My daughter spent her school break this spring down in Wellington, Florida. She went down to be a groom and stall hand for a nationally ranked dressage rider who is trying to qualify for the 2015 Pan American Games this July in Toronto. A holiday it was not! She was up before 6am to start tending horses and usually in bed by midnight after she finished tending horses. Only to repeat it again the next day...and the next. She had to go back to school for a rest. And, while she was absolutely exhausted, she had a great time and didn't want to come home. I guess that is what having a passion for horses and dressage is all about.
What I found interesting though is the number of kids that are down there with their horses competing. They send their horses down with their trainer/coach around Christmas and fly down for the various shows to compete. The trainer/coach continues to ride and train the horse while the kid is back at school. There was a great article in the New York Times today telling the story about these young equestrian snow birds and how they commute down to Wellington from New York every weekend to ride (http://nyti.ms/1y9geFR ).
Some of the kids that my daughter competes against during the summer have their horses down there racking up qualifying points. I'm of two minds on this. On the one hand, I think this is just another example of the ability to throw money at something to gain an advantage that most other kids won't get because their parents cannot afford the expense. But getting into this sport, you quickly realize that money buys advantage. And so, on the other hand, everyone is entitled to take every advantage they can in a competition (as long as it's within the rules - not like Lance Armstrong!).
I'll let you decide for yourself as to whether you think this is fair or unfair. All I know is that my daughter is quite cognizant of the cost of the sport and that the depth of the well is not endless. She appreciates all that she receives and contributes all that she can. And she has not once complained that she is missing out. She was just grateful for the experience - that she could go down and work during what was supposed to be a holiday. I guess, as a parent, that's all I can hope for - and that will surely serve her well as she continues on her life journey.
Yours truly,
DDD
Thursday, March 26, 2015
Monday, March 9, 2015
Story of my Life
This picture is so appropriate. All I seem to do is feed it money and I get poop in return...
Alas, at least I know where my daughters are...and it's not hanging around the mall.
Signed,
DDD (Dumb Dressage Dad)
Sunday, March 8, 2015
The Dressage Show - And Four to Go!
Going to the show just adds to the adventure. You can pay someone to trailer your horse or you can trailer your horse yourself. It costs at least $100 each way but likely more to have someone trailer your horse depending on the distance to a show. If you're going to lots of shows, it's probably worth the investment to get a trailer. We bought a light European one, a Fautras (Fautras Horse Trailers). (Note - Even thought they are pricey, I would highly recommend the Fautras over other European trailers because they have two large doors in the front and a lifetime warranty on the floor. It also has a loading mechanism that allows for one person to load a horse. We really like ours - the Provan Premium - and selected it over others after our research.). The European trailers are more expensive but they can be pulled by a smaller vehicle. And since they have surge brakes, you don't need a truck with electric braking capabilities. But there are many types of trailers that are less expensive however you generally need a truck to tow them.
If you do trailer your own horse, you may want to look into travel insurance. One company that I'm aware of that specializes in horse travel is US Rider (note: they are available in both the USA and Canada). It's kind of like the AAA for horse travel to help out when you're stranded on the side of the road. They go so far as helping to secure emergency stabling. It is well worth the cost.
When you get to the show, you need a place to store everything you packed. The solution? A tack stall. Yes, that's right - paying for a second stall just to hold all the stuff the horse and rider needs because you don't want to be going back and forth to the truck and trailer (make certain you order this extra stall on your show application form - think about splitting it with another rider to cut costs). And now that everything is unloaded and the horse is in its newly prepared stall, now you can sit back and take a breath - ahhh, NO!! Now you need to take care of the horse since it just had such a long journey, go check in to the show office, sign in, get your bridle number (if you don't have a bridle number on the horse when it is outside its stall, you can/will get fined/penalized or disqualified), and then start to prepare for the show.
No rest for the weary DDD (Dumb Dressage Dad).
If you do trailer your own horse, you may want to look into travel insurance. One company that I'm aware of that specializes in horse travel is US Rider (note: they are available in both the USA and Canada). It's kind of like the AAA for horse travel to help out when you're stranded on the side of the road. They go so far as helping to secure emergency stabling. It is well worth the cost.
When you get to the show, you need a place to store everything you packed. The solution? A tack stall. Yes, that's right - paying for a second stall just to hold all the stuff the horse and rider needs because you don't want to be going back and forth to the truck and trailer (make certain you order this extra stall on your show application form - think about splitting it with another rider to cut costs). And now that everything is unloaded and the horse is in its newly prepared stall, now you can sit back and take a breath - ahhh, NO!! Now you need to take care of the horse since it just had such a long journey, go check in to the show office, sign in, get your bridle number (if you don't have a bridle number on the horse when it is outside its stall, you can/will get fined/penalized or disqualified), and then start to prepare for the show.
No rest for the weary DDD (Dumb Dressage Dad).
The Dressage Show - Three to Get Ready
Okay, you've spent the time filling out all the show applications and spent the money for the show fees. Now the time is near and it's time to start getting ready and packing. The fun just never ends.
Packing is one thing. Packing for a horse and a show is something exponentially worse. There is much truth to the saying that "people have dogs; cats have people; and horses have staff" - holy crap!!!! We needed blankets for every potential type of weather, travel wraps, standing wraps, bell boots, halters, bridles, saddles, food, treats, hay...and more hay, stall shavings, electrolytes, grooming supplies, fly spray, stall fan, extension cords, and on and on and on. See the links below for a couple of examples of a horse show checklist to see what I'm talking about. .
Showmom Packing List
85 Must Haves for your Horse Show (85 - Holy Crap!!)
A portable tack box or two helps to help keep things organized. We like the Stanley tool boxes as they have wheels and a handle and can take a beating.
And all this is just for the horse! We still have to pack for ourselves! The rider needs to remember boots, blazer, helmet, gloves, breaches (and something to wear over top of the breaches so they stay white for the show!), hair net, etc. And then clothes for other times especially if you're staying over night. And then food and beverages because the days at the show tend to be long. And remember to bring some comfortable chairs.
Finally, I would strongly recommend packing a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream for the morning coffee for those early mornings on overnight trips. It helps to temper the chaos of the morning activities for DDDs (dumb dressage dads).
Now it's off to the show...
Packing is one thing. Packing for a horse and a show is something exponentially worse. There is much truth to the saying that "people have dogs; cats have people; and horses have staff" - holy crap!!!! We needed blankets for every potential type of weather, travel wraps, standing wraps, bell boots, halters, bridles, saddles, food, treats, hay...and more hay, stall shavings, electrolytes, grooming supplies, fly spray, stall fan, extension cords, and on and on and on. See the links below for a couple of examples of a horse show checklist to see what I'm talking about. .
Showmom Packing List
85 Must Haves for your Horse Show (85 - Holy Crap!!)
A portable tack box or two helps to help keep things organized. We like the Stanley tool boxes as they have wheels and a handle and can take a beating.
And all this is just for the horse! We still have to pack for ourselves! The rider needs to remember boots, blazer, helmet, gloves, breaches (and something to wear over top of the breaches so they stay white for the show!), hair net, etc. And then clothes for other times especially if you're staying over night. And then food and beverages because the days at the show tend to be long. And remember to bring some comfortable chairs.
Finally, I would strongly recommend packing a bottle of Bailey's Irish Cream for the morning coffee for those early mornings on overnight trips. It helps to temper the chaos of the morning activities for DDDs (dumb dressage dads).
Now it's off to the show...
The Dressage Show - Two for the Show
Part 2 - Two for the Show
Wow, who would have believed that signing up for a show would be such a headache...for so many reasons. The paperwork involved is insane and requires a full time secretary.
Every show releases their "prize list" which is the rules, regulations, and applications for their specific show. Some applications forms are 6 to 8 pages long to complete when you include the stabling forms. Multiple signatures and multiple association membership numbers are required from the rider, the coach, and the owner of the horse.
And don't forget to include copies of the Coggins test (for Equine Infectious Anemia), copies of the horse FEI passport (yes, an actual passport for the horse issued by the International Equestrian Federation! - or a Equine Canada or USEF passport - see helpful links) and copies of all association memberships for the rider, owner, and coach.
To make it even more interesting, we did one show in another country. This required a vet check within 10 days of import to ensure the horse appears healthy as well as dealing with various federal departments of agriculture and customs/immigration inspections.
Finally, when you're filling out the forms, don't forget to make hotel reservations. You need to do this early to ensure you get into a half-decent hotel. And trust me, this is important! We stayed in a real dump once and it made the show much less enjoyable.
Wow, who would have believed that signing up for a show would be such a headache...for so many reasons. The paperwork involved is insane and requires a full time secretary.
Every show releases their "prize list" which is the rules, regulations, and applications for their specific show. Some applications forms are 6 to 8 pages long to complete when you include the stabling forms. Multiple signatures and multiple association membership numbers are required from the rider, the coach, and the owner of the horse.
And don't forget to include copies of the Coggins test (for Equine Infectious Anemia), copies of the horse FEI passport (yes, an actual passport for the horse issued by the International Equestrian Federation! - or a Equine Canada or USEF passport - see helpful links) and copies of all association memberships for the rider, owner, and coach.
To make it even more interesting, we did one show in another country. This required a vet check within 10 days of import to ensure the horse appears healthy as well as dealing with various federal departments of agriculture and customs/immigration inspections.
Finally, when you're filling out the forms, don't forget to make hotel reservations. You need to do this early to ensure you get into a half-decent hotel. And trust me, this is important! We stayed in a real dump once and it made the show much less enjoyable.
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