Regal Crush: Busy!!

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Busy!!

Things have been hectic lately, but I love being busy!! Hopefully exciting things are coming our way :)
Had a great little condition ride with my Regal man yesterday. We went next door to our facility where there is an awesome conditioning track, looping all around and up and down a giant hill. I didn't want to do a huge blow-out since it's only been a few days since the show, but I do know that we need work in this area. Regal acts very fit. But for some reason, his recoveries take a long time after hard work. He looks fit, acts fit, and doesn't tire out incredibly easy, but he takes a while to get his breathing back to normal. So I'm really trying to step it up and work on our recovery times. What I really wish is that I had a truck and trailer and could take Reg out to the trails I know from when I used to ride endurance. The way we conditioned those horses was something else!! Heart rate moniters and the whole gig. I might invest in one someday. I would ideally love to cross train eventing with a little endurance, because I feel that if my horse is fit to do a 25 or 50 mile ride in good time, a cross country course would pose no threat to their stanima. I don't think I'd every put Reg up to a 100...those rides are so dang hard!! But anyways, one of these days!!
This morning was another dressage ride (you can probably tell by now where we spend most of our training time...) and we actually had a really good ride!! It was less of a fight for a more through and forward frame, and about halfway through the ride Reg started getting so forward it was almost too much. I had to slow him down!! If you knew anything about how Regal usually goes, you would find this amazing. haha. But it was great and we're starting to get the hang of how this grown-up stuff is supposed to feel.

I am EXTREMELY excited because I might have a glimmer of hope at having someone help me find a sponser!!! I don't even want to talk about it much because I'm afraid I'll jinx it or something!! I have been giddy for days. More to come on this as we figure everything out. FINGERS CROSSED!!!

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About Regal...

Regal Crush was born May 11, 2004. And that is the extent of my knowledge of him until I found him in an aution pen in December of 2007. He is a 16.0 hand chestnut gelding, with two socks on his left side and a stripe down the center of his handsome face. I remember him being quiet and calm in his pen while strangers handled him and he stood tied to a rotten slab of fencing. I think it was love at first sight, though I couldn't identify the feeling at the moment. When he was herded into the aution ring it was me and the meat buyer bidding, and maybe the determination in my eyes made the meat buyer back off early, Regal was mine for $175.

He almost killed me when I tried to trailer him home that night. When I finally got him to his stall and began working with him over the next few months, it became clear that he hadn't been shown anything. Picking up hooves was really just trying not to kicked, blankets were wrestling matches, leg wraps were once again, trying not to get kicked. But slowly, as we gained each other's trust, I found an adorable side to my baby horse. Once he decided to love me, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for me.

I named him Regal because even when he was malnurished, scared, and gangly, he would pause and hold his head up, gazing into the distance, and I could see the greatness in him. He was just so...Regal!!

I began to ride train him. My insane younger self. To get Regal used to my weight I would go out to his pasture when he was munching on a gigantic pile of hay, pull a chair up next to him, and slowly start patting and leaning my body over his back. He never budged. Eventually after some time of this it turned into me swinging up onto his back and sitting up there while he was eating. This of course all done with no saddle, bridle, stopping device of any kind, and no helmet. I frown at myself for that. So naturally, on the day I bring my reluctant mother out to see my amazing new horse, something happens. I swing up on good baby Regal, and as a gust of winter air rises up, all the horses in the next pasture take off. Regal's head snaps up and off he goes. Long story short, I fly off backwards, land on my head, hospital trip and vicoden for my cracked ribs and severe concussion. Mom wants the horse gone as he is too dangerous, which she says about any horse I am on, but I refuse. It was my fault anyways.

We moved to a hunter/jumper barn I was riding for at the time, and I seriously began his training. It wasn't the style I wanted to be riding, and I had a feeling that Regal wanted to be an event horse. A year later in the fall of 2008 we found Twin Palms Combined Training, where we currently reside. It is heaven!

Once at Twin Palms Regal and I seriously began our eventing career. We both needed so much work, but he has always been an absolute gem to work with. An athlete with a brain, I couldn't ask for more. We work on a new task for a while, he gets it, and is bored. He has never once maxed out on height or any of the difficulties we have asked of him, and I don't think he ever will.

His first HT was down south, where we ran around beginner novice. We had never even schooled cross country before. He cantered around with no faults to a 6th place. Second HT we moved up to novice; he realized water could be scary, had one learning refusal then went right through for a 3rd place. Third HT was novice again this year, breezed through it to another 3rd due to some jitters in dressage. Only because of insuffient funding are Regal and I not further along. But slowly we are moving up the levels, and preparing for our first training level HT.

That brings you pretty much up to date on the history of Regal and I, though there are a million moments I could write about. All of the ways he is amazing and one of a kind. The indescribable feeling of teamwork we have accomplished, and that I know can only get better. The way he flips his lip up and nods when he likes treats. Or how he takes a nap every noon after finishing breakfast...but to keep hearing about our progress and the amazing story of my little meat truck horse, I would be honored if you would keep reading our blog : )

Don't tell Regal he's an underdog...

Saturday, July 31, 2010

Busy!!

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