Yay there are riders who ski here!

[MaineSkiLady]

I thought this thread was about snowboarding until I saw @contesstant posting here. That's one gorgeous horse, @Jersey Fresh

Ha! Me, too. Thought it might be a thread (without looking at forum title) about Alta, Deer Valley, Mad River Glen (because "rider" DS has donned skis at Alta in the {now semi-distant} past).

But yes - gorgeous horses, @contesstant.

 

[JaneB]

I own six Morgans! We have a small breeding operation here in VT. Two stallions, two mares, and two geldings. I've trained them to ride and drive. I still show some; low level eventing, dressage. They are the sport types. Used to do combined driving and plan to start up again next summer.
I don't like to ride in the winter so I ski a lot! If I didn't ski I think I'd have to move south. The horses are a lot of work in the winter....

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Yep, if they do their job well it's easy to forgive their silliness at other times for sure. I have also discovered now that mine is boarded at a major QH/reining show barn that other breeds are equally as spooky and hot at times, and arabians get a MAJOR bad rap for that. A good horse is a good horse is a good horse. I've always said life's too short to ride an ugly horse (awful, I know!)

I show in "hunter pleasure" which is honestly more like "dressage pleasure" where they have to be round and pushed up to the bridle with exceptional self-carriage. My favorite discipline is saddleseat--you want to talk about an adrenalin rush, get on one where you can see their knees bend up to their chest and see their hooves flying underneath you, with a ball of energy to boot, and it's just a blast! Some of them launch you a good foot out of the saddle with every stride--talk about taking balance to stay up over them! Unfortunately, the really good saddleseat horses cost a fortune, not just to purchase (I can hunt out a deal) but to keep shod and in training. So, with mine facing retirement, I am considering switching to reining/ranch pleasure where we get to go fast, do patterns, and have exceptional connectivity with the horse. I really can't buy another horse for at least a year, but it's on my radar. One of the trainers in my barn has a half arab palomino mare who is beautiful and has chrome to boot. I call her the barbie horse. She's for sale, but...we just bought a house!

Ever since I moved to KY Ive been dying to sit on a saddleseat horse. The saddlebred Breyer model was my favorite as a kid. I have no clue why, Ive only ever ridden H/J.

I know nothing about breed shows but your horses are really beautiful. Im with you-I could never own a ugly headed horse. I say the same thing about saddles!

 

[Jersey Fresh]

I thought this thread was about snowboarding until I saw @contesstant posting here. That's one gorgeous horse, @Jersey Fresh

Thank you. I wont tell Marcus, his ego will just get bigger

Hes my horse of a lifetime. I honestly think after him I am done. I know thats silly to say since Im only in my early 30s but Im not sure Id find another one that I could replace him with.

The story of how I got him make me believe in the idea of fate. When I finished grad school, I moved here to KY and saved for a horse. I bought a gorgeous, super talented 4 yo to bring along as my adult hunter. He was good and then one day tried to flip with my trainer. Then he did it to me. I spent tons of money trying to rule out any pain, paying a pro to try to break him of it and he still 99 times would be good and then stand up the next ride. He almost went over with me and I got off and never got back on him. I gave him away (with full disclosure) after being talked out of putting him down. I was frusterated and broke from it, and had no money to get a new horse so I was packing my stuff up to take him and take a break. See he was my first horse-I never had on as a kid. I was heartbroken.

Anyway, I went to show to cheer on a friend and this trainer walked up to mine and said "you know anyone who needs a horse? Ive got one in the barn that needs a job". My trainer knew th ehorse and pulled me aside and said " you need to go sit on him ASAP". Turns out the parents bought this nice childrens hunter for their kid who up and quit. Mom loved the horse and didnt want to sell him, but he needed a job. So I sat on him and took him home the next weekend. THat was 4 years ago and while theres been plenty of tears and hard work (he is not an easy horse to ride by any means), he is the best thing thats ever happened to me. The most fun horse Ive ever sat on.

 

[contesstant]

Thank you. I wont tell Marcus, his ego will just get bigger

Hes my horse of a lifetime. I honestly think after him I am done. I know thats silly to say since Im only in my early 30s but Im not sure Id find another one that I could replace him with.

The story of how I got him make me believe in the idea of fate. When I finished grad school, I moved here to KY and saved for a horse. I bought a gorgeous, super talented 4 yo to bring along as my adult hunter. He was good and then one day tried to flip with my trainer. Then he did it to me. I spent tons of money trying to rule out any pain, paying a pro to try to break him of it and he still 99 times would be good and then stand up the next ride. He almost went over with me and I got off and never got back on him. I gave him away (with full disclosure) after being talked out of putting him down. I was frusterated and broke from it, and had no money to get a new horse so I was packing my stuff up to take him and take a break. See he was my first horse-I never had on as a kid. I was heartbroken.

Anyway, I went to show to cheer on a friend and this trainer walked up to mine and said "you know anyone who needs a horse? Ive got one in the barn that needs a job". My trainer knew th ehorse and pulled me aside and said " you need to go sit on him ASAP". Turns out the parents bought this nice childrens hunter for their kid who up and quit. Mom loved the horse and didnt want to sell him, but he needed a job. So I sat on him and took him home the next weekend. THat was 4 years ago and while theres been plenty of tears and hard work (he is not an easy horse to ride by any means), he is the best thing thats ever happened to me. The most fun horse Ive ever sat on.

Great story. The tough ones make you appreciate the "easy" ones and also make ones that aren't AS tough seem easy :D

JaneB, Morgans and Arabs have similar divisions, including all the sport divisions. One of my favorite classes to watch is the carriage driving where they have to navigate obstacles. So cool! I honestly just love watching good horses that are good at their jobs do their jobs. People who say it's cruel to keep them in captivity and train them and use them have never owned one and seen how content they are when they have a job that they enjoy. I've seen retired show horses get so depressed when they see the trailer leave for shows. My poor guy really needs to get back to work as he's already getting silly, but he'll just have to cope (I can't even handwalk him yet, because he's still too sore

 

[num]

Sounds like you and Marcus were meant to be, Jersey Fresh

I picked up riding shortly before skiing, both in my early twenties. I'm a city dweller with a pretty busy schedule and limited funds, so I've never owned a horse but I've really enjoyed shareboarding. Being able to ride my lessons horse outside of lessons was really great for the two of us bonding and for me improving as a rider.

I stopped with lessons when my most recent trainer moved out of state. Since then, I've caught occasional trail rides, but haven't established a continual relationship. I'm slowly trail riding my way through various barns in the area to find the right match for me.

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

Yup, I think many of us have been there (unfortunately) with horses that haven't worked out for whatever reason. My second horse went inexplicably lame--we too spent tons of time and money on the vet and nobody could figure out what his problem was. He was out of commission for about 6 months before he became sound again. However, in the meantime we got some more info on him from a groom that turned up at our barn who used to work at a another barn where he was previously, and it turned out the same thing had happened before--unexplained and long term lameness. So once we finally got him sound again we decided he was not going to be suitable for what I wanted do, so we sold him as a trail horse (full disclosure of his possible issues).
I was in middle school at the time and loved this horse; I was so upset that we had to sell him--but if I wanted to move on in the hunter world it made the most sense since we had no idea what triggered his soundness issue. This horse was not an especially easy ride but he had the best personality. Almost a pony personality in a horse's body; sweet but quite naughty.
Here he is

Luckily he was sold to a nice owner who allowed me to come visit him!

 

[BrookeK]

I think most of the threads are older but I'm an avid rider. My first love was skiing my second was horses.

What does everyone do? Anyone own horses? I have a 16 yo TB gelding who's mostly a pet now. He's my former adult hunter but after several years out of the show ring, we stared dabbling in eventing. He loves it! Plus we did so much flat work getting him rideable for the hunter ring, we nail our dressage tests at our first two events

I just found an ooolllld thread.

Awesome!
My biggest passion by far has always been horses. .I never thought I'd find anything to match it. Skiing is about as close as its going to get.
My current guy is a nearly 20 year old (20 next month!) OTTB. I've had him for 10 years (the day before his 10th bday, actually). We used to event, hunter pace, and generally run around like fools. He's got a hitch hind end nowadays. He owes me nothing, so I'm not chasing crazy diagnosis for it nor am I trying to mask it...we just hack around these days. I catch ride and help friends with their horses where I can.
I used to manage an Arabian breeding farm, did endurance. That was fun and I still ride with friends from those days.
Glad to meet other horse people (and skiers!)
You said you were a skier first?
20+ years of training my body for 'weight in your heels, shoulders back!'....well, you can imagine what my first few times on skies were like. Yikes!

 

[VickiK]

20+ years of training my body for 'weight in your heels, shoulders back!'....well, you can imagine

 

[WaterGirl]

@BrookeK maybe you need to try the Blizzard Samba's next since there is a equine connection.... just saying.....

 

[BrookeK]

LOL!
My first ski lesson went like this :

Kristen (my brothers girlfriend) : bend your knees. Keep your weight forward 'this' is pizza. It's how you stop. 'This' is french fries, for when you want to go. ... ok, let's go !

Me : 'I'm going to fall over backwards'.

Kristen : 'it's impossible to fall over backwards. No one falls backward skiing' . (She pushes off to move towards the little green)

Me : (pushes forward. Slides 2 feet. Feels wildly fast and out of control. Tucks pelvis, drops all weight into heels, engages core, brings shoulders squarely back....continues bavk until on butt in snow)

Kristen : how did you do that?


If I had let that first day set the tone, I wouldn't be a skier now!

 

[Jersey Fresh]

@BrookeK we had a womens ski camp this weekend, and the instructors kept commentign on how good my lower body was but how upright my upper body was. shoulders too far back. they told me to ski like i was hugging a beach ball and I said "you know i spend all of my time off the mountaing NOT rounding my back and shoulders and getting yelled at when I do"

 

[contesstant]

@BrookeK we had a womens ski camp this weekend, and the instructors kept commentign on how good my lower body was but how upright my upper body was. shoulders too far back. they told me to ski like i was hugging a beach ball and I said "you know i spend all of my time off the mountaing NOT rounding my back and shoulders and getting yelled at when I do"

This PLUS I get told I ski so "pretty", but slightly robotic, meaning I kind of hold my upper body in a static position to a fault. Hmmmmm, as my husband says, "like when you're riding your horse!" At least tilting the pelvis under is something I do in both

 

[BrookeK]

@BrookeK we had a womens ski camp this weekend, and the instructors kept commentign on how good my lower body was but how upright my upper body was. shoulders too far back. they told me to ski like i was hugging a beach ball and I said "you know i spend all of my time off the mountaing NOT rounding my back and shoulders and getting yelled at when I do"

Bwahaha! Yes! I'm starting to suspect that no matter how many years I ski, I'll always be fighting the desire to be too far back!

 

[Jersey Fresh]

Haha I am glad I am not the only one. I laughed when the instructor said to round my back and pretend im holding a beach ball and said "you know I get yelled at when i do that riding. though its usually followed with a closing my eyes and screaming"

 

[BrookeK]

Ha!
This has nothing to do with skiing, but it recalls a lesson u had many years ago. I was working at a barn for a woman that used to event...did all the big competitions, panams, rolex, olympics, blah blah blah.
Anyway, we had this big green Irish sport horse on training board. I rode him most days and he was lovely, keen to a fence but with a tendency to be a little heavy and not always as responsive to leg as we wanted. And carol, my employer/instructor is talented but kind of (okay very) type a, and get get kind of agressive and scary. I'm so not type a.
Son she was giving me a lesson on this big boy and it was like this:
'More leg, he isn't listeneningn give him a kick, kick on kick on' 'stop kicking, don't nag, keep your leg still' 'kick him he isn't listening ' 'bend him, bend him, don't hang on your rein, no bend him left why are you on your left rein' 'use your leg stop using your leg'. Literally, two copletelt different instructions in one breath. I was young and still sorting what I call my formal riding after years of galloping around bareback pretending to be xena warrior princess and after an hour of this, when I could no longer feel my legs and I was sure both the horse and I had had enough, I finally sat back, came to a dead halt and cried 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DOOOO, I SUCK!'.

I finally sorted it all out, and after years and finally 'getting it', here I am trying to train myself to do the opposite.

 

[contesstant]

Ha!
This has nothing to do with skiing, but it recalls a lesson u had many years ago. I was working at a barn for a woman that used to event...did all the big competitions, panams, rolex, olympics, blah blah blah.
Anyway, we had this big green Irish sport horse on training board. I rode him most days and he was lovely, keen to a fence but with a tendency to be a little heavy and not always as responsive to leg as we wanted. And carol, my employer/instructor is talented but kind of (okay very) type a, and get get kind of agressive and scary. I'm so not type a.
Son she was giving me a lesson on this big boy and it was like this:
'More leg, he isn't listeneningn give him a kick, kick on kick on' 'stop kicking, don't nag, keep your leg still' 'kick him he isn't listening ' 'bend him, bend him, don't hang on your rein, no bend him left why are you on your left rein' 'use your leg stop using your leg'. Literally, two copletelt different instructions in one breath. I was young and still sorting what I call my formal riding after years of galloping around bareback pretending to be xena warrior princess and after an hour of this, when I could no longer feel my legs and I was sure both the horse and I had had enough, I finally sat back, came to a dead halt and cried 'I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DOOOO, I SUCK!'.

I finally sorted it all out, and after years and finally 'getting it', here I am trying to train myself to do the opposite.

Well I'd be confused, too! Lordy.

I have grew up riding Arabians and still ride them, which have a very nice motor of their own, and are very sensitive to leg aids, etc. I like that trait a lot--they are naturally forward so you don't have to prod them along. I rode a friend's Oldenburg mare shortly after my horse died in August, because she wanted to get me back on a horse. This mare is young but EXTREMELY talented. Holy crap, I could not get that horse to go to save my life! "Kick her harder! No, further back!" I'd kick way behind the girth and the mare would jump forward, then proceed to either halt or walk again. I was either sending her very strong "half halt" signals with my seat, or ?? Too much work, either way. I don't want to have to be constantly driving with my seat and legs that hard. I want to be neutral, then if I need a bit MORE from them, either drive the seat more, or apply more leg (or bat on occasion) but to have to constantly beg with the leg? No! Maybe I'm just lazy

 

[BrookeK]

Well I'd be confused, too! Lordy.

I have grew up riding Arabians and still ride them, which have a very nice motor of their own, and are very sensitive to leg aids, etc. I like that trait a lot--they are naturally forward so you don't have to prod them along. I rode a friend's Oldenburg mare shortly after my horse died in August, because she wanted to get me back on a horse. This mare is young but EXTREMELY talented. Holy crap, I could not get that horse to go to save my life! "Kick her harder! No, further back!" I'd kick way behind the girth and the mare would jump forward, then proceed to either halt or walk again. I was either sending her very strong "half halt" signals with my seat, or ?? Too much work, either way. I don't want to have to be constantly driving with my seat and legs that hard. I want to be neutral, then if I need a bit MORE from them, either drive the seat more, or apply more leg (or bat on occasion) but to have to constantly beg with the leg? No! Maybe I'm just lazy

I used to manage an Arabian breeding farm, specializing in endurance. The breed as a whole tends to be a bit smaller than I prefer, but I love their sensitivity and endurance. We had an amazing stallion, Barkon, a true 16 hh often mistaken for a TB, with a trot dressage riders would kill for. Those were fun days. But I'm with you. I tend to prefer a more forward horse. Love my TBs.
But Grub, the sport horse was fun. Easy to ride, keen to a fence, not sluggish (except when in lessons when I was being made to try to make him a dressage pony which he was not....ultimately was sold and excelled as a foxhunter..no surprise, as he came from.ireland) I'll attach a pic of him. Would love to see everyone's ponies.
Grub and i, sometime around 2004 :

 

[contesstant]

Both my previous two purebred Arabians were 15.2 and 15.3 hands respectively My current horse is a reiner so he's more along the breed standard of about 14.3. He looks like a midget to me compared to others! I don't have any good pictures of him yet. He's going to a big show in Scottsdale in a few weeks, so hopefully I'll get a few professional ones from that!

I lost my most beloved boy, who carried me to many championships right up to the nationals, in August to laminitis. He was 13. I miss him dearly and will be spreading his ashes on the ski hill this week. Carangi+/ better known as "Chachee".

 

[BrookeK]

@contesstant
Oh, wow, he was a looker! I'm sorry you lost him, far too young. Seems a bit fitting to leave him on a ski hill.

I'll see if I can find any pics of Barkon and Adam....two of my all time favorite horses ever, both Arabs.
For now, I'll share Le Roi (Rapid Testamony) , my current OTTB. Nearly 20 now, we've had a decade together.

Good luck in scottsdale! You should post about how it goes. (With pics!)

Le Roi, last summer