Regal Crush: Roll With the Punches...

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Roll With the Punches...

Holy moley! It has been a while...I don't even know where to begin. Ok....

Though Regal and I had an amazing opportunity with one of the best riders and trainers that I know, no matter how hard I worked I just can't support the eventing lifestyle at this point in my life. I have spent the last little chunk of time feeling a bit shattered into a million pieces, even putting Regal up for sale for a brief period of time. In my heart though, I think I knew I could never part with my dear friend. It's difficult wanting something so badly. But I ain't no quitter!! Believe you me, Regal and I may be sidelined for now, but we'll be back ;) eventing is a bug I can't shake, and for some insane reason I really feel like Regal is a special horse. Even if all he ever did his whole life was simply perk up his ears and be excited to see me when I call his name every day, that would be enough. If all he did was put his head down in my arms and let me kiss his nose day in and day out, that would be alright too. Because when I see the way Regal looks at me I see love and devotion and loyalty, I realize that is hard to come by in this world. But besides all that...I still think he's going to make a wicked eventer!!!

I remain friends with my trainer, and can't wait for the day to resume training with her!! I moved Regal to a place thats a bit more affordable, where I can still keep up the training I have, and luckily its close to trails so I can condition. The only real bummer is the lack of jumps!! I managed to put together a freaky corner jump out of three old barrels and two wooden poles I found on the property. When I put the barrels upright and camp one of them out, its a pretty sick corner!! But besides that....reeeaaallllyyyy dying for an actual course and some air time. Regal is already bored with my one contraption I made. I'm already planning a trip to Home Depot and have been Googling how to make jumps haha :)

If there's one thing in life I've really learned so far in my 22 years....don't let anything get you down!! Sure I'm bummed out, incredibly. I want to compete so bad it drives me crazy. But I have to take life one step at a time and do what I can. I follow the advice of one of my all-time favorite quotes..."it takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan"...so I don't waste my time wishing good things would happen to me....I plan for them to!!

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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...

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Roll With the Punches...

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