Dressage Day One

We survived! Who knew a little white fence and judge shack could be so terrifying!

Lots of firsts for Savvy today:

1. Box stall! Yes, Savvy, you need to go in it. No, Savvy, the pile of shavings in the middle will not eat you. Yes, the door needs to be closed, but no, it will not move like the dreaded trailer.

2. Warm up arena! Yes, Savvy, other horses will move around. No, they won't hurt you. No, you do not need to call dramatically to each horse that leaves. Yes, you have to move around too!

3. Dressage ring! Noooo, Savvy, don't spook at the judges' booth....(hand on forehead--just carry on). Yes, corners are for turning...crap not turning...omg we are an inch away from jumping out...(hand on forehead--did I just squeak out loud?--just carry on).



Loving the sand box!

Best part -- there is a day 2!!

Show Day!

We are off to our first dressage show this morning!

It is called "Give it a Go" with the first day receiving a 45-minute slot to ride the test and then get feed back and coaching on it. The second day is the show.

Savvy has been bathed...twice. White horses are a permanent struggle.

Truck and trailer packed.

Strawberry daiquiri packed (**in case of emergency-open bottle**).

Wish me luck!

No more ponies, no more ponies, okay just one more!

If someone had told me Thursday morning I would be owning one more horse, I would have laughed and laughed.

One, I have no money.

Two, the one and only next horse on this property would be a perfectly trained, quiet, medium-sized pony, has to be mare, safe for kids, not too old, not sick and affordable. Ha! Even typing it now, it sounds unrealistic.

So at 10:00 a.m. when I passed by an add for a broke, quiet, medium-sized pony, mare, 'suitable for inexperienced rider', 12 years old, alive and breathing on all four legs, and ... affordable. Ha! I immediately pulled hubby to the computer and said 'voila! Our children's ever-desired trusty steed!'

And he didn't say no. The crazy man FORGOT to say NO and further more, said how the funds could be found...I might have almost died on the spot! I couldn't feel my legs and my heart was beating wildly. I may have said I would message the seller and my hubby left for work.

Many hours later (many hours in a truck pulling a trailer with two intermittently fighting children on a road to the middle of nowhere*ohmygodkillme*) I arrived in a yard of said pony for sale.

She emerged from a box stall all fluffy mane and big sweet eyes. I could tell she was kind instantly. We went over a thousand questions and then the seller saddled her up and rode her in the round pen. A thousand more questions and then I got on and tried her out. Broke! Not back yard pony broke but nice riding horse broke.

Of course I bought her. I wanted to throw up and jump for joy at the same time.

All I had to do now was first survive the long drive back with really tired, extra grumpy, hungry children and pray hubby would remember NOT saying NO when I got home. Then, of course I got a flat tire. Okay, cosmic gods are going to make me earn this pony. Handled and back on the road. I even think I could have done it on my own if the good samaritan hadn't stopped and helped.

Please welcome the newest member of our little farm!  

Meyla, 12 years old, 13.1 hh, Icelandic Pony

I think hubby will be okay...eventually.



Heart Horses

Jen from Stories from the Saddle asks:

Do you currently have your "heart horse"? What makes a "heart horse" to you? If you don't own a horse, have you ever leased a "heart horse"?

I have been incredibly fortunate to have been blessed with the horses that have come into my life. Writing this has really highlighted that for me and it reiterates we may not get what we want at any given time, but we do seem to get what we need.

My first heart horse was a pony named Flicka. This sweet, forgiving pony was at the mercy of an unsupervised seven-year-old's imagination.












She was my race horse, my trick pony, my cross country adventure and my get-away partner in crime. I had over 100 acres of farm to explore and did so on my little super pony. Every little girl should have her Flicka.










 

I also was lucky enough to find Good And Cozy. We bought her as a just turning 4-year-old Thoroughbred. I challenged her to do all the things and she met the challenge (and I mean everything - English jumping and dressage, western pleasure, reining, trail, barrel racing, pole bending, etc.)  I loved Cozy so much, but I don't believe my teenage brain really appreciated the gem she was. Now as an adult and having experienced so many other horses in my life, I can now see just how lucky I was to have a horse like her.





 

Family.

Miss Tea is hands down THE heart horse. I know this is the result of owning her from a baby and going through so much personal struggles with myself and health issues with her. We know each other inside and out and she helped me through one of the toughest stretches of my life. I almost gave up on horses, and in choosing to work with her and complete her training, we made it to this incredible point together. We overcame our fears together and rely on each other in a way that nobody can understand. It is strange, when I look at her I don't even see a 'horse', more like a soul I know very well.




She always makes me smile! :)

And finally Savvy. She is the unexpected grasp on my hand and heart that I cannot shake off. I never liked Arabians. She is half arab. I have love of tall horses. She is 14.1. White? Really? How do you keep that clean? The moment she put her muzzle to my hand as I led her around when first meeting her, she had me. She has something special. She engages you, looks into you and wants to speak to you. She is the most "interested" horse I have ever come across. She wants to know/do/see/touch all the things!