Like a boss

So this isn't going to be long, but I had to share a few pics.  This first one is of Aero and I doing a kick a$$ trot!  I can't stop looking at this picture and thinking that I trained this horse to do this (with a few sporadic lessons a year and half ago).

Bam!

Love this guy!

Bridger is still great, but he was a bit sore today.  I think his feet are bothering him, he is barefoot and while I don't think he needs shoes at this point I think he is due for a trim.  Mr. husband is going to take a look and do a little work as our farrier is going out of town tomorrow for 10 days.

Loving him

If a horse can master a loud clanging irrigation pipe as a rail they will never be scared of a showjump!

Oh and my friend from fourmaresnomoney rode Aero the other day and they both did great.  It was her first time in a dressage saddle, I do not jest.

On a somewhat depressing note: the forecast call for 109 degrees on Tuesday, oh the horror!

Trucking along

With Bridger, Aero, and the other half of my liebster response (see first half here)!  Bridger is still doing great, sorry but I'm not sorry about my gushing about him.  I hope the joy I feel while on his ever sensible back never subsides.  Eugene came and watched yesterday and he was as blown away as me.  To give you some perspective: Eugene starts 2 year old thoroughbreds, and daily deals with every age race horse hopped up on grain and fitness...and he thought Bridger was ridiculous, gah!  Now he goes like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75vdNmxs-pA

Such a cutie!

So now it is time for him to put on grown up pants and start going more forward and accepting the bit.  I know I'm a bit all over the place in the video...gotta love wiggly green horse riding.

Aero is nothing short of incredible.  His 'tude is still rearing its ugly head here and there, but over all progress is being made.  You. Should. See. His. Lengthening!  Drool worthy, I'm hoping to have video or pictures soon.

Ok on to the questions asked by Kat at The Sixth Stride (Thank you for the support, so nice to know that people are reading...and enjoying)!
1. Why did you start blogging and who in real life knows?
I wanted to try a new venue for writing, I hope to one day publish a novel and while these posts are based in reality, at some point I hope to share my creative writing and see what response I get.  Several friends know as do my mom and husband (granted I'm not sure he knows what a blog is;)
2. Black or brown tack?
Truly can't decide, apologies.  I have about a 50/50 mix and love it all!
3. Favorite comfort food?
Does coffee count?  I love to hold a warm, strong cup o' joe and sip away.  Probably cheesy pasta, yum!
4. Favorite color?
Pink, nearly any shade.
5. If you could ride any horse living or not who would it be?
Hideaway's Erin Go Bragh.  I love Connemaras!
6. What other pets do you own?
A dog (Charlie) and two cats (Lester and Chloe)
7. What is your hidden 'talent'?
I'm struggling here, not sure that I have any talents that are hidden..hmmm.  Got it!  I rather enjoy public speaking, in fact I was on the debate team in high school and went to state speech.
8. You win the lottery, what would you buy first?
After all the normal bills, etc., I would buy a horse trailer and put a goose-neck hitch in my truck.
9. You can travel anywhere, for any time, with endless money, where is it?
Ireland, where else?
10. You're intimidated by?
Girls that have that 'it' factor and look all put together all the time...I'm talking about the ones that seem more put together than I even seemed at my wedding, I don't get it.
11. Favorite movie?
Horse: Man from Snowy River  Non-horse: Pride and Prejudice

Ok now for my questions to you:
1. Favorite book? Come on guys I need some more summer reading!
2. Last book you read?
3. Best horsey memory?
4. How do you do 'me time?'
5. Favorite horse breed?
6. Has any of your writing ever been published?
7. Favorite music, all time and currently?
8. Dream location for living?
9. Coffee, tea, or...?
10. Favorite piece of tack, or brand of shoes if non-horsey
11. Three main components of the perfect life of your dreams?

My nominations:
http://mollymakesdo.blogspot.com/
http://www.thecaliforniacollegestudent.com/
http://www.cobjockey.com/
http://serenityorsavvy.blogspot.com/
http://iamthesprinklerbandit.blogspot.com/
http://theliteraryhorse.wordpress.com/
http://fourmaresnomoney.blogspot.com/
http://reveilleandrinsie.blogspot.com/
http://comediceventing.blogspot.com/
http://charlieandmeeventing.blogspot.com/
http://golightlysporthorses.blogspot.com/

Seriously too many to choose from, love them all!

half done

Wow, big thanks to Rinsie for the Liebster award!  Her blog is a fun compilation of day to day happenings in the life of a lady working and riding.  One of my favorite parts?  Her mount, Apollo, is an adorable gelding I restarted off the track back in 2008, they could not be more perfect for each other!  So now I guess it is my turn to spread some blog love!

How to accept the award: The Liebster award is a way to recognize blogs that have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word that means: Beloved and valued.  Here are the rules to accept the award:
1. Thank the person that nominated you and share a link back to their blog.
2. List 11 random facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions given to you.
4. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate.
5. Nominate 11 bloggers with 200 or less followers and include links to their blog.
6. Notify each nominated blogger.


11 random facts about me:

1. Yes, I have red hair, but even more shocking: when I was born I had a whopping 4 inches of it covering my head!
2. Before I could even walk or talk I would scream if a cowboy rode past me with out giving me a ride on his horse (we lived on a 50,000 acre ranch in the Texas panhandle).
3. I really learned to ride at age 10 on an Arabian stallion in northern Idaho while doing endurance.
4. When I get the hiccups they last off and on for three days.
5. If a lucrative future career wasn't a worry I would ditch my Bio degree and get something in the realm of literature and creative writing.
6. Even though I ride race horses, problem horses, and green horses I still struggle with confidence.  It is a daily decision to be brave, some days are easier than others.
7. I am a voracious reader...to the point that at times it can be a bad habit.  Just one more chapter;)
8. My art teacher in high school sent a letter home to my parents saying  that I should think about going to art school...again, I want a job that pays for my horse endeavors.
9. I like to sing in my car; at high volumes.
10. Even though it was about 8 years ago, one of my favorite horses in every way was a chestnut mare named Reveille.  I haven't ridden her in ages, but I can still feel the rise and fall of her gait, hear her nicker, and see the depths of her eyes, she was one of those 'special ones.'
11. I'm getting ready to donate my hair to locks of love for the second time.

Questions from Nanakorobi Yaoki:
1. What is your favorite thing about your horse?
Mojito has the most distinctive whinny, kind of like sing-song laughter
2. When things don't go well during a ride what do you to handle it and move on?
I typically go back to the complete basics. Walk/halt, Trot/walk, maybe a cross rail, it depends on the horse as to what 'basic' is.  The biggest thing is that after a success at something simple that I recognize it and throw the horse a party (hugs, pets, verbal praise), usually I find that 'issues' arise from some lack of confidence in the horse, so I try to build it up.
3. What do you do to treat or pamper yourself?
What a new saddle pad doesn't count?  Taking a few minutes with a lovely cup of coffee and a good book is pretty great!
4. What's your favorite childhood memory:
Just one?  Well there are lots of favorites, but here goes with one.  I was about 11 years old and riding Pepper, an arabian stallion.  I was with Brent (the horses owner, and a mentor) and Carrie (a friend just a bit older than me) and we went on a long training ride (about 13 miles).  We rode on Moscow mountain and came to a new (to me) place called inspiration point and you could see for miles upon miles upon miles in every direction around the north Idaho palouse.  I could have looked forever, it was a place look upon while writting a novel, while making artwork, while writing music, a place where your worries suddenly seem so very small and insignificant.  It is 14 years later and my heart still swells with the memory.
5. What is your general barn routine?
At which barn?  We will go with the race track.  Arrive at 6 and feed grain.  Start getting horses to the track by about 6:20 and finish by 8 or 9.  Muck stalls while the horses are training. Feed hay.  Water.  Rake the shedrow and walker ring.
6. Ideal number of horses, and what would they do?
I have four of my own, I would like one less.  They would all get ridden regularly and in my dream world two would event and one would do upper level dressage.
7. Favorite meal?
An incredible garlic crusted steak, medium rare.
8. What is your mindset like during a typical ride?
As Nick HolmsSmith once said, "you get on your horse and stop and think, who am I on?"  This may sound crazy simple, but for the number of horses that I ride is it great advice.  I like to think about what we have been doing and what we need to do while I warm up.  Other times I am thinking out the next story I want to write, and sometimes I tell the horse about my day, and still other times I sing while going 'round and 'round.
9. Favorite tack brand, why?
Too many to choose from, but I am still a Stubben lover.  They may be a bit old school, but their quality is unsurpassed.  If you take the time to break in their leather well it turns to butter and never breaks down.
10. Favorite breeches, why?
My Tailored Sportsman trophy hunters look great and are freakin' work horses.  I can ride all day, buck a ton of hay, give baths, go to dinner, and after almost 4 years they still have their stretch and no stains!
11. Tell me about your first riding experience?
Well I already mentioned the very first times, but I don't actually remember them.  The first one I really remember is moving some friends mules from the middle of town out to a summer pasture with my dad.  Yes we rode them, I had to be about 4 at the time.  I was a little nervous, but it was awesome.  I recently found this picture documenting it, yes, those are green and pink high top converse on my feet:)

I have another set of questions to answer and I need to nominate and come up with my own questions...no worries I will soon.

Feeling the love

Wow, I've been nominated twice for the Liebster award.  It is nice to think that people are reading my blog and enjoying it.  I am working on my responses to the questions and will publish it soon!  We had the most insane wind and then rain the last two days, but today is utterly glorious.

Bam!

Sometimes you gotta love living in Idaho:)

Couple of Grey Guys

Hey, I think I'm finally getting back into the swing of blogging it up again, now for attempting smaller portion sizes (hah, yeah right).  So I just had another great ride on Bridger, it is giddy stuff to go from not liking his brain even one bit to really really enjoying rides on him.  He has this new chill attitude that allows for meanders around the field and loose rein trotting, suddenly instead of seeming hollow behind the eyes he feels like a kick ass 4 year old.

Whodathunkit?

Aero is also doing great!  His trot lengthenings are exquisite and he is light and balanced, I wish every horse could do dressage in this manner.  I work towards lightness on every horse I ride, but some are just heavier than others.  Aero is the type of horse on which I can think commands; mind, seat, leg, then hands with him.  Alyssa got some pictures a couple weeks ago, I love the candids!  I always joke that Aero pretends I'm not married, he acts like such a stud and is very possessive over me.  One time I was riding a rather rank horse (and by that I mean: rearing/bolting/bucking for every upward or downward transition) in the arena next to Aero's pen and Aero was rearing and spinning and whinnying/screaming, when the ride had calmed down he went back to his hay.
*the rank horse I was riding eventually got reliable enough for his amateur owner to ride:)

I just discovered
Pixlr express (for photo edits), love!

Those ears

Trit trot

True love

So handsome

If only I liked chicken dinner

We won we won! A race on Sunday and another on Wednesday.  Saro's Secret won up in Union, Oregon (BTW seriously the cutest town).  Union was a tiny town where half the roads were still gravel, the downtown was all brick complete with a soda fountain shop, and the houses were all gingerbread style, I loved it.

Race track and Rodeo grounds combo

The Union races ran at the same time as a rodeo, so yes horses would be warming up (getting ponied) next to an arena with broncs, bulls, and barrel racers!

Wednesday Tudor Blue won here in Boise, it was a very tense photo finish.  He is such a handsome horse,  with a big yet attractive head and a body to match.

Here he is reading the program with Eugene.

Life is chugging along...and I have finally set into motion the process of getting a job at the hospital so that I can eventually get into PA school!

House sat up at my favorite place again, I just love the peace and quiet out there.

No words

Bridger was respectable...what???!!!!

So when Bridger got back from the cowboy he was not bad, but he was still frustratingly dense.  Then he caught a cold, then I brought him home turned him out and said, 'grow up!'  So on Tuesday I pulled him out, tacked him up and got on.  I was flabbergasted, this was the horse I expected after time with Mr. Cowboy.  We walked, we trotted, the reins had a loop in them, we cruised around the field.  Suzie the pony was being no help, screaming, running, and generally carrying on, did Bridger care? Nope!  I am so happy, I think he heeded my words and thought about life a bit.

I even took a picture on his back