A Sweet Story About Names

When my trainer first told me about Hannah, she used the name Moxie for her mistakenly (turns out Moxie was her dam, a mare my trainer was involved with years back).

When I arrived to meet the mare, she was in the cross-ties getting groomed by an assistant trainer who sweetly called her Hannah Banana. I got a tingling feeling at the back of my neck. Even though at the time I thought I was meeting a horse named Moxie, I knew that this was the right horse and had a very strong feeling that she would become mine. You see, my first horse (and cherished heart-horse) was named Bo and one of my nicknames for him was Bo-Nana Banana.

Now when I or others call her Hannah Banana it's a sweet reminder of my first horse.

Amazingly, this isn't the first time I've had this kind of name deja-vu. I had it with Hemie too. Here's that full story.

When Bo passed away many years ago, a friend told me that my future horses should somehow remind me of Bo. At the time this sounded offensive: no horse could ever remotely replace Bo! But now I love that advice because it's a way to honor his memory. For both the horses I've owned since Bo, I found out their names on the day I met them, and their names tied to him. I've always considered that a special gift from the universe.

EIC Product Review & Triple Giveaway! Be Ready Safety Spray

A while back I was contacted by Giddyup Girls to try out and review their insect spray: Be Ready Safety Spray.  I've been using it for over 2 months, just as fly season was coming on strong in my area.

What makes Be Ready spray unique is its focus on safety:

• For the environment:
• won't harm bees or colonies (or other insects)
• no DEET, pesticides, or insecticides
• For the users:
• safe on skin
• safe to breathe (though I don't recommend it)
• okay to use on humans and pets
• doesn't stain clothes or equipment

Nowhere on the bottle or website is it called a "repellent" but that's what it does. The bugs listed are: bees, wasps, hornets, yellow-jackets, mosquitoes, flies, and gnats. These last 3 are what I deal with on a regular basis, though I do encounter the others on trail rides. It's a clear liquid that's not oily or sticky, and I spray it right over her body and on her splint boots. I apply it to her face using a rag or my palm.

Bug free trail ride = happy pony + happy human

Bottom line: it works great!!  From the moment I spray, bugs leave us alone. I have sprayed this stuff directly onto flies that were chilling on Hannah's legs, and they immediately flew away and didn't return. Hannah appreciates not having to stomp or swish, and it lasts at least 90 minutes (my average pony time). It works best on a groomed horse but works surprisingly well on a dirty, dusty horse too.

Since someone likes to roll in turnout.

However, it has a strong odor. Not a bad one, per se. In fact, others at the barn have said they like the smell. I've been smelling it for months and I still can't decide if I like or dislike the odor. It has a medicinal, herbal quality to it. But it lasts a long time - I can sometimes smell faint traces of it even 24 hours later.

It currently only comes in a small 4-ounce bottle - the kind where you use your index finger to press down and you get a small mist area. I prefer larger bottles with whole-hand squirt levers and a larger spray area; however, the small size makes it convenient for fitting in a pocket, or for using it on yourself or a dog.

Even though it's a small bottle, it is powerful stuff, so I think 2 bottles would last me through bug season, which is comparable to other larger bottles of fly spray. I really like that the bottle is clear and you can see how much liquid is left inside.

The price is only $10.95 per bottle on the Giddyap Girls website, and its starting to hit shelves in more stores and websites. Given how effective it is, this is a great value. Especially if you want to support a product that is environmentally friendly, USDA tested, and works really well.

And now you can try it too. Giddyap Girls is graciously doing a triple giveaway. That's right, 3 winners!! All you have to do is like the Giddyap Girls Facebook page and the Be Ready Safety Spray FB page using the Rafflecopter widget below. You get an extra chance to win by sharing the contest on your blog or other social media.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

XC Schooling #2 - Nerves Galore

On Saturday we did our 2nd cross country schooling, this time at Tugger X Ranch in Moorpark. I started out feeling relaxed and ready for a positive outing. 

Unfortunately no media from XC, but here's a shot of our July 4th dress-up.

We trotted and cantered around, and Hannah was feeling a little lazy but willing. We popped over a few tiny logs. I was feeling okay, but planned on sticking to the intro-sized jumps.

We headed to the water and while Hannah hesitated for ~10 seconds, she did go in without any help from the ground. This was certainly an improvement from our last outing, but at a show I'll school the water before trying to go through any flags.

Then it came time for a mini course: a tiny rounded wooden slat jump to a BN-sized box jump. I've jumped that BN jump before on Hemie, and I knew that Hannah could jump it no problem, but my nerves started to creep in. We got over both okay, but Hannah was behind my leg and I was rather ineffective at getting that corrected. We went around again, and this time I pushed her forward but let her get completely on the forehand and strung out - she politely refused/dodged out of the BN jump.

I knew what I needed to do. I know how to get her in front of my leg. Forward and back. Gallop and collect. Leg to hand.

But I just couldn't. My nerves were getting stronger and even though I knew in my head what to do, I simply couldn't make it happen. 

We came around again, and somehow made it over the BN box, but I was so loose and backwards that I popped way out of the saddle. Miraculously I landed back in the saddle, but it was a very near thing.

From our last jump lesson.

Laurie got on Hannah before I could do any real damage to our trust. She rode her around for quite a bit to her in front of the leg and responsive, and even took her over a few jumps including some Novice jumps. She gave her back to me to cool off while our stablemates did some schooling.

Then we headed to the ditches. For whatever reason all the horses in our group thought they were terrifying and had some major struggles getting over. I got Hannah close a few times, the whole time basically shaking with nerves. Then Hannah tried stepping down into one (they're like 2 feet deep!) so Laurie got on again. 

Laurie gave her the ride that I couldn't, and she got over the ditch. At first with an extra 3' height to spare, then like a normal pony. 

I got back on and we were able to get over it together. Same with the other gals in our group. By that point we were all hot and tired and I was panicked that I was going to majorly screw things up. I simply wasn't riding like I knew I needed to, no matter how much I tried. 

From our last jump lesson.

To end on a more positive note, Laurie had us each go and jump 1 final jump - whatever we wanted. I picked a BN sized log that looked very welcoming, and we had a perfect approach and perfect jump. Phew. 

All in all it was a very short schooling, but I was drained from my own nervous energy. I am still very frustrated and disappointing in how much nerves I had. I thought I would be fine, or at least significantly improved from our first XC.  

Oh well. As Laurie stated, if I spend a year at Intro then I spend a year at Intro. There's no hurry, it takes what it takes. And luckily Hannah has been a very willing partner. Even though she senses my nervousness, she hasn't taken advantage at all, and in fact has impressively helped me out sometimes. Good girl.

Hannah and Lucy - my lovely ladies.

Eventing Explained: USEA Membership

In this series I go over various aspects of the sport of Eventing: everything from the basics to the finer points, including rules and traditions. If you have a specific topic you'd like me to cover, please leave a comment or email me!

Our current topic: Membership in the US Eventing Association (USEA)

There are so many organizations for horse owners and riders to join. From breed associations to local trail riding groups to national and even international bodies. So, here's the scoop on membership in the USEA, the US national organization for the sport of eventing, for both horses and humans.

What is USEA?

The USEA is a registered 501 C(3) non-profit educational organization. They have an office in Leesburg, Virginia, and have about 15 staff members. Led by a governing board of 20 people, they sanction registered competitions and implement a number of educational, safety, and award initiatives as well as development programs. Their mission is to advance the sport of eventing. Find more info at USEventing.com/about.

USEA is a "Recognized International Discipline Association" of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF), the national governing body for equestrian sports. The USEA works in conjunction with the USEF to establish and implement policies and rules that govern eventing.

Types of Membership (Human)

• Full membership - $85 per year (discounts for juniors age 18 or younger, and collegiate riders), grants eligibility to compete at registered events, participate in clinics and other USEA programs, and ability to earn points towards awards, leaderboards, and championships.
• Life membership - $1,500 one-time payment, same benefits as full membership.
• Supporting membership - $35 per year. For non-competitors, this is a way to support the organization.
• Plus there's a magazine, newsletter, decal sticker, discounts at stores, etc. Find more info at USEventing.com/membership.
• You can get a USEA ID number without being a member. This is used for the USEA online portal to do things such as register a horse.

Membership Card

Types of Registration (Horse)

• Restricted Status - Free, required for TEST and BN levels only. Horses registered this level will not earn any points towards awards, leaderboards, or championships. 
• Limited Status - $40 one-time fee, required for Novice and Training levels, and Young Event Horse. Needed for BN level in order to earn points towards awards, leaderboards, etc.
• Full Status - $150 one-time fee, or $100 to upgrade a horse from Limited Status, required to compete at Preliminary level and above. 
• Future Event Horse Status - $25 one-time fee, for horses age 3 and younger in the Future Event Horse program. 
• Find more info at USEventing.com/resource/horse-registration-policy.

Do I have to join USEA to compete in eventing?

To compete in un-rated competitions, no. How do you know if the competition is USEA sanctioned? Check the premium, contact the organizer, or search the omnibus of USEA-sanctioned events. Certain venues offer only un-rated competitions, and many venues host both un-rated and registered events. 

To compete in registered events at Beginner Novice level, no; the rider does not need to be a member. However, there is a $25 fee per each competition, and you are not eligible for points towards awards, leaderboards, or championships. The horse does need to be registered at least Restricted Status. 

To compete in registered events at Novice level or above, yes; the rider needs to be a full member and the horse needs Limited Status registration.

Pros & Cons of Membership

Pros: all the membership benefits & perks + the warm-fuzzies from supporting a non-profit dedicated to a sport you enjoy.

Cons: it costs money. 

I am currently a USEA member and plan on continuing membership as long as I plan on doing registered events.  If you have any questions about membership, please comment and I'll do my best to answer, or direct you to an official person at USEA. 

Previous Eventing Explained posts:

USEA Competition Levels

USEA Scoring

International Competition Levels (CIC, CCI, & stars****)

Tackity Tack

Firstly, congrats to Karley at All In for hitting 700 posts! Check out her blog for a celebratory contest.

Next thanks to Stephanie at Hand Gallop for our latest Blog Hop:

Share your every day tack setup

Jumping

Saddle - Stubben Roxane
Leathers - From an Amish store when a buddy lived in PA
Irons - Regular fillis stainless steel
Saddlepad - Back On Track AP pad
Girth - Lettia cool-max click buckle girth
Boots - Splint boots front and behind (black - hard to see), bell boots on fronts.
Bridle - Not sure what it is precisely, it came with Hannah. But its a very nice standard hunter bridle that matches my saddle nicely.


Dressage

Literally the exact same setup as jumping except for:
Saddle - Bates Isabel
Girth - Wintec Pro Chafeless girth


I'm sure our dressage setup will change before we hit the show ring so we can be more matchy-matchy. And I think we're going to start experimenting with different bits in general. But for now, this is what we are using.

Handy Hannah & Our First Ribbons

Our first show is in the books! Last weekend we competed at a local hunter show and had lots of fun together.

We competed in the Green Rider division (2'3"). We did 3 jump and 2 flat classes, and did pretty well for our first outing in a popular division (10 riders). We placed in the handy hunters, the hunters under saddle, and the equitation flat (3rd, 3rd, 6th, respectively). The hunters over fences and the equitation over fences were not bad but not great. Overall I was very proud of Hannah's performance, and think I did okay but I wasn't as present as I need to be.

Our handy hunter round:




Our equitation over fences round:




Hannah's former owner was there. Her darling 7-year-old daughter was competing in the walk-trot division, which was just so adorable. She stayed to watch my division and was incredibly supportive. She even wiped my boots and polished Hannah's hooves. I felt the love for sure.

S and her daughter. Such a sweet moment.

How adorable is this bow?!
Kinda wish I was a little kid in the pony division.

Hannah was a rockstar the whole day. She handled the hurry up and wait great, and was relaxed the entire time. 

Pretty girl is pretty.

Hannah and Laurie get along famously.

Overall it was a really fabulous outing. We had lots of fun, and I'm excited for the next one!

She's MINE!!

Hannah Banana aka Famous Shoes is officially mine! 

I am so happy and feel very blessed. Can't wait to fall deeper in love with this snuggle bug!