The calm amidst the storm
Since moving to Ocala, I’ve finally been able to get into a rhythm of showing on a pretty consistent basis, for the the first time in my life. Whether it be my own horse or some of my trainers’, I’m getting ring time. This is something I really lacked, prior to moving I had maybe shown a total of 5 times? And as many probably know, riding in competition is very different from riding at home! Because of this, it always felt like I was stuck and not capable of really advancing my riding abilities. Then the few times I did show, I felt so out of place and unprepared that I’d nearly shut down in the ring due to nerves and anxiety. Not a good feeling and not at all fair to my horse.
So fast forward to now, and I actually feel pretty good stepping into the ring most days. And while a lot of it is just ring time and miles, another aspect that I credit a lot to is the quiet moments spent behind the scenes, early in the morning before sunrise and later in the evening tucking horses in at night. Grooming at shows, whether it be my own horse or another’s, is one of my favorite parts of the day. Especially mornings, despite how brutal the alarm may be, getting there early and spending time doing the chores gives me space to clear my head and spend time with my horse before the day gets going. I get to be the first one to put eyes on him or her, to get a sense of how they’re feeling.. are they relaxed? Does their stall look like they slept or is it a mess implying they were restless? How are they drinking, should I give salt in their feed or maybe more electrolytes to encourage them to drink more? I have a mental checklist in my head that I like to run through as I chip away at things. And as much as it may be nice to sleep in and let somebody else be the first one there and the last to leave, I’d be in the dark as to how the horses are really doing.
I learned that Stakkatos likes to take a scheduled nap shortly after eating breakfast every morning!
A perfect example actually would be the horse I’ve been showing this week at WEC. He’s a newer horse in the barn, only been with us maybe two months now, but has little to no showing experience. It’s an insanely talented 11 year old that didn’t have the traditional upbringing that most horses bred the way he is did. Needless to say, showing wasn’t apart of his life until now. So it’s been a bit of a learning curve for him, and a lot to take in at once! But because I’ve been not only his rider but also groom, I’ve seen him change and adapt every single day. From being tense and reactive as I picked his stall and took him on hand walks, to becoming way more confident and sure of his surroundings and realizing things weren’t so scary after all. And getting to read him every morning when showing up early to feed and clean, gave me a good idea as to how his headspace was long before I needed to ride.
It may seem like a little thing, but I do believe it’s important. And I understand many if not all of the big time trainers quite literally don’t have the time to do the unglamorous part of the job. Which is why other people get paid to do it, and that’s great. But for somebody like me, I’m a very long ways to being in their shoes, and I don’t think I even want to be anyways. I don’t really know what the future holds for my riding, other than the personal milestones I hope to accomplish. But picking stalls and blowing aisles and wrapping legs will be apart of it regardless!