Wrap up and look forward.

I am not motivated to get into lengthy posts on the past year nor the year coming.  I am not setting any goals at least as of this moment.  We are just going to keep moving forward and make progress the best we can.  Last year was a complete learning experience being the first year that my daughter's riding goals really took a good deal of effort.  I mean before it was learning the basics and a couple fun things here and there.  Now she has goals of her own and it requires, time, money and travel.  Which takes sacrificing each of those things on my part to make it happen.  I say sacrifice but it really isn't a sacrifice I happily give some of it up.  I rejoice just as much if not more to watch my daughters' progress and accomplish their goals and dreams.  It is especially cool when those dreams and goals involve horses.  It's a win, win! 

Awesome things happened this year and dreams of mine came to fruition!  It was quite amazing.  Top of the list was competing at KHP and killing it!!!!  Then there was Leg Up that we also killed it!  And then a successful move up to Novice at the end of the season.  I took several lessons and focused a great deal on dressage.

There were plenty of ups and downs when it came to Elaina and Lily.  Their progress was slow but sure.  They did awesome at the county fair.  They had a hiccup at Pony Club when she came home in a cast.  She rated up to a D-2!  She came off a fair amount of times, each time taking a year off my life.  And she proved herself by getting back on every single time without fear and never ever getting upset with her pony.

My youngest daughter Kelcie expressed interest in riding and got her first pony Penny.  She has been dedicated in caring for her and learning to ride.  She is rocking the post now!


Bottom line 2013 was a happy, healthy, progressing and blessed year.  I could not ask for more!

2014 holds possibilities and hope that we will keep continuing in that direction.

I want to kill Novice level at a schooling and recognized level.  I want to keep focusing on "real" dressage and possibly start doing some dressage shows.  Get to as many lessons and clinics as I possibly can.  And keep living this dream of a life that I am in.  Yes it is general but that is pretty much it.  I foresee 2014 as a year of change and I will keep my riding goals vague.  The first few years at this I was pushing,pushing,pushing to get better and better.  And though I fully intend to keep heading in that direction it will be at a more relaxed pace.  I am happy where my horse is I am happy where I am and who knows where the future may take us.  I plan to start Massage Therapy school in the fall.  The course will take a year and I will be certified in human Pfrimmer Deep Tissue massage therapy and also Deep Tissue Equine massage therapy.  We plan to put our house on the market in the spring and moving to the Dayton/Cincinnati area will be in our near future.  Yes if you are wondering we will be moving to another farm where the horses will be in our backyard.  That is just a given.

Elaina will have plenty of opportunity bringing Lily along but also being able to do some Eventing with Penny who is more seasoned.  Pony Club National Festival comes to Lexington and she
hopes to compete in the "quiz" competition on a national level with a team from our new club.  There is fair and Pony Club clinics, meeting, rallies and camps Oh My!  We will be busy.  I will be working hard to keep all the plates in the air and fixing them when they inevitably come crashing down at times.  It is all a part of the crazy, fun life of trying to "have it all".

Kelcie will be working towards getting off the lunge line and riding on her own.  Then we will start her over her first jumps!  Working towards next year getting to be a big PCer!

A few photo highlights from the year.
                                        Annual  trip to Rolex

             

I went all creepy stalker on WFP

I spent a shitton of money.

My daughter got a picture that she will be drooling over for many years to come.

This happened.

                                                               

Corgi goes to Florida.

                                                                     

This

 

and this.

Not to be outdone in the cuteness department these two had to go and do this.

This happened :(...

But it was no time until they were doing this again!

                                         
                                                 Oh yeah and this happened!

And they are just freaking cute cleaning boots.

We went here...

and this happened.

And collectively....awwwwww...this happened for Kelcie.

Happy 2014 to all of you, your families and your equine partners.  May we appreciate every day we get to have them in our lives.  May we not take for granted the time we have with them and the hearts they give so freely and honestly.  May we be open to learning and never react too harshly when things don't go as we had hoped.  May we be content with where the year takes us and make the year of the horse our best yet!!!

Happy Christmas, Merry New Year and all the rest of that stuff...

...from our family to yours, human and animals alike!

Left to right: Penny, Macy, Kelcie, Ryan, Elaina, Steady Smiler, Amy and Lily.

 

I have been very quiet here.  I do hope all is well with all of my blogger friends.  I have checked out for a bit on here.  It is just the way of the world when you have a family.  Horses are not your world 100% the time though they of course are high priority and get well fed, lots of loves and pampering on a daily basis.  Our life with the horses consists of those things plus cleaning stalls, farrier visits, keeping water buckets thawed, blanketing/unblanketing, a bit of ground work here and there and that is about is. Not much work typing up a post about.  The temperatures are getting artic like tonight for the next two days.  Windchills that are dangerous -25 to -40.  So everything is set in place to do all I can to keep the horses as warm and protected form it as possible.  Stalls clean bedded, plenty of hay, plenty of thawed water available and barn as insulated as possible.  They should be happy and content in their stalls oblivious of how bad it really is out there.  I am deeply concerned for horses that are not as lucky and will be left out and exposed to this weather coming.  Like seriously worried and wish there was something I could do :(.  But there isn't and I can just hope for the best.  Stay warm and safe all!  Maybe getting home bound for a few days I can come up with a few more posts.