Be Thankful For What You Have

I totally started writing a blog post this time last week, about how lucky I was and how I felt like everything just seemed to be going in the write direction. I took a break to go out and get stuff for dinner, and promptly got my first speeding ticket, ever. Even though he dropped it down to a minimal fine and no points were deducted (honestly, I'm surprised I'd never gotten one til then), it's a total pain in the butt. It also sort of made me feel like a complete liar/killed the writing mood, so I decided to wait til the end of this week to announce my exciting news: I managed to land an AMAZING riding job.

Through a connection - apparently I have them! - I was able to be hired by a warmblood breeding facility as a rider for their young stock and some of their older, more "going" equines. So far, it's been great. I mean, really, it's pretty much my dream job. I show up, the horses are groomed for me, I just throw tack on, and go. The atmosphere is phenomenal, and my boss doesn't belittle me if I happen to make any mistakes- something I've found fairly prevalent in the A circuit world. It's just so nice.

Needless to say, after riding 5-6 horses, 4 days this week, and two days last week, I am exhausted. I was once used to that sort of riding, but it seems oh so long ago now, and I wondered if I'd ever be able to do it again. It's pretty hard to get riding fit when you're only riding one of your own babies, three times a week. What's reallly nice is that I've managed to lose some of that weight that crept back to me over the winter- take that, flab! However, poor little Flora has mostly been ignored since I started.

It's funny how you manipulate things in your mind to make them seem just how you want them to. In my mind, because I'd get home exhausted, freezing, and starving, I couldn't be bothered to do anything with Flora. In my head, these purebred warmbloods I was working with were way nicer than her, and I got super bummed out, wondering what I was going to do with her, if doing anything at all was even worth it.

Well, today, I got a kick in the pants from yours truly. I managed to convince myself to go ride her, and what a treat! I couldn't help but think that my little dutch warmblood/tb mare was easily as nice, or even nicer than half the horses I've been working with. She understands what my leg means, not only to go forward, but to bend around it. She knows how to work in a frame, and lord does she ever have a big, beautiful canter. It's pretty crazy the things you (ie: me) take for granted, but it made me feel really lucky to have her, and was definitely encouraging.

After our ride, I decided to confirm my spot in the jumping clinic taking place at our barn on Sunday. We're just doing the 2' class, but I'm really looking forward to it :) Updates - hopefully good ones - on that to come later :)

A Day of Firsts and Lasts

I've been holding off writing a new post for a few days, because there's only been one thing on my mind, and I didn't want to jinx it. Jake, selling. But now that the contract is signed and the trailer is coming tomorrow, I think I can come out with it. It's such a strange feeling. I'm so glad I was able to sell him for his owner, and was so happy at first. But today, I had my last ride on him.

And he was soooooooo good :( What a nice horse. His new owners are so incredibly lucky to be getting such a nice, talented and well mannered horse. It's not very often (like, almost never), that I choose to go back to my dressage roots, but Jake honestly made me think about becoming a serious dressage rider again. I am so looking forward to following his progress with his new owner this summer at the shows. And I hope I can hold it together tomorrow and not shed any tears when he leaves.

On a happy note, FLORA IS AMAZING!!! I don't ride my young horses very often, but today was the first time I've ridden her two days in a row. She is such a princess, that I thought she was going to be really mad, but she was a-mazing. She was willingly bending in both directions, and, for a horse who is normally very fussy in the mouth, was sooo soft and quite consistent in the mouth. It made me think there was hope after all ;)

I decided to do, or at least attempt, a small exercise that I did with all the babies at Looking Back Farm. All it is, is a 9' rail in front of a cross rail, with five strides to the next fence- a small cross rail or vertical. Trot in, canter out. Of course, Flora had never done more than one pole in a row, so we first had to get her used to trotting over poles that were 9' apart. No problem. It was like she'd done it a million times before. Then we had a 9' rail set to a crossrail, with just a pole on the ground 5 canter strides away. Again no problem, except Flora believes in using as little energy as possible, and therefore did not canter away from the cross rail even once. She didn't even bother actually jumping the cross rail after going over it a couple times, apparently it wasn't big enough to bother.

So then we put the pole on the ground that was five strides away up to a small, very small vertical. It was the first time Flora had even faced a vertical, and she took it like a pro.... even though she hit it down about five times in a row. Her stride is, apparently, larger than I thought. In my opinion, when a horse is learning to jump lines, they shouldn't need to also think about the striding. They're too busy thinking about where to put their feet as it is, so we moved the jumps out until it was a perfect five stride for her. Then she loped down the line (I had to canter into the exercise so that I could canter down through it! Normally I'd be against it, as I think cantering in too early might make a horse rush the fence. Not in Flora's case, though.) in five perfect strides, and left the jump up. It felt like a pretty cute jump! So we left it at that.

That's the fun thing about babies: small accomplishments. I mean, only with a baby would you be ecstatic to hit down the same jump five times in a row. Seriously. I started to get a little disheartened, but then, it's only her first time going down a line, and the distance wasn't great until the end. Might call for some free jumping to let her figure out her feet on her own. Again, I don't think free jumping is for all horses, but judging by the way Flora has been taking all this new jumping stuff in, she will be fine. In fact, I was cantering down the long side on her in our warm up, and she actually veered off the track to canter over the pole!! I'd say it's a good thing :) I can't wait to do more with her.

Procrastinated, as per usual

It never fails. No matter how excited I am about something, I still procrastinate. Le sigh. Anyway, here I am, writing another one of these blog things. Now don't get me wrong, I've actually thought about this every day since the first one I wrote. I just couldn't really think of anything to write about that other would be even remotely interested in reading. Working 15+ hours several days this past week didn't help either.

Now I have a few days off. I flip houses with my dad, boyfriend, and his best friend. I mostly manage the financial and logistical aspects of the projects, but am also becoming a mean painter. We're between houses- one just went on the market last week and we're acquiring another one tomorrow- meaning I'm not really needed for a few days. Thank goodness. More time for ponies!

So that's what I did today. First I rode Jake, my dressage sales horse. I'll start by saying he has come sooooo far. When I first started riding him less than a year ago (and only at most 3 times a week), he could barely keep his right lead canter all the way around the ring, he was so weak and unfit. Lately, my sister has been riding him, since she's the dressage queen and has had more time than me. 

For one, I was surprised how little I struggled in the dressage saddle today- that was nice. I still don't understand how I was a dressage rider for so many years, and now can't stand riding in stirrups shorter than jumping length. Anyway, Jake felt great today. His trot was just so through. He was covering ground, nice and round, like nobodies business during our warm up. We did some half-halts (doing them properly is still a somewhat new concept to him) and HELLOOooo: almost passage. SO nice! Then came the canter. Now, getting his canter realllly good has been a challenge. But today was great. After some forward and back work, and some exaggerated shoulder in, he became so light and soft. Even his collection was nice. What a pleasant surprise for me :)

After Jake, came Flora. Flora is our homebred 4yr DWB/TB mare, who was started last spring but hasn't had much work until about mid-December. She learns a bit slower than some of the other babies I've worked with (but is far from the worst!), but once she gets something, she gets it. I hope she is going to make a really nice hunter, and I've just started her over poles and small crossrails.

Today, she was wild, at first. I put her on the lunge, since she'd had a few days off and I wish someone else could have seen her. Bucking, leaping, and just running around like a nut in general. I almost didn't get on her, which is saying something, because I'm usually fairly brave. But I did, and I'm SO glad I did. 

Flora has an enormous, beautiful canter that, until today, she's had a lot of trouble balancing. Today, however, she was phenomenal. For the first time, I felt like she was actually between my hand and leg, and that I could actually steer her around like a normal horse. I even got super brave and cantered her over a pole on a circle. The fact that we were able to circle at the canter, let alone steer over a pole was, to me, amazing. Then i got really brave and cantered up and over a small cavaletti. It took a couple of tries for her to trust me and herself enough to keep the canter up and over it, but once she figured it out, it was sooo smooth!! I'm so excited :) I'm aiming to take her in a small clinic here at our farm with Waylon Roberts, in the cross rail group. Maybe we'll be ready after all!

I can see how this could get addictive...

So I'm finally doing it. I'm finally starting my blog. Well, actually, apparently I started it over 4 years ago, I just never wrote anything. First year of university, when I created this blog, may have had something to do with that.

"What's changed?" you may ask. "I'm not sure" is the easiest answer. I like to write, but that's nothing new. After four years of school and writing about things you don't care about, I think I need an outlet to write about something I AM interested in. The only thing I can write about, any time, any where? Horses, of course. I may not always speak up in person, but I have lots of opinions, stories, and maybe even some advice when it comes to our equine friends.

Also, even after four years of business school, even after a lifetime in the horseworld and business, even though I've experienced how miserable many horse businesspeople are... I still want to be part of it. I still want to train and teach and coach. I know you don't make much money. I know it's a lot of work. I know a lot of stuff about the industry that makes me dislike it. But I still want to do this. Do I have a business plan? No, but I do have a rough draft of sorts worked out in my head.

I don't sound like the most confident person, do I? I'm not, at least not outwardly. I've never been the sort of person to toot my own horn. However, I am very confident in my riding, training and teaching ability. I just need to get out there and prove it and this blog is here to help.

I started thinking about memorable names. Anyone can name their business after them self. But whose initials happen to spell a frequently used indefinite article that prefaces what their business is all about? AN Equestrian. It's perfect. It's my initials, but it's also who I am: an equestrian. Coming from my business school education, it's also perfect because it does not define me too narrowly, meaning I can branch out in many different areas and blah blah blah. See, I learned something in school! I'm sure my marketing profs would be proud.

Anywho, this is me. I am a recent graduate from Acadia University (GO AXEMEN!) with a Bachelors of Business Administration. I grew up on a farm and started riding before I could walk (Ok, so my mom had to hold me on). I've competed in Dressage, Hunter, Jumper, Equitation and Eventing. I've been a working slave-I mean student, a top show jumping and hunter groom, and rider for an A circuit stable. I've coached many riders, mostly beginner and intermediate. I'm currently working as a financial manager and part time labourer for a real estate investment company I've partnered with. That sounds pretty cool, right? It is. But you what I think about while I'm putting the final coat of paint in a newly finished basement? Or while I'm updating the budget? Horses. And I truly believe that what I daydream about, is what I should pursue.

Another day, I will fill you in on some of my experience, current projects, etc, but I think I've written enough for now. I can definitely see how people get into this sorta stuff :)