March 16, 2017

From short stirrup to the Big Eq: Up & Coming Rider Mackenzie Suffy

Mackenzie & Metro at Devon. They qualified for and competed in the Hunterdon Cup for the first time last year. Photo Courtesy of Mackenzie Suffy.

I have known Mackenzie Suffy since she was riding her pony, Chip, at an old barn she and I both kept our ponies at. We parted ways, and Mackenzie has since made incredible progress in her riding and is well on her way to success and becoming a big name when it comes to this sport.

Mackenzie was kind enough to take some time out of her busy schedule of showing in Ocala and doing online school to answer a few questions for the blog.

Mackenzie, now 16, is a junior in high school. She began riding because her mom always rode. Mackenzie considers riding to be a part of her.

“When I was an infant she would put me in front of the saddle and canter around until I fell asleep,” Mackenzie wrote in an email.

While Mackenzie is currently competing in the Big Eq, she started out riding western because that is what her mother rode.

Mackenzie & Booji. Photo Courtesy of Mackenzie Suffy.

Mackenzie began actively showing on a pony, and then she moved up to Unbelieveable or “Booji,” a 16.2hh, 15 year old KWPN. Mackenzie has owned Booji for almost four years, and he was her pre-children’s horse in 2014. Unfortunately he had a small injury and had to be sent out to be rehabbed. He was leased out last year, but he is now back home in New Jersey, and Mackenzie’s mom rides him while Mackenzie is down in Florida.

To do the Big Eq, Mackenzie’s family imported her current horse, an 18hh, 7 year old Irish Sport Horse named Meitro H or “Metro.” They imported him off a video. Prior to that, Mackenzie had never seen or ridden him in-person.

“My first impression of my horse was him barreling at me because he got loose at the airport.” She said. “Once he was caught I looked at my mom and asked what did we just buy. But ever since he got home he is as quiet as can be.”

Mackenzie normally trains with Brian and Jolene Cash out of West Milford, NJ. However, for her time in Ocala, Mackenzie is training with Robin Fairclough because her trainers couldn’t make te trip to Ocala and Mackenzie was the only one from her barn that wanted to show on the Ocala circuit this winter.

“Ocala has been such a great experience. It has been great in the sun and at the show,” she said. “My horse is enjoying the big green fields and being able to ride outside. We have been placing in the top 4 out of group classes of 30 or more. We recently placed 2 out of 36 in the USEF Hunt Seat Medal to qualify us for the HITS Equitation Championship class during week 10 of Ocala.”

Mackenzie & Metro, her Big Eq horse. Photo Courtesy of Mackenzie Suffy.

Before beginning the Big Eq, Mackenzie did some 3’ equitation classes with Metro. Prior to her owning him, he had never shown in Ireland, so Mackenzie has been the first rider to show him.

“He has no problem jumping the bigger fences so we practiced at home and eventually went out and showed,” she said. “It was not easy at all at first. He is a big horse and the turns were tight and the courses were way more complicated. But we have adjusted nicely.”

Mackenzie said equitation is an important foundation to have as a rider, which is why she chose to do the Big Eq, rather tan focus on the hunters or jumpers. She also said Metro is not a hunter, but she also does not feel 100 percent comfortable in the jumpers.

“I still have to adjust to going faster and letting my horse go,” she explained.

According to Mackenzie, her biggest strength is her ability to get on a lot of different horses and being able to figure them out quickly. This has served her well when catch riding and also when participating in the College Preparatory Invitational in Florida. Mackenzie had to ride different horses in different classes and won a flat class on one horse and an over fences class on another.

In fact, Mackenzie said she catch rides occasionally.

Mackenzie catchriding a horse for one of her barn mates. Photo Courtesy of Mackenzie Suffy.

“I would love to do it [catch ride] more,” she said. “It is fun being able to get on a new horse and show it. It is a cool experience.”

Mackenzie said he biggest weakness is having a “string leg” and on the more energetic horses, it [her leg] doesn’t always work.

While Mackenzie is still a junior rider, she has started looking at colleges, and she would love to attend a college with a riding team. In June, she will be attending a camp at Auburn University with the equestrian team coaches to see what it is like to ride on an NCEA team..

This is Mackenzie’s first year down in Florida, which is why she is showing in Ocala. However, she is aiming to compete at WEF in the future.

One of her biggest riding accomplishments was winning the Marshall and Sterling Finals with Metro in 2016. It was his first time there, and he “really stepped up.” Mackenzie’s second biggest accomplishment was winning CPI Wellington out of over 180 people.

Mackenzie during the flat portion of the CPI Wellington competition. Photo Courtesy of Mackenzie Suffy.

This year, Mackenzie hopes to qualify for the Maclay Finals and for the USEF Hunt Seat Finals. She said she and Metro are still new to the Big Eq, and they need to work on the tests. Their most recent accomplishment is getting the flying change to the counter-canter.

Mackenzie also plans on starting to do the USET Talent Search classes, and she will be doing her first one with open water this weekend.

Aside from riding, which Mackenzie said is all she really does, she likes to hang out with her friends. She is spending two months in Florida. She arrived at the beginning of February and leaves at the end of March. She is currently doing a special program that allows her to attend school while still focusing on showing and riding.

Mackenzie is not currently sponsored by any companies, but she does have these favorite equestrian brands. She answered EquiFit, Voltaire, Baker, Tailored Sportsman, Charles Ancona, and Der Dau.

Mackenzie has this advice for a rider wanting to do the Big Eq.

Mackenzie after winning M&S Finals aboard Metro. Pictured are her trainers, Brian & Jolene Cash. Photo Courtesy of Mackenzie Suffy.

“Keep working on confidence and your releases. It will all come naturally when you get older if you have a good foundation,” she said.

Finally, we asked her who she would most love to clinic with. Naturally, she picked the king of hunt seat equitation himself, George Morris.

“He has a great sense of technique[,] and I would love to get his input about my riding,” she said.

March 15, 2017

Lessons learned from one dressage rider’s heart horse

by Caitlin Allen

—

Photo Courtesy of Caitlin Allen.

My luck ran out on January 8th, 2017, at 7:58 in the morning. My memories are still flooded with that morning, all vivid and haunting. I no longer can stay up late, because once sleep deprivation hits, the flashbacks and emotion crash down on me like a tidal wave.

2:30 in the morning, I finish an episode of Black Mirror or Arrested Development after a couple episodes, and I am alone with my thoughts. What could have been done that night to save him? Is this even real? We were going to show First Level. How could this happen? My thoughts are clouded with questions and promises I never fulfilled.

Colic is not something any horse book could romanticize, nobody can make emptying a horse’s stomach through their nose sound appealing, or the crucial rectal exam sound beautiful. Colic is horrific, it’s painful, and ugly. For the first time that night, I felt the same pain he felt. My nose burned as I saw the tube slide through his, my throat felt dry, my stomach turned, and suddenly the world around me got dark and muffled. I was blacking out. The stress overwhelmed me as I watched this once noble Thoroughbred struggle for his life. The stress returns as that night replays in my head.

Suddenly, my thoughts take me to the morning of his final moments. Sitting in the clinic stall, crying into his mane and stroking him. Telling him about all my aspirations I had for him, how I couldn’t wait for him to meet my first boyfriend, showing First Level after he got a taste of showing, and how in my eyes, he was Valegro. He was the world’s best dressage horse with the potential to do so much, while others saw him as a dinky little OTTB ridden by a teenager who got a late start in dressage. At that moment, I knew he was my heart horse. I knew this was the horse whose purpose was to make me into the best rider I could be. He was here to teach me not just dressage, but great horsemanship. For the first time, I was grateful for every quirk he had that came from the track. I took it all for granted though, thinking I would have him in my life for longer than 9 months.

It ends, quickly. The last breath is exhaled as I sit there and stroke his face. I was the last thing he saw. I still vividly see his face and the large syringes. Him lying down for the final time is engrained in me. The final walk to the back of the vet facility lasts an eternity.

One day, I will be able to be alone with my thoughts. One day, I won’t freeze up in the middle of class or work and become so overwhelmed with sadness, frustration, and anger as the last minute of his life interrupts my train of thought. One day, I’ll meet another horse, an unlikely partner that teaches me lessons I never realized were so crucial. Maybe I’ve already met that horse, or maybe I’ll meet that horse 10 years down the road. The 9 months I had with him were the best I’ve had in a long time, and nothing good lasts forever.

But for now, the memory of Perfect Luck lives on through me. Next time I hack in the park next to the barn, perhaps I’ll see him, enjoying the life he deserved and guiding me in those unexpected ways.

—

Caitlin Allen is a senior in high school. After graduation, she will be attending Champlain College in Burlington, VT, to study Cybersecurity. Caitlin is currently schooling 1st and 2nd level and will be showing 1st level this summer. She is a working student under a Danish Warmblood trainer and breeder in New Jersey with hopes of becoming a dressage professional one day.

March 14, 2017

Why you should be keeping a gratitude list every day (and night)

Many of you may have seen me tweet about spirituality. I’ve written about it before, and if you’re friends with me on Facebook, I post about it quite often.

I have a regular spiritual practice. I was raised Roman Catholic, but as I got older and began to educate myself, I found the Catholic Church’s views to be quite hypocritical and incredibly out of line with my belief system.

I was in limbo for quite some time until I discovered the late Dr. Wayne Dyer when I was in the midst of a severe depression that caused me to have to go on medical leave from college. The first book I read of his was all about synchronicity, which is essentially the theory that there are no coincidences and that everything is working behind the scenes on your behalf.

Spirit Junkie by Gabrielle Bernstein.

I recovered from depression and lost touch with my spiritual practice until 2010 when I discovered Gabrielle Bernstein. She was a receiving alcoholic, recovering drug addict, and recovering from being co-dependent in relationships. I picked up her book Spirit Junkie and devoured it along with the guided meditation album that was released with the book (If you haven’t tried meditating, you really should. It has so many health benefits). I also purchased her book Add More Ing to Your Life: A Hip Guide To Happiness.

Gabby’s books radically changed my life, and I started to dedicate myself to my spiritual practice again. Everyone’s spiritual practice is different, and that’s what I like about spirituality. If you don’t want to or like meditating, you don’t have to – it doesn’t mean you’re “bad” at spirituality. You don’t have to do yoga; you don’t have to drink green juice every day or be a strict vegan. All you need is a willingness to see love in every situation, to know that what you see in other’s is a reflection of what’s inside of you, and that we are all one.

Anyway, I have followed Gabby religiously over the years as well as other spiritual influencers like Danielle LaPorte, Gala Darling, who is also my blogging mentor, Mastin Kipp, Kate Northrup, Marie Forleo, Amanda Frances, Tonya Vanderhart, and Amy Fiedler (among others – I’m sure I’m forgetting some other individuals).

One of the biggest things that Gabby, and others, talk about is having an “attitude of gratitude.”

Basically, the more grateful you are, even for the little things in life, the more abundance and joy you will attract into your life. When you recognize all of the blessings you have, you will see even more blessings come your way.

My Erin Condren journal.

I begin every morning with a specific routine. I’ve started to avoid looking at my phone right when I wake up. Rather, I open my eyes and meditate anywhere from 1 to 7 minutes. I prefer guided meditations, so I use Gabby’s guided meditation albums. She has one for Spirit Junkie, one for her book May Cause Miracles, and another one to go along with Add More Ing to Your Life.

After meditating, which has tons of health benefits regardless of when you do it or for how long, I open up my journal and write down 5 things I am grateful for. You can write down more, of course, but 5 is the minimum you should stick to. They can be small things like “I am grateful for my cozy, soft pillow” or big things like “I am grateful that my parents pay for me to go to college.” Starting the day off in a grateful mindset will allow you to cultivate positivity as you go throughout your day, and as I stated before, the more positive and grateful you are, the more positivity and blessings you’ll attract into your life.

Being grateful also has its own health benefits.

It improves your physical health by diminishing aches and pains and bestowing and overall feeling of health upon you;
It improves your psychological health by allowing you to be happier, more empathetic, and more sensitive towards others;
It reduces aggression;
It improves your sleep;
It improves your self-esteem which creates optimal performance – something equestrians would and should be greatly interested in.
Recognizing what you have in your life to be grateful for reduces your urge to compare yourself to others and allows you to appreciate others’ accomplishments;
Having a strong gratitude practice improves your mental toughness and resilience and reduces stress

Tonight’s gratitude list.

Not only do I write down what I am grateful for in the morning, I write down what I am grateful for a night right before I go to bed. That way, when I am falling asleep, my mind and heart are full of gratitude and thinking of all of the blessings I have which, as mentioned above, allows me to sleep better and longer and wake up in a better mood.

This is just part of my morning routine. I also take time in the morning to write down my goals for the day (and week, if it is a Monday), as well as things I would like to accomplish. However, when I am writing down the things I want to accomplish, I write them as if they have already happened. This allows the Universe to tap into my energy and see that I am open to receiving all of the positive things that are coming my way.

Additionally, I keep a physical planner along with using the calendar on my phone. I have been using Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map Planner since it was first released three years ago. In the planner, every

Danielle LaPorte’s Desire Map Planner, daily edition.

single day, there is a space to write down what you are grateful for on that particular day, so I get a double dose of my gratitude practice. Danielle only has the weekly edition of her Desire Map Planner left for this year, which you can get here. If you’re more of a daily agenda type person, Danielle usually releases her planners towards December. If you want to get a head start on identifying how you want to feel and how your goals should work towards that, you can invest in her Desire Map book which is all about setting goals and intentions for your life based on how you want to feel, which I think is genius.

I know that this may be a little “woo woo” for some of you – but if you are at all open-minded, I urge you to give some of this a try, even if it’s just practicing being more grateful on a daily basis. You will begin to see major shifts in your mindset and your attitude that you didn’t see before.

Also, if you are interested in reading more of Gabrielle Bernstein’s work, I highly recommend her latest book The Universe Has Your Back. If you’re looking for a good starter book that will help you develop your spiritual practice, Spirit Junkie is definitely the go-to.

ps. I got my notebook from Erin Condren.

March 13, 2017

Life isn’t fair and neither is riding.

by Bryce Richardson, owner of The Long Spot, and writer for The Legal Equestrian.

—

Photo Courtesy of Bryce Richardson.

Some of us are fortunate enough to be born into a family that can sustain the unquenchable thirst to guide majestic, four-legged creatures over courses of jumps.

Most of us are not.

Most of us cannot afford a six-figure (or even a seven-figure) mount. Most of us cannot afford thousands of dollars in training and board on top of the tens of thousands of dollars in costs to compete at the dazzling venues from California to Florida. Most of us cannot justify dropping three pay checks on a hunt coat every year. Most of us cannot fathom jetting off to Europe in pursuit of a shiny, well-bred partner – much less paying to get them home with us.

Most of us are not in that financial position. Most of us have these big unsustainable dreams because we fell victim to the addiction that is horses at a young age, and in turn, we got sucked into a vicious world where it is survival of the richest.

Due to this, many people scrimp and save through their junior career until they reach college where they vow to get a good degree so they can hopefully one day be a happy ammy with a cute hunter they can show a few times a year and spoil to death.

But.. then there are those of us who dream of more. There are those of us that didn’t just catch the horse bug, but let it become our identity. We are the kids that were working students our entire junior career. We are the kids that would ride anything from a fancy warmblood to a barely broke Thoroughbred to a wicked pony. We are the kids with saddle sore scars on our legs from the thousands of hours of no stirrups. We are the kids that braided and groomed our way to the shows. We are the kids that have never known what it means to show up at the barn just for our lessons and classes.

However, I have found myself more and more alone as one of these kids. My tribe has seemed to dwindle to a select few willing to nearly sell their soul to ride one naughty pony or one green hunter.

While my tribe dwindles, I watch an entitled attitude manifest itself amongst those who once were right beside me working until we couldn’t see straight just to get a lesson.

Whether it be via conversation, Twitter, Tumblr, or Instagram, I am hearing more and more “This isn’t fair” and less and less “I’ll work my way there.”

I see many people complain about so-and-so being able to afford a string of Grand Prix horses and performance hunters and how she doesn’t deserve it. I hear about how because this sport caters to the rich and famous, it’s not fair to the “normal” people at the bottom. I hear people declare they deserve a hand out because they were not born into a wealthy family but have some natural talent.

Well, guess what: Life is not, and never will be fair.

No one is going to hand you a horse and a blank check simply because luck wasn’t on your side when you were born into an average income family that could not keep up with the upper echelons of the equestrian community.

I tell you this as one of these “normal” kids. I am a trainer’s kid. No, not a Big Name Trainer (“BNT”) with a massive barn I stand to inherit one day. I come from a small town trainer who dabbled in the California A Circuit. I grew up with my horses at my house. I grew up mucking, tacking and feeding.

When my mother moved away when I was 13, I became a working student and have been one ever since. I’ve only ever had two horses of my own, a little mutt pony we paid next to nothing for and my jumper. The rest have been catch rides.

When I wanted a jumper, my dad got me an unbroken three year old from an auction, and I broke him myself when I was 11. I took that little unassuming WB/TB from my backyard to the NorCal Prix de Nations team that competed at Spruce Meadows. We took the bronze. I never for a second had that little horse in training because from an early age my dad made it very clear, if I wanted to make it in this sport it was not going to be on his dime, it would be on the sweat of my own back.

Photo Courtesy of Bryce Richardson.

I have gone through phases where I get very lucky and have significant financial support, then I go through times, like now, where I have no horse and no money. One thing that has stayed constant no matter who I am riding for is that if someone like myself wants to see the inside of a Grand Prix from the back of a horse, you have no choice but to shut up and work.

No one is going to pity the fool who sits around and complains while they could be working. No one is going to pity the fool that passes up even the opportunity to muck stalls when it could lead to some rides. No one is going to pity the fool who thinks they deserve a handout.

Why?

Because this world owes you absolutely nothing and if you want to see the inside of the Grand Prix ring, it will happen a lot faster if you pick up a shovel or a brush with a smile on your face than if you continue to sit there and degrade those more fortunate than yourself.

At the end of the day, even if you find some clueless soul to pity you, do you really want to look back and know you made it to the Grand Prix ring on a pity check rather than your own merit?

I think those of us underdogs that are waking up at dawn and working through dusk are lucky in a different way. We are lucky because once we reach the big ring, we can look back and know every single painful step was taken by our own two aching feet. Every inch of that climb to the top was achieved through our own dedication and determination. No one else came in and paved the road for us with their financial support. We made it every unpaved mile and achieved a success all our own. We are lucky because how many people can actually say that sincerely in this sport?

If you have let this sport make you bitter and cynical enough to believe hard work is not enough, look to the top riders. Many started as grooms and working students and rode catch rides to the big ring. Look at Mavis Spencer whose family told her she would have to pursue a career as a professional on her own merit. Look at Sam Hutton who started in a little yard in England and now rides in the 5* Grand Prix classes and is on the Global Champions Tour.

If you’re going to play this game coming from a modest background, you have to change the rules. You will never level the playing field through your financials so you must compensate through grueling work and an attitude that attracts those with the means to give you a chance.

Neither of those things are possible if you never get up, shut up, and saddle up.

—

Bryce Richardson is a college student, working student, and catch rider. She grew up a trainer’s kid in California and became a working student at the young age of 13. She has been a groom and working student ever since. Though her family supports her love of riding and her dreams of going pro on the international Grand Prix circuit, she has had to make it on her own merit and work ethic.

Currently, Bryce is catching riding in Southern California. She works hard at a barn in Colorado when she is home with her father. She has a great passion for matching horses with riders. She realized this passion after making her first sale in Europe, where she was working as an intern in Holland, to a rider in the United States this past summer. Bryce hopes to one day own her own international sales barn that helps equestrians find their perfect match.

Bryce also has her own blog that can be found here.

March 11, 2017

Don’t wash your hair everyday? I’ve got the best dry shampoo on the market

OUAI Dry Shampoo Foam. Picture Credit: TheGloss.com

So, for any of you that know me, you know I have super long hair (like down to my ass long). You also know that I HATE washing my hair. Plus, according to many studies, such as this one from Bustle, it’s actually healthier NOT to wash your hair every single day.

I’ve tried many dry shampoos. For all of them, they did one thing REALLY well, but then I had another complaint.. for example, a hair spy type dry shampoo really made me hair look like it had been washed the day before, but it left my hair feeling super crunchy.

I recently read an article about OUAI Dry Shampoo Foam. The article was super convincing.. as in, it featured a guy who had locks as long as mine, and he clearly hadn’t washed them in a few days because they were VISIBLY greasy.

So, needless to say, the article got my attention.

I decided to try OUAI Dry Shampoo Foam. I tend to go approximately 3-4 days between washes, but I decided to push the envelope on this one, since it was so highly recommend, that I pushed it to 5 days.

On the 4th day, I applied the dry shampoo. It comes out as a foam, and you basically work it through your hair (roots and ends) like you would any other foam-based hair product.

This is my hair after application of OUAI Dry Shampoo Foam.

I followed that step, made sure it was all worked through, and then I ran a brush through my hair and ruffled it up like I usually do because I’m still on that messy, bedhead look for my hair.

I was super impressed at first application. My hair immediately looked as if I had washed it that day or the day before. There was no oil (my roots don’t get SUPER oily, but sometimes it does get a little visible hence my search for a good dry shampoo.) My hair had more volume, but not too much, which was perfect because I don’t like my hair to be any thicker than it already is. It also smelled amazing – like it had been an actual shampoo.

I left it in for a day, making day 5 since I had washed my hair. My hair still looked like it had been recently washed. I had the same volume. My hair looked super healthy and was shiny. My hair didn’t feel greasy at all from having the product in my hair overnight. My roots were not oily, and my hair even smelled amazing, still.

The articles on this dry shampoo are not hype. This shampoo really is one of the best ones I’ve tried, and it is going to be my go-to shampoo from now on. It’s super easy to work with and apply. It is actually effective, and it doesn’t weigh your hair down, make it feel greasy, or make your hair have a grey/white sheen to it (some of the powders I’ve tried.)

Best of all, it is paraben free AND they do not test on animals!

I saw a bunch of tweets when I tweeted I was going to be reviewing a dry shampoo that worked WONDERS, so I have a feeling a lot of people struggle with finding the right dry shampoo for their locks. It retails for $36.64, and it can be found here.

To read the article that inspired me to try this shampoo, click here. It shows the shampoo being used on two different hair types and lengths, and it’s a great way to see how exactly to apply the product.

And, if you try it out, leave me a comment below or tweet me and let me know what you thought!

I was not paid to write an article on this product. This item was purchased out my sole curiosity, and I decided to write about it because I know finding a good dry shampoo is hard.