In pondering our progress and after our recent ride. I am so pleased with Steady Smiler and a bit of a shameless brag but I am pleased with myself. When I bought Steady I was not in a position as a rider to take on training a horse. I ignorantly didn't know what I was getting myself into. I hadn't ridden in nearly 15 years and in that time I went from teenager to an adult. My physical body had changed completely and mentally I had changed completely. I was almost as green as they come. The only thing I had going for me was all the hours I had in the saddle from age 6 to 15 and the fact that I did train with an amazing trainer for many of those years. Then I go buy a race horse. Tell me, what could possibly go wrong?? You mean besides EVERYTHING? After a few rides I at least had the sense that I couldn't do this on my own. So I found a trainer and started lessons. I won't go into the whole story because it is all on this blog somewhere but with the right horse, a good trainer, willing to make the monetary investment and a lot of work almost anyone can take themselves from train wreck to a compatible pair and living their dream. I am by no means a pro and am continually progressing, learning and improving but I am proud of how far we have come. And we did it all without fancy: arena, footing, horse, rider, tack, clothes or equipment. Just a horse a girl, a $50 bridle, a saddle that fits riding in a pasture, with a little creativity, a lot of
stubbornness tenacity, with a little money, a lot of grit and not afraid to work for what I want. It is exhilarating, fulfilling and empowering as a 30 year old, overweight, wife and mother with the feeling I had lost my identity to stop dreaming and take my life by the horns and make it what I wanted. So yes my horse is amazing but with the risk of sounding completely narcissistic I must say I think I am pretty amazing too!
On an unrelated note you may or may not know what I am referring to but just for future reference if I have not done or said something to piss you off, just stick around I am sure it is bound to happen ;). I am human, there are days I am in a crappy mood and say things I shouldn't. If you cannot handle imperfection then you definitely should not read my blog and probably should not be riding horses because if I know nothing I do know that no horse is perfect and not even one single ride is perfect(reference your last dressage test scores.). Though imperfect I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong and just like with my riding, in my life I am continually striving to be and do better. That my friends is all I have to offer. At least I know that no matter what I always have these guys in my corner.
Good post! Believing in ourselves in a big part of the battle (for life, really). I think a lot of women really have trouble finding this confidence. It's almost like if we are confident then we are snobby or arrogant? But for the men the same confidence is a good thing?
ReplyDeleteVery well put, Karen!
ReplyDeleteAmy - one 'advantage' and I use that term loosely, you have had is being at your own place for this process and not a boarding facility. Because there, you have people watching your progress, or lack thereof, and wondering why you took on a green horse - esp when you are a greenie yourself!
Oh, and speaking of fancy expensive equipment, I talked with Sara Ivie's last night and she teased me to work on you to buy a certain saddle :)
Great points and I agree with Karen above! Don't worry about what others think. You are doing a great job and have much to be proud of.
ReplyDeleteThere was a time about four years ago when I started having show ring success with my Standardbred mare and many people started calling me snobby and a show-off. Some of these people even started leaving rude comments on my blog. It was amazing!! :-( I just ignored it and held my head high.
Your family is adorable. :-) Keep your head up.
ReplyDeleteIt's inspiring to hear how you started and how you progressed. I know it's right there in your side-bar and throughout the blog but I normally read in a Reader and tend to be oblivious at the best of times :o)
ReplyDeleteI'm a bit apprehensive about entering the 'young children' phase of my life sometime in the next few years because I don't have many good examples of how to combine horses and a young family, and sometimes I wonder whether it will be 'the end' for me. So, thank you for giving me hope!
OH! That photo of your family is so A*D*O*R*A*B*L*E!!!
ReplyDeleteLove it, love your tinacity and acknowlegement of being humanly messed up, like the rest of us.
I'm catching up...and missed so much..but love ya AMY and all you do and try to do and...All of it!
Keep up the good work and never let the uglies out there(and they are) get you frazzled.
I once said that to someone, the part about pissing them off, cause I would likely to in the future, cause I'm human and having friends is not always perfect. You get to know someone and then you MUST re evaluate...because, they are NEVER like you...how could they be, we are all very different!
She never spoke to me again on my blog and that was that.
Love ya, hope your THANKS and GIVING was fantastic!!
KK
would you ever consider changing you comment window to a "pop-up" version? Took me 3 times to comment on the"embedded" one. Blogger antics.But if not, anonymous...will be me in the future! '~'
ReplyDeleteKacyK