A great idea from A Work in Progress. My fiancé always says I'm a not a dressage queen, but I'm definitely a dressage princess. So, while I have my dressage queen tendencies, here are the reasons I'm not on the throne:
I am absolutely and completely a totally unorganized mess. My tack is rarely clean, my boots only polished for special occasions, and all of my equipment is randomly shoved into a few tupperwares. I'm always the jack ass that sends in my show entries at the very last minute (or even late). Inevitibaly, I end up scrounging at the last minute to find my binder (which is actually organized) with my registration papers and memberships. The same goes for my show clothes. In short, I never have my shit together.
I don't care about bloodlines. Honestly, I just ride them. Someone else can worry about the latest and greatest breeding. My only concern is the dressage, which means training. That's what is important to me. If I like a horse, I like the horse, and I would never discount one just because of their bloodlines/breed.
I'm no longer impressed by what other people have when it comes to dressage. I don't care what they have accomplished or if they own all the coolest tack or the biggest breeding farm in the area. If they're jerks, I don't need to have anything to do with them. In short, I don't really give a damn if I fit in or not. I also don't care if I impress them. I'm not doing this to become a prototype. Honestly, not caring has enabled me to fit in better than trying to pull off the dressage queen act would.
I also don't clip ears and noses. I started dressage with a very traditional trainer and we not only didn't clip the ears and noses, but weren't allowed to. It just kind of stuck.
I probably come across as not taking showing seriously. I laugh, I joke around. There is no reason I can think of that we can't smile and say good morning to other competitors. I have fun. I'm more relaxed and ride better at shows for the most part. It's where I'm the happiest and I'm not going to kill that by being nervous and uptight the whole time. Having this attitude about showing has taken time and I'm just happy to feel so comfortable out there. Just because this is a disciplined and traditional sport doesn't mean it can't be fun. It's not that I don't take showing seriously, it's that I'm lucky to be able to and I'm going to enjoy it as much as I can.
I might have subtle bling on my browband, but I don't want much more shiny crap than that on my horses. I will admit that I'm loving the more adventurous colors of coats that people are starting to wear. I also like that shorter coats are in. It's a real bitch when you are sitting on your damn coat and miserable just because of tradition.
I'm not going to sit there and have a conversation about how bad someone rides or their horse's slack of talent. They are out there trying and shouldn't be put down for doing so. So, unless the person in question is just a completely ignorant ass, and probably even if they are, I'm not going to get in on some catty commentary. This isn't highschool and I don't need to act like a teenager.
I always ride in tall boots and breeches, but I still never really look put together. I don't always tuck my shirt in and I often forget a belt. I always end up covered in dirt and don't really care if I don't look perfect for every day riding.
I hate my horses being in stalls. I would rather they be happy, stay more fit, and be calmer due to being out in a pasture or at least a run. The more they can be a horse, the better.
My horses are not my babies. I did not give birth to them and my favorite thing about them is that they are horses, not people. So why would I want to humanize them? Since they aren't my babies, I don't baby them. That doesn't mean that they don't get treated well. Just because I love them doesn't mean they aren't going to get into trouble if they are walking all over me or take a chunk out of my arm. I think that they enjoy a few minutes of hand grazing just as much as they do treats and it doesn't create bad habits.
*I don't care if other people call their horses their "babies", it just makes me cringe when someone refers to my relationship with mine that way.
I guess that's about it. :)
