Keep sending in your whorl photos!!
I'll compile them and publish them next week. :)
But now ... dun dun dun ....
______
Time for my annual Year In Review post!
I'll compile them and publish them next week. :)
But now ... dun dun dun ....
______
Time for my annual Year In Review post!
Of course, if you've been reading this blog all year you already know what happened. But here is a summary anyway.
JANUARY
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| Managed to find a photo from winter 2014 that DOES NOT have ice or snow in it! |
- If you believe in Hell, then it would have been frozen over because the ENTIRE MIDWEST was so cold ... and frozen ... and icey ... and snowy ... and just horrible, horrible wintry hell. So, we weren't doing a whole lot. I spent my mornings hammering ice out of buckets, thawing snaps and cleaning frozen poo out of stalls.
FEBRUARY
- The arena is till basically an ice skating rink so we don't get a lot of work done this month either.
- There are a couple of warmish days mid month that give us some time to get back to the arena. Then about 4 inches of snow arrives. My sense of humor vanishes.
- There are a couple of warmish days mid month that give us some time to get back to the arena. Then about 4 inches of snow arrives. My sense of humor vanishes.
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| Hampton is all like "WHAAAAAT is THAT?!" |
- A little rescue pony named Moses comes to the farm to learn how to be around people. Eventually he gets started under saddle, too!
MARCH
- I start working more consistently with OTTBs and find I really enjoy it.
- I buy a new saddle, and spring starts to finally show up. Hampton and I start getting more rides in and spend quite a bit of time hacking up and down hills to help rebuild fitness.
APRIL
- There is a thief who makes a visit to our farm and steals blankets, bridles, saddles and actual farm equipment. We become paranoid and put locks on everything. (some of the bridles were found and returned to the owners, but as for anything else, I'm not sure. Also unsure if an arrest was ever made)
- I question the abilities of the Hamper after someone tells me he probably won't make a Third Level horse. Thankfully, I shake it off and keep moving forward.
- We attend the JJ Tate Clinic which BLOWS MY MIND. If I ever get the chance to lesson with her again, I would sell an ovary. I would sell both of them actually. Both Hampton and I are a changed pair after two days with JJ.
- I also get out to Rolex where I meet up with some fellow bloggers, enjoy the shopping and get goosebumps watching cross country.
- I question the abilities of the Hamper after someone tells me he probably won't make a Third Level horse. Thankfully, I shake it off and keep moving forward.
- We attend the JJ Tate Clinic which BLOWS MY MIND. If I ever get the chance to lesson with her again, I would sell an ovary. I would sell both of them actually. Both Hampton and I are a changed pair after two days with JJ.
- I also get out to Rolex where I meet up with some fellow bloggers, enjoy the shopping and get goosebumps watching cross country.
MAY
- We attend a small schooling show for our Third Level debut. It's cold, pouring down rain and the first time either of us has attempting this test at a show. It was not quite a disaster, but it was certainly not a great show. The judge is kind and gives us OK scores of 57% and 58% - and that was with Hampton LAUNCHING into the air during what was supposed to be a flying change.
- After that "confidence builder" (not), we head off to the big KDA show at the KY Horse Park for the same tests. Our first test was, for real this time, a CLUSTERF*CK. It was a disaster. Hampton totally fell behind my leg and shut down in the ring. I later realized I did not warm him up correctly, and the "instructor" I paid to help me stood silent on the sidelines and instead insulted my horse and tried to shame me. Thankfully, I realized what the problem was (I need to warm him up to be sharper and BUST HIM if he falls behind the leg), and our other tests were much better. But I left that show knowing I needed some real help if we were going to keep showing.
- I earn my USDF Bronze Medal!
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| so downhill. My breeches were soaking wet, I'm shocked you cannot see my pink legs through them. |
- After that "confidence builder" (not), we head off to the big KDA show at the KY Horse Park for the same tests. Our first test was, for real this time, a CLUSTERF*CK. It was a disaster. Hampton totally fell behind my leg and shut down in the ring. I later realized I did not warm him up correctly, and the "instructor" I paid to help me stood silent on the sidelines and instead insulted my horse and tried to shame me. Thankfully, I realized what the problem was (I need to warm him up to be sharper and BUST HIM if he falls behind the leg), and our other tests were much better. But I left that show knowing I needed some real help if we were going to keep showing.
- I earn my USDF Bronze Medal!
JUNE
- We take a road trip back to Indiana for some lessons with my favorite instructor. It was exactly what the doctor ordered. I explained our issues to her, and what happened at KDA. Her answer was "I have a prescription for that." Finally! Someone who knew what to do! It got a little ugly, but I faced our issues and rode him through it. The bucking in the flying changes immediately improved, and rarely happens these days.
- We start teaching Hampton a little passage, and I ride her Grand Prix stallion to feel what the "tricks" are like.
- Hampton turns 7 years old.
- We take a road trip back to Indiana for some lessons with my favorite instructor. It was exactly what the doctor ordered. I explained our issues to her, and what happened at KDA. Her answer was "I have a prescription for that." Finally! Someone who knew what to do! It got a little ugly, but I faced our issues and rode him through it. The bucking in the flying changes immediately improved, and rarely happens these days.
- We start teaching Hampton a little passage, and I ride her Grand Prix stallion to feel what the "tricks" are like.
- Hampton turns 7 years old.
JULY
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- We keep working on our homework from June.
- Hampton decides he wants a week off and comes down with a rather nasty case of cellulitis.
- We keep working on our homework from June.
- Hampton decides he wants a week off and comes down with a rather nasty case of cellulitis.
AUGUST
- We continue our dressage homework, but take a little break mid-month when I decide it would be fun to take Hampton to a hunter pace. He loses all control of gerbils and rears straight up in the air. I abandon the jumping group and join the trail riders and end up enjoying myself instead of fearing for my life. I make a mental note not to take Hamps on any more hunter paces.
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| Chicken arms! |
- We continue our dressage homework, but take a little break mid-month when I decide it would be fun to take Hampton to a hunter pace. He loses all control of gerbils and rears straight up in the air. I abandon the jumping group and join the trail riders and end up enjoying myself instead of fearing for my life. I make a mental note not to take Hamps on any more hunter paces.
SEPTEMBER
- We make another attempt at a USDF rated show at Harmony in the Park. It's a total success. We end up with scores in the 60s, plus Reserve Champion High Point AA at Third Level. Hampton is wonderful and does not give me any issues. Which was a good thing as I had a stomach virus that week and was running on fumes.
- Hampton and I move to a new barn.
- We make another attempt at a USDF rated show at Harmony in the Park. It's a total success. We end up with scores in the 60s, plus Reserve Champion High Point AA at Third Level. Hampton is wonderful and does not give me any issues. Which was a good thing as I had a stomach virus that week and was running on fumes.
- Hampton and I move to a new barn.
OCTOBER
- We get out to one last schooling show. It goes pretty well - we get more scores in the 60s and Hampton feels fantastic.
- Hampton gets his toe nails done by a new farrier who basically traumatizes Hampton to the point where he can no longer be hot-shoed. It was a terrible incident.
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| Weird moment in time, but not as downhill as May! |
- Hampton gets his toe nails done by a new farrier who basically traumatizes Hampton to the point where he can no longer be hot-shoed. It was a terrible incident.
NOVEMBER
- We keep plugging away at various dressage homework.
- Hampton's passage starts to really improve. We start to work on canter pirouettes more seriously as well as the canter zig zag from PSG.
- We take a quickie road trip to school a little bit off the property. It was a local schooling show, but I did not enter because I'm not a fan of the judge. (He was one who judged us in May and had nothing good to say at all. So, blacklisted.)
- I get yet another part-time job to help with money matters.
- We keep plugging away at various dressage homework.
- Hampton's passage starts to really improve. We start to work on canter pirouettes more seriously as well as the canter zig zag from PSG.
- We take a quickie road trip to school a little bit off the property. It was a local schooling show, but I did not enter because I'm not a fan of the judge. (He was one who judged us in May and had nothing good to say at all. So, blacklisted.)
- I get yet another part-time job to help with money matters.
DECEMBER
- Here we are.
- The weather, while gloomy and nasty, is not bad enough to keep us from working!
- I start riding a local schoolmaster type to help me learn the movements I need to teach Hampton.
- Hampton gets daily treatments on the Theraplate. (I should do a post on this, as the results have been interesting!)
- I am done Christmas shopping. Boom.
So there's 2014.
It was a year of learning, for sure.
Learning about dressage.
Learning about my horse.
So much learning about dressage.
Learning about myself.
Pretty thankful that both me and my awesome horse are happy and healthy.
Looking forward to 2015!
(goals to come)
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| (not from December) |
- The weather, while gloomy and nasty, is not bad enough to keep us from working!
- I start riding a local schoolmaster type to help me learn the movements I need to teach Hampton.
- Hampton gets daily treatments on the Theraplate. (I should do a post on this, as the results have been interesting!)
- I am done Christmas shopping. Boom.
So there's 2014.
It was a year of learning, for sure.
Learning about dressage.
Learning about my horse.
So much learning about dressage.
Learning about myself.
Pretty thankful that both me and my awesome horse are happy and healthy.
Looking forward to 2015!
(goals to come)
Sounds like overall you had a great year!! Congrats on your bronze medal. :D I'm also seriously envious that you got to ride her GP stallion. That must have been so cool!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great year of learning! Congratulations on all of your progress this past year.
ReplyDeleteAw yes! You guys were so awesome this year! Both of you did some serious stepping up to the plate. Plus, it was fun to scribe your "okay" test in May. ;)
ReplyDeleteTell is about the theraplate! I'm interested!
Let us know how the Theraplate is working. I am seriously considering in investing in one (more for me than the pony though)
ReplyDeleteYou had a really cool year!
ReplyDeleteYou are so on the ball with these wrap ups this year. I'm impressed.
ReplyDeleteAlso intimidated. ;-)
You have accomplished a ton this year. Should be very proud :) Congrats on the bronze medal!
ReplyDeleteYour story was so much fun to follow this year - plus I got to meet you! So it was that much more fun to follow as a result. Congratulations on a VERY successful year, you two are truly an inspiration to me.
ReplyDelete2014 was a huge year for you and Hampton. I bet 2015 will be even better :)
ReplyDeleteYou two had an incredible year - congrats!!
ReplyDelete