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March 25, 2024 This past weekend Sophie and I attended the schooling trials at Loch Moy farm hosted by Maryland Horse Trials. It was my first time at this venue, and it was only a 30 minute trailer ride from the barn - kind of amazing! Due to the short driving distance ahead of me, I didn't have to leave the barn until 7:30am. It felt wild to not have to wake up at the crack of dawn for a show. Unfortunately it was miserably rainy the whole morning during packing the trailer and driving over, so I kept my fingers crossed that it would at least lighten up a bit by the time I was getting into the saddle. Spoiler: that did not happen (lol). When I pulled off the main road and into the driveway of Loch Moy Farm, I was greeted with a slew of cross country fences on either side of me; every question that you can imagine was present in a fairly small space. I noticed that none of these fences had numbers, though - that told me that this was barely a snippet of the venue that lay ahead as these jumps were not being used for the show. The driveway was long and windy, but after pulling up the last big hill, the massive show jumping ring came into view. The jumps all looked recently painted, and several of the standards were massive with gorgeously decorated wings. It was impressive, even in the rain. I parked my trailer and took off to walk my cross country course before my dressage test, and I can see why this is a venue that is loved by so many. There are a few places for solid water options, a bunch of banks, and hills through some wooded areas. Their main fields have both flat ground and terrain, and even some of the arenas that were being used for dressage for this show had more bank and water options that could also add to a cross country course. You can get a little bit of everything there. My course was straightforward and fairly friendly, which put me at ease with it being both the first event of the season for us as well as being terrible weather conditions. And even with how wet it was, the ground felt quite good. We hadn't had a lot of rain in this area for a few weeks, and it was the first use of that course this season, so nothing was mucked up. We were committed for the day! Dressage felt pretty solid. The ring was a bit sloppy but, as Jacqui pointed out, sometimes the wet footing makes the horses strut a little harder! Jacqui helped us feel ready to get into the ring, and after greeting the judge and receiving a nice comment on her spots, Sophie and I left the ring on a 35.6. This is still pretty solid for us, especially knowing that we've had scores knocking on 50's door in the past. The goal with Sophie has been keeping her straight in her shoulders, working on not being in such a rush, and allowing her to stretch more through her top line. She has a tendency to be tense, especially away from home, and it has helped a lot to just slow our rhythm down. Jacqui told me before I went in to 'take all the time in the world in there, you paid for it!' and I genuinely believe that helped me to slow both mine and Sophie's brains down. The judge even left the comment that Sophie was a lovely horse (duh) and that it was clear that an effort was made. It feels good when they notice I'm trying to figure it out!! Our stadium round was clean, but definitely not my best ride ever. Jacqui helped us out in the warm up, and I felt good going in, but unfortunately some of my old bad habits creeped back in at a few of the fences. I think the rain was messing with my head a little, and I did a bit of the 'hurry up and wait' ride that is not super fair to Sophie, and often causes me to move my body around way too much right in front of the fence. She is the best girl in the world though, and still jumped every single jump. We did manage to have a few cohesive jumps together, and her scope and athleticism continues to amaze me. I mean just look at her effort in this photo! She is making a training jump look tiny - and she's not a big horse! (Photo by Erin Gilmore) I went in to cross country with a clear plan. One pop over a coop in the warm up and I could feel that she was good to go. Since it was a schooling event, cross country wasn't timed. I took this to heart and maintained a slow, steady, rhythmic canter for the first few fences. I then brought her to a trot in front of some of the harder questions just to make sure our focus was there. Any cross country jumping penalty we've had in the past has been purely related to either her, or myself, or a combination of both of us being distracted and not preparing for a fence properly, so I wanted to take the opportunity to set us up for success here when the pressure of time was off. We had one exercise that consisted of a raised log fence about one stride out from the water, so I broke to a trot and let her pick up the canter and take me over that fence, which she did. We cantered through the water and then up in to the woods for a few fences on a smaller side field on the property. Sometimes Sophie gets distracted by cars and volunteers near fences, so there was a bit of expected wiggling as we approached a fence that a car was near. I held the line, and she saw the jump a few strides out and made the correct effort. We had another combination that consisted of an up bank then two strides to a roll top. I think this particular bank was in a location where water could be added, so the ground right in front of the bank was dark footing that was a stark contrast to the grass (see photo). Expecting that to be distracting, I brought Soph back to the trot before the bank. She once again took the reins and hopped up the bank and then out over the roll top with quite a bit of gusto. We then turned towards the last few fences on course and we approached the last combination that was an up bank, two strides and then a down bank (see photo). In hindsight, I should have trotted here too, but she was feeling so strong that I figured we were good to go. She had also schooled a bunch of bank exercises without any issues earlier in the week. She found her footing on the up bank, and then went to veer hard left to go around the flags and down the mound instead of through the flags down the bank. I was able to get our balance and shift her over just before we would have had a run out, and, after a little shuffle, we put all four feet down the bank. We cantered away and finished the last three jumps on course with ease. Our effort culminated in a third place finish! I am so pleased with our first horse trial results this year. Sophie feels great and I am looking forward to what is ahead for us. Our flatwork will hopefully only continue to get better, I still feel good about the show jumping and am glad some rust was knocked off, and she tells me how much she enjoys the cross country every time we get out there. Our little near-miss at the down bank is good information for me to have, and I am prepared to present whatever down bank questions we have in the future in a way that better sets us up for success. Huge shout outs to Jacqui for making time to coach me alongside her two rides of the day, and to Drew for coming to support in the miserable weather. Next up: Morven! K

March 18, 2024 Getting your first truck and trailer can be quite the process, especially if you are trying to make it all work on a budget. Read on to hear the craziness that was my experience putting together my rig, and at the end I'll include some tips for anyone looking into getting their first set up in the future. When I first started hauling for my last barn, it took me SEVERAL trips before I would say I felt 'comfortable'. Even to this day, when I am pulling my own horse, in my own trailer, with my own truck, I sometimes white-knuckle it. The first trailer trip I ever did on my own was driving a friend's two horse bumper pull with her 2500 Chevy. I only had the horse I was leasing at the time in the trailer with me, and I had practiced hauling her empty trailer several times leading up to this day. In Area 1, everything is at least an hour and a half away from us, and we were headed to New Jersey Horse Park for an event; it was about a 2.5-3 hour trip depending on traffic. I also accounted for my likely slow driving. CT to NJ is nearly a straight forward shot on 95 the whole way. This is fine once you are in New Jersey, but can be REAL painful in New York, especially because I needed to cross the infamous George Washington bridge. I had my good friend Bella with me for emotional support, and boy did I need it. Every bump we went over, barrier we got close to, and every car that cut me off would put me in a sweat. White-knuckling isn't intense enough to describe my grip on the steering wheel. That morning I was running on an amount of adrenaline I didn't know I had. As we approached the GW, I read and reread all of the signs pointing to 'Trucks Upper Level ONLY' and followed the chaos as best as I could. I learned very quickly that other drivers don't care how big your vehicle is, or how precious your cargo is - you have to drive selfishly. I could feel the lines closing in on either side of the truck as we ventured up to the top level, and a breath I didn't know I was holding escaped as soon as those suspension bridge towers came into my sight. Whose idea was it to build a double-decker bridge, anyway?! The rest of that ride was smooth sailing, and we came and went from the HPNJ without a hitch. I did a few more trips with that rig, which always hauled well. I also did a couple of local trips with my trainer's larger rig, which at the time was a lovely 2+1 gooseneck attached to a dually Silverado. Towards the end of the summer of 2022, my little Jeep Renegade, affectionately known as 'Square Car', was steadily approaching the 100k mile mark. It was in great condition otherwise, but having had an older Jeep prior to this one, I wasn't keen on keeping it forever. I figured the trade in value would be better the closer I could stay to under or around 100,000 miles. I had originally set my sights on another small SUV, but I was so bored with the options. I talked to my parents, and my dad reminded me how much I loved driving. He also pointed out how much time I spent on the road in general, and that I should get a car that I wanted to be behind the wheel of. Eventually I convinced myself that I should get a truck, mostly so that I could borrow trailers and use it for hauling in the future. I also had so much horse related crap that having a truck bed to store it in, without making the rest of my car smell like horse, would be useful. I was a bit pigheaded at the start of my truck search, and I was fairly set on a Ford Ranger early on. It took a lot of discussion with my trainer at the time and friend, Charlotte, and her mechanic to steer me in a better direction, which was the next size up. I learned quickly that it's one thing to have a truck that can tow a certain capacity, but when it comes to towing livestock, and needing the ability to stop on a dime safely as well as haul up and down all types of terrain efficiently, it is imperative to have a truck that can do much more than the bare minimum. I wasn't necessarily stuck on Fords, but I ended up being swayed towards a beautiful, used, black 2017 F150 Lariat with the bigger V8 engine and a 30 gallon tank. It was love at first test drive. My monthly payments became affordable once the trade-in value of Square Car was calculated, and I drove the truck off the lot at the beginning of December in 2022. Soon after I was gifted a hitch from my good friends Heidi and Travis, and I was going into 2023 with the hopes of hauling myself and some horses everywhere. I had started planning on trying to make money shipping for other people. Shipping to shows up north can get really pricey, and I thought that getting my own trailer would be a worthy investment. I started that search by scouring the used trailer market on Facebook, which is actually fairly good. I eventually found one that was within my budget and had a tack room separate from the stalls. I drove to central Connecticut to see it, and everything looked good. My friend Alicia came with me the day I went to pick it up to double check that everything looked like it was in good order. I was told the tires were relatively new, the wood flooring was brand new, and it had been repainted recently. I thought everything looked great. I drove it off the lot mid-March 2023 and started organizing the tack room to make it my own. I was so excited to have my own rig! I had a bit of anxiety hauling in general, but it always made me feel extra stressed when I was hauling a rig of which not a single part belonged to me. I got the trailer insured immediately, which required me to obtain the title and sign it over into my name. I also needed to get a separate license plate for the trailer, which became a huge to-do early on. Before I could get the trailer registered, I needed to have a VIN verification done by a certified technician. I took the trailer over to the nearest car shop and discovered that the label where the VIN should be on the trailer was completely rusted over and illegible. Even though I had the title with the VIN number on it, the mechanic needed to see the VIN label on the trailer itself to qualify for a VIN verification. I then had to get in touch with the lovely people at Cotner trailers in Pennsylvania to have them send a new VIN label over to me. Their customer service was so easy to work with, and they sent me my new VIN label within days. With the new label, I was able to get the VIN verification completed and mailed to the DMV to get it registered. I received the license plate less than 24 hours before I needed my trailer to haul horses to Pennsylvania for a show! While the VIN debacle with the trailer was taking place, my truck decided it wasn't ready for hauling. The check engine light went off just a few days before I would be needing it for our annual Pennsylvania horse show trip. I didn't think much of it, and brought it over to the local car shop to get it checked out. The mechanic came back to me with dreadful news: my truck would be fine, but the part that was needed was backordered for MONTHS. I broke down in tears over this (more than once). The part I needed was a new 'intake manifold'. Anyone who was around me during this time unfortunately witnessed multiple of my breakdowns over this stupid freaking car part. I was told I could drive the truck on the broken part, but I was strongly advised to not haul with it until fixed based on what service the intake manifold provided. I was desperate to have my full rig ready for Pennsylvania, and I immediately ordered what I thought was the correct part off of an off-market website. When I brought it to the mechanic they curtly informed me that the part I had purchased would work for a Mustang, but not a truck. I was told I needed to wait. I have fortunately been unbelievably blessed with some amazing horse friends, and my dear friend Kelly has a gorgeous F250 that I was able to borrow for our Pennsylvania trip. We traded trucks for the weekend and her amazing vehicle hauled my then-fully registered trailer and some seriously precious cargo safely to and from Plantation. About a month after that, my intake manifold was still something I was dreaming about. I once again borrowed Kelly's truck to bring myself, Sophie, my good friend Eliza, and her ride Layla to Flora Lea horse trials. I am still so incredibly grateful to Kelly for letting me borrow her truck, but I was desperate to have my full rig in working order. I had owned a truck for 5 months at that point and hadn't gotten to use it at all for what I had purchased it for. Following Flora Lea, I brought my trailer in for service to make sure it was good to go for our upcoming move to Virginia. I had been having a few issues with losing air in one of the tires, and after the amazing barn hand, Victor, successfully found a leak in one of the valves, I figured it was safer to have the whole trailer checked out just in case. A new spare tire and two new valves later, and the trailer was given the checkmark for the next trip. Now it was just the truck that needed to be give the green light. Time began to crunch as we inched closer and closer to July. I needed that truck part to be in and the truck to be functioning no later than August 9th. That was our day to move down to Virginia, and there was no way I was paying to have my horse professionally shipped when I had all the parts to do it myself! The impending move, plus our wedding in between, made me desperate. I made daily calls both to the dealership that had ordered my part, and to Ford's general parts line almost daily. I had become good friends with Ford customer service over the weeks leading up to my wedding, and I had explained to probably every single person at Colonial Ford in Danbury how I was getting married at the end of July, immediately going on an international trip for two weeks to honeymoon, and then coming back and immediately moving to VA. I needed that truck to be in full working order and at my apartment by August 9th at the latest. I feel very grateful that they never blocked my number during that time. In the days leading up to the wedding, I was beginning to lose hope. I was trying really hard to focus on the amazing and happy times that were just in front of us, but this stupid intake manifold was always on my mind. I received a call from the parts manager at my dealership while Drew and I were literally in the car on our way to our rehearsal dinner: that stupid freaking intake manifold had finally arrived!!!! I don't know who was happier: me, or the guys at the dealership who wouldn't have to worry about my daily calls anymore. I told them I had to get married real quick (nbd), but that I could drop the truck off that Sunday before we were headed to the airport. They wished us well and I brought the truck over right before we jetted off to Tokyo for two weeks. I keep saying how great my friends are, and it's because it's true. While we were on our honeymoon, Ford got in touch with me to let me know that the truck was ready, but they couldn't keep it on the lot because of space. Bella came to my rescue and was able to pick the truck up and keep it at her house while I was away. I will forever be grateful to her for making that work!! Upon our return to the states, I picked up my truck from Bella's and brought it over to our apartment to throw some things into the tack room that didn't fit in the U-Haul. Since then, the truck and trailer have successfully taken myself and Sophie to Virginia, and to a few other outings here and there. Having my own rig does give me a great sense of freedom. If there's somewhere I want to go with Sophie, I don't have to organize or pay for transportation outside of fuel costs. I also look forward to when I can maybe make a few extra bucks hauling for others at some point when the time allows. If getting a truck and trailer is something you are interested in doing, I have a few tips I can share from my experience. First, really think about why you want to do it. Do you really need your own? I was set on putting my own together because I have been very serious about making horses a full time gig, or at least a very serious side gig, and having my own rig makes me more marketable. I also considered it an investment, because the goal is to one day make enough money shipping that I can pay off my truck loan and then some. However, the initial cost isn't cheap, especially if you want to do it right. Second, set a reasonable budget, and start with a truck. The truck will be with you every day, especially if you are replacing a personal vehicle. I do a lot of driving, so I didn't want something so huge that I couldn't fit into a parking garage, but also something that wasn't a total gas guzzler. I test drove a bunch of trucks and discussed options with my trainers and mechanics. I knew my budget would put me at looking into used vehicles, but there were plenty of solid options on the market. There are a lot of trucks that are built to last for years and over hundreds of thousands of miles. My goal for used was to find something under 60k miles, and preferably something with leather seats because it's easier to clean. The truck I got was at 65k-ish miles, one owner, barely used for towing. F150's, particularly the year and model I got, are also known for their longevity. I plan to treat this truck like a true horsewoman's truck and drive it into the ground. With my trade-in and downpayment, I was able to get my monthly payment to a very reasonable amount. And my insurance is low due to a good driving record. Gas was going to be expensive, but I was prepared for that. When looking at trucks for hauling, talk to your trainer or anyone in your life that hauls horses. Chances are they'll tell you to start with a V8 and only go up from there. Your V6 engines might have a towing capacity that matches your trailer and horse sizes, but safety is so important when hauling large, live, moving creatures. In New England in particular, there is all sorts of terrain that your vehicle should easily be able to tow your trailer through. This includes snow, mud, slick conditions, and up and down steep hills. You also want to be confident that your vehicle can break in an emergency and have enough power to not be pushed against by the trailer too much to cause an accident. Your horse is incredibly precious cargo, so think safety first!!! Set another reasonable budget for a trailer. My budget wasn't massive, but I also knew exactly what I wanted. I was looking for a two horse bumper pull with a separate tack room. Two horses won't pay as much as hauling 3+ horses, but I also want to maximize the longevity of my truck with a smaller trailer to haul. I also cared about the health of the trailer floor, and the wood floor of this trailer was replaced within the last year. It looked brand new. There are also plenty of great small trailers out there without a tack room, but I have so much crap that I needed the extra storage. A lot of used trailer owners also expect payments in cash or personal check form, so plan to have that money up front if you do plan to buy used. And don't doubt Facebook marketplace! I saw so many great used trailers in various groups that I was a part of. However, I do think that it is important to be able to go and see the trailer before you buy it, and taking someone with you that hauls regularly is never a bad idea. They might notice things that rookie haulers wouldn't. My experience also forced me to learn to look for the VIN on the trailer before purchasing. You need a legible VIN to register the trailer, and at least in my experience in CT, I needed a VIN verification to be completed before I could register it with the state and get myself some plates. It is not the end of the world if a trailer doesn't have one that's legible, as I discovered, but it can be inconvenient. I was lucky that the trailer company that made mine was so organized and easy to work with. Time will tell how well both of these pieces survive being with me, but I am not hauling commercially or very far that often, so the goal is that they will be with me for a long time. I am happy to chat in greater detail with anyone that might be going through a process like this to give more insight as needed - feel free to reach out. :) Happy hauling! K

March 11, 2024 One of my favorite songs is 'Semi Pro' by indie/alternative band Hippo Campus. I feel that I relate to the lyrics in some capacity, because I find it hard to nail down what my relationship is with horses right now. By definition, I am currently an adult amateur. I hold amateur status with USEF and USEA, and I spend my days riding and competing my own horse. However, less than a few months ago, I was by-definition a professional. I was being paid to teach lessons, and I was being paid to ride other people's horses. I feel like I am in limbo trying to figure out what I want with horses in my life. I have spent a lot of time reflecting on where I have come from with horses in order to better establish where I want to go with them in the future. I grew some pretty big boots when my trainer at the barn I grew up riding at let me have the coveted clipboard at the home schooling shows. I craved that feeling of knowing enough that I got to help others learn the way. Given my early career choices, that is not too surprising. I suppose you could call me a 'professional know-it-all', but I'll take the label of educator. I thought I was one of the stronger riders at my barn when I was a kid after just a few years of lessons. When I became one of the 'big' kids around the barn, there were bragging rights as to who jumped the highest or competed at the most shows. I was incredibly fortunate that my parents provided myself and my sister with our family pony, Clifden, as well as the opportunity to participate in quite a few shows. They allowed me to experience the sport of eventing, which stole my heart and still has it to this day. When I see videos or pictures of my riding back then, I can belly laugh at how ridiculous it was of me to think I had the right to believe that I was something special. However, when you are a kid and you think that you have outgrown the need to participate in schooling shows at home, your head can get a little big. Once I entered high school, I was riding less and focusing more on my academics and social life. I still felt that I had outgrown the lesson horses at my barn, and our family pony was retiring from jumping. I spent my days hacking him when time allowed. It was a peaceful few years of that, but I missed competing. I wanted more. Things started to change when I joined the IHSA team upon my entrance into college. It was the most affordable way for me to keep riding, and the team dues included weekly lessons and the ability to participate in 10 intercollegiate shows throughout the year. I was humbled before lessons even started. Every new member had to take an online test to be 'properly placed' into your starting IHSA level. The majority of the test questions centered around how many ribbons you'd won at varying levels of rated hunter / jumper shows. Since I only had experience with eventing and some schooling jumper shows, I answered 'none' to most of the questions. As a result, the test determined that I belonged at the advanced w/t/c and x rails level. To say I was mortified is an understatement. I believed that I was far more experienced than being placed at that level implied. I quickly posted a photo of myself and Cliffy jumping over a 2'6 cross country fence on my Instagram in order to prove to myself and everyone else that I was 'better' than the level I was 'wrongly' placed in. The chip on my shoulder was real. And real silly, looking back on it. Eventually my coach manually moved me up to the novice level (about 2' equivalent). My team spirit, strong leadership qualities, and organizational skills led me to be captain 3 of my 4 years, but my placings at shows had me just barely pointing up into open flat and fences, the highest level, by the end of my senior year. I learned a lot by riding so many different horses over those years, but it definitely was a kick in the teeth to have to prove myself. I am glad I had teammates that respected having me as a captain and didn't care what level that I was in, and I am equally as glad, in hindsight, that I had to work my way up to the higher levels. It's something I didn't know I needed. I also learned how poor my riding position was, and how as much as I might be able to ride a horse, I needed work on being able to make it look effortless. I finished up my IHSA career humbly taking last place in my final class at regionals, but feeling excited for what was next in my riding career. I wanted more. Post-college, I worked and rode at an eventing barn that would help me progress incredibly well as a rider. I was humbled at the start, once again, but this time it was by struggling to ride (and often falling off of) so many lovely school horses within the first year of riding there. From the school master, to the greenie, to the 3* horse that had stepped down, I experienced the ground from several angles. Luckily, my trainer could see something good in me, and continued to push me in each lesson and on each horse. Eventually the hours I put in working around the barn in my spare time would allow me to afford getting out to a few schooling shows on varying lesson horses. After only a year of riding at this barn, I was able to compete at my first horse trial in years on my favorite school horse at the time. Five short years in this program, and I went from eventing at the beginner novice level to the prelim level, schooling some third and fourth level dressage movements, jumping comfortably at 3' and above, and owning my own horse. I also grew confidence in riding horses of all sizes, ages, and backgrounds. I had opportunities to ride at hunter paces and on the beach, and I learned a lot about horse care and the intricacies of running an equestrian business. Most importantly, I was given the opportunity to teach lessons for students ages 4 - 74, and skill levels ranging from first time on a horse to training level rider. I was confident in my teaching abilities, and it helped that I had a Master's degree in the field of education. The art of teaching comes naturally to me. After teaching for several years, I have learned and developed skills to teach so many types of riders, and I am comfortable in my ability to break down complicated concepts to riders of all levels. I really enjoyed doing it while I could, and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to do so. I hope to get back to it in some capacity one day. Between teaching lessons consistently, and then starting to feel really solid at the training / modified level of the sport, I ended up reaching a point where I was once again growing too big for my boots. I felt that I had more learning to do, and a desire to see a different side of this industry. I wanted more. A career change, and the desire to learn more in a different atmosphere, led to my current horse and I moving out of state to ride with and work for a very well established upper level professional. I was in heaven when I first started work there. The days were long, but they were spent riding multiple upper level horses, completing expected barn chores and tasks, and just getting to spend all day around the barn. It was amazing to see Sophie on so much grass. I loved being able to ride with the best, and audit lessons that my trainer had with other amazing names in the sport. It was so eye-opening to learn how an upper level program worked, and I got to learn what it takes to manage a 12+ horse property. I even got the opportunity to be on the ground grooming at a huge venue, and I was setting jumps in the warm up ring while getting to watch some icons get ready up close. I was learning so much so intensely. I was keeping a multitude of notes in the notes app on my phone to keep a record of what I was learning in lessons and on the ground. I was a sponge, trying to absorb anything and everything I could. I was eager to keep climbing the ladder and become full time in this sport. Unfortunately, after a few months of the intense learning, it started to send me into a spiral I was not prepared for. I fell into a heavy depressive episode towards mid-November. That, plus dealing with a crazy broken finger, allowed me to take a lot of time to reflect on what was going on in my head. I loved horses, and I wanted horses to be full time for me...why was I struggling to eat, sleep, and find consistent happiness at the barn? I was living the up-and-coming pro life working under someone incredible, riding incredible horses, and taking multiple lessons a week. My trainer really believed in me, and she felt that I was a good fit for this industry. She gave me so many positive affirmations every single day. I had spent years dreaming of this kind of opportunity, so why was I struggling so much? I had a poignant conversation with my former trainer on a recent visit back home. She shared with me how as much as she has loved competitions, she also enjoys simple hacks and trail rides. For her, not every moment in the saddle has to be serious in order for her to still love what she does with horses. That really stuck with me. I needed less. I think my mental health struggle was a combination of having too many major life changes in a short amount of time, and my realization that I do want to keep getting better as a rider and moving up the levels, but not at the cost of never having casual time spent at the barn and with horses. I love riding, I love competing, I love grooming my horse. I love hand grazing, I love course designing, I love teaching lessons. I love observing my trainers during their rides, I love grooming at shows, I love attending the big events to watch the pros do their thing. I love cleaning my tack, I love using my truck and trailer to bring my horse new places, I love walking courses. I love wearing riding clothes, I love going to tack stores, I love watching livestreams of the big shows. I love learning about how different barns operate, I love listening to the vet and farrier when they come to work on the horses, I love going to clinics. But you know what? I also love beach rides, I love trail rides, I love walking around bareback on my horse with no goals in mind. I love spending hours at the barn watching others ride, I love going out with barn friends, I love sitting in the tack room and solving all the worlds' ills with the other riders. I also love spending time with my family and I love spending time with my non-horse friends. I love getting home before the sun sets to walk my dog and have dinner with my husband. I love the last minute 'hey what are you doing today?' plans. I love going out to dinner, I love watching movies, I love doing weekend trips to places I've never been. I love going to breweries, I love to write, I love to go to concerts. I even love sometimes having a lazy weekend with my family with no activities on the schedule. I'm not ready to give up the ability and time to do everything I love just yet. That will mean that I will be pursuing a day job most likely outside of horses, which may be going back to teaching or it might be something new. I have come to an understanding that if I want to go big in the industry full-time, I have to be willing to adjust what baskets I am putting my eggs in significantly. I do not have energy or time right now to go full-send with horses and still be able to do everything I love that does not involve horses. Being in the upper level atmosphere was amazing, and I learned so much in such a short amount of time. It was exhilarating running cross country feeling like both Sophie and I were going so much better together after such a short time working with people at the top of the sport. That being said, I really struggled to thrive mentally in an environment where every day was about getting better and always pushing yourself. I think some might view it as a 'soft' or 'weak' mindset, but I know who I am and what I need. If it means I am a bit slower to reach my riding goals, then so be it. There is nothing wrong with the mentality that you should always be pushing yourself to be better and better everyday; I fully believe that mentality is what gets the people at the top of the sport to be there, and I have intense respect for it. I just realized that the top of the sport might not be a place for me. At least not right this minute. I think that I personally find more inner peace when I can move freely between being highly competitive and serious, and then also being relaxed and just doing casual things with horses. Just a few weeks ago, I drove over to a local farm that was hosting a fun show simply to watch some of the people from my current barn try their hand at barrels and sit-a-buck. I had a smile plastered on my face ear-to-ear the entire time. I clearly need some of that in my life, too. For now, I will keep taking lessons and attending clinics when I can, and enjoying time with my horse both at home and at shows. For the longest time, I thought that 'adult ammy' was not enough to describe where I fit in the horse world, but right now that is where I am. I am growing to enjoy it. My schedule is in my hands, and I look forward to what's next. I will always keep the door cracked should the right opportunity ever come knocking for me to journey back into the professional sphere. Happiness with horses can come in so many forms. For some people, that is competing multiple horses every weekend, and for others it is simply getting to visit a barn and pat a horse on the shoulder every now and then. One isn't inherently better or worse than the other - they're just different. I know someone who finds joy in working with young horses, and also in beach rides and hacks. Another finds joy in bringing students to competitions, and still finding that competitive edge themselves. Another thrives in being the best they can be, and moving multiple horses up the levels as well as bringing other riders up to their potential. Another loves being a horse owner and spending hours grooming, riding, and loving on their horse. Another looks forward to their weekly lesson after a long day in the office. Another enjoys grooming for friends at shows and being the designated videographer and water holder. I have so many barn friends that find happiness in sitting in the field with their horse, seeing which lesson horse is next to their name on a whiteboard, attending big shows as a spectator, or taking pictures for friends during their lessons. There is a space in this crazy industry for every type of horse lover. I am learning to find what space works best for me. And I have no regrets towards what I have experienced so far. I will always still want more, but on my own terms and at my own pace. As I continue my life with horses, I keep myself open to changes while putting my horse first. If my horse is happy, then I will for sure find a way to be happy. Sophie and I will be moving back to our home base of Area 1 this summer, and I look forward to where we go from there. I will be going into some career that likely does not involve working at a barn full time, and I look forward to figuring out what that will look like. Right now, I am substitute teaching while planning for the future. I think at some point I would like to teach lessons again, and maybe also ride for others; in what capacity, I am not yet sure. As of right now, Sophie and I have exciting competition plans while we complete our stint in VA, and I am grateful for what I have access to, and for the relationships I've formed along the way. Here's to all professionals, semi pro's, adult ammy's young riders, horse lovers, and everything in between. We all deserve to be here <3 K

March 2nd, 2024 I know it's been well over a year...but I wanted to have a record of my memories as a participant, vendor, and spectator at Equine Affaire Massachusetts back in 2022. I have been attending Equine Affaire since I was a kid. Growing up as a certified horse girl in New England meant that every Veteran's Day weekend was one of the most important times of the year. I was so lucky to have a mom who would organize annual trips for us to go every year - even pulling us out of school on occasion. When I was much younger, we would go with a group of my barn friends and their moms, and we would organize one night for viewing the Pfizer Fantasia show as a group. I am lucky to have had such a great group of friends and parents at my barn growing up. As a kid, going to Equine Affaire meant saving my pennies for my Breyer horse pick of the year, participating in the build-your-own stick horse activities, and being giddy about seeing all of the different horses in the breed barn. In high school, it meant buying new clothes for myself, and all sorts of treats for our family pony, Clifden. In college, it meant browsing the vendors for hours, and making endless mental checklists of which items I would have bought if I owned my own horse. It also meant scanning the program to make sure I was on time for any professional clinics I thought would be worth a watch. Once I was leasing a horse, it meant entering every single raffle in the hopes of winning the free fly spray bottle, and maybe purchasing that saddle pad in a shade of green I did not yet have. In the spring of 2022, my trainer at the time and good friend, Charlotte, suggested I look at which clinicians would be participating at the event in the fall, and that I should consider taking Sophie if there was anyone I would be interested in riding with. I was blown away at the idea that I could be one of the lucky riders to be in the coliseum with one of these top clinicians! I immediately got to filling out application forms. Shout out to Charlotte for being the one to facilitate this! Several forms, a short essay, and a video montage later, and I was selected to participate in the Gina Miles clinic on the Thursday of that year's event. I was beyond excited. I couldn't wait to experience this iconic event from a completely different view. Shortly after learning of my acceptance into the clinic, I also agreed to help work a vendor booth for KMA Equestrian with my incredible friend and business owner, Kelly. I called my parents, filled with glee over the fact that I would be gaining two entirely new perspectives of Equine Affaire that year. When the time came, my dear friend Bella hauled Sophie and I up to Springfield for our Big E debut. Sophie had an uneventful first evening in her stall with her name, my phone number, and 'DO NOT PET' scribbled onto her stall card. Thursday morning began with an in-hand walk around the stabling area, and a tour of the coliseum. For a horse that pretends to be afraid of a lot of things, she sure took in the coliseum with ease. After braiding her mane and giving her a solid groom, I gave her some alone time in her stall to relax while I spent the early afternoon working the KMA booth. When it was close to time, my lovely sister, Brenna, joined me at stabling to get the spotted unicorn ready to rock. She came with me and helped me set a warm up jump in the ring near stabling. The funniest part of the warm up area was the variety of clientele: Equine Affaire hosts riders and horse lovers from all sorts of disciplines and backgrounds. While I was working on getting straight lines to my cross rail, there was someone lunging a baby horse, a western rider practicing their lope, a dressage rider doing leg yields, and others doing in-hand work. It was slightly chaotic, but I had to take a moment to appreciate how many different ways people can love and be involved with horses. Sophie didn't need much of a warm up, and we soon made our way over to the coliseum. We were in a group with three other riders, and Gina took time to talk to each of us before setting the exercise. We ended up working on what I refer to as 'the circle of death' - where you have 4 poles, or jumps, set up perpendicular to each other so that you can form a circle over them. We then had to practice keeping consistent canters to maintain 7, 6, 5 and even 4 strides in between each pole / jump. This exercise is fantastic for horses and riders of all levels, in my opinion. It was challenging to keep a steady enough canter to keep the striding the same between each pole, but it was equally as challenging to adjust the canter to get exactly the number of strides desired between each set. We had started at the trot and counted steps between, and even at the trot this is an exercise that can be useful. Sophie and I learned that we had an easier time off of the left lead than the right, and Gina had me work on holding a haunches in between poles to work on keeping the lead throughout. I was delighted at the end of our ride. It was so fun to ride with Gina, and I was just beside myself that I was riding this amazing horse at this iconic venue. Sophie could not have been better. Aftercare and several cookies later, Sophie was set up in her stall to enjoy the remainder of her afternoon in peace. I met up with Brenna and Bella to do some shopping, and then continued helping at the KMA booth. Bella took Sophie and myself home that night, and the spotted unicorn got to have the next day off. I had to work at my 'real' job on Friday, so I returned Saturday and Sunday to help run the KMA booth. Experiencing Equine Affaire as a vendor was fun, especially because I was promoting products I love. So many amazing people came through the booth, and it was fulfilling to see how much they loved the products upon first try. We ran a little raffle for free items too, which drew a fair number of people our way. It was so exciting to talk to riders from all over and from many different backgrounds. We chatted with the neighboring vendors, and Kelly and I took turns running the booth while the other went shopping. Even after being at EA for three days, I only purchased a small handful unnecessary items! I was unable to attend last year due to living in Virginia, but I plan to return this year - at least as a spectator, but maybe more if I'm lucky! If you are a horse lover in the New England area, I will always recommend Equine Affaire as the thing to do on Veteran's Day Weekend. The eventing season is usually long gone by that time, and it's close enough to the holidays that you can get a ton of great shopping done for yourself and other horse lovers in your life. I look forward to participating in any capacity in 2024! K

February 26, 2024 Content Warning: Some images in this post show stitches, dried blood, etc. I was really going through it back in November. I was questioning nearly all of my life choices, I was battling mental health demons, and I was having a really hard time staying positive. That is something for a separate blog post in itself, but it all came to a head one blistery afternoon the week before Thanksgiving. I was working the barn alone, and trying to get all the boxes checked in order to go home and prep for my trip north for the holiday. I was on my last horse of the day. The plan was to lunge him down in the field, and then I would just be finishing afternoon chores and be done for the day. Lunging went smoothly, the horse was wonderful. I started to wrap up the lunge whip and get the lead organized, and I noticed a very quick change in temperament from the horse at the end of the rope. He must've noticed the ghosts that sometimes wreak havoc in the field, and his entire (very large) body tensed up. I didn't have a second to process how my hands and the rope were organized and he was in the air and ready to book it back to the barn. Unfortunately, I had not remembered a classic Pony Club rule of never wrapping the lead around your fingers in this one instance, and the 1200lb animal yanked that rope and nearly took my right ring finger with him. Adrenaline was with me immediately, and I was focused a lot more on getting the big guy by my side and walking calmly back to home base than I was about how my finger felt. He was able to be reeled back in fairly quickly, and we discussed how that was all a little silly, followed by several 'good boy' pats on the neck. On our way back up, after we both had calmed down, I noticed that finger was in a lot of pain. I had pretty thick gloves on, so I tried moving my finger around in the glove. I could wiggle it, which made me brush it aside for the time being, as it was at least still attached. Once we were back in the barn, I busied myself with taking care of the horse and getting him back in his stall with his blanket on. I gave him a cookie and told him how good of a boy he was, and that it wasn't his fault that I wasn't thinking clearly about how I was holding the lunge line. I checked up on the other horses that I had left to take care of, and started cleaning up the barn. The growing pain in my finger was rapidly increasing to a point where I couldn't keep ignoring it. After a few minutes, I decided to bite the bullet and take my glove off to assess the damage. Upon first glance, I noticed that there was already bruising and swelling. I grabbed an ice boot from the freezer and let it sit on ice for a few minutes to see if that helped. It felt like the pain increased as soon as I started looking at it, and my gut feeling was that it was dislocated. The direction that the lunge line was pulled would correlate well with a dislocation. I thought I confirmed this suspicion when I went to try to bend my finger from the base joint and it began bending in a direction that it was not supposed to go. That's when panic set in. I put the ice boot away and started manically cleaning tack and throwing hay because I had a feeling I should go to urgent care immediately to get this looked at. I could tell that the finger was not good, but I didn't want to leave the barn a mess. I made sure all the horses had enough hay and water, and then I took myself over to the closest urgent care facility. Holding my hand like a delicate flower, I went up to that reception desk and they told me that I probably should just head to the ER for X-rays, as they didn't have imagery machines at their facility. I then drove over to the hospital and went into the ER. Time in the car allowed me to dwell on what was going on, and I was starting to feel silly. It was 'just my finger' and it was 'just dislocated'. I didn't want to waste anyone's time. Plus, I had to work the next day. Eventually I was given a bed, placed into a room, and the X-ray tech came by and took a few images of my then very swollen hand. The bruising was starting to spread, and the pain was really settling in. After a few minutes, the ER nurse came by and very nonchalantly informed me that my finger was broken. I was really surprised - I had fully anticipated that it was dislocated and would simply have to be put back into place. Having it be broken was a lot less convenient. The original X-ray made it look like the bone between my base and first knuckles was split in half, so everyone in the room seemed optimistic enough that I'd be fully recovered in 4-6 weeks. It looked clean. I was placed in a temporary splint, and sent on my way. I spent that evening FaceTiming family and friends to show off my new look. The next step was an appointment with the orthopedist after the weekend to get it looked at more closely. I went into that weekend before Thanksgiving feeling so, so stupid for getting myself into this situation. It was entirely avoidable, and I always check how I'm holding lead lines every single time I am on the other end of a horse. Except for this one moment, of course. I then took to my socials and reminded all of my horse friends to watch how they handle lunge lines or leads of any kind in order to avoid this situation. You bet I'll never make this mistake again!! The Monday before Thanksgiving, I went into the orthopedics office for new X-rays and a cast. They had recommended a hard cast in order to protect the break, especially since I was still planning to go back to work. I remember being in the waiting room seeing a bunch of kids in colorful, signed casts. I thought about where I could buy silver or gold sharpies to have my family sign my cast when I went home later that week. I had never had a cast before, so in the moment it made me feel lighter to romanticize decorating it instead of sulking over having a broken bone. I had to be at least as tough as the kiddos with broken wrists! I was eventually brought in to the back and they took a good look at my hand. They wanted new images before casting, so they took X-rays at various angles. It suddenly became much more visible to me (and to them): That bone was SHATTERED. It was not just split up the middle. It was in several pieces, and had a lot of feathering and cracks. I was blown away at the amount of damage that was caused by such a quick incident. Upon examining my hand, the doctor determined that my finger also had some malrotation. That is why I had thought it was dislocated, and why it was bending in weird ways. They gave me some numbing fluid, and then - literally - twisted my finger back into place. The noise it made sounded like it was being snapped off. It took me a few minutes to mentally recover from seeing that happen. They then put the cast on, and informed me that if any of the bones shifted, we would have to pursue surgery. They were optimistic that we wouldn't have to go that route, so I was optimistic with them. I chose black for my cast so that dirt would be less visible once I was back to work, and I planned to stop at Michael's on the way up north for some sharpies. I enjoyed that holiday weekend with my family, showing off my cast, and not having to help clean the dishes. I planned to return to work as normal the following week, sans riding. When I did get back, I managed to do all of the regular chores, albeit slower than usual. I even got a few bareback rides in on the spotted unicorn. She must have felt some amount of sympathy for me, because she kept her spooking to a bare minimum so I could adequately steer with one hand. It felt like things were looking up. My next checkup about a week later was great. They took the cast off, took new X-rays, and confirmed that things looked like they were all still in the right places. I left that appointment being told that we were 80% confident we wouldn't need to go for surgery. They put me in another hard cast to continue the added protection, and I returned to work as normal, again with minimal riding. The next checkup, about a week after the last one, was not as great. They took new X-rays, and found that one of the bones had shifted in a way that would inhibit my use of the finger long term. The doctor discussed surgery with me, and I signed a whole lot of papers. Surgery was a go. It was at this point that I pulled away from work altogether. If you look closely at the X-ray below, you might be able to see the piece of bone that was rotating out of place in that section. The doctor's office didn't waste any time. Surgery happened later that week, the first week of December, and I was put under general anesthesia just for that finger. They ended up putting 4 screws in that one small section of my finger. That confirmed for me just how damaged it was, if that much hardware was required to fix it. I was stitched up, placed in a big splint, and sent on my way. What followed was a ton of physical therapy. I was going a few days per week, and working on exercises just to get the finger moving normally at each joint. Once the stitches came out, I felt a little more at ease about completing the exercises, and noticed the swelling was starting to decrease. Around Christmastime, the swelling was decreasing rapidly and the finger was looking a lot straighter. I was being rotated between a few different splints to wear during the day and then at night for protection, and everything seemed to be trending in the right direction. I was feeling really set in recovery. I had also started substitute teaching at my local school district, which gave me something else to focus on besides my wonky finger. After the holidays, I moved Sophie to a new barn and I started riding again. I was able to do everything as normal; I just switched to holding my right rein in between my middle and ring finger instead of between the ring and pinky fingers. I was struggling to bend the ring finger, but I could still hold it in place against the rein which was enough for me to do what I needed to do. My hand therapist has been amazing, and every visit she measures the progress of my extension and flexion. At first the progress seemed decent, and my ability to flex was increasing by a few degrees at a time each session. After a few weeks of continued, intense therapy following the holidays, we both started to notice that my flexion was stagnating and my extension was starting to decrease. We did a lot of 'scar massages', which is literally just massaging the skin of the scar to help move the scar tissue around in order for it to not harden too quickly. We noticed that the scar tissue was pretty thick, and nearly immovable. The doctor had a look at it and told me that, unfortunately, I had tendons that had adhered to the bone post surgery. This was the main reason I was struggling to bend my finger at that one joint. Our last ditch efforts to avoid a second surgery were this medieval torture device, that was made to slowly force my finger to come down and bend more, and a cortisone shot. I have to say that the cortisone shot was probably the worst part during this whole process. They applied a lot of numbing fluid to that area, which made my hand real fat but also subdued the pain, and then did injections at two sites on top of my hand. The pain from the steroid after the numbing wore off was excruciating. I would describe it as a searing, burning, insistent pain. Throughout the whole process up to this point, I had been dealing with pain that was mostly intense soreness and aching; this was different. It only lasted one evening, but it was brutal. We let the shot try to work its magic over the course of two weeks, and along with this crazy device, we continued to work at that joint to make some bending happen. Unfortunately, this device and the steroid couldn't do it. On February 5th, the doctor looked at my progress and decided he needed to go back in. I was in agreement - my finger flexion was only at about 20%. The bones were healing well, but there were tendons that had adhered to the bone, and scar tissue on top of that - all of which was impeding both the flexion and extension so much that the steroid couldn't be effective. I wanted to have full use of my hand again at some point, so I filled out the paperwork and signed up for surgery round 2. The pictures below are from the day before surgery. The original scar had healed so well, but I had such little flexion in that middle joint. Just last Friday I went under the knife for the second surgery. I was again given general anesthesia for this one freaking finger, and the doctor performed an 'extensor tenolysis' and a 'PIP joint capsulectomy'. In basic terms, they were going to cut some secondary tendons to release pressure, and they were going to peel the adhered tendons off the bone to allow for easier bending at the problem joint. I had to get a few more stitches, but I took the wrapping off a few times over the weekend to start on my exercises and I can make a fist!! I haven't been able to do that for months. It's not perfect, but it feels like hefty progress. I had my first round of PT this morning and I am feeling really good about where we are at with this now. I will get this round of stitches out next week, and hopefully after the next two weeks of intensive therapy, I will see some major continued progress. I keep slowly working on some basic therapy exercises as I sit here at work, and I am just so relieved to see my fingers all be able to curl into a fist together. It's a motion you probably don't think about that often until you can't do it! My biggest takeaways from all of this: DO NOT WRAP LEADS AROUND YOUR HAND. Loop and fold. Loop and fold. Loop and fold!!!!!! Recovery looks different for everyone. Be patient, listen to the doctors, and take recovery one step at a time. Whatever I choose as a career, hand model is off the table. I never want another needle in either of my hands ever again. I will continue to provide updates on this thing (hopefully all positive) as I head into competition season. I guess it was mildly convenient that this all happened during the off season! Huge thank you's to my doctors, my physical therapist, and family and friends for your support. And a huge thank you to Sophie, who was super for me to lunge with one hand yesterday <3 K

February 22nd, 2024 Something that I have been very excited to watch the progress of is Sophie's form over jumps. It has always been the phase that has felt the strongest for both of us since we became a team, but the progress that we have made within it has grown exponentially over the last several months. As a self-titled 'experienced amateur', I can absolutely feel when we are jumping flat versus when we are jumping well. Sure, Sophie often can get the job done and jump the jumps, but these days I have been focusing a lot on our form so that hopefully we can sneak in a few clear rounds this upcoming season and continue to get the job done and get it done well. Our tendency during a course is to start strong, and then get flat and long as the course goes on. This typically results in us being good for one rail. Usually it begins with Sophie feeling quite powerful and strong a few jumps in, and I (incorrectly) resort to pulling instead of pushing her into the bridle to get her to come back to me. Here are two pics of Sophie jumping over a similarly sized vertical. Spot the difference(s)?! I have been fortunate to have had several great jump trainers and clinic'd with some great jump riders over the years, but the phrase I always come back to is Tim Bourke describing the horse as being a bouncing ball underneath you. The idea is that you can shrink or expand the height of the bounce, but you can keep the same rhythm and energy. This applies to the horses: you can change the length of stride by correctly moving the energy up and down, instead of thinking of it as a forward/backward, faster/slower motion. It's bigger/smaller. Faster/slower implies a depletion of quality energy. I really think that a lot of riders struggle with this concept, myself included. It's hard to shift from the 'pull to slow down' mindset to the 'push to make the stride smaller' action. But when I get to the right headspace and perform the correct actions, Sophie jumps phenomenally. To try to explain what I am feeling, I am going to write it as a stream of consciousness. I can only hope this translates well enough: -We are cantering towards a jump. I have my leg on, I am sitting up and looking beyond the jump, and I have a contact to the bit that my elbows are following. I am putting my leg pressure on with the thought that I am pushing her into the contact that I am holding in my moving elbows. We are about 2/3 strides out and I am focusing on the rhythm of 1...2...1...2... instead of counting the strides. (For me personally, counting the strides gets my brain feeling like we need to suddenly go slower or faster which then causes a loss of quality energy and momentum.) We jump, we land, and I keep my butt out of the tack for one stride, still with leg on for support, before I sit to apply more leg pressure to push her back up and into the contact and come back to me. I am seated but not driving. If I pull without leg, we will slow down and lose our quality energy and get flat. If I push and drive with no contact, we will get faster and flat. I also have to ask her to come back to me within her rhythm - if I work against her, we (again) will lose our momentum and canter quality. I have to think leg on, back up, having a fluid contact, moving elbows, using my abdomen to hold the contact steady with the rhythm. If she starts to speed up, I "simply" apply greater pressure from the leg into a stronger contact, using my abdomen to hold it harder. - High level professionals that do this every day on many different horses have the ability to harness this quite well. I ride Sophie, and Sophie only these days, so I have the ability to focus on working on that feeling with her specifically so that someday I might get to the point where it's muscle memory and I can apply it to future horses. The good news, like I said earlier, is that I am at a point where I can feel when I am doing it right. Now my goal is to be able to make the feeling be what I need it to be all the time and not fall back into bad habits. I have a few sample clips below: can you tell where we are flat and where we are jumping well? I'll give my thoughts underneath them. Clip A Clip B Clip C Clip D Clip A: I would describe Sophie as putting her legs up and then down. We jumped it, but it was flat, and if the fence was much bigger (and had a rail) we most likely would have clipped the rail. You can see that before the jump, I am working against her. I have some leg on, but I am driving with my seat and simultaneously pulling her head back instead of following her rhythm. You can see that her hind legs are pushing off in a way that is just a continuation of a canter stride instead of really rocking back on her haunches and pushing off the ground. This is what most of our show jumping looked like at the start of our time together. At that time, I was focused on just getting the job done instead of focusing on details of doing it well. Our scores reflect this! Clip B: This was taken just the other day. You can see the difference in her body where she pushes clearly off of both hind legs together and uses more of her head and neck upon takeoff. On the approach to the jump, I am following the contact with my elbow, and the contact is very clear. I am seated but in a relatively light manner. I am using my leg here to ask her to bring her back up to me, and I hold the contact through my abdomen to ask her to sit back a bit in front of the fence. Clip C: This was from a few years ago when we were completing a classic "Charlotte Course" (meaning something crazy, challenging and fun with whatever we had set up in the indoor), and I was clearly focused on just finding the jump instead of asking Sophie to jump with any real oomph. It's flat, her head stays up the air, I am clearly not allowing with my elbow and forearm, etc. In the moment I was most likely happy with this, but I love that I can look back on this and know how much improvement we have made and how much I have grown since. Clip D: This was from a telling jump lesson with Jan from the fall. We had been working on Sophie keeping her back up so much on the flat, and it was clearly translating to the jumping. When I can put all the pieces together, this horse has an almost unlimited scope. I really can see the power she has from this short clip - Sophie is incredible. It's moments like these that I believe those professionals who have said this horse could be competitive at the upper levels (not that I will get there myself LOL). I know it might be hard to see in the clip, but she really sits back and launches over these jumps with so much power, and uses her whole body to do so. And I am riding in a way that promotes and allows that to happen. It sounds silly, but I am actually doing less with my body than I used to, and as a result accomplishing more. Instead of pulling a lot and driving a lot and moving here there and everywhere, I am working on being steady, soft but strong, and clear when I am asking for any kind of change. I am learning to be methodical instead of reacting in the moment. I really feel good about our show jumping right now, and our little outing at the recent schooling show only helped to solidify that feeling. 2 clear rounds and a confident feeling horse (and rider!). Our first event of the season is the schooling trial at Loch Moy in March, so hopefully we can squeeze in a clear round there! K

I have not purchased a pair of breeches other than KMA's since I put on my first pair back in the late fall of 2021. I remember when I first met Kelly, the owner of KMA Equestrian, when she came to our barn to promote these breeches she was designing. When I took a pair to try on, I noticed immediately how the material felt of such a higher quality compared to other breeches I was used to wearing at the time. I slipped them on and looked in the mirror and thought, WOW. I couldn't believe how good they looked. Beyond that, I couldn't believe how great they felt. I was hooked. It was one of those right place, right time situations. I was looking to work on my social media skills and to maybe grab some product or brand ambassadorships, and Kelly was looking for someone to help promote her products. I started helping with social media posts, photography, and in-person marketing to all of the people at my barn at the time. I would say it worked - I visited my previous barn just a few weeks ago, and majority of the riders I saw were adorned in their favorite pair of KMA breeches. Now I am a proud ambassador for this incredible brand. It is a brand that I believe in wholeheartedly, and I was so excited at the opportunity to promote it to fellow equestrians! Read on for all of the reasons I love KMA, and at the end I will provide a discount code to those interested in checking out KMA for themselves :) KMA breeches are absolute stand-out riding pants. I have never seen another product do the same thing that these do. The biggest draw to these breeches is that they are compression pants, so they stay in place all day and help fight muscle fatigue. For riders, I think both of those qualities are wildly important. For professionals and amateur riders alike, it is refreshing to not have to readjust your waistband every time you dismount. Compression materials have a lot of benefits, including greater long-term comfort, which again is something that benefits riders tremendously! Most breeches on the market are a mix between tights and regular cotton, which can be comfy at first, but wear down quickly over time. I can't tell you how many breeches I've had prior to KMA's that get saggy at the knees and around the butt even after just one ride - and that includes some of the most well-known high end breeches out there. I currently have KMA's that I first wore back in December of 2021 that still look good as new today, even after being worn and washed every week in between. Another fantastic quality of KMA breeches is the level of grip in the silicone. Whether you are a knee patch or full seat fan, the silicone is so incredibly grippy that you will feel secure in that saddle all ride long. My favorite part of the full seats are that they are super grippy without leaving marks on my saddle, which some breeches unfortunately do. It's amazing to not worry about that! Kelly has been working hard to provide riders with color options that are both fun and classic. Right now there is a wonderful selection that anyone would find exciting - from classic black and grey, to bright teal and plum tones, to breeches fit for the show ring in iconic tan and white colors - there is a perfect variety to choose from. As an event rider, I am partial to my white breeches for showing. Those breeches are a miracle in and of themselves, in my opinion. I had the hardest time finding white breeches for competition that held up over time, provided the right grip and support to traverse dressage and cross country, were comfortable, and didn't stain within 5 minutes of wear. The KMA white competition breeches changed the game for me - they covered all of my needs!! Just the other day I was searching for my older pair to wear to a schooling show, and I literally couldn't tell the difference between the pair I've had for a few years now, and the pair I got over the summer. Both are still stain-free and good as new. One other major highlight I can give to KMA breeches is their durability. I worked full time at a high level competition barn for a few months, and these breeches held up as well as I had thought they would. After a day of barn chores, riding several horses, cleaning tack, and throwing straw and hay, these breeches still looked just as they did when I put them on in the morning. They stay put around my waist, they keep me comfortable and feeling supported even after riding multiple horses and doing chores, and they fight off dirt and dust. The material makes it easy to wipe most things right off. I have yet to wear a hole in any of them! Being a small business run by a woman who is also an equestrian, Kelly cares deeply about the quality of her products. She offers a full range of sizes, and the contrast stitching and detailed piping on the breeches is phenomenally flattering. I have always been a fan of dressing well to ride, and these breeches make me feel good and look great! KMA has breeches in colors and styles available for both the every day rider, the once a week lesson rider, and the competition rider. There are also options where the logo is on the calf instead of the thigh, if riders prefer a more subtle look. Along similar lines, if riders prefer no piping, KMA has a few new colors coming soon that have no piping riders can choose from. All breeches have a sleek sock bottom (none of the old school velcro!) that sits comfortably under socks and boots. On top of the breeches, which I could seriously rave about for hours, KMA also has a line of fabulous belts! Polo belts have come soaring back into style, and KMA has a ton of great color combinations available at a much more affordable price than most polo belts on the market. The leather is soft and supple, making the belt comfortable for long-term wear. I have always had issues with leather belts being too tough and causing rubs on my hip bones, and these belts are the only ones to have pulled me out of my elastic-belt obsession. These are a lot more stylish, long-lasting, and durable! I had the opportunity to support Kelly at the KMA Equestrian booth at Equine Affaire Massachusetts in 2022, and it was so affirming hearing the first-time buyers rave over how everything felt from the first time trying them on. Most people who have purchased one pair of breeches have tended to come back for a second or more - like I said before, I haven't even thought of buying any other brand of breeches since my first pair of KMA's. In case you couldn't tell from reading this, I am down-right obsessed. I am so incredibly thankful to be supported by KMA and have the opportunity to share my love of this brand with so many others! KMA often has some amazing sales going on, so be sure to stay up-to-date and subscribe to the email list to be the first to know of great deals and new styles! There are new styles and colors dropping VERY soon - you don't want to miss out!! If you want to get a head start on your KMA collection, you can use my discount code, 'Kailyn15', at check out. If you are already a KMA fan, be sure to leave a review on the KMA website. Follow KMA Equestrian on Facebook and Instagram to make sure you never miss a sale or a new product launch. Support a woman-owned small business that has the highest quality equestrian products! K

February 12, 2024 Sophie and I made an appearance at a local schooling dressage show yesterday. We've been doing a lot of solid flatwork practice at home, and I have been feeling really great about how it has all been coming along. It was nice to have the opportunity to put that practice into performance! Our trip took us over to Bascule farm in Maryland, and their lovely facility boasts two sizable indoor arenas; one for warm-up, and one for show. It was extra convenient to have a roof over our heads the whole time especially since the rain was scattering on and off all day. Soph was pretty tense as soon as we stepped into the warm up, and I spent a fair amount of time at the walk trying to get us both to relax. For those of you that have seen us at a competition, you know that we often get into fights as soon as we head down the first centerline. Sophie gets tense, I get tense, and then it's just a battle for power. I have been trying to reframe my flatwork to focus on her relaxation and acceptance of the bit in a more natural way instead of us warring over who is in charge. Our walk warm up consists of mini transitions within the walk, some lateral work, and a lot of turns on the haunches and forehand. Sophie carries her tension in her neck and her shoulders, so I try to break up her body as much as I can from the start as well as work on lifting her back. She was feeling better as we got going, and after some time at the trot and canter, thinking about those same concepts, I felt like we were in a good enough place to enter the ring. As soon as we approached the second indoor, I had pre-warm up Sophie under my seat again. All of the work we had just done seemed to have blown out the window, and we promptly marched up that centerline headed into battle. Our first test, First Level test 1, finished on a score of 62.96. Translating to about a 37 for dressage in eventing, that's actually not too bad for us. I think the judge here was being quite nice, but I also try to make sure our geometry and accuracy is on point especially if I know we will be docked points for suppleness and confidence. There were some highlights: the judge thought Sophie had a 'good quality walk', and that Sophie and I are a 'great partnership'. She spoke to us after the test and mentioned how we need to work on improving suppleness and balance, and that she really liked Sophie (me too!!). We exited that arena to head back to the warm up, and Jacqui, the head trainer at our new home, immediately called me out on looking down and using my outside rein to pat Sophie during our canter circle to the right - specifically the moment when Sophie's left shoulder blasted towards the wall making the second half of our circle a questionable shape. She was absolutely right - I gave away that aid when I went to pet her. And I have a historically bad habit of looking down. I can hear all my past trainers shouting 'chin up!!!!' at me as I type this. Jacqui then helped me out in my warm up for our second test, acting as the nudge who calls out all my bad habits as they happen. It was wildly helpful. We again spent a fair amount of time at the walk, and focused on just keeping Sophie's wiggly little body moving forward into my hand and staying straight. Jacqui also helped me focus on getting her to be a little longer in her neck to help fight the tension. We went into the second test feeling more prepared. Our second test, First Level test 2, finished on a score of 66.82. This is actually pretty good for us! We still had moments of intensity, but having someone remind me of my bad habits in the warm up was incredibly helpful. Some highlights included the judge upgrading us from a 'great partnership' to a 'wonderful pair', and our first leg yield grabbing a 7.5. My favorite moment was our stretch trot, simply because where we got to in the stretch was, as Jacqui stated, the trot we need to have as our working trot. As you can see in the screen grab below, she looks like a completely different horse!!! We came home with a first and a third place ribbon, and great feedback from both Jacqui and the judge to work on. I am so proud of how far we've come as a duo, and hopefully it only goes up from here with our flatwork! I have a few weekends of personal activities ahead, so I think our next outing might be some cross country schooling once we head into March... :) Thank you to everyone who has subscribed / messaged me / read my posts so far!! I really appreciate any and all support <3 K

February 14, 2024 Picture: Captured by Joan Davis of Flatlands Foto, Sophie and I over a table on course, both smiling. Since as far back as I can remember, riding at the preliminary level of eventing has always felt like a reach goal. Just like high school seniors will apply to at least one 'reach' school, the idea of running prelim was something I occasionally thought about, but never really dreamed would come to fruition. I never aspired to be riding full time at the upper levels, but for me, being able to compete at the prelim level seemed like an other worldly achievement. I would be incredibly successful if I could get there one day. When I started riding with Charlotte at N&C, prelim still seemed something of a whisper in the wind. I had a lot to work on from the ground up, first. I truly didn't think about running at that level until the day I ran training level with Sophie for the first time. Sophie has been a dream in more ways than one (and a nightmare in others), but it wasn't until we completed our first training level run at Flora Lea farm in the fall of 2021 that I started to formulate the idea of prelim being approachable in my head. Sophie was clearly talented in the jumping, and it was just a matter of me learning how to navigate properly in order to maybe make this dream a reality. In the early spring of 2022, Charlotte and I marked our calendars for my attempt at the level for August of that year. Just putting the words 'Huntington - P' in my calendar made me feel insane. I couldn't believe that we might actually get there. We ran a few events early on in the spring to get the rest of our MER's. One was a training level run at Huntington, where my dear friend Eliza was running prelim on her superstar mare. Watching her complete that run (and do such an amazing job!!!!) allowed me to get a glimpse as to what questions would potentially be on my course there later in the year. We had a run at the modified level at Hitching Post farm in the spring as well, where Sophie blew me away with her willingness to try, even when I was not at my best. The course was twisty, turn-y, and terrain-y, and we still jumped clear only adding some expected time to our xc day. I will recap that show at some point, too. By the time August rolled around, I was newly engaged, and also was prepared to be a newly minted prelim rider as my MER's were complete. Charlotte carted just myself and the spotted unicorn all the way to Vermont for our go (forever grateful for that!!). I was fortunate to have an incredible team to support me throughout the day - Charlotte, Drew, my dad, and my long time barn friend Kylie. Everyone traveled at least a few hours to watch me go - I was determined for it to be somewhat successful for myself and for them!! Picture: X, halt, salute. Captured by my dad. Dressage started off on an okay foot. As told in previous posts, it is our weakest phase, and Sophie and I have a history of fighting with each other over who is allowed to be more tense during our time in the sandbox. I think I got incredibly lucky, because the judge that day was someone who knew both of us, and had recently done a fix-a-test for us at our home base weeks prior. We finished with a 37.4, which was probably generous but also pretty good for us at the time. I was delighted. Picture: Sophie making light work of the show jumping, and me holding on for the thrill. Show jumping came and went quickly - it is usually our most straight-forward phase, and that day was no different. She tore up the grass as we rocketed around the show jumping, adding only 1 rail to our score. I didn't even realize we had a rail until we walked out and Charlotte informed us - I was having so much fun as the pilot and didn't even hear the clip of the hoof on the rail or the tumble of the rail to the grass. Either way, I left the show jumping full of excitement and some anxiety over the culmination of our efforts: the cross country. Picture: Charlotte and I course walking for show jumping. Captured by my dad. We always warm up quickly for xc. She doesn't need much prep, and especially if we've come right from show jumping, she's already a bit fired up. We popped over a log they had set for the warm up off of the right lead, off of the left, and at an angle, and then made our way to the start box. Drew, Kylie and Charlotte had already ventured deeper on course to get good video angles (best people for that!!) and the only person there filled with more anxiety than myself - my dear, dear father - took his post at the start box to capture the start and finish with my mom's good camera. He felt better seeing that angle than any of the 'cooler' jumps later on course (LOL). (A brief shout-out to my mom, who could not join us due to being sick and stuck at home, but supported with so much heart from a distance - and even trusted my dad with her camera for the trip!!) Picture: Captured by Charlotte, me in front of the last fence on course, showing off my beautiful KMA breeches I took several deep breaths as I made my way to the start. I usually like to consider myself semi-stoic and focused at events, but this was different. Event riders know that the details of all three phases are important, but the reason we do this sport is the cross country. It's exhilarating - there's nothing like it! Charlotte and I had walked the course the night before, and talked about the correct rides to all of the hard questions: the trakehner, the drop out of the woods, the right facing corner then six strides to a left facing corner, a sunken road type of exercise in the woods, the coffin, etc. The only question on the course that made me pee my pants a little was a sizable up bank, bounce to a skinny, then one stride to a down bank. Sophie and I had not had significant practice with this, and we had been sticky at up banks during schooling prior to this. Fortunately for us, Huntington must have also thought this was tricky because they had a black flag option set up at that combination. The option gave us the route of going up the bank, down the mound and then circling around the bank over a separate skinny fence, and then back to the regular course. Charlotte and I decided that if things were going amazingly well, that I could attempt the regular route. Any hesitation at any fence prior to this combination, and the smart decision would be to do the option. Picture: All smiles at my dad (for me at least) before heading to the start box I ran the course over and over again in my head hundreds of times between waking up that morning and entering the start box. We were ready. 5...4...3...2...1 have a great ride! We were off. Picture: Captured by my dad, us hopping over fence 1 Soph was a teeny bit backed off at the first two fences, and I was late pressing the gas pedal, which resulted in an unusual stop for us at fence 3. I kicked myself for not prepping enough, and then circled back and popped over it with ease. Fence four was sticky, but Sophie's limber nature got us over it, and then we had a clear runout at fence 5 - a skinny chevron-type fence heading up a path into the woods. I thought I had set us up well for this one, but clearly my first 4 questionable fences didn't build a lot of confidence in either of us. Sophie also couldn't believe that there was a fence judge near it - in a chair no less!! There was a lot to look at. At that point my regular cross country brain kicked in. What the hell were we doing?! I was NOT about to be eliminated at this point. I had important people here supporting me, and I did not want to let them down. So, as they say, I kicked on. We scrambled over that skinny on our second attempt, with me pleading with Sophie out loud to stay focused and help me out a little. We headed into the woods, and then came out over the coffin, where Sophie put one stride where it was supposed to be, but I had anticipated 2, so we sailed over the out with me lagging behind a bit. I told her how good she was, thanked her for listening to my pleas, and we galloped out into the first open field. From then on, it was smooth sailing. Over a big table, a line of skinnies, back into the woods - out over a big drop, over the trakehner, 6 strides in between the corners, in and out of the sunken road, and then I, of course, opted for the option at the bank which went without a hitch. At that point I couldn't care less about time; I just wanted us to find the finish flags. We eased through the water and over a chevron out of the woods...then we galloped towards home. Picture: Sophie and I heading into the corner combination on course. Captured by Kylie. We soared over fence 18 with smiles on both of our faces, and I had tears of joy falling as we went through the flags. Love for the sport and this horse filled my head to the brim. In that moment, I truly believed they did not make enough cookies in the world to give to Sophie as a thank you. The cherry on top was the ability to take home a ribbon that day. 8th place and the brown ribbon might not seem that amazing on paper, but I was elated to have a keepsake for this memory. We finished our first prelim on a number, albeit quite high, but a number nonetheless. Sophie proved to me that she has beyond what it takes to be at that level, and I also took big notes on what we needed to work on at home to find more success in the future. Like any problems we've had on cross country in the past, the issues are never Sophie's ability: they are usually a combination of poor riding decisions and both of us being easily distracted! I'm always hesitant to say that Sophie and I are a 'prelim pair', only due to the cross country faults. We did finish, so by definition, we have achieved that (no longer) far reaching goal, but I'm determined to do it again and do it better! That was over a year and a half ago, and since then we have only dabbled at a few trainings due to my insane schedule over the last year. However, I look forward to our next go. Sophie is so talented, and I often remind myself that she only started getting into eventing in 2019, and then didn't really consistently get out there until 2021. Green doesn't feel like the right way to describe her, but she certainly does not have loads of experience, yet still goes as good as she does. I really believe this mare has talent for so much, and here's to me making sure my shit's together so that I can harness it properly during our time together. Top left: captured by my dad, us soaring over the last fence and headed to the flags Top right: captured by Charlotte, us flying over the out of the sunken road Bottom left: captured by Charlotte, warming up and seeing the grounds the night before the show Bottom right: getting that aftercare done right, according to Kylie. Captured by my dad. Picture: My incredible team. Kylie, Drew, and Charlotte. And of course, my dad, who is not pictured but is the man behind the camera. All the thank you's in the world to Charlotte for hauling us there and back, coaching us, and being there to support us every step of the way; to my family and friends for their in-person and long distance cheering; and to the spotted unicorn. For everything. Here's to what's next. K -If adding course walks as a part of show recap blogs interests you, please leave a comment or message me! I have tons of pictures of my old courses taking up storage on my phone, and a fairly good memory of how courses rode, and I'd be happy to share to any interested parties :)

February 10, 2024 It's no secret that horses have been a significant part of my life for a very long time. In fact, if you can believe it, horses have been a part of my life for longer than Drew and I have been together - so it was only fitting that horses were somehow involved in one of the best days of my life. All it took to have my horse at my wedding was a venue that accepted horses, two incredible friends, and a cooperative horse. Lucky for me, I had all of those things! Sophie is pretty great at trailering solo, and she's used to going to new places for all sorts of activities, so this was just another day in her week. As long as cookies are involved somewhere, she's down for most things. The venue we had picked out was the Farmington Polo Club, which already had horses on site for polo matches, plus a riding program, so I figured it wouldn't be too many additional phone calls to get approval to have a horse on site. While Drew and I were touring the facility before we had officially signed any paperwork, I had mentioned that I was an equestrian, and the facilities manager suggested that I could have some photos in and around the barn - and it didn't take me more than a minute to start scheming on making wedding photos with my horse a reality. The barn manager was wonderfully accommodating, and Sophie had access to a stall to hang out in after pictures and while my friends were enjoying the party. I also am very blessed to have two incredible friends who not only trailered Sophie to the venue, but also bathed and braided her to look her absolute best for photos. They were the ones who had to figure out where to go with the trailer, find the stall, and get her organized all without my direction as it was my wedding day and I was not readily available at all. They did all of that, made it to the ceremony, and put finishing touches on the spotted unicorn while in their dresses and heels. Bella & Darby if you're reading this, you already know, but ily <3 Sophie was absolutely stunning, and it is so special to me to have these memories captured. It sounds wicked cheesy, but it really was magical to have her present on that day. I've been telling everyone that I very astutely planned to have my horse present at my wedding, but couldn't possibly get organized enough to have my dog there - sorry to Wally and all of his fans, that one is on me LOL. Aside from having the physical horse present, there were other nods to horses present at the reception. They were of course mentioned in speeches and seen in photos, but I also was fortunate to have grabbed a bunch of used horseshoes from my farrier at the time to use as a part of the centerpiece decor. My amazing mom cleaned and spray painted the shoes gold and silver, and helped in the design of the table decorations. They came out perfectly! I am so very grateful to all who made it possible for this to happen. I love Sophie so much, and having her there on that day is something I will hold close to my heart forever <3 All photos were taken by the incredible Villetto Photography. K

February 8, 2024 If you're reading this, thank you! I have decided to start blogging as a way to appreciate the past and present of my life with horses. This is therapeutic to me - I have always loved writing, so this is the perfect way for me to keep up with that as well as share my love for horses and the sport of eventing. Right now I am based in Northern Virginia, otherwise known as NOVA to the locals. I moved here in August to pursue a professional career with horses, only to realize that is not a path that is meant for me. At least for right now. Sophie, my current horse and the first horse I have owned as an adult, resides down the road from my apartment at a wonderful eventing and dressage barn. We have plans to compete at a few events in the area this spring before moving back up north to our OG home base of Area 1. Together, Sophie and I have moved from the novice to the preliminary level of eventing. That path has not been entirely smooth sailing, but she is an incredibly talented mare with a big heart. As I am continuing to hone in on my skills as a rider, we are becoming increasingly more confident as a team. I have been going through the process of getting both of us registered with FEI in order to hopefully attempt to break into the FEI sphere later this spring. (crossing all fingers and toes) Sophie had about a month and a half off between November and January due to an injury I had. Between a severe struggle with my mental health and surgery, she got to enjoy some time just being a horse out in a field. I don't think she was too sad about that :) Since then, we have gotten back to a consistent work schedule and I have been slowly getting her (and myself) back into shape to prepare for our goals this season. In the meantime, we have a few schooling shows and horse trials we will be attending to get our feet wet again. We recently stopped by a local schooling jumper show, where Sophie and I both remembered how fun it is to compete and brought home blues for both the 3' and the 3'3 classes. Soon we will be heading down the road to a schooling dressage show, where we both might not be as fired up, but will do our best to show what we have been practicing at home for months!! I have a fair amount of time on my hands these days, so I plan to update this site often. I have a lot of thoughts, I have been blessed to have had a lot of experiences, and as a result I do believe I have things worth sharing that might also be worth reading. Thanks for coming along with me! K

February 8, 2024 Are you interested in registering you and your horse with the FEI and have never done so before? Then you are in the same spot I was back in the fall of 2023. Now that I have officially completed that process as of February of 2024, I wanted to provide a step-by-step breakdown of what I did to get to this point. I am sure there are other guides that exist, and the rules you can find through USEF, USEA and FEI are relatively clear, but I wanted to add my two cents in case it could be helpful to someone in the future. First - why FEI? For me, it was a new goal I could set that seemed achievable. Sophie and I had competed at events through the preliminary level, and while on paper our record isn't perfect, she absolutely has the skill to be there. I just have to continue to work on myself and our ability as a team in order for us to be competitive. I thought that if we were comfortable at the modified level, and had experience at prelim, then we could try our hand at a 1*. For those unfamiliar, FEI stands for Federation Equestre Internationale, and there are many events in the US that offer FEI levels, which are internationally recognized levels of competition. They have levels from 1* - 5*, with 5* being the highest level of competition on an international level. 1* is equivalent to the modified level of eventing, which is a more recently added section that acts as a stepping stone between the training and preliminary levels. To be quite honest, I do not fancy myself and Sophie as a majorly competitive pair that can swoop down and win it all - but I do think we have the ability to have experiences like this successfully as a pair. Competing as an FEI rider will be a new experience that I want to do because I think we can, not because I think we will win. Plus, I want an excuse to don a shadbelly while trotting down the centerline ;) The process... Before I could even dream of Sophie and I entering an event at any FEI level, she needed to have a passport. A passport is literally a physical booklet containing detailed information about the horse, its markings, and veterinary records. I entered into this process thinking it would be quick and easy - and boy was I wrong!! It required a lot of planning, and it is EXPENSIVE. I will provide a breakdown of cost at the end of my rambling. The first thing I had to do was make sure that I had renewed my USEF membership, and then I had to register Sophie with USEF as a lifetime horse member. I had recently renewed her for just an annual membership, but it was required for her to be a life member for a passport. I can continue to be annual for myself. I then discovered that I needed a microchip number for her in order to proceed with getting a passport. I did not know if she was chipped, so I had to have the vet come out to check. It turned out that she was not chipped, so I had to get her one. I then had to complete a passport services application. The directions are very clear on the document, and this part was relatively uncomplicated for me because I am listed through USEF as Sophie's owner, and all I needed was a new FEI passport. Once this application was complete, I mailed it along with the fees to USEF headquarters. I received the blank passport for Soph in the mail around a week after the application was sent. I was advised to complete this part of the process WELL in advance of my first competition to avoid having to pay additional fees for rushed shipping and services. The blank passport required a vet to complete and sign Sophie's description page. This took some time, because the markings have to be drawn and described in finite detail - and Sophie's markings are not easy. They also had to record her up-to-date vaccination records and sign for it in the passport. I then had to sign one section in the passport as the owner. Following that, I then had to mail the passport back to USEF headquarters for them to approve it. I then got the passport returned to me after approval by USEF, and it is currently in my hands ready to go. It is my job to provide it to the vet for signatures every time Sophie gets vaccinated. In addition to this, I also had to register myself as an FEI athlete, and Sophie as an FEI horse. This was pretty straight forward, and I was able to complete that through USEF. Now, after all of that, Sophie and I are eligible to enter an FEI competition, as long as we meet the MER requirements :) I will be sure to make a post about the process of actually entering an FEI level at a competition when we get there, but this was enough for now (and for a minute!!). For those interested in the details, here is a cost breakdown of everything I had to pay for just to get to where we are now: It wasn't particularly easy or cheap, but I have saved up in order to make this happen. Here's to staying fit and sound so that we can make this dream a reality! K