Wednesday, February 10, 2010

UPDATE 2010 FTI WINTER EQUESTRIAN FESTIVAL

The last few months have been very busy working for Frank Madden Show Stable with a rather intense schedule that has included long work hours. After leaving our home base at Hunters Moon Farm, East Norwich, NY, in December 2009, the barn traveled to the site of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. Following our arrival, we spent time organizing the barn, the horse and rider equipment, and the horse show set up, and some of the horses and riders participated in the Holiday Series Shows held here in late December. One of the barns' junior competitors, Victoria Birdsall, was selected to participate in the fourth annual George Morris Horse Mastership Clinic which was held in early January in the International Arena at the show grounds of the Winter Equestrian Festival. Having the opportunity to see Mr. Morris teach some segments of the clinic was a rewarding and educational experience, and brought back fond memories from my own experiences at the clinic in 2007 and 2008.

The first four weeks of the Winter Circuit have passed quickly, and the experience has been energetic and very rewarding. Recently, the barn has welcomed several new horses and riders into our program and it has been a pleasure getting to know all of them. Some of our riders are getting acquainted with new mounts, and I have been watching them apply lessons learned in the show ring. Since learning occurs at an individual rate, the teaching process has taught me to be more patient with the riders and the horses. Working with and showing a sale horse named, Sagitario II, has been part of my work duties and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with him.

The format established last year, which answers some of your questions, will continue for this blog.

PLEASE EXPLAIN THE DECEMBER 1st CUT OFF FOR THE EQUITATION, I AM A SOPHOMORE TURNING sixteen in APRIL?

For the Medal, Maclay and the Washington, a rider must be a Junior in order to compete. According to the USEF regulations, Juniors are seventeen and under, on or before December 1st of the competition year. Since you will be sixteen in April, you can show in the Medal, Maclay, and the Washington, this year and until December 1, 2012. For the USEF Talent Search, you can be either a Junior or a Young Rider. According to the USEF regulations, a Young Rider must be twenty-one and under and can be either professional or non-professional. You have the option of continuing to compete in the USEF Talent Search classes for several years after you have completed your Junior years.

OUT OF ALL THE BIG EQUITATION CLASSES YOU ENTERED WHICH ONE WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR FAVORITE?

I do not have a favorite, and can honestly say that I enjoyed all of the Big Eq classes.

ANY WORDS OF WISDOM FOR A FOURTEEN YEAR OLD STARTING RECOGNIZED SHOWS?

Maintaining a focused, positive attitude and developing riding goals with your trainer and your parents will be beneficial.

Competing as a Junior equestrian can be complicated. Many schools do not recognize either the persevering requirements and/or the intensity of the horse show schedule. A Junior faces the challenges of balancing schoolwork and horse work. Traveling and competition schedules are demanding and your school may not consider your days away at competitions as excused absences from school. Junior riders can often be forced into being home schooled. Many Juniors do not have what most would consider the usual high school experience.

Thank you for your continued support and for your questions.
Talk to you soon!
Maria Schaub

Friday, October 30, 2009

END OF 2009 INDOOR SEASON

Hi everyone!

I have been very busy since I last wrote. This week the indoor season will be winding down, and Frank Madden Show Stable will be heading to the Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament. Our barn will have two students competing in the ASPCA Maclay Finals, one student in the older Small Junior Hunters and a few students in the Low and Medium Junior Jumpers. The Syracuse Invitational usually has several International Open Jumper riders and many American Open Jumper riders participating in the higher level competitions, something that I personally find to be very enjoyable as well as educational. After the indoor season has ended, our barn will take a rest, and then, begin to prepare for the winter season in Wellington, Florida.

During the last several blogs, I have attempted to answer some of your recent questions and that format will continue for this blog.

AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START RIDING? SHOWING? AND WHO WAS YOUR FIRST TRAINER?

I started riding when I was eight and a half years old at a summer camp program at Snowbird Acres farm in Long Valley, New Jersey. Snowbird has a riding school as well as a horse show facility. I went to my first horse show at Snowbird and my trainer was Vikki Seigel. After the summer camp, I rode with Mary Babick at Colts Neck Equestrian Center, Colts Neck, NJ.

DO YOU HAVE ANY WORDS OF WISDOM YOU’D LIKE TO SHARE FOR ASPIRING EQUITATION RIDERS?

Pursue your dream and do everything you can to be the best you can be with your riding. Involve your parents and trainers when you are developing your equestrian goals. Persist when you are confronted with obstacles, even if those obstacles appear impossible. Make every attempt you can to learn about horses and riding, nurture your enthusiasm for everything equestrian, and find happiness in your pursuit of your goals.

I’M 15 AND HAVE ASPIRATIONS TO SHOW IN THE BIG EQUITATION CLASSES. I WAS WONDERING WHERE SHOULD I START?

If you have set the goal to show in the big equitation classes, you will need the support of your parents and a trainer to participate. Start with a conversation with your parents and ask them to help you get started. Good Luck to you!

Thanks so much for all of your support and your questions!
Talk to you soon!

Maria Schaub

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

SUMMER 2009 UPDATE

Hi, everyone, it has been quite some time since my last post but before I give you an update on how the show season has been progressing, I want to thank you for all of your continued interest and support. It is most appreciated! The two weeks at Lake Placid for Frank Madden Show Stable proved to be quite rewarding watching all of the customers apply technical skills they had practiced in their lessons during the competition. During the two weeks in Lake Placid, I was given the wonderful opportunity to ride a horse named Stedet's Leroy, owned by DK-USA Sporthorse, LLC., Durham, North Carolina, in some of the open jumper classes. Getting the opportunity to ride and show Leroy was so rewarding and with each preparation and experience riding him, I got to know him better. After the Lake Placid competition, we returned home to Hunter's Moon Farm in Long Island (our home base) for a short rest and then traveled to the Vermont Summer Festival, weeks three and four, in East Dorset, Vermont. While in Vermont, I was afforded the opportunity to show Stedet's Leroy in the Welcome Stake on Friday and in the Grand Prix on Sunday. The first week, we place ninth in the Welcome Stake and, after going first in the Sunday Grand Prix, we were clear in the first round, acquired three rails in the jump off and ended up in ninth place. The second week in the Grand Prix, we went clear in the first round but had three time faults and ended up in seventh place. Riding Leroy in the Grand Prix was such a wonderful experience! I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped make this experience possible, especially the owner of DK-USA Sporthorse, LLC., Ole Strigel and Frank Madden, my coach and, the head trainer at the stable where I work.

After the two shows in Vermont, we traveled directly to the USEF Junior Hunter Finals at Hits Saugerties, for an exciting few days. One of the barns' junior riders, Danielle Cooper, and her wonderful mount, Amalfi, were awarded the Grand Championship after receiving the Championship in the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 Division. Danielle piloted Amalfi to two first place ribbons in both of the over fences classes. Congratulations to Danielle, Amalfi and the Cooper family for such a great success!

The next few weeks will be, without a doubt, quite busy! Some of the barn will be traveling to Pony Finals while, at home, we will be completing all the necessary preparation for indoors. The final show of the season before indoors will be the 2009Hamptom Classic in Bridgehampton, New York.

Now, on to some of your most recent questions.

I RECENTLY SAW A VIDEO OF YOU RIDING AT WIHS. YOUR LEG WAS STILL THE ENTIRE TIME. HOW DO YOU KEEP IT SO SECURE?

Thank you for the complement about the position of my leg in the video. I truly appreciate it!
There are several exercises that I learned from my instructors that are part of classical equitation training that help to strengthen the rider's position and leg. Without a doubt, and with the help of my instructors during my junior years, I learned to practice, practice, practice and incorporate exercises into my everyday work with horses, such as working on the flat and over jumps without stirrups. This can help a riders leg along with their entire position, core strength, balance, and physical fitness as a rider. Hope you find this information helpful.

WHO HAS BEEN YOUR ALL TIME FAVORITE HORSE TO RIDE?

I have been fortunate and privileged to ride many horses and, so far, can not say that I have an all time favorite horse to ride. Each horse I have ridden has done something for my riding and for that I am grateful!

Talk to you later.
Maria Schaub

Sunday, May 31, 2009

MAY 2009 HORSE SHOWS AND SOME MORE OF YOUR QUESTIONS

Hi, everyone! Thank you for your continued support and questions about riding and horses. The last several weeks have been very busy, first, traveling to Old Salem Farm for two weeks of showing and, then, to the junior weekend at Devon. At the shows, I was privileged to school several of the customers horses early in the show week and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. This week, we are at Hunter's Moon Farm in Long Island, New York, and some of our riders will compete at a local one day show over this weekend. Since we returned home, I have been flatting, schooling, training, and teaching. Next week, Frank Madden Show Stable will be competing at Hits Saugerties and later in June, we will travel to Lake Placid, New York, for two weeks.

Again this month, as I did in the last several months, I will be using the format that answers some of your most recent questions. I appreciate the time you take communicating with me and I hope that you find my responses to your questions helpful.

My horse named, Bella, has old scars on her back ankles that still give her pain when she hits them together... her injury is getting worse which means she can't compete... My dad is insisting that we look for a horse or two to lease out. This is my first year going for the big eq finals. Do you think I'm making the right decision horse wise?

It seems that from your question you are truly struggling with what is happening to your horse, Bella. Unfortunately, horses can get injured and it is part of the sport. First, I think you need to talk to your trainer about what is happening with you and your horse right now. Your trainer knows the situation well, can help you sort through your feelings and has the tools and the knowledge to help you gain a better understanding of the situation. Second, your dad, who you mentioned in your question, is trying to help you with this unfortunate circumstance. So, please try to talk more with him about it as well. Afterwards, maybe you can have a meeting with your trainer and your parents and an appropriate plan can be developed for you and your horse that works best for everyone involved. Good luck to you in your first year in the big eq and I hope that Bella will be feeling better some time soon!

What saddle do you ride in?

I ride in a Devoucoux saddle. There are many different brands and types of saddles which meet the individual preferences and requirements of different types of riders. Each of the riding disciplines, for example, show jumping, dressage, eventing, etc., require a different type of saddle. What is most important about a saddle is that it properly fits you and the horse that you are riding. When you and your horse are comfortable with the fit of the saddle you have chosen, then that decision will help you to have an improved experience when you are riding.

Talk to you later,

Maria Schaub

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

End of FTI/WEF Circuit 2009 And some more of your questions

Hi, everyone, thank you for your continued support and questions about riding and horses.

The FTI/WEF Winter Circuit ended yesterday and Frank Madden Show Stables and Hunters Moon Farm were quite busy throughout the last six weeks of the circuit. Recently, the barn added several new clients and horses into the mix and it was rewarding to see the progress made by the new horse and rider combinations. Watching riders develop and acquire the necessary skills to accomplish their riding goals is very rewarding and, of course, is an ongoing process. By the end of this week, the majority of the horses, customers and barn employees will be on their way back home to New York. I will be staying in Wellington for two additional weeks to help one of our Florida based junior riders during the spring circuit in Wellington. Additionally, I will be finishing all of my college course work excluding the two final exams scheduled for the early part of May.

For this blog, I will be using the blog format started in December of 2008 which answers several of your recent questions. Your continued feedback is greatly appreciated and I look forward to reading your comments and any suggestions you may have about the content of future blogs.

DO YOU ENJOY JUMPERS, HUNTERS, OR EQUITATION THE BEST?

I believe in the American System of riding. The principles and skills sets learned in the equitation division are the foundation for all of the other hunter/jumper divisions. I truly enjoyed doing the equitation division and felt quite fortunate to have been able to participate in it. I was also fortunate to compete in the hunters and the jumpers and was truly grateful for all of those experiences. At this moment, I would have to say the jumpers are my favorite, but first and foremost, I love to ride! The love of riding is a driving force in my life and a compelling passion, and I am grateful for the opportunity to continue.

COULD YOU LEASE A HORSE FOR THE MACLAY AND STILL BE FINE? IF SO, WHERE COULD I GET ONE?

With the financial and emotional support of your parents and the help of an experienced professional trainer who can help you find a horse that best suits you and your family's budget, leasing for the Maclay is certainly a workable option. For any junior who has the aspiration to participate in the Maclay, the most important first step is to discuss your goals with your parents. Participation in equestrian sports requires a huge cooperative effort in the family and with your school system. Good luck with your goal!

I'M THIRTEEN AND THE TRAINER THAT I WORKED WITH RECENTLY DIED FROM CANCER. I'M REALLY STUCK NOW AND DON'T KNOW WHAT TO.

I'm so sorry to hear about your trainer's illness and death and can only imagine how difficult it must be for you to deal with such a big loss. Please accept my sincerest sympathy. In a situation like this one, it is best for you to look for emotional support from your parents, family and good friends. When you are ready to start riding again, and with your parents support, you can try to locate another trainer in your area by contacting the United States Equestrian Federation and by asking some of your riding friends about other professionals in your area. Again, please accept my condolences for your loss.


Talk to you later,

Maria Schaub

Monday, March 02, 2009

A Week with Frank Madden

I thought you all might like to read this series of articles by Terri Young, the 2008 winner of a week with Frank Madden (Maria's boss!). You can also enter now for your chance to win a week with John & Beezie Madden. Go for it!
--Kate Lindon, EquiSearch.com Content Manager

Monday, February 23, 2009

MID CIRCUIT UPDATE FROM FTI/WEF

Hi, everyone, I have been busy flatting, schooling, training and teaching as well as taking college classes on line. Hunter’s Moon Farm and Frank Madden Show Stable have been welcoming new customers into our program. Since I last communicated with you, I have had the privilege to ride and show a talented seven year old mare in the 7/8 year old jumpers, a wonderful sale horse in some meter 30 jumper classes, and an attractive hunter in the 3’ 3” non thoroughbred hunter classes. Another rare opportunity presented itself just prior to week six of the circuit.

Some of you might remember the handsome chestnut stallion that I rode at the USEF East Coast Talent Search Finals last October named Kaiser de la Cour. Since then, he has stayed at Hunter’s Moon Farm and is currently owned and ridden by one of the customers. After the horse established residence with us, he was gelded and I have had the continued opportunity to work with him on the ground and with flatting, schooling and training him. Knowing the WCHR Hunter Spectacular week ( week 6 of the circuit) was approaching, I broached the subject of showing him in the Regular Working Hunter division with my boss and trainer, Frank Madden. The idea was generated from my experience riding and handling him since late August 2008. Although Kaiser had done the Grand Prix level prior to being at the barn, he possessed many of the characteristics of a great hunter. The talented gelding is agile, moves smoothly and is very good looking! I thought that with his natural affinities for the division, it might be worth a try. Frank thought the idea was sound and the owners were happy for him to get the experience.

With the concerted effort of all involved, I can say that the horse took to the task very well and he placed in all of the classes. He was such a good boy! Of course, knowing the horse and riding him for over five months was an advantage. I especially loved showing in the International Ring with so many of the seasoned professionals! I would like to thank the owners, my trainer and everyone who helped to make the experience rewarding and fun.

It was great showing these past few weeks and, in some ways, was reminiscent of my junior catch rider days. Of course, the challenging quest to secure a ride that will allow me to compete in the open jumper division continues.

I am off to do some studying now.
Talk to you later!
Maria Schaub