My 2014 Resolutions....arg.

Arg. Everyone makes them but almost no one actually keeps up with them. I did uphold some of mine for 2013 though!

I bought another horse--my very first OTTB of my own:

I also DID lose weight. It's EVERYONE'S resolution. Gym owners are anxiously awaiting the mass influx of people signing up for memberships. I was not one of those people. I lost weight by this baby horse kicking my sorry behind all around the arena and on trails. I still live on a diet of garbage.

Since I was successful with keeping those two resolutions, I have more for 2014!

My BIG one--successfully compete in a recognized BN event. I'd like to compete at Plantation ideally but may go to other places like Rolling Rock or Bucks County. I'll be doing 1-2 unrecognized elementary trials beforehand. I'd like to fit in an unrecognized BN as well, but my budget is tight so we'll have to see how things go. I have to get my red-headed goofus cantering properly as well. He was doing so well, then his vacation struck and he's turned back into a beasty.

You want me to jump.....THAT????

I'd also like to find my inspiration to shoot again. I used to love shooting, but in the last year it went down the toilet. I want to be doing this again.

All photo shot by me in 2012

My other horsey goal for the year is just to make Apollo an all-around better horse. To prove the naysayers wrong, to show all the people who think or say I'm stupid for doing what I'm doing that it's NOT stupid, that switching disciplines is not a waste of time because I think it makes you BETTER. 

My last goal is to not let things bother me. I take everything personally. I'm not going to fret about it anymore. If someone does not make the effort to reply to a message or make communication in some form, I am not to blame. It is not my fault, and there is nothing wrong with me. They are not worth my time. 

Wishing all of you a very happy 2014, may you all meet your own personal goals and make many new friends along the way!

Apollo and his new feline friend on New Years Eve 2014

Merry Christmas + Product Reviews

Merry Christmas! We've spent our day opening gifts, lounging, eating and watching movies. My dog Millie had her first Christmas (she's almost three but was pulled from a kill shelter, so I doubt whoever had her before cared enough to get her gifts.) She was VERY excited to have things to open. Even my cat was happy with his new toys.

I got some horse goodies, and because they're sized and a lot of people fret about ordering the correct size, I have photos and reviews of a few things I got!

Product #1 is the Rambo Competition Quarter Sheet. It comes in four colors--classic Newmarket, charcoal, blue, chocolate (all are striped.) Apollo got the chocolate one. He got a size large. He's 16.1hh and is a good length, but he's narrowly built. It fits him PERFECTLY! The fleece is high quality and thick--it was maybe 20 degrees today and we went on a trail ride. He stayed nice and toasty! We tried it on my mom's OTTB, who is both taller and much heavier built. It didn't fit him so well, so if you have a thicker built/overall BIG horse, go for the XL.

Apollo also got a Rambo Fleece cooler! It comes in the same color options as the quarter sheet. His cooler is blue. Same material and quality--FANTASTIC! He normally wears a 75 in blankets, but my mom got me a 78 in case I put it on over his saddle. It fits perfectly even without the saddle on, which is weird. If you order this, I'd go up one size.

He had plenty of chest room but wasn't swimming in material. I'd definitely give both products a thumbs up! Also thanks to my mom for modeling baby horse.

I also got a Mountain Horse Windsor Riding coat. I got it in navy and it's a large. I'm 5'2" and 120 lbs, but it's a REALLY warm coat, and you want to be able to layer during the winter months. I fit three extra layers under this coat with ease. Hardware is nice, pockets are nice, my neck stayed toasty warm. It's elastic cinched at the waist, which REALLY helps keep the heat in. It also has a double zipper and a butt flap so you can ride without it bunching or scratching your saddle. It has zipper pockets and a spacious hood. DEFINITELY worth the $$!! Unfortunately I don't have photos.

My last product review is SmartPak's Piper full seat breeches. I got the blue ones with brown seat and stitching. THEY ARE AMAZING!!! Perfect fit, stretchy without losing their shape, soft but won't wear through. They're mid-low rise with a regular zipper and two hook closures. The ankles are elastic, and you have front AND back pockets. I LOVE THESE BREECHES!!!!!!!!!! I will definitely be buying these from now on!

My big surprise gift of the day was my very own big yellow watch. I'm only doing starter/BN this spring and summer, but I want to learn to use it before I need to compete with it. It's also good for timing how long I do exercises with Apollo.

We went on a nice trail ride today. He was really well behaved, especially considering he hasn't gone on a trail ride since October. We cantered up a nice sized hill, very relaxed just floating the rein to him. I just sat up and practiced my "rubber elbows" (helpful tip from Jane Savoie's book Dressage 101) while also trying my best to keep a straight line from shoulder-hip-heel.

I hope everyone is having a very Merry Christmas and will have a wonderful New Year!

Our first ride in two months

What an interesting ride it was.

Apollo had been laid up with an injury for a month, and then went an additional month without any work due to weather. The indoor where I board is still being built, but it's been so cold here that I wouldn't have wanted to ride anyway. A little vacation is good for a horse, so I'm fine with him having two months off. The ring thawed out over the last few days, so we had our first ride today. He came out  of the barn quite uppity and distracted ("OTHER HORSES LIVE HERE???") He started out very fresh and quick-footed, so we just trotted circles and walked serpentines. He was so unbalanced and all over the place because he isn't muscled up. He started to settle and think about what we were doing, but his buffoon of an owner decided "hey, cantering sounds like a good idea!"

It was not a good idea.

He was heavy, pully, leaning and fast. At this point my thighs were visibly shaking because I'm so out of shape, and it's taking everything I can to ride him successfully. It also doesn't help that because of the weather (cold and frozen or muddy and wet) that he hasn't gotten good run around play time in the pasture because the footing just won't allow for it, so he has pent up energy, no muscle and no balance. Why I thought cantering was smart is beyond me. It's my own fault he got so quick and pully, although we did do a nice canter at the end halfway around a circle. I decided that was a good place to call it quits with cantering. We did a very nice trot to end the ride--he was soft and lowered his head. His whole body relaxed and it felt like a good time to end.

Getting quick and rushing has been our major flaw--I have bad habits. I perch like an eq. princess, which to a fresh ex-racer says GIDDYUP! I also tend to lift my hands too high and jam my heels down instead of keeping them level and soft. I've been working very hard at breaking these habits, and it's really helping HIM improve when I improve. Our next ride will be strictly trotting, and I think we'll be doing just w/t for at least a month until he's able to canter comfortably and safely. We've also been on the search for his "perfect bit." He hates single jointed bits. He also hates loose ring bits. He hates bits that are too thin and bits that are too fat. He isn't fond of eggbutts. What DOES this horse like? He's *okay* in my Myler comfort snaffle, but it didn't ever have the "ah-ha!" effect. We're borrowing a french link full cheek right now, and that seems to be working REALLY well for him. It's the first bit he's reached down to grab into his mouth for bridling, and he seems to really like the stability of the full cheek with the softness of the double jointed mouthpiece. I'm giving it a few more weeks to make sure before ordering myself two of them (one for each bridle.)

Despite all of my less-than-perfect riding and all the mistakes I've made, this horse has NEVER offered to buck, spin, kick out, rear or even pin his ears at me. He gets frazzled and worried, but his feet stay on the ground and his personality remains upbeat. He's such a trooper, and I'm so happy to have him as my eventing partner.