Air-cooled, carbon-fiber-lined tendon protection for horse: Check
Colour-coordinated cross country outfits: Check
Helmet cam: Check
Ability to leap ditches in a single bound: Check
USEA member cards for horse AND rider: Check
Two trainer, two saddles, two bridles, two girths, two shirts, two...: Check
And now...
Why yes, now that you ask, that IS a perfectly organized stud kit. In a blue box. With blue duct tape for holding boot straps in place. And a blue hoofpick.
Solo gets drilled and tapped behind on his next visit from Johnathan the Wonder Farrier in early May. I have decided to make the commitment since I already know that VA in May can equal wet grass on very hilly terrain. With the added challenge of the move-up to Training Level, I want Solo to have as many tools as I can give him. I'm not drilling the front shoes; I do not want to do anything that slows down his front feet even a tiny bit while jumping or galloping. The last thing we need is a blown tendon or cut up pastern.
I have a lot to learn about studs but I've been reading till my eyes cross. But I'll save that for another post...
The biggest thing to learn about studs is don't get in a hurry at a competition. There is nothing to ruin your day like a cross-threaded stud.
ReplyDeleteOoooh good! I've always thought that studs make you look like a real eventer, but am scared to try them.
ReplyDeleteSo excited to hear more!
ReplyDeleteI'm taking my mare to our fist event in May. They recommend studs on anyone competing BN and above. (Clearly trotting the little bitty logs for elementary doesn't need such fancy grip!) But my mare is barefoot. I'm not messing with a good thing by shoeing her for the first time in her life only weeks before our first even, but I know that I'll have to start making some shoe decisions for both her and my barefoot gelding as they progress in their training.
Yay! Helmet cam!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely, Barbara, I will be practicing at home before we go.
ReplyDeleteTDS, I'm not a stud lover and I think they are way over-used. To each their own, I suppose but I never ever felt the need at BN or N. And yes, we did some wet hilly stuff. But the time is such that you can trot down hills if you want and take your time, no need to tear around and go slip sliding everywhere.
Ecogold, we hope to have some great shows to post this spring! Although the bill fairy is being very cruel and making all our funds disappear. :-(
Eeek! Studs scare me due to over/misuse, though I have no doubt that you and Solo will be the poster children of proper use and the helpfulness of such devices!
ReplyDeleteAnd c'mon! Only 95%? You guys are totally 100% eventers!
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Alana! But I don't have a fancy trailer to camp in at horse trials. Or a really obnoxious scooter to drive around. Or special preppy boots that are just for coursewalking. Or a helmet cover with a useless visor flipped up uselessly!
ReplyDeleteYeah, but you're a fan of alcohol, and that's like 75% of it right there. So if you add in all the other stuff, you are definitely a "real" eventer.
ReplyDeleteStuds definitely scare me. I just think, "Eeeek, torque!" I don't know...The Woff is a fan, and he recently wrote glowing, gushing praise for them, so I kinda feel like my head might explode. "Seems wrong...but Woff thinks it's right...AAaaaaahhhhhh!!"
My trainer is like Jimmy: "Do you want to slip?" I used them at BN with no problems, though I used pretty small ones. You definitely have to leave enough time before your XC run to get the stud holes cleaned and everything in properly.
ReplyDeleteAnd THANK YOU for bashing the flipped up visors! Haha. I absolutely hate that look. I will never ever understand why that is the "cool" eventer thing to do!
Hahaha @ "I don't have a fancy trailer to camp in at horse trials. Or a really obnoxious scooter to drive around. Or special preppy boots that are just for coursewalking. Or a helmet cover with a useless visor flipped up uselessly!"
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel better I slept in my truck this weekend, I bought rain boots from Wal-mart for coursewalking and do not have a scooter or a flipped up visor. But we are much farther from %100 eventers than you. OR maybe we are the eventers and "they" are the wanna be's! I say wimpy scooters, fancy froofroo and funky looking visors belong in a beauty pageants and not on a kick ass cross country run. Just sayin!
Ahahah, true, Frizz, I am a good drinker. Although less so at horse trials, I am too busy concentrating on my dressage test and my courses and my clothes and my armband and my girths and my....
ReplyDeleteROFL, Heidi, the visors make me crazy. What's the point of a flipping visor if it's pointing up the air??
Amy, rock on for truck sleeping -- this is what I usually do. I am taking pity on my crew for this coming weekend and getting a hotel room, but only because it's free.
My name is Molly.... and I have a flipped up visor...
ReplyDeleteActually, I only got one after using my trainer's (she was upset that my old helmet was making rattling noises...) and I just like how light weight they are. Now I feel like I can't see as much with a fixed visor.
Frizz and Heidi, I know what YOU'VE been reading! That last article by Woff in PH was exactly what came to my mind. Since I know less than nothing about studs, I just assumed the Great One Knows All, and everyone was and should be using them. (BTW, I'm not and (probably) will never be an eventer, but I have a policy of reading PH from cover to cover, even the fairly incomprehensible dressage articles) I had no idea our friend Eventer 79 here was just catching up. :-) Good luck! Wonder what Solo will think?
ReplyDeleteIs a flipped up visor like a popped collar?
ReplyDeleteEver see those sun visor things that make the helmet looking like an alien headdress? I haven't seen too many eventers wearing them but I've seen quite a few show jumpers with them. OMG, how dorky can we make ourselves look? Our horses are absolutely laughing at us.
ReplyDeleteEAM, I have used the velcro on visors for trail riding -- and yes, they look completely retarded, but OMG, they are awesome, it's so nice not to squint.
ReplyDeleteBraffie, you may be on to a real relationship there.
Molly, I may forgive you. Someday.
RW, Jimmy talked a bit about studs when we cliniced with him a while back but it was so far beyond my experience level at the time, my eyes were bugged out, LOL.
Obviously I need to do some reading bec I have no idea what studs are (unless they happen to be shirtless and male, lol) I can infer from the context, but I'm intrigued.. Must learn more!
ReplyDeleteHahaha, Michelle, these are not the shirtless kind. I will be writing up a stud post in the near future though!
ReplyDelete