Ramblings of an equestrian

http://www.carolynresnickblog.com/
http://gentlenaturalhorseman.blogspot.com/2008/10/horse-training-cues.html
http://eventing-blog.com/

Nothing beats the rush of galloping down the final turn of the course, the sound of each stride hitting the powdered dirt below you, hearing every huff and puff leading up to that last jump and the ever so flawless take off and smooth landing of eventing.
Equestrians don’t quite have the spotlight they used to, which is quite a shame. I was one of these eloquent athletes for quite some time. Waking up at five a.m. to feed my furry friend then heading back out again at seven or so to do morning lounges and warms ups, dressage and ground training in the afternoon and finishing the day off with a quick run or two around the cross country and stadium jumping courses was my routine it seemed, and I was quite happy with that. The different styles of training always intrigued me. Everyone did things so differently. Some, such as myself, used the natural approach when it came to working with these heavenly creatures. Being firm and letting it be known that you are in control is vital when working with a 1300 pound animal under you or at your side, but it can very quickly become a power struggle and many people take advantage of that power in some not so great ways. Some are straight up abusive.
The natural approach is much more time consuming, but better for both you and your beloved friend in the end. After the training I did with my horse I am able to just turn my head and he will go that way. I don’t even use a bit when I ride anymore, I’ve found that it makes the horse happier and when your horse is happy he’s much more willing to do what you ask of him. I don’t understand why people would choose to use such harsh bits and at time put chains in them as well. They say it gives you more control, but really you shouldn’t have to use that much to get a horse to do what you ask of him.
Another way trainers have gone too far has been in the way they do their work outs. So many people over work theirs horses. Some do it out of selfishness because they have not gotten their fix of horse riding in for the day, while their horse is sitting there foaming and huffing and puffing because of all the strenuous work. Others do it out of nothing more than a power trip. This is so incredibly dangerous for the horse and in some cases that rider. The horse’s muscles can only take so much before they risk injury. So many needless injuries occur and it’s such a shame knowing they can all be avoided.
I seem to be ranting on about this and I think I have said quite enough for now. Plus, it’s late and I’m tired. So, this is the end of this little segment. You will be hearing more in the future on horses and training for sure, it’s a passion of mine and I’m so sad that I have had to give it up. I was training with some of the top trainers in the United States to be in the national circuit, and to know that I was that close and forced to back out do to injury is heartbreaking. But, God has a different path for me and I’m excited to see what exactly that is. :)


*Posted for credit for JRN 212

A Blog About Andrew

So, as I sit in the Angelos office thinking of something to blog about (I hate blogging!) a good friend and fellow work partner Andrew Hochradel wonders into the office to finish up some designing work for the yearbook. Upon asking him what I should write my blog about he responded with himself. So, I am going to do just that.

Andrew and I have been friends since the first day of orientation freshman year. He was one of the first people I met and one of the few I've stayed close to. We've grown quite close and have so many awesome memories together because, well, he's crazy and always has something fun to say. We're Disneyland buddies and go as often as possible. Last year we went three times a week! The business of this semester has put those trips on hold though, which is in fact quite tragic. Through our many adventures together I have gotten the opportunity of meeting people from his life back home in Sacramento and he has had the same opportunity with my world. His parents are freaking awesome and totally love me, which is great. He jokes about how they care more about me than him because when they call they'll ask how I'm doing, what's new, and whether I'll be here when they come down to visit so we can go to dinner. Andrew laughs and is like "They don't even care! I'm sitting here like thanks dad, I'm good too!"

Haha, yep. So that's my blog, kinda lame, just like Andrew ;) Haha, just kidding. He's quite awesome and a great designer, so if you need help with your pages, he's the one to go to!


*Posted for credit for JRN 212