New Directions

May is off to a galloping start, although we are still kind of ambling along, respectively. When I think about both work and personal responsibilities as well as the needs, training, and show schedule for Levi, my resting heart rate jumps 20 points and my blood runs ice cold; but, if there's a way to accomplish all of that and be successful in all endeavors this year, you know I will damn well find it.

Speaking of success, our first show of the season was a hit, with Levi winning a blue in the Open English In Hand class at RRDC. Here's a shot of us before the class, and again during the lineup. I don't recall what I said to him as he seemed nervous beforehand, although I had very low expectations. I told Joe that just loading in the trailer and making it out there was a win for me! I had briefly considered entering the Adult Walk-Trot Equitation and Pleasure classes, but fortunately thought better of it as I realized that we not only need a lot more practice to not embarrass ourselves, but also avoided a Springtime downpour in the afternoon. Drowning at a horse show is not on the master list of ways I intend to leave this dimension.

I included a video of the judging and ribbon pinning. If you want to just see the ribbon pinning it's in the last minute or so of the video; true to form, I got giddy on the way out, mistaking the in-gate for the out-gate. I think Levi looks pretty darn good lately, considering all of the effort we are putting into riding (and driving!), and fortunately he also performed well enough in the class of nine horses and ponies that the judges agreed and we took home his first blue of the season. I stashed it safely in the tack room for now - the barn swallows will have to wait until the end of the season for target practice. We do plan to compete in several more shows this season, under saddle, in hand, and in driving ... and man, it exhausts me to consider how I will accomplish all of that and stay upright, but I am not going to talk about any of them in advance, in the hope that I don't jinx us. I know, I know, I don't believe in dumb superstitions either, but still.

We are also making major strides with the dressage training under saddle. This instruction has been the best investment that I could have made for us; there is no equipment (saddle, carriage, etc.), clinic, gimmicks, or online webinars that could substitute for good classical instruction. I can't describe to you how difficult this hard work has been, both physically and mentally for the both of us, but it is so rewarding to see changes almost overnight and happening continuously.

There is truly so much to be gained by submitting yourself and your horse to a dedicated working program designed to build up the horse correctly and position you, as both an athlete and a rider, to give your best effort always. It's a reminder as well that beneath what looks effortless and easy is an ocean of deep sacrifice and hard work that is often done in private, and unrecognized or unappreciated as such until it is evident. To put it into perspective, we have been working under saddle with an instructor for months now, and only in the past few weeks has Levi actually begun to look and move anything like a dressage horse. It takes years of good, solid and consistent riding to see results in this direction, so I am encouraged by this humble progress. We are locked in; we're invested for the long haul.

I was delighted to see a little footage of us the other day where he was lifting his back at a working trot, rounding down into the frame, accepting lovely light contact, and then stretching down on an increasingly loose rein until we were moving gracefully along on the buckle! We have only just begun the "long-and-low" work, and my thinking about this kind of movement has been totally revised in consideration of Levi's needs. If he had a more suitable back and conformation, such as a Warmblood or PRE horse who was designed for dressage, the ever so popular long-and-low work could probably have begun sooner, but in Levi's case, he needed months of support from me in interim stages teaching him to carry himself, while riding in a way as to avoid overloading his forehand. We couldn't ask him to stretch down into movement before he had the muscle strength to continue lifting himself and not create counter-productive biomechanics. I am learning so much about this every day.. it feels impossible to describe it all but I will try to post a few reflections on this process more often, if I can.

While Levi is doing just great with all of this, I still ride like a sack of potatoes (or whatever else you want to put in it). I am forever grateful for the help and instruction I am receiving from both our riding instructor as well as our driving instructor, Sam. Sam has a long history of driving and schooling in both driven dressage and combined driving. She has a unique background and a lot of knowledge that I am appreciative of, but is also entertaining new directions as her personal interests with horse training evolve. It is the mark of a master to keep educating themselves, updating their skills, and learning on their own and with other masters, all while sharing their knowledge. School is never out of session. We have explored some of these training ideas with Sam, as Levi's classical education as a six year old is firmly in place at this point and we are in no danger of altering that, or being drawn into some kind of weird, expensive horse cult (cough P*****i cough) for people who get information from TikTok trainers and are afraid of their horses. Playing with a few new-to-us ideas (nothing cultish - just exploring movement) as an add-on to my solid and more traditional program is also fun and interesting, without risking confusing the horse or making me feel forced into renting more space in Crazy Town.

Speaking of Crazy Town... our long and often difficult journey through navigating various boarding farm situations is fortunately coming to an end in the near future. I can't tell you how relieved I am about this. Boarding Levi has become very challenging for me personally lately, as I just really don't deal well with irrational people who insist on keeping horses as a proxy for going to therapy or taking their medication, nor do I want to support situations that I think are rapidly unraveling, becoming unsustainable, or potentially dangerous for horses and people. I also really want to keep Levi in a place where I can control his nutritional needs; as he ages, he will require a seasonal dry lot, or better, a paddock track system, where he is encouraged to move throughout the day and consumes primarily low-NSC hay, off pasture grass during the spring and fall growth cycles. No facilities locally have such a track system in place, and even though his current farm has been promoting it, nothing in the way of this has been fulfilled to date. Joe and I have been working on a plan to bring Levi to his ideal forever home with us for a while now, and this plan is solidly in motion. While I am yearning to talk more about it, I've learned that be best thing to do is just show results and keep silent except for a trusted few. As they say, people can't ruin what they don't know. I had a lovely image of Levi's new spot to show you.. but instead, I will just leave you with this gorgeous photo of Levi and Indy Blue instead. It's such a peaceful moment.

Happy trails and new horizons are ahead for Levi and I!