Imagine traveling half way around the country, driving through three countries and arriving at the World Cup Finals in Paris, France. To many this sounds like an amazing journey, and for Sarah Hickey this was her trip. The Barn Rat was able to catch up with Sarah who groomed for second place finisher Devin Ryan and his ride Eddie Blue.

TBR: How did you start working for Devin?
Sarah Hickey: "I've known Devin for the past 11 years. I started riding with Devin when I was 16 and brought up two young ones with him. I worked for him in and out of college so we've always had a great relationship. He called me up in January, he didn't have anyone to go to Ocala with him. So I spent February and March down there with him and when he qualified for Paris he invited me to come along.

TBR: How was prepping to go to Paris?
SH: We got home from Ocala the end of March and for the next week Devin rode Eddie. Then, Eddie and I left his farm April 4th and Eddie was in my hands from then on. I flew with him, we went to the arc in JFK and we waited there for a few hours. I flew with him to Amsterdam, when we landed we had to wait and go through customs. And then we took a lorry to a farm in Holland, we went to Allan Waldman's farm, Waldman Horses, for a couple days. From Wednesday to Monday morning we were there. Monday morning we took another lorry, it was a six and a half our trip to Paris to get to the horse show. Schooling was Tuesday and the warm up round was Wednesday.

TBR: What was grooming for an FEI event like? Had you done that before?
​SH: So I was totally excited for Paris, this was my first big FEI competition that I had done. I had some experience going to Live Oak in Ocala and that was really it. So when I talked to Devin, he said it's just another horse show. For Devin it was just another show, but for me I really had to make sure I had my stuff together and be on my A game. When we got to Paris it was like nothing I'd ever experienced. We were stabled with US team, so you have Beezie Madden, McLain Ward, Richard Spooner, they were all in the same aisle as us. And there was a great level of professionalism everyone got along, we all just knew what we had to do and got it done. It was very different from a regular horse show when you are dealing with clients. This was totally different level, which was really exciting for me and a lot of fun and I learned a lot and I got to talk to the other grooms. 

TBR: How was dealing with FEI? Were there any additional hoops you had to go through that you don't at a regular horse show?
SH: There was definitely security, you had to go through security any time you left the stabling area, so you had to have your credentials on you 24/7. There were rules that I wasn't aware of until I got there having not been in the FEI world before and not knowing but it didn't feel like there were too many hoops to jump through. You just had to be on top of your game and detailed oriented, there were always FEI stewards walking up and down the aisles making sure nothing was going on. Of course, nothing ever was but before Eddie left to go compete and they would hold up a heat sensor cameras to his legs to make sure they weren't too hot or too cold. To me it was just fun, like "cool, what are you guys doing? what do you need from me?"

TBR: The warm up class was Wednesday, what days and classes did Devin and Eddie show?
​SH: ​So Devin's plan for the warm up was to do the first five jumps if Eddie was feeling good, or if he wasn't really behaving he would complete the course.  So he did well and only did the first five jumps on Wednesday and Thursday was the first round of the final. He came in third. Friday was round two, and he got a time fault and did not continue to the jump off. Saturday was a day off and Devin just hacked Eddie around to school. And Sunday was the final with two rounds each. Eddie was great and never had a rail the whole time, what I think set them back was that one fault. For Devin's first World Cup Finals ever and Eddie's first international show at nine years old I don't think you could ask for that horse to perform any better. 

TBR: So, what is Eddie Blue's personality like?
SH: I'd be lying if I said he was the easiest horse to work with. He is a bit snarkey. If he didn't like what you were doing he would maybe try and nip you. He's not a fan of his ears being clipped or when you have to braid up by his ears. But, after two weeks of taking care of his every need I really got to know him and I love him. I would groom for him again anytime. 

Devin Ryan owns River Run Stables in Long Valley, NJ.

   In this next part of our anatomy series we will focus on the bones of the front limb. The image below is not accurately to scale but it does show the general areas in which these bones live.

   Not going to lie I'm a little nervous to read this book, but I'm also so intrigued! A true story about a woman named Sonora Carver who entertained audiences traveling the country with the circus in the 1920's. Her act was to ride a galloping horse off a forty (sometimes sixty) foot tower and ride it's back as it plunged into a pool of water below. WHAT?! So, definitely going to be an interesting read! Buy it here on Amazon.

   I have seen this book many times in horse catalogs and it was when I started listening to The PlaidCast that I heard Tonya's episodes diving deeper in to top professionals and leading rider's mental game. I'm always curious as to what makes the top in this sport tick and grabbing a copy of Inside Your Ride seemed like a natural next step.

   The book is broken into 11 sections and are further broken down from there. I was surprised with how much content was stuffed into this book! Topics like motivation, confidence, focus, vision, energy, attitude, preparation, communication, resilience, competing and returning to riding are all well covered.

   With so many valuable sections I found that I needed more time to digest what I was reading than other books. I could almost see this being a book I referenced back to at different times of the year when I was dealing with a specific issue. I found that I had already implemented many of Tonya's recommended techniques to handling my mental game, but I think journaling is something I need to try. 

​   As I was reading I couldn't help but think that every one of my students should read this book. Becoming aware of the things that hold you back is such an eye opening experience and is critical to moving past it and I think this book puts to words many things that can stop riders without them knowing it. I also found this book helpful to myself as a professional. Just because riding is part of my job doesn't mean I don't experience fear and doubt. It also brought to the forefront of my mind on how to help mentally prepare my riders for their own riding and showing goals! And with IEA Nationals coming up in a few weeks I want my girls as mentally prepared as possible for the things coming ahead!

​   I definitely recommend that anyone who rides horses read this book! Riding is always more mental than it is physical and making sure you are ready to handle those setbacks is very important to a continued riding career of any kind.

   Be sure to check out Tonya's work as a Mental Skills Coach for Equestrians!

   Fresh off the press read Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin's new book! Read about her journey to the top of the sport and the incredible bond she has with her horse Valegro. I'm giddy with excitement to read about someone who worked their way up and fought to be the best she could be! Grab your copy today from Trafalgar Square Books and use the code BARNRAT to receive 20% off and free shipping!

   The video below is the famous performance Charlotte and Valegro did in London with over 2 million views!

   With spring finally approaching many of us are entering the dreaded mud season. Here in the PNW that season lasts for months on end and dealing with dirty blankets is a regular struggle. With so much rain in the forecast blankets can start losing their ability to keep up and need a refresher with a good wash and re-waterproofing. Below is a step by step guide on how to wash and waterproof your blankets.

This post was brought to you by the partnership between The Barn Rat and Nikwax Waterproofing. 

   What originally drew me to this book was the title. I want to be a better rider, but I’m not a beginner. Denny Emerson, the author of this book is a Hall of Fame eventing rider who owns and operates Tamarack Hill Farm in Strafford, VT. As a hunter jumper rider myself I learned of Denny through Facebook. On his barn’s page they are always sharing inspiring and thought provoking posts. I didn’t realize this was the same person till after I started reading.
 
   The book is formatted more like a textbook and less like a regular reading book. The sections of the book are "Wannabes" vs. "Gonnabes," The Riding Sport that's Right for You, Dealing with the Cards You Hold, "No Man is an Island," Nine Character Traits for a Successful Rider, The Body You Choose to Ride With, Swim (or Flounder) in the Vast Sea of Horse Knowledge, The Horse: A Rowboat or Yacht? and A Quiver Full of Arrows. And scattered throughout the book are interviews with top riders from all disciplines on their thoughts on what made them good riders. 
 
   One of the things I liked the most was the way Emerson talked about subjects that are very real in the equine world. Financial advantages and having existing connections place some riders leaps and bounds ahead of others and he did not shy away from talking about those points. But the uncontrollable conditions riders have, either positive or negative, were much smaller in number and importance versus the things everyone can change. We all have the power to become more compassionate riders. We all have the power to keep learning about best horse care practices. And all of those things, make us better riders.
 
   The final chapter Denny talked about filling your quiver with arrows, and those arrows are different skills and strengths. He said that each of these arrows are things we can take ownership of and add to our quiver. And that was a very inspiring message to be able to take away. I am definitely not a rider with a financial upper hand so reading about all of the other different things I can do to become a stronger rider motivated me.

   This book is pretty compact and can be a quick read, but with so much valuable content it is best read in small chunks where you can digest and put into practice what you just read. I highly recommend reading this book if you want to become a good rider!

   We are so excited to bring you this new feature to The Barn Rat! This week we interview Michele Powell, a braider who works up and down the east coast following her clients to some of the most popular shows!

TBR: What is your job title?
MP: Equine Braider

TBR: Describe your position and your average work day.
MP: I braid horses manes and tails for shows. I mostly just do hunter braids but on occasion I also do dressage braids and jumper plaits.  As a braider you work all night long starting usually after the barns do their night check. Some people think the job is relatively easy work but what people don’t understand is that we are literally getting on and off a step ladder for sometimes over 12hrs with your arms up and braiding tiny insanely tight braids. It can definitely be hard on the body. The positive side is that we get to be around the horses when there is almost no one else around so they are usually very quiet and relaxed. For me it’s almost a calming, meditative job. 

TBR: What is the best part of your job?
MP: I would say the best part of the job is being able to have day time hours to do with what you please. Also, a lot of jobs in the industry require you to kind of be at the beck and call of someone else almost around the clock. With braiding when the job is done you are done. I also really enjoy just being able to be around the horses without all the commotion of day time horse show life.
 
TBR: What is the hardest/least desirable part of your job?
MP: The hours. For sure. Working nights is hard and exhausting. Our sleep schedule is SOOO incredibly messed up! Sometimes we’re able to sleep a little bit at night and just go out suuuuper early (1 or 2am) if we only have a few horses to braid, and other times we only get to have a few hours in between one night’s work and the next because it’s so busy! You have to get used to sleeping during the day which for me is really difficult. I’m a total rise with the sun kind of girl, so I literally have to blackout my room as much as possible in order to be able to get any sort of good sleep. And then on the off nights you try to sleep at night... which TOTALLLLLLY throws everything out of wack. So yeah.. the hours are brutal but I think worth it. It’s just something you have to get used to.

   Happy Valentines Day! Hope you get to spend this holiday with your true valentine (your horse)! To celebrate we are announcing March's Book Club pick. Drum roll please. Next month we will be exploring the mental aspect of riding by reading Inside Your Ride by Tonya Johnston, MA.  Tonya is a mental skills coach located in California who specializes in equestrian athletes. She can be found sharing her knowledge in many clinics across the world and just most recently presented at the Gold Star Clinic West at HITS Coachella. Tonya also hosts an episode monthly on The Plaidcast where she interviews top riders and hears about how they prepare for top level competition. So pick up your copy of Inside Your Ride today on Amazon!