Dreaming of spring

I'm sitting at the airport waiting for my ride and guess what? Home is still grey, cold, and dreary.  I know, I know, before I can sneeze summer will be here and and it will be too hot and sunny.  Either way, I'm looking forward to spring, or at the very least a thawed arena.  Here are a couple pics from when fall color was da bomb.  Of course in one Prisoner has phenomenal knees and I look terrible and in the other we are a picture of mediocrity, the struggle is real.  You will be happy to know that last month during a moment of useable arena I jumped him and we had zero rushing, #winning.

Hey it's me, that girl

Yes indeed I am still around!  I've totally been lurking on blogs and instagram 0_o  Needless to say life has been crazy insane.

Yup, sums me up

I graduated!

Gotta love a school with a horse mascot

Diva was a pissy pissy mare this spring

Imagine her head and neck matching that tail

But we added regumate and some intense riding and things are getting better

BOOYAHH

My birthday came and went

Besties!

Mojito is literally breaking my heart

Happier times

The racehorses are doing amazing!

First race of opening night

My friends have been rocking it on their OTTBs

Helping out the sprinklerbandit

Watching Bacon and Alyssa

I leave in a few days to Canada for two weeks and Georgia for a week!

I'm planning on lots of catch up blogs while I'm off traveling and relaxing.

Resonance

Yes I will admit I'm making an organic chemistry reference here.  Resonance structures are the different forms that the same molecule can take.  The charges and bonds are constantly flipping all around the molecule never staying in one place for long.

I am blown away by the comments on my last post.  I really had no idea that so many of us have some version (or resonance) of the confidence story.  Well, maybe some part of me knew, but seeing it written down was eye opening.  The other common theme I noticed was that one special horse (often chestnut) that helped us all heal.  How blessed we all are for those special beasts to arrive when we most need them.

On another note, it is warming up into the 50's here and raining on top of the snow that hasn't melted.  While I want to complain I am instead saying, "yeah full reservoirs, yeah irrigation water, yeah lower hay prices!"

Is it a lake or a driveway?

Git er done

School is done for the semester, woot woot!  The show with the Halflingers went quite well, in fact I garnered the Open Training reserve champion ribbon!  They were super for their first show ever, the start of warm ups was just a bit exciting, but they quickly composed themselves and went to work.  Best of all, their owners were thrilled with the weekend.

Austin's very square halt

Down center line

Big trot for a little horse!

Star showing off his uphill canter

Start of the stretchy circle

I am going to enter a contest for Horse Illustrated to write a 1500 word horse short story that will be published in the magazine and would win an Amazon gift card. FUN!

There is an Event Derby this weekend, I'm not competing, but I'm going to try to make it out and watch the jumping this afternoon.  Gunnar has been jumping nicely at home, but he still unravels at shows, so we are thinking of trying a dressage show as he has pretty nice flat work as well.

From the event last August

Here are a couple pics from earlier this spring, he was being very bold and a total blast!

Ready for the Eq ring;)

Ready for x-country anyone?

Well that is my random post of the day, I really am trying to get back to regular writing.  Oh one more note: I am finally riding Aero again, pictures soon!

Coming up for air

Not much time as finals are next week and next weekend is the Idaho Dressage Festival (which I'm riding two horses at).  Whew, leaving the house by 5am and getting home around 9pm has not been conducive to getting this blog written on, sorry guys.  After finals are over I will have more time and plan to return to sharing about my escapades.  My husband is home, FINALLY!!!! It has been great great great!  I'm going to share some pics here as a time saving way to catch up with you.

We have been having some big rolling thunder storms, and the leaves are unfurling from the grape vines

Sadie (the back biter) and I go for a gallop

Star, one of two Halflingers I will take to the show

Idaho TB assoc award for 3yo filly of the year, Eugene was training her at golden gate.  Note: she just won here at Les Bois yesterday!

whispers *totally me*

Bridger is back from the cowboy, still rude, but willing to learn

Sprinklerbandits came over for a ride and Mojito and Suzie thought it would be a good time to race!

Ok that's all for now, but I promise more sooner than later.  Racing has started and we have already ran two seconds and won one!!!!

Face to the sun

Oh glorious glorious weather!  Mild mornings and warm afternoons make for a happy girl.  Things are going good down at the track, but I'm moving through chores so fast (and it is dark for so long) that I have yet to get any pictures.  I love the morning routine of grain, grooming, tacking, stalls and hay.  Thank goodness Alyssa has been coming down and helping or 'the ship would be underwater.'  I feel very productive having 7 horses totally done by 9am.

Diva is almost all shedded out, it is like she couldn't stand being 'wintery' for another day.  Fits her name.

Pat cat loves Diva

Being a princess is hard work

Reports are that Bridger has patience issues but a good brain, and Sadie likes to bite. Yup. My thoughts exactly.

In other news, Charlie is still cute!

"Curl your tail like this Pat cat"

Trying out McDreamy eyes

Sorry for the concise verb-age here, it is way past my early rising bedtime.

Deeper than I planned

Just a quickie today as I have a test later and several things to accomplish between now and then!  I'm excited to say that Bridger is off to the cowboy sometime this week as is little Sadie.  The colts are ready to head into the track and John and I will start training up here while we wait for Eugene's undetermined arrival home.  I am in love with the coming of spring, each day seems like small gift waiting to be unwrapped.  Even with the wind that keeps pummeling me in the face, I'm looking forward to things to come.  I took this picture getting hay on Sunday, I was struck by the beauty that those in the city don't get to see everyday.  Yes I know they get other beauty, but it isn't this sort.  The windmill, the wild Owyhees, the tractors, the sheds, yes even the muddy tracks, it pulls at my heartstrings.  This is the backbone of where we live, the people who work the land, raise the animals, get up early and go to bed late.

This is a land full of promise, even with all the strife and uproar in politics, the grass still grows.  Soon we will be seeing the green buds of leaves on the trees, and the crocus and hyacinth will push their way up out of the ground.  So, while the wind roars and the rain pours I will have a smile on my face.  The rumblings of a new season of growth and change make the soles of my boots tremble with excitement.