~Firn's Corner~

Welcome to Firn's Corner!


Hi, my name is Firn Hyde, and I am a homeschooled 17-year-old horsewoman from South Africa. I live on a beautiful dairy farm in the Highveld with my family and our vast menagerie, including my four horses. I've been riding since I can remember, training with my hero/instructor (known as the Horse Mutterer) for seven years, and schooling horses professionally for four years. Eventing is my passion, but I'll try pretty much anything that involves a horse.

My four horses are my friends, bosses, partners and teachers. Skye's the Limit is their warrior queen, the crossbreed mare who taught me to fall and eventually to stay on; she has a big heart, a fierce spirit, and arthritis, but don't tell her I said that. Thunderbird is her son, a gawky four-year-old whose only flaw is his extreme friendliness. Arwen Evenstar is a little grey Nooitgedachter with a tremendous work ethic and ample intelligence. Last, but not least, is Magical Flight; a generous OTTB with more talent than brain cells and a goofy streak a mile wide.

Like most riders, I compete and train with the hope of one day riding at the very highest level. But above all, I strive to understand the equine mind and its amazing relationship with the human heart.

    

Recent Entries

Firn's Blog post # 17

Aligning the Bones


I cannot stand to be touched. In crowded areas, I contrive to duck and dodge madly whilst keeping my arms pinned tightly to my body and my breath held, lest I brush against the nasty, corrosive skin of another human being. My poor family calls me "doringdraadrol", which means, "roll of barbed wire", because I'm just as touchable. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog post # 16

Groundwork Too Much of a Good Thing? 


Groundwork is the buzzword in nearly all equestrian circles today. Everyone loves it - from the ammies to the classical horsemen to the cowboys. But is there such a thing as doing too much groundwork? (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog post # 15

For Better or Worse? 


Nobody likes that person that’s constantly selling their horse and buying a new one, only to repeat the whole experience a few months later. But nobody likes the newbie on the psychotic young horse who is constantly endangering both herself and everyone around her, either. Whispered conversations in the tack room – or, more realistically, loud conversations in nasal accents at the side of the arena – are as fickle as April: “What does she think she’s doing? She’s way overhorsed. She should sell him and get herself a nice schoolmaster instead.” “She’s going to sell it – again. Seriously. The poor baby. Someone needs to tell her that horses aren’t a commodity, they’re people too. How would she feel being sold on every few months?” (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 14

Release, Relax, Recite


My habit of riding for more or less 40 hours a week is both a blessing and a curse. Obviously the hours upon hours of practice is extremely beneficial in many ways, and I wouldn't have it any other way, but it does make it that much easier to pick up a bad habit. With the amount of time I spend in the saddle, a habit can be learnt, practiced, and solidified in less than a week. Proportionately, I also have fewer lessons than most amateur riders; while your average ammy's lessons make up 50-100% of their riding time, mine take up about 5% of my riding time, even though I have two hours of lessons a week... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog post # 13

Do's and Don'ts of Your First Event 


With Arwen and me fresh from our first event - an amazing, terrifying, and exhilarating experience I will gladly repeat - I am left to look back on a weekend that in many ways went horribly wrong, but as usual under the guidance of the Lord, also went perfectly right. I made plenty of mistakes, so I shall put them together for the world to see and hopefully learn from. Hence, some do's and don'ts for the beginner event rider. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog post # 12: On Independent Jumping 

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I can always tell how well a lesson is going by the mobility of the Horse Mutterer while he's teaching. Not being one of those instructors that run after you yelling (I'm guilty), he prefers to find himself a comfy spot next to the arena and give you instructions as you come by. And if he trusts whoever he's teaching that's how he'll conduct the lesson. It's not to everyone's taste, but it does make for a much lower-adrenaline environment when you don't have someone screaming from the centreline every thirty seconds. Just a quiet, "At the next corner, canter, and be careful to keep your wrists straight". (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog post # 11

Are You Sure She's a Thoroughbred? 


I asked this question with some bewilderment, staring at the quiet creature walking patiently on the other end of the lunging line. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 10

Two Levels of Trust

Horse/rider relationship


What defines the relationship between horse and rider if not trust? What else is more striven for and more desired in horsemanship than the trust of our equine partners? What is the key to success, if not trust? (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog post # 9

Horses Just Wanna Have Fun


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The horses and I have at last escaped the purgatory of forced rest and we have fervently gone back to work, especially Arwen. If we're going to survive our first graded event this year, we've got some work to do... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 8

The Dangers of Overfeeding 


As an apprentice horse trainer, I've come to the conclusion that one of the most overlooked but also extremely dangerous things we can ever do is overfeed and underwork our horses... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 7

Barn Rats Rule the World

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In the world of horses, to be a good rider, you need to attend lessons and read books. To become an outstanding rider, you need to be a barn rat. (Oh, and joining My Virtual Eventing Coach would help, too. Just sayin') 

We've all seen the barn rats. Usually skinny... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 6

On Attitudes and Goals 


As we stand on the threshold of 2015, the time for setting goals and dreaming dreams is upon us. We're busy grinding off some rusty edges and working off Christmas Eve dinner (which has such a depressing habit of depositing itself soundly in the region of one's waistline) in preparation for the new year, the new competition season, and all the hard work that comes with it. 

But it's not about my goals that I want to write today. It's about one's attitude towards them... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 5

Why Ride?

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Clients closing their stables for the holidays + ALL my horses having downtime due to vaccines that require rest after administration = very little riding for this Horse Mutterer’s apprentice. In fact, I am down to one poor little grey horse to ride; the Mutterer’s white gelding. Luckily, he is a pleasant ride and can jump and do outrides, so I’m able to keep sort of in practice, but I’m down from 4-6 hours of saddle time daily to that many hours a week. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 4

Arwen Owns Cross-Country


It was sheer luck (or providence) that landed me right in the perfect location for horses. Our little farm is not quite at the heart of true South African horse country, which would be the groomed arenas and small paddocks of Kyalami; but with less than an hour's drive to most of the country's major show venues, we're just far enough to have lots of open space, and just near enough to be able to attend shows quite easily. (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 3

Talent, Trust and Technique 


This month marks two years since I started leasing the beautiful grey OTTB Magic, who later became mine. It seems like only yesterday that I first rode him and instantly fell in love with his kind expression and tremendous jump, but looking back, I have mixed feelings about our progress... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 2

Confident Jumping, or How Not to Jump a Combination 

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Photo credit: Action in Motion Photography


I think that the vast majority of horse people would agree that the hardest thing about riding is not anything to do with the horse's mind, but everything to do with the rider's mind. 

Yes, folks, I'm talking about rider confidence. It's a well-used subject, but with good reason. Confidence is important in any sport, but when your teammate is a sensitive 1000lb animal that may panic upon sensing any fearfulness, it becomes absolutely essential. And it's something that most of us have trouble with, from 4* eventers to tremulous beginners when they first perch on a horse's back. (Click on blog title above (in blue) to read full entry)

Firn's Blog Post # 1: A Poor Workman Blames his Tools?

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They say it's only a poor workman that blames his tools. It should follow, then, that it's a poor horseman that blames his saddle or his horse or his boots or his bit... (Click on Blog Title above (in blue) to read full entry)
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