Starting Fresh: Tips for Starting Over Showing with a Young Horse

It is a great feeling to have a horse that is 100% in tune with you, knows their job and does it successfully. You know all their in's and out's, all their quirks and how to ride them to their best. These are the horses that show all day and are competitive and successful in almost every class... the ones people sit back and say "wow, that horse sure knows it's job". These horses make showing easy because they know their job, you know how to show them and they make you successful. These horses are finished, broke, smart and to be honest, a little boring. It is usually when my horses reach this peak of training and performance that I start finding a young prospect. Don't get me wrong, I love a good, broke, easy show horse but sometimes it's fun to have one that challenges you, makes you think and teach them. I love nothing more then to take an unbroke 2 year old and turn them into that superstar all around horse we discussed above. This is not an easy transition. It's a long, frustrating journey from start to finish but one I have found to be most rewarding.

I am currently experiencing this transition. Charlie is broke to death; he is 7 years old, he knows his job, he is a piece of cake to show and he really only needs to be kept in shape in order to go to horse shows and be successful. I love having him so finished but at the same time, I have my younger project, Ella, a 3 year old filly who keeps me on my toes and is still completely in the process of learning to be a show horse. Though sometimes it can be frustrating, my wise father reminds me that they do not all start out "Charlie-broke". It takes time. About 4 years ago I was in the same situation except I had broke to death Slipper and was attempting to teach baby Charlie how to fill those big all around shoes. I remind myself daily that Ella will get there, I just need to be patient. Now that I have done this process once and I am starting it again, here are my top tips for starting fresh with a young horse.

Starting Fresh: 5 Tips for Teaching a Young Horse to be an All Arounder

1. Be Patient
Young horses require endless patience. They are young and they don't understand. You have to slow it down and TEACH them their job or they will never do it successfully and happily. They do not become machines overnight... even the super naturally talented ones take time. They still have to mentally understand all that they are physically capable of. If you are patient and kind throughout the training process and help them to UNDERSTAND, you will have a happier and longer lasting all around horse in the end.

2. Take Your Time
This process may take a year; it may take 3 years. You never know how long it will take to finish one. Every horse is different. You can't rush them- some horses pick things up seemingly overnight (Ella is a supergenius and only has to be taught things once) and others take constant repetition over long periods of time to grasp the concepts (Charlie took almost 3 months to learn to go over the trail bridge). Both types of horses can be amazing in the end but you need to take the time they require to learn and not rush them. Some horses are naturals at some classes and struggle with others and that is okay- they will get it in time. Just keep working little bits every day and I promise you they will get there. For example, Charlie was a natural at Western Riding from day one. He was finished and showing that class successfully by his 2nd year in the show pen. Showmanship however was a different story; it was a constant struggle. I did not consider him finished in Showmanship to my standards until his 4th year in the show pen.

3. Take the Good with the Bad
The Western Riding/Showmanship example from above brings me to my next point, take the good parts with the bad parts. I accepted that Charlie was not going to be a Showmanship World Champion overnight and just kept plugging away at it and having respectable, 3rd place type patterns at the shows. Meanwhile, he was winning the Western Pleasure, Equitation and Western Riding. Though I love Showmanship and it had previously been my best and favorite class with Slipper, I realized it was not going to be that way with Charlie and that was okay because he had other strengths she did not. Throughout the learning process you should celebrate all the positives and not let the negatives get you down.

4. Teach them to Love their Job
All my other points all wrapped up into one: if you have patience, take your time and take the good with the bad, you will end up with a happier horse that loves their job. If you slow down and teach them, not scare them and give them confidence in what we are asking them to do, you are improving your chances of creating an all around horse that will be out there packing Novices around with their ears perked when they are in their 20's. That is my goal with every horse; I want them to enjoy what they do and they will not do that unless they understand it, have confidence and trust you. Charlie was scared to death of all trail obstacles in the beginning. It was a slow, tedious process to get him to where he is today; for 3 months I fed him grain and treats off the bridge until he finally would walk over it. But, the time and patience paid off because he trusts me to keep him safe and as long as I tell him things are okay, generally he does whatever I ask (not the case with mailboxes- they apparently have monsters inside them made to eat little white horses and he is just not willing to take that chance and get too close... I have just accepted that the pony express will never be his calling). Charlie also loves trail now, his always has his little ears pricked throughout the whole class and focuses really well. Do it right and you will have the all around horse that everyone is jealous of.  

5. Don't Give Up
This is going to be a frustrating process. It's not easy. Going from broke to death to a blank slate is a large adjustment and it is going to be a while until you are competing at the same level again. But do not give up. Eventually they will get there and when they do, I can personally tell you it is the most rewarding experience. To start from the bottom with a blank slate 2 year old and work your way back up to the level of your previous broke horse is an amazing feeling. You will get back to the top, just not overnight. Don't give up after a frustrating ride or a bad horse show; those are just another step towards the end result. I wanted to give up so many times throughout the training process with Charlie... around month 2 of feeding him grain off the bridge and him still refusing to walk over it or the 10th time he moved his foot in showmanship pivots at horse shows... it was a tough process but my dad kept reminding me that no horse starts out finished and eventually they will get there. The day Charlie laid out a flawless trail pattern with no ticks at the Pinto World Show and tied for Reserve World Champion was one of the happiest and proudest days of my life. All those tedious hours trying to make him a good trail horse and all the days it seemed impossible were worth it in the end to know that we had overcame the struggles. No one else knew (besides my family) how truly important that lost tie for a buckle and that big yellow ribbon was to me: to take a horse that was once too scared to lope poles and walk over a bridge and used to literally hit every. single. pole. to that level  and succeed was so incredibly rewarding. Someone had to take that time to teach every one of those amazing all around horses to be what they are. If they can do it, so can you... and it will be so worth it in the end.

I am so glad I took the time to make Charlie into the all around horse he is today; the journey to get here was rough but it is so rewarding to say that I did it all and made him the all around superstar horse he is today; a horse that loves his job, does every event right down to the barrels and does it very well. Ella will get there too, I just keep reminding myself that they all start out as blank slates and you have to sculpt them into great horses. One day you can look back after winning high point and say wow, what a great horse I have created and all the frustrations will be irrelevant.

Baby 3yo Charlie

Finished All Around Charlie

~ What are your experiences with starting over fresh???

Missing London

It's been almost 3 months since I returned from London. As I sit here in the middle of boring Findlay, OH drinking my morning coffee from my Tower of London mug before I go to class and work, London seems so far away and almost like a long lost dream. The girl who lives my mundane life back home just doesn't seem like the same world traveler who took on London less than 3 months ago. Though it seems like it was all a beautiful dream, I know it was not. It was real and it was hard; it was stressful, confusing and exhausting yet it was the best experience of my life. The more time that lapses from my time across the pond, the more I realize how incredible the whole experience was. London is a city like no other... I took for granted being there for three weeks in a beautiful flat with unlimited time to explore. I am already completely ready to return. There are many things I miss about London but I tried to keep the list short.... or I might start crying into my coffee.

So here we go- 9 things I miss about London in no particular order: 

1. I miss Pret. Such yummy and healthy fast food. We really need to get those on every street corner here like they are in London. I especially miss the Pomegranate Hibiscus juice :( USA needs to get on Englands fast food level ASAP.

2. I miss Primark. Cheap, adorable clothing and accessories. Emphasis on cheap. and adorable.... but rumor has it they are crossing the pond and we will soon have Primark in the USA!!!

3. I miss being about to see history on every street corner and anywhere I look. Even just walking from my flat to the Tesco Grocery led me past adorable little Mew's that once housed the London carriage horses and now have cute apartments and townhouses. We lived 2 blocks from Regents Park; a fact we sadly did not realize until the last week. Even our flat was a 100-year-old home that once belonged to a rich London family. Though it was converted to apartments, elements of it's past still can be found such as the servant elevator we used to get to our 5th floor flat and the ornate fireplace in our living room.

Our beautiful home away from home, Hampden House

4. I miss castles. There were castles everywhere. Since I am secretly a princess, this was just perfection in my opinion. Someday I will go back and maybe I will buy one. There are no castles in Ohio and it is incrediably depressing.

5. I miss UCL and Dilke House. UCL (University College of London) was our school while we were in London and it was a huge, sprawling, historical campus. Our classroom and host office (AIFS: American Institute of Foreign Study) were in Dilke House right smack in the middle of campus. To study at such a prestigious and historical university was just so fantastic. Also, AIFS was fantastic. They were there to help and hold our hands when London got confusing and overwhelming or just to have a nice chat after class. Oh and they had Kareoke night and it was absolutly great.

6. Abbey Road. I went all the way to the tube station St. Johns Wood and walked across it (barefoot of course) at least 3 times during my stay. I want to walk across it again. I want to walk where they walked just a few more times... or a lot more times. I want to go back and spend a day just sitting and waiting to see if Paul will wander past on his way to Abbey Road Studios. But for now I will settle for my poster in my bedroom and my Abbey Road mug of course.

The one time I didn't go barefoot

7. Believe it or not, I miss the Tube. It was so easy to just go anywhere. Tap your Oyster card and off you go. Despite when it was crowded, hot, smelly or randomly not running- it is a great form of transportation and once I figured it out, super easy to navigate. Also, all the Buzzfeed lists about the Tube and all its quirks just make me want to balance and wobble my way from Great Portland Street to Tottenham Court one more time... which of course would spit me out right in front of Primark (see what I did there??)

Home base Tube stop

8. Oh how I miss the British way of speaking. Why did American have to lose that accent and word usage when we fought for our independence???? It's just such a nice use of words and the accents *swoon*. My goal is to make Brilliant and Savage happen in Findlay. Hopefully I will be more successful then Gretchen Weiners and "fetch".

9. Ireland. I could make a whole separate post about Ireland but I will keep it short and sweet. 3 days was not enough on this beautiful Emerald Isle but it was still incredible. I kissed the Blarney Stone, walked along the Cliffs of Moher, drank some Guinness in Dublin and discovered that it is truly as green as they say. I am Irish and being in the land of my ancestors was purely moving. Already planning another trip in the future because 3 days just wasn't enough.

Well I am not crying in my coffee yet but I am still missing this city something fierce. I just can't describe it. It was wonderful and beautiful and hard and stressful. We walked to much, slept too little, traveled like crazy and explored everything while making many a mistake along the way and had a few too many #TouristAlert moments and yet it was imperfectly a perfect study abroad experience. I am probably driving my roommates insane because every five minutes: "Omg while I was in London" or "So in London they do this..." or "look what I got in London".... but it's just still at the forefront of my mind nearly 3 months later.

Those three weeks taught me to wake up every morning anticipating an adventure and to take whatever happens in stride and find the beauty in it. Like when it took me two hours to make my way to the Churchill War Rooms despite the city mapper estimation of 20 minutes. Though the tubes I needed weren't running and I walked around South Kensington for an hour in the wrong direction; I found beauty in the mess. I saw beautiful houses and families out for a morning stroll. I passed famous landmarks and Kensington Gardens (3 times...oops). It was a sunny, warm morning and the walk was lovely and refreshing. Something like this normally would have put me in an automatic bad mood and destroy my whole day but through my experiences in London I learned to take it as it was and find the beauty. This experience changed me as a person.... my eyes have been opened to the world and different cultures. I just feel as though I can understand and appreciate differences more after 3 weeks in a different country, culture, and continent. I seek out adventures I never would have before. Instead of holding back and not taking the opportunities that pass by, I want to take those random opportunities and see where they lead me. Every opportunity in London led to something great and I just had to try everything once, even if it was just to say I did, I am trying to apply that to life back home as well; you only live once so make the most of it.

I know I have rambled and gotten sappy but it all came straight from the heart. I cannot say enough about this experience and how completely beautiful it was. Saying goodbye to London was hard but I know I will go back someday. I left a little piece of my heart there.

....and  I have to buy a castle.

Does it get more British and beautiful than that?

What I Learned Studying Abroad in London

My research project while in London was about the effect of World War 2 on London and it's people. After being in the city for 3 weeks and seeing the actual effect on the city itself I was struck with a whole new level of understanding. The way the citizens of London suffered throughout this war is hard for an American like me to understand. The food rationing, clothing coupons, endless bombing... it was horrific. We were so separated from these conditions thanks to the Atlantic Ocean and just never experienced the same level of hardship on the homefront. The city bears its scars proudly and lets some of the damage stand as a testament to what they endured and rose above.

The people who lived in London during World War 2 sent their sons, brothers and husbands overseas to fight, sent their young children to the countryside for protection and lived in constant fear of being bombed, invaded, losing their house, running out of food on top of the stress of war overseas. Every part of the city was affected: even the Tube became bomb shelters and thousands literally lived there throughout the war due to the bombing and housing shortages. Even the royals were affected: Princess Elizabeth had to use clothing coupons to purchase her wedding dress. The strength of the Londoners was shown throughout these years. They "kept calm and carried on" no matter what. When food rations grew scarce, they got even more creative with their recipes and grew gardens on every spare green space including the moat of the Tower of London.  When fabric and clothes ran out, they learned to sew and mend what they had to last. Men's trousers became skirts and women's dresses became children's shirts. The ingenuity and ability to adapt was integral to the people making it out of the war as positively as they did. It could have been so much worse....

I must say that I enjoyed researching this topic exponentially. It was so interesting and completely intertwined with most everything in London. I was lucky enough to be there for the 70th anniversary of VE Day, the end of the war in Europe and a day of huge celebration in London especially. I am proud to be an American and I am proud of the role we played in World War 2 but I have a huge amount of respect for the British people and London for how they survived the war and rose above it as strong as ever. They truly embody the idea of "Keep Calm and Carry On" .

The Best Two Weeks of the Summer

Well long time no blog!! I was in Europe for 3 weeks in May and between getting ready to go and getting caught up back home I have just had no time to blog! But I am back now and have some great ideas!

As I sit at home watching the Pinto World Show go on without me, I realized just how much I miss it. This year I chose the once in a lifetime experience of studying abroad in London for 3 weeks over the world show. Though London was incredible and I do not regret the decision, I am having serious Tulsa withdrawal as this is the first year I have missed it since 2010. I miss the anticipation and preparation and the feeling of entering the arena for the first time each year... I miss listening to Ronnie call us allllllllllll down to the paddock area now please and getting the Pinto Press each morning along with my donut in the Hospitality room. I miss the expo square breakfast box and McCalisters. I miss catching up with old friends everywhere I go and making new friends in the arena lineups and holding pens. I miss days off at the water park, watching races at the track on early evenings and endless shopping in the trade show. For those who have been to Pinto Worlds, you will fondly recognize many of these memories and I am sure have your own different favorites. As I reminisce about my many amazing years at World Show I have realized that I may have gone down there the first time to show my horse and hope to win a ribbon and maybe even a buckle but it's the people and experience that keep me coming back year after year. I have won ribbons, buckles and saddles at the Pinto World Show and that is amazing. But more importantly, I have learned so many lessons of humility, gratitude, respect, friendship, hard work and if you ask me, that is the real "win".

THE Ford Truck Arena

The people who run the show, the friends we have made and maintained over the years and the memories made every year are the things that make me want to go back year after year. Spending two weeks with so many wonderful people who share your passion is amazing. The bonds you make can be for life. I personally owe the world show for giving me one of my best friends in the world: in 2008, Kaity Arthur and I attended the world show and competed together on a youth team and got to be very good friends those two weeks. 7 years later, she is a bridesmaid in my wedding and one of my best friends in the whole world. The show just brings people together as do the horses and the whole sport. Last year, the world show gave me even sweeter memories when my long time boyfriend proposed to me in the center of the arena during the charity walk trot class. The Ford Truck Arena is my engagement location and down the road when I take my kids to the world show they can still see the place where we got engaged. It is these bonds and memories that have so endeared the show to me and make me want to come back year after year.

Crazy World Show Best Friends from 2008-2014

Pinto World Engagement 

You will not find a world show with more friendly people, fun events and lasting memories anywhere. They have so many events such as the Challenged Riders Leadline and Dog Show that lets everyone relax and enjoy without thoughts of competition. The staff for the show are always so kind and helpful... it's like a mini-reunion every year when you see all those friends and people again back doing their jobs and making the show run so smoothly. I thought a year or two off would be fine and I wouldn't mind staying home for the 2 weeks in June. I was so wrong. I miss my Tulsa time so much... seems that you don't realize how much things mean until you're missing them. I miss the people, the friends, the heat, the city and, of course, the competition. Next year I get married and I will skip the world show again but watch out 2017- I will be trying my hardest to be back in Tulsa with the people I have made lifelong bonds with over love for the best world show there is and the best painted horses around.

Challenged Riders Leadline

If you have never been to Pinto Worlds, go, trust me. If you have been before, I am sure you know exactly how I feel and I will see you there again another year for the best two weeks of the summer in a little corner of Tulsa where dreams come true, lifelong friends come along and memories of a lifetime are made.

Until next time, I will be very busy watching the live feed and cheering on all my amazing friends competing!

What is your favorite memory from Pinto Worlds??? Comment with it :) 

Day 15: Imperial War Museum Visit

This morning I had a private meeting with Terry Charman, the senior historian at the Imperial War Museum. I am so honored that he took the time out of his busy schedule to meet with me and discuss my project about World War 2 and the effect it had on the people of London; which is one of his specialties. I had a wonderful discussion with Mr. Charman about the effect of the second world war on the people of London then and how the impact of the war lasted well beyond victory. There were two big things I got out of our discussion:

1. The civilians of London suffered greatly from the extreme bombing. While the government tried to combat the bombs and rebuild for the people, they often learned the lessons of how to best deal with the dire situation after the need had passed. They learned from their mistakes but sometimes it was too late and many civilians lost their lives as a result. On the flip side, the bombing did not kill as many civilians as they had anticipated and this was a result of the precautions put in place and a strong effort on the part of all Londoners. 
2. There was no specific part of London that was the most affected. While the East End was bombed the most heavily, everyone in the city suffered from the constant stress of the bombing, rationing, ford and clothing shortages, the blackout, having husbands, sons and brothers off at war and trying to keep morale alive in the midst of total devastation.

The war did have an unbelievable impact on the city of London and the people of the city. The legacy of the war I have discovered throughout my research is that the war effected very single part of life in London during the war and long after the war. The civilians suffered losses that rivaled the losses on the front lines. People in London are still highly affected by this war and its repercussions. When the speak of life "after the war" they are still speaking of World War 2. In America we were never affected on the same scale as the British people; we were not bombed out of our homes, we were to rationed as heavily and we did not sustain anywhere near the level of civilian deaths. The legacy of World War 2 I grew up on in the United States is significantly different then the legacy here in London. I think that is the biggest shock from my project: I thought I knew this war well and had a thorough understanding of it but upon arriving in the city that still bears scars from the war and suffered so greatly has opened my eyes to a whole other part of the second world war.

Staggering statistics

 After my meeting with Mr. Charman, I went through the entire museum. There was a special exhibit called "Fashion on the Ration" which revolved around how people dressed and how fashion changed during the severe rationing throughout World War 2. The coupon system for clothing limited the amount of clothes you could buy new and the clothes were more practical and no frills. Utility Wear was the norm in this time which was a basic, hardy wardrobe built to last but with no frills or embellishments. When even these basic clothes became scarce, the government encouraged women to "Make Do and Mend" their clothing. Re-purposing and mending was the new norm. Sewing classes were offered around the city and there women could learn to turn old mens shirts into baby clothes or an old pair of trousers into a girls skirt. Fabric shortages caused the skirt hemlines to rise, pleating to become unfashionable and things like double breasted jackets and silk stockings were not allowed. It is amazing to me how much the people of London had to live through. America got out of this war very easy thanks to the Ocean's of protection but England was right there with just the Channel for protection. We never saw the level of food and clothing rationing , bombing or death in America that they dealt with day to day in London. It was hard to understand just how little we suffered in the war until I was actually there to see the lasting damage and read their history. Clothing and food rationing was something I had never realized existed until I began to study the wars effect on London.... And it had such a lasting effect on Londons people.

Examples of rationing information

Another part of the museum I found interesting was their Holocaust exhibit. It was so incredibly well done. I cannot say I enjoyed it as their is nothing about the Holocaust that is enjoyable but I was deeply moved and learned a lot throughout that exhibit. Such a terrible and bloody stain on human history that must never be forgotten so that it never get repeated.

They had a portion of the Berlin Wall in front of the Museum

Overall my visit to the Imperial War Museum was wonderful. The hours I spent in the Museum were highly informative and the whole museum is so well done, dedication to detail was impeccable and every exhibit great to explore. I have to say it was my favorite museum in London.

Such a wonderful museum

** I want to say a huge thank you to Mr. Terry Charman for taking some time out of his busy day to let me pick his brain about World War 2 and the effect it had on the people of London. I am so thankful he chose to share some of his vast knowledge with me.