Bad Jumping good Flat? what is this...>:(

I have to start out by saying that I had an amazing riding lesson on Lyra on Friday. She was SO SO good wow! We did Walk, Trot, Canter perfectly, and the whole lesson was just a huge success.
I left on Saturday morning with excitement in my heart, because Lyra had been good, and Isabel and I had Spring Tide horse show in MA that weekend! We stayed in a great hotel with a nice pool and had a great dinner of Polish food?! haha

Then the next morning we got to the show at about 7:20, watched the horses warm up, and so on. Then we got our horse draw, and I got a 14.3hh Morgan who did not like/want to jump or be there at all. I had a fine warm up on him, after the girl before me had almost fallen off because his jump was so funky! I went in, started my canter a little late, and got a decent chance and approach to the first fence. We got to it in the middle, and my position was prefect, and then he stooped, and crow hopped the fence! I lost both stirrups, and my nice position. The first fence was the first in a combination, so I jumped the second fence the no Stirrups! After that second jump, I was able to regain my balance and my stirrups, and we completed the course well, with only a early turn to the fourth fence. Because of our tuff ride, and that unfortunate draw, we did not place, which was crazy because I had never done worse then fourth... >:(

My flat class was much better however. I drew a wonderful paint horse that was a five year old, and he did a great job showing me off! We ended up second out of eight people, and I was so happy because not, after three shows, I have 9 points for Flat, and 7 points for jumping! I need to do well at our next two shows, but I think I will make it to Regionals this year! (: YAY! <3
tata for now(: -Ellie PS (I will have pictures later)

new excitements, new position, new determination.

York Equestrian Team had practice for the Middle and Upper School teams last night (Monday night). We had so much fun, and I rode Eddison who I am very familiar with! We had a great practice, and Stephanie and Kate finally told me that my Hunter Jumper position was great! I was so glad to here this news! However, I have to say that sense we practice this type of riding so much, and sense I have to work at it, my eventing or dressage position has gone down the drain on Lyra! Other horses I can still go back and forth, but for some reason when I have young horses that are in training I always revert back to my hunter position. We have another horse show this weekend at Springtide in MA, and I really hope I do better sense my position has gotten better, and my determination has only gotten more intense! I just really hope that come summer, I can kick those bad habits and compete in my world looking like an event rider and not like a hunter! Here are some pictures of the difference... (on right is my nice event position on the flat, and on left is what I have to do for the HJumpers haha) tata!

Score at Maryland Saddlery Consignment!

One of the many great advantages of being in Maryland for thanksgiving break, is that Hunt Vally is not far away, and with the surrounding towns being horsey, there are many wonderful tack shops. For years I have been doing all of my horsey shopping at the Hunt Vally Dover Saddlery, and Maryland Saddlery Consignment where they have everything from jumping vests to stirrups!

This trip however was different, because now that I am not strictly a Dressage rider, I can buy beautiful Grey Plaid show jackets for our Stadium phase, which makes me very happy. So, this morning that is what I set out to do! When I got the the tack shop I headed straight for the coats. After much searching, I found the perfect jacket for $35 dollars, that fit me like a glove! I was also able to get my hands on a very nice pair of Ariat Riding pants that had little ware and tare! They fit so well... and for only $30, I could not say no. Another purchase crossed off my list! And I also got to do some horsey christmas shopping! YAY! 

I got fat and now I miss LYRA!

Woahhh thanksgiving was amazing, but I really ate far too much food! Seeing family for a week in baltimore was very fun, but I am totally ready to come back to Maine and see my very missed poney Lyra (: We are moving to a new barn soon that has an indoor! There I will be training with Gretchen and Katrina to try and prepare for Lyra and I's 2012 eventing season that will be in MA! I am excited for this new chapter, but change makes me crazy so we shall see how this goes! Chao for now! I have to eat more pie (:

Volo Horse Show, and MeCTA Awards!

WOW! What a fun weekend! Isabel, Brit, my mom and I left for Jessica Halliday's Barn in Grafton MA on Saturday morning so that I could meet Jessica, and see the barn that I might be living at for the whole summer! It was way too much fun. I saw my favorite friends Zoe and Emily at the barn, and I rode a great OTTB that is going training level eventing.
After such a fun night, and afternoon, we woke up early for the Volo team IEA horse show at volo equestrian center. We had a great show. I got forth for the jumping, which was awesome, and sixth out of 9 people for flat which is pretty good because I stink at Hunter Jumpers so far HAHA!
Then when we got home I learned that our MeCTA team won second for the Team challenge and thats just so awesome! I am very proud of Jessie, Ashley, Grace and I for a great season and a wonderful team! (: GOOD JOB GUYS! <3

Pictures, Pictures, Pictures! (:

Last night, I had a moment of spending. I ordered Copper and I's Photo proofs from the two Competitions that we did this summer! We did Snowfields HTs and Fox-croft HTs where Bobbie Jo Greiner was taking wonderful pictures! All summer I have had 5 in mind that I wanted to get, and I bought them last night. They are all on facebook, and one of them is my profile picture! Bobbie gave me an extra picture because of her Halliday sale, so in my one-picture-with-six-pictures-in-it, there are six pictures!  This post is just to share them with ya, because I am really excited, so enjoy! BTW in the bottom two that are the red and white fences are copper and I at Fox-croft going Elementary because it was his first event this year! We did Snowfields at BN! (:

She is HOME and we are reunited (:

Lyra is home now and I am so happy for her to be back with me! On saturday morning, Isabel, my mom and I went to pick Lyra up from her three weeks of treatment! She was happy too see us, and loaded right on the trailer! Good girl (: When we got her home she was surprised, but as soon as we got her into her deeply bedded stall, she rolled, and snuggled right into her favorite stall. 

The next morning, Isabel and I went out to the barn to ride. We did our barn work, and then we tacked up the horses (Lyra and Snickers). We walked the down to the arena, and Lyra and I did a "walk trot" ride because she was SO excited to be riding again! She was very wild, but I have to remember that she is a 6 year old chestnut OTTB who has not been ridden in 3 weeks... I am going to ride her on Monday, and I hope that maybe she is a little bit more calm! Above is a picture if her from Sunday! (: (:

Opportunity Knocks...

As you may know, or don't know, the first part of Eventing is the Dressage phase, which is very important because that is your first score, so you can only do worse from there. I have my self competed Dressage only one in my life for 6 years, and it is still a very important part of my riding life! So, as you could guess I was very happy to here  from my mom that a woman in my area by the name of Sue Draper, who lives close by, and who is a Grand Prix Dressage rider, has invited me over to her small farm to ride one of her nice Grand Prix horses that she has trained and is trying to sell! I am so excited because truth be told, I have ridden MANY horses, but never anything that nice, well trained, and expensive. This is such a great opportunity for me to show a great rider what I can do, and also get to ride such a nice horse, with a fabulous rider there to give me some valid pointers! I am going over to ride this horse on Friday, and I will blog all about it that evening, or Saturday night! Here is a Video link to one of my favorite Dressage youtube videos (: When I was this when I was 10... I almost cried it was so COOL! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKQgTiqhPbw

Also, lyra is coming home on Saturday, not friday which is kinda sad :( And I have also heard from Jessica Halliday about working for her over the summer, which I will blog about more when I here more! Chao for now! -Ellie

York Team and Friends... (:

WOW what a great weekend! On friday afternoon, Isabel, Addie, my mom, and I drove down to Portland to spend the night so that we could be 15 minutes from our first IEA Horse Show at Greystone Stables! It was a great night, full of fun and new inside jokes! But it was what came on Saturday morning that got me talkin' for the rest of the weekend.
We arrived at the barn at 7:00 sharp so that we, along with the rest of York Team, could watch all the horses warm up for what was going to be a great show! When we were watching the horses, we had to take mental notes of how that horse moved, how they may have to be ridden, and what there likes and dislikes are. There were many horses that we may or may not have gotten to ride that day, and I was so excited to here who I had drawn for our Jumping class. I am an Intermediate jumping the 2' class, because this is my first year on the team, and my first year EVER doing the hunters. At our team practice the Monday before, I had ridden a friends horse Mia, I totally loved her because she was another OTTB and, well, everyone knows that thoroughbred is my name and riding them is my GAME! So pretty much the entire night before the show I had been putting out "positive Mia vibes" because I really wanted to draw her for Jumping. (The left picture is my ribbens from this weekend!)
As it turns out, I got my wish, and Mia and I got to jump together! We had SO MUCH FUN! and Ended up 3ed in our division, and against many other riders! I was so happy because this was my first time, and with a 3ed, I got some points that I will need to qualify for Nationals this year. Next, I drew Xina for our flat class. She is a super nice mare who was from our barn (greystone stables) but I had never ridden her before. She was great, and we had a super ride, however my sturrips were too long, and it through off my position enough so that Xian and I ended up 4th our of the many riders in my class.
Over all it was SUCH a fun day, and our whole team did SO well, including Addie and Isabel! (^^Above to the right is a picture of Mia and her owner Abby, isn't Mia pretty?)

CONGRATULATIONS YORK TEAM! that was fun (:

No-Time-November

The first three days of November have been great! Nothing to complain about except the fact that I have NO time to do the most important things in my life right now! I have another IEA Competition this week on Saturday morning starting at 6:00 at Greystone stables. This will our teams only home-hosted-horse-show this year and we have a lot to do to prepare for it. Because I live 2 1/2 hours away from Greystone, we have to stay the night with friends in portland before the show the next morning. That is fine, but I am going down with my mom, Brit (Isabel's mom) and Isabel. Because they are coming with us, I will not be able to visit Lyra tomorrow afternoon as I had hoped. Everyone needs to remember that we are nearing week 2 of her Lyme treatment, and she will be home in a week from Saturday! I am SO EXCITED FOR HER TO COME HOME because I miss her more then anything. Below is a picture of Greystone Stables (: ------------------------------------->

On a happier note, Thanksgiving is coming soon, which means that I go to MD to be with My grandparents. That also means I miss Cornerstone IEA show, and a week without Lyra :( (her picture at left) My life is just a little bit more then ups and downs these past few months. I really hope that come December, my life will be back in order, and more simple. I hope Lyra and I can ride everyday this winter despite the weather and snow and lack of indoor arena! Grr...

Anyways, I cant wait for Lyra to come home, I cant wait for the horse show this weekend, and I am really looking forward to 6 days off school. I still however wish that my beautiful chestnut athlete (Lyra) comes home soon (:

A moment of hope

Also this weekend, I got the wonderful opportunity to ride Lyra down at New England Veterinary Hospital. It really is a truly wonderful place. When I arrived to give my pony a kiss, and go for a ride, she was standing like a pro in her stall quietly like she had been doing so all her like. I went in with a peppermint, and gave her a snuggle before getting her tack together and hopping on! She was so happy to see me which gave me so much joy, and while I was tacking her up, I realized how much I really had been missing her. Here is a picture at Left of New England Equine!



She was so good for our ride. At New England, they have a very nice indoor round pen where the footing is nice, and the lighting is perfect. You are only allowed to ride in this space because of liability, but even so it was nice, and we had a great walk-trot-canter workout that lasted long enough for Lyra to get a tast of riding again. Here is a picture of our ride ---------------------->

Even though I miss her so much, yesterday marked the one week milestone. In 2 weeks, she comes home and is all mine again! Cant wait (: Chao for now. <3 <3

The Bliss of the Weekend!

This week has been great! It started with a wonderful dressage lesson on Tuesday riding snickers! Very fun. Anyways, yesterday Addie, Isabel and I got out of school early (at 1:15) and drove 2 and 1/2 hours to Greystone Stables where Isabel, Addie, and I have frequent lessons to keep up our Hunter Jumper position and way of riding. We are also on the York Equestrian Team, and sense that is a Hunter Jumper thing, it helps to have monthly instruction. The stable is a really fun environment because it is a busy barn with fun people and a wonderful, helpful staff! Truly, a great place to ride.

Our EQ team had a horse show coming up on sunday (october 30), and we were all very excited to compete. It would have been my first competition with the team, and its not easy because you compete a horse that you have never seen or ridden before, and you jump a course! Unfortunately, mother nature decided to change our plans, and it SNOWED in MA the day and night before our competition. Even though our trainer promised us that the show would not be canceled, it was. And Isabel and I were so disappointed! The up-side was that we had gone to Dover Saddlery the day before (See image at right) ----------->, and we had a fun night in a Hotel with a nice restaurant in it! Anyways, lucky the horse show is postponed to a later date, and we have one coming up very soon anyways, so all is well, and I can not wait for next weekend!

Hopes, Dreams, Planing, and Disappointment

I wanted to blog about some things that have really been bothering me lately! Because of recent, and previous events, such as Lyra obtaining Lyme disease, I have been thinking a lot about what the two of as a team are going to do this winter for training, and what our summer goals and plans may look like!

Currently, Lyra and I are at a beautiful farm in Appleton Maine, it is a beautiful place! However, their are parts and pieces of boarding and training there that I don't like so much. I do have to say that we have  everything an eventer needs besides a indoor arena, which is totally necessary for Maines winter months. I also feel as though I am not supported by my trainer in my decisions, or hopes with Lyra. All I want at the moment is to be at a barn close by that has an indoor riding arena where I can train through the winter, and to have a trainer that really wants to work with me, and have ME to her training, and not pay for her to be trained by someone else. I would also like a trainer that would support me with training this tricky chestnut thoroughbred mare that I call Lyra!! Somehow I don't seem to have anything close to this, and I feel so stuck! Sometimes I feel like I am just being a drama queen, but is it to much to ask to want someone to support you and your wanting's with riding? Hopefully, some miracle will surface for us, and Lyra and I will be able to get something done this winter, training wise. Of course that would be after she gets home from New England Veterinary Hospital.

I hope that whatever comes with spring is a happy horse and rider, who have been working there tails off all winter to improve themselves! My only goal for the spring months is to get Lyra to a place where she can Walk, Trot, Canter,and jump in a controlled, and safe mannor. Also where we are both happy and not so stressed out when we are riding. I hope that this hard work would lead to a wonderful week at GMHA Junior Horsemanship Clinic for us. I learned SO much last June when I went, and I feel like if Lyra and I can go down with a good bace, we could learn SO much, and have those great experiences prepare us for a overwhelming summer of fun! After camp is over next year, I would love to go streight home with my friends from last year to board, and work for Jessica Halliday at Highland Acres farm in Grafton MA. This is a wonderful boarding, and training facility where my friends from GMHA board and train there event horses! I have heard nothing but wonderful things, about Highland Acres, and I think it would really benefit both my training, and Lyra's training if we were in a place with other fun riders and friends that are doing the same things that we are, and also with a younger, more fun and advanced trainer like Jessica who wants to work with me and Lyra to achieve our goals JUST as much as I want to work with her! The comforting part of this dream, is that my mom is finally totally down with my ideas! So it is nice to feel like I have someone on my side about my goals! I think this plan would be so much fun to cary out for the rest of 2012 summer. It would also give me a break from the Maine training and eventing world, because like it or not, there is greener grass on the other side of the boarder (: (:

My loving friendship with the doctors at New England Veterinary Hospital

So, I am sorry that this first blog post has to start off with bad/sad news, but after having a wonderful horse named Blaze die at New England Vet Hospital this past June, I am totally not looking forward to taking my OTTB mare down there for 3 weeks to get her Lyme treatment. Yeah, totally stinks that Lyra has Lyme... especially because I have this fly spray that has TICK repelling qualities, and still Lyra managed to get bitten. I have to say that I am not just pissed that she has Lyme, but also that I am used to seeing her everyday, and riding her as well, and this is going to be a three week set back for us because we have the BN goal for next year! Anyways, I will be able to go and visit Lyra on the weekends and ride her at New Englands round pen, but that is totally not enough for me! Hopefully with the support of best friends, I will keep my cool these three weeks, and remain in a positive state. (That is Lyra at the Right ---> )


On a happier note... I had a wonderful Weekend with the amazing Ashley Shaffer! We did all kinds of FUN things, but when I arrived at her house on Friday evening, we attempted to bath, and braid Duellsa and Ryn in the poring rain... It was totally fun, and worth it in the end because both mares looked amazing at the Infinity 2-phase! Ryn won second in then Elementary division, and Duellsa obtained fourth in the Beginner Novice devision! YAY PONIES! Then, upon arriving back at Ashley's house, she gave me a wonderful riding lesson on Kieko who is her BN packer who got second at Snowfields HTS this year at BN! YAY! It was a great lesson, and I totally appreciate everything Ash has done with that fine mare! After a early to sleep night, we woke up to the morning of the Stewart Pittman clinic at Peppergrass farms. Again, Duellsa and Ryn were going, and Ashley had two great lessons that were SO fun to watch! I just wanted to say THANKS SHAFFER for a fun filled weekend (: (: (That is a picture of Duellsa at Right ----> )