I first got here he really didn't seem like much. He had a good canter but his trot seemed a bit tight and short. It is amazing to see how much he has improved in two and a half months! At the barn they believe that you can always improve the trot. Neve has been working on the cadence in his trot and getting passage like steps. He is really turning into something special! He has a really cool feel to ride. He's light and sensitive and really likes to go! He is one that you have to balance off of your seat and leg. I am excited to see how much this horse improves over time!

Beemer is a very sweet guy. Lars primarily rides him. He is schooling the Grand Prix and prior to being purchased by Lars competed in the small tour (PSG and I1). He is a pretty laid back kinda guy (when he's under saddle, hand walking is another story!) Lars really works on Beemer cantering small and getting his hind legs under more. He has an incredible trot. His piaffe, passage and extended trots are all pretty spectacular bit his canter is still improving. When Lars rode him with Rudolf they really worked on getting the canter smaller with lots of steep half passes and tempi changes. When you ride Beemer you can see his legs moving but it doesn't feel like there's as much going on as you see. He's a big strong horse but very fun to take for tack walks because he feels like a school horse most of the time.

Kismo is another really cool horse that if I had all the money in the world I would consider buying as a school master. He's currently doing the small tour and was bought from Legacy by a young rider who is now in college and doesn't have time to ride him anymore. At Legacy they make a policy that if you buy a horse from them they will help you sell them if you should need to sell them in the future. Kismo was being ridden primarily by Neve then Melissa and now Lars. They have just started actively advertising him (dressage daily) and so now it's down to business for Mr. Kismo :) He is a very point and shoot kind of guy. He does the tempi's solid and is developing a very nice passage-y cadenced trot. (I feel like a sales rep for Legacy right now!) But Lars really can get the most from this horse. When I've ridden him Lars just wanted me to work him deep and keep him steady to the bit. He has a very fun trot to play with getting more cadence in! He's another one that tends to be more on the quiet side and usually won't give more than you ask which can be nice after riding some of the hotter more wild ones where you better have your seat belt on!

I have also had the pleasure of riding Shumy, Melissa's Grand Prix horse. He is a very noble guy and has definitely been around the block. I really like how Shumy is a little go-er. He has a lot of gas in the engine but if you use your seat and leg to half halt he stays right with you. He has a very nice cadenced trot and a fun rolling canter. I have mostly worked (when I get to ride him) on getting him as deep as possible and coming back to a small trot and then forward again while keeping him deep. He can be a bit of a spit fire when he wants to but usually he's pretty predictable. He's another one of my favorites to sit on.

Vioen is doing really well. She has progressed so much in the past two and a half months! Sometimes it's hard not to put your own goals on your horse but she is always good about telling me when I am pushing for to much to fast. The main thing that I have been focusing on with her at the moment is building her fitness and confidence. She's come back from nearly six months off, had two babies and traveled across the country. She's been through a lot! Right now my work schedule with her is to work her 3-4 days in the arena and then a light day, either hacking or off. Sometimes I will warm her up walking up and down the hill (they have a man made hill for building fitness, every barn in white fences has one) and then trot her over trot poles in the field and then do some finish up work in the arena. Other days we just stay outside and I'll warm up over the trot poles and then canter her up the hill. In the arena she is really coming along and Lars and Melissa both have been commenting on how she looks. She is getting more confident and steady in the connection/contact and stronger in her topline. She is maintaining a steady tempo in the shoulder-fore/shoulder-ins and getting better and better in the leg yielding. My goal is to continue to give her time to get fit and maintain her eager attitude. That is why I like to take her out in the field if I feel she might be getting a little sore or if mentally she needs a break. She is definitely opinionated when it comes to distractions. She would much rather slam on the brakes, stop and look and gets a little resentful when I try to keep her working but she learning. For a barn of this caliber it's quiet but from what we're used to it's pretty busy and there's a lot going on all the time! Her canter is really coming along and she's getting more swing in the trot. I can't wait to see where we're at in another two and a half months! I would really like to show her while I'm down here, maybe not this season but for sure next season!

My mom is coming to visit me and I can't hardly wait! Her flight gets in late tomorrow night and she leaves on Tuesday. It's not long enough but I know she has horses and a life of her own and I mostly just can't wait to spend time together! Suzanne is also coming the same weekend so I am very fortunate to get to see them both! I am looking forward to showing them what I have been up to and sharing stories with them! I have seen so much but can't tell you how nice it will be to see some familiar faces!!! Hope everyone at home is well and haven't been washed away by all the rain!

Happy New Year!

We took this pic right before the clock struck twelve!

From left to right: I don't know the blond lady, Robby, David, Kim, Todd (behind her), Sofie, myself, Tanya, Juan and Kirsten

Enjoying a day at the beach in Lakeworth!

Hello All! I am writing this as a very tired Christy Pearl. It was such a long day today. It almost felt like it would never end but at the same time I was committed to working until every last thing got done. I have no life :) We had a full day and two less people working and we had to show three horses to potential buyers in addition to settling in a new Young Rider client and her horse so there was a lot to pack into the already busy schedule. Tayna and Sofie took the day off together so Sofie could see Miami. We have two new girls working for us, that makes a total of seven all together so hopefully we will be able to take days off together a bit more. It's hard when you don't know anyone or know your way around to go out and be adventurous so this is better for those of us who want to see some things while we are here! Since Tayna wasn't here I sort of took charge of running the schedule today, imagine that, me taking charge! Anyhow I was running around all day trying to do everything and at one point someone had to tell me to go take lunch because I wasn't thinking about anything else other than everything that was going on. You can start to feel the craziness of the show season starting to kick in. We still have atleast seven more horses coming in!

I hope that everyone enjoyed the holidays. I had an ok Christmas. It was really hard being away from home but I guess of all years this was the year to not be in Washington considering all the snow and the fact that my mom was traveling overseas. We all went to Lars and Melissa's place with all of their clients and had a somewhat traditional Christmas Danish dinner that Lars cooked. It was so good! His specialties were the duck and brown potatoes. In Denmark they make "brown potatoes" by baking small red potatoes in butter and brown suger. They were so delicious and went really well with the duck! Melissa went shopping for us all and got us all Christmas gifts which was super sweet! At the end of the day it really just didn't feel like Chrismas without being with family but I was thankful to do something with everyone here at the barn.

New Years was a total blast! All of us who live here on the property enjoyed a delicious meal that Tayna cooked, did night check and then met up with another Danish girl named Kirsten who used to work for Lars. Her and Tayna are good friends. Kirsten's place was very near the club that we were all going to for the big celebration. At Kirsten's place we pre-funked for a little while. It was cool to meet other people from outside of Legacy and from different parts of the world. We then went to The Player's Club to go dancing and have fun. The Player's Club is in Wellington and is apparently where all the "horse people" go out to have fun. It was a bit odd going to a club where you knew that everyone there was involved with horses in some way or another but very fun none the less. We all danced and drank to much and had a very good time.

I think this new year is going to be the year of change and learning for me. My new year's resolution is to evolve into more of the person that I want to be. I think that moving to a new place where you don't know anyone puts you in a whole different mind set. You have to learn more about who you are and who you want to become. I feel lucky that I have been able to put myself in a situation that is all about following my passion and my dreams and I am fortunate to get to meet so many people from different walks of life. We all are on our own individual paths but at the same time connected by the same thing, the horse.