November Resources

I'm one of those people who is probably going to be a lifelong learner and library geek. Obviously, anything horse related gets high priority and I'm horsey media junkie too.

The problem with consuming so much content is that I tend to retain bits and pieces of things, and forget quite quickly what book it was I found so helpful, or where I heard or saw that super interesting thing. I think I'm going to start putting all my favorite resources that come across my path together here once a month. If nothing else, it gives me some reference points to come back to, but I also hope some of you might find these links interesting or have some suggestions for future reading or viewing for me :)


- Bill Steinkraus' Reflections On Riding and Jumping book.
  I've had this sitting around for a while, and finally picked it up. Like everyone else, I think it's great. Maybe nothing absolutely mind blowing, but one of those books with so much solid advice packed in that I think I'm going to come back to it. A lot of the things he writes  read as common sense, but they're actually so simple it's genius.

- USDF Dressage Finals.
  Thank you, USEF network! I love watching the USDF Dressage Finals because it seems more like real people and real horses, quite similar to what I see at our regional shows. Inspiring, for sure. Loved the commentary, as it was never overly critical or "judgey", but still let you know why someone scored lower or higher. There are free fan subscriptions to USEF available quite frequently, and they include access to live streaming and on demand videos.

- Learned helplessness. Is it a thing in horses?
 If you click any of the links in this list, click the above. I think we've all seen it at some point, and the part about it potentially being a desirable state of mind kills me. Here's a good follow up blog too.

- Feed XL.
 I first read about this on LWilliams' blog and finally pulled the pin and bought a month's subscription in October. I found it very useful for putting together a balanced feeding plan for growing Sophie, now that she's got 24/7 pasture nibbles. I appreciated that they have even my local feed producer's grains and nutritional analyses in their data set.

- Westfalen NA.
What can I say, I bought a German Riding Pony just knowing I liked her but not knowing much about the registration or breed standards. Someone commented that since Ms Sophie isn't branded that she might not have passed inspection. I actually didn't care much either way, but this past month I took some time to research what her passport and papers actually mean.  No worries, she was inspected and did indeed receive a premium score, just the owner opted not to brand her. The above website isn't the greatest, but the info is there if you dig.

No idea why they thought that, doesn't this pony doesn't look fancy enough? LOL

- 2019 TestPro USDF App.
 Jen at Cobjockey reviewed this, and I think it's safe to say any of us Eventer or dressage riders who stress about forgetting tests might find this app useful! I'm trying to get a head start on the new tests as I haven't ridden any of them!

- Matt Brown's COTH blog A Case For Not Focusing On Your Goals.
One of the most potentially life altering things I read this month. If you struggle with maintaining a positive mindset and being kind to yourself, this ones for you. Emma wrote a great blog about this article, too.

It's the end of November and some of my flowers are beat up, but still blooming. Tough little things!

- British Showjumping channel on YouTube.
Boss Mare Eventing recommended this, and there are so many good videos! I've watched quite a few videos from the lesson series and they're excellent. I'm appreciating that the lessons feature real ammies with achievable goals. Watching pros is great and all and gives me lots of inspiration for the future, but often I get a lot more tips I can implement NOW from watching people who are closer to my level.