Higher Education

I spent the week after Christmas in Wellington, FL visiting friends, watching some amazing riding, and wishing that I was making the journey down south for the season. The sheer volume of equestrian activity that takes place in Wellington and the surrounding areas during the winter months is astounding. There are shows every weekend, with many of the world’s top riders making the annual pilgrimage to the warm Florida weather and the opportunity to participate in some of the fiercest competition in the country. As I drove around, I was struck, having been removed from this world for almost two years now, just how indigenous the equestrian sports are to this area. The parking spaces are oversized to accommodate the many pick-up trucks, tack shops line nearly every strip shopping mall, and it’s impossible to go out to dinner, or even grocery shopping, without running into someone you know. This environment is only heightened when such exciting events like the World Dressage Masters take place, drawing in thousands more Dressage-enthusiasts to Wellington. Unfortunately, I had to return back to school before the actual competition, but the air was already abuzz when I left. From everything I’ve heard and read, it sounds like the Masters lived up to its reputation of great riders, exciting competition, and a little bit of controversy. I couldn’t watch the live broadcast, but made sure to catch up with all the action as soon as it was posted to YouTube. I thought Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfver and Don Auriello did a wonderful job and deserved the success they achieved. It was truly a beautiful performance! You can watch their winning freestyle here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHXw8n1R7jw

Heather Blitz and her Paragon have improved so much since Gladstone, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings for this partnership. I really admire Heather’s ethics and think she is just so elegant, both on and off the horse. Another exciting partnership to watch is Steffen Peters and his new horse, Legolas. It’s hard to see in the video coverage, but before he enters the ring to begin his test, Steffen is walking Legolas on a pretty long rein around the outside of the ring, almost as though they are on a trail ride. Then, in a matter of seconds, he picks up the reins and the horse is suddenly transformed, performing some ridiculously amazing piaffe and passage! To have that level of calmness and serenity in my riding is something I am always trying to work towards. David Marcus and Chrevi’s Capital are another pair that I absolutely love to watch. I loved his music choices, and felt that they really suited the horse. Their freestyle was beautifully choreographed and clearly demonstrated the partnership David has developed with his horse. Even when Capital misbehaved a bit at the beginning of the canter work, David continued unfazed and gave the horse the support and confidence he needed to continue on in the test. There were, of course, many other wonderful rides, including Patrik Kittel and his stallion Watermill Scandic, who have had a lot of success this year, as the number one ranked Swedish rider. How lucky we are to have all these fantastic riders gathered together for the same competition! I have put it on my list of goals for 2013 to make sure I am there in person for the Dressage Masters next year! But until then, I’m looking forward to making another trip to Wellington next week!

I can’t believe another year has come and gone. My parents always used to tell me that the older you get, the faster time moves. I never believed them, but I certainly do now! I always love the beginning of a new year, and the opportunity for a fresh start. I’ve never been one to make resolutions, but I always make a point of making a list of things I want to do more, try for the first time, or achieve in the coming year. This year, much of that list has to do with Palermo. I look forward to sharing that list with you all in the coming year, and hopefully accomplishing everything that’s on it! As far as riding is concerned, 2012 certainly didn’t go as we had planned. It was a year full of ups and downs, and quite a few setbacks, but lots of positive things, too! I never imagined we’d fine such wonderful ‘barn families’ out here in California. It really makes such a difference when you have supportive, caring people to share the journey with. Plus, Palermo certainly doesn’t mind all the treats and extra attention! I was also fortunate enough to find a team of wonderful farriers, vets, acupuncturists, and massage therapists, all of whom have really amazed me with the level of care they give on a daily basis. It truly does take a village! Not to mention, our wonderful trainer Tracey Hill who has been an unbelievable friend and help throughout the whole rehab process. We were fortunate enough to meet Tracey at NAJYRC a few years ago, and I can’t imagine having gone through all of this without her! She consistently goes above and beyond to offer us the best care possible. It is such a comfort to know that there is someone else who is so invested in his recovery! These new relationships and friendships really made 2012 a great year and I can’t wait to see what 2013 brings!

I’m in the midst of my final exams for school so things have been very busy, but I have some very exciting news that I wanted to share! We finally got the news we’d been hoping for! As of November 14, Palermo has officially been cleared to go back to work! Yay! While his injury still isn’t entirely healed, our vet feels as though he is ready to start rehabbing. This made me nervous at first, as I tend to err on the side of caution, but I’ve had to come to the realization that this is our ‘new normal’. There has been really significant improvement, especially since we did the PRP injections, and our vet feels as though he is ready to start going back to work. Understandably, we want to take it very slowly, so we started with two-two-minute intervals of trot every other day, on top of our usual walking/hand-walking routine. We will slowly increase every two weeks, until our next recheck in mid-December. I was so excited the first time I got to trot him and he handled it beautifully, although I think I held my breath the whole two minutes! He truly has impressed me every day with how well he has tolerated his time off, especially as a horse who thrives on work and gets bored (and very hot!) quite easily. He has risen to the occasion and kept his wits about him almost all the time, and I could not be more proud of him!

I have found both this time, and the last time, he was injured that our bond is only strengthened by the added time spent together on the ground, rather than in the saddle. When he first tore his check ligament and had an adverse reaction to the steroidal injections, I spent many days and nights in his stall, icing him around the clock and doing whatever I could to comfort him. He was in such visible pain, unable to walk or even shift his weight, that it nearly broke my heart. I lived in fear of the possibility that something might happen while I wasn’t there. So I would sit on my stool in the corner and he would rest his head on my shoulder, scratching my back as I scratched his chest. We emerged from that experience, just as we have this one, a more bonded and confident pair. Perhaps he decided that I was worth trusting, or perhaps he just associated me with food as I hand fed him his tiny portions of mash. Either way, people have often remarked how much better behaved and confident Palermo is when I am walking or riding him and I attribute that entirely to this time we spent together. As with any relationship it takes time to build trust, and this trust is the foundation for anything we are able to accomplish in the ring. I’m very much looking forward to seeing how our partnership will have evolved from this time spent together, but as always, I’m entirely grateful for whatever time I get to spend with him! He has more personality than any horse I’ve ever known, and never ceases to make me smile!

Palermo being goofy during one of our handwalks! 

It’s amazing how sometimes the smallest thing can totally change your perspective. With Palermo being my only horse, when he’s out of commission, I’m out of commission. I’m sure many of you can empathize with this! But a few weeks ago, I had the wonderful opportunity to ride! Really ride. Not just walk for 45 minutes, but trot, canter, do half-passes and flying changes. Tracey was kind enough to give me a lesson on her amazing mare, and it was such a treat! Admittedly, I was a bit nervous as I drove to the barn that morning, wondering if I would even remember how to ride!? After all, it had been eight months since the last time I did more than walk. I’m certainly not complaining about Palermo’s rehab plan, but it was an encouraging and refreshing experience that reminded me why I love this sport so much, despite the many trials and tribulations it brings.

Despite my initial concerns, I found myself falling right back into the usual routine. As we began our warm-up, I felt my muscles remembering their job, and moving in rhythm with the horse. When we picked up the trot, I seamlessly started posting on the right diagonal. As I went to do flying changes, my legs shifted as though they had a mind of their own. I thought to myself, I can still do this! After months of imagining what it would be like to really ride Palermo again, it was such an exciting moment to find that I could still up hold my half of our partnership. I was even more excited to see that I wasn’t as out of shape as I thought! I’ve been focusing on improving my fitness while Palermo has been rehabbing, but it is very difficult to replicate the workout that riding provides. I’d be lying if I said my abs and thighs weren’t a bit sore the next day, but I fared much better than I anticipated!

Just those 45 minutes left me feeling reenergized and refocused on my goals and with renewed conviction of my love for this sport. It is sometimes easy to loose sight of the motivation behind all the hours of work and walking, and time and money spent but the feeling I had last Saturday was confirmation enough. I continue to look forward to the process of bringing Palermo back and seeing where our path together will lead! We have our (fingers crossed!) last re-check next Tuesday, after which we should be cleared to go back to work, so everyone please send healing thoughts our way! Hopefully I’ll be reporting from the show ring soon, but until then, I’ll be thrilled just to trot again!

Well, this summer didn’t go exactly how I had planned. But with horses, when does it ever? Eight months ago now, when Palermo first re-injured himself, we thought we were looking at 5-6 months of rest and walking, before getting back to work. Hopefully, we’re getting close to that point now. Now I’m not naive, and am more than happy to give Palermo all the time he needs to heal fully and completely, but as I’m sure anyone who has rehabbed a horse can relate, it sometimes feels like you’ll never reach the finish line. We’ve been doing shockwave treatments every two weeks, with lots of walking, both under saddle and in hand (as well as plenty of handgrazing!), massages and body work, icing, cold hosing, therapeutic ultrasounds — you name it!

Palermo’s favorite part of his ‘rehab plan’ – lots of handgrazing!

We also changed Palermo’s diet to a whole foods diet by Biostar (http://www.biostareq.com). I swear, he eats better than I do now! He’s on a diet of beet pulp, alfalfa pellets, chia seeds, and various supplements. I have to say, after almost five months on the diet, I’ve seen a huge difference in his coat, weight management and overall temperament. He seems much more content, comfortable in his body, and, dare I say, calmer! With Palermo, little things were always setting him off, but now, even having been out of work for almost nine months, I can get on, with the sprinklers going in the next ring, and he doesn’t even look at them! It’s really amazing the results we’ve seen already (since July), and I can’t wait to see how he looks once he goes back to work. (Full disclosure: I am not affiliated with or sponsored by Biostar in any way.)

Hopefully we’ve been putting our ‘best foot forward’ in terms of Palermo’s recovery. I really can’t even begin to thank everyone who has contributed to his progress, from our vet, to wonderful trainer Tracey and her assistant Alanna, to all the other boarders who have provided moral support and an endless supply of cookies for Palermo, to my parents who have continued to do everything in their power to ensure his full recovery, we really have been surrounded by the most amazing and encouraging people! We had our monthly re-check last week, and our vet was really pleased with the progress so far! We did PRP Injections into the check ligament, and will re-check again in mid-November. So everyone cross your fingers, please! Assuming all goes as planned, we’ll get to start trotting after that appointment!

I’m afraid almost to even say it, but I have finally started thinking about making plans for our next season. It took a while for me to allow myself to think to the future. But now that we’re starting to see the ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, it helps tremendously to have something to look forward to. Even still, Palermo has given me so much in our time together, that so long as he is happy and comfortable, I’m happy! Hopefully we’ll get back to competing, but even if we never do, he has given me more than I ever could have hoped for, and has earned his ‘forever home’ with me.

One of my favorite pictures of Palermo and I!

With only a month left of summer, I’m looking already look ahead to the coming year. It’s hard to believe that it’s already the end of August. The years when summer seemed to last forever have certainly come to an end. This was an exciting, eventful summer for the entire world, as our attentions were turned to London to watch the best of the best compete in their respective sports. I for one was glued to the television (and computer) watching all the different competitions take place, but I was especially excited to watch as the equestrian athletes put in amazing efforts and beautiful performances.

I watched in awe as the Eventing competitors flew around the cross-country course and held my breath as the Show Jumpers cleared enormous obstacles with ease and grace. But the true treat for me came in watching the Dressage. It is rare that we have the opportunity to watch many of the best riders in the world come together for a competition. And they did not disappoint. From the bold and impressive tests of Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, to the seamless partnerships of Laura Bechtolsheimer and ‘Alf’, to the always inspiring and correct performance of Steffen Peters and Ravel, I was left with a sense of pride that our sport was so well represented on such an international stage.  Even more impressive was the way David Marcus handled his elimination from the competition, keeping it all in perspective and never once blaming Capital. He truly exemplified the spirit of sportsmanship and the Olympic Games. As he said, it is a feeling that anyone who has worked with horses can relate to, and one that I personally have been addressing all summer.  While we had originally expected for Palermo to be back in work at this point, it seems there are a few more weeks left of ‘Olympic walking’, as we have jokingly named our daily 40-minute long walks.

Palermo keeping a sense of humor!

It certainly didn’t hurt that there was a significant increase in the attention paid to Dressage in the weeks leading up to the Olympics, mostly thanks to Stephen Colbert, and his fascination with Mitt and Ann Romney’s horse Rafalca. His promotion of Dressage, with an ever-present comedic twist, propelled it to the forefront of media attention this summer. I for one, shed a few tears watching his segments on Dressage, especially when he visited Michael Barisone’s farm for a riding lesson. I can’t remember the last time I laughed that hard! Even better, my non-horsey friends found it humorous as well, as they could relate to Stephen’s question: “What exactly IS Dressage?” and share in his celebration as he joyfully announced, “I piaffed it!” Our sport is so unique; the Equestrian disciplines are the only Olympic sports that include a non-human athlete. It’s also one of only two Olympic sports that allow men and women to compete against each other. And admitting that I’m biased, I have to wonder why Equestrian sports haven’t achieved the same kind of popularity that other sports have, because, to me, there’s nothing more impressive than the partnership between a horse and rider.
So now as we wait for 2016 and the Rio Olympics, I wonder, what were some of your favorite Olympic moments… Equestrian or not?

Hi Everyone!

My apologies for the delay since my last post. As a student, my life is very much subject to school, and with the end of the year and final exams, not to mention rehabbing Palermo, it feels like I’ve had no time to myself lately. But now it’s officially summer, and I look forward to writing much more frequently!

A lot has changed for both Palermo and I since my last post. I’ve moved up to San Francisco where I’ll be working for the summer. It’s been a bit of an adjustment moving into the city and starting a ‘real’ job, but I’ve loved getting to know a new city and discovering lots of hidden treasures. Palermo has re-located for the summer as well, to a barn a little closer to the city. He’ll definitely miss all his friends at Stanford, but the new barn is absolutely beautiful, and the trainer there is wonderful! We met her at the North American Young Rider Championships in Kentucky last summer, as she was the Chef d’Equip for the team from California, and she has been nothing but gracious and beyond helpful! We’re so excited to start working with her as Palermo begins going back to work again.

Palermo enjoying his new 'digs'

As I was packing Palermo’s ‘luggage’ last weekend for his big move, it occurred to me that he has WAY too much stuff. I have a tendency to be a bit of a collector (some might even say hoarder) for myself, and this tendency is only amplified when it comes to Palermo. As far as I’m concerned, he always has to have the newest clothes or toys, and only the best will do! As a result, he has a true army of blankets, therapeutic sheets, wraps, polos, stall boots, ice boots, fly sheets, splint boots — you name it! Not to mention the toys that decorate his stall: Lickits, Jolly Balls, Himalayan Salt Licks, Uncle Jimmy’s Hanging Balls… You get the idea. I do realize that all of these things are largely to make myself feel better, but I like to think that he gets some enjoyment out of them as well!

But as I was packing up his many trunks of ‘stuff’ last weekend, I was forced to wonder, “How much of this stuff actually works?” I know he enjoys the edible things (can you say food oriented?!) but when it comes to the therapeutic blankets, the magnetic blankets, and all the different wraps and boots, which things are actually doing what they claim to?

I have to confess: I have developed quite a collection of Back on Track products. I swear by my Back on Track mesh sheet. I noticed a huge difference in Palermo’s body after just one use. He was much more supple and relaxed through the back, and seemed much happier in his work. With continued use, I saw reduced warm-up time and less soreness in his neck and shoulders. This, along with a recommendation from our vet, led me to purchase No Bow leg wraps and the Therapeutic Stall Boots after Palermo’s first injury last year. I’d been using traditional wraps before, and I truly believe the introduction of the Back on Track products were instrumental in the short (and full!) recovery time. His legs are tight, and the swelling over the location of his injury greatly reduced. I also have quite a few other products that I’ve won at various shows that I look forward to introducing into daily use. I’m a huge believer in all of their products, and have my eye on the new Contender II saddle pad as a celebratory purchase once we get back into full work! (Full disclosure: I’m not sponsored by them, unfortunately!)

I’ve also had great experiences with other products such as the Draper Therapy Stable Blanket. We were honored to be chosen as one of Draper Therapy’s ‘Best Foot Forward’ Award winners at Dressage at Devon, and were presented with one of these stable blankets. It has quickly become another staple in Palermo’s ‘wardrobe’. It has a super fit, and as a plus, is machine washable and dryer safe – a must with my horse! Palermo has been getting very tight in the back lately, a side-effect of the lost muscling from being out of work for so long, but I (and his massage therapist) have noticed a great deal of relief from using this blanket.

So I ask you all, what are your favorite products? I’m always looking for new things to try, and would love to hear any suggestions/recommendations!!

This week was another exciting one for Palermo and I.

Finally, after almost months, I was given the ‘O.K.’ to get back on Palermo. Up until this point, we’d stuck with hand-walking, because Palermo has a tendency to get very hot and excitable, especially when we’re in the ring with other horses. As is the case with most barns, it’s difficult to find a free moment in the arena, and we didn’t want to take the chance of him hurting himself even more by being silly or spooking unnecessarily. Obviously it’s impossible to prevent accidents from happening, but I’m a big believer in taking all the precautions possible. I had talked at length with our Vet, and we agreed that a dose of Ace would help take the edge off for our first few rides, and help to ease my nerves about getting on again.

Naturally, I was full of emotions. Anticipation, nerves, anxiety, excitement — you name it. After giving him the injection, I went through the familiar routine of putting on polo wraps, bell boots and the saddle pad. As I came out of the tack room with my saddle, Palermo gave me a look of surprise, and also a little bit of indignation. “What do you think you’re doing with that?” he seemed to say. Just as I had fallen into our comfortable routine of long grooming sessions and strolls around the property, Palermo, too, seemed to be enjoying his early retirement. All the attention certainly wasn’t bad, plus the influx of cookies was a definite plus. As soon as I got the saddle on, however, and put on my own boots and helmet, his ears perked up and eyes shone with a familiar twinkle. He knew I meant business.

Palermo ready to go for our first ride!

Palermo opened his mouth willingly as I put in the bit, and didn’t even beg for his usual piece of sugar before I mounted. He was just as excited as I was. As I put my foot into the stirrup, and swung my leg over the saddle, it was as though we both breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. And I would be lying if I said I wasn’t waiting for a big ‘spook’ the entire time. But with the ‘pharmaceutical help’ and Palermo’s usual demeanor, I knew that he was just as ready as I was to be back in the ring, and he wasn’t going to do anything naughty. We had a great time, wandering around the ring, practicing some gentle leg yields and going over ground poles. It was like no time had passed, and I had to fight the urge to ask for just a little trot, for old time’s sake. It takes a great deal of patience, to bring a horse back. That’s something I have to remind myself of everyday. But the final outcome – having your horse back and getting to live all those ‘firsts’ again – is totally worth it.

Palermo and I are currently on that long and winding road back.  Even though this is the second time we’ve gone through this similar scenario, I haven’t yet learned how to cope with the helplessness we feel when our horses are hurt.

The first time was February 14, 2011, right at the start of the Florida show season. I was tacking Palermo up like any other day, when I noticed some swelling on his right front. It was minor, almost invisible. I consulted several other people at the barn, half of which didn’t even really see anything. But being of the ‘better safe than sorry’ mindset, I decided to give him the day off, accompanied by ice and a ‘CoolCast’ overnight. The next day, the swelling was still there. Luckily, our vet was coming out to look at another horse so I had her take a look at Palermo as well. A whole host of flexions and one Ultrasound later, and the slight swelling turned out to be a small tear in his check ligament. Even with the reassurance that, as far as injuries go, the check ligament was about as good as you could hope for, it still felt devastating. We set about treating it aggressively, and the prognosis was good – a full recovery – but I couldn’t help but feel pretty defeated. It was like our whole season was slipping away, right before my very eyes. Little did I know, it was only about to get worse.

As part of our treatment plan, along with stall rest and icing, we injected both front legs with a low dose steroid (I obviously have no veterinary training, and am only writing this from the perspective of an owner!) And for several days, everything was fine. But then, I came out to the barn five days after the initial diagnosis, to find my horse almost completely unable to walk. As I went to lead him out of his stall, he nearly fell down. Naturally, I began to panic, as everyone else at the barn rushed to our aid. Immediately, my mind began racing, filled with words like EPM, neurological, West Nile, founder, laminitis – all the scary things we read about, and hope will never happen to our horse. Everyone tried to comfort me, suggesting that perhaps it was an abscess. Once the vet had been called, I rushed to the store to buy Epsom Salts, calling my mom on the way. I could barely get the words out before I started crying. She tried, as any good mom would, to calm me down and remain optimistic. I, however, was beginning to feel anything but.

To make a long story short, it turns out that Palermo was one of the small percentage of horses that have adverse, laminitic-like reactions to steroidal injections. Needless to say, this was unforeseen complication, and nobody was at fault. At our vet’s advising, we removed both front shoes, replacing them with lily pads, and endured a couple of months stall rest with limited movement. We gave him heavy doses of DMSO, iced both feet several times every day, and tried to make him as comfortable as possible.

The most nerve-wracking part of the whole experience was the first set of x-rays post-reaction, which were to inform us if there had been any rotation of the coffin bone. Needless to say, when the vet confirmed that there had been no rotation, I cried a whole new kind of tears. It was the first time that I let myself think to the future. As a form of self-preservation, I had been so focused on the here and now, solely concerned with alleviating whatever pain he was feeling, that I hadn’t even considered what it meant for his, and our, competitive future and our quest to qualify for the North American Junior Young Rider Championships in July.

With this news, we could start thinking about rehab and going back to work. I never thought I’d be so excited to just walk my horse out of his stall to eat grass, or get a real bath in the wash stall. Suddenly, I was beyond appreciative of all the little things. Like him being able to turn around in the aisle without difficulty. Or him feeling well enough to nicker at me when I came to the barn for his midnight checks. The day our farrier (who, like our vet, was beyond amazing throughout the entire experience) decided we could put his shoes back on felt like a huge achievement. Even if they were special aluminum shoes with considerable padding, it felt like a huge step forward and a return to “normal”. We spent several weeks hand walking, and then, finally, it was time to get back in the saddle.

As any one who has rehabbed a horse can tell you, my heart was in my throat with every step. I wanted to bubble wrap him. Put pads up in his stall. Do anything I could to protect him from ever going through this experience again. But slowly, I came to realize that my horse was back. We had survived this test and were coming out the other side, relatively unscathed. That doesn’t mean my heart didn’t stop every time he jumped to the side, or took a funny step. But I understood that I, and everyone involved, had done everything in our power to bring him back to this point, and now it was time to let go of the past and look to our future.

It is truly a testament to Palermo’s spirit and determination that a mere three and a half months after the original injury, we were headed back to the show ring at the Horse Park of New Jersey Memorial Day CDI. It was our first show since February and all I wanted to do was survive. We had taken the rehab very slowly, always airing on the side of caution. But every time I’d ask Palermo a question, he was eager to respond. He showed me that he wanted to go back to work, and was as excited as I was to be back in the ring.

That first show, I was just excited to pass the jog. To add to the stress of the weekend, I only had one more month to earn my last two scores towards NAJYRC. We took it easy in the warm up on Thursday, careful not to push him too hard. I put on his ice boot after our ride, as had become our norm, and as I sat on the stool in his stall, he placed his head on my shoulder, nuzzling my hair, assuring me that he was ready. It was then that I realized that this experience, while testing me in so many ways, had only improved our relationship. Our bond became much more than just rider-horse. This was only confirmed on Friday. I was unusually nervous warming up before my test, and I’m fairly certain I held my breath the entire time. But as we went down centerline for our final salute, I breathed a sigh of relief that I’d been harboring for almost four months. I didn’t wait for the scores to be announced, instead hurrying back to the barn to begin our after-ride routine, which now consisted of icing, wrapping, walking, and lots of his favorite treats, bananas. But when they announced that we had won with a 66%, I was overjoyed. Not because of the score, or the blue ribbon, but because it was confirmation that we were back.

The next day, I entered the warm up ring with more confidence. I knew we were ready to preform, but I still found myself anxious at every step he took, afraid that even the slightest bobble could take us back to where we were in February. As we went around the outside of the ring, Palermo let out a few bucks, letting me know that he was ready to go.  At the ring of the bell, I halted, as I always did, and gave him a pat, thanking him for all the good he brings into my life, and for the privilege of entering the ring with him one more time. The test flew by in a blur, but I hadn’t even saluted before the tears began to flow. The feeling of having my coach, barn family, parents, and friends, standing along the fence line, cheering us on as they had every day of the last few months was beyond explanation. We walked around the warm up ring, Palermo reveling in the crowds’ admiration, and allowing myself to take in the moment, hoping that if our scores were good enough, we might still make it to NAJYRC. We hadn’t even made it back to the barn before they announced that we had won the class with a 69%.

Palermo and I after our second test!

The moral of the story? Horses, and this sport, are unpredictable.

This is a statement as true as any, one that Palermo likes to remind me of often. Palermo is currently recovering from another minor injury, although I am beyond grateful that it is not nearly as serious as last time. But more on that later.  Horses have a funny way of humbling us, while simultaneously reminding us to be thankful for everyday that they are healthy and happy.

All smiles heading into the awards ceremony!

Hi! I’m so excited to be the newest blogger to join Sidelines. I can’t wait to fill these entries with stories, questions, and other musings, and mostly, look forward to hearing from you all! I wanted to begin this first blog with a quote, and there’s one in particular that always sticks out in my head.

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”

~Winston Churchill

This quote more or less sums up how I feel about riding, and horses in general. I figure, seeing as you’re here reading this blog, you probably agree with me. I’ve been fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to ride some wonderful horses throughout my lifetime – from my very first pony, Texas, to Lando, my favorite Stanford University team horse, to Palermo, my partner of three years who successfully showed me the ropes in the Young Rider arena, they’ve all taught me something.

Texas, for example, taught me perseverance. I went through a phase, like most kids do, when I fell off on average twice a day. Texas, who was my 5^th birthday present, would stop and come  stand over me, occasionally nudging me with his nose, encouraging me to get back on. I’d get up, brush off the dirt, and shimmy my way up the stirrup leather (at this point, I was not tall enough to get my foot in the stirrup, so I’d use my knee instead. Not the most graceful of mountings, but it worked!).

My first pony, Texas!

Texas and Chase enjoy the magic!

Texas introduced me to the magical relationship between a girl and her horse. Seemingly endless days were spent at the barn, trail riding (bareback, of course!), competing in Pony Club rallies, and learning to appreciate barn chores. Texas faithfully went on to teach other girls to love to ride as much as I did, but remained mine until he died when I was 17.

My current horse, Palermo, calls everyday on the skills and dedication Texas taught me. Palermo, unlike Texas, was not born with inherent patience. He is shamelessly stubborn, but strikingly brilliant. He has the ability to see things and understand them on a level far more advanced than I ev er thought possible, almost as though he knows what I’m thinking (or maybe he really does?). I always say we’re lucky to have found each other – every horse and rider partnership is unique, and we are definitely not an exception. He’s been a faithful and dedicated partner throughout my Young Rider experience, and I can’t wait to see where our partnership takes us into the future.

This blog will document the adventures that come as I learn to balance my studies at Stanford University with my dedication to riding, as well as the trials and tribulations that we all face as riders and horse-lovers. I hope you’ll join me for this journey!!

Best,

Chase

Chase and Palermo - working on their education together!