A Successful Outing

This is my new favorite picture of E Z and me.

For several reasons:

1) Look how shiny!

2) Isn't his tail so cute, laying on the grass like that?

3) Our green accessories are creating a trend. Like the grass.

4) Speaking of grass, check out that sneaky nom.

5) Donovan's ears are so cute.  Love ear pictures.

6) This is one of my favorite spots on the farm.  Such a pretty view, but not all that EZily accessible.

Photo credit goes to Steve, who came with Cathleen and I on a ride yesterday.  Here they are:

Adorableness abounds.

We were all over the group shots.  Here's Cathleen and I:

The sky looks so fancy.

And once we got back home, Donovan traded Steve for Mamalyn, to try out the new Western saddle and also to get all the Indian Pond Farm women together for yet another group shot.

Adorable.  And Donovan is the only non-sneaky-nommer.

The other exciting thing about this ride, in addition to the great group shots, was the river crossing.
E Z and I have been working on puddles and other bodies of water for awhile now.  He doesn't love them.  And we always get through the puddles and by the end of the ride he is fine with them, but we often have to start over again the next day.

And to get to that pretty view point, we have to cross a stream.  A stream that was pretty high for quite some time, because of the beaver population.  But the beavers all mysteriously disappeared; let's assume they went to a better place.  And now the river is nice and low.  But E Z still was not a fan.  He wouldn't go near it.  I walked him in and really only succeeded in testing out my waterproof boots (legitimately waterproof!).  We worked on going to the edge and just standing.  Then taking a single step forward, then just standing.  Then turning around when I asked.  I thought this would be a very long project.






But, I underestimated the momentum of the group.  With Dutchboy and Donovan both willing river crossers, E Z needed only a little encouragement and followed right along.








I didn't get a shot of us actually in the river, so you'll just have to take this as evidence enough.

We did it!

All in all, a successful outing!

EZ Dollar Superstar

Just got back from the show.  Spent a literal 12 hours today with EZboy, which was pretty glorious.  He was super incredible, acted like he had done it all a million times.

I took only 2 photos the entire long day we spent together.  I was too much of a basket case.  But, here is his cute little professional looking head, chilling in the trailer like it ain't no thing.  (and he doesn't actually have two noses, his neighbor has a twinny bay thoroughbred nose)

And dad is a show dad from way back.  Cup of coffee in one hand, horse in the other.  We did a lot of this--the standing.  After I warmed up over the fences when we first got up to the ring Ronan and I both agreed that we were already satisfied.  EZ was just the bomb.  Went over everything, didn't bat an eye at anything, not even the snow sliding off the roof that was driving all the other horses nutty.

Seriously, we were amidst some chaos in the warm up ring, with horses refusing, people coming off, wheeling and shying at the snow sounds, and EZ was unperturbed.   I for sure lucked out.  I wasn't sure what to expect, having jumped him so rarely, and having never taken him to a show situation, but if there were any doubt I am now positive that I am in possession of a super star.

We did do our two little hunter classes, which is funny, just because neither of us are hunters, but luckily neither were most of our competitors and we got 3rd and 4th place, which means that EZ has some ribbons currently adorning his stall door.

A Retrospective

Mom found a photo album I had compiled during high school tucked away in one of her drawers.  Why she is hoarding my photo collections is a separate issue (but maybe not a difficult one--apron strings, anyone?) (love you, mom!). 

Anyway, all of the pictures I had taken the time to lovingly place in the album were of me and my various horses.  There were a bunch of me with my parents too, but they were sort of just tucked in haphazardly--priorities, you know (love you, parents!)?  Anyway, I convinced mom to scan some of them for me, because she's the bombdiggity.


















So here we are--at the beginning, Liz and I with our horses!  She is riding Rodeo Rosie, and I am on Sheena, the only other horse I can legitimately have called my own before Mr EZ.  We have ridden up to our grandparents' cabin by the lake, where probably Grammie is standing on the porch and maybe having a slight issue with camera aim.  There are many observations to be made:

1) Rosie's apaloosa markings were and continue to be way badass (no pun intended about the ass part).
2) We are wearing "Heels Down!" riding sneakers.  So cool.  And shorts, which I recall being uncomfortable in the long run.
2) My helmet, set at a jaunty angle, is missing its visor, I think because I used it also as a biking helmet.
3) Look how blond I was.
4) Sheena's noseband looks a tad high, no?

There are more, but I'll let you make them.

This is with Skeeter, the Arabian schoolmaster who taught me dressage.  Obviously a very good teacher--check out that ribbon!  That cute little bay there to the left was named Matilda and it was actually while riding her that I learned how to steer and my instructor thought maybe there was hope after all at becoming good at the whole riding thing and upgraded me to Skeeter.  His real name was MC Jabaskan, very fancy, from the fancy Bask Arabian line.  He also had a mad intense sway back--you can see some of his hardcore padding.  But he was an incredible horse and my long time partner.  I don't know what's up with my look here--apparently trying out some modeling glares.  Or the sun was in my face.  Blinding!

Here I continue my pretty awesome modeling skills while getting Skeeter ready for the show.  I was never all that good at the button braids.  I think I remember being very hot and stressed at this exact moment.  Mom is being very helpful, whispering soothing sweet nothings to both of us, by the looks of it.  See, I wasn't kidding about that swayback.  Once I was riding in a clinic with a bunch of other kids on their dinky horses and we were doing leg-yielding, and the clinician said something about having to take confirmation into account and basically she didn't think Skeeter would be able to do them very well, and I was like, Oh yeah?  and then we schooled them.  He was the best. 

After the braiding was done, here I am in my show clothes, apparently skeptical at whatever dad is saying.  Pretty sure that was a velcro stock tie.  And that's definitely a velvet cover for my plastic helmet.  And also definitely our maroon Volvo station wagon in the background.  (so many Vs!)

Another few years later and here I am on Patrick  (total Nev look alike!).  This is at the Northeast Junior and Young Riders' Dressage Championships, I think my third year going.  I was showing Patrick at Training Level and Skeeter at First.  I loved this dude.  I was awestruck by how huge and cool he was and got my instructor to let me ride him, and she said something like, "You did better than I thought you would with him," which was super encouraging.  Please observe that I have moved on to French braiding the mane, even though it is unfortunately a bit wavy.  Also observe Liz's toned leg muscle in the background.

He definitely wasn't the easiest to ride, but I loved that I felt like I made a statement on him.  We would not be ignored!  We had a shoulder issue though.  A few months after this show while struggling to control the bulge in a lesson I finally just halted him and threw my arms up in exasperation and said, I give up!  I can not do this anymore!  And my instructor patiently said, Well ok.  How about we finish the lesson though?

It was not during this test, but during a prix caprilli one in a similar arena that Patrick just exited the arena at the corner.  Seriously, the shoulder bulge just bulged right over the fence.  I hoped no one noticed, but yeah, we were disqualified from that one.

In the Winner's Circle!  Whatwhat!  Look at how much less loot I get at second place than the first place rider did.  Lame!  At least I still got a medal.  I think this is the same year that I rode both Skeeter and Patrick, and got second in both my categories (although maybe my helmet is different, so maybe it was a different year?  My memory is like swiss cheese).  Possibly the zenith of my riding career.

...although, later on I did go to the Arabian Championships and there were some pictures of those that I can post once they are scanned (no pressure, mom.  I swear)...

All in all though, you gotta admit, pretty cute, right?  And this is how I spent my summers.  Riding these little buggers, working at Cricket Hill Farm in order to do so, and trying my damndest to rack up as many of those ribbons as possible.  Except for the ribbon part, some things never change.

I haven't ridden for years

Ok, three days.  But it seems like years.  Very negligent parent.  Thursday was a surprise free day from school, which I thought would mean hours of horsey love, but the weather apparently was not a fan of that plan and poured down cold rain all day and night.  Ditto for yesterday, as well as dropping off cars and sleeping in dorm apartments (all very complicated).  Today was only a half day, nice and sunny, but I subbed for a JV Field Hockey coach whose bus left at 12:30 and didn't get back until 7pm.  Don't these people realize I have a horse to ride?!  When will I ever ride again?? Ok, tomorrow, you're right.  Keep your fingers crossed that the rain gods cooperate...

On Wednesday mom, Cathleen and I had our first group ride on our horses.  It was glorious.  And I've lost my camera, which means no photographic evidence and very boring posts.  I apologize.  But all horses and people were good, Donovan is a fattie, but a cute one.  Mom is a nervous Nellie, but a cute one.

 This isn't us on Wednesday.  That is definitely not EZ.  Nor is it summer time.  But it does represent a mother daughter ride, with Kristy the teaching whiz at Mole's Hill Farm.

But this is from Wednesday! Nope, psych.  Still not summer.  But it's Mama, on her Donovan!  He wasn't such a fattie at this point, but we still loved him.

And here's EZ, just to represent.  This is his "stop-trying-to-get-me-to-look-at-you face."  Also known as the "why-are-you-making-those-weird-noises" face.  He gives me this a lot.