I have been fortunate enough to travel to Florida again this year.  I brought Marco and he hasn't disappointed. I've taken no less than 2 dressage lessons a week and have traveled to Ocala for jumping lessons as well.  It's always so nice to come down here and I always wish I could stay longer.  Obviously, the opportunity to leave Ohio the last two winters is a major bonus but the learning opportunities and chance to focus on my riding and my own horse's training for a month is huge.  At home,  it seems there are always a million and one things that take precedence.
I've also ventured beyond just riding and tackled my first half marathon.  It was a big accomplishment for me and I was really happy when 4 months of training paid off with a decent result.  Just like riding, there are improvements that could be made to be more successful next time out but my body is fit and strong and it has complimented my riding.
We head back to Ohio the second week of March and I'll be preparing for Spring Bay.  I'm anxious to start teaching again. I'll be marketing Piccolo as well; it's time to find her an easier job.  She has years of competitiveness left in her.  It's not an easy decision since I've had her for over 8 years now but I feel the best for both of us. 

This was a year of ups and downs for sure. Going back to last spring, I had great expectations for my year with Piccolo. She came home from Florida strong and I had a plan to do a few events at Training, move up to Prelim, and compete her at the Training Three Day in October. Unfortunately, horses are horses and she had a minor injury in May. While that seemed to heal up relatively quickly, she just never got back to the form she'd had before. Regular chiropractic and massage got her back feeling better but she was not her usual self on XC. Sometime mid-summer, we discovered a pulled muscle in her right hind. Even once that healed up, she still wasn't quite herself. She's never been a stopper. The few issues we'd had in the past were legitimate green moments but I felt like I was having to ride her strongly. I debated whether she was physically struggling or maybe it was a lack of confidence or worried that she'd be uncomfortable. Nothing appeared to be physically bothering her but she's always wanted to please so her behavior was concerning. By late summer, I noticed some unevenness in her left front and we concluded that she had sprained her ankle. She's back in work now and feels the best she has in a while. I am slowly coming to the conclusion that she may need an easier life.  I feel that,  athletically,  she has the ability to go Prelim but feel that she has had more soreness this year after conditioning days ands doesn't seem to enjoy her job the way she used to.  I'd love to find her a lower level home where she can be happy.  She could give a confident rider some great experience.
I also bought a new horse, Marco, who is a 5yo TB gelding. He has competed Beginner Novice but has a history of a naughty streak. Fortunately, I haven't seen this side of him yet and have enjoyed working with him this fall and getting to know him. He will head to Florida in January with me and will hopefully answer some questions as to what our future together holds. I'm quite excited about him - it's been such a long time since I've had a promising youngster!

Unfortunately, the lowest part of my year was having to say goodbye to Podge. In 2013, he was diagnosed with a very serious case of EPM. He was very unstable and I tried a couple of different treatments with no success. I had always said that he'd have a home with me as long as he seemed happy and comfortable but, on a daily basis, I would look at him and wonder what kind of future he'd have. He was becoming increasingly unstable and I saw him struggle to get up a couple of times. His good days were becoming less frequent and, while he'd still run and play with Tess (my 2yo filly who he was turned out with 24/7), I worried about him getting through the winter safely. I'd never been through the process of making the decision for an animal and, while I don't doubt my decision, it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Podge was a part of our family - the first horse Claire learned to ride and lead. It was painful to watch my horse deteriorate like he did and I don't wish for anyone to go through that.

We are on our way back to Ohio and I thought this might be a good time while Ryan was driving to catch up from the weekend. The kids are still pretty content during this drive but we opted to stop in northern Georgia instead of driving straight through like we did on the way down (might be some reluctance to return to colder temps!)

Rocking Horse was 99% successful. Piccolo put in what I felt was her best dressage test to date. She started out a little fresh with the cold weather that morning but settled quickly in warm-up after some walking and stretching. In the past, I've frequently felt that I was doing my best to ride through the tension but she has always scored fairly well at novice. Moving up to Training, she's expected to be more obedient. We have worked so much on her straightness and reaching more over her topline and she did exactly as I asked of her. Unfortunately, I had hoped the score would be a little better but the judge's comments were right on with where she is in her training.

The stadium course was very twisty and the horses really had to listen to the rider because they were constantly being pulled off the line from one fence to go to another. I watched quite a few riders do the course on Friday and noticed that the ones riding positive and forward had the best rounds. My tendency with Piccolo is to ride the "pretty horse" canter. She has a big stride and a tendency to get quick and flat to the jumps so I really had to establish the balance right on landing and then keep coming forward to the next jump. She was fantastic and didn't even take a second look at the Liverpool. I rode exactly as I planned (that never happens!) and we got a double clear. Now I just need to learn to breathe and trust it a little. :)

It's so disappointing when one little mistake can put such a damper on a fantastic weekend. She warmed up really well for cross country. When I asked for more, she gave it and when I asked her to come back, she was right there....all focus, no tension. Almost halfway through the course, we had a 2 stride bending line. I lost my line coming in and jumped a few feet left of where we needed to be. The second element wasn't that big but she jumped so big over the first and we shortened the distance so much that she didn't have a chance. I take full blame. I just seem to be in a XC slump the last couple of years and more often than not, it's silly things that could be easily corrected. I was really frustrated and angry with myself after that. She was a complete rock star the rest of the course....the big trakehner, the bank combination, the corner combination, and the water. It was not a soft course by any means and she was right there loving every minute of it.

I couldn't feel too sorry for myself for too long because Claire and I got to go to Disney World on Monday. It was such a magical day for my little princess (who, of course, had to wear her tiara all day) and I really enjoyed it too. We met up with Dorothy and her daughter, Juliette, who taught us the ins and outs of dealing with the crowds.

I plan to go to Spring Bay next and hope to keep up with some regular lessons once I get home. Being away from home and focusing on one horse for the last few weeks has been such an awakening how easy it is for life to be a distraction.  I don't intend to change anything other than making sure that I'm focused and committed during my riding time.

I'm trying to make the best use of my time here in Florida with much more frequent lessons than I get to take at home. The recurring theme in both the dressage and jumping lessons is encouraging Piccolo to carry herself in as consistent a rhythm and balance as possible. Not too shocking but surprisingly challenging. She has always wanted to please, frequently to the point where she worries. She is athletic enough with the jumping that she can move her feet quickly and get up and over the jump effortlessly. However, when I insist that she not dive (however subtly she does it) at the jump, she has much better form, lands in better balance, and it's easier on both of us. In the dressage, her trot is getting lighter with more energy and self-carriage. She is slower but with more impulsion. She has a good canter but we've concentrated on more straightness so, that too, has improved in our short time here. For a long time, I side stepped "pushing her buttons" because she went through a period where she became unraveled if things got too hard. Physically, I think we worked out the major cause and this past year I've been pushing more and seeing what she can handle. The lessons here are giving me the confidence to say that it's ok if she worries a little (thankfully she isn't panicking like she used to) because the more consistently I do it, she relaxes and realizes it's ok.  Yes, this all sounds like stuff I should know and I think with a training horse it would be different but I've had Piccolo a long time and we've been through many training levels together. I've always been fond of my redheaded mare but my time here has just proved what I always thought....she's a good worker who wants to please and has the talent. Bottom line is that I just need to stay consistent with what I expect from her.
If you don't already follow Fairwind Stables on Facebook, I encourage you to do so. I've been posting pictures and updates much frequently on there.

I went to the Lakeland dressage show on Saturday and had Piccolo entered in First Level 1 and 2. She was a bit up when we first arrived but settled quickly once I was on her back. I was thrilled that my new tools were working so well in the warm-up to get her straighter and more connected through her back. This continued on into the ring and I know there's a lot that we can improve on but it was the first time I can remember going into the ring and not feel like I'm just trying to get a steady, relaxed test. I was able to push her for the lengthenings and she stayed much more connected for the transitions. We improved even more for the second test scoring 8 points better and took home 2nd and 1st place ribbons for the day.
As thrilled as I was with my tests, the highlight of the day was definitely Claire's lead line class. The judge was very generous with his time and had Claire doing princess waves and changing directing several times. Piccolo plugged along like an old schoolmaster....pretty sure she liked this job better!

We are finally getting into our groove here in Florida. Piccolo's fitness has come along far better than I expected it would and I'm starting to get some regular lessons in. On Tuesday, I loaded up early and headed to Ocala. I had scheduled a lesson with Dorothy Crowell and was fortunate enough to be going to the area the same day as the ICP (instructor certification program) workshop. Aaron Vale was teaching the jumping workshop and it was interesting to see the riders work through the exercises he had chosen. It was a little disappointing that it seemed more like a clinic than a workshop in that there was little to no interaction with the trainers, riders, and coaches that filled the seats around the arena which, I believe, is the point to having these workshops. I can't complain too much. Longwood is gorgeous, there were many talented riders, and I'm anxious to try out some of the exercises that he presented.

After the morning session, I had a jumping lesson with Dorothy at Jon and Jen Holling's Willow Run farm. The people there are welcoming and the farm is fantastic. On the hack to the show jumping area, we schooled some banks and through the water jump. My lesson was humbling as it usually is when I ride with Dorothy but exactly what we needed. I've had very few lessons in the past year and have slipped into some bad habits riding solo so much. Piccolo may not be as forgiving as some but she's talented enough to do the work at this level in spite of me. However, when I sit where I need to and think about what I'm doing, my redheaded girl is pretty amazing! She was so thrilled when I rode well enough to ride a course! We'll head back again this coming Tuesday for some more xc and stadium work.
Today, I hacked a half mile down the road and had a dressage lesson with Jane Whitehurst. Right away, she tapped into some subtle changes to make in my position and how that made Piccolo relax more over her topline and stay straighter into the connection. Lots of basic circles and transitions at walk and trot working on keeping Piccolo honest in her work and my position strong but relaxed and moving with her. I plan to take advantage of having such good instruction so close and ride with Jane a couple times a week while I'm here. This is why I'm here!
After I hacked back to the farm, Claire had a nice ride on Piccolo in preparation for her big lead line class this Saturday at Black dog farm (oh yeah, and I'm riding some dressage tests too!;))
I promise more pictures soon!

This blog post comes from sunny Florida. We arrived down here last Thursday after a long drive with Piccolo and two little kids! Piccolo traveled well and has a really nice barn to live in down here. The whole Odessa area is very horsey and it is neat to be able to hack down the road and pass farm after farm. It seems to be mostly hunter/jumper, dressage, and trail riders. We back up to a 3000 acre preserve that has miles of sand trails.  Piccolo hasn't been able to work as much as I would have liked in Ohio so we are working on some basic fitness right now. I'm planning to bump it up to 2 rides a day to increase her fitness as quickly as I can but, hopefully, avoiding injury. I will do my best to keep my blog updated while we are here. Our plans include lessons, a dressage show, and will be ending our stay with Rocking Horse III ht. This is a fantastic opportunity to focus on one horse .... and escaping the winter that Ohio is having is just bonus. I'm so thankful for my parents for helping with the kids and allowing us to crash their house. And to Ryan for driving down with us and then leaving the warm 80 degrees to head home and help hold down the fort. And I'm very thankful for the lovely ladies in my barn - Julie, Chelsea, Lacie, and Jessy - for taking care of the horses left behind in less than ideal weather conditions!

I'd like to blame the fact that I haven't updated my blog since last January (!) on the fact that I haven't had a computer capable of making easy work of my website but the truth is that this is the busiest I've been since before I had Claire 4 years ago. So very happy to be busy with training and teaching but then to add in the pressures of trying to be a good mom.....let's just say I sleep quite well at night! As always, I'm incredibly grateful to the two best babysitters in the world for supporting me and taking care of the kids on a daily basis. Many of you know how important my parents are around here - I definitely couldn't do it without them! I feel so fortunate to not only have a job that I love but also to be able to be home and be such a big part of the kids' lives.
As I said, it's been a full year of training and teaching. I've had no less than 10 horses here all year and typically riding 4 a day. I've been riding some really nice quality horses which makes my job all that much more enjoyable! I have enjoyed seeing so many of my regular students meet and exceed their goals this year.
Podge started off the year in Aiken to be sold but, unfortunately, there was a change of plans when, two weeks before an event, he suddenly started to show signs of EPM. The only fortunate side of it was that he was in regular work and it was caught quickly. He was immediately treated but we're still not sure of how severe the nerve damage is. We've had a year of ups and downs trying different treatments and feel, at this time, that only time and work will tell. I'd like him to be comfortable - bonus if he can event even at the lower levels again. 
With Podge on the back burner, I've been able to focus on Piccolo who has really come into her own. She's been on the market half-heartedly all year after not being able to sell Podge but has steadily showed more and more talent and focus in her work. After being told by two respected trainers that she can essentially do anything we set out to do, I've decided to hold onto her and see if I can focus on being competitive again. We only got two events in this year but, after 3 years out of competition (with one or both of us pregnant!) she has stepped up. She finished the year moving up to Training and the goal for 2014 is to be going prelim and hopefully a long-format event as well.

Tess, who is now a year and a half, is a big girl for her age and enjoys spending her days hanging out in the field with Podge. She continues to show her mom's sweet nature and gets more beautiful by the day.
I'm ending the season feeling excited about what 2014 will bring. I feel more driven than I have in several years. I have plans for some grooming and riding clinics here in the spring. I encourage anyone to follow Fairwind Stables on facebook if you're not already. It's updated far more than my blog! ;)

    The winter weather has kept us from doing outside projects so we've been holed up in the garage working on jumps and poles. We are offering 10' wood jump poles for $25 unpainted. Buy 6 for $140. They are pressure-treated and hand selected for straightness. They can also be painted white with a stripe of color for $40. Prices will likely increase in the spring.
    We also have been making 5' tall jump standards. They have holes every 3" from 18" to 4'9". They are $90 unpainted or $115 painted white.
    Contact me if you're interested. I can also deliver for a small fee.