diaryofarider

A balmy 41 degrees

2009-12-13T05:20:01Z

Dang that was some welcome warmth today. Forty one is not normally what I would consider warm, but it was so mild compared to, oh, I don't know, -6 that my heart was bursting with joy as I tramped through the snow toward my horse. She greeted me with a godawful raspy (hoarse?) whinny, but it was nice to feel welcome.
I thought she might be livin' la vida loca so I free lunged her in the indoor. No bucks or kicks, in fact she was all sweaty in short order. Poor pony. I tacked her up and away we went. Left hind felt wretched, all slow and not wanting to step through as much as the right, and to make matters worse she was stiffer than crap. She tried playing the "OHSHITSUNBEAMSGONNAEATME" card, but I had good tolerance today and I didn't let it get to me and we got through it. Between that and the boogeyman corner she pretty much tried to have a fit when I was insisting that YES YOU ARE GONNA MOVE THAT LEFT HIND NOW AND KEEP YOUR BODY THIS WAY, and I was good about insisting without escalating. I even managed to bang my calf against her sans heel when she tried to blow me off about moving sideways, and the really big win of the day for me was to decide to NOT GIVE UP and KEEP RIDING and this is something that so far, the new saddle is really helping with. Before she would get stiff and shy and scoot forward and whatnot and it was like I just had to give up for a few strides and then try again when she settled. For now the saddle is not letting her throw me so far off balance that I can't affect her, so if I keep trying I start getting things back quicker. I'm also zoning in on her "segment" each ride, and though it doesn't necessarily happen immediately, at some point I notice it and stay aware of it and can then work to stay upright and in balance with it.
Pony is getting very very good at lateralish stuff, at least at the walk. We are using almost halfpass to help the left hind and when we get it there is a big difference. I am happy that she likes the bending so much and that she seems glad to let it help her. Of course it's a lot different outside, but for now I'll just appreciate the great indoors.
Poor mare got pooped fast which was pretty nice. I felt her starting to get tired in the trot work and managed to tow her along with the cord-pulling-you-from-your-bellybutton feeling, and that was pretty nice too.
This year has been such a battle, and I don't know that things will every quite come together. But I get the feeling I've learned some really important stuff, and maybe if the spookiness ever goes away things will get hugely better hugely fast. Ha, well, that and the health issues...

County vs. Prestige

2009-11-03T18:29:27Z

Anyway, so I have the new saddle in my posession, though it is only 80% mine right now- anyway, some thoughts:
I think the County puts me in a better position on the horse. Time (and pictures/video) will tell.
I think the County fits the horse better- it looks like it gives her shoulder more room, and feels like it is better on her back (more stretching and willingness to stretch, much bigger, better quality canter).
The County has less use (2005, and doesn't have hardly even any stirrup marks, billet holes not stretched).

I think the County was a good choice for Trudi and I, but I will say that I think the Prestige is a better quality saddle.

The leather is softer and has, overall, held up very well. The leather on the skirt of the county is really rough and fiberous.
The stitching and cut of the leather and details of the Prestige are extremely nice. It feels like, over time, the Prestige might hold up better.

But, we'll see.

diaryofarider @ 2009-10-30T11:50:00

2009-10-30T17:50:25Z

I really need to get some pictures of the horses in the snow... of course by today they will have churned everything up and made a mess...

diaryofarider @ 2009-10-17T22:53:00

2009-10-18T04:54:47Z

I'm sore from riding today, it's almost 11pm, my kid just puked on me, and I have 3 saddles to clean. WAAAAAAH.
/end whining.

diaryofarider @ 2009-09-26T22:16:00

2009-09-27T04:33:56Z

Tried the new bit today and I think she likes it ok- it seems small compared to the Happymouth, and I think it fits, but just barely. Anyway, I put it on her and she was like ???? "thith tathes wierd." She yawned and stuck her tongue out and made faces, but as soon as I fastened the cavesson she was her usual slobbery self. I haven't ridden all week thanks to a final in hubby's night class and the cold from hell. I talked to a friend who's got the same thing and she said "I cough and it's like I'm an old man who smoked his entire life." Pretty much sums up this fabulous deep phlegmy cough. At least it's not swine flu.
It was a beautiful day out though. The neighbors were enjoying it out in their yard, which of course Trudi found scary, and of course the rooster would NOT shut up, but in spite of that we eventually did some decent work. It took about 20 minutes before I could actually sit in the saddle and keep my leg on, but I finally got to a point where I found her middle and took control of it- it was like she was a sausage (Hee, pferdwurst? More like worst pferd! *rimshot*) and she was cut into pieces, and I had this one piece, and as long as I kept hold of it and put it where I wanted it, the horse would go there too, (even in spite of herself). She got a little pissed about this, and threw a spook or two, but I didn't lose my "piece" and there wasn't much she could really do. Strange imagery, I know, and I'm not explaining it very well, but it worked for me today.
My legs are SO tired though. Every time I would lift my butt up to try to rearrange myself in the saddle she would take advantage, and every time I didn't keep my leg against her side she would take advantage of that too, to drop her back and get quick and be silly, so I finally quit lifting my butt up and quit taking my legs away.
I get that I'm learning a lot from my horse, but dang, she's a tough teacher.
The sun seemed intense after a week of cold and rain, so my foamy mare got a bath. I couldn't resist doing a really good job on her tail (it's gotten so long), so it took like 2 hours... but then she smelled like apples and coconut and was soooo soft. Of course she is shedding, and will roll, so tomorrow I won't be able to tell. :P
Had a stroke of luck today though- I found her old rear boots, and between that pair and her current pair, I have a good pair of boots. The old pair had a strap that got half severed on the left boot, the newer ones had a split/hole through the neoprene on the right.

The complete opposite

2009-09-12T17:22:48Z

So today was totally the opposite approach. The goal was a longer neck, so even when Trudi went around with her head held high and snorting and skittering, I was to try and sit deep and not shorten my reins. It was very hard and very frustrating. There was a lot of halting, and my job was to keep her from getting too quick and to try and sit deep (ack, nowhere to sit...) and keep my leg under me, keep her from overbending the neck, and encouraging her to stretch out, and keep my hands over her withers, and wait. It sucks to try and sit a horse like that, I'm not gonna lie. I pretty much wanted to cry when we started trotting and I felt like I was sliding off the back of the saddle and/or hovering over the seat by 3-4 inches. But eventually, she began to settle, and the left hind was totally fine- there was no issue. The trot, when she settled (which might only be for a quarter circle) was outstanding.
I almost got dumped today- walking on a long rein, she spooked at something and jumped almost her body length forward from underneath me. I swore and scrambled back into the saddle- thankfully it was just the giant leap and then she was over it. Still, it's the closest I've come to falling off in a long time... I was thinking I'd never live that down.
"Gee, what were you doing when you fell off your horse?"
"Uh, walking on a long rein."
Found a used kk ultra eggbutt on ebay for $50 - hope she likes it and I won't have to replace any more bits for a while...

Shabby-chic

2009-09-02T14:46:26Z

Well, finding that I was horribly broke last month, horribly broke this month, and likely horribly broke NEXT month I did something thrifty and smart last weekend.
I knew Trudi couldn't keep using her current bit (due to the big hole) so I got out her old Happymouth (which I had replaced last year with the one that now has the big hole) and checked it over. It had some pretty good scrapes and scratches on it (which is why I had replaced it) but I got out some sandpaper and went to work on it. About 45 minutes later I washed it up with some dishsoap and the thing looked new- I was able to get out all the scrapes and scratches and smooth out the surface. I threw the bit with the hole in it away, but at least I've bought us some time and I don't have to replace her bit RIGHT NOW. She seems totally content with her "refinished" bit and I feel all smug and clever. :D

I also emailed dressage extensions, and they can order the eggbutt RS for me in a 16mm, which I think I shall save up for...

diaryofarider @ 2009-09-01T08:21:00

2009-09-01T14:36:10Z

This was the sky when I went out to ride yesterday evening...

It was a little windy, and seemed like it might want to rain... the horses spooked at something in the barn. Trudi's right front hoof started developing a pretty good crack (appeared since the day before, farrier appointment is today-- of course). Coming up to the barn, I had to get all up in her face about not crowding me or taking over.
Trudi: OMG There is something SCARY over there WE HAVE TO GO.
Me: No. Stand down.
Trudi: Dude are you nuts? I SAID we have to GO. NOW.
Me: STAND DOWN.
Trudi: BUT
Me: STAND DOWN.
Trudi: Ok. Geez.
I have to say that the little bit of groundwork stuff trainer showed me has made an enormous difference- Trudi really gets it. As long as I keep her to the side and don't let her walk in front of me or get in my space, her manners are MUCH better and the spookiness is MUCH less. But if I let her get a little ahead of me, or in my space a little, she really does seem to go, "OK I AM LEADER NOW. GO TO HIGH ALERT." When the other horses spooked in the barn, she simply stiffened and tensed, but did not freak out.
Anyway.
Normally on a breezy day outside she is spooky and very tense. As I led her to the arena she was a little balky, she flinched and snorted as I closed the gate, and she tried to wander off as soon as I got on. I thought "Yay, one of THESE days."
And then I took up the reins and she went "Ok, it's time to work."
???
So still we have the throughness and straightness issues, but concentration overall seems to be improving, for now.
Yay horse. YAY YAY YAY. MWAH. LOVE.
I realized about 25 minutes into the ride how much her crookedness is really affecting me too, so with a supreme effort I got my inside leg more forward and my outside leg more back on the bend, and I PUSHED my inside leg down and kind of tucked it under her belly, and she went "oooooffff" and brought her belly up a bit and unkinked her back some more. Both of us are working hard to get back in shape- it is NOT easy.
Still, YAY.

3...

2009-08-28T13:59:10Z

Wow, 3 days of work and no tantrums or major spookiness... a new record! ;) Inside again last night- hoping to ride outside some this weekend and maybe do some good work there...
It felt like last night we were still building on what we've done before- she felt a little stronger, a little less resistant- like we are progressing the way we should be. Her back is starting to feel a little stronger, and it seems like it is getting a little easier for her. Requests to bring her haunches out a little (lately thinking of bringing the haunches out has been a bit easier than thinking of bringing the shoulders in) have been met with her stepping under a bit more with the hind, and often sighing and reaching for the bit and lifting her back (Good girl? You betcha). Hopefully some of the issues we've had are partially related to her simply being very out of shape- I don't think that's the whole story, but I think getting in shape is helping her with the work now. So nice to actually focus on working, instead of just fighting to get her READY to work... :)
In other news, I found she's chewed a big old hole in her bit - it looks too close to the joint for her to have been able to do it with the bit sitting where it normally does- no idea how she did it, but I'm throwing it away. I'll put the old, much less chewed one back on, and order a new bit ASAP. I'm thinking of biting the bullet and investing in a KK eggbutt- she likes the Happy Mouths, but I'm getting tired of replacing them and I think she may be ready for a big-girl bit now. Note to self- current bit is a 5.5...
Of course the KK's come in a 5.25 and a 5.75- the way they lay looks like they might offer a bit more room, but I don't want to go too small and be stuck with $150 - $200 of uselessness....

2 good rides...

2009-08-26T14:34:55Z

Late ride last night, mare good again (inside). Going to the left, her back just wouldn't quite get soft and swingy and she couldn't quite come through. I TRIED to help, but couldn't really get more than a couple strides here and there after a lot of effort. I could feel her back very clearly though- it's interesting how my feel has become so visual to me. I could "see" a line of the muscle along each side of her spine, each one like a glowing yellow line- feel when it felt too high, (not the same feeling as when her whole back is up in a good way, good way = "I feel the entire horse getting round and turning into a donut") but that the muscle was resisting, being held tense. I could feel when it would soften and ripple to allow the motion through- to the right it was pretty easy- (and I only really can "see" when I'm sitting- when I'm posting it's too much time away from the saddle/her back). But how awesome to be able to work on REAL WORK, instead of dealing with a lot of overt and overwhelming tension. Yes, she still had tension, but just in this area, she was soft and concentrating otherwise.
My chest seems huge when I ride, like it affects our balance so much. I'm not so sure that it's really the issue- probably my core strength and wretchedly wonky limb position has more to do with it...
But still. So cool to be able to dig into actual work.

Updates

2009-08-18T18:45:55Z

Bleh, work has been stupidly busy but I have also been riding a lot-

Saturday- stiff, lazy pony- after 3 days off I thought she would be hyper. Instead she just felt like she had had some time off and like it was hard for her to come through so we just worked a while till things felt better than when we started. There were unconfirmed reports of the appearance of the right hind leg- at one point I PULLED my right shoulder up, along the wall where she likes to drift away, and I thought "Hey, just because I'm trying to sit right doesn't mean I need to stick my left leg out, nor do I want my left leg ON" and my shoulder kinda came up, and my right hip kinda stopped being collapsed, and I felt the right hind leg, briefly. Yes, crap, I was/am likely blocking it, or at least not helping to encourage it.

Sunday- Awesome pony. I was going to ride her outside. The wind was blowing but she was good walking to the arena- spooked big at a piece of tarpaper and then she GOT OVER IT. We walked some circles and it started to lightening all over the place so I finished her up inside. Our sitting trot got really really amazing for a while. I'm actually a lot better at getting her through when I sit- I start with the posting trot, but then when I sit I feel like I can control the hind legs a lot more. I was even sitting up and feeling her mouth from the back of my arms, and there was no rushing, just slow and smooth and her back up and her hind legs reaching.

Monday- HELL IN A HANDBASKET. Oh, she was 8 kinds of jerk. More wind and threatening clouds (wth, CO?). Was pretty good walking to the arena, kind of annoyed as I arranged poles and cavaletti, then she pulled giraffe/high alert/you don't exist mode. She was like "Get out of your space. Pfffff." *Ignore*.
I climbed on and for about 45 minutes she did nothing but prance. Dropped back, quick teeny tiny steps, snorting, blowing, a ball of tension. I was pretty much seeing red, but I did at least keep a connection, and I TRIED suppling her, and I TRIED giving when I could and I MANAGED NOT TO KILL HER. We did shoulder in, we did some leg yield, we did turn on the forehand, we rode squares- everything helped a little, but none of it helped enough.
I stuck it out. There was no real spooking (though she would have liked to) or bolting or rearing, just the almost completely unrelenting tension. It is so hard to SIT on a horse like that- I end up at the back of the cantle with my legs stuck in front of me, because there is just no horse under there, she just drops away behind the withers. After trying to bend her left (I think it was left? You would think my arm would be more sore) and having her pull my arm almost out of the socket, I set my hand on the bucking strap for a while to give myself a break, and tried using my leg a bit... and then, sad to say, about a half hour later, finally realized she was just leaning away, and giving her the saddle to lean on instead of me was nice for me but not making her DO anything differently- so I took the rein back and said "Contact is ok, leaning is not, so let's stop that." And I began pulsing the rein when she leaned and thus she could no longer lean. Once again, I relearn a lesson I have had to learn many times before.
We finished with about ten minutes of walking that did not suck. We worked a bit on trying to get some straightness which she was not at all keen on. She is going to have to accept that we will still have days where we will walk, and it doesn't matter how hyper she acts, we are going to walk, and untill the walk is good and good for a good while, we will not trot, and we will not canter, so deal, my little firecracker.

Still alive

2009-07-26T01:13:37Z

Well, several hours of surgery, a patch of skin, 4 5 lymph nodes and about 66 stitches later I think I'm through the worst of it... still sore but hoping to feel better soon. :)

diaryofarider @ 2009-05-20T21:08:00

2009-05-21T03:09:51Z

Hubby's surgery is all done. He says the pain in his leg is gone, and that his back, though sore from the surgery, is already feeling better.
I am happy, and hopeful.

diaryofarider @ 2009-04-20T20:30:00

2009-04-21T02:31:28Z

Man,. what the heck happened to those poor polo ponies in Wellington? What does it say about my life that I heard this first on NPR?

Helmet love

2009-04-12T15:09:16Z

So I'm still pretty fond of my troxel grand prix classic- it's lightweight, low profile, looks good- leather harness, velvet, no skunk stripes or silly logos. But at last, I believe someone has made something even better.
IRH Olympian
Lightweight, velvet, leather harness, low profile, no stripes or silly logos, no stupid dial fit system or plastic crap on the back, and ventilated. Best part? Only $90. I think i'll have to get one of these this year...old helmet is like 6 years old at this point (Hey I've never fallen in it, it could still be good... ;) ).

diaryofarider @ 2009-03-09T07:44:00

2009-03-09T13:45:04Z

Trudi has declared shedding season officially open.

A little winter sunshine

2009-01-18T05:28:10Z

55 degrees outside, sunny, no wind, and not a cloud in the sky. Went with trainer to watch her take a lesson, and it was an absolute delight. The ring was in a beautiful setting- on the top of a hill with a sweeping view of the countryside, while the mountains sat stunning to the west.
The lesson was beautiful. Both horse and rider looked like they were enjoying themselves and made everything look so easy. They are preparing to show I-1 this year and it looked like they were just out on a lark, like collection is totally natural, and 2 tempis are no big deal. I know it was a good day for them but I also know that she's been working really hard and is reaping the benefits. I felt lucky to witness it.

cross posted

2009-01-13T19:14:31Z

Hubby brought up the inauguration and the fact that Ben and Jerry's is introducing a new flavor to celebrate- "Yes PeCan"
We were thinking up our own flavors for Bush/Cheney exit-

Mine-
Lime Duck
Lick Cheney

His-
Impeachmint (Mint and peach, gross)
Undisclosed Flavor

Feel free to comment with your own...

diaryofarider @ 2008-12-19T09:11:00

2008-12-19T16:12:56Z

It's still cold.
My horse is still lame.
My saddle is still at the saddlers.

:(
:(
:(

This week = sux.

Weather update.

2008-12-16T15:01:09Z

1 degree yesterday (Farenheit, for Canadian clarification ^_^). 1 degree today.

BRRRR.

diaryofarider @ 2008-12-15T09:44:00

2008-12-15T16:54:40Z

So I am not a happy camper. It is COLD. High today is 12 degrees. I think that was the high yesterday. Also, my horse is lame. Not noticable when I was watching her from the ground, but once I got on, yup, off. Maybe a teeny weeny bit of heat in the right hind fetlock. Saddle- crooked and needs restuffing. Work will be to the tune of $250, not counting the $80 for the saddle check.
The bright side, if I choose to be optomistic-
Lameness is probably not a big deal and hopefully will clear up on it's own in a few days.
Saddle is at the saddler's so I can't ride till it's done anyway- so if my horse is going to be lame, now's the time.
Cold crappy weather makes me want to stay home where it is warm anyway.
Crooked saddle theoretically gives a reason why my right side is crooked, however I'm wary that crookedness in my right side is what made the saddle crooked. Time will tell I imagine.

diaryofarider @ 2008-12-11T07:49:00

2008-12-11T14:58:00Z

So I got on last night, and Trudi was like "OMG, the tackroom light is on! Dude, there is snow on the ground outside over there! There are sacks of feed in the aisle!!!". I was like "Uh-huh, we are working now." I got very focused and sat well, and Trudi put on her thinking cap and really went to work very well. And then I noticed that she didn't feel quite right. To the right - mostly ok- to the left- something odd. Canter made it really obvious- canter to the right was fine, but to the left something very wonky. I cooled her out and the walk was fine, totally ok both directions. I got off and had her trot, and watched from the ground. Something is wrong- I can't completely say for sure but I think her right hind is sore. I think it is from her clipping a bench (they use it for a mounting block) when I turned her out the other night- it was too cold to ride so I had turned her loose in the indoor and sent her around. She clipped the bench and I thought she was ok, but she was definitely off last night. No marks, bumps, heat or swelling that I could find though, so I'm not sure where the problem is. *Sigh*. It so figures. I feel like we're really getting it, and then my horse is like "Btw I am lame." So we'll give it a few days and see. Now I have to figure out if I should call now to cancel the saddle fitting I have scheduled for Saturday, or if I should wait and check her tonight. My guess is that she will be still gimpy tonight but ok this weekend, but if I'm wrong they'll charge me anyway for not canceling soon enough. Damnit, I don't want to have to reschedule...also I want my horsie to be sound...*wanders off grumbling*.

ETA- in spite of the crappy lame thing, I managed to have a couple of lightbulb moments.
1. When I don't keep my upper body upright (aka relax too much or get tired and slouch) my pelvis and hips rotate and my seat bones no longer press down into the saddle/horse, and that means I no longer have seat aids. Very bad. It was very important for me to become aware of this though, especially since I'm learning to use my seat more and trying to sit more centered.
2. The long neck. I finally felt the real difference in how a step can travel through the body, along the back, and to the neck, in its entirity and in real time, in a way that felt much more complete and comprehensive than it ever has before. I finally felt what happens when she takes a short step behind and hollows her back and raises her head, as a complete sequence, and it made total sense. I have always heard of the neck as a balancing rod, but last night I finally felt immediately how she looses her balance as soon as a foot doesn't step through, and how she throws her neck and head up to compensate (which throws me backward and causes me to use the reins for some support, and brings my hands back into my lap). This is where trainer telling me "ride with your hands right over her withers" clicks into place as making complete sense. I had found conciously pushing my hands forward would help stretch her back down and forward toward the bit when she would get hollow and quick, but I also started feeling how at almost the same time, I can also push the hind leg forward and generate more energy to send through her body so that she's not just stretching her neck and rebalancing (which actually does help some just on its own- lowering and stretching her neck does seem to give her better balance and does not PREVENT her from stepping through- it also changes MY balance when I sit up and push my hands forward so that I'm not staying too far behind the motion), but pushing the hind leg and fixing my balance and giving her a place to go forward and down to the bit is THE WHOLE PACKAGE and fixes everything in one shot instead of several strides.
Which isn't to say that this is easy and that I can catch the issue, immediately, and fix it perfectly every time, but it was very important to feel it, understand it, and correct it even once (and I think I managed a couple times at least. ^_^).

diaryofarider @ 2008-12-08T08:25:00

2008-12-08T15:35:26Z

Really good lesson on Saturday. Trudi occupied herself with spooking at a small patch of snow that had blown through one of the doors and so was less concerned with spooking at her usual places, so that was a nice change of pace. Warming up at the walk, I was pretty convinced she didn't want to work, but when we started trotting she went right into a nice rhythm with her back up, and was not very resistant to bending. Canter was really good, started out and kept it slow the whole time. Trainer kept it low-key by having us canter in the nuetral areas, and just concentrating on getting the quality of the gait. We did lots and lots of transitions, and although I let her get a bit strung out on the right, she stayed pretty calm and didn't go rushing around or hollow. To the left we did some stretching where I was able to let my reins way out, and she stretched without falling, speeding up, dropping her back, or getting worried. Lots of praise and fussing over her for that one.
Then we worked some more on me. Trainer exposed the right side weakness I discovered for myself last week when I experimented with dropping the inside rein. When I give up the inside rein to the right, my right side twists and contorts and then goes fetal as soon as anything seems amiss (change of balance, speed, bend, frame, etc). I immediately start snatching for the rein and writhe horribly if denied it. It was bad. We worked on making me give it up for a little while at a time- hand up the neck to give the rein, make my body do the work, then take it back, give the left hand up, sit for a bit, take it back, alternate again... change directions, same thing. What totally floored me was that my right side weakness was also pretty obvious going to the left- I would have thought that the wall would have compensated for it more, but it was still quite apparant.
After the alternating work things got great with my seat (when I finally stretched out my right side, my right buttock went "TWANG!" and I felt the stretch all the way through my leg, hip, and back) and Trudi was a happy camper. She was all "uberstreitchen is my middle name, thank you may I have another?". So yay for a nice day. Boo to the fact that my life seems ever shorter on free time because I wanna ride...
I did manage to go christmas shopping and spend some quality time with the family this weekend, but I did not manage to put up the tree...drat. :(

diaryofarider @ 2008-12-05T20:33:00

2008-12-06T04:04:04Z

So I volunteered at the convention today. It was an experience.
Froze my butt off riding the bus down to the 16th Street Mall. I expected the homeless guy on the shuttle (and who could blame him) but I was still shocked by the guy smoking a joint on the sidewalk after I got off the bus by the hotel. And by the guys making a drug deal on the bus when I got back on. *Smacks forehead for not being wise enough to walk to the front of the bus*.
Inside I found my way to the hall where the reg desk was, and I sat to wait for someone to tell me what to do. A hotel guy came over and asked if I had a vendor badge. I said no, and explained I was a volunteer. He told me I couldn't sit down without a badge. Thanks Freddy McSecurity.
Eventually some people appeared and told me to wait for someone else (and they let me sit down). I met Charlotte, one of those wonderful people that works tirelessly to make the world a better place for man and beast alike. I think I endeared myself to the convention folk by being friendly, polite, and actually helpful. I was fixing things with their laptops till the IT guy came and bristled a bit at my encroachment on his turf, but not before I'd managed to fix a printer, charge a battery on a laptop with a bum power cord, and show them that the USB mouse really did work fine.
After fiddling with the pooders and handing stuff out at the reg desk and answering questions whose answers I'd heard from knowledgeable staff, I helped with the gift baskets. These were interesting and varied widely. There wasn't much to do besides sit and chat with the other guy working there, though we did manage to unpack a couple of deliveries from fed ex and match 9 baskets with their owners.
Attendance at the con seemed very, very small to me- I think it was on the order of 350 people or so. I'm not sure whether to say "No wonder it was so expensive" or, looking at how expensive it was "No wonder there were only 350 people". Demographic was middle aged women, generally on the slightly plump side. I would say 95% of them were age 45- 60. It is not a young crowd, and it is a crowd that doesn't flinch from $200 "clearance" breeches and $500 bridles.

After I finished my volunteer shifts, I wandered through the trade fair, which was very small. I would have been disappointed, but things were so expensive it was just as well there wasn't much. Example- Kyra K breeches at 40-60% off were $199. Um, yeah.
There were only about 3 tack vendors and the selection was small (which I would expect on a Friday) but the prices were high. I did sit in 3 Schleeses which was cool. I kinda liked the Heike Kemmer in a 17.5 (Yeah, I guess I have a big butt). This saddler also noted how straight my legs hang naturally from my hips, and also recommended a wide twist for me, so so far we're 2 for 2 on opinions as far as that goes, which is good to know (I got birthin' hips!). I had great fun investigating the arena footing booth, which had a big pan of polymer coated sand. The stuff feels soft and light, and does this mesmerizing sort of oozing thing after it's disturbed. It's like brown amoeba. I said to the vendor, "This feels light, do you have problems with it blowing away outdoors?". The vendor was like "No- this display pan weighs 70 pounds. We actually tell people to take a leaf blower over it to get rid of debris before they harrow it."
The other cool booth was a jewelery seller with awesome designs- it was stuff that I think non horse lovers could appreciate because it was actually beautiful- very artistic, with clean sculped lines. The website is here: http://www.russelldesignstudio.com. The photos on the website do not do the pieces justice at all- my favorites were the pendants- Inlay Horse Head Pendant (I think I liked this the best) also Horse Head with Braids, and Nouveau Horse Head.
They did clever things with brushing areas of the metal and polishing others to add highlights and interest, and there was a piece (carved amber, I think) that was really just a beautiful minature sculpture.
Overall- I felt like I learned something about USDF (the convention, at least). I wouldn't go again (partly because it wouldn't be in Denver ^_^). Some of the people were absolutely fabulous. Good, kind, hardworking people- Charlotte, Melissa and Ross were all great. Some of the people were snobby rich that made me nauseous, but the really snotty ones were limited to like 2 people. Still, the organization itself really seems focused on catering to some snooty, rich, middle-aged women, with lots of buerocracy and drama, which is sad for all the other really superb people who really just want to support the sport for the sake of horses and the people that love them. I ended up with a mug, a pen, a magnet, a pin, and a new experience.

diaryofarider @ 2008-12-04T08:59:00

2008-12-04T16:08:38Z

And now it's cold.
So cold. *shiver*
It was a severe and quiet cold last night- 30 degrees when I got to the barn, 10 with the windchill. As I was grooming and tacking up (with my riding gloves on) my thumbs eventually went completely numb. I had to stop halfway through and warm my hands in order to finish the job.
I got on and Trudi went to work pretty quickly. After about 10 minutes of walking and watching our breath in the air, I was like "GEEZ it's COLD" and I thought about getting off. It was a persistant creeping cold that slowly chilled my legs to the bone. But we did some trotting, and some cantering, and the work was good and helped to warm us. We ended up doing a lot. I have been sitting better and I had a zen moment as we finished up, where I was sitting on both seatbones with a calf gently pressed against her on either side- I was connected to her back with my seat, my thighs were loose but my calves were on and I stayed that way in spite of how she moved- it was such a cool feeling I didn't want to get off. ^_^
But I did, and put Trudi's nice clean turnout on her so hopefully she's not freezing to death.
It was snowing really hard on my way to work this morning, and the roads were crappy- Hello, Winter.