Courtney King

Courtney King Dye has now been in a comma for over two weeks. In the tops dressage shows around the world we have been seeing green ribons on all the jackets. These ribbons represent brain injurey.

I know many people to not wear helments for many reasons. 1) No one else does 2) I have been riding this horse for years I am not going to fall 3) This is an easy horse 4) It is too hot outside 5) No other trainers wear helmats 6) my helment gives me a funny red line across my forhead. Looking at these they all seem rather stupid. I am keeping it blunt IT IS STUPID NOT TO WEAR A HELMENT! You have one brain you kill it and your done. In ten years from now no one will care if you wore a halment in the big show...not like anyone cares not either.

I love Miss King she gave me my inspiration into dressage so lets use one of her faults to help the horse world alittle better place.

I dont care if you havnt worn a helment in 50 years. Start now!

Gah

Yesterday I had one of those fabulous rides that keep making my desion harder and harder to keep him or not. Now this ride was no were near perfect but he gave me 200%. To me that is what really matters but I dont know if even great rides like last night will get be where i need to be going in the show ring. I was doing hunter stuff last night btw.

Well im looking at barns tonight then greys!

The limit

Have you ever wondered if you are pushing your horse too hard? If are are taking him in the wrong direction? I ask myself these questions almost everyday.

Is it right to be pushing a horse that is not built for dressage in dressage work? When he could excel in other areas? My horse is not built for dressage at all. He is down hill and straight legged. Some people think you can train a horse to do anything. But the question is...is it the right thing to do?

I want to be a competative rider and this is what I want to do with my life but my horse is holding me back. I can school alot higher than what I am able to school on my horse. I dont know what I should do should I sell him to a home that wont push him enough. The only prob with this is I am in a contract and cannot sell him for 5 years. and I really do love this horse dearly he has the best personality that I have ever seen. The trait I like most about him is that he is always trying he never just flipps out when trying something new he always gives me 110% all the time even is that might not be very pretty.

I am starting to think that I am making the wrong deciosion in pushing him I see him not being as happy as he used to me and asking like an old school horse when he is only 10. The vet has checked him over and nothing is wrong with him.

I quess I dont know if I should allow my fondness of him to hold back my competeative career. There is no way I can afford two horses either dispite my efforts.

Barn Drama

People who tend to find themselves in drama alot are usually the cause. People may get upset by this but I find it very true in my own life.

Anyone who rides shares one thing in common DRAMA. I dont know why there is so much drama at barn... Maybe its because it is something we all love and emotions are high, competitive, and other thing. Something I tend to find is alot of barn people have nothing else in their lives to worry about. They need something to be consumed by because they have nothing else.

I know this sounds very harsh but its true and we all do it including myself i hate to say. The sad thing is it is so accepted in our daily life that people dont even reliese it anymore. I think the same concept applys to everyone not equatrians alike.

Alot of the time the innocent get wrapped up in the stupid drama too words get twisted lies get told people stick thier noses where they dont belong. The biggest issue I find is that people take things out of context.

We all must have to have a sense of humor about life in general relax nothing is as big as a deal as it is bad out to be. If you dont make it an issue it wont be an issue. End of Sorry.

Bad Timing

Dont horses have the worst timing ever? Do they know when something big is coming up? Well I had been riding vodka mainly hunter recently to get ready for his first hunter show that was two weeks ago(he did great). But the next thing on our plate is to go to a USDF show we leave on friday. Last Wedsday was going to be his first time back in the dressage saddle his shoe was a little loose not much at all so I was going to do a light ride in the indoor with him but he was lame like head bobbing lame. So I gave him half a gram of bute bc i thought it had to me something with the shoe. I just wanted him to be comfortable until the farrier could come out. The next day i went out to check on him and he ripped off like half of his off wall. I called the farrier and he said dont pull the shoe just duck tape it so i did and he was lame poor thing. So now his hoof is patched and he is almost sound. I was riding on friday and he decided so learn how to buck its just perfect just perfect i guess it is just...bad timing...

Fence

Well as you guys all know Vodka and I have our first hunter show on sunday so, on monday I was taking my normal jumping lesson but it was cold and rainy but no thunder or lightning so the jumping went on. Vodka usually isnt one to be a speed demon or not pay attention to half halts but, monday he completely tuned me out. After a line he would just run and no pay attention to me so I did what I had to do and run him into a fence. But after raming him in a fence a few times I was able to come to a halt after each line. Once I had his respect everything was good we were then able to canter the whole course landing on the right leads everytime he was perfect. I hated what I had to do to get his attention but I guess it is the end product the counts.

Well now im off to the barn. I have some people looking to buy my dressage saddle. I need to clip vodka cut his mane(his main is wayyyyy to thin to pull i hate it) and trim up his mane c yah!

shows....?

Well vodka is mainly a dressage horse but he really likes the hunter stuff and is good at it keeping in mind he is still very green. He never refuses a jump and is very willing. He doesnt always get the right distance but that will come with expirance. He jumps uberly round so he can be hard to stay with. Even for little jumps my crest releace has to be up by his ears and we just looks rediculous doing that.

Well I decided to take vodka to his first hunter show. Its just a little showing show. But im still not sure what classes to enter him in. I want to keep the jumps much smaller than what we do at home so the show is a completely good expireance for both of us. The only thing im worried about is those dredded flowers.

Once we went to my trainer's house to school over flowers and he jumped it all right way over jumped it actually. He even managed to snort at the flowers while he was going over the jump now that some really talent. He was also scared out of his mind because everything had spots there the dogs,horses and even some jumps the idea of spots just blew his mind silly horse. There was one other thing that completely blew his mind...mini donkeys omg i know scariest thing ever. What are they small horses? Funny looking dogs? Why do they have spots? Im sure all of these questions were going throught vodka's little mind. Okay well im off to the garden!