Friday, February 26, 2016

Having it All

"All" can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  I'm in no way implying that my all is the only or the best all there is.  It is just MY all.  Everything that I could imagine, hope and dream about what my perfect idea of life would be.  Now this idea has changed a hundred times over the years and I'm sure will change a hundred more before I die (if I get to live long enough). Life is ever shifting and changing and if we choose to fight that fact it makes life way harder. I've learned over the years to appreciate the now for what it is and anticipate the future for what it holds. Another tip is to not begrudge the past for its made you who you are  (that one was free).

From the outside this is what having it all looks like. 

On the ground level this is what it mostly is. 


I'm writing this for the few out there that may have similar definitions of their "all". Yet might feel like it is an unrealistic expectation.  I assure you it is not but it may not happen when or how you want it to. It can also be for those of you who just want to watch like I'm a caged animal in the zoo.  While that tiger looks entertaining enough you are smart enough to know it's much more liberating(and less bloody) on the outside of the cage. This will need to be a many part series to cover all the areas of how to make it "all" happen and what it took to get here.

I do consider myself to have it "all". Now that I'm here is it all its cracked up to be?  There are significant sacrifices that will be made along the way. In the end are those sacrifices worth it?

I've always been pretty brutally honest here and in life.  Many times to a fault.  I'm pretty simple minded and the truth, in my mind was always easy.  Lies seemed to hard for my brain.  If you have been around this blog long enough you will remember some pretty ugly times.  I was honest about those times.  And I will delve into them in this series. Because though not my finest hours they are how I got here and who knows.  Without them I may have never made it to this moment of having it all.

So a quick definition of what "All" is to me and the areas that I will cover.

1) A supportive, loving, fun marriage.
2) Kind, respectful, happy children.
3) My own farm.
4) A horse.
5) A loyal, obedient dog.
6) Advancing in my riding: ie lessons,  clinics, sufficient schooling rides to progress.
7) Competing: some schooling, some recognized and steps toward completing goals ie long format etc.
8) Money I will cover this topic honestly.  How on earth can one even afford to have it all and not be an heir to a millionaire?
9) The "little things". Though each may individually hold a lesser significance. Together make a huge portion of it "all". Ie out door activities (hiking, boating), time with friends, having woods. That might be a strange thing to hold significance but it does for me and I'll go into detail why later. Having truck and trailer.
10) A career that allowed me to the time and enough money to do all the things that I really want to do.
There is a reason why career is last on the list. Again I will get into that later.

Some of these things I have carefully and tediously crafted and created from good Ole' hard work and perseverance.  But honestly some of the things while yes were direct result to a good decision but were ultimately just good fortune and could have easily gone a different way. Dumb luck?

Having this as my view from my couch there was some luck involved. 


If any of this interests you then keep watching for more to come.  I promise to share the good and the bad of all of it.  I assure you it's not all sunshine and roses.  Though getting to the place of having it "all" was the nitty gritty hard part. While I promise to be brutally honest about that journey also be prepared to hear the unabashed happiness of the good.  Because to be perfectly honest having it "all"  is far more enjoyable, satisfying and euphoric than I even imagined it would be.

I need to insert though that having it all does not equal perfection. Did you know you can have everything you could imagine and still go through bouts of depression?  Sad,  bad, unfortunate and plain old shitty things still happen to you.  Life is still unrelentingly unbiased when it comes to things dying, things breaking and all hell breaking loose.  And if it hasn't happened to me yet I've been around the block enough times to know I'm not immune to any of it.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Let the Count Down Begin!

Gratuitous video of me jumping Lego when I test rode him. I love how quick his knees snap up over the vertical.  I see novice easy in E And L's future and likely Training. 

We got a date on the calendar!  Next Wednesday at 10 AM I pick up the new beast! It worked out perfect that he just got his feet done and my farrier comes next week.  So everyone will already be on the same schedule.   Now to get his stall ready.  It's actually pretty much ready it just needs shavings, a water bucket, a feed tub and a latch for his door.  All things which we already have so it will only take a few minutes.  But it's fun prepping for a new addition.  I may take the girls to the boarding barn he's at to meet him this weekend.  I'm already checking the 10 day forecast to see when I  can get him out on the trails!  The girls are really happy that they all now have their very own horse.  No sharing necessary!  My gosh they are freaking spoiled. But they do work their little butts off and are very grateful children.  I'm actually quite spoiled  myself with them since they do all the feedings, stalls, turn out etc. A cute story about how their little hard working minds work.  The only thing I was dreading (besides being separated from more of our money that should probably be going to a retirement fund instead of ultimately a manure pile) is the fact the 3 kids 3 stalls worked out perfectly.  4 horses?  Would that mean I have to go out and clean stalls in the freezing tundra?  All ready to pick up the slack and do so I say the kids at dinner one night.  "What are we going to do about having 4 stalls to clean? " thinking they would say I'd need to clean one.  They say "oh we already worked that out. Since we dump the wheel barrow 2 times a day two people take turns dumping and the other cleans the stall.  Then we rotate who does what. " Well shit I think I just got myself out of cleaning stalls by just raising some good kids.  BOOM!

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Legacy Introduction

I'm still impatiently waiting to get the pick up details squared away.  So, in the mean time and while I have time that I'm not able to spending every moment doting over the new guy once he arrives I will give the low down on Lego. 
I just love his face.  He has the sweetest eyes, a little bit of the Clydesdale roman nose.  That beautiful blazed face.  And his ears sit so cutely on that big ole head.  I just love it!

Legacy- 11 year old 15.3 hand, Clydesdale cross.  Has training, and show experience in Eventing,

Hunter/Jumper,

solid trail horse,

no spook,
Did I mention he was once a vaulting horse?  If you follow me on FB you can see videos of him in his vaulting days.  If there is such a thing as bomb proof this guy might be it.


 beginner safe but better with a rider that will make him do what he is supposed to(more on that later).  Has rock crushing feet, has never needed shoes.  No past injuries.  Easy keeper.  Loves trail riding, Jumping and XC.

Essentially practically perfect in every way.  Ok he is a draft X so he can test his boundaries but we are used to that with the Hafflinger.  The only other con about him is that being on the lazy side, being round and using his back are not his favorite things. Given a choice he will not. Both things I am HAPPY to work on.  Sound, Sane, Safe, Low maintenance and loves to do all the activities we do!  Those are all the important things on my list of the kind of horse I want for my family.  His future holds all sorts of fun activites.  The one I am the most excited about it that he will be my new fox hunting horse!  You don't know how much I've wanted to fox hunt but have not had a suitable horse for it.  He will also be Elaina's event horse which is a super cool opportunity for her.  I look forward to seeing how far these two will go!  He will be the go to trail horse for hubby and friends.  And now I can hit the trails with all 3 of my girls!



We must make mention of his tail.  OMG it will give tail envy every where we take him.





The owner has owned him since he was 2 and never intended on wanting to sell him.  I found him through Facebook one morning when I should have been doing 100 other things.  I sure am glad I was wasting my time on FB that morning because if I had responded moments later this could have turned out differently.  He came up on a group page as a free lease and that was my original intention was just to lease him.  People started reponding quickly and I threw my hat in the ring, so to speak.  Owner responded quickly and loved all the things Lego would be doing if he came to live with us.


 What got us first in line was A) he would be a long term family horse, not lesson program or passed around. B) that he would do pony club, fox hunting, trail riding.  She felt he would excele in all those areas.  I scheduled to see him the following morning.  He has been half leased by a little girl for the last year or so and half used in a H/J barn lesson program.  The trainer who had him at the H/J barn the past couple years thought it was time for him to have a family of his own.  She said he was great with the leaser girl but was lazy and tested the kids in the lesson program.

Young girl that leased him in  a Hunter show this passed summer.   Poor thing is heart broken she can't keep him.

It seems like Lego is quite well known around the area.  The horse community is a small world sometimes. I have several people I know from other avenues like Pony club that have known Lego for years.  And even a couple that have tried to buy him in the past but the owner wouldn't sell.  It looks like when each time he is leased his lessors want to buy him. I think that says a lot about the kind of horse he is.

The trainer got on him first. Walk,  trot, cantered, halt to canter transitions, simple changes.  And asked if I wanted to ride him.  Yes of course I do!  Now I get to share an embarrassing moment.  So I get on and start troting. Not 2 minutes in I trot past the doorway to the barn aisle. And faster than I had time to process the little turd slipped right out the door!  I immediately pulled him in a small circle back in and trotted off like nothing happened and laughing at my stupidity. You can't blame a guy for trying.   He tried one other half hearted attempt of drifting out of a 20 meter circle before I shortened my reins,  put on leg and let him know I do actually know how to ride. And he happily did everything else I asked. She set up a 5-6 stride crossrail line.  I asked if there was anything I needed to know about him jumping and she said nope this is the part he loves.  He is completely honest and a point and shoot ride.  And she was right!  It felt soooo amazing being on a horse that just paces himself, goes straight and just jumps.  He was a ton of fun and I had to force myself to quit.


Dis is my horse and I luff him.  Well he is probably more like Elaina's horse but still.
I wanted this guy but I was very cautious knowing how attached the owner was I didn't want to make her feel like I was ripping him away.. She mentioned that selling might be the way they need to go and asked if I'd still be interested.  Free lease was what got my attention.  Emphasis on the FREE part.  I wasn't convinced I needed another horse as it was but when I saw such a nice horse as a free lease I thought it would be an inexpensive way to find out.  Because I needed to spend thousands of dollars on a horse like I needed a hole in the head.  So I asked what she wanted for him.  She said that money was not a concern but that he had the perfect home is all she cared about.  And all she wanted was what she paid for him as a 2 year old. It feels almost criminal getting him for the price I did but if perfect home was all she cared about then I could definitely give him that.  It's hard to even say out loud but I purchased this super nice horse for $500. When she told me that price I'd be stupid not to buy him.

We only had one more test to pass and that was them checking out his new home.  That I wasn't too concerned about because we have a really nice and safe property.  And like I expected she loved our place.  Wished she could live here. Was super happy to see all the trails we had because he loves going on trails.  So papers were signed and money was exchanged and viola!  We have a new family member!!!!


I will be able to see the adorable furry butt from my bedroom window soon!

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Welcome to the Family Lego!

Yup you read that right we are now a family of 13. (2 adults,  3 kids, 4 horses, 3 cats and one Corgi) We added this gorgeous fella to the family today.  It will be a couple weeks until he comes home but there are 4 really happy girls over here in Ohio and one very tolerant husband.


There are so many good things about this guy that I need to sit at a computer to type it all up.  But I couldn't wait to share the news! 

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

To Do List

I'm making a to do list and several of the things on that list are horse related.  The funny thing is that NOT on that list is to write a blog post.  Yet here I am.  It's kinda nice to have horse related things on a to do list. Because it feels like the only thing I will ever do with a horse again is clean up its fecal matter.  It's that time of year in my world.  Where winter seems nearly over yet endless.

The List

Send in Event camp entry
Secure Rolex plans
Go look at a horse
Look up and plan show season


Wait what?!  Put on the brakes.  Horse to look at?  Yeah.  I'm nuts but it makes sense right.  4 people in house that ride horses and only 3 horses?  What is the sense in that?  I have actually resigned to sharing Steady and moving on.  Not feeling the need to run out and get another horse the second I might possibly be able to use one.  Then someone posts a horse for lease that sounds like a little(using that word figuatively.  he is only 15.3 HH but half Clydesdale) gem.

How cute is he.  I know people who have known him for years that say he is a doll.
11 years old, 15.3hh, Clydesdale X .  Loves to jump, good on trails, easy keeper, great feet.  Thats what I know for now.


 So while I'm not getting my hopes up (or at least trying my best not to) I am excited about looking at him and the prospect that I might have a horse that will be a Hunt horse for me.  I want to hunt. I would love to hunt regularly but I do not have a beast suitable for the sport.  I have never taken Steady hunting.  And no matter how badly I want to hunt it will never outweigh my terrified image of what will happen to me and my horse on a hunt.  Best case scenario is we are excused because he passed the Master.  Worst?  We won't even go there.  And Elaina having another option for a horse to event would be ideal.  I already decided that Steady and Elaina will be dressage and Show jump partners and we'll leave the XC part out of it for a while for them.  So cross your fingers we end up with this guy cause he sounds like a good fit for us in our lives right now.  I am happy not purchasing.  Our lives are ever changing with the kids, so permanet is not the best solution for us for now.  Even Elaina she is a good rider but she is only 12.  Maybe in 2 more years we will have a better underststanding of what the best horse for her is but right now it's too early to tell.  Anyways, the idea of having a horse to ride in the winter who won't try to randomly kill me makes me giddy.