(from a clinic with Carol Ogden)
First, there’s me. Amanda.. I’m your (below) average adult ammy re-rider. I hope to improve my riding. To become a better horsewoman. And eventually ride a Training 3 Day Event. But there are some obstacles to overcome. We all have jobs, and families, and budgets, and time-crunches and struggles with diet and exercise. Making all of those things fit together in a harmonious way with our horses is a challenge. I’m not any kind of expert on anything, except from maybe learning through mistakes. But I hope I can help other women like me-- and myself, too-- by writing and thinking about those things in this blog.
Join me in this fun little adventure of mine, won’t you?
The Dear Husband
(that’s him. In Iraq, 2003. On top of a Hummer… with an M240 Gulf. How hot is that?!)An integral part of my life… and quite possibly better than sliced bread. While not “horsey” at all, he does support me in my adventures in horsey-dom. He also said “yes” when the moment came to decide whether or not we’d buy Alfie. Dear Husband is a lot more observant to equine activities than one would ever expect, often dropping words and phrases like “Stubben” and “flying lead change” and “lunge line” into conversation. C’mon, ladies… how many of your husbands know what those things are and use them properly in the course of conversation? He’s a weather buff, too, which comes in handy when planning my riding week. He’s also known for calling me in order to pass word to friends that bad weather, hail or some other nasty meteorological event is coming to a friend’s barn. He also tells me “don’t fall down!” every time I leave the house to ride. Yeah, he’s a keeper!
Dear Husband was given the distinct honor of choosing Alfie’s new name (or “show name”). As a thoroughbred off the track, Alfie came with a Jockey Club name… Fire It Up. But it was just too cliché a name for my taste. So we tossed a few names around… many of which were weather related. Do you know what a Derecho is, or how its even pronounced? Not likely something an announcer would get right. It was a hard task to pick the perfect name, though. Finally, as a nod to Alfie’s stellar pedigree but also—and I feel most importantly—as a nod to my husband and his family, we ended up with…
Apalachicola Native
(tell me you don’t want to smooch that little nose… I dare you to resist the urge!)Alfie came to my trainer in September of 2007. She found him as a Prospect Horse through Bits & Bytes Farm. He came with lots of baggage, having been in an extremely abusive situation at a track (I think in PA), Baggage as in… being clobbered by someone in your stall for simply existing. He trusted no one when he came to my trainer’s farm. Even the doctor that vetted Alfie before my trainer bought him warned of his aggressive and defensive behaviors.
Once at the barn, Alfie had about 6 weeks of down time prior to anyone working with him. During that time it was discovered that we was VERY defensive in a stall. I'm talking, my trainer didn't allow anyone else to enter his stall for awhile because he tried to kick and strike out. He didn't like being brushed because he had ulcers, so he tried to kick you for that, too. The vet couldn't do much with him, even vaccinations because he was so scared of a needle from being drugged so much on the track. When he was saddled for the first time it was a rodeo and took three people to get the job done. He was a mess. He was pathetic. But I loved him from the start.
Fast forward two years, and you wouldn’t even know Alfie was the same horse. He’s sweet, loves his people, and tries his heart out for you. I started leasing Alfie from my trainer in March of 2009, and we signed the bill of sale in October of the same year.
Alfie’s still pretty green, but he’s honest. Despite his nervousness… which I don’t blame him for in the least considering his past. New things are incredibly scary for him, especially closed-in spaces (like a covered ring). But if he trusts you and you’re firm with him, he does what he’s asked. Not perfectly, of course. He’s also an incredibly quirky fellow and he makes me laugh. One day I found him in his stall with a bell boot pulled up over his knee; he just had this look on his face that said “Oh! I’m so glad you’re here. Just look at what happened! I was just standing here... doing nothing, then this.” Such a goof.
The Hounds
Oh, what to say about my dogs…?? They are cleverly stubborn, perfectly naughty, frustratingly hilarious demons. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hank and Gus are complete opposites in their personalities and temperaments. Gus is jolly and laid back. Hank is what I like to call “hyper-vigilant” and always needs to know what’s going on around him. Gus is chunky monkey, and Hank is built tall and lean. Hank prefers to keep tabs on his people at all times, and Gus will wander about for hours, ignoring our calls and pleas and bribes. And one is red and one is blue…. So really, they compliment one another perfectly.
Oh… silly me! They’re both coonhounds! Forgot to mention that bit. A bluetick, and an English (redtick) mix. Just… don’t tell Hank he’s a mix. He’s sensitive. Coonhounds are amazing dogs, albeit a little challenging. Uniquely American, “coonies” are notorious for taking a long time to mature, but because they are not a widely-popular, mainstream breed, genetic issues aren’t as common and its not unusual for them to live well into their teens. Smart, stubborn and typically very even-keeled… until they see something fuzzy running across their path. In that case it’s a riot and a ruckus and a great big “BUH-HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR!”. Or twenty of them. In rapid succession. Usually there is more than one. I'm sure the neighbors love it.
The ME Team
And no, its not all about me. Its about an incredible group of women, only a couple of whom I have met in person, who have been amazing friends, wonderful advisers and the best enablers a girl could ever ask for. Since we all “met” there have been a lot of ups and downs. Marriage. Divorce. Cancer. Survival! New babies. Loss of a few of our furry friends, and new ones entering our lives… and many other things. But despite all of that change and upheaval, and despite that we are scattered all over the US, we talk and email almost daily, and have remained close.
Thank you, girls, for just being you!
