Blog

May 19

LVCCDS Schooling Show

Last weekend the Las Vegas chapter of the California Dressage Society held a schooling show. These types of shows, as opposed to "rated shows", provide an opportunity for riders and their equine partners to gain show experience in a low pressure, fun environment. I have been working with one of our staff horses, Glory, to prepare for this show for many months.

I felt confident with our performance in the ring, however no one had any idea how Glory would behave in the hectic, horse show environment. Often, horses can become nervous or excitable when taken away from the familiarity of their stable and comfort of their stable-mates. In the six years Glory has been stabled in Boulder City, no one was aware of her trailer experience - could we even get her in the trailer to get to the show?

The night before the show I cleaned her up and braided her hair. We practiced loading her in the trailer and even took her for a short ride. Glory walked right into the trailer without blinking. She stood quiet during the ride and even took her time getting out of the trailer once we were home, making sure she had eaten all the hay she could.

Show day was no different. Once we arrived I walked her around the grounds so she could see all the new sights and new horses. I didn't want anything to spook her while we were in the ring. Again, Glory took it all in stride and probably wondered why I was making such a big deal out of everything. I was quite proud of her!

During our warm-up, Glory behaved as she normally does, but when the judge rang her bell, signaling the beginning of our test, there was a palpable lift in her spirits. Meanwhile a lump was forming in my throat.

So why was Glory so calm, when the same events sent other horses into a tailspin. It was all a matter of self-confidence. Glory is what we call an "alpha-mare". She's a leader by nature and she truly trusts and believes in herself. I took a cue from her for our second test, relaxed and remembered how much fun we have riding at home - why should this be any different? I didn't see anyone else during that ride and we fell into a nice rhythm together.

Despite the second test having a higher degree of difficulty, our score improved by 6 points! Glory helped me to remember to believe in myself and it made all the difference in the world.

1:15 PM GMT | Read comments(0)

April 14

Absent from school

As some of you may know, we actually had 2 Career Days scheduled this week. On Thursday we were all set to visit Dearing ES for their "Careers on Wheels" Day. This was going to be quite an exciting presentation for everyone, as we were planning on bringing a couple of very special horses with us. Early that morning I received some bad news from our vet's office on blood-work we had done on one of our horses. Unfortunately our exciting day at Dearing was cancelled as the health of our horses had to take priority. I was on my way to the vet's office for medication when I received a second call. As it turned out, there had been an error on the lab report that was originally sent to them. A decimal point had erroneously been omitted, which changed the test results dramatically. I am happy (and relieved) to report that our entire equine staff are as healthy as...well, horses!

Unfortunately, the horses were still unable to make their debut at Dearing ES. I know the students there would have loved meeting them. Thank you to Dearing ES fo the invitation and understanding. We are planning to attend the event next year and certainly look forward to that!

7:26 AM GMT | Read comments(0)

Career Day at Treem ES

On Friday, I was able to visit with the students of Treem Elementary School in Henderson and share with them what a fabulous job I have as a Therapeutic Riding Instructor. This was the second year I was invited to speak for Career Day at Treem and it really has been such fun for me.

The students had the opportunity to see, touch and of course smell all the different types of equipment, games, toys and even feeds we use back at the stable. I had wonderful volunteer "riders" and a few brave volunteer "horses" who were willing to demonstrate a mini riding lesson. We were able to simulate some of the games and activities we do in a typical riding session by compromising one of more of our senses. What seemed like a simple task, such as passing a baton, became quite a challenge as we stood on one leg with our eyes closed. The cool thing is - no one could do this as well as I've seen some of my riders complete this task.

And this is what I want the students to remember. That having a disability never means you're not able, it only means you get it done in a different way...and sometimes even a little better!

Thank you so much to all students and staff at Treem!! The kids were attentive, asked intelligent questions and were very helpful when it came time to clean up. The staff was very welcoming and I look forward to seeing you all again soon!

Happy Trails!

Melissa

6:59 AM GMT | Read comments(0)

April 07

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