Just for fun.

I thought this might be a lighter and more fun post than getting all overly philosophical like I can sometime do.  Don't worry we will get back to our regularly scheduled programming soon enough.


1. Favorite thing about riding? I just love riding horses.

2. Draft horse or pony? Being 5'9" tall I am not the ideal pony rider.  I do love ponies though and the fact that I own two of them and have small children I often get to jump on naughty ponies and teach them a lesson.  I think drafts are beautiful and cool horses but they #1 are not athletic enough for my liking and #2 they eat too much.  So for my personal riding horse I guess my answer would be neither.  Though I love all horses and can appreciate almost all breeds.

3. English or western? English

4. Dressage or Hunter/Equitation? I rode Hunter/Equitation for 10 years but now am fascinated and enthralled in the depths of dressage and think if done correctly can help any rider and horse become better in any discipline.

5.Green horse or trained horse? Not that I know what it would be like to own a trained horse but to me it just seems kinda boring. So green.

6. Worst fall? In a show when I was about 12 years old.  I went head first into a stone wall jump and was knocked unconscious.  Though back in those days things like concussions were not considered injuries.  When I came to I was immediately thrown back up on the horse to finish the round.

7. First fall, what happened? Not sure if I can remember my first fall but my first very memorable fall was when I was about 8 years old.  I was in a jump lesson on a 17hh half Clydesdale whom had just had his mane roached.  I found it terrifying to jump with no mane for a security blanket.  I lost my balance over the jump and slowly made my way to the ground.  All the while hearing my leather skinned trainer yelling, "you better not fall off that horse!  I did NOT tell you that you could get off!"  I was far more terrified of my trainer than falling from the giant horse.  I was put right back on and you can be sure that the lesson was not finished until I was successfully jumping with no mane.

8. Have you ever wanted to quit riding? No but I did quit for about 15 years.  It was not by choice it was just life circumstances that kept me from horses.  One being the fact that I spent several years in a religious reform school in the middle of the Ozark Mountains that was surrounded by 30ft chain link fence topped with barbed wire.  Needless to say we were not aloud to ride horses.  There are times though that I feel like I suck so bad I should quit.

9. Favorite thing about your horse? His sheer athleticism.

10. Least favorite thing about riding? How expensive it is.

11. What does the fox say? I do not know what this means because I am an old fuddy duddy.

12. Do you prefer to ride inside or outside? Outside hands down.

13. Do you show? I love to show and it keeps me focused and motivated.  Wish I could do it more.

14. How long have you been riding? Since long before I can remember.  This is me on our horse in my back yard.  I was always obsessed.  But with a long break in between about 18 years.

 15. Why did you start riding? It just always was, not really a reason why.  I started lessons at 6 in a hunter barn because well my parents put me in them because I was obsessed.

16. How many times a week do you ride? 3-5x's a week.

17. Have you ever fallen off at a show? How? Yup more than once.  One time I explained above(the whole stone wall thing).  Most recent was last year in the show jumping phase at a recognized event because of poor riding.

18. Ever fallen onto a jump?
 Haha yes both falls I have already described were into jumps and having jumped for my entire riding career I have fallen into many jumps.

19. Ever been bucked off? Oh my gosh, yes.  More times than I can probably count.  Do people that ride for as many years and a ton of horses really not fall off?  Cause I thought that was a given.

20. Do you have a private or group lesson? Almost always private.

21. In your opinion does it make you less of a rider if you don't own a horse? I actually think if you don't own a horse and still ride to me it makes me think you are probably a more dedicated rider than I am .

22. Trick riding or eventing? Eventing!  It is the BEST!

23. What discipline do you want to try? Why? I don't really have any desire to change disciplines at this point in time.  Really would like to get to Training level in Eventing maybe once I get there I will get bored with it and look into something else but I don't really see that happening.

25. Ever had barn drama? Sometimes I have to yell at my kids for not cleaning their stalls, does that count as barn drama???  haha I do understand barn drama though from being a barn rat in a hunter barn for a decade as a kid.

26. How many barns have you been too? Not sure how to answer this I have been to many many barns.  My dad bred and raised thoroughbreds when I was a kid and we were always going to barns I have also shown my whole life so been to many barns from that and then all the barns I have lessoned at there are too many to count.  But as far as horses I owned I have always been fortunate enough to have my horses in my own barn.  So 2, my barn at my house I grew up in and the other the barn I have about 100 feet from where I sit.

27. Do you plan on having horses in your life, for the rest of your life? I can't imagine it any other way.  Like I mentioned I had to live without horses for enough years of my life I hope I never have to do that again.

28. Favourite tumblr equestrian? Don't know what this is, remember, cause I am old.

29. Favourite tumblr horse? refer to above.

30. If you could ride any famous horse (dead or alive) who would it be? Why? I really have no idea.

31. Does winning ribbons matter to you? Yes!  To me it has less to do about winning or losing but more of a reflection of competing at the level that I belong in.  To me if I can't consistently ribbon at the level I am competing then I am probably not doing something right and need to back down.

32. Do you show? Yep

33. Worst riding experience? I think I can learn from every experience good or bad.  And I have never had anything exceptionally scary happen so I guess that I am grateful for.

34. Ever been on a trail ride? Yes it is GREAT for horses brains and I try to as often as I can.

35. Hunter or Jumper? I like both, jumpers are bit more relaxed and fun to me and hunters I like the accuracy and preciseness it requires.

36. Why did you start riding? I think I answered this already.

37. Ever wanted to buy a school horse? Yes, I loved a school horse that I regularly rode and showed as a kid named Heller.  She was never for sale and no way would my parents have bought her for me anyways.  Then she was leased by a friend so I didn't get to keep riding her.  I would have settled for just leasing her to have her for my own but that was never going to happen for me.

38. How many times a week do you ride? 3-5x's again I answered this already.

39. Ever ridden a horse 17hh+?  I currently do Steady is 17hh.

40. Ever ridden a horse 13hh or under?  Ha yes I am sure I rode several ponies that size as a kid and as an adult I have jumped on our large miniature horse once in a while and he was like 11 hands :)

41. If you have made it this far then you deserve a prize.  Due to an error in the shipping department you all have a chance to win a Higher Standards Saddle Soap.

It is the winter scent of Cinnamint it smells wonderful!  I have been told about these products from a good friend for quite a while now but I finally ran low on my current soap and decided to give it a try.  I personally bought a saddle soap and leather balm and am very excited to put it to use.
I received and extra and figured why not give it to one of you lovely ladies!  Just share about the contest on your blog and comment here that you did and you are entered.  I will randomly pick a winner Monday the 25th.