Guess which prediction was accurate?

OK, I’ll tell you!

The one wherein I proposed that I stayed in my house until January. Woody and I are still alive. Cold and bitter, but alive.

Every year I inadvertently end up taking between Rubicon and New Year off. I think it’s probaly good for us both. I have a long post in my head about why, but as is rampant in all areas of my life right now, motivation lacks. I assure you it’s insightful and brilliant.

Season Two: It Happened!

So, it is the end of my and Woody’s second season eventing together.  Just the mere fact that we made it through without any disruptions (other than me being the consummate amateur) makes it heads above the seasons of some of my friends. For this I am thankful.  There is actually so much to be thankful for, but I’ll show you a video of me eating fence one in Rubicon Stadium instead.  I mean that’s more fun to watch, right?

So as implied, we finished off our season at Rubicon this weekend.  I was a little nervous about going seeing as the Spring Rubicon was where Woody and I completed our first Walk of Shame together, and my first Walk of Shame since 1995.

Fear not!  There was no Walk of Shame! *cue cheering crowd.*  I did almost fall off in stadium warm-up though.  My friend Dana was there helping me (stadium warm-up makes me want to barf, and she was helping me by making all the fences teeny…that’s right! I rock the 2 foot warm-up!).

Anyhoo, one of my favorite things to do to instill confidence in myself, my horse, and those looking on, is to come up to the cross-rail, see nothing, miss like it’s my job, THEN get way ahead of my horse.  This way when he jumps it like a 3-legged alpaca I almost fly off on the other side.

It happened in slow-motion, and I actually heard Dana yell “Hold On!”  I had the presence of mind to reply “I think I got it!!!!” as I pushed myself off his neck, unwrapped my hands from underneath his throat latch and catapaulted myself back into the saddle.  All at the canter mind you!  I think it was this that inspired the nice man helping to set warm-up fences to look at Dana and say “THAT?  That was AMAZING!”

I aim to please.  Again, please reference the lack of pride that is scattered throughout this blog.

Anyhoo, dressage was good.  We’re still having some steadiness problems, but it’s coming together.  We were in 9th with a 34.5.  However, the scores were CRAZY close and 1st place was standing on a 31.

Had we finished on our dressage, we would have ended 2nd, but I decided to make a sandwich out of the first fence and we had a rail.  I was admittedly a little frazzled about our warm-up and it took us a bit to get our inattentive and impulsive ducks in a row.  Besides that one rail we had no other time or jumping faults for the rest of the day.  I was pleased.

So there it is.  I’m not sure how our spring season is going to work.  Getting married can kinda make spending all your money and weekends at competitions difficult… but I’m sure I’ll find a way.  As it is now, Woody will get the next week or so off and we’ll pick some goals for the winter and maybe actually be focused enough to reach them.

Or, I’ll sit in the house until February drinking mulled wine and thinking Woody deserves a solid winter to reflect on the season

Yay for a pink ribbon and not getting T.E.’d

So, we went to MDHT III this weekend, and I am so glad we did.  We had a great go of it and FINALLY, for the first time this year, finished on our dressage score.  It wasn’t a great dressage score.  We were tied for 7th with a 36.5.

Woody likes to see how much he can get away with, and i’ve let him get away with some minor transgressions in the way of consistency/steadiness.  He’s always pushing JUST a little.  It’s like he’s saying “if I wiggle my head around JUST X amount, I can get away with it…”  I just realized this within the past week and REALLY started working on it.  I’m hoping we’ll have made some improvements by Rubicon (If I go to Rubicon…I really WANT to go to Rubicon, why am I not entered?).

Stadium was EATING people!  I had had some sangria that my friend Erin brought, and I wasn’t skeered.  That’s right.  As I’ve always surmised, Booze really IS my spinach.  We had a nice forward round and while we didn’t find all of our distances perfectly (as if that will EVER happen), we made all of our mistakes going forward and out of stride.

XC was a BLAST!  The first fence was a not small rolltop and was relatively close to the start.  He was a little slow off the ground, and per Liza’s instructions, I SENT him forward upon landing, and he was a champ the rest of the way around.  I love how you can see him wring his tail in the video when I goosed him after fence one.  He still peaked at the first water, but there wasn’t any genuine hesitation.

We ended up 5th, and I don’t know that I have EVER been as happy to get a pink ribbon in my whole life.

I’m not signed up for Rubicon, and I don’t know why.  I’m going to see Daniel Tosh at the Lyric that Saturday night, but that’s not why.  I don’t think anyone else from the barn is going, and maybe that’s a little bit why.  I think I’m just going to suck it up and enter.  I can’t do Waredaca because I’ll be in Kentucky helping Liza, and I can’t do VHT because I’ll be stalking Jon and Stephen…

OK, while the videos were uploading I entered Rubicon.  I wont be skeered!

You can take your Technical Elimination & … wait

(I’m behind again, this is from the weekend of 10/3)

I guess I’ll take you’re technical elimination and eat it.  You don’t have to do a damn thing with it.   

Long story short.  During Stadium, I heard the dressage whistle, started, judge didn’t stop me (as I was told she did the rider who went right after me, but I’m not bitter ), blew the whistle at me after my round and told me I was TE’d.  I explained what happened (to her, in her truck that HAD had the windows rolled up, and was parked behind a tree), but there was little to no sympathy.

Helmut let me run XC and we had an AMAZING go.  A couple of sticky fences, but I didn’t choke and the 2nd half of the course (which was the big half), was fantastic.

We were 2nd after dressage, and if we hadn’t had a rail (and a TE) we totally would have won.

We have MDHT this weekend and I am feeling REALLY good about it.  Let’s see if both Woody and I can’t keep it together at the same time.  What a wonderous plan.

Lessons are ugly so competitions don’t have to be

I have been working my ASS off. Woody is so funny, everytime I think “There, I’ve got him figured out. If I keep down this path, steady eddy straight ahead, everything will be blue ribbons and big smiles.

Then I find out Woody wanted me to take that left we passed 2 miles back.

Liza came up for a lesson on Monday and Woody was a bit of a douche. I was feeling all competent after finding all of my fences well at Maryland, and then 

It had cooled off a good bit and Woody had (temporarily, lets hope), been rehired by Don’t Touch My Freaking Face, Incorporated, and taken back his position of Vice President in charge of Over-Reactions.

That horse can go fast without going forward unlike ANY animal I have ever encountered. So we ate some oxers, but then both of us finally got our shit together. I keep telling myself that lessons are ugly so competitions don’t have to be.

Our flat work has been STELLAR though! Who would have EVER thought that this horse:

would make dressage his bitch… Although looking at that I’m not sure who has come farther, Woody or me.

Olney Times aren’t up yet, but it’s supposed to be a beautiful day on Sunday!

Taking Ribbons from Children…OK, I feel kinda bad, but I still totally took the Ribbon.

So, per usual, Woody and I have a “plan” for the fall season. This “plan” is multi-phased and began today with me taking to the MD Short Course. The first time I’ve competed him since we imploded Rubicon. 

So, to ensure Super Happy Fun Time for all I entered him in the Beginner Novice Division, and Super Happy Fun Time was obtained. I’ve realized it’s not the size of the fence that matters, or at least that is not where my and Woody’s issues live. So we might as well get out sh*t together (rhythm, focus, forward) over smaller fences.

We finished on our dressage score and won the division, but more importantly (wait, there is something more important than taking ribbons from children?) I have my XC machine back. He was AMAZING! I also got my head out my ass, which was nice.

We have video!

I’m apparently determiined to lay Woody down on XC at Maryland. I was expecting the water to slow him down, as it ALWAYS has in the past. Yeah, it didn’t and that turn came up a bit faster than I had expected.

So, I think I’m going to do the unrec at Olney in a couple of weeks and then Liza’s taking him to Morven, then he’s mine for the rest of the season.

We’re chuggin’ along!

So, first.  Liza has moved.  It’s a WONDERFUL thing.  She has a great opportunity in Charlottesville, and the people there are lucky as hell to get her in their backyard. and I already miss her like whoa!  I would be remiss if I didn’t spend the majority of this post singing her praises.

It’s no secret that Woody is a strange bird.  He’s an amazing horse, with a work ethic that is beyond reproach, and has talent that I will probably never be skilled enough to tap into.

That said, he is also a TOUGH horse.  He is sensitive and has little to no ability to take a joke.  Me?  I tell a lot of jokes.  Woody thinks few of them are funny, but as an amateur, making mistakes is how I roll, and unless I become independently wealthy and can take lessons everyday I don’t see that changing.  This is why Liza is worth her weight in gold.

I don’t know where to start, so I’ll summarize.  Without Liza?  Woody and I would probably BOTH be ruined.  Some OTTBs are not for the faint of heart nor the unassisted.  I have always considered myself a decent rider, but some skills HAVE to be taught.  Liza taught me how to wait, and be QUIET and patient.  She taught me how to ride the VERY fine line with Woody between forward and running away, and before I could ride it, she had to teach me how to feel for it.  She taught me to balance, not grasp, and she taught me when to fight/press and when to allow.

These lessons on a horse like Woody are NOT easy.  Yet Liza’s way with him is exceptional; I call her Woody’s Xanax.  Not only has she turned me into an exponentially better rider over the past 2 and a half years, but she has turned Woody into a horse that can be touched, and bent, and pushed and WORKED!  Neither of these were a small feat.

She has also taught me how much more I have to learn, without making me feel like an idiot.  Which if being heuristic is your game?  Well, Liza’s your gal.  So, if Liza Horan is in your neck of the woods, and you have the opportunity?  Jump at it, because she knows horses and will work you and teach you and you will be better for the experience.

Woody and I are getting ready for our fall season.  This included a couple of unrecognized events and then Liza is taking him to Morven.  Should all that go well, he’ll be mine for the remainder of the season.

Before Liza left on Friday, I had a flat lesson on Thursday (Liza gave me 5 pound weight loss-lesson as her going away present) and a jump lesson on Wednesday.  She was kind enough to video some of the lesson on Wed.  So I’ll share that here!

We’re getting it together, and I’m looking forward to the fall season.  Liza is an amazing training and a dear friend, and if you’re lucky enough to get the change to ride with her, take it!

Phase 3, MDHT II: Our Love will Live On! (7/19/2010)

So Phase three consisted of Liza taking Woody to MDHT II. It was a TOTAL success. Liza and I were SUPER pleased.

Dressage was nice. Liza still commented that he needs to be a bit more ridable (For example see the free walk:working walk: trot transition ), but he’s come SUCH a far way.

THAT earned them a 34.4 and solidly in 12th place (only in Area II ). I was totally happy with it regardless. My goal was for him to finish on his dressage score.

Which he TOTALLY did!

Yet one more way that Woody is weird. Liza said at the end of the day she’s ridden few horses that were greener XC than stadium. That usually once they got going they’re right as rain. Woody, went around clean, but he still took some work on the XC. His Stadium however, was FANTASTIC.

Liza came out of the ring smiling and said “he’s a GOOD horse!” He was super willing and eager, and Cupcake his face KILLS me when he’s cantering down to a fence!

Then XC was up. the were clean and WELL inside the time. I was able to walk the course with Liza and learned a LOT about how to do things better. She had him REALLY forward the first half of the course to get him going and then was SUPER relaxed and worked on some ridability on the last part. I do love watching him go around.

I’m a pretty proud momma. I’ve been having some internal struggling as to what to do with Woods. I’ve always told myself that eventually I’d be willing to consider selling him. I’ve been feeling pretty downtrodden about how our spring season ended and we DeHarts sometimes like to rationalize the lazy way out of a hard situation.

Then, last week I decided I was going to make this shit work. I’m just not ready; I love him like a 12 year old loves those stupid vampires from the Twilight saga. I’m not soooo hard on myself, I’m not a total up-downer, but I have beat the SHIT out of myself over how difficult this horse is to ride. Instead of kicking myself in the proverbial nuts I decided on Friday that I’m going to get better, and he’s going to get more willing to take a joke/more seasoned and our nauseating middle school love will live on. I’m just too in love with him. We’re gonna come out fighting this fall.

Phase two was a success, and yet MORE homework. (6/22/2010)

Good news to share and it’s taken me TWO WHOLE DAYS! I was super busy on Sunday at Waredaca with Liza, Liza’s 4-year-old-Windfall filly (who is AMAZING!), and Woody.

THEN, Sunday night I celebrated both Woody’s strong finish (he totally won) and the first sunday night at our favorite bar that I didn’t have to go to work on Monday.

and THEN on Monday, I had the cocktail flu. I would have posted videos, but that would have required me to get out of the fetal position and off the couch.

Neither was a viable option. 

So, Woody was GOOD! Finished in first place on his dressage score (32.5). He gave Liza the middle fingers a couple of times in the beginning of the test, but it was STILL good.

Stadium was great!

And XC was GOOD and penalty free.

Liza said he actually feels more anxious galloping between fences, which in hindsight is where we would start to become unwound. After I sat and tried to figure out which amateur mistake I made to bring this about Liza put me out of my misery. She assured me, even more so after riding him out, that she didn’t even really think it was a jumping issue, that he’s just ANXIOUS and shutting down.

So today, I decided I was going to take him out on a proper hack. Not just the short loop around the creeks, but a PROPER hack. I admitted to Liza and myself that I had not been doing very much hacking. I was obsessed with practicing my circles!

This is what Woody thought about our hack.

Yet one more place where I assumed he’d retain some of his learnin. We used to hack ALL the time, and while it’s never a TOTALLY relaxing experience, by the end of our first year at Southwind, he was pretty brave.

Today? It took us ten minutes to walk through some ferns that were apparently the Lord of All Things Evil. I wish I was kidding. I also wish I could say that was the ONLY thing that Woody was convinced was going to be the end of him. Like I said, he IS a spooky horse, but this was loco.

So, Things we have learned about Woody this spring? Don’t assume that he’s got anything down pat until he’s a bit older. He’s careful and anxious and a little “special.” Admittedly I haven’t ridden him out much since last fall, and it’s apparently SUPER important for him in order to feel confident. Man, horses are hard. If nothing else Woody is teaching not to take ANYTHING for granted, no matter how simple, automatic, or natural it may seem to me.

So, that’s what we’re doin. I’m of course going to keep working on everything else, but there is going to be at least 3 significant hacks per week. He’s a smart boy, he’ll find his balls again sooner rather than later.

So, besides Woody putting Liza on the ground, Schooling went GREAT (6/10/2010)

Phase one of get Woody’s shit back together began on Tuesday when we took him to Rubicon for XC Schooling a’la Liza. As mentioned, there was a incident wherein Liza and Woody parted company.

That was towards the end of the school, and after Addie and Sheri galloped over hill n’ dale and ponied him back, Liza got back on and finished the fixing. It might have been close to done before if Woody hadn’t spooked at the edge of the water (at NOTHING) jumped straight up in the air, squirrled around in a pretzel, and landed straight legged. They were SO doing nothing, that Liza was sitting on him all relaxed, one handed on a loose rein. This was precariously close to tadpole filled waters and Woody then high tailed it back to the trailers. Liza said it was adaptive behavior, cause she probably would have murdered him had he stayed around

I will admit to enjoying Ozzy’s penchant to stand, stare and judge after there was an involuntary dismount.

Ozzy–> 

Woody – -> 

The day began with her jumping him over 2-3 fences, galloping by me and saying, “Yep, Lisa, he’s being kind of a douche, don’t know why, don’t care, but it’s going to stop today!” I’m sure I HAD to have done something to create the monster, but we can’t pinpoint it. She also told me that it feels NOTHING like it looks and she understood why I was getting so frustrated when she’d tell me to do one thing, I’d try it, and it wouldn’t work.

He’s SUCH a weird little horse. I mean genuinely weird. Liza LOVES him but every time we have to suss something out she marvels in his bizarreness. He’s this unexplainable combination of brave and chickenshit and cocky and needy. I’m still trying to find a character from a TV show/movie that describes him and I’m failing.

By the time the day was over Woody was looking more like the machine I had last year. Liza is just the perfect balance of firm, patient and calm that Woody needs to engage his brain.

I of course took video.

I bought Liza lunch on the way home.  She was unscathed from her tumble, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve a burger from Fosters.