Hershey waits for his buddy Billy outside the stall door.

Today it was that time in the fall when our horse got his Fall Shots. Along with his  shots, Billy had his annual exam, sheeth cleaned, and teeth floated. For us horse-folks, this is nothing out of the ordinary.

For this Mother Mucker, it was inspiring. I always knew there was a special bond between the horses in a herd. But what I saw this day was a very special friendship between the horses at Great Bay Farm.

When I walked into the barn, Billy – my daughter’s Thoroughbred Gelding Event Horse – came right in to greet me. However, after seeing me reach for the halter and hearing the drilling of the vet working on Eddie’s teeth (the third horse in the barn), he left  fast to join his buddy Hershey (The Game Plan) out in the field.

Out to the field I tromp, being the Mother Mucker that I am, and after several attempts, Billy finally let me get close enough to put the halter on. As always, when one of the horses is lead into the barn, the other follows. So of course, his buddy Hershey walked in right behind us. I placed Billy in his stall and closed the door. Hershey stayed close by.

This is where I really started to see the bond between these horses. You can see in the first picture (to the right) that Hershey never left Billy’s side. He stood outside the stall door almost as if to say “Why are you locked in? We never get locked in. What’s going on Billy?” He seemed … well … worried.

Dr. Tom Judd, of Equine Veterinary Services, completed the exam. All was perfect! His shots came next, and then the yearly cleaning of his sheeth. After giving Billy some sedative to relax him, Dr. Judd began the dental procedure to keep Billy’s teeth from growing long sharp areas. The procedure is known as floating and Dr. Judd is the best!

Dr. Judd Exam's Billy's Mouth

Equine Dentistry: Floating Teet

Billy was a star patient. As the sedative wore off, I looked across from the inside of the barn looking out, and there was Hershey – still waiting at the door – a bit worried that his buddy wasn’t his normal playful self.

As the sedative wears off, Hershey is still by Billy's side.

I knew the horse at Great Bay Farm were very close, but somehow this dedication took me by surprise. Horses truely are special creatures. I’m so lucky to say I’m a horse person!

Horses

My daughter adores her pony! Of course, he’s not really a pony. He is a 16h1″ thoroughbred horse that is 9 years old. He has run a long format one star (*) with the previous owner, who is my friend and my daughter’s coach. Our horse (Billy), is love of my daughter’s life at the moment. I think this moment says it all!

I am often asked “how did she get started with riding?”. And here is my answer:

When we lived in England, UK – and she was just 5-1/2 years old – every little girl was taking riding lessons at one of many local stables. She was just like every other little girl. Only she went from lessons once a week to joining the British Pony Club to spending a full week at a pony camp by the time she was 8. She passed all the Pony Club tests with flying colors as high as she was allowed by her age. She learned everything about the horse and equipment as well as general dressage and jumping skills. And lucky for us, it was only 5 minutes from our house.

When she was 10, we repatriated back to the USA (Katy, Texas). She wanted to continue riding and asked about trying to compete. At the time, I didn’t know the difference between just ‘jumping’ and all the different styles and forms and groups there were to get involved in. But after trying several barns, quickly learned that hunter/jumper was not for her. We stumbled upon an eventing barn on the out squirts of Katy, Texas, I could see the lightbulb go on and the excitement in her eyes.

A few months later, we bought her first horse – which really was a pony. A 14h3″ quarter horse named Micromachine (“Mikey”). He was around 15 years old, but a veteran eventer. Perfect for a 10 year old just learning the sport. Mikey helped build my daughter’s confidence as she took her first rounds at all three phases of eventing and gave my daughter her first “GREAT RIDE”.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Horses

When I’m not driving to the barn, mucking stalls at a show, cleaning tack, or walking a cross country course, and when the family really take a “day off”, what do we do?

RIDE ROLLER COASTERS!

I guess we are an adrenaline junkie family!

But while we were riding these coasters, I noticed something in common with the eventing world – as the cars left the “station” the announcer said … can you guess?

Yup – “HAVE A GOOD RIDE”.

And so it goes … that even when we have time away from the horses and eventing, that world just creeps right back into our life.

I guess I’m just meant to be a full-time Eventer Mom, no matter what the activity.

Horses

Today I was not a mother mucker. I was not the groom. I was not the trailer driver. Nor did I have to travel hours to get where I was going.

Today I was just a volunteer.

In other words,  unlike any other horse show this year – I was just a volunteer … it was my ONLY job today. Because today – at Snowfields Horse Trials in Pownal, Maine – my daughter didn’t ride. She, too, was just a volunteer.

It was so much fun to be able to just give of myself to a sport that I support. And it was a gorgeous New England Fall day, with the leaves in bloom, a very brisk breeze in the air, and the excitement of the day at hand.

But the best part was that I got to do my favorite job … cross country starter!

What’s so fun about watching a clock and telling people to “GO” at 2-3 minute intervals? As the starter, I get to talk to each and every rider and see the excitement in their eyes – and their horse’s eyes.

“2 minutes” I say.

Then, horse and rider walk or trot around the start box.

“Having a good day?” I ask – and in 60 seconds or less I hear about how their morning went on this event, held all in one day.

“1 minute” I say.

At that point, they usually make a larger circle around me and the start box until they hear me say “30 seconds”.

In the box they walk – and then right back out again. Behind me, beside me as if they are pacing.

“15 seconds” and they head toward the box. And then it happens. the very best part of my 2 minutes with the horse and rider.

“10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 GO! … HAVE A GREAT RIDE!”

My four favorite words in the sport of eventing.

So what did you do today?

Horses 3-day eventing, cross country, eventing, volunteering

And girls can be girls.
And mother muckers can just be moms – or at least taxi driving within the “city limits” so-to-speak.

It is that “reflective” season for me – when the show season has ended. The horses are set out to just run free in the pastures, and we settle into our new schedule of school, volleyball, soccer, basketball, and otherwise “normal” activities.

But something about this eventing season seemed much too fast … despite the LONG journies we took to Maryland, Virginia, Western New York, Vermont, Western Massachusetts – just to name a few.

Perhaps it was my NEW TOY that distracted me … the video camera, with which I taped alot of or shows this year – including this one:

Maybe it was the show in Virginia last may – where we traveled 13 hours to reach the most gorgeous place to be at an event. And despite an interruption by error of the judge during dressage which put her in last place, she pushed through it to go DOUBLE CLEAR (no jump or time faults) on cross country and DOUBLE CLEAR in stadium jumping to end 8th (and get a ribbon).

Or was it the show in Massachusetts where she went up to a ½ level and again, was near last in dressage, but jumped to 10th after cross country and 4th after stadium jumping (and the 3 above her were adult professional riders).

Perhaps it was the fact that I finally bought my own horse trailer and felt a freedom to go where no mother mucker has gone before! (ok, that was a little over dramatic, but it really was great!)

But I think why it really seemed to fly by was because my daughter worked all summer to attend one special event at the end of August known as the Training 3-Day Event, held at the Green Mountain Horse Association in Vermont. And I mean she worked …

• She rode everyday (one day off a week) to make sure she and the horse were fit for the long endurance phase at this special show.
• She took extra dressage lessons because that is her weak point.
• She was willing to go to shows even if her coach wasn’t there to get the miles in before the big event.

It was an event to remember – and could be the subject of it’s own blog. But the best part of all – the very best for this mother mucker – was at the end of the 1 hour endurance phase, after being released from the vet box, my daughter looked at me with tears in her eyes and said:

“We did it.”

“Yes, honey – you did it!” I said all choked up “You completed your first long-format endurance phase.” (by the way – this phase was comprised of a 6 minute trot, followed by 3 minute full gallop steeplechase, followed by another 20 minute trot/canter, before going into the 5 minute cross country phase.)

But wait …. At the end of the entire show, when they gave out awards, the vet awarded my little girl and a very special award. It was the award for the BEST CONDITIONED HORSE.

Her efforts throughout the season were paid off in that one moment. That one special moment.

And so now, as this fabulous show season comes to a close and I rest my road-weary body, our dreams are already jumping ahead to our first outing – planning the training in January, so we can make a trip to Aiken, SC where our friends have invited us to come event for a week with “the big guys” – the Olympians and professionals. You see, my daughter received the nod from her coach. Next year she’ll be stepping up a level – Preliminary.

(deep breath)

I hope I’m ready.

Horses

Quite some time ago, a friend sent me this video of a Natural Horsewoman named Stacey Westfall from 2006. I have never forgotten it and today went in search of finding it to share here. Whether you know horses or not, I think you’ll be amazed at the partnership between this pair. Please enjoy!

Horses

The end of the horse show season. It is always bittersweet for me. For the competitors of eventing, it has been season of traveling, working, meeting with friends, and enjoying the shared passion for horses. As the “show mom”& Mother Mucker for everyone at the barn, I find myself caught in between being happy that the many hours of travel, grooming, mucking, and expense are over and the feeling sad that it’s over.

During “show season”, we travel all over the East Coast. There is camaraderie, new friends, sharing, tears, excitement, all the things that come along with a passion for a sport like these athletes have. Moms of other young riders share their own stories of success and disappointments. It is a family of horse folks. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people from all over the country in this sport – and I’m not even the rider!

When the season is over, I feel as if I’m leaving parts of me behind. Those friends I’ve become close to will seem so “far away” during the off months of fall/winter. Some will send their horses South to Florida for the colder months to work with high-level riders. Some, like us, give their horses time off to just be horses. As we face this time of year, I find myself wondering who will return to the circuit next year? Will they have the same horse? Will I see that adorable pony with the blue eye again?

I know, when January comes around and my daughter starts riding at an indoor arena to get back into shape for the season, those cold afternoons at the barn will seem to come all too quickly. But for now, I will enjoy the the fun we had during the season. And the friends I look forward to seeing again next season.

Until we meet again, horse friends:

HAVE A GREAT RIDE!

Horses, Shows / Events