Babies!

The four legged variety.  Most years we have one or two beautiful Thoroughbred babies.  It is so fun to watch them grow and then train and race them, and then finally get them all set up for a second career.  This year we have a chestnut filly (Mckenna Warrior) and a bay colt (Baby Blakers).  Mckenna is out of a plain bay mare who has produced two plain bay colts and a plain bay stallion.  She looks like this:

One month old

 Swoon!  So here are a bunch pictures of this year's babies.

Baby Blakers already being sassy

About a week old here, born the end of March

The day Mckenna was born, mid April

Fluffy baby

Laughing our way through July

Getting rid of that baby coat

Typical siblings

The whole herd in September

Cover of Bloodhorse anyone?

Can I haves her?

She is giant!

Blakers just wants cookies

Big babies (the hubs is 6')

Pretending to be a Quarter Horse

Snuggle time

Winter coat is THICK!

Apparently her new favorite pose

Nap time for Blakers

So there you have it, babies babies babies!  I have more pictures I need to find and organize.  Seriously though we are going to have to figure out some sort of epic battle to decide who gets Mckenna when she is done racing, because hello gorgeous!

Autumn Sunsets

All a y'all know I'm obsessed with sunsets (and sunrises).  Most of all sunsets in the fall.  Over at the 100 acres sunsets reign supreme.

Be still my heart

I'm not usually at the barn where Prisoner lives at dusk, but last week we had a girls night photoshoot.  It was loads of fun and even involved the unsafe practice of riding bareback sans helmet...#gottalivealittle.

Rolly poly pony boy

He was actually pretty comfy for a thoroughbred.  In fact I think that some bareback rides with a helmet are in order for some real OTTB shenanigans.

He was ready to be done at this point

Ellie Cook was photographer (Alyssa also took some) and edited the heck out of them.  Like we were pretty much out of light and she made them downright glow, kudos!

The darkest of them and still awesome

At one point P-diddy was all, 'what is this nonsense?' and started rapidly backing up, Alyssa jumped in and led him around for a second.  He totally chilled out, racehorses are very comfortable being led around while ridden as it happens everyday at the track.

One of my favorites

As long as we walked around he was fine, standing still was the real challenge.  I was so impressed with him though, as we were in a totally new part of the property for him.  Not one spook, thank you track style desensitization.

Dreaming of the future

The gnats were also out in full force so the usual standing next to him and snuggling was out as he kept getting me with his slinging head.

Awkward pose is awkward

Seriously he could not keep still.

Who is crazier?  (all those white specks are bugs)

I do love me some hunky OTTB body though.

Um hello event horse

Lets just say he really feels like mine now that we have awesome 'a girl and her horse' photos.  He is even starting to shed some of his shell and enjoy loves.  The last two days when I've ridden him there has been a certain friendship vibe.  That silent communication while I tack him up, the same page during the ride, lingering when I turn him out.  His sheer talent has been thrilling, but the relationship is starting to materialize.

My other favorite

My blaze face dapple bay boy with the moostache.  Those things that have been the mist of dreams are starting to condense and become visible.  It almost scares me, the passion I feel.  I've had dreams with other horses and they crumbled, I am dredging up the courage to keep looking towards the future.  In a life that is often difficult (by first world standards) this horse is a beacon illuminating the steps I take.

SFTS: Why do I do what I do?

Jenn over at STFS has a great blog hop going, so I thought I would join in.

Her question is why do you participate in your particular riding discipline?

Whew, this could be a long response.  I call myself an eventer, but I also compete at dressage shows.  In fact, I'm sure I've ridden at more dressage shows than events.  I've dabbled in hunters and jumpers, and while I enjoy them, they are not my passion.  I used to do endurance and could do it again (that's the thing about phobias they don't make sense, I'm scared of trail rides, but love endurance on arabs). Oh yeah I do racetrack stuff too.

Breaking up text with random P-diddy photos from the other day

To be honest I'm good at dressage, I enjoy it, I understand it, I can pass that understanding to the horse.  When I was younger (early to mid teens) I was desperate to jump, but dealing with fear which I finally learned to control.  In the interim my trainer was desperate for me to go to young riders for Dressage.  Thing is that takes a lot of money and I certainly didn't have access to a horse that could be good enough.  God bless that trainer, aka Dad number 2.  He didn't bring up young riders again once he knew there really wasn't a way, instead he had me riding practically every horse in the barn at least once.  I would warm up and cool down his fancy client horses, I groomed, I did farm chores, I learned.  He made me the most well rounded horse person he could, he taught me to give shots, drive a trailer, drive a tractor, make jump courses and xc courses, run sprinklers, fix stuff.

Yep I know how to do this

  It was incredible.  The whole time I was riding dressage on every type of horse though, the jumps were calling.  The feeling of a gallop across a field was calling.  I had a new horse named Genevieve, we were training her and I was feeling confident so we started jumping.  At the same time an acquaintance (who became an incredible friend) had me start helping her get her horses fit after winter.  Those horses were Rev (heart horse) and Venture (horse I took Prelim a little over two years later).

Prelim drop into water

Backing up a step here, I had been making plans to be a working student (on the east coast) sometime after highschool, I kept telling myself that I would remake myself then, I would jump then, I was too embarrassed for the people who knew me to watch my hopeful transformation at home.  But the best laid plans.

Really cool shot by mom!

 Those three horses taught me to love the jumps and the cross country.  I had lusted after it, but I finally learned how to make it a strong and lasting love.  I gained skills and confidence.  Before I knew it I was traveling around to events and doing well, all from home.  I had transformed my horse riding identity right in front of the people I knew best, and the best part for me to realize was that they were all rooting me on the whole time.  By the time I did go back east and do the working student thing I was ready.

Another by mom, gah I love this horse

I warned you that might get long.

I guess what I do or who I am is the eventing girl that does dressage and rides mostly green or problem horses.  What a title.  What I'm looking forward to now is getting Prisoner and Diva going enough that I can go Prelim again.  And then I want to go Intermediate.  Then Advanced.  Call me crazy but my mid-twenties self still dreams of the olympics/WEG.  I know the chance is slim to none, but it is a great carrot to dangle out there and keep me motivated.

P-diddy working his booty. pc: mom

That was all the back story on why I do what I do.  The real reason, the visceral reason, the reason I keep coming back?  For the feel when it all goes right.  The hair blowing, toe curling, stomach churning, spine tingling, face splitting smiling, eyes watering, joy inspiring feeling that happens when you roll around the course.

Thankful after Prelim XC