Midwinter Resources

'Tis the season - shopping, reading and video links come fast and furious this time of year!

Here's a few things that have caught my attention lately:

- So You Think You Want a Young Horse? Courtesy of We Are Flying Solo. A must read if you're considering adding a young or green horse to your life. I can identify with all of it. Good horses are mostly made, not born, and wow is it a lot of work. This looks to be part 1 of a series. I can't wait to see what else she's going to add.

- Mugwump came back! I absolutely love her blog and ICYMI there have been a few new posts in the past month or so.

- Dressage Unwrapped - Olympia 2019 Dressage masterclass featuring Carl and Charlotte, Pippa Funnell, Gareth Hughes, Richard Davison and of course some amazing horses. I loved it.

- Everything you need to know about saddle shopping, from CobJockey. OK, so maybe not EVERYTHING, but almost! There are detailed notes and thoughts on tons of different saddles and brands she tried and her final choice is super cool.

- This Explains A Lot - Doing The Work Blog. This one was shared on facebook multiple times but if you're one of the few who hasn't seen it, it is worth a read. When I went just now to link the page, I discovered a lot of of other great content on her blog too. I particularly liked the thoughts on learned helplessness and desensitizing and have bookmarked her blog so I can keep reading!

- 32 Year Old Pony Takes Supreme In Hand Title At Olympia Ponies. They kick ass at any age.

- Parallax Hay Play Ball. Bridget loved this right from the start, but I admit I was a bit skeptical. Surely the hay would get wet and muddy? How was she going to get it all out? A couple of weeks in and I'm so sold on this thing I'm buying one for Sophie too. Bridget has tried her best to destroy it (she's smart and tried alternately to crush it and tear the lid off) to no avail. The weather has been horrible, but the hay doesn't get overly wet or muddy, and B figured it out quickly so it's emptied by her daily. If she's motivated, it takes her about 2-3 hours to empty it from 3/4 full, and in that time she's walking all over her paddock chasing and grazing from this thing. I use it in addition to hay nets to make her hay last longer into the night. I'm not sure this will work for every horse, but for my bored of winter paddocks and food motivated ponies it's definitely a win.

- Equestrian Stockholm and PS of Sweden both have some great sales on if you might need some matchy matchy. Greenhawk also has some good Boxing Day sales if you need essentials. No links, use Google if you must - I'm not going to be responsible for completely enabling you  ;)

Early Winter Resources

Finally!
 I'm back with some of the things I've enjoyed reading, watching, or buying in recent months (the small consolation to losing daylight so early - a little more time to peruse the internet!)

It was 4pm when I took this.That's all I can say.

 - Let's get controversial right of the bat: The Rider Weight Debate. As a not so small rider of ponies, you know this was a link I had to click. It's a very small study but I still thought worth a read. I liked the calculator links at the end of the article...like most there is a minimum suggested horse weight, but they break that down further. For example someone of my size should be good on any draft horse, average horses, or small horses/ponies over 14.1hh. Cool. Time to lose weight, because smaller ponies would be nice to see on the list :)

- Bucas Freedom Riding Rug.This thing is perfect for my needs. Waterproof, and attaches over the saddle so I can put it over my legs and stay warm and dry. It's got reflective stripes and has a tail flap too so the ponies stay dry and safe. Oh, and the lining is nylon, so no static shocks.

I ordered hot pink, but this grey-blue color came instead and I like it.

- Recognizing Subtle Lameness. The link is to part 1 of a video series on YouTube. I haven't watched the rest yet, but I found the first one useful - lots of points brought up I hadn't considered and good visuals for what to look for and how to see which part of the body it may be originating from. Some of the stats they mentioned were rather alarming to me but I'll let you make up your own minds.

-AnnaBlakeBlog. How have I only recently discovered this? I'm enjoying reading through. Some of the topics resonate immediately as things we intuitively know about our horses, some I think I might mull over further before I commit one way or the other. Whatever the case, it's got me thinking and I like that.

-Keystone Equine. I've been a fan of this facebook page forever because she's Canadian and trains ponies so obviously she's awesome ;) Seriously though, if you don't follow her already, she's worth a look and I see she has a new book to tempt everyone with too. I've added it to my Christmas wish list.

-This Bit. I took a chance since it was marked down 80% off  and the only size left was the hony size I seem to need. (It's feast or famine with these sized equines, I swear - either the thing you want simply doesn't exist in their size and you need to order custom, or you score because the size you need is the same one no one else wanted and it is on super clearance sale. ) I've never found a magic bit for Bridget and Sophie needs one, so why not? Sophie is SO dramatic and fussy...the rest I tried on her were immediately met with a big gaping mouth trying to spit it out. This one is not loved either but it's acceptable and she carries it quietly, so it's a win. I need to try it on Bridget and see what she thinks.

Sprenger Dynamic RS

Staying Motivated

(TLDR: I'm not, but I have a plan)

I'm not good at sitting around. Actually, that's not true - I can be really good at sitting around. I love reading, after all. Lately,  I haven't been feeling the greatest and some extra sitting around has been occurring. It's kind of a downward spiral though. I get stuck in a cycle of sloth, then feel bad about all the things I'm not doing and work I'm going to have to catch up on, feel overwhelmed and then sit around some more.

Logically, I know the horses are fine.  In fact, Sophie needs a few weeks off to grow up a little more. Bridget owes me nothing, and will happily hack out as little or as often as I like. Seriously, as long as I feed and muck out daily and groom a couple of times a week, we're golden right now. Ponies are so easy.

The weather has been pretty stinky. Mud season has arrived. Sophie is sensible and uses her shelter.

Bridget does not :)

She's so fuzzy she's actually warm and dry under the wet.

A rest is doing my body good too. I need the break.

Still, I feel guilty. My brain says I'm slacking, I should be doing more, working towards goals. Problem is...I have no riding goals right now. I struggle with staying motivated without goals.

Luckily, I've found something that might help. I belong to a couple of provincial organizations. The main one, HCBC, offers insurance as one of the perks of membership so pretty much everyone here has it. It's affordable at less than $60 a year. The other two I usually sign up for are add ons to the HCBC membership, Dressage BC and Horse Trials BC. Both are super cheap (I think $15?), both come with tons of perks (besides being able to go to their affiliated shows;)

What Bridget thinks of horse shows.

Anyway, I just noticed Dressage BC now offers a Ride A Test option where you can send them a video of you riding a test and they'll have a judge send you a completed test sheet with a score. The cost is $20 a test, which is on par with the local or bronze level shows we'd travel to in person. Since I live more than an hour away from any shows, those scores can even count towards year end provincial awards.

I'm really, really excited about this option. Our travel costs to shows are hundreds of dollars and a literal day of travel each way. Getting a clinician here (or even my regular coach) is $100+ per lesson if I find 5 other riders to share costs. Also, I may or may not own a pony who doesn't consistently show up to work so that time and money can very easily be wasted with a pony who's just not interested on the day. While I'm comfortable with my decision not to show Bridget anymore and a tight budget means I can't currently afford lessons or shows on my coach's horses, I really, really miss having regular feedback and a set of goals to work towards.

So, I've set myself a goal of sending in a 1-3 test before Christmas, then using the feedback to work and send in another one mid spring.  We were showing that a couple of years ago, and are still schooling much of Second, so I think it's a reasonable goal that should keep me honest but still allow me some sloth days ;) I may be overestimating my abilities, but I think with work we can do a solid Second level without too much outside assistance. Beyond that, I'd certainly need a regular coach again, but hopefully by that time it will be Sophie I'm working on.

I  pulled her mane and braided it over AND she's wearing a new rainsheet, so she's basically a show horse now :) Try not to be too jealous of how fancy it all is, lol

I just need something to keep me motivated until Sophie is ready for work. I want to keep riding regularly because I don't want to be rusty and out of shape on a green, athletic pony. I think this sounds like a great option - very little financial investment, in exchange for professional feedback and a set of well defined goals to work towards. I'll let you know how it goes!

Have any of you sent in a dressage test online or otherwise use tech or media to assist in coaching? I have dreams of setting up a live feed so my coach can instruct me from home, but our satellite reception at the arena is just too unreliable due to the tree cover.

September Resources

I don't know about you, but despite years of being out of school, September still feels to me like the start of the new year. It's an opportunity to slow down from the summer, reflect on the good and the bad and get started on new goals for next spring.

Hello, Ambitious Project :)

The fall rains have returned this week, and the sun is rising ever later, making me inclined to cozy up with a coffee first thing in the mornings to research and plan for the future. Maybe surprisingly to some, I LOVE being outdoors in the rain, so generally my whole life feels refreshed and better and this time of year is when I am really inclined to tackle ambitious projects, both at home and at the barn.

With all that in mind, it's time to bring back the monthly resources posts! For anyone new here, they are normally just a group of links to reading (or viewing) I found interesting and/or relevant.


- Carl Hester: How to make a Valegro. I'm going to get right on this one.

- I've been delving back into Warwick Schiller's videos, as a lot of the topics are relevant to where Sophie is at and the concepts are common sense simple - I feel like you are safe to take or leave whatever you like. There's no step by step 'program' you're pressured to follow or 'magic' going on you can't possibly understand without paying him your life savings ;)

- Amanda Ross Eventing Fit. There are only a few videos so far, but I'm loving this new channel from Australian Eventer Amanda Ross. The energy and positivity she brings is amazing.

- 93% of British Columbians Want To Scrap Changing Clocks For Daylight Time. Could there be an end to changing the clocks back every fall? I sure hope so! An extra hour of daylight on winter evenings would make a world of difference for getting those riding goals and barn chores done after work. Plus, the clock in my truck would be correct year round!

- Rutledge Farm Sessions Clinic Series.  You need a USEF membership for this one, but it's free and easy to sign up for a fan membership to watch videos. So far this year there is a Boyd Martin clinic, plus a Peter Wylde one.

- Sophie Callahan Blog. I am not a fashionista, but her Burghley blog had me wanting to break out the credit card and revamp my wardrobe. That aside, I've been following her blog for years because she's a very talented photographer, and horses + country lifestyle are kind of my thing.


- International Helmet Awareness Day is this weekend! I'd link to the Riders 4 Helmets site but it said I won a cruise (how kind, all I wanted was 15% off a helmet!) so maybe google at your own discretion. If you need a helmet, now is the time. I'm eyeing up the Charles Owen My PS, 20% off this weekend at most of the retailers I've seen.

That's it for now. Enjoy your weekends, hopefully I will see you again on Monday with a riding and pony training weekend recap!

Bonus baby deer. I am amused at how he eats. He's been visiting our yard often.

May Resources

I've been spending a lot more of my spare time at the barn and in the garden, so my media consumption is less than normal. Still, I have to do something on those long ferry rides every week so no worries about me breaking the habit completely!

This month I was watching:

- The Event Rider Masters. I really like the short recap shows, but they post video of the entire event too if you don't want to miss anything.

- Badminton Horse Trails. Believe it or not, the dressage coverage is a highlight almost as much as the cross country and kind of a gold mine of learning due to the commentary.

- Elphick.Event.Ponies She's got a 14.1 Welsh D she events at BE100. I'm sold!

- USEF Learning Center. Thanks for the tip, LWilliams! I haven't explored this one too deeply, but there is a ton of good content just waiting for me to have the time to view.

Text break, only because I love this picture of S

Reading:

- Forward by Natalie Keller Reinert.  It's free on Kindle Unlimited and is about a couple of eventers in Florida getting started in the professional side of the business . In the same vein, Down The Centreline by Hazel Beecroft. Also free. I'm grouping these together because they were well written (for books with horses in them :) and suited for adults, both feature some pretty flawed characters trying to be better, and both were centered around eventing. I'm not going to give either a rave review, but they are both a pretty solid choice if you like light fiction with horses in it and served me well enough for passing time on my ferry commute.

- Smoky The Cowhorse. I was wondering if this one would hold up over time for me. My childhood self loved it. Yep, my adult self still likes it too. Some of the terms used might not be socially acceptable today, but it's a book about a cowboy and his horse written in 1927, so if anything that makes it feel authentic for the time. This part stuck out to me, because these days you do hear a lot about how the old ways were 'bad' and the new 'natural' ones are good. Seems that discussion has been going on for a very long time:

"There's folks that's read some on how horses are broke on the range, and from that reading they get the idea that the cowboy breaks the horses' spirit, that it's the only way a wild horse can be tamed. What I've got to say on the subject if that's what's believed, is that either them folks read something that's mighty wrong, or else they got the wrong impression and misunderstood what they read; and breaking a horse the way he's broke on the range is about the same on the animal as schooling is to the human youngster. The spirit of the wild horse is the same after years of riding as it was before he ever felt a rope, and there's no human in the world wants to preserve that spirit in the horse like the cowboy does;--he's the one what knows better than anybody else that a horse with a broken spirit is no horse at all"

That's it for this month...it's a beautiful day out, so back to the barn I go :)

April Resources

Welcome to yet another edition of my favorite things for the past few weeks! 

- Trailforks. I love this website and the app. Pretty much every trail in our local area is on it, along with trail conditions, elevations, difficulty, and distance. Our backcountry is a maze of trails and you could literally go for weeks, so having a reliable map is nice peace of mind for me when I'm out exploring. Plus, it's perfect for planning rides!

- Groundwork For Your Dressage Horse. Of interest to me, because I might just happen to have a baby pony I'm aiming towards a dressage career.

- Camelina Oil. I added 2tbsp/day of this to Bridget's diet a month or so ago and her coat looks so much better! I went with this vs flax/flax oil because it stores a lot better and I only have 2 ponies so it takes a while to use even a small amount! I'm excited to see how she looks once she's done shedding.

- Horses Can't be Our Only Therapy. Via The Plaid Horse and Lauren of She Moved To Texas. Well worth a read.

- Hackett Equine. YouTube lovers might enjoy this channel. I like the common sense advice mixed with insights into a day in the life of a horse professional. The videos are well put together and I'm honestly surprised she doesn't have more subscribers.

- Behind The Stall Door With Honor Me. I love this horse, he's a 5* eventer, and there is a local connection. Plus he's half Welsh Cob. What's not to like?

- LRK3DE. I can watch Not Rolex and Honor Me from home. Perfect!


- This saddle pad. I'm intrigued. It might be nice for summer, and it's only $40 CAD.

March Resources

A short one this month! I've been spending a lot of time outside and in the evenings, seem to have been reading books unrelated to horses. Thanks to all your input re: cameras I've temporarily(?) gone down the rabbit hole of all things photography.

- To start, here's an inspiring, feel good story.

- The Double Bridle: An Instrument of Understanding. From Eurodressage, a great in depth look at  history, use, and technique.

These are amazing and I want them. Holly Spagnola Design.

- Check out this blog post outlining exercises From The Queen of Cavalletti. Ingrid Klimke might just be my favorite rider, so I'm going to try these for sure.

- If you're showing in Canada this year it's time to review the 2019 Equestrian Canada rule changes! Here's a handy article from Horse Sport magazine outlining some of the changes that might impact you.

- 'Ride' the 1969 Badminton Cross Country course. You know you want to!

- The Mustang. Looks like it could be good!

- The Greatest Sports Story Never Told. Great article and I'm going to buy the book, because she sounds like a protagonist I could cheer for.  Unbreakable: The Woman Who Defied the Nazis in the World's Most Dangerous Horse Race by Richard Askwith

February Resources

 It's already that time again!  Here's my monthly round up of all the horsey media I've bookmarked this month:

-A Horse On The Roof? Horse and Hound's weekly wrap up of great social media posts...some are inspiring, some had me laughing.

-5 Dressage Tips From The Masters. Excellent article courtesy of Practical Horseman, and found via a link shared by The Printable Pony. Thanks Tracy!

-Tempo Vs Rhythm. I, for one am guilty of having to ponder a little to long when my coach asks for a change in tempo/rhythm/cadence. This article by Heather Blitz recaps the difference and what is desirable in training and riding both.

-These saddle pads, and the company in general.  They're so far beyond my budget it's not even funny, but I almost want a dog so I can buy one of the coats they sell. Or, hey, I'd settle for this gorgeous wool saddle pad: 

 -Livin' Eventing Have I mentioned I love this new site? Everything from dressage tests to event calendars to blogs. It's also run by a wonderful person well deserving of your support. In the same vein, I just discovered The Gaitpost and am quite enjoying their articles, interviews and product reviews. Check out the Gaitpost YouTube channel for some good content too!

Handy chart, because it's that time of year with the weather and turnout.

-Vaqueros, Dressage, and Bitless, oh my! A great discussion on CoTH forums regarding the different goals of different styles of riding - and the similarities too. I know I've had trouble before explaining to my western buddies why I ride with contact and how it's not pulling, it's actually very similar to the "soft feel" they look for.

-The Essential Hoof Book. I've been rereading this one. I don't know if I ever gave it a proper review the first time around, but it's excellent. I'd highly recommend ot because everything is explained and illustrated well enough anyone can understand, but it also goes into enough detail that I think even more experienced people might pick up a few things. I appreciate that this book doesn't really push any specific agenda, it just does a good job of explaining the anatomy, disease, and the how's and why's of trimming and hoof care.

-Why Cross Country Becomes Dangerous Lots to think about in this article and instinctively I feel like the thought that some horses are out there galloping in a conditioned "flight state" might bear some consideration and investigation.

-Snaffles now optional to CDI 2* level.

Read or viewed anything interesting lately? Feel free to share!  My commute for work is long and I'd love to check out your recommendations!

Livin' Eventing

Just thought I'd share this brand new site with you all. It features a lot of positive messages and the main writer, Liv, promises plenty of insight into life as an up and coming professional rider. There also look to be some super guest bloggers lined up, plus lots of useful documents like event calendars and dressage tests.

I used to ride with Olivia when she was a working student at my coach's barn. She's an amazing rider and an even better person. She moved to the UK two years ago to pursue her dreams of eventing for Canada and she's one of the hardest working people I know. She's well deserving of any support and website clicks you can direct her way!

www.livineventing.com

Facebook 

January Resources

- Emile Faurie - How to get a horse in front of the leg. "Being in front of the leg should be a state of mind for the horse" Beautiful horse, and such a kind rider/trainer. There are a whole series of short "NAF 5 * Tips From a 5* Rider" videos on YouTube featuring Emile. Topics range from using counter canter for straightness, to perfecting a square halt. I'm going to be coming back to these again and again, I think!

-San Diego CDS Dressage Symposium. Multiple videos are available, showing various tests with the judge's feedback.

- Yoga For Equestrians  A half hour video, and you know I love horses, and yoga :)

Robert Dover Horsemastership Clinic. Lots of good clinic footage here, so much inspiration, and so many excellent tips. Sidenote: RD might be the most positive coach I've ever seen. I feel like a couple of the horses or riders weren't that into it and he simply doubled his enthusiasm. Love it :)

- Are We Training Our Horses More Than Necessary? Hmm...maybe my weird barn schedule isn't an issue at all.

- If you are a member of HCBC (our provincial organization) there are a ton of free equine related courses here. Learn about everything from equine nutrition to pasture management!

- If you're wanting to take a 'real' college course there are a ton of horse centric short courses and 12 week online courses available through the University of Guelph featuring everything from Equine Journalism to Equine Business Finances. I've had the nutrition course they offer on my wish list forever!

-Adequan Global Dressage Festival. Continues through the end of March, Lots of video recaps available on the site, and live streaming every Friday night.

- Desert Flight. Watch on the USEF Network. A documentary that describes itself as 'a love letter to show jumping'. I didn't totally love it, but the filming and scenery was gorgeous and I'd still recommend it for horsey movie night!

-Adequan West Coast Dressage Festival. I enjoy checking in on this one because I've ridden with a few of the people and it seems like it's the same size/general talent level as some of the Vancouver area shows we were attending....in other words there are some excellent horses and riders that are super inspiring and there are some even more (to me) inspiring adult ammies out there on good horses working hard and doing it for fun. They live stream with commentary on their facebook page

As always, I've been reading a ton too (that ferry commute isn't getting shorter!) but I've got nothing worth recommending this month.

December Resources

It's that time again! Here's a few of the things I read or watched that stuck out to me this month.


- Dressage For Jumpers With Laura Graves. Clinic recap with link to USEF Network video of the clinic.

- Auditing Christine Traurig from A Enter Spooking. Another excellent clinic recap with great notes and lots of things I want to try.

- Clinic Adventures from Journey With A Dancing Horse. I love Teresa's lesson and clinic recaps because I feel like we often are working on similar things, plus she has a knack for honing in on the important take homes we can all use.

-Mat Brown: A Case for Not Focusing on Your Goals Part 2 and Part 3. Part 2 focuses on tools to help students learn positively, Part 3 is about the horses. Kind of fun that the tools for teaching both are very similar :)

-Charlotte Dujardin Atlanta Clinic Recaps. Excellent recap, and lots of great basics, exercises and take homes I'm sure we all know but maybe need reminding to practice and be consistent about.

- Mark Todd autobiography. I know this one gets good reviews, but I have to say I came out of this one thinking he seems like a perfectly nice guy, but not at all what I expected...like with the George Morris ('Unrelenting') book, I found it hard to relate to their overwhelming desire to be the best, and all the things they sacrifice to get there. At times, this one made me really dislike the sport of eventing (and racing) and made me very sad for his family. It's a good autobiography, but maybe I was looking for more about his life with horses and less about his accomplishments? I'm not sure why but this one made me a little uneasy.

- Stable Lass. A cool peek into the UK racing scene, from an insider perspective. It's fun without being overly silly, and it's always inspiring to read about people who love their jobs as much as Gemma does. The jobs of the horses in this book are so similar to those in the Mark Todd one, yet I enjoyed this book so much more because the horses' characters are front and centre, along with the day to day details of their lives. So, if that's your thing, I'd recommend this book.

-All Over The Place. No horses, but a really good (and funny) read, and I keep recommending it to people. I really identified with her confidence and depression insights.

-Conquering Performance Anxiety - The Plaid Horse. Because yeah, that lesson happened.

-Comet in Summer. Actually a re-read, because I have so much time on the ferry without internet or data that my kindle book account is rapidly depleted. I loved this book the first time around, and I loved it again. It's YA, but don't let that put you off, there is some fantastically funny and witty banter throughout the book and also it's a great book for reminding us why we love horses and riding and for being grateful for what we have.

Coming Up: The 2019 USEF Robert Dover Clinic starts Jan 3rd. Link here.

November Resources

I'm one of those people who is probably going to be a lifelong learner and library geek. Obviously, anything horse related gets high priority and I'm horsey media junkie too.

The problem with consuming so much content is that I tend to retain bits and pieces of things, and forget quite quickly what book it was I found so helpful, or where I heard or saw that super interesting thing. I think I'm going to start putting all my favorite resources that come across my path together here once a month. If nothing else, it gives me some reference points to come back to, but I also hope some of you might find these links interesting or have some suggestions for future reading or viewing for me :)


- Bill Steinkraus' Reflections On Riding and Jumping book.
  I've had this sitting around for a while, and finally picked it up. Like everyone else, I think it's great. Maybe nothing absolutely mind blowing, but one of those books with so much solid advice packed in that I think I'm going to come back to it. A lot of the things he writes  read as common sense, but they're actually so simple it's genius.

- USDF Dressage Finals.
  Thank you, USEF network! I love watching the USDF Dressage Finals because it seems more like real people and real horses, quite similar to what I see at our regional shows. Inspiring, for sure. Loved the commentary, as it was never overly critical or "judgey", but still let you know why someone scored lower or higher. There are free fan subscriptions to USEF available quite frequently, and they include access to live streaming and on demand videos.

- Learned helplessness. Is it a thing in horses?
 If you click any of the links in this list, click the above. I think we've all seen it at some point, and the part about it potentially being a desirable state of mind kills me. Here's a good follow up blog too.

- Feed XL.
 I first read about this on LWilliams' blog and finally pulled the pin and bought a month's subscription in October. I found it very useful for putting together a balanced feeding plan for growing Sophie, now that she's got 24/7 pasture nibbles. I appreciated that they have even my local feed producer's grains and nutritional analyses in their data set.

- Westfalen NA.
What can I say, I bought a German Riding Pony just knowing I liked her but not knowing much about the registration or breed standards. Someone commented that since Ms Sophie isn't branded that she might not have passed inspection. I actually didn't care much either way, but this past month I took some time to research what her passport and papers actually mean.  No worries, she was inspected and did indeed receive a premium score, just the owner opted not to brand her. The above website isn't the greatest, but the info is there if you dig.

No idea why they thought that, doesn't this pony doesn't look fancy enough? LOL

- 2019 TestPro USDF App.
 Jen at Cobjockey reviewed this, and I think it's safe to say any of us Eventer or dressage riders who stress about forgetting tests might find this app useful! I'm trying to get a head start on the new tests as I haven't ridden any of them!

- Matt Brown's COTH blog A Case For Not Focusing On Your Goals.
One of the most potentially life altering things I read this month. If you struggle with maintaining a positive mindset and being kind to yourself, this ones for you. Emma wrote a great blog about this article, too.

It's the end of November and some of my flowers are beat up, but still blooming. Tough little things!

- British Showjumping channel on YouTube.
Boss Mare Eventing recommended this, and there are so many good videos! I've watched quite a few videos from the lesson series and they're excellent. I'm appreciating that the lessons feature real ammies with achievable goals. Watching pros is great and all and gives me lots of inspiration for the future, but often I get a lot more tips I can implement NOW from watching people who are closer to my level.