A long overdue update from Jae and I in Cali

Firewell

Firewell

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 May 2008
Messages
7,817
Visit site
Hello,

I can't actually remember when I last did a post! It has been a quiet year on the equestrian front due to my young family. My horse Jae is loving living out 24/7 in paradise, oh my word he is so fat! The grazing is Bermuda grass which is ultra tasty!!

I have spent the summer mainly pottering about on him. I ride 4x a week, sometimes 5. We have been playing at home mostly doing the usual but we did manage to get out twice which with two boys under the age of 3 and a property in mid renovation is something I think!
First of all I thought it best to get out jumping. He is a jumping horse after all! My friend stables her horse at this ultra flash facility with a huge arena and jumps and she said I could come over free of charge to have a play. How could I say No to that? I had not ridden a course in 18 months, I have just about 3 jumps I can scrabble together where Jae is and they are all yellow and white! Pics of us at home:-

13620792_10154123116860210_4231209418819653863_n.jpg


13619936_10154123125575210_3158994937743644035_n.jpg


13700096_10154152059575210_1270947212194659543_n.jpg


13770416_10154152062215210_4012196342309759471_n.jpg


13754438_10154152058150210_7405096838223428049_n.jpg


Anyway Jae was so excited to see the trailer, he would not tolerate me faffing around with him when he could see it so I basically threw him in straight from the field. We got to my friends place and I dithered about lunging him, after all he had not been out anywhere either for 18 months but actually he came off the trailer really calm and professional so I decided to hop straight on and get going. He warmed up sweet as a nut and he held the excitement together really well to pop round a small course several times as good as gold. I was a bit nervous as they had a load of fake flowers under every jump but of course it is my Jae Jae so after he tried to eat them, he totally ignored them! I was really fiddly in to some of the jumps from nerves and rustiness (naughty, slap wrist!) but the thing I love the most in the whole world about Jae is that he is getting me to the other side no matter what and I need to remind myself to relax! It's my Jae Jae so there is nothing to worry about.

After my friend and I had finished playing round the jumps we took them for a short ride around the vineyard they have there and then Jae got washed off in the poshest wash bay I have ever seen before I took him home.

Some pics of this nice outing:-

13731855_10154147510875210_4806206605200738772_o.jpg



The next outing I wasn't planning but my friend (same one as above) really wanted me to go to a show with her. She hadn't been out for ages either and I think she wanted company. We were going to go jumping but after we found out that it was AQHA show (quarter horse show) we realized that we would look stupid entering with our tall warmblood and thoroughbred. It was a hunter jumper class so not pure showjumping but kind of showing at the same time. Well it turned out that the same weekend was a California Dressage Society show only 30 mins away. These are the California/US equivalent of affiliated shows. We decided to do that instead! Oh oh... better dust off the dressage saddle! We did not have the best week getting ready for this show. First of all Jae decided the dressage saddle was a no go. He spent a whole session crawling around with his head in the air like a dying camel and made it quite clear that he was not happy. Ok, jumping saddle it will have to be then! The Americans are VERY discipline specific, cross training is not as common as it is in England. Not even the eventers... everyone sticks to their discipline so I knew I would look odd at pure dressage show in a jumping saddle.
Secondly it decded to be the hottest week of the year and I got diagnosed with a trapped nerve and disk herniation from carrying my kids around on my hip all of which made riding sporadic and brief.
 
Getting ready for this show made me realise that I am so not up for competing much at the moment. The effort involved to ride every day, plait, clean tack, learn tests ect was horrendous to try and fit in. I was quite glad when it was all over! The day rolled around and my friend picked us up on the way through in the tiniest borrowed trailer I have ever seen. If I had know I would have taken my own trailer but it was too late. It was a stock trailer designed for quarter horses. She had already squashed her 16.3hh WB in there which left the minute amount of space for my guy. It was also a step up, step down, herringbone trailer. We looked at Jae, looked at the trailer and thought what the heck lets see if he is up for squeezing in. Jae saw the trailer and was so excited to be going out again he was rearing and caprioling towards it with me dangling away tugging ineffectively at the leadrope. Oh god... tiny space, low roof, rearing 16.1hh excited TB.....Well Jae decided there was no way he was being left behind and he hopped straight in squashed himself against the partition, said hello to his travelling companion and started eating his hay! It took my friend and I both leaning into the ramp to get it shut against Jaes fat bum.

We got to the show and everyone was lunging their horses or galloping them round a round pen to tire them out. I saw that and thought I am not getting into the habit of thinking I have to lunge my horse every time I take him out so I hopped straight on and rode to the warm up like I would do in England. Us Brits don't faff around! He warmed up just on the right side of edgy. Super forwards and listening, he probably looked relaxed to any bystander but only I could feel that tension that makes you as a rider sit really still! Everyone else had their trainers warming their horses up for them and then they were sat on the horse once it was going well and they had their ear pieces in for direction. I felt a bit of a fraud and I kept thinking how awful I must look in comparison. I had not been to a show since before I was pregnant and I felt rusty and all over the place.

First test was Training opportunity class 1. The US tests have you halting and saluting both at the beginning and the end and I really felt I was grimacing as I came down the centre line but I sat up as high as I could and Jae is such the performer.. he was on it. He didn't have my lack of self belief, luckily he has enough for both of us! First test over with I slopped around the warm up for 10 mins on a loose rein before my second test. My back was killing at this point. I was tired and about ready to go home. I felt like I went through the motions on the second test and in hindsight I am a bit cross with myself. I should have put more effort in after all who knows when we will go to a show again!

Afterwards I was discussing with my friend saying if I scraped 60% I would be pleased. Her two tests looked a million times better than mine, everyone with their trainer warmed up horses looked great. I was going to come last, WHAT an embarrassment. We got into the office and I am searching down the bottom of the pile for my sheet, where is it??? Then I look up and there is my sheet under the blue (1st place) ribbon, trophy and bag of goodies. WTF?? 66.something% in the first class. Then I won the second class as well on 64.something% and managed somehow to beat 5 other people lol even with 64%. I was a bit shocked to be honest but dead pleased. My Jae Jae he never lets me down! The judge was an FEI grand prix judge as well so no rubbish marking :D.

I walked out thinking I may not have done a horse show for nearrly 2 years, I may not have had any lessons, may have had nearly 9 months off to have a baby but by some miracle I have managed to keep us together and I may not have improved during that time but I have not gone backwards. This is horses after all, yay to not going backwards!!

So pics of this day.

13913830_10154232479145210_2625476806288064961_o.jpg


14066250_10154229399515210_7449547918093450813_o.jpg


14066466_10154229392200210_6455271688593050602_o.jpg


13988121_10154229392045210_5380901361821902897_o.jpg


Since then I think Jae has gotten even fatter... (thankfully 'winter' if you can call it winter is round the corner so he should loose weight then). He has had his teeth done by an American dentist who dopes them and slings their heads up (he also does a really really good job, but it is a laugh to watch them go to all this trouble). He has also seen an American Physio who spent an hr hanging off of a ladder onto his back?! He has had a saddler with a drawl come up from Texas and who showed me pictures of his world cup champion western dressage Fjord (amazing and not a Fjord like you and I think Fjord but a suped up ultra flashy looks like a Welsh section D type Fjord) and the saddler was very happy with my British Kent and Masters :) :) and not so happy with my Dr saddle, he agreed with Jae and advised me to bin (I mean EBAY) it.

So all in all it was nice to get out but I am happy to stay home and Jae and I look forward to going out and doing some jumpies in the new year.

Thanks for reading!

Pic of happy Jae Jae hacking:-

13735169_10154138715185210_2636281164779964264_o.jpg


and looking smexy but a bit pissed off :)

13914090_10154173368630210_4122662848269842199_o.jpg


Its a hard life

13445714_10154068985690210_8592586130523265005_n.jpg


13428369_10154068986030210_6114851559923591491_n.jpg


I can't believe I have the big ginge nearly 7 years!! He really is my best friend.
 
What a lovely report! He is gorgeous. :) Looking at those pictures I have decided I wouldn't mind trying riding somewhere warmer when I return to the saddle!
 
Yay - a Cali report! It's great to get an update, well done for persevering while there have been so many changes in your life. It doesn't seem that long since you were wondering whether to sell Jae or keep him, you made the right decision!!

Well done for showing how the Brits do it too :D
 
Lovely to hear how you're getting on. What a fabulous yard your friend has. I loved the description of Jae getting on the trailer and being so excited to go to a party, it's like a kid squeezing himself on the backseat! He sounds like a total doll and so glad youre doing well despite all of life's other (lovely I'm sure) distractions. Yay for your frillies too, that showed em eh ����
 
Lovely to hear an update and to see gorgeous shiny horses in the sunshine. And what a great result, I think you must have got bonus marks for doing it in a jumping saddle!

Any more plans for any more shoes, or any more kids?!
 
How great to hear from you and how you trounced the americans with your english TB! Bet you are glad you didn't sell him after all even if it i
s really hard work with young boys too.
 
Hello to you over in the lovely sunny USA, it has been a long time!
what a fantastic report, well done you on the results as well!
So lovely to hear how you are getting on and that you are still able to fit riding in ( it is very hard around little ones!)
 
Thanks everyone! It is super hard with two young tots. My husband is supportive to a certain extent but he isn't one to spend all day at a horse show and he can cope with the boys for about 2 hours on his own but any more than that and he gets fractious. They all need me lol. I actually don't mind the horses taking the back seat at all, I have competed since I was 5 years old so it is quite nice to have an excuse to pootle around at home and not feel the pressure. I am glad I kept my boy. No-one can prepare you for the time kids take up especially two so close in age luckily my husband stepped in on that one and said 'what is this nonsense about you selling Jae', when I told him I didn't have the time he said we would sort it so I do have the time. I knew there was a reason I married him ;).
Ha ha I tried to keep the Americanisms out but they creep in! I find if I don't speak the right words no one understands me! I hope I am not loosing my accent though that would be awful! I am getting used to things around here now and the differences are not so obvious anymore. I do love California and America although I miss England of course! Jae LOVES California, he loves the weather being nice enough to live out all year round. Sadly my rug collection has diminished. He only needs two rugs :(. A UV fly rug and a MW for the cool winter nights. All my smart show sheets are wasted, as he gets too hot in them, sometimes I might put one on over night to stop him getting dusty but it's not the same as being able to have a glorious collection of rugs!
 
glad you didnt sell him as he is obviously good for you.....it means you have a little bit of "me" time which is very important with 2 young children....well done at the show...
 
Thanks for the replies :). Hopefully we will be out next year doing some jumpies again! My youngest will be in nursery then so that will make life easier. Jae is and always has been a fabulous horse, I am very lucky. We are in that stage now where we have been together so long we know what the other is thinking! Isn't it lovely when you get to that point with your horse x
 
I'm so glad that you didn't sell, and that you took him there with you. Sounds like both of you are having an awesome time! When I lived in the States, coming from Canada where I'd been at an Austrian stable, I found the "show" culture inexpressibly weird. It's something I appreciate here in the UK, that competition is so much more accessible to the Average Joe (or Jane), that people generally take the charge/responsibility for their own performance---and lovely to read your reports about how your cheapo English TB is a wee star over there---even without the whole over-the-top pro-am thing they tend to have going on. Good for (both of) you! :)
 
Spookypony I am so glad you know what I am talking about! I think the British system is better, the problem with the riders being so controlled by their trainers is that they don't really end up developing their own feel and they don't learn to rely on their own instincts. The trainers almost have it so their clients do not believe that they can do it without them! In fact I am certain the British system is better which is why I keep winning!
The trainers hate me, they don't like it because they can't pidgeon hole me into 1. Another trainer (grudgingly respected) or 2. An amature client ($$$$$), they don't understand me at all and I find them standoffish with me. I have no idea what it is like on the East coast but apparently this part of California is renowned for super expensive trainers and stabling and the English riding disciplines are so much more elitest than in England.
Not everyone is like that, my friend is similar to me but even she couldn't go to the show without being warmed up by her trainer (and she only uses her trainer weekly not every day like a lot of people).
I think the Western culture over here is more of the mindest of us in England. They are much more down to earth and if someone has a pony in the paddock out the back of their house, they tend to ride western.
It is the thing I miss the most in England in the equestrian culture. I certainly do not miss the weather!
 
Also (and this is quite funny) here in the part of CA where I am Jae is accepted more than me! He fits the mold of what they consider an 'expensive' horse. It doesn't matter that he is an ex-racer, he is 1. Foreign bred. 2. Has a passport. 3. was imported. Everyone finds it very exciting when I say he's an English Thoroughbred, 'oooh he's British bred! Imported! What a cute horse!' They say lol. Of course it helps that he is fat and shiney and with a pretty face and a calm temprement. All the 'show' horses look similar, they are all WB or TB crosses and look like Jae.
 
It's such an insight! In Canada, I was largely shielded from this madness by virtue of first being at a riding academy run by an Austrian, and then by sharing *shudder* ponies from my friends. At that point, I was too young to understand the differences between the SRS-influenced, dressage-focussed place where I had trained, to sharing ponies at a hunter yard---it was all "English", and the confusion of technique and style encountered only made sense to me many years later. I took a long break for uni, and started up again as a postdoc on the East Coast, through a uni club which was totally Hunter/Jumper orientated. That was very very weird! The other students were generally from extremely affluent backgrounds (think trust funds and inner-city flats bought for them by rich dads), and that's when I first learned about the American type of boarding stable, where everything is micro-managed (and charged for!). I then moved to California for a year and started training at a dressage place. There, the training was much closer (but not identical) to what I had experienced, but the culture was so so weird to me. It was a big problem that I couldn't afford to take at least 3 lessons a week at $90/lesson! Horse-wise, moving to the UK was a great move: I was able to take those 3 lessons/week at a riding school for a much more reasonable price, and I had my own horse within a year, which I'd barely been able to dream of, before. Here, I know people with all sorts of jobs and backgrounds who are competing at reasonable levels in various disciplines, and in general, the average horse owner appears much closer to their horse's daily life than I encountered in the "English" scene in the US. Affiliated competition is a matter of course, and reasonably affordable, to far more people (much smaller distances are a large contributor to this, I think). I do sometimes find some areas of the horsey scene to be unreasonably conservative and resistant to change/evidence-based reasoning, but there's bound to be downsides anywhere.
 
Great update, pleased you decided to keep Jae. Excellent on your wins. Its interesting reading about the different horsey culture, I follow chronicles of the horse and its the same but very different...
 
Thank you everyone :).

Spookypony you have hit the nail on the head really! That is exactly what it is like and it is interesting to hear that you found the same thing on the east coast.
I live in a little horse orientated pocket here where a lot of people keep their horses at home and the area has a strong western influence and in a way I am glad as it has infiltrated the English riding scene slightly (very slightly).
For instance at my stable yard, there is a hunter/jumper trainer based there with his 4 clients and he tightly controls them but then there is also several 'do it themselves' people like me, most of them ride western and one other rides both. We are nothing to do with the trainer we simply happen to stable at the same place. I guess in a way it is a stress free way (if expensive!) to keep your horse with a trainer. I see him lunge and ride the horses before they turn up sometimes if he thinks they are going to be fresh. He takes all the hassle out of it for them but then that is what they are paying for! Not my cup of tea.
It's different but it doesn't affect me too much, I enjoy Jae just the same :). When I do have lessons they cost $50 which is about 35 pounds (or was, haven't checked the exchange rate for a while) so about the same for a one off.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top