Conference noted::equitation

    re. bob.
    
    I'm sure all my ole' boyfriends would have vouched for that one..
    yep.. its sad but true..
    
    	but.. i did learn to plan my schedule more, i was showing three
    horses. There was me, my mom (who supervises,coaches,etx but doesnt
    ride? yes one of *them!:^} ) and my dad, who conviently disappears
    along with my doggie "Toy"....for an hour or so.
    
    anyway ended up taking less junk with me, and setting up my usual
    training schedule and ride and feed my normal hours, then is
    doesnt upset the horses schedules either..
        	my findings? better mannered horses.
    
    	wendy o'
    

    Both my husband and I ride and I still have the symptoms...always
    forget something.  Even when the horse is with a trainer I drive Robert
    crazy before each class.
    
    REMEMBER...THIS IS FUN...

	Nope, she isn't alone!!!  The people in my life (at the barn, at home,
	and the occasional few at work who ask) refer to it as "PES"  --

		PRE-EVENT SYNDROME!!!  ;-) ;-)

	They have been wonderfully understanding and do keep me in line!  And
	I really appreciate it!  (They get even AFTER the event/show ;-))

					-Caroline

	

    Well....  I also suffer terribly from this but my husband does the
    same to me when he's getting ready to go on a fishing trip.
    
    I help myself with the jitters by counting to three before
    hyperventilating!
    
    I was under the impression that I was the only one that went thru
    this, I'm sure glad not to be alone.  But wouldn't it seem that
    after 20 years of this I would either give it up or get over it???
    
    Lorna
    

    You definitly aren't alone!  All the years I showed I was the same
    way and still am now that I'm racing!  The night before we are racing
    I get the whole harness out and pack it piece by piece so I don't
    forget anything.  I get the water bucket, the bath bucket, the wraps
    towels, green cool, coolers, sheets and having all sitting on the
    tack trunk so there isn't any last minute rushing around.  I am so
    afraid I will forget something!  Then I can't eat for about 6 hours
    before we leave because my stomach is so jittery, but as soon as the
    race is over, I'm starving!!!

	Or worse .... what you come home with you wish you left on the
	show grounds!!! ;-)  *HOW* many times have I threatened my
	critter with being left behind??!  

	My guy loves to transform during a dressage test!!  Warm up will be
	*wonderful*, enter the ring and ...  I'm either riding a cow or a
	space-cadet!!  I've learned how to drive him into the bit with my
	legs...  either that or land in the judge! ;-)

	re: eating before a class... in my case I can't eat before x-country...
	instead, after about the 4th obstacle, I'm ready to pull up, jump off,
	and be physically ill...  I'm getting better... now I know enough to
	leave food within reach after completing the course! 

		Glad to know I'm not alone...

    Hats off to Bob,
    My husband won't go near a horse show, says it makes his stomach
    hurt just to watch me! I wish he would, its always fun handleing
    1 or 2 horses by yourself while their goal is to see how grubby
    they can make you look before you get to the ring. Of course it
    helps distract your mind from the butterflies in your stomach, but
    I would rather get to look my best. Still it is such great fun just
    to be there.
    
    Sandy..whose_husband_says_they_are_YOUR_horses!!!
    

    I've got 5 virgins going to their first mini-trial this weekend
    -and they've been completely spastic for the whole last week.
    Me, to actually.  Since we're a "team" everything has to match,
    right?  Clothes, pads, wraps, etc all in the team colors - black
    and blue.  I even caught our chief "groom" painting the handle
    on the pitch fork!
    
    I love the questions and the plans - 
    
    Do I really have to braid?
    
    I have to get up a WHAT time?

    dressage is going to be the worst part   
    
    and for the night before - I'm going to be sure to get a good night's
          sleep.     (this goes along with eating a good breakfast)
        

    Since riding is supposed to be my "Rest and Relaxation" from this high
    tech zoo we all work for, I began to ask myself why I was doing this
    (eventing) to myself. Since I couldn't come up with a good answer, I
    stopped.
    
    It's not that I didn't want to continue to learn and improve my own and
    my horse's performance. It just didn't make any sense to run oneself
    ragged outside Digital as within it. So I started to learn how to drive
    and joined with the Carriage folk who start their drives at civilized
    hours (11:00 a.m.). Since these are not competitive events, everybody
    comes to have a good time.
    
    I have done a fair amount of low level showing, dressage and eventing,
    in the Greater Maynard Area in the 1970's. When I started it seemed
    like fun because nobody was trying very hard. Then the "Professionals"
    appeared - USET Short List candidate or whatever - to train you to win.
    More money, time and effort was being put into "competing" as opposed
    to having a good time and all these shows and events became more
    serious. If folk want to spend their disposable income and time that
    way, that's fine with me; I just won't be joining them; I'll be off
    having fun with my horse. 

    re.9
    
    	why dont you braid the night before??
   what i do is do a test run, get everything on paper that needs to
    be done (everything) and then as for grooming, do everything two
    days before your test run date (like this sunday) do all your braiding
    tonight and see how long its last on your horses, everyhorse is
    different, mine you can dress her up and*** take her out my other
    one i had i'd dress her out and two hours she was a mess!
    soo you have to plan accordingly.
    
    
    

    We usually do braid the night before - and everything else but
    load the horses.  And this weekend the horses might just be 
    sleeping in the trailer!  (just kidding, of course)
    
    I think there's this unwritten law that says that no matter how
    much planning you do, there is no way out of the morning panic.

    
    You said it was un-written. It is to written, right next to Murphy's
    Law. Panic is neccessary for amauter adults to compete.
    
    My last show, I was so nevous, my instructor had me get off my horse
    and give to the groom, until my breathing returned to normal.
    
    My husband doesn't come to the shows but he does a real good job
    polishing my boots the night before.
    
    Nancy
    

                 Well, we survived Monadnock. Michelle was more nervous
    then our TB was! I wasn't too impressed with the structure that they
    called stalls though. They seemed alittle unsturdy. Anyway, it was
    our first over-nighter with our baby and he behaved like a gentleman.
                 They ended up with three seconds and a third. Not bad
    for his fourth show. 
                 Could it be that my wife is finally getting over the
    pre-show syndrom...? I doubt it......................
    
                       Bob
    
    p.s. was anyone else at Monadnock this past weekend?
    

    We survived the weekend, too.  "Wimpy Thangs", the farm team,
    managed a very respectable second place - and just about everybody
    ended up with an individual ribbon.  At last count our entourage
    consisted of 22 folks - 8 riders, 2 cooks, 2 camera people, a driver,
    4 grooms, 5 parents, and an exhausted teacher.
    
    We also managed to have the distinction of having the loudest team
    at the event.  One of the riders discovered that if you yell before
    jumps it takes the "scaries" out of your stomach.  So every body
    yelled.  Over every jump.  And in true team spirit, they all yelled
    the same thing.
    

    re: .15
    
    	And what was it they yelled?
    
    (just curious, sounds like the whole group did great!)