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Monday, February 15 2016 / Published in Sidelines Spotlight

Amateurisms: The Dreaded “Set-up” Day

By Kathy Serio

Many amateurs and juniors probably haven’t had the privilege of being at the horse show for the dreaded “set-up” day. I was my own groom for many years, so I used to do my own set-up. It wasn’t a great first day of a horse show, setting up two or three stalls by yourself: unloading hay, shavings, tack trunk, setting up buckets and watering all before unloading horses.

Summerfield Farm — set up and looking great. Wonder who did all the work to get it looking perfect?

Summerfield Farm — set up and looking great. Wonder who did all the work to get it looking perfect?

You were always next to your trainer’s barn of “inside clients,” at the end or on the back side of the row. After all, you were the “outside client” and the odd man out, doing your own care, not a resident of their farm. After loading your trailer at home with hay, grain, shavings, tack and trunk, usually alone, then loading the horses and driving two or three hours to the show grounds, set-up began. By the end of the day you were a filthy mess, covered head to toe, looking like you’ve been “tarred and shavinged” and you hadn’t even ridden or fed the horses yet.

Now, take the scenario above and magnify this by a lot. The first few times, being a part of “set-up day” for an entire barn was a bit overwhelming and never-ending. Let’s say I sure wish I invented the zip-tie. When I married Tommy, I married into Summerfield Farm, and unfortunately I had a skill set of driving a truck, tractor, trailer, dragging an arena, switching out PTO hitches, bush hogging, etc. — skills often put to use at Summerfield, no prima donnas allowed.

If only Kathy knew how to drive the freightliner — then she could add it to her resume.

If only Kathy knew how to drive the freightliner — then she could add it to her resume.

Once, Tommy said, “I’d love to teach you how to drive the Freightliner, honey. It’s easy.” I’m certain it is easy; it’s just one more thing I don’t need to add to my resume of “stuff Kathy can do” around the barn for the same reason I never admit to the fact that I can braid — because I’d be called to do it, and no thanks!

I’ve fallen for the, “Take Ali with you and go ahead of us with the equipment trailer. We’ll be right behind you with the horses.” Sucker born every day, but I wasn’t born yesterday. Now, I always make sure I have one of the guys with us as well. The first time I showed up to a show on set-up day with just one poor helper, our 15-year-old working student, Ali. It was 100 degrees and we had 12 horses coming not right behind us, but a good two hours behind us.

We had a trailer full of 12 trunks, a golf cart, mats for the two grooming stalls, 24 water buckets, 12 feed buckets, pitch forks, manure carts, grooming boxes, feed, drapes, signs, saddle racks, bridle racks, two Dalmatians (one unruly and young), two grooming stalls and one feed room to arrange.

Reaching the top of the shavings pile can be a challenge. And if you don’t have scissors to cut the bags open, the task becomes even more difficult — and often comical.

Reaching the top of the shavings pile can be a challenge. And if you don’t have scissors to cut the bags open, the task becomes even more difficult — and often comical.

Things looked dismal when we couldn’t reach the top of the shaving towers brought to us on pallets — 60 bags to a pallet. We had 120 bags of shavings to unload, 10 per stall, and guess where the scissors were? Yes, they were in the tack trunks, and all of those trunks were stacked on top of each other in the trailer with covers on them waiting to be unloaded by the two of us with the dolly. So … we used truck keys, we used a metal stake we found in the trailer door, we used the backside of the hammer, and things turned rather comical as we attempted to open the shavings bags into each stall. The boys always carry pocket knives. Girls … not so much. Note to self: purchase pocket knife.

I think it should be a requirement for every child to come early and help set up, just to appreciate the enormous task, as well as to appreciate the organizing skills needed in arranging a barn away from home. Keep stallions from mares. Put grooming stalls up front in the aisle. Put hay in the feed room so it’s easily accessible. Hang wall boxes out of the way in grooming stalls. Set trunks on chocks at least 8 inches away from stalls in order to access sliding stall doors. Place owner’s trunks in front of owner’s horse. Place all Summerfield trunks close to the grooming stalls. Place water buckets away from feed buckets to keep horses from dropping grain in water buckets, and never fill water buckets before shavings are in stalls or they all get a lovely bucket of shaving soup.

Make a “hay area” in the back of the stall — not on the side where the door is opened, or they stand and poop in their hay area. Position wrap holders not in the way of sliding doors, blanket bars not in the way of wrap holders. Put fans on doors so as not to die by electrical fire when the horse chews the cords. Organize electric configuration for fans. The list of things to strategize goes on and on.

Tommy’s dog, Tuf, takes his customary position in the golf cart — before it’s even unloaded.

Tommy’s dog, Tuf, takes his customary position in the golf cart — before it’s even unloaded.

Just when you think you’ve thought of everything, the horses show up and all hell breaks loose. I recall Mr. Serio arriving with the Freightliner he wanted to teach me to drive, seeing the look of death on our faces, wondering what the problem was. He jumped out of the cab, where Elvis and the air conditioning were blasting, in a crisp, clean, freshly ironed, long-sleeve button-down shirt (I’m certain that man travels with a personal valet in the back of the Freightliner, as he always manages to stay clean and look presentable), in leather gloves to protect his hands, wondering why we looked like death warmed over and why the drapes we hung looked wrinkly. “Didn’t you put water on them first to stretch them?” He asked as his dog, Tuf, leapt into the golf cart, which was still in the equipment trailer. At that very moment, I recall turning to Ali and asking her where we put the shovel: “We have a body to bury….”

 

About the writer: Kathy Serio is an amateur rider based in Wellington, Florida, where she works full time in the equine pharmaceutical industry. In 2012 she married her trainer of 12 years, Tommy Serio, who often calls her “Lucy” for Lucille Ball. Being trained by her husband brings a whole new dimension to riding as an amateur. Kathy spends her spare time riding and laughing with her two- and four-legged gang. As Charlie Chaplin said, “A day without laughter is a day wasted.”

Photos by Kathy Serio

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Tagged under: Amateurisms, Kathy Serio, set up day, tommy serio

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The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

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