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)!
We’re open for business in a safety-conscious way, we’re making plans for horse shows, and we’re keeping our horses and riders learning. Read our May e-newsletter to find out how, and to join in on the fun!
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!
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!
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:
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!
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!
We’re carefully reopening for lessons, with strict biosecurity protocols and distancing measures, for the safety of all. And we’re excited to be participating in a virtual horse show, for a great cause! Click to read our April newsletter and learn more.
A few of my friends have been posting “Gratitude Lists” online, to remind them of all the good that is out there, particularly in times where it’s easy to see the bad.
I’ve seen these before, in less hideous times, and I’d always thought they were a little fluffy. But the whole world is upside down, and I think that maybe a little fluffy is just what the doctor ordered (alongside hand washing, mask wearing, and staying the heck at home). So here are 10 things I’m grateful for this week.
1. The people I’m near. I know, social distancing is making “near” a relative term. But my staff is being amazing right now (as they always are, but I’m particularly grateful now). The end of the Florida season is always a time of senioritis avoidance because we’re all burned out from three-plus months of constantly running, and we normally finish showing and then have 10-or-so days to kill before we head home. The coronavirus has made it more like five WEEKS to kill, and between that and not being able to leave the farm for social interaction, we should all want to kill one another. The fact that we don’t is remarkable and says a tremendous amount about the gastrointestinal fortitude of these amazing women: assistant trainer Jess and working students Emily and Caitlin.
Read the rest at The Chronicle of the Horse!
On Tuesday, after watching the numbers rise, after seeing the growing numbers of states restrict movement, and after listening to recommendations from the CDC and other medical experts, I felt I had no choice but to close my barns in Florida and Virginia to all but critical staff in order to do our part to flatten the curve and reduce the risk of spreading the coronavirus. Almost all of my clients were incredibly gracious and supportive. But I know that many of my trainer friends have experienced clients who are not so understanding.
It wasn’t a decision I took lightly. I hated thinking about their lost rides, about the time and the money they’d invested to come to Florida. But at the end of the day, the case to close was so much more compelling than that to stay open. The risk of illness to them, the risk of illness to my staff and me, the best interests for the caretaking of the horses.
And so there was no one at the farm besides my two working students when a horse I was riding slipped, went down and landed on me.
Read the rest at The Chronicle of the Horse!
Hi Sprieser Sporthorse family. We had this grand plan to lay out some long-planned staff changes in a tranquil way once we were close to getting back from FL, and then the coronavirus reared its spiky little head, forcing our hand much earlier than planned. So I’m going to jankily tell you all about some changes to our team that will be happening over the next few weeks.
First, a quick scheduling announcement: I don’t think it shocks anyone that I’m going to cancel my trip home to teach you all this weekend. I have a feeling that the government and/or the airline is going to force my hand on this anyway, but I don’t think it’s in anyone’s best interest for me to get on a plane. So instead, I’m sending Jess home from FL early – she’ll arrive on Friday, March 27. All lessons currently scheduled can stay scheduled, they’ll just be with her instead. Lessons with Jess are still $45, until 5/1. (Just as a note, in case you’ve missed it the other gajillion times I’ve mentioned it – I go up to $100 for trailer-ins and $85 for boarders, and Jess goes up to $55 for trailer-ins and $50 for boarders, all on 5/1.)
Which leads me to some news. I am so terribly sad to be bidding adieu, after years of friendship and teamwork, to my dear friend, Lauren Fisher. Lauren’s boyfriend, Kyle, has been transferred to a position in Fort Worth, and Lauren will be leaving us to join him. We’d originally planned for her departure to be around our return from FL, but with Jess heading home early, Lauren will also be leaving early. Her last day will be Sunday, March 29. Lauren, I am so incredibly grateful for your time with us, and I wish you nothing but the absolute best in your new adventure.
Joining us in early May will be a familiar face to some of you: Karrigan Norris, who worked for us for one winter in Florida as a working student, has since completed her college career, and has been teaching and riding freelance. Karrigan is a delight, as well as an extremely accomplished rider and trainer: Karrigan has brought her rescue Saddlebred-pinto-who-knows-what gelding, Phoenix, from unbacked to Intermediate I. Jess and I are beyond delighted to welcome her to the family. Karrigan’s lessons will be $45 to trailer-ins and $40 for boarders.
We are also sad to be saying goodbye to working student Anna, as she heads home to begin college. With COVID-19, we’re saying farewell earlier than planned, but we’re very excited to welcome new working student Max to the family. The Florida crowd is also saying farewell to working student Caitlin, who really rescued us by filling a sudden vacancy in December, and we’ll be joined by new working student Emma at the end of May. Anna and Caitlin, it has been an absolute pleasure knowing you, and we all wish you the best of luck in what comes next for you!
If you’re following along with a calendar (and possibly an abacus), you’ll notice we’ll be down a working student for a few weeks, between our return from Florida in mid-April and Emma’s joining us at the end of May. We appreciate your patience during this time!
Jess, Rachel, Emily – who’s officially our Assistant Barn Manager – and I are very excited for our new team members to join us, as well as for the COVID-19 virus to leave us, so we can start getting back to some normalcy. We’re also terribly grateful for some pinch-hitting by Brittany, who has been helping us over the winter, and who will continue to do so until we’re all hands on deck.
But we’re mostly grateful to all of you, for your patience as we sort out the comings and goings, new faces, and global chaos of this trying time. Your horse’s care and safety is paramount to us all, as ever, and with new challenges to the global landscape, we’re so thankful that you all are so understanding and graceful about rolling with change. If I can answer any questions, please let me know!
Lauren