Eventing Armband from Eventing in Color!

 Today I received an XC armband from Sarah at Eventing in Color. These armbands are mandatory for both jumping and cross country in an eventing and are also needed for Pony Club activities as well. They contain all necessary medical information so if you happen to get injured, the medics can know who you are and are useful in any equestrian activity. Thanks Sarah! If you are in need of them, go over to her blog. She sells them for a good price and it is nice to support our blogging community. Here are some pictures of me trying it out. Thanks again, Sarah!

 

Lots of Pictures from Saturday's Eventing Show

  I have lots of great pictures from the show Sarah went to Saturday. You can read the write-up here, or look at the pictures I took of Sarah and Bohemian. The following photos are from her dressage class.

 

 After hanging out for several hours once the dressage was over, I watched Sarah do cross country. The pictures are a bit far away, but you can see them more clearly when you enlarge the photo.

In Bohemian's stall before cross country.

I love this one! Notice the magenta and black cross country colors people voted for  before the show.

Warmup. 

 

 

 

Fun Day at Fresno Horse Park

 Today I spent the most of the day with Sarah from Eventing in Color at the April Horse Trials in the Fresno Horse Park. She was showing not far from where I live, like she had done last year, so I came to watch and hang out with her. This time, I watched two of her classes, dressage and cross country, which was fun. We hung out and talked in between.

 I arrived just in time to watch her dressage class and part of the one before it. I took pictures in both her classes. She and Bohemian looked nice in the dressage ring. At the end, I came over to say hi. It was nice to meet her again! After the class Bohemian had a quick exam from the vet(I'll let her tell the story) and we walked to Bohemian's stall, which was in a newly painted barn nearby the show office. While she untacked, I fed Bohemian treats for being a good boy.

 In between the dressage class and the cross country several hours later, both Sarah and I talked about all kinds of horse things, including eventing and some of the shows and clinics she has been doing lately. I told her a little about the horses I ride in lessons, Reno and Ginger. We also talked about OTTBs, and how they often do well at eventing, particularly cross country. Bohemian loves cross country. Sarah's trainer trains a lot of OTTBs for eventing, and since I want to do eventing I think one of the horse's she trains would be a nice horse to have. I've been saving for a horse and Meghan thinks I'm ready to start looking. Another thing we talked about was the food Bohemian eats since we had been talking about types of hay and I was interest in what he eats in addition to hay.

 When it was almost time for cross country, I helped Sarah get Bohemian ready by brushing out his mane and tail. Sarah tacked him, and we got a picture together before the warmup and ride. By that time her trainer, Laurie, was there, so Sarah mounted and rode to the warmup ring. I followed with Laurie. I watched Sarah's warmup with Laurie, my parents, and another woman Laurie knows. The warmup area, which is not far from the four dressage rings, is huge, so there was plenty of room for people to warmup their horses. Sarah jumped him over a few fences toward the end of the warmup before she was called to the starting box. My parents and I headed to a vantage point where we could see most of the course. I took some
pictures, but I didn't get any close up ones.

 Sarah and Bohemian looked fantastic! They finished the course in good time. It was fun to watch, and Bohemian really seemed to love his job. I went over to tell Sarah that she had looked great, then went back to the Bohemian's stall with her. She untacked and brushed him, and I gave him lots of treats because he had done so well. She then took him to a nearby pad to hose him off. I got a few pictures of Bohemian when he was being washed, and even got a couple nice faceshots. He had his ears forward in one! After placing a cooler on Hemie, Sarah let me lead her horse back to his stall. She gave him a flake of hay to eat after I put him in his stall.

 My parents and I talked to Laurie a bit before we left. I am almost done with a book I've been writing that I hope to sell to earn money for a horse, in addition to doing some work with my friends. Laurie is very supportive of me and likes that I am ready to work hard for a horse. Both she and Sarah thinks it cool that I want to do eventing. Maybe someday we'll compete at the same, except in different levels. That'd be very cool. Not long after that, I wished Sarah luck for tomorrow and went home. Before leaving my parents and I stopped by one of the tack vendors to take a look at some some very fancy saddles, just for fun. Then we went home. I have lot's of pics from today and will upload some once I get them off the camera.

 The book I'm writing is nearly through the editing phase. Then I'll get a proof, have the foreword written, and it will be ready to be published! My goal is to have it out at the beginning of summer, or hopefully even sooner. It is about Triple Crown winners, suiting because I want an OTTB, though that is not the most important thing. Some of the money will go to my horse fund and some will go LOPE, a racehorse adoption center I've been following that is located in Texas. I let you know when it comes out.

Stories from off the Track: Sarah and Bohemian

 I decided to start a series on my blog, called Stories from off the Track, where I will spotlight bloggers with OTTBs. If you would like to be featured, you can submit your story by emailing me at paola.pedranti@gmail.com.

 Without further ado, I bring you Sarah and Bohemian, from Eventing in Color. If you don't know her, go check out her blog.

Photo by Sharon Weaver.

Their Story

 My horse's Jockey Club name is Bohemian Spirit. I kept the name Bohemian because it suits his personality. He is 9 years old this year. He was not a very talented racehorse, never "breaking his maiden" (winning a race). But he was smart and handsome, so HBO bought him and used him for filming the HBO TV series "Luck" with Dustin Hoffman. The show was cancelled after just one season and all the horses were adopted out.

 I got Hemie through Thoroughbred Rehab Training Center, Inc which is just a few minutes from Santa Anita Racetrack. My trainer and the rehab center's manager picked Hemie out for me based on my experience and goals - I did not try out a selection of horses as most people normally do. I met him in a box stall with my trainer and close friend. I did not test ride him or even trot him out - I just signed the paperwork and my trainer led him onto the trailer!

 We quickly became close friends and have a very special bond, but we certainly have had some challenges.

 Our first challenge was that Hemie had a problem with the idea of going forward. I thought this was quite ironic for an ex-racehorse. Especially early on in our training, he would get stuck in place and get more up-and-down rather than move out. Sometimes he would wiggle sideways or swing his hips or shoulders instead of just move forward. Luckily my trainer is very experienced with OTTBs and we've been able to address it through consistent, positive training. 

 Our second challenge was Hemie's inexperience as a personal pleasure mount. As a racehorse, and later as TV horse, he had a specific job to do. That job did not include looking out for the well-being of his rider. That job did not include easy-going relaxing rides, nor bareback work, et cetera. That was a fun challenge to fix - it took time but now Hemie knows how to just be a fun pleasure horse in addition to working on our "job" of eventing. Interestingly his spook has changed. He used to have huge spooks where he'd leap out sideways or bolt, but working bareback had taught him to look out for his rider and her balance, and now he has a much more subtle spook (even when under saddle).

A painting I made of Sarah and Bohemian.

 Right now we are starting our 2nd show season together. We are moving up from "Intro" to the "Beginner Novice" division in eventing. We both enjoy eventing so we plan to continue on in that discipline, potentially moving up levels as we gain skills and experience. I don't have particularly competitive goals - I just want us to do the best that we can.

Horse Show in Fresno

 Saturday was probably one of the most awesome days ever! I went to an eventing show and got to watch Sarah, one of my blogging friends, and her horse Bohemian compete in eventing. I watched one show jumping class before Sarah's and really enjoyed myself. Several horses stopped before some fences, and one time the rider fell over the head of the horses and landed on the other side of the fence. Ouch. No, I didn't get a picture of it. The rider left the arena after that fall. This show was actually the first horse show that I have been to, so it was fun.

Group shot! Left to right: Me, my friend Angel, Bohemian, Sarah, and Walden(the dog).

 After the first class, I went over to say hi to Sarah, who was getting ready for her class. Blogging friend in real life! It was so cool to meet her. We talked about Bohemian(her horse) while she tacked him. Then we went over to the warm-up arena and I watched her warm-up. When it was her turn to enter the arena, I went over to the rail to watch her ride. She and Bohemian looked great out there.

 I watched the rest of the class. There were lots of big horses. Huge. Surprisingly, there was even a pony ridden by a girl around 10 or 11 years old. Once the class was over, I went back to Bohemian's stall to talk to Sarah some more. She let me give Bohemian treats and then my dad took pictures of us. Bohemian even gave me some hugs. Cute boy. It was a really fun day. Sarah was as awesome in real life as she is on her blog(if not even cooler), and Bohemian was such a sweet boy! I told my mom on the way home that I want a horse like Bohemian(with his temperament, I mean). I loved being at the show and most of all meeting Sarah and Bohemian, and would love to do it again some day. Now, for pictures.                              

Bohemian munching on hay before his class.

Sarah and Bohemian before their class.

Warming up.

Still warming up.

Went over a jump before their class. 

The first fence

Cantering around the course

The bay is heading for the first jump.

This bay is canter is cantering. I think he just landed
after the first jump of the course.

Before we watched any classes, my family and I said hello
to Flo, an Irish Sport/Swedish Warmblood mix.