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Friday, September 11 2015 / Published in Sidelines Spotlight

The Joys of Showing: A Rusty Rider and a Green Ex-Racehorse

By Susan Friedland-Smith

I admit I thought, “What did I get myself into? Why did I buy a green ex-racehorse?” when I took my off-the-track Thoroughbred, Tiz A Knight, to our first schooling show at the end of May. My otherwise quiet gelding would not stand at the mounting block, pranced around at the in-gate, and exhibited a horsey form of PTSD when the announcer spoke over the PA system. I think he might have almost piaffed unintentionally.

Susan's husband, a budding rider himself, came to support Knight and had ample opportunity to hurry up and wait at the show.

Susan’s husband, a budding rider himself, came to support Knight and had ample opportunity to hurry up and wait at the show.

Debut Horse Show for My OTTB
It had been about ten years since I had competed and I was reintroduced to the horse show concept of “hurry up and wait.” I also had to figure out how to pile my hair in a hairnet again so it looked classy on the outside without giving me a migraine on the inside of my helmet. And I had to be the adult in the situation and assure my horse that a horse show was indeed a fun experience!

As I watched my trainer school Knight, his eyes were literally almost popping out of his head like a cartoon. Outwardly he behaved, trotting and cantering, but his facial expression revealed his mind was being blown. Normally when he’s ridden he looks happy. My trainer observed, “He probably hasn’t heard an announcer since he was at the track!” No wonder he was a different horse!

After my trainer worked Knight both in the warm-up ring and then walked him up and down the pathways between all the arenas, I mounted. Knight was a coiled spring. Horses cantered past us from both directions and schooled over the warm-up fences. I kept talking to him and finally was able to get a few circles of somewhat stretchy trot and not-crazed canter. I honestly felt like I rode well and confidently, but it was not enjoyable. A pigeon did a dive-bomb in front of Knight’s face as we trotted and he didn’t respond. He was trying really hard to listen to me.

I pulled Knight up in the center of the ring to game plan with my trainer. I don’t remember who suggested scratching the three classes first, but I said I am in this for the fun and neither Knight nor I were having fun, “We’ll just use this as exposure. He’s being so good with all the other horses cantering past. And this is a baseline.”

The next day after most of the horse and rider teams had trailered home, we entered an equitation class on the flat. With the exception of Knight side-eyeing a jump pole that for some reason was placed perpendicular to a standard, he walked, trotted and cantered quite nicely. My sitting trot was another matter. Out of the three riders I placed third, but felt like a winner when my trainer told me the other women would not have known what to do if they had had to ride my greenie.

Second Show: Knight and Day Difference
Our second show experience was completely different, and led me to believe my horse is “getting” it. First, on Friday, the schooling day, I got as much exercise as Knight did in the round pen. I did not have a lunge whip and my bay boy was L-A-Z-Y. I actually didn’t even have a lunge line, so I used what I think were long reins we found in our borrowed trailer — they had a snap on each end.

Since Mr. “Why Canter When you can Trot?” kept transitioning down, I had to try to flip the long end of the makeshift lunge line and cluck and run up after him to chase him forward. Let’s just say there’s a reason some brilliant person invented a lunge whip.

Knight knew my awkward attempts to fling the free end of the line would not reach him and so he pretty much ignored me. At one point I flung the line so hard it ricocheted back and hit me with the snap end. At the end of that time I regretted not having my cell phone to track my steps. I probably ran a mile. When I rode after my I’m-glad-no-one-saw-that lunge session, my Thoroughbred was relaxed, fun, and tuned out all the other horses and riders schooling in the same arena.

Knight tricked Susan into thinking he was colicking — for a brief moment. He learned it's okay to take it easy at a show.

Knight tricked Susan into thinking he was colicking — for a brief moment. He learned it’s okay to take it easy at a show.

The second piece of evidence that Knight was a different horse at the second show was how he tricked me into thinking he was colicking. Saturday morning when I arrived at his stall, he was lying down, legs folded neatly. His chin rested on the shavings. My trainer and the other riders from my barn weren’t in sight. My heart skipped a beat, but I went into his stall thinking that would encourage him to stand. Instead he made little moaning sounds. I leaned down, put my hand on his hindquarters and urged him, “Get up! Come on. Up!” That didn’t do anything.

I wondered how quickly I could get a vet out. I grabbed the halter and buckled it on his brown head, said an audible prayer while tugging on the leadrope. He finally stood. I led him to the aisle at which point my trainer walked in and I told her what happened. She said she noticed him lying down and checked him and he was fine, just relaxing.

The third reason I know Knight is getting the hang of being at a show was we walked all over the grounds on a loose rein and even “escorted” another rider’s Thoroughbred mare who was in heat and very nervous about the new setting. Knight paused a split second to look at the concessions stand, but moved past it with a little more leg. And when I mounted him during this show, I didn’t need anyone to hold him. I even hopped on one time while holding a water bottle. That’s progress!

Horse Show Results
At the second show we entered five different flat classes, both equitation and hunter. Knight was great for a horse show newbie. We missed a lead a couple of times and he thundered like a freight train at the canter during one class (but my trainer said he didn’t look like he was at the track — it was a good forward). Our transitions were sharper and more concise than at home.

During the last class at the end of the day Sunday, my steed started a little nervous head flipping. My leg was probably tired, he was probably tired. Overall we earned some red ribbons, a white, pink, and green, but in my mind they are all blue and we were a success. And now we have our homework for the next show!

Two seconds is not too shabby for a rusty rider and a green Thoroughbred.

Two seconds is not too shabby for a rusty rider and a green Thoroughbred.

About the writer: Susan Friedland-Smith, a middle school history teacher who has been horse-crazy since girlhood, lives in North Tustin, California, with her budding equestrian husband, Golden Retriever and Doberman. Knight, the ex-racehorse, has recently joined the family and is the main character of Susan’s blog Saddle Seeks Horse which chronicles her amateur adventures of balancing a green rider hubby and green horse. Follow her blog at susanfriedlandsmith.com for all things OTTB or see what’s up on Twitter and Instagram @susanwordlover.

Photos courtesy of Susan Friedland-Smith

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Tagged under: ex-racehorse, Knight, off-the-track thoroughbred, ottb, Susan Friedland-Smith

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Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

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A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself The spor A column from Liz Halliday-Sharp herself 
The sport of eventing is a demanding and mentally challenging discipline that requires a combination of physical and mental fortitude from both the rider and horse. While having a coach can be incredibly beneficial, self-coaching can also play a crucial role in a rider’s success.

I think that given the opportunity, most riders would like to be coached every day. The reality of life in the horse world, however, is that the majority of us need to absorb as much from the lessons we have on a limited basis and then practice those skills at home to improve.

When I am riding, I try to have a plan for the horses each day and focus on what I’m looking to achieve. It’s important to be aware of the steady improvements rather than trying to solve everything all at once. This is especially important when teaching horses new movements or exercises that they might struggle with, and we need to give them time to learn and understand what we are asking for.

I have a couple of quotes that I use regularly when I’m teaching, and these are mottos that I hold myself to in my daily work as well.

The first is, “If you do what you have always done, you will get what you have always gotten.” This is a quote that was said to me many years ago when I was still motor racing and I keep it in the back of my mind each day. It’s easy to get stuck doing the same thing every day with your horse and bad habits are hard to break, from both riders and horses!

This leads me to my next quote, which is, “If what you are doing isn’t working, try something else.” It really is as simple as that! Many riders I see keep asking a horse to do something the same way over and over with an ongoing negative response and they wonder why things don’t get better. In these circumstances, I recommend that the rider change something, even if it’s wrong.

Read the full article by clicking the link in our bio! Don’t forget to keep your eye out for our April subscription!
📸Photo by Alex Banks Photography
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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