Max Goodman

20/08/2024

Are you dreaming of building a relationship with a lovely horse, but only have the time and budget for part time horse access? Why not shareboard??

I have two good options:

First: Nefertiti da Raposa an 8 year old imported Lusitano mare. T**i is loved by her busy veterinarian owner. She is safe, extremely comfortable and light to the aids. Schooling all lateral work in walk and trot. T**i loves attention and time with her people. Her owner is traveling from time to time, and looking to find someone who might enjoy spending one or two days per week with T**i in her absence. T**i is sensitive and bonds to her rider, so it is important to us that her shareboarder understands her. One lesson per week will be required, and included in the price to share her. T**i will remain in full training at Lake o’ the Woods in Warrenton NC. Please inquire for rates and further details.

Second:
Eileen a 4 year old andalusian with an exceptional brain and temperament, three buoyant gaits and a good work ethic. Eileen is being brought along slowly by her owner and is light to the aids with a good understanding of contact. She is safe, no vices, but due to her age can be distracted and/or forward so is not appropriate for a beginner. Contact her owner, Amber, for further details and rates. Eileen is located just 10 minutes outside Durham.

17/08/2024

Just had the pleasure of visiting Laura Gosch Equestrian and taking a lesson with her and the very generous and workman-like Jarama. She and Goncalo Linhas have a number of very nice horses available ranging in age from weanlings to 12 years old. They are breeding their own, and are very knowledgeable about the lusitano lines. There’s a few really nice possibilities for ambitious pros and also loving amateur homes. Take a look, and feel free to reach out to me or Laura directly for more info- always happy to gush about my favorites 🤩

13/08/2024

Always important to choose how you train based on the needs of the horse.

11/08/2024

Thanks Kate Sandel for writing all this!

10/08/2024

Good news ! Pippa Callanan is heading back to NC sooner than expected and will join us for two clinics in the area, from 9/20 till 9/25.
Enjoy 6 days of kind, correct, French Classical Dressage from an empathetic and knowledgeable instructor who has trained multiple horses to haute ecole/Grand Prix, who studied directly with Philippe Karl for 2 years and has a breadth of classical and natural horsemanship knowledge.

From 9/20-9/22 join us in Williamston NC with organizer Max Goodman and host Wanda Morrow. This clinic location will host 4 trainee teachers in the Ecole de Legerete as well as open course riders, working with young horses through Prix st. georges. Www.pippadressage0924.splashthat.com for more information and to reserve your riding or auditing spot.

From 9/23-9/25 in Chapel Hill at Ardenwood Farm with clinic organizer Amber Nicole Guest This clinic location is easily accessible and features adult amateur riders who have trained and competed from young horses to I1/I2. Pippa Callanan Clinic at Ardenwood Farm for more details.

Hope you can join us for what I have dubbed Pippapalooza 2024 🙂

09/08/2024

Sharing this here for my students who can always use a good visual refresher!

07/08/2024

Good news/bad news y'all. The wine has been opened. Let's talk about the Equestrian Olympics. time.

First, at the risk of beating a dead horse (I feel like in the current climate I have to specify *NOT LITERALLY*) I'm not sure there's a lot that I can add to the discourse.

Let's start with some positives. The caliber of horse on display in all three disciplines was simply outstanding. The breeders have clearly done their work, and are creating fantastic athletes with varied bloodlines and histories. There were a few highlights for me in the riding - Michael Jung is so precise in everything he does. Justina Vangaite has an amazing, inspiring story, and clearly has an undeniable partnership with her horse. Henrik von Eckermann, despite actually falling in his individual ride, and the unbelievable King Edward overcame a lost shoe and a broken martingale and still completed two clear rounds. Pauline Basquin, a rider from the Cadre Noir at Saumur, showed us Dressage that was elegant, flowing and with stylized but natural gaits. She gave me some hope.

Now, on to the inevitable despair. From my home country we saw several athletes across disciplines who attended the games with recently purchased horses. These partnerships looked anything but concrete, and the tension on display was frankly embarrassing. Why in the wealthiest nation in the world, are we unable to afford good enough EDUCATION to actually produce our own top level horses? If this Olympics taught team USA anything I hope it's that we need to develop young riders, but more importantly trainers, to produce the level and quality of horses here at home. We cannot rely on buying our wins, regardless of how talented and shining some of the horses are. (And, I should add, this is not just the US, nor is it *all* of the US riders, but we see it in fledgling, wealthy, emerging equestrian countries as well like the UAE, for example).

As anyone who follows Dressage and hasn't been living under a rock will know, just days before the games Charlotte DuJardin was torpedoed by a several years-old video showing her beating a horse with a whip, where she can be heard to say, "This whip is so sh*t at hitting them hard." flippantly, like she'd done it 1000 times before. She was basically drawn and quartered, abandoned even by her longtime mentor Carl Hester who claimed he had *never* seen this side of her before - this from the man who gave her the nickname Edwina after Edward Scissorhands. And so after her "voluntary" step down from the games, business continued as usual.

Despite Charlotte's public shaming, some of those doing the shaming competed on horses with blue tongues in the run up to the games - including Isabel Werth, Lottie Fry and Patrik Kittel. And now .tv is sharing that the veterinary team onsite reviewed images from the Dressage competition, and found several riders to have performed in the Olympics on horses with blue tongues, including now silver medalist Werth and top 10 finisher Kittel. BUT, despite this intervention, no change in the standings will take place, and no suspensions, even though this is a clear violation of the FEI's own purported welfare policies. They had a meeting with the riders to "warn" them of future suspensions...if you can do this in the Olympics on the world stage, when all eyes are on you, how can we possibly expect there to be repercussions on the more local level, when the biggest names and deepest pockets have almost unchecked influence?

Though I am more able to forgive the extreme bitting and harsh spurs in jumping, at least they were willing to ring out riders who were putting themselves and their mounts in danger. In Dressage, even what was awarded top honors was pretty questionable.

Beyond Werth and Kittel's blue tongues, there were quite a few broken gaits, trailing hind ends, lateralized walks. Individual gold medalist, Jessica von Bredow-Werndl who is generally one of the softer riders, showed a passage toward the end of her individual test that lost all semblance of 2 beat rhythm/diagonalization - it was as if the hind end was performing 1 tempis while the front was still in passage. This level of disunited movement from front to back would, in a normal horse, indicate severe neurological issues. Steffen Peters and Mopsie (Suppenkasper) were eliminated from individual competition when, in the qualifier, he was supposed to perform piaffe he performed something closer to a sideways moving 3 legged jambette/canter. I was honestly worried his horse had been grievously injured. We saw plenty of behind the vertical hyperflexion, and at least one instance of absolute elevation from Helix and Adrienne Lyle.

And yet, even when the ground jury vets intervene (albeit after the fact) nothing changes? We are supposed to accept all of this as normal?? The "moment in time" argument falls away when we all are watching the same livestream...

Honestly, the emperor has no clothes. We will not be gaslit into normalizing what we saw on display there. It is obvious that the FEI is totally incapable of separating itself from the riders and judges it's supposed to be regulating, playing favorites and throwing others under the bus as it sees fit - to the wolves at PETA. It offers the lip service of the theme of this Olympic games "A bond like no other" but doesn't actually support that goal. Give me all the cooling tents and matted boxes you like, but if you aren't willing to go to bat and take medals away when riders have ridden with hands so harsh as to remove the blood supply to the tongue, I'm sorry, what is your purpose?!

At the end of the day, we are going to have to change this ourselves. We are going to have to keep shaking the saber, publishing photos, and writing articles. We are going to have to demonstrate and teach proper contact, kind, ethical, educated training. We are going to have to be the change. No one is coming to save horse sports. We have to do it ourselves, or languish in the demise of what we once loved. The time is now.

Edited to add an article published on Reuters with quotes from the head vet: https://www.reuters.com/sports/olympics/equestrian-governing-body-finds-blue-horse-tongues-dressage-review-2024-08-06/

(enjoy this image of a nice piaffe from Pauline in the warm-up at Paris, to feel a little better about the state of things, photo credit to Cheval Magazine )

03/08/2024

just a neat image.

Send a message to learn more

31/07/2024

For anyone needing something to smile about in the Dressage portion of this Olympics I recommend following on instagram. A kind person with an inspiring backstory and a fluid, relaxed test (which I tink ought to have scored higher compared to some of the tension and absolute elevation on display).

24/07/2024

As a welfare advocate, I have been observing the developments of the Charlotte DuJardin abuse allegations over the past 24 hours. What we see happening here is cognitive dissonance in real time.

A few important details for those who may not have been following the story so far:
- Charlotte DuJardin is a decorated Olympian from Great Britain, fully expected to be a contender for the podium in Dressage this go-round
- She is also a fairly new mother, who has dealt with depression in the past
- She and her mentor Carl Hester often show publicly their horses in ample turnout with friends, something that few high end show horses are allowed to enjoy
- Charlotte released a statement before any of the press regarding this ban where she referred to her actions as "a lapse in judgement" and "out of character" and claimed the incident in question happened 4 years ago, but said she herself made the decision to withdraw from the Olympics
- The FEI is launching an investigation, and has issued a provisional competition ban of 6 months
- The video is a lesson where Charlotte is teaching and whipping the rider's horse from the ground 24 times in a 1 minute period
- According to the rider's lawyer, the video took place in 2022 not 4 years ago.
- The rider is now 19, so would have been 17 at the time.
- According to the rider's lawyer, the rider was gifted a lesson with Charlotte from a sponsor, and was lead to believe that these practices were normal at elite levels of training.

So, on one hand, we see a well respected, successful trainer who has made a lapse in judgement. As fellow trainers, the urge to give grace, to wait for details is strong. We have all made mistakes in moments of frustration, or used too much force, or done things out of ignorance that in hindsight might make us cringe.

But then we consider the timeline - two years, not four years as Charlotte said. So then, is this not an isolated incident? And, if one has a lapse in judgement, how long does that lapse proceed...in the video she whips the horse 24 times. Charlotte can be heard to say, "Get going, old man!" and "This is so sh*t" and, although it's hard to make out, when the rider seems upset and seems to question what is happening Charlotte replies, "These are just taps, he doesn't respect the whip" Which the audio in the video will tell you is gaslighting at best.

Deep inside all of us, is a young girl with dreams, like the rider in the video, who was likely ecstatic to be able to take a lesson with one of her idols. I think, at the end of the day, we have to reconnect with that side of us, and use it as a litmus test. Would the little girl that ran to hug her pony approve of this? Would this bring her joy or horror? Charlotte too has this little girl inside her, and a daughter of her own, and I suspect as the cognitive dissonance wears off, she may really grasp the opportunity here to make a change, and restore her good name as an exemplary competition rider.

I am glad too, that the FEI has moved to act swiftly. However, I do notice that no actions have been taken against Werth, Fry or Kittel, all of whom have competed horses with blue tongues in the run-up to the Olympics. It seems they only act when absolutely no other option is afforded to them.

Given that this video was released by a very young rider, and not, as I initially suspected by a competing business interest of Charlotte, I commend her bravery. The backlash against whistleblowers and the disempowered in the horse world can be severe, particularly when it comes to well loved, big name riders.

Finally, for those who are shocked, I would urge you to consider that despite what we wish to believe, in elite sport these practices are the norm, not the exception. Is it everyone? Certainly not. But is it much more widespread than we are lead to believe? Absolutely. We can't rely on the FEI to self police. Like the young rider in the video, we have to make the change ourselves. If we want to save Dressage as a sport, and an art, we have to be the examples we wish to see, and keep pressure on for the FEI to adhere to their own rules.

It's a sad day for Charlotte, and for the sport of dressage, but maybe, just maybe, a small light at the end of the tunnel for advocates who want to see the FEI actually enforce its own rules. I wouldn't say I'm hopeful, but I would say, it's a start.

For those who are curious, here is the video of the incident in question, with sound:

Charlotte Dujardin, Britain’s three-time Olympic equestrian champion, has been shown repeatedly striking a horse on the back of the legs with a whip in distr...

23/07/2024

Hugging my horses extra tight today after a dear friend lost her yesterday. Link in bio to contribute to her vet bill in this time of

20/07/2024

Another quick show update. Finally got some lovely photos back from JSK Photography and High Time Photos, so glad to share!

When you go to a Dressage show, the outcome can really vary - some days you jump out of the arena...and some days you score 70%! Rarely do you do both, but that's exactly what young Ella and Polly did this past Saturday at our show in Southern Pines.

Unfortunately, despite my best laid plans the weather decided to flood our arena from Thursday on, just prior to our show Saturday, so Mousse had two days off, and Polly had one...not ideal just before a competition! Then, we learned that Ella's first class would be her cantering class, Intro C, rather than Intro B which is just walk/trot, and my first class would be the recognized class rather than Opportunity (this means it's like a schooling class at a recognized show).

The pressure was on, but Mousse warmed up well. Unbeknownst to me, the arena where Ella was scheduled was running early, so partway through my test, Ella went to take Polly to school in preparation for her test. Mousse, sensing Polly's departure, unfortunately came to a dead halt during his free walk to poo....he was literally scared sh*tless poor guy! But in his defense, he continued his test, and finished all movements where required, despite our tanked free walk score...The judge somehow missed my screaming to Eliot asking where the pony was - I was fully expecting a 2 point deduction for voice use!

Ella got very minimal warm up with Polly, who was clearly forward and distracted in warm up, by the time I jumped down to pass Mousse off and coach her. Still, like the confident and collected young rider she is, she started her test down the center line with a good transition to halt. As she began her trot tour, we could see that Polly was gaining momentum, and Ella was losing shoulder control. It's worth mentioning here, that due to a last minute vehicle change Ella had left her gloves at home, and so was wearing my adult sized gloves :D This might not have been helpful to her as she was needing to keep better contact on the reins. At the end of her canter circle as Ella tried to return down to a trot, Polly took one look at the arena corner and thought, "Green as Grass division?" It should be mentioned here, Polly is a jumper pony, and her show name isn't Politely Decline for nothing! Despite Ella's best efforts, and to the horror of onlookers, over they went...The judge was very kind, and allowed Ella to re-enter the arena, and repeat her canter circle at the trot and re-install steering.

My next class was after a bit of a wait, and we were all getting rather hot and sweaty. In the interim a freight train passed with whistles blaring - neither Polly nor Mousse much minded. Mousse was much more focused on his second go-round. Unfortunately, we were missing a bit of gas, and so our second canter departure was late, tanking our score. Still, despite these rather large baby bobbles in both tests, he managed modest scores hovering around 60, and I expect a big improvement when we can actually do the tests as written - all good things in time!

More roasting and waiting, as Ella was the literal last ride of the show. In front of no witnesses, save one very kind judge, Ella rode her intro B test to a fabulous 70%+ which was her goal this show. She was over the moon, and very happy to have redeemed herself and Polly.

After slushies and a cool hose, one more train distraction (see video in the comments to see Mousse's reaction :D) both horses loaded in no time at all and returned home safely in time for dinner. I was really happy with how the day ended up, despite the difficulties in the tests themselves, the horses were really well behaved and confident in the show environment, and for this we can always be proud.

As you may or may not know, one of the co-owners of Lake o' the Woods Sporthorses, David Peters, passed away recently. David loved competing, and so I thought of him as I rode the centerline, and as we collected our ribbons. I think he would have found this day rather entertaining. I can only imagine his wry British commentary...I'm missing him lots, especially last weekend.

Anyway, enjoy these lovely pro photos from the last two shows, and one bonus action shot of Polly's dramatic exit!

11/07/2024

I had a recent exchange with Emotional Horsemanship by Lockie Phillips who posted about calling out some of the holier-than-thou attacks that bubble up in would-be ethical horse communities. He rightfully called them bullying and unkind. I wanted to draw a distinction between an attack and valid critique, and he made an interesting point: engage first, by way of reaching out/introducing yourself personally, then advise/critique. I wondered how to best do that, given that I am often communicating with strangers in the broader equestrian community, some of whom follow this page.

I don't often talk about my personal life here, I prefer to avoid the cult of personality, and I try to keep this page very horse-centric and professional. However, it may be useful to understand from whence I came, because by all appearances it might not be what you'd expect :D

First, I'm including a rare headshot here (courtesy of my former working student Ella!). Though my name is Max, I am, in fact, a lady, but I often get mistaken for a man in online settings.

The next thing you should know about me is I grew up the child of divorced parents, very working class in inner city Philadelphia. No one from my family rode horses, and my parents could not afford lessons. I worked to ride from age 9 up. I have no junior show record, and I did not own my own horse until I was 25, when I bought one as a working artist in New York City. People see the lovely, fancy horses I ride now, and often think I must be some sort of spoiled rich kid. This always gives me a little chuckle - as if I am code switching class-wise! This is one of the reasons I'm so passionate about supporting urban riding programs like or Philadelphia Urban Riding Academy. They give kids like I used to be vital access in a sport that's becoming more and more elitist.

Thankfully, other horse people have been incredibly kind and supportive of me throughout my life, and I try to do the same and pay it forward where I can. My first riding teachers gave me a horse to ride whenever I liked - that saddle time was irreplaceable in my formative years. My summer camp instructor let me show his sales ponies - the worlds lil-est catch rider!

As a young adult, when I returned home from working abroad in Italy and France, several trainers in the NYC area allowed me to be their working students. I wouldn't know half of what I do today without the educated eyes (and horses!) of Kate Theallet and Marie Pettersson. Ashley Holzer hired me so I could work off my board at Riverdale stables in the Bronx, and she and Diane Fellows allowed me to breed my mare to their stallion, creating my dream horse, Chloe, who I never could've afforded to buy. Bertrand Ravoux, Melanie Bulmahn, Christine Stuckelberger and Philippe Karl welcomed me their homes to allow me to observe their training, and did me the real honor of allowing me to ride their personal horses. There is no replacement for feeling how a really well schooled horse goes. And finally Trish and David Peters took a chance on me as a relatively unknown trainer, and let me steer the ship here at Lake o' the Woods. And this is far from the full list. All of their generosity made my life expand in ways I never could have imagined.

Another important detail: when I was 22 years old I nearly died in a car crash. I was a passenger. I broke a seat back with my head. I was already a bit spectrum-y, but this incident has caused me years of physical and mental deficits that I still struggle to overcome. Growing up, I was always the smartest kid in class, and having developed dyslexia, proprioceptive asymmetry, and auditory processing issues as an adult has been really challenging/identity altering. When I am very direct, my tone rarely comes across on the internet as it might in person, and I hope this will help clarify my intention in those exchanges.

When I interact critically with a post, particularly if it's something written by someone I respect, it is because I think it is interesting and worth discussing. I don't offer critique to shut anyone down, or belittle them, but simply to gauge if the information I have is valuable, or if it doesn't hold up under scrutiny. As an artist, and the child of lawyers, I find increasingly that I am much more comfortable with critical discourse than most people. This is ok, but I try to make sure I am interrogating ideas and philosophies, not attacking individuals. I always expect critique and analysis of anything I post publicly, although I do try to be protective of my students if I share their images here. That said, questions or critiques are always welcome on my posts.

I'd love to know more about people who are following this page - feel free to introduce yourself in the comments, or shoot me a direct message. I want this page to be an open forum and a resource. What would you like to discuss? What would be useful to you? Let me know.

10/07/2024

These are the only saddle that Chloe tolerates, I've been very happy with my kitzbuhel, and my kanga jump saddle.

04/07/2024

Someone sent me a recommendation for a venue to host a clinic, but I lost it - if it was you, please resend! Thanks! (Other recommendations welcome, we are trying to put all 6 days of Pippa's clinics in one location, with an indoor, stabling, and turnout, a tall order!) Thanks in advance. Photo for the algorithm.

28/06/2024

With everything going on I have had limited time to organize and announce that Alexis Martin-Vegue will be visiting and teaching a few lessons at Lake o' the Woods, 7/2 and 7/3. Alexis is a classically minded Grand Prix trainer, USDF gold medalist, and r judge. She has developed multiple horses from starting under saddle through the Grand Prix. If you are interested in riding with Alexis or coming to audit, let me know. We have approximately 1-2 lesson slots open each day, late morning. Lessons are $125 ($100 plus $25 haul in fee) auditing is $25. If I have critical mass I may be able to cater lunch as well.

27/06/2024

Queen Nefertiti improving her understanding of what a lovely hind leg she has 🤩 remember her the next time someone argues it’s too difficult to ask an to extend the neck or work in front of the vertical.

26/06/2024

Friend speaks my mind! I especially enjoyed the discussion of the distinction without a difference of circus vs dressage around the 40 min mark. Hats off to the value of a good spanish walk, the understanding that the flying change is offered, cannot be forced, and schooling piaffe (slowly, methodically, correctly) earlier in the training as a means, not an end. How do you decide if something is a trick or training ?? Also gleeful to know why I see so many glimmers of French classical in Tristan’s work- Morten is a Fillis devotee, very much looking forward to reading his book ASAP. https://trtmethod.com/podcast/trt-podcast-19-morten-thomsen/ maybe Morten and Tristan can join me in my regular pursuit of :D

He’s been my mentor for many, many years now, starting from all the way back to when I moved to Europe as a 21-year-old.

24/06/2024

For anyone considering bitless. As a legerete follower we don’t generally go this route, but if you’re planning to do so for whatever reason, this is a great guide.

Which Bitless Bridle Should I Choose?

With so many options out there, it is hard to decide which one is best for your horse! Here are my thoughts on various bitless options and when/how I would use them.

Sidepull - this is the simplest option and is appropriate for the vast majority of riders out there wanting to go bitless (this is what my lesson horses wear). The sidepull should be a simple, padded cavesson with the reins clipped to the side. This tool gives very clear signals to the side of the horse's face. The cavesson should sit high enough to avoid putting pressure on the horse's nasal bone.

Bosal - this is an excellent tool to help build refinement while staying bitless. It should only be used on horses that are soft and in tune with the rider's body and legs. The bosal is a signal device similar to a curb bit. It is used to signal to the horse to rock his weight back and be ready for the cue coming from the rider's body and legs. It is not the best tool for teaching gross motor skills - turning, stopping, etc. Bosals must be custom fitted to the horse they are used on, or they can easily cause rubs and sores on the face. Bosals should be made with a high quality rawhide core (never a metal core) and softer rawhide or kangaroo lace wraps. They tend to be an extremely pricey tool. Don't buy cheap!

Mechanical Hackamore, Flower Hackamore, or any type of Hackamore with leverage - similar to the idea of a bosal, but with less feel. Unlike the bosal, these tools put pressure on the underside of the jaw as well as on the nose and poll. This can create jaw tension and brace. These tools are typically used as shortcuts instead of teaching a horse to be soft in a sidepull. With so many better options out there, this isn't an option I would use.

Cross Under Bridle - this is by far the worst option I've come across and unfortunately, is very popular. This is the bridle where the reins clip to cross under pieces that go under the jaw and connect to the opposite side. When a rein is used, this piece under the jaw tightens, applying pressure to the horse's entire face and pulling the outside ear down. This teaches horses to drop their outside ear and twist instead of properly flexing their poll. This tool can be extremely damaging over time.

Bridles where the noseband tightens under the chin - while this is slightly better than the cross under option, it still uses restriction instead of communication. Horses feel trapped when their face is restricted, creating brace and tension. Bitless bridles should not have any parts that tighten when pressure is applied!

24/06/2024

A quick show update. With other bigger issues in my personal life, the show feels unimportant, but I think it's meaningful to celebrate our horses and students, regardless.

It was Mousse's first show, and first time at Carolina Horse Park. He generally handled the show atmosphere well, and was really excellent and focused in the warm up. Unfortunately he was in ring 1, which was beside a large tent and pagoda which he found challenging. Luckily we were nearly the last ride of the day, so the judge was taking time to organize her paperwork, and I was able to let him stand, take some breaths, and work on getting past the looming monsters.

He started his test a bit shaken and unsure, which showed up the most in his left lead canter depart. Despite taking a lovely left lead canter warm up, he missed his depart then counter cantered, which we had to repair. As we turned back up the diagonal they had begun running the water trucks in the ring behind ours, so add another threatenting beast in the same corner! He stayed really focused and his right canter was much more balanced and correct.

By the time we hit the final centerline he was still with me, and gaining confidence as he went. I have no doubt he'll continue to understand what it is to show, and feel more courageous with each positive experience. He earned a modest score in the low 60s, a blue ribbon, and for a first show ever, I am very happy with him.

Young Ella accomplished two big goals with Polly - a personal best in her intro B test with a score of 69+ (she's knocking on the door of 70!) and doing her first intro C class, and her first canter at a show. For intro C she scored a 65, and given that our goal was only to break 60, she was over the moon. She won both classes handily, and was beaming ear to ear. It was fun to ride the warm up together, as our rides were nearly back to back.

Besides Mousse, it was also Eliot and Alice's first show as working student and intern. They were both troopers, organized and professional, even when Mousse decided when it came time to load to go home that he'd rather just live at the horse park...looks like we'll be reviewing trailer loading this week! Big thanks also to Mary, Ella's Mom, who helped us with the horses, kept everyone hydrated, and took all the non-pro photos!

Thanks all, as you know, competing has never been my favorite aspect of this horse life, but it's so much better with a good group to enjoy it with.