My Right Leg

A couple of months ago, I visited Dr. Dermatologist for my twice-yearly strip-search. As a red-head, I am destined to be inspected, poked, prodded, and dissected. This used to be an annual event, carefully coordinated with the end of show season, but 18-months ago I made the mistake of showing up with a sunburn (yea, not a good idea ...). So now Dr. Derma and I catch up twice a year.

Dr. Derma searched for something called a "suspicious mole," and suspicious moles require removal. The last two were on the inside of my calf, so I rode with a sponge padding the inside of my left half chap. This year's removal was on the back of my left thigh, right were the edge of the full-seat breeches rub. Not a good spot.

I padded the stitches with layers and layers of gauze and paper tape--of course I have to use paper tape, I have sensitive chestnut-mare skin--and went about business as usual. At least I thought I was.

Then, on Tuesday, a student snapped some photos of me riding. When I saw those shots, I thought, "Who was that on my horse? It couldn't be me. There's no way I sit that far off to the left. Nope, no way. Must be the Evil Twin." Well, Evil Twin must be exorcised before the weekend, as filming for Super-Duper Secret Takes on the Warmboods Episode 1 begins on Saturday.

I'm a riding instructor, so I know how to fix this--ride without stirrups. So I did. And since I ride a lot of horses, I got LOTS of practice time. Maybe a little too much, or so I thought on Thursday morning. Ouch. Not only did my right thigh hurt, so did my tummy muscles, but only on the right side. Maybe the stitches did get me a little off to one side. Maybe.

We packed up for the show on Friday, and I distinctly remember packing my new-and-improved right leg. But somehow on Saturday I couldn't quite find it. In warm up, I kept grabbing the SOS strap to pull my seat deeper in the saddle. Once my right thigh started really complaining, Super-Dooper Secret would lengthen her neck and float.

And float she did. To two blues and a red, with scores from 67-70%. Go Secret! Next stop, Eastern Arabian and East Coast Championships. I'll make sure I pack my right leg for that trip.

Hi everyone

Ok, folks keep asking for the stories behind my ponies, so here we go.

This weekend was a bit crazy. We hosted a schooling show on Saturday, loaded up 4 horses and went to Fidler Run recognized show on Sunday, the Tuesday took 4 horses to Blue Goose schooling show. Next week we go again, taking the black girls to NJ Horse Park for the weekend. It's show season, let's show!

Eclipse (AKA Studboy), Ensign's Grace's premier stallion and the love of Kate Farris' life, had a full dance card, competing in all three shows. He finished with 5 blues and one red (the wonder pony was getting a little tired ...), and is now qualified for BLMs in October. More than one judge commented on the happy harmony between he and Ange. Then, to further entertain his friends, the silly pony pulled a bottle of U-7 out of the trailer, bit the top off and started slurping it up like it was a well-deserved cold one.

Eclipse is enjoying a light week and hacking, then will get hard at work polishing off his freestyle demonstration for ODMHA in September.

Secret, (BR Danny's Secret) was not to be outdone, competing in both schooling shows with 4 of 5 rides in the 70's this weekend. I couldn't be more thrilled with this little mare's progress. Linda Butz really has a gem here--18 months ago she was mowing grass in a pasture in Wisconsin. She has a work ethic that just won't quit. I get to show her off again this coming weekend at NJ Horse Park.

Silly (show name Anisette) and I worked out our warm-up issues (too much, too little, where the heck is just right??) on Saturday in anticipation of this weekend's show at NJ Horse Park.

Laura isn't going to let me get all of the limelight. She judged all day Saturday, took two horses to Fidler Run on Sunday, then joined me at Blue Goose.

Her horse, Oberon, and Eclipse continued last year's tradition -- Oberon was 2nd to Eclipse in one class, then made Eclipse take red in the next. She had her maiden competition voyage on Flika (show name My Valentine), her mom's new horse, and earned blue and red for mom, with 64.8% and 66%.

Then, just to contine to show off, Laura and Rocky, Liz Dobrinska's horse, won both intro classes at Blue Goose and brought home the Intro High Score neck sash.

Then there's our students. Most of the barn came out for our schooling show, with so many scores into the 60's I can't do them all justice here. Anita and Day Dream joined Laura and I at Filder Run, qualifying her mare for BLM's. Victoria Franzen joined us at Blue Goose for a blue and a yellow ribbon.

As the saying goes, great fun was had by all.

Once I get my laundry caught up, let's do it again next weekend!