20 Things Wish List

Today is my birthday and I am turning 20.  *gasp*

Just for fun, I decided to surf through several horse equipment store sites and find 20 things that I would just love to have. Not that I'm expecting any of them though, but it was so much fun to skim and just dream. I think its just a horse owner's thing. Maybe.

Anyways, here you go! :)

Tall Boots. I've never had tall boots and would about die to have a pair!

Full Seat Breeches. Not everyone likes these, but I love the extra grip. And yes, I want ALL the colors.  :-)

New Helmet! Without trying anything on and based just on looks, this would be my pick.

Fly Sheet w/Neck. Poor Lady has been reacting worse and worse to bugs and I would love to wrap her up in something to keep the welts down.

Winter Turnout. Again, Lady has been having more difficult winters lately and I really want one by the time this winter rolls around.

Back on Track. I would actually take any of their products since I've heard such good things about them.

Fly Bonnet.  So cute, and my little Lady gets midges in her ears, not fun while riding!

Gloves. Especially for winter, but I ought to get used to them in summer too. I love the feel of wearing gloves and patting your horse. :D

New girth. I really think a more anatomical girth would help Lady because she rubs so easy and is sensitive to the pressure.

Bits. This one is actually on the priority list of things to buy as I do not currently own a bit that Lady likes or will work in.

Saddle Pads. I just want more because... well, there are colors!! And I love colors...  :-)

Saddle. Yes, I have a new and awesome saddle, but if we're dreaming, I might as well!

Oglivy. This won't happen unless I truthfully have extra money laying around, but I want a half pad SO badly now after reading about them....

Fancy Leather Halter. Because it would be so fun to take pictures with and look so pretty on Lady. I do need to find an Arab halter for her though...

Fleece Cooler. Because they look so professional and fancy, not because I need one at all!

Training Surcingle. I can think of far too many things I could do with this.

Bridle!  Because there is no such thing as too many, and I don't like the buckles on my current one.

Jumps! In no way anything I'm getting because Lady doesn't jump, but I want to jump!

Tack Trunk! No explanation...

Flatwork Wraps! I like feeling as though I'm supporting Lady's legs and giving some sort of protection.

That was way too much fun! :)

Picking Up the Reins

No, actually I did not pick up the reins today.  :-(
But I made it home from Worlds, managed to snag a few fancy medals for my effort, and had fun at the same time. So that was fun. :)

Lady had more of last week off than I meant for her to have. We did several longer walks together, but I did not do as much grooming as I had planned and she did not get bathed. So... I intended to bathe her today and get back in the saddle tomorrow.

And I got sick. Nasty cold/allergy thing means I feel like I have coughed up more than could possibly fit inside me.  O.o

So I have been in bed most of today, catching up on my word count for my novel, and being sad about not getting to pamper Lady. I did get out there to fill up their water and loved on them for a few minutes, but that was all.

*insert teary-eyed sad face*  I miss riding.  :'(

Doggie pic to break up this flow of text.  :)

Now that I have told my woes, I guess I should say what I had planned to say in this post.

I did do one thing I had planned to do last week, and that was contemplate what my goals with Lady are. Not my overall horse goals, but the goals I have specifically with my lovely mare, especially since she has been unable to work five or six days out of the week with discomfort. I set high goals unconsciously sometimes and I do not want to expect more of her than she can give me. So here are the highest goals I am setting for Lady and myself together.

• Stay mostly comfortable and happy enough to remain in light-medium work for the next 5-8 years.
• Be able to perform all USDF Introductory tests well enough for competition.
• Keep her happy enough where if she wants to pop over a jump, I can let her. She does this every so often, even though I have slowly stopped asking for jumps in the past weeks. If she offers, I will just be super happy.  :)
• Remain fit enough to do several hour long trail rides at the walk and trot.

She has her bad days where trotting is painful and she has her good days where she can buck and gallop to her heart's content. I just want her to stay happy and I want to keep her even just as a light riding horse throughout the rest of my time in college (another 3-5 years) before I look at retiring her permanently.

I feel a lot more relaxed about going out to ride her now, having set these "parameters" up in my mind, because I can't be upset if she isn't as limber as a 4 year old and we aren't jumping everything in sight.

It's always the the horse's health and safety first. If not, you shouldn't own a horse.

Lady's Supplements

For most of the last three years I have purchased Lady's supplements either through SmartPak or through a tack/feed store locally. But since I am always trying to understand health better and always strive for the most natural option, I did more than a few days worth of research last summer and decided to switch to herbal supplements. I also decided to purchase herbs in bulk and do all that fun "measuring" stuff myself. It took me quite a while to choose which herbs I wanted to start off with, but I've been doing this for well over 8 months now and it seems to be working.

So here is a little overview of what I give Lady and The Pony in way of supplementing.

Little bowls in the front are Tempest's. Big ones in the back are Lady's.

Salt.  They both live outdoors 24/7 and I have never had luck with having a salt block or rock lasting very long. Therefore they get a dose of salt every day.

Flax Seed. I am out of this at the moment, but it is one of the things I always try to put in, for both of them. It has the correct balance of oils and omegas. They eat it whole.

Nettle Leaf.  Awesome for their coats, really brings out the dapples. Contains vitamin C, iron, and some other vitamins. Also helps to relieve arthritis pain, so Lady gets a maintenance dose of this and Tempest gets a smaller dose every few days.

Comfrey Leaf.  Some people feed the root, some feed the leaf. I have the leaf at the moment and it works well. It is historically called "bone-knit" and it is the best thing to take when healing a broken bone. Also good as a wash, or even to pack in wounds. Highly healing. Tempest only gets this every so often, but Lady gets a smallish dose of it almost every day. Not really meant for daily feeding though, but for injuries.

Nettle, Comfrey, and Salt

Kelp Powder.  Tempest gets this, Lady does not. It is just an overall health tonic with all the trace minerals you could ask for. I wish I could feed this free-choice to the girls, but it hasn't happened yet.

White Willow Bark.  I take this myself. Awesome pain reliever. Lady gets just enough of it to keep her from being too miserable. Better than any bute, in my opinion.

Mare Magic - or Red Raspberry.  Again, I take this myself, except that I have my own tea, not Mare Magic! Lady has issues with hormones at times and I just like having this balancer in her system.

Celery Seed.  This is one of the most important supplements I give Lady for her joints. It is super good at controlling inflammation. Enough said.  

All ready for the week! :-)

There are other herbs that I have used in the past but these are the ones that I have used the most and really stick to right now. The awesome thing about herbs is that its not going to overdose fast at all. It's a plant... its going to go through their digestive tract the same as grass does, without negative effects. They do have to be fed regularly to really see the benefits though. I think White Willow Bark is the only one that will work without being in one's system first.

Random fact - did I mention that we jumped the other week? Yep, Lady and I jumped!

WE JUMPED THIS THING!!!

It was only like 18 inches tall, maybe, but we jumped it.  It was awesome. :-)

Taking a Breath

I've been silent for a few days again.  Ooops.

This month has already been here for almost a week. I've enjoyed family time, fireworks, too much food, not enough sleep, and definitely not enough writing to keep up with Camp NanoWrimo. I am almost 2000 words behind on that.  Oooops again.  :-(

I've had two (three?) rides so far this month. Actually had a fairly decent one playing with going off the property without throwing a fit which turned out okay. Had another on the 4th - just playing with some basic yields and having her listen to me instead of having tantrums just because The Pony was having them.
The other ride was just random. I went to hang out in the pasture and ended up hopping on bareback and bridle-less. Turned into the best ride ever. I had my dressage whip to use if she decided to get out of hand, but mostly just kept her moving without worrying about gait or direction. I got lots of sitting trot practice (ouch.... I was SO sore) and two of the most beautiful canter sets ever. Loved it.  :)

There hasn't been any work in the arena in over a week. Part of this is because the ponies are currently living up there for the grass and Lady thoroughly dislikes working in the place she lives. Strange pony.  O.o

And now... we are taking a break. I've decided to give both Lady and me the week off. Physically and mentally I think she needs it. And I want the chance to step back and re-assess the bigger picture. I'll probably elaborate on both of those reasons during this week. I plan to do a lot of hand-walking and grooming and pampering and dressing up and pretty pictures and so forth.
And of course, there is a certain huge taekwondo competition next weekend. Can't forget that. Must. Practice.

Grumpy pony after being hosed down. :-)

July Goals

Here I go again... setting lots of goals for the month!

Stolen from Pinterest. :)

Horse-Related Goals

• Set up a health records system and get a good set of conformation pictures.
• Film 1 session.
• Keep Lady happy and sound with proper management, supplements and exercises.
• Work on getting and keeping a calm trot.

Also stolen from Pinterest. Oops ;)

Riding Goals

• Work on my 2-point position (at walk, maybe trot).
• Practice trotting diagonals, recognizing and riding them correctly.

Personal Life Goals

• Blogs: outline 4 posts for writers blog, update 3x a week on here
• Sketch cover ideas for Rebellion (my novel)
• Schedule a lesson with my piano teacher
• Win July Camp NanoWrimo
• Make an A in geology (this class won't be over until mid-August though)
• Taekwondo: World Expo: Remain positive the entire time, regardless of what happens
• Admit my mistakes calmly and without getting upset with anyone else

I'm really looking forward to July and hope to enjoy it a lot!  What are your plans?

June/Spring/Year Goal Review

June Personal Goals

• Give Rebellion (my novel) to at least 2 people.  Yes. Four, I believe.
• Piano - Rememorize/Polish 3 pieces.  Mostly done. The Beethoven piece was more difficult.
• Write and post 4 writer's blog posts.  2 done, 2 outlined.
• Enter a writing contest.  I consider this done because I found a good one to enter, but haven't done it yet.
• Read 3 books.  
• Diet.  Mostly. Slacked off pretty bad this last week though.

June Equine Goals

• Trim Lady's feet twice.  No. I tried but couldn't get very far because of the lack of rain. Hard hooves.  
• Cover Level 2 Liberty and Level 3 OnLine.  Yup. Needs some work, but went over it all.
• Film 1 session.  Yes!!
• Get off the property every session.  Almost every time. Went pretty well. :)
• Learn USDF Intro Test A.  Only ridden it 1 time, but I have it memorized.
• Go into the canter every ride.
• Progress to 5 minutes trotting at a time.

Spring Equine Goals

• Start working in Parelli Levels 3/4 OnLine
• Improve fitness so I can master the rising trot  Not mastered yet, but lots improved.
• Start riding in the canter  Not scared of it anymore!
• Jump a course of 1 ft jumps  Not a course, but jumped, yes :)
• Ride a 3.6 mile local ride confidently.  Nope, but made some progress towards it.

2014 Equine Goals

• Maintain Lady at a healthy weight.  So far, so good.
• Keep horse health records.  So far, not so good.
• Get a new saddle.
• Film regularly.  Not regularly, but got some stuff.
• Attend/Audit 1-2 clinics.  Money issues...
• Go to see some horse shows.  Again, money issues.
• Learn USDF Intro Tests A, B, and C.  Got test A going this month.  :)

2014 Personal Goals

• Maintain a blog post schedule.  Definitely doing better!
• Read more books.  Kept up quite well!
• Publish my novel.  Being edited now, so on the road to this too.
• Get published in a magazine.  Uhh... ooops.
• Win Camp NanoWrimo.  Won in April. Plan to win in July again.
• Complete Hanon piano exercise book.  Slow... and boring, but I'm attempting to persevere.
• Create a decent pianist's repertoire.  Got about six/seven songs right now. Good start.
• Be ready for my college music audition.  Been planning this lately. Think I've chosen my music.
• Play the violin again. Ooops.
• Graduate from Paris Junior College.  Have my classes scheduled for this to happen!
• Get my purple belt in taekwondo.  Testing for my green belt this week, so this is easily happening.
• Get along better with my big sister.  Yes, mostly. I feel that overall we're understanding each other better.

Oh So Blessed

I am giddy with sheer joy right now. I have no clue why or where it came from, but I love it.  :-)

Over the last day and night, for whatever odd reason, I've just been thinking of how amazing my horse is. I mean, of course she is amazing, but every so often it just hits me that I have the loveliest horse I could ask for. Yes, I dream about other breeds and colors and disciplines, but at this moment, I would not trade anything for the partnership I have with my Lady.

I had a totally different blog post planned for today, but I just couldn't write it without sounding ridiculous, so I scrapped it. Maybe next week. Today, I'm just going to rant about how much I'm blessed to have this beautiful horse in my life. And use pictures!

I cannot say that I've always done the best for my horses. I've made mistakes, plenty of them, and sometimes my ponies have paid the price. But, no matter what, this beautiful girl has always been here for me.

She has tested and tried me until I cried in frustration and tried to give up. And yet, every time I nearly despair, she greets me the next day with a nicker and a soft eye and proves me wrong again.
I have always had great dreams, of soaring over fences and winning races and so on and so forth. When I searched for a new horse, I had those dreams in the back of my mind. I tried out enormous Quarter Horses (truly, some of them were disproportionately enormous), pony crosses, a cute little POA mare. I tried a lovely Arabian mare that was confirmed pregnant at the time, a 2 year old that had already been started for nearly a year (poor thing!), and a lovely tall cross-breed that was quite honestly too big for me at the time.

I found this girl by accident. The horse advertised was a dominant pinto QH cross mare. She was sweet, but we just didn't mesh. Before we left that day, the owner offered to let me try Lady out. She wasn't officially for sale, but he said he would consider it since she had been sitting in the pasture for some time. She had been a competitive barrel and poles horse and won several championships. She was the go-to trail/endurance horse, and had been bred several months before. I really liked her immediately, but it was touch-and-go for several weeks because the owners just could not make up their mind whether to sell her. We finally did get her, the week before Christmas, and for a whole lot less than she was worth (the owner told me when I met her that he could sell her for several thousand if he wanted to).

It took me some time to really figure her out, but it has been totally worth it. Not everyone appreciates some of her attributes, but I don't think there is a single part of her that I would change.

• She really likes children. She gives pony rides like a pro, and loves to get her nose into everything.
• She isn't an in-your-pocket kind of horse, but when she wants to cuddle, its memorable.
• She is such a pretty color. I will forever have a soft spot in my heart for bays and blazes.
• She is an Arabian. Many people have negative opinions about Arabs, but I've always loved them.
• She is tolerant. Never had an issue with spooking at tarps, vehicles, you name it. Not spooky at all.
• She listens. I have never ever had to be rough with her or use force.
• Comfortable. I've ridden other horses, but none of them have gaits to compare with Lady's.
• Easy to manage. Sort of. I'm not sure what I would do with a skinny horse. Lady is round.
• Solid feet. Yes, this can be a pain, but having soft or brittle hooves would drive me crazy.
• Personality. Please don't shut your horse's personality down just to get what you want. Please.
• Spirit. Some prefer a laid-back horse, but I absolutely love the spirited ones. 
• She is so very sensitive. I don't want to be using muscle to get my aids across and I don't have to. She responds to thoughts.

Will this horse ever fly with me over fences? No, her jumping is limited now because of arthritis. She could still win some races, especially over the "cute" Quarter Horses everyone owns around here, and she is capable of lower-level dressage, which we are working on. Most of my big dreams will not be achieved with this horse, but she has given me so many keys that I can use to further my success with other horses. I don't plan to purchase another horse of my own until I graduate from college (5ish years from now) and with Lady turning 16 this year, I have to expect that she will continue to decline bit by bit during that time.

But I truthfully don't care. She has been and will continue to be the best horse I could have asked for. I grew up on the back of this horse and there is something to be said for the girl who had 4 hooves to carry her away during the hardest years of childhood. I owe my courage and my strength to her. She is my heart and my soul.

Extra side note... if anyone remembers, please send up a little prayer or thought. Lady has been in a fair amount of discomfort the past week (hocks and stifles) and I'm doing what I can to keep her happy and comfortable.