Tuesday, February 24, 2015

10 Tips for Surviving an Ice Storm

Those of you who are friends with me on Facebook know that I had quite an eventful week. We had an epic ice storm here in northern Georgia on Monday that pulled down trees and knocked out power to thousands of residents for days.

It seems that my little town of Dahlonega, Georgia took the brunt of the storm. A picture of the aftermath taken on Hwy 9 just a couple miles from my farm was featured on the Georgia Power website.

Our power, and thus our water (we're on a well), went out Monday evening around 5pm and didn't come back on until about 1pm on Friday. I learned a lot in that 92 hours, most notably that I'm a southern girl who can do without all this winter weather, lol.

Here is my advice for surving an ice storm with no power or water while living on a horse farm.

1. Have an alternate form of caffeine readily available. I don't function well without coffee (understatement of the century to anyone who knows me, lol) and my coffee maker wasn't interested in performing without electricity. I got by with a coke zero I found in my fridge.

2. The horses don't know anything is amiss.  Really, they don't know the power is out. The first day I was really worried and stressed about how they would cope. Then I realized a day without power is just like any other day to them. They woke up, got their morning feed and some extra hay (they liked that part), then headed out for a day of grazing in the pasture. A couple of them rolled around in the snow (we got a light dusting along with the ice on the trees), but otherwise, it was business as usual. They all had blankets on and were nice and warm underneath when they came back inside in the evening.

3. Take care of your non-horse pets. My barn cat, on the other hand, needs a little extra care in the cold weather. I usually put him in the heated kitchen in the barn when it gets really cold, but with the power out and temperatures forecast to drop into the single digits Wednesday and Thursday night, that wasn't an option.  So I boarded him at my vet's office. They offered a special deal, about half-off the normal boarding rate for people caught in an emergency situation.

4. Find alternate living arrangements for yourself. I learned that I can stay in my house without any form of heat when temperatures dip into the single digits for approximately one night. There is only so much warmth to be gained from piling on layers of blankets. I think my house got down to 37 degrees at its lowest point. I was lucky that my friend Rebecca let me stay with her for two nights, the first of which was her birthday. Surprise! Your birthday present is me and all my dirty, wet barn clothes and boots taking over your guest bedroom.

5. Make sure all of your pasture troughs are full to the brim the day before the storm. This really was the saving grace for me. I was away at a horse show out of state the two days leading up to the storm, but I instructed my barn staff to fill the troughs and keep them full.  They did, and I am so grateful that we had four 100-gallon water troughs full of fresh water. We were able to dip the stall water buckets into the pasture troughs to fill them. Not the easiest thing to do in the middle of an ice storm, but it works in a pinch.

6. If you get low on water, call the fire department. At the close of day three with no power to run the well pump, we were getting low on water in the pasture troughs. So we loaded up one of the 100 gallon toughs in the truck and hauled it up to the fire department to fill with their hose. You could actually get anyone who has power, water, and an unfrozen spigot and hose to fill for you, we just chose the fire department because, you know, firemen...

7. Pour antifreeze in your toilets. If you have a bathroom in your barn, you can pour antifreeze in the toilet before the temperatures drop and it might keep it from freezing and busting. The key is to do this before the temps drop, not after the toilet is already frozen, oops. Noted for future reference.

8. Be patient. If you're without power, more than likely so are countless others. I had quite a bit of time on my hands, so I drove around the county and saw dozens of power company bucket trucks out and about. I learned to be patient and trust that when disaster strikes, our linemen/women are out there working hard and they'll get to me eventually. I knew I was in for a long wait, so I decided to just settle in and make the best of it. I made many new friends at the various fast food restaurants where I hung out during the day along with other displaced residents, taking advantage of the free warmth and wi-fi, Everyone was eager to share their battle stories over cups of warm coffee.

9. Know your limits. I was supposed to take one of my western riders to a horse show on Saturday at Judson college in Alabama, about six hours away. I made arrangements with Coach Knight of Berry College to coach my rider at the show so I could stay home at take care of the farm. But then my power came back on Friday at 1pm and I briefly thought I could accompany my rider after all, but ultimately decided against it.  And good thing I stayed because just a few hours after the power came back, my well pump burst and water began flowing like a river out of the well pump housing. The good people at 'Prime Pump and Well' here in Dahlonega came out and got it all fixed up for me within a few hours. Then we got another round of snow on Friday night and I had to do the Saturday morning feeding. I'm often guilty of trying to do too much (aren't all horse people?), but I was proud of myself for being wise enough to know when I needed to stay and take care of my farm.  And my student rode well at the show and got some good ribbons under Coach Knight's tutelage, so it all worked out.

10. Get a little help from your friends. I have great friends, from my non-horsey friend Rebecca who put me up in her guest bedroom, to Coach knight of Berry College who coached my western rider, to the firefighters who filled the trough, to my barn workers who came out in the afternoon to help with cleaning the stalls and hauling buckets, to the countless students, parents, family, and friends who texted, called, and messaged me with offers to help. I'm a tough cookie, often more willing to figure things out on my own rather than seek help (again, aren't all horse people?), but I knew this situation would take more than my rugged individualism to get though, and I took advantage of the kindness and generosity of those around me. A huge thank you to everyone who pitched in!

I'm interested to hear stories from other folks who survived "Ice storm 2015." Fee free to share in the comments, and stay warm!

Ice Storm 2015 at Epiphany Farm in Dahlonega, GA
photo credit Amanda Garner
Amanda Garner is an Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), and Georgia Hunter Jumper Association (GHJA) steward, schooling show judge, head coach of the University of North Georgia IHSA Equestrian Team, and owner of Epiphany Farm, LLC in Dahlonega, Georgia. She is also a member of the IEA Board of Directors and the author of "A Parent's Guide to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association."

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to like and share on Facebook.
Thanks!  --Amanda



Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Getting Back to Basics

"Deep down, I'm just a girl who loves horses..."

The weather here in Georgia last weekend was fantastic.  It was one of those rare February weekends with sunny skies and temperatures in the low 60s.  We get them every now and then, a short respite from winter before the cold air blows in again. It's one of the pleasures of living in the southeast.

I loved that my Facebook and Instagram feeds were full of pictures of my friends out spending time with their horses, taking trail rides, riding bareback, or hanging out at the barn; just enjoying being around these amazing animals.

I was at an IHSA show with my team Friday evening and Saturday, and then at an IEA show as steward on Sunday. The pretty weather added a nice touch to the weekend, and also made me a little contemplative about life.

You see, I spend a whole lot of time being Coach Amanda or Steward Amanda, or, in the case of IHSA, both at the same time, lol. I'm so busy with the business side of horse shows, trying to get my riders qualified for the post season or making sure the show runs efficiently, that I don't often step back and look at the big picture, why I got into this business in the first place...except when I'm schooling my team's horses during the morning warm up. Well, really just one horse in particular: my sammy pony.

Sam is not my personal show horse. He's just a cute 15 hand Dartmoor/Holsteiner 'hony'. Originally bred to be a fancy show pony, he grew just enough to be too big to show in the pony divisions, but not big enough to compete with the big boys. So he found his way to us as a valuable member of my farm lesson string.

I love this little guy. I only get to ride him when I'm schooling him for the IHSA shows because my team and private lesson students use him so much during the week. But when I do get the chance to throw a leg over, for those ten or fifteen minutes I'm not Coach Amanda. I'm just a girl who loves her pony. My mind is clear of all my adult responsibilities and I'm just riding, often nodding my head to the rhythm of his canter and whatever pop song is running through my mind as we jump around. This weekend it was Uptown Funk ("don't believe me just watch..."). If you look closely, you can sometimes see my lips moving.

It's during these schooling rides on the sammy pony that I'm able to get back to basics.  I got into this business because deep down I'm just a girl who loves horses. I wasn't satisfied with working a regular job and riding on the weekend. I wanted horses in my life 24/7, waking and sleeping with the sound and smell of these beautiful creatures on my brain and in my heart.

Its easy to remember these things on the rare occasion when the stars align and I'm given a warm February weekend to ride my sammy pony.


The author preparing to school the sammy pony at an IHSA show.
photo credit Autumn McBride Vetter

Amanda Garner is an Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), and Georgia Hunter Jumper Association (GHJA) steward, schooling show judge, head coach of the University of North Georgia IHSA Equestrian Team, and owner of Epiphany Farm, LLC in Dahlonega, Georgia. She is also a member of the IEA Board of Directors and the author of "A Parent's Guide to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association."

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to like and share on Facebook.
Thanks!  --Amanda

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

REGIONAL FINALS!!!

IEA Regional finals are coming up this month, so for today's post I discuss how they run and what you should expect.

It may be helpful to think of regional finals as two horse shows running at the same time, an individual competition and a team competition.

In a regular season horse show, the individual and team classes are run together as one class with all riders trying to earn individual points and the designated point riders working to earn individual and team points. This is not the case at regional finals.

At regional finals, the individual and team classes are run separately. The riders in the individual classes are competing for a spot at zones as an individual and the riders in the team classes are working to earn team points to help their team in the regional team competition.

Individual Regional Finals Classes
Individual riders must qualify for regional finals by earning 15 points in one class. Individual riders can qualify in just fences, just flat, or both fences and flat. Individual riders only compete at regional finals in the class(es) in which they qualify.

Individuals Moving on to Zones
The top one, two, or three riders in each individual class move on to zone finals.  The number of riders who qualify is determined by the size of the region.  A large region may be able to send its top three or four riders per class on to zones, while a smaller region may be allowed to send only its top one or two.  To find out how many riders from each individual class move on to zone finals in your region, ask your coach.

The winner of each individual class at regional finals is declared the Regional Champion for that class. The second place rider is declared the Regional Reserve Champion.

Team Regional Finals Classes
Teams must qualify for regional finals by earning 20 team points during the regular season. Each qualified team has one rider in each of the team classes.  Those riders earn points for their team based on their placing in the team class.

At the end of the regional show, the team with the most points is declared the Regional Champion Team. The second place team is declared the Regional Reserve Champion Team.

Teams Moving on to Zones
Depending on the size of the region, the top one, two, or three teams move on to the zone final team competition. To find out how many teams from each regional show move on to the zone finals team competition, ask your coach.

Riders who win a team class earn a blue ribbon and seven points for their team, but they are not declared the Regional Champion. That title is reserved for the winner of the individual class.

Choosing Riders for the Team Competition
The coach of a team competing in the team competition at regional finals may choose any eligible team member to ride for the team in the team class.  The rider does not have to be qualified for regional finals as an individual.

Regional Show Class Order
Having separate individual and team classes makes for a lot of classes and it can be a little confusing, especially for riders who are competing both as an individual and for their team. And just to keep everyone on their toes, there is no set order for the classes. The class order is up to the regional show manager.

Below are a couple examples of class orders for regional shows.

Class Order Example #1
Here is an example of a class order for a regional show. Note that each class is designated either "team" or "individual."

Class #6 Team - Varsity Open on the flat
Class #7 Team - Varsity Intermediate on the flat
Class #10 Team - Future Intermediate on the flat

Class #1 Team - Varsity Open o/f 2’6”
Class #2 Team - Varsity Intermediate o/f 2’
Class #4 Team - Future Intermediate o/f 2’

Class #6 Individual - Varsity Open on the flat
Class #7 Individual - Varsity Intermediate on the flat
Class #10 Individual - Future Intermediate on the flat

Class #1 Individual - Varsity Open o/f 2’6”
Class #2 Individual - Varsity Intermediate o/f 2’
Class #4 Individual - Future Intermediate o/f 2’

**BREAK**

Class #8 Team - Junior Varsity Novice on the flat
Class #9 Team - Junior Varsity Beginner on the flat
Class #11 Team - Future Novice on the flat
Class #12 Team - Future Beginner on the flat

Class #3 Team - Junior Varsity Novice o/f x-rails
Class #5 Team - Future Novice o/f x-rails

Class #8 Individual - Junior Varsity Novice on the flat
Class #9 Individual - Junior Varsity Beginner on the flat
Class #11 Individual - Future Novice on the flat
Class #12 Individual - Future Beginner on the flat

Class #3 Individual - Junior Varsity Novice o/f x-rails
Class #5 Individual - Future Novice o/f x-rails


Class Order Example #2
And here is another example of a class order, this time the abbreviated "T" and "I" are used to designate team or individual, so its important to read carefully.

1T. Varsity Open o/f 2’6”
1I. Varsity Open o/f 2’6”
6T. Varsity Open on the flat
6I. Varsity Open on the flat

2T. Varsity Intermediate o/f 2’
2I. Varsity Intermediate o/f 2’
4T. Future Intermediate o/f 2’
4I. Future Intermediate o/f 2’

7T. Varsity Intermediate on the flat
7I. Varsity Intermediate on the flat
10T. Future Intermediate on the flat
10I. Future Intermediate on the flat

9T. Junior Varsity Beginner on the flat- Walk/Trot/Canter
9I. Junior Varsity Beginner on the flat- Walk/Trot/Canter
12T .Future Beginner on the flat- Walk/Trot/Canter
12I. Future Beginner on the flat- Walk/Trot/Canter

8T. Junior Varsity Novice on the flat
8I. Junior Varsity Novice on the flat
11T. Future Novice on the flat
11I. Future Novice on the flat

3T. Junior Varsity Novice o/f x-rails
3I. Junior Varsity Novice o/f x-rails
5T. Future Novice o/f x-rails
5I. Future Novice o/f x-rails

The Draw
The draw at regional finals can be a "steward draw" done by the steward and other designated show officials prior to the show (this is the draw procedure used most frequently in regular season shows), or the draw can be a "live draw" in which each rider physically draws her horse herself.

The steward draw most often occurs in its entirety at the beginning of the day, though it may be done in two parts: morning classes at the beginning and afternoon classes at the break.

The live draw may happen in one of three ways: all at once the morning of the show; in two parts (morning classes at the beginning of the day and afternoon classes at the break); or continuously throughout the day.

Check with your coach prior to the show to find out which type of draw your regional final will have.

Judges and Stewards
Regional finals may have one or two judges, but they all have two stewards.

Best of luck at Regional Finals!

Amanda Garner is an Interscholastic Equestrian Association (IEA), Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA), and Georgia Hunter Jumper Association (GHJA) steward, schooling show judge, head coach of the University of North Georgia IHSA Equestrian Team, and owner of Epiphany Farm, LLC in Dahlonega, Georgia. She is also a member of the IEA Board of Directors and the author of "A Parent's Guide to the Interscholastic Equestrian Association."

If you enjoyed this blog post, please feel free to like and share on Facebook.
Thanks!  --Amanda