Den Bosch and The Saunas

Hello Everyone, as some of my readers have told me I have been a bit of a "blogging slacker" the past two weeks. So much has happened so this will be quite the post with a conglomeration of topics.

So remember the show I went to about 3 weekends ago now, in Den Bosch, The Netherlands? Well that was ridiculously amazing. I was stabled right next to Isabell Werth, I am supposed to be professional and all that but it was so cool! I felt like a little kid seeing s superstar. Anky van Grunsven and Kyra Kirkland were stabled just behind me. Isabell was really nice, I gave Satchmo a few carrots and even held her young horse for her to fix a wrap. Silly I know but still really neat.

Watching the warm-up was intense. Everyone was really nice to each other but there was this underlying sense of cut throat competition. I did not recognize Anky and Salinero when they came into the warm-up. The horse looked so different in person than in every photo I have ever seen. She definitely warms him up in Roll-Kur fashion but he is extremely slow and not at all expressive. The transformation that horse goes through from early morning warm up to show arena is incredible. He comes home fired up, electric, and forward as can be. I'm not sure how she does it, but I really saw two totally different horses.

The trade fair was amazing. You could buy anything there, and I mean anything! A new hoof pick, a new horse trailer, an entire new kitchen, or designer wardrobe. The path leading back from the main arena (there was only one arena, which was used for both show jumping and Dressage) weaved its way though the trade fair. I don't know one horse that I have ridden that would have made it safely through there. It was insane, but really neat. The whole show was a family affair, people came to this show just as Americans take their families to a baseball or football game. The arena was sold out both Friday and Saturday night.

Ok next wild adventure....

The Scandinavian Saunas

Catherine (my boss), Casey (barn manager and rider) and I went to the sauna a few days after coming back from the show. It was a spa type place with several different saunas. There was a steam sauna, an aromatic sauna, a extra hot sauna, and another outside sauna with a fireplace. We started in the steam sauna, then took a freezing cold shower then moved onto each different sauna, only staying in for 15 minutes each. Everyone had to be naked! It was a little strange at first but Europeans are much more comfortable with nudity then most Americans. So I have been in a few saunas before and these were so much hotter, it felt great. The freezing cold shower was a large wooden cast like bucket that filled with water and you stood underneath it and pulled a rope. Talk about shock!! In the extra hot sauna someone came in and heated the stones and used a towel to blow extra hot air toward each individual in the sauna, and you were meant to breath in. I'm pretty sure I singed everything in my nose. They also had a heated pool that was nice to swim a few laps in but it was pretty short. We were there for several hours. It was such a relaxing experience and my skin still feels amazing!