October 26, 2016

Lessons from a green horse: What I learned from my chestnut OTTB mare

Written by Liv Godfrey.

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Liv & Lulu.

I was sitting in my room thinking about my horse (per usual I’m not hiding it anymore… let me live) and how wonderful she is. I was also thinking about when I first got her and how absolutely awful she was and what an incredible journey this has been for me.

For those of you that don’t know – I adopted a just turned 4 year old chestnut OTTB mare in 2014. I was 15 years old. I started Lulu pretty much on my own (with moral and on the ground support from my best friend Aurora & her mom Cat) until I met a wonderful woman named Jill with whom I worked to teach Lulu the basics and so on from there. Lulu and I are now competing in the 2’9” jumper division, and I hope to move her up to 3’ next summer. She is an amazing mare who gives 100 percent every time. She loves to jump, and she enjoys learning and going fast. On the ground she’s really snuggly and loves her faced rubbed but only by certain people. She becomes shy around strangers. She is also unbelievably sassy and tends to get jealous when you don’t pay attention to her, and you can tell exactly what she’s thinking based on her face.

Lulu was a challenge for me though, and we didn’t really get along for a long time. There were many days I questioned if I’d ever be able to accomplish my dream, which was, at the time, making her a hunter. She was fast, really strong because she braced against the bit, had absolutely no balance or muscle, had disgustingly maintained hooves, and she had the attention span of a toaster. Another thing I must emphasize is how fast this horse actually is. While she failed as racehorse, I swear if you’d ever see her go in the jumper ring I wouldn’t need to explain myself any further. If you haven’t seen her, as a point of reference, the EMT at an away show told me we were the entertainment of the day.

There were weeks to months where I would have crappy rides everyday. I will never forget the multiple times I just stopped her dead at the trot and got off because I was so emotional and scared of what I had gotten myself into. One time I dismounted and ran into the barn aisle bawling my eyes out to my trainer, Renise, saying how I just couldn’t ride and couldn’t click with this horse and how I wanted to sell her. I honestly had no idea what I was doing, and I put a ton of people in shock when I bought this mare.

But because I had this fire in my stomach that lit up every time I saw her and had an immense love that I wanted to give to this horse, I didn’t give up. I kept riding, kept grinding through the bad, sweaty, frustrating, teary-eyed rides and finally everything started getting better. I had an awakening when I went back to my old trainer for a month in the summer as a getaway, and even the owner of my barn said something changed when we were away and returned as a different pair. We were starting to jump consistently and perfect a flow. I started to finally put my leg on again which is always nice, and I learned how to keep a steady, supportive leg on a strong horse. I also learned to steady my hips, which in turn slowed down the center of my motion. My hands and elbows also became a lot better, and I was starting to have better consistency. Lulu got really excited and strong to jumps at first, and it was really hard to school her out of it, but eventually she learned she didn’t need to rush to every fence. This was accomplished using a lot of gymnastics work, pole work, halts, transitions, trot fences, and overall practice.

Through all of this with us confidently jumping 2-9 to 3’ with some 3’3 tossed in with our jumper, not hunter attire, I’m so happy I didn’t give up on this little mare. She was so difficult but worth every tear, aggravation, and dragging my butt to the barn when I knew the last thing I wanted to do that day was get into fights with my horse. All of it – every moment and every fall was worth it.

She taught me that if you want something you need to work so unbelievably hard for it. Give it your all even when you don’t want to because at some point that’s what you lived for.

But also… let things work out the way they are meant to. Sometimes our perspective changes, but you will need to accept that change. I wanted Lulu to be a hunter so badly, but she is nothing close to that, and I needed to swallow my pride and realize that I bought her in order to turn her into whatever she wanted to be and help her reach her full potential.

Now I have so much fun in the jumper ring and at home because we both love what we’re doing, and I’ve found that the jumpers are much more my speed. Patience is also a virtue in life and with horses. I think as riders it’s important to recognize this virtue.

Getting frustrated only makes our horses more upset, so be calm and handle the situation with grace. It is still really hard for me to remember that, but I’m getting better at it. Overall, Lulu did not only teach me how to be a stronger rider in all aspects, but also to live in the now and experience what you can from what life presents to you with open arms – even if it’s not exactly what we expected.

October 25, 2016

Trying out for a Division I equestrian team: An interview with one of SHUET’s newest members, Gabi Sorrentino

Many junior riders dream of being able to represent their college or university of choice; many more dream of being able to attend a college or university that is considered “Division I.”

In order to ride on a Division I equestrian team (or any equestrian team, for that matter), one must go through the rigorous process of tryouts.

Photo Credit: Coach Tiffany Hajdasz

We talked with Gabriella (“Gabi”) Sorrentino, a Sacred Heart University freshman and a current member of Sacred Heart University’s Division I Equestrian Team. She gave us the lowdown on what tryouts are like. While every school is different, we thought this perspective would give some insight on what to expect when pursuing a coveted spot on a Division I team.

Gabi, 18, began attending Sacred Heart this past August. She is majoring in Sports Communications and Sports Management.

She chose Sacred Heart not just for availability of her desired major but also because it had a riding team that appealed to her. Additionally, she narrowed her school choice down to those within 6 hours of her home, which is in Maryland.

“I ultimately chose Sacred Heart because I loved the campus, loved the location, knew I was going to have lots of internship opportunities within my major, and was excited for the chance to get to ride and compete on an NCAA [Division I] team,” she said.

Although the Sacred Heart Equestrian Team (“SHUET”) is ranked as Division I, Gabi said she did not take a school’s riding team ranking into account when choosing where to go for her college education.

Gabi has been riding for 14 years and currently owns a horse named Covergirl. Gabi did not bring Covergirl to Connecticut, so Covergirl, or “CG,” has been getting some “well-deserved time off and lots of spa treatments.”

“My little sister has been riding her occasionally and has basically been getting to know her better. She has also had some slight maintenance done,” Gabi said.

As mentioned, to ride on an equestrian team in college, one must attend tryouts. SHUET holds its tryouts over a two-week period where potential team members rode on Saturday and Sunday of both weeks. During the first weekend, potential team members participated in western tryouts. The second week was comprised of hunt seat tryouts. Those interested in participating in tryouts were given a pattern in the beginning of the summer. They had to memorize the pattern and complete it at tryouts.

To prepare, Gabi practiced both patterns at home during the summer on her personal horse, as well as other school horses. She also did the patterns on foot, which she found to be “very helpful.” Additionally, she did no stirrup work, and she also did non-riding work such as running and other forms of working out.

Although Gabi has been riding for a long time, she still felt nervous for tryouts. However, she said it was “more of an excited kind of nervous.”

“I could not wait to meet everyone and all of the horses and get to ride the best I could. I felt some pressure because I didn’t want to forget my pattern, or mess up while riding, but I think the pressure was what kept me so focused and made me even more motivated to ride the best I could,” she said.

Regardless of someone’s riding background in terms of discipline, they have to try out for both hunt seat and western.

It is also worth mentioning that within each discipline, there are different levels, such as Novice, Intermediate, and Open – to name a few.

During tryouts, Gabi said the riding coach focuses on “instructions, morale, form, and positive attitude.”

During tryouts, Gabi was lucky enough to know her strengths and weaknesses. For example, Gabi was strong when it came to riding “unfamiliar” horses due to her IEA experience. She also had some dressage experience, so she felt she was very prepared when it came to the flat work portion of tryouts. As for weaknesses, Gabi knew she had to work on utilizing the whole ring and not leaning forward while jumping (Editor’s Note: I have to work on not leaning forward too!)

Since SHUET is Division I and a good team, Gabi was “a bit” intimidated during tryouts. However, she said meeting everyone and seeing how nice and welcoming they were made it easier and made her less intimdated when it came to participating in tryouts.

Gabi was ultimately chosen to participate on SHUET, and she is competing in hunt seat, specially Novice flat and Intermediate over fences. She described her experience being on the team as “amazing so far.”

“Everyone on the team is so incredibly nice, the girls and coaches were all so welcoming and I am so grateful to be in a group with such amazing young women,” she said. “Even though I have only been on the team for a few months, I already feel like I am a part of the family, it is very comforting and makes the transition from being home to away from home much easier.”

SHUET members lesson twice a week. As for showing, the coach picks each show’s roster “strategically.” According to Gabi, some weeks a member is on the roster whereas other weeks they may not be. Shows are held almost every weekend.

It is rather well-known that members of an equestrian team ride many different horses that are part of college/university riding programs. A rider rarely rides the same horse in a week, and they also switch horses every lesson, something that Gabi loves. She feels this helps a rider become more prepared, versatile, and adjustable.

“Each horse teaches you something different which is very helpful in shows where you can apply what you learned to the horses you draw.”

For those of you unfamiliar with IHSA competitions, they go something like this. A riding team member will draw a random horse. After the draw, the member is not allowed to warm up on the horse. They go into the show ring and compete against multiple other equestrians from different teams on the flat and over fences.

Gabi hopes to be able to qualify for regionals in both of her divisions. She also hopes that her team goes “as far as [they] possible can” and that they “end up on top.”

So, what does a typical day look like for a SHUET member?

On a Wednesday, Gabi does the following:

Wakes up at 7:15 am for 9 am practice.
Returns to campus around 11 am or 11:30 am.
Has class at 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm.
Has a team meeting at 2:15 pm.
Has another class from 5 pm to 7:30 pm.
Attends study hall from 8 pm to 10 pm.

Outside of team practice, Gabi also tries to do cardio exercise once or twice a week. She said that walking around campus has also helped to keep her in shape.

Not only has Gabi found SHUET to be extremely welcoming, but they are also like a family.

“We are all friends and everyone is there to help each other not only with the team, but with school and transition advice,” she said. “Everyone treats each other as [an] equal[][,] even though we are all different grades, ages[,] and levels in our riding.”

Another aspect of being on a college equestrian team is having specific apparel. Each team member is given specific clothes to wear for workouts, practice, and for horse shows. Gabi personally thinks that SHUET has “nice” and “beautiful” apparel and feels very lucky that SHUET is able to provide apparel of such great quality.

Finally, Gabi had some advice for those who wish to ride on an equestrian team in college.

“Keep in touch with the coach(es)[;] do not be overbearing, but check-in once in awhile so they know you’re still interested in being a member!” She said. “Attend equestrian open houses/information days! They are super informational[,] and it is a great chance to meet some people on the team, introduce yourself to the coach, and ask lots of questions!”

Once you’ve been accepted to the school of your choice, Gabi advised an interested rider to complete all his or her forms on time, “and still keep in touch with the team’s coach so they can keep in touch with you when school starts[.]”

Information about Sacred Heart’s Equestrian Team can be found here. You can also follow them on Twitter.

September 29, 2016

2016 Fall Must Haves

Every year we like to put a list together of fall’s equestrian must haves. With fall officially upon us, we didn’t want to let our readers down. Below are some items we believe are trending (or will be)!

EquiFit EqTeq Boots: If you are an equitation rider, EquiFit’s new line of boots designed specifically for the equitation ring are exactly what you need. These boots are sophisticated, yet simple, while still offering all of the protection EquiFit users have come to know and love. Most unique is the ImpacTeq Peel Away Liners can be completely customized to your horse’s legs, compensating for uniquely shaped legs, an injury or wound, or other issues that may make your horse’s legs hard to fit. And, as always, the boots are extremely easy to care for with a washable shell and liners. They retail for $249.95.

EcoLicious Waterless Squeaky Green & Clean Shampoo: This item ($29.95 at SmartPak) is not new, per se, but it is certainly an essential for the cooler months when you might not be able to give your horse a bath. Not every barn is equipped with an indoor wash stall, warm water, or heat lamps to quicken the drying process and make a bath during cold temperatures more bearable. I am a huge fan of EcoLicious Equestrian’s Waterless Shampoo, and I have tested it on my own horses, including my pony’s infamous poopy butt. It truly works, and it makes keeping your horse clean during the cold weather much easier. (Note: To read my full review of this product, click here.)

SmartPak Blanket App: This is another item that is not necessarily new, but definitely something you should have to ensure your horse is warm and toasty during those cool, cold, and downright frigid nights. Though it is not foolproof, and ultimately you know what’s best for your horse, it can give you a ballpark idea of what type of blanket your horse should have on during the day and night based on the weather and other questions it asks about your horse such as its age, weight, where it lives most of the time, etc. To download the app, you can go here. To read a full review, go here.

Back On Track Baby Pads: I LOVE baby pads. In fact, they’re really almost all I use. I just discovered recently that Back On Track came out with their own line of baby pads. The pads provide the same technology as the regular BOT pads except they’re in baby pad form. I do not own these yet, but I will definitely be adding one or two to my stash. They retail for $49 on the Back On Track website and come in white and black.

Subscription to Heels Down Magazine: Full Disclosure: I am a regular writer for the magazine. When the weather is cold and you just can’t go outside, it’s always nice to snuggle up with a cup of hot cocoa or tea and read something. If you haven’t read Heels Down Magazine, you are missing out on a wealth of knowledge. Heels Down Magazine features articles by a bunch of Amateur equestrians on a breadth of topics including training for both horse and rider, balancing relationships and riding, mental preparation for shows, interviews with big name and up and coming riders, legal topics (by yours truly), and more. You can access the app here. You can purchase an individual issue for $4.99, and a subscription is $3.99 a month. The magazine is also full interactive and digital which makes it above other equestrian magazines out there. There are interactive ads, videos, and much more, making it one-of-a-kind amongst equestrian publications out there.

Kastel Denmark Sun shirts: These shirts have become extremely popular as of late. They have UV protection, inner sleeve cooling mesh, are breathable, have antibacterial odor reduction, and come in a variety of color combinations. They also come in long-sleeve, short-sleeve, and a variety of other options to suit any equestrian’s needs. If you love sun shirts, these are a must have, especially for the cool, crisp fall weather coming up. While at various price points, the long-sleeve model retails for $75.00. Kastel Denmark also has a variety of other fall friendly items to look at!

The Legal Equestrian Sun shirts: Sun shirts are hugely popular, and we couldn’t go through a whole list of fall must haves without mentioning our very own sun shirt products! Our sun shirts come complete with our logo, and they are completely customizable. You can place an order by emailing thelegalequestrian@gmail.com with your color choices, which can be found here (Price: $50.00). You can also get sun shirts that have Gingham accented cuffs and collars, found here (Price: $55.00). They are super breathable, lightweight, and stylish. I wore my new sun shirt on one of the hottest days of the year while schooling at a horse show, and I was completely comfortable!

Mane Jane Spur Straps & Reversible Belts: I have been promoting these for a while (Disclosure: I am an East Coast Representative for the company), but I 100% stand behind the product). The leather is super high quality, and the products are fully customizable. For belts, you choose two colors of leather, thread color, buckle color, and give your custom measurements so the belt is cut fit your body type. For the spur straps, you pick a leather color, thread color, buckle color, and charms. The best part? They are acceptable in all three rings. I know hunter riders that use 13700178_10206803340705512_1150931826835109755_n-2 these spur straps in the hunter ring. I know equitation riders that use these spur straps in the eq ring. There’s just enoughh bling to make them custom and unique, but not enough for a judge to notice. Of course – charms and bling are different riders’ cup of tea, but I adore the product. Furthermore, if you order through me, you get a 10% discount on your order – how great is that?! I adore these products, and the reversible belts are a great, more affordable, yet high quality, alternative to the ever popular, coveted Hermes belts which are huge bank breakers. Without the discount, belts are $120 and spur straps are $40.

Ecogold Jumper Flip Half Pad and Heels Down Jumper Pad.

Ecogold: As many of you know, I officially switched to Ecogold not long ago. Their products are better quality, have better science behind them, and are simply a better value. If you haven’t tried these pads, I highly recommend them. They have a variety of half pads and regular pads to suit your needs. Plus, their products are backed by some of the greatest in the business like McLain Ward, Scott Stewart, William Fox-Pitt, John French, Hope Glynn, Boyd Martin, Brittni Reflowitz, and most recently, Juan Matute Guimon. For a full review on Ecogold products, click here or here. Plus, they have amazing customer service and superb shipping time. If you’re on the fence about half pads, Ecogold is quickly rising above the rest as the go-to pad to support horses’ backs and riders.

What is on your fall must haves list? Leave us a comment below!

August 31, 2016

Product Review: EquiFit GelSox

Written by Liv Godfrey.

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So recently I discovered that even though I adore Lulu’s back T-Foam EquiFit boots, naturally from working, footing slides in between the liners and her hind legs. It was a substantial amount of footing, and her legs were getting really gross, but I didn’t want to buy a new pair of boots as mine are pretty new and still in great condition.

Photo Credit: SmartPak.com

I opted for a product I’ve heard of before from my lifetime groom, Aurora Luce, which would be the EquiFit GelSox. These come in black and tan, but SmartPak only offered tan. The socks came in a nice, heavy duty plastic baggie (that you can definitely store your Sox in). They’re about 2 inches thick when both sides are put together and no longer than a forearm. The outside is a non-slip material that’s kind of similar to Ecogold, and the inside is a clear, non-slip soft gel.

The Sox are designed to support your horse’s legs and keep them dry, clean, cool, and comfortable. I truly believe they do exactly what they are advertised to do, as Lulu moved and jumped amazingly in them. Her hind end was really clean and careful with these on, and she didn’t move differently in any negative way.

When I first put them on her, it took her a second to feel what was going on, but she got used to them really quickly and at the end of our ride the Sox had compressed down probably ½ an inch. I put my T-Foam hind boots right over them (which didn’t move an inch!), and there was still footing under the boot; however, with the GelSox on Lulu had no idea.

The best way to put these on are to bunch them up into a “ring” like a riding sock and stretch them over the foot on the ankles. I then pull them up and adjust them how I like. You do have the option of cutting these socks into a different size, but I haven’t done that because I like the length of them as they come.

Overall I really love these and recommend them to anyone who is looking for extra support on the front or hind end. They’re also really great because your EquiFit boots can go right over them comfortably! They’re easy to clean after each ride as I just rinse both the insides and outsides with cold water and leave them on my trunk to dry overnight.

I think they would be really great for a horse that just needs light protection in turnout too as they don’t fall down, and they protect every inch of the leg. Also, if you have a high-performance athlete, these are great for hand walking. Lastly, EquiFit makes “sox” (called Gel Bands) for humans as well which support ligaments and provide ultimate comfort. Overall I definitely recommend these to anyone whose horse’s legs are sensitive or to anyone that wants an easy way to add some extra protection to their partner’s legs.

August 3, 2016

Confessions of An Aspiring Amateur: Following your intuition in riding

12715375_10205735361246693_4642775076942837591_n Over a year ago, I was faced with the task of finding a new barn on very short notice. My trainer (at the time) and I went on a manhunt, trying to find the best facility for me and my pony (I only had two horses at the time). I knew I had goals of showing, so finding a show facility was important to me, as was finding one with good care because it was clear I wasn’t going to find a new facility that was a. close by and b. allowed outside trainers.

I reached out to my farrier for some recommendations, and he told me to call a woman named Holly (now my trainer). He told me she was hands down the best horse caretaker and trainer in the area, and he would make a phone call for me to see if my trainer at the time could come with me (Equestrian Lesson: this is why you should always be nice to your farriers, vets, masseuses, chiropractors, etc.)

I spoke with Holly on the phone, and I instantly fell in love with her mission, her facility (though I hadn’t seen it), and everything she had to offer. She seemed to be the perfect fit for me, even though the barn was a bit further than I would have liked. However, quality care was important to me as was a show atmosphere because that was my goal now.

My trainer at the time and I looked around at a few new places, but I still kept coming back to Holly’s place. I really felt it was the right fit for me, well.. us, and every other facility I visited paled in comparison. Additionally, Holly was willing to allow my trainer to come in and teach me, as a favor to my farrier since I was such a good client to his (see my equestrian lesson cited above).

I decided that I wanted to move to Holly’s facility, and shortly thereafter, we made the move. The care was impeccable; the facilities beautiful; the ring was gorgeous; and Holly was super nice and accommodating. She made me and my horses feel at home as did the barn owner, and that was something I really appreciated, especially because I was sort of encroaching on her territory by bringing in an outside trainer.

As you all know, last May, I decided to switch trainers and begin riding with Holly. After some reflection, a lame horse as Garden State Horse Show, and a lesson with Holly on one of her school horses where I realized that confidence I had built up over the two years I was at other barns, I realized that it wasn’t so scary switching trainers.

My intuition was right. There was a reason I was so strongly pulled to Holly’s facility, and now she is not just the trainer I see myself sticking with for the rest of my career, but also someone I can call a close friend (and coincidentally, she went to college with my boyfriend, and they hung out frequently – weird, right?)

Oftentimes we may be feeling something in our gut but suppressing it. It can do with anything related to horseback riding. I urge you to go with that feeling in your gut. Your intuition is one of your most valuable tools, and you never know where it can lead you.

12745909_10205735358726630_79687092897808802_n-2 Although I am on a break from riding right now due to a head injury, Holly was upped my confidence tenfold. Before my head injury, I was showing and winning. My knowledge and riding has improved so much since I began taking consistent lessons with her. She found me the perfect horse (Monte), keeps me on my toes, talks to me as a friend, keeps me in line, and pushes me when I need to be pushed.

Note: None of this is a knock on my former trainer, and it should not be construed as such. She is a wonderful person, and she helped build my confidence from next to nothing. She was my best friend for years. She was there when I needed her most when Rascal died; when I was horse searching because I had nothing to ride at our former barn; and when things were going south in my riding life. She and I agreed it was just time to move on. My goals just didn’t mesh with the type of trainer she wanted to be, and she did the honorable thing by telling me to move onto someone else rather than keeping me as a client and promising me things on which she couldn’t follow through – like consistently attending ‘A’ rated horse shows, which require a ton of time and effort on the trainer’s part.

So next time you’re feeling your gut telling you something, take a moment and listen. It might be scary. Trust me, I never imagined myself leaving my former trainer. However, you could be cutting yourself off from a path of even more success, confidence, and better riding than you ever imagined.