Itsa Photodump and losing the fire

mustcloseeyes so.much.shine.

Ground tie?  Yeah I do that too.

Hey ladies how you like my crib?

Imma model you know what I mean...

Are you kidding me woman. Enough with the pictures already.

Some may derp but I am the derpiest

K ya da muscles doh.  I do alls the dressige.

Does a simple photo dump seem silly?  I could, maybe should recap my rides lately. That may be interesting to some but I can't even find it interesting enough to write about. Our rides are pretty much normal.  So much so it is kind of boring.  We could go out and get some crazy good scores at Novice.  Just boring.  See I have been at Beginner Novice for a good 3 years now and moving to Novice really seems like a non event.  There is pretty much no difference between BN and N.  I mean how much can one really labor over going in a 20 meter circle at a trot and canter?  One does not need 5 years on this one subject.

I find myself in a very strange place. Bored with Eventing.  I didn't think that was possible, I mean it's like the most exciting sport ever.  It's just like dressage at these levels is just silly now.  I get no excitement out of the idea of going further in dressage either.  I find myself either only wanting to go on trails or jump.  It isn't riding I'm bored of I think it's just that there is really nothing new to learn at this level.  Don't get me wrong I have no plans in moving up to training.  And that is probably the biggest issue. I have nothing to look forward too.  Nothing new to focus on.  My horse knows his job at this point and is happy to do it.

What would you do?  Have you found yourself in this place before? 

We do plan to go XC schooling Saturday with B and Monica and maybe that is just what I need to light the fire again.

We're going places, baby.

It was our first of many trips with all horses locked loaded and ready to go.  

Pony Club lesson at a super nice farm so kid 1 lessoned first kid 3 went second(kid 2 stated home and went fishing with Dad. Remember she is my non riding kid. ) then I took the opportunity to ride in their lovely out door with a full course set up.  Fun fun times.   It was kid 1' s Very first Pony club lesson and they were awesome! Learning to see the diagonals like a boss.  But omgee The cute.

 I love my new trailer!  It hauled like a dream.  All the horses fit comfortably and the ride was easy peasy. Everyone had great rides.  Just a great day. Don't pinch me cause if this is a dream I don't want to wake up.   Here is the rig. I love my new trailer but my truck is still the love of my life. Rock on pony Peeps.

The perfect horse

I have to admit I periodically question my commitment to Steady.  There are many reasons I do this many of them have to do with self doubt and emotion.  I was having a conversation with a non horsey person the other day explaining how my horse acts like a complete loon when he gets left alone by his horsey buddies.  I have to say it IS a completely frustrating and annoying trait he has.  Her question was, "why do you keep him?"  He also pulls some dickhole moves once in a while and it comes up again.  But who am I kidding this horse is a complete badass and that is why I keep him.  I can only imagine I sell Steady and get another horse and they too will be flawed.  Maybe not the same issues but I know no horse is perfect and they all have their issues.  We went for a lesson on Sunday and Steady killed every single thing I ask him to do in true Steady fashion.  And he looks damn sexy doing it too!  It was our first time with this trainer and I loved her.  She picked out my faults immediately.  Oh you mean I don't pretend to use my outside aides as well as I thought I did?  I had no idea how truly dependent on my inside rein I was until she said, "put both reins in your outside hand.  HOLY HELL what do you mean?  I don't do those things.

I no western pleasure jump with one hand.  We were put on a 20 meter circle jumping two small jumps. Were boarded the struggle bus and struggled our asses off to keep on the circle.  Imagine to my complete surprise that my horse turned so much incredibly better when my inside rein was taken away.  So much so that we turned to the inside of the jump.  MIND BLOWN.  I s.u.c.k. at riding.  I could hear the gears turning in my itty bitty brain.  Wait, all the trainers previously weren't full of shit when they said I pull on my inside rein?  But wait I fixed that years ago.  Hahaha...yeah no actually you didn't.

And then to the oxer and that damn trainer says i need to just "be there and stay there.  You are making it way harder on yourself." Why you so ride so bad?  I bet you can guess that when Amy got out of the freaking way my horse just did his job,  jumping all the things straight, steady and lovely. Tiny circle to oxer through grid back to tiny circle and viola!  Steady really is an amazing honest beast.

 Trainer fell in love and then chatting after was in disbelief when I said he was OTTB through and through.  I am very impressed with him and so much time off over this last year he really came back just knowing what his job was.  To all those out there struggling through some sucky times with these off the track dudes I just want to encourage you. Even the sucking is part of the process. The really sucky stuff?  Yup that too.  Keep on keeping on with these guys.  They are worth it.

so damn worth it! and can we please acknowledge adorable Barcardi ear tips.

 And the days you want to sell them to any poor sap willing bid on them.  That feeling too is part of the process.  Not everyone will get it.  Who am I kidding almost no one will get it. "Why don't you get rid of them? " they say. " A different horse would be better,  more fun, less work." They explain.  But THEY don't know and they never will have the privilege of knowing because they think the easier way is the better way and the won't put in the years it takes to develop the most amazing partnership you will ever have the privilege of knowing.  So here's to all those who when shit gets deep they put on their muck boots and just start shoveling. So if you find that perfect horse you can keep him. I'll stick with my flawed OTTB. Cause that's how badasses roll.

Dillholes...just because it's fun to say.

So I bashed on my horse in the last post I will balance it out with something less terrifying.  I will touch for about a half a second about my last posts that some construed as me having this strange desire to hear people bitch and complain all the time.  Uh yeah trust me if you were a whiny a-hole I wouldn't waste a second on your blog.  Cause that's just lame-o.  I said "REAL" which means good, bad, awesome and sucky. And yes life seems to go in phases.  It's like it wants to suck for like a while and then it wants to be nice.  I was just stating don't be afraid to put reality out there.  Some of us like real.  Though I do get that there are dillholes out there that troll around waiting to pounce and spew diarrhea out of their mouth. So I can understand why we have to be more reserved about reality sometimes on such a public forum.  Unless you are like me and you so blatantly could give zero shits about what someone else has to say about me or my life and that attitude I wreak of give off seems to keep the dillholes hiding in a corner somewhere. 

Enough of that.  I did share about my horse and him loosing his marbles and I was mad at him at the time but then he goes and is like pretty much perfect and I am all, "my horse is the best horse ever in the history of ever".  But really this is the first year that he has come out of winter just knowing exactly what his job is.  He comes out ready to work.  It is super rad.  I am afraid I may have to stop using the, "oh my horse is just green" card.  Cause yeah I don't think he is any more.  I mean at 15 it's about damn time he figures out the horse thing.  Everything is business as usual.  Transitions, jumping, trails. I am quite proud of him.  We are working on his separation anxiety.  Now that we live in pretty much heaven and we have the kids pull out there ponies to ride in the round pen, go out on the trails and going to PC lessons he is left alone very frequently.  Though I have yet to take both ponies off property completely at the same time.  He has issues.  He was running himself into this ridiculous frenzy.  Dripping sweat insane.  It seems to be getting better but I think it will take a while longer but do hope he can learn to horse alone for short periods of time.  Though I know he will never be 100% sane about being left alone I just don't want him to be dangerous.

Life has been incredibly good to me lately.  I still wake up in disbelief that I get to live here.  We ride over to the lake a couple times a week.  My daughter and her friend took their horses into the lake yesterday and loved it.  Though her friend chose to do a belly flop into the lake from her horses back...lol.  He stumbled and she panicked and bailed.  I laughed my ass off.  We have gorgeously groomed trails that are in our back yard.  The guy that owns the neighboring land keeps them that way and is all about us riding, hiking, taking the quad or what ever else we want to do back there.  I am telling you heaven.

adorbs

Can you believe all this is right outside my door?  I just can't.

I may need to consider doing something about the feral sometime soon.

Can you even handle this much cute?

Friend riding the bay, pre-bail :)

My husband gave me a pretty rockin' Graduation/Mother's Day/Birthday gift of a 3 horse gooseneck all aluminum Feather Light trailer.  FO REALZ!  I was afraid I wouldn't get to have a trailer for quite some time since mine took a shat.  But I was shocked when he was more pushy about me getting a trailer than I was. 

ahhh.maz.balls.

We went to The Oaks and The Derby and is was FECKING awesome!  We had infield tickets and that was not for me.  I am kind of over the super sloppy drunk party scene so I don't think I'd ever go back for it.  But my Dad has the hook up and we were swept away and taken backside and THAT was the coolest experience ever.  I have that feeling that some people probably get when they meet their favorite singer or actor.  But backside at the Kentucky Derby is worthy of it's own post so to be continued...

I officially fulfilled all state requirements to become a Licensed Massage Therapist and should be receiving my license in the mail soon!  And then I will be starting up my business.  In the mean time for the first time in over a year I have some time to start focusing on my passion.  All things are falling into place and I am actually thinking into the future season and the idea of lessons and XC schooling and showing are not just a far off wish any more.  I can start making them my reality!!!  So stay tuned for some actual horse stuff that is related to Steady myself and eventing!!!

Elaina and her Haffy have been kicking some major butt in the growing up department.  XC schooling, jump lessons and they even did a natural horsemanship clinic and an obstacle competition that they kicked ass and won.  That was a big proud Mamma moment.  They competed against kids that that is what they do and she just went out there and owned it.  The Haffy is really growing up and proving she is game for it all.

I better get my shit together and start moving up before she passes me up!

And yesterday was Mother's day so this Momma got to do what ever she wanted which was of course play with horses all day.  Steady and I had a light but perfect jump school and trail ride and then Bacardi's Mom came over to play with B, Levi and her Dad's horse Lily.  We had all the fun!  B was awesome!  But I will leave that for her to tell of her baby horse that played like a true grown up.
I will always think it is one of he craziest things that a year ago I only knew B and Yankee's Mom through her awesome blog.  She lived in Missouri and I in Indiana and now we both live in Ohio, are neighbors and we do all the horse things together!

Trails behind my house.

B, Monica, my truck, my barn. What is not to love in this picture?

Having all the fun!