Regal Crush: Wierd Weather and Slow Days...

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Wierd Weather and Slow Days...

I sit here on the eve of June 2011 and am amazed by two things: one, that there are dark, formidable clouds overhead, and I am crossing my fingers that summer finally stays, and two, how quickly time is passing and how often things change. I can't help that the desire to compete is still there, or that I still wistfully stalk eventing nation and the USEA website and look at the events I would be attending. But I am happy. Regal is looking fatter than he has all year, and that is actually a really good thing!! If you only knew the struggle to keep weight on this horse...haha. I think Regal is happy, and that is my main concern. He has felt fabulous under saddle lately.

Since there aren't any jumps at our new place, I've decided (well, been forced haha) to focus more on dressage. I actually don't mind this at all, and I'm hoping that I can actually take a few dressage lessons here and there and perhaps hit a few dressage shows this summer. Regal's movement has been so amazing lately, I literally almost can't ride it! I'm a bit out of shape, I will admit, but I'm working on it ;) Regal has just been so excited to go to work every day, he begs to leave his stall, grabs the bit when I hold it out for him, and wants to go to work. The first day I went back to my serious sitting trot work, I think my whole body cramped :( We have also been spending some time trying to get off the property. We made it to the trails once so far, and Regal had a blast, but was quite confused as to where all the obstacles were! I found a nice little hill to let him gallop on, and I could tell he was pretty happy to get to stretch his legs. We take little daily outing down the road by our facility, and Regal is just happy as can be, wandering along with his ears perked up, trying to stop and eat grass like a sour trail horse!!

I'm waiting for Regal to get his feet done before I resume any serious work with him, and I'm trying to set some goals for us this summer so I have something to work towards!! Always looking to the future and keeping it positive :)

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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 31, 2011

Wierd Weather and Slow Days...

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