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So far Lauren Sprieser has created 346 blog entries.

Virtual Cocktail Party Series continues

By |2020-06-06T19:32:17-04:00June 6th, 2020|News & Events|

Our Virtual Cocktail Party series continues! We’ve got some great up-and-coming meetings on the docket: click here to see them all! We’re talking to top competitors Emily Donaldson and Alice Tarjan about the decision to go pro versus staying an amateur; another great chat with Grand Prix dressage rider Lauren Chumley about teaching flying changes; nutrition for both equine and equestrian alike; and all things contracts with attorney Beth Clarke.

We’re coming to the end of the series, but all are available – more than 30 videos! – on-demand to members of the Sprieser Sporthorse Elite Club. Click here to learn more about the Club, and to sign up!

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Schooling Show Times & Rules

By |2020-06-06T05:24:36-04:00June 6th, 2020|News & Events|

Hi everyone! Below are preliminary ride times for our show on Sunday, June 14. If you’ll be showing with us, PLEASE READ THE REST OF THIS and don’t just skip ahead to ride times, because a) this is our first show so bear with us, and b) um, coronavirus.

SO.

1. Hey, the coronavirus is still a thing. As mentioned in the show program, you’ll be required to rock a mask unless you’re mounted. Please also social distance, park your trailers in such a way that you’re not all up in any fellow competitor’s business, and don’t come to the show if you’re not feeling well or if you’ve been exposed to someone sick. Please temp yourself before you come to the show; if it’s high, stay home. If we catch anyone behaving in an unsafe manner, I’ll throw you off my farm so fast your head will spin, AND keep your money. Don’t be dumb.

2. DO NOT USE YOUR GPS to come to the farm. I can basically guarantee that you’ll regret it. Use the directions here: http://spriesersporthorse.com/contact-us/directions/. There will be some signage as well, but cell phone reception is absolute garbage for several miles around the farm, so don’t count on being able to call these directions up from your phone.

3. An aerial view of the farm is available via email, with parking and water spigots circled. There will also be a community manure bucket, and while we’re going to do our best to regularly clean both the bucket/fork and the spigots, plan accordingly before touching community stuff.

4. As there’s no rider numbers, and all you little champions have given me complete entries (thank you!), just pop on your ponies and get riding; no need to check in anywhere. We did have a change of plan: the show ring is now our OUTDOOR, and the warmup is the INDOOR. Everything will be well labelled.

5. Do know that there are a few grates across the driveways that some horses find objectionable. Plan accordingly. If you think your horse might be a doofus, or you’d just like to have some extra time to see the facilities, remember we’re offering $10 off lessons the week of the show. You can sign up at Time Center.

6. The plan is still coming together, but I’m 99% sure we’re going to go totally contact free and photograph and email your tests to you, rather than hand back paper sheets. If that really cramps your style, shoot me an email and we can work something else out.

7. There are NO BATHROOMS available to folks trailering in. There is NO FOOD SERVICE. The water from the spigots in the parking area is very drinkable, so either bring your own bottle or bring your own water outright. There is also NO ADMITTANCE to the stables.

8. Please don’t trash our parking field. We appreciate it.

9. Heather Richards will be at the show to photograph rides. Please sign up in advance by sending an email to hmrichards100@gmail.com. Photos will be posted online after the show and will be available for download.

Price for photographs will be $40 for all photos taken of you and your horse for the day. Payment should be made through PayPal. Half of all proceeds will be donated to the Culpeper Food Closet to help the local community.

Examples of past horse show work:
Lauren Sprieser and Guernsey Elvis – https://flic.kr/p/2hqfRbD
Jessica Howard and Rhodesian Sky – https://flic.kr/p/2gfyFmS
Lauren Fisher and Dorian Gray – https://flic.kr/p/2g3caUd

9:30 Lainey Ashker Atlas Intermediate A
9:40 Autumn Shuler Hatfield 1-1
9:47 Nikki Smith Riverton T1
9:54 Jodie Potts Island Fever 3-1
10:01 Nikki Smith Riverton T1
10:08 Judy Sprieser Con Air V OTHER
10:18 Cheryl Sherman Rio PSG
10:28 Addie Cant Fiftyshadesofcharm 1-3
10:35 Alissa Genovese Island Fever T2
BREAK
10:48 Dana Voorhees Sleeping Tiger T3
10:57 Dawn Cregger Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter 1-1
11:04 Dana Voorhees Sleeping Tiger T3
11:11 Dawn Cregger Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter 1-2
11:18 Holly Wilmoth Leonardo KF T3
11:25 Robb Mosby Achaemenes 1-1
11:32 Holly Wilmoth Leonardo KF T3
11:39 Lauren Axselle Velvet Alley I-B
11:46 Jodie Potts Agent M I-C
11:53 Lauren Axselle Velvet Alley I-C
12 LUNCH
12:30 Lainey Ashker Zeppelin 2-2
12:37 Barbara Burk Dela T3
12:44 Cindy McAlister Fenway Park T2
12:51 Barbara Burk Dela 1-1
12:58 Cindy McAlister Fenway Park T2
1:05 Susan Gallagher Chacco Chip 1-3
1:12 Jodie Harney Iskandar 2-1
1:19 Susan Gallagher Chacco Chip 1-1
1:26 Jillian White Karma’s A Beach T3
1:33 Meg Melusen Glenhaven Serengeti 1-2
1:40 Lauren Sprieser Gretzky RV 3-3
BREAK
1:55 Karrigan Norris Flo T3
2:02 Leigh Wood Dollar Mountain 1-1
2:09 Karrigan Norris Flo 1-2
2:16 Leigh Wood Dollar Mountain 1-1
2:23 Elyse Betz Santiago del Escarvido 2-1
2:30 Jess Idol Fantom PSG
2:40 Lauren LeBorgeeois Elbaran 1-1
2:47 Katherine Buck Gray Cabeza Prieta T3
2:53 Lauren LeBorgeeois Elbaran T3
3:00 Katherine Buck Gray Cabeza Prieta 1-2
BREAK
3:15 Lainey Ashker Call Him Paddy 2-1
3:22 Nikki Smith Knock On Wood T2
3:29 Jess Idol Escandolo JB 3-1
3:36 Nikki Smith Knock On Wood T2
3:43 Patricia Vos T3
3:50 Lauren Sprieser De Angelicus MTF 1-3
3:57 Lainey Ashker Krymsym Kruzier T1

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Taking The Time For Basics

By |2020-06-06T05:26:40-04:00June 2nd, 2020|COTH Posts|

Barns are reopening their doors, clinics are being scheduled, and shows are starting to creep back onto the calendar. But whether showing is a thing you’re going to participate in or not, and whether you’re a beginner or an international level rider, there’s a huge opportunity to make the most of time out of the show ring and practice basic skills. I had Olivia Lagoy-Weltz, Katherine Bateson-Chandler, Sabine Schut-Kery and Becca Hart on my little Virtual Cocktail Party show recently, and I asked them what they were up to with their horses, with so much up in the air on their Olympic trajectories. The things they talked about resonated not just with me, as someone working towards their level, but also as someone who teaches riders of all levels.

Here are some questions we all should be addressing, from green to Grand Prix.

Read the rest at The Chronicle of the Horse!

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Corona Lite Schooling Show, June 14

By |2020-05-17T09:53:55-04:00May 17th, 2020|News & Events|

Our socially distanced schooling show is live! You can register (and read our rules – this ain’t your normal schooling show) online at Strider. Please note that an entry cannot be accepted unless it contains a signed waiver of liability, a current coggins AND THE NAMES OF ALL in your trailer group, even if you’re trailering alone, as that’s how we’ll schedule the show.

Hope to see you there (from a safe distance)!

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How To Reopen Safely

By |2020-05-18T15:45:27-04:00May 6th, 2020|COTH Posts|

It might be June, or it might be July, or it might be 2021, but eventually, horse shows are going to become a thing that we all can resume doing. But how to do so safely, in this new world order? Some day a vaccine will become available to the masses, but it won’t be anytime soon. So we’ve got a while between when the world starts to reopen, and when the world’s citizens are rendered safe from this virus by science. 

“How to reopen” is a question the whole world is asking, not just horse folks. Bowling alleys, football stadiums, clothing boutiques; everyone and everything has a set of challenges ahead. We’re lucky, we in the horse world, that much of our lives, both in practice and in competition, are spent outside.

But not all of it. The U.S. Equestrian Federation’s recent town hall meeting addressed some of the concerns on how to reopen shows, but there’s more ground to cover, as USEF officials pointed out, and they’re crafting rule changes and lists of best practices to guide all of us as we emerge into the world again. I can only speak from the dressage show perspective, but here are a few ways we could address those indoor and close-proximity challenges, to bring horse shows back to the world in as safe a way as possible.

Read the rest at The Chronicle of the Horse!

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Moving Forward In Frozen Time

By |2020-05-18T15:43:58-04:00April 30th, 2020|COTH Posts|

How do we keep going in these crazy times? Shows are on hold. Many barns have closed. Clinics are canceling. Some things about life are frozen in time, but not all: We want to keep learning, stay inspired and see other humans. So how can we do so? The internet.

A source of so much negativity and nonsense, the internet still rules for its power for good. Here are a few ways to use it wisely:

1. Virtual Lessons

These have been a thing since long before the coronavirus, but the technology is not foolproof. Still, it’s out there, and you can make it work. A few ways to do so:

– If you’re lucky enough to have a Pixem (and it WORKS; they are a little tricky, particularly in indoors), you connect it to your phone, connect to the internet, and connect to your trainer of choice. Boom, done.

– If you don’t, you’ll need a cameraman and an app like Skype or FaceTime. Your camera holder “calls” your instructor, and off you go.

When I’ve tried it, I’ve found that it works best if the rider wears a Bluetooth headphone of some sort, so they can hear me rather than trying to crank up the volume on the cameraphone. And that means that your camera probably needs to be in the middle of your arena, so you’re not too far from it, lest said Bluetooth headphones disconnect (a dressage arena is quite a bit longer than the average Bluetooth range!). If you’re shopping for headphones, look for something with “Class 1” Bluetooth, which goes farther than the typical “Class 2.” And if you’re really stuck or really need to have the whole arena, use a second phone: one for video and one in your pocket to call.

Read the rest at The Chronicle of the Horse!

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Keep Learning, Safely! Virtual Cocktail Party Series

By |2020-04-26T10:29:17-04:00April 26th, 2020|News & Events|

If you don’t follow Lauren Sprieser on Facebook, you might have missed the Virtual Cocktail Party series. Sponsored by the Sprieser Sporthorse Elite Club, Lauren is hosting three FREE educational “parties” via Zoom, in these times of social distancing, to keep learning and keep having fun while we’re safe at home.

We’ve had some amazing guests, and will continue to do so for weeks to come. All meetings are at 7p EST (4p PST). Here’s the complete schedule of events:

Monday, April 27: Maddie of The Blonde & The Bay, a fabulous blogger and Instagram star. We’re talking about life on the internet, and the pluses and perils of social media.
Wednesday, April 29: Beth Hall of Woodwind Studios & MusiKur Dressage Freestyles, a professional dressage freestyle composer. Beth has done freestyles for myself and my students through the international levels, and we’ll chat choreography, the music process, and why you’re not allowed to do a freestyle to music from The Pirates Of The Caribbean or Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimmaron anymore. (Spoiler alert: because you’ll be the nine millionth person to do so.)
Friday, May 1: Lauren Chumley is back to talk about working students: how to be a good one, how to get a great job, when to run screaming from the hills, and how spending time as a working student is crucial before you venture out as a trainer on your own.
Monday, May 4: Dr. Cricket Russillo, USA Team Vet for Dressage. We’ll be talking about the value of being proactive instead of reactive in equine sports medicine, and what a good preventative performance exam and treatment plan looks like.
Wednesday, May 6: Ange Bean, Grand Prix dressage trainer, about riding the non-warmblood horse and bringing them up the levels of dressage sport. We’ve got Morgans! We’ve got Fresians! We’ve got combinations of the two! Come learn about how Ange’s made multiple FEI horses with nary a warmblood to be found in their pedigrees.
Friday, May 8: a high performance roundtable we’re calling “What I’m Doing On My Summer Vacation!” For our country’s top dressage and paradressage stars, the journey to the next Olympic Games just got weirder… and longer. I’ll be joined by Rebecca Hart, Katherine Bateson-Chandler, Olivia Lagoy-Weltz and more, to talk about their plans for the summer, how they’re staying motivated, and what comes next in these uncertain times.

PAST PARTIES, recorded and available for your listening pleasure, to members of the Sprieser Sporthorse Elite Club:
– Heather Richards, FEI Amateur with horses at home
– Jen Verharen, professional coach, on making fear a superpower
– Dr. Chad Davis DVM, on complementary medicine for horses
– Dr. Jenny Susser, sports psychologist, on goal setting
– Laura Crump Anderson, personal trainer & yoga instructor
– Jodie Kelly & Martin Kuhn, Grand Prix riders, on Young Riders
– The Horse Husbands
– Lauren Chumley on buying & selling horses
– Laura Romfh of Romfh Equestrian Apparel on equine fashion
– Olivia Lagoy-Weltz, international dressage rider, on riding the wingnut
– Lendon Gray, Olympian and Olympic coach, on teaching youth riders

Sign up for each meeting FREE at Strider, and see you there!

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One Day Closer Every Day

By |2020-05-18T15:41:45-04:00April 24th, 2020|COTH Posts|

I’m home, in (mostly) one piece. Longtime readers will be shocked, shocked I say!, to learn that I had two tires go boom on the trailer on my way home from Florida, turning a 17-hour drive, one I normally take in two days anyway, into a 19-hour one. But we made it, and the horses were absolute troupers, and the van with the other nine arrived the next day with everyone safe and sound. And now… well, yeah. What about now?

My barn is closed for a little while longer. I’m one of the gazillions of small business owners who applied for a PPP loan only to find the program has run out of money. I’ve had to cancel three clinics, to the tune of thousands of dollars in revenue. And my partner is furloughed, taking us from a two-income household to a one-plus-unemployment-income household.

This is not a whine. I’m abundantly aware of how lucky I am that I can work at all, and that my work is relatively—RELATIVELY—easy to keep clean and safe. And I’m not dealing with anything that is unique in this world. But lest there was anyone thinking of raking their barn owner over the coals for doing what they can to keep you all safe, just don’t.

The closure means my staff and I are riding everything, but since the return from Florida is a great time to do very little, the timing of the pandemic is, oddly, terrific. And before reopening, I brought in our fantastic sports medicine veterinarian for a round of exams and “tune-ups” on all the horses, so they will be fresh, fit and healthy before we bring the clients back.

Read the rest at The Chronicle of the Horse!

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