Healthy as a Horse....ha!

I feel so sorry for Coaster! He is suffering from an upper respiratory infection...he is coughing and farting (yes, at the same time like an old woman) anytime he does anything more stimulating than walking to the stall. I've started him on antibiotics...I guess this is what I get for living in a place that has horrible weather changes!!! At least we caught it before it got too bad - if the Tuciprim doesn't knock it out in a week then we may have to go get some shots...ugh, guess I won't be going to that event in May... I just don't feel like I should push his recovery and I definitely don't want to go to another event until I am 110% ready and confident - one tree in a lifetime is enough thank you very much! Hope everyone else's Spring season has started a little better than ours!!!

Good Better Best, Never Rest, Make Your Good Better and Your Better Best

Have you ever felt that you are constantly trying so hard but yet always pull up just short of the target? This is the story of my life it seems. I have to keep on trying though, because let me tell you, nothing is worse than watching your friends stop trying. It truly breaks my heart to watch them not even try, to just give up. It just really sucks when I would have given up just about anything (though it wouldn't have been the right thing) just to watch your friends throw it away without even trying. Ugh! I wish there was something I could do to help them. I guess all I can do is just be there for them.

Survey - *stole from Beckz* =)

1. How old were you when you first started riding?
I got 3 months worth of riding lessons for my 9th birthday

2. First horse ridden:
an old grey QH named Spunky

3. First horse trotted on:
Spunky

4. First horse cantered on:
Spunky

5. First Horse fallen off of:
(also my first jump!) Marylegs

6. Most recent horse fallen off of
LoL - Coaster (the tree incident)

7. Most terrifying fall:
Either the tree incident (only b/c of my injuries) or when Coaster and I rolled down the hill - all of the falls off of Onyx were high speed and I had adrenaline pumping too fast to get scared

8. First horse jumped with:
Marylegs

9. First horse who ran away with you:
XS - a cute little paint pony

10. First horse that scared the crap out of you:
either Zach the Arab or XS the pony

11. First horse shown :!)
Zach in walk/trot - we got Reserve!

12. First horse to win a class with:
either Spunky or Jouster

13. Do you/have you taken lessons:
Started taking lessons and continued at least once a week until I came to school - now it's just when I have time and can afford it!!!

14. First horse you ever rode bareback:
probably Spunky

15. First horse trail ridden with:
Spunky

16. Current Barn name:
@ Equestrian Bridges

17. Do you ride English or western?:
English

18. First Horse to place at a show with:
Didn't I answer this question??

19. Ever been to horse camp?:
not really except the little day camps at the barn - though I rode a couple times while I was at Girl Scout camp

20. Ever been to a riding clinic?
yup, a ton

21. Ridden sidesaddle?
not on an actual side saddle -- i tried trotting Onyx while sitting sideways on my saddle though

22. First horse leased:
n/a

23. Last Horse Leased:
n/a

24. Highest ribbon in a show:
Champion/1st

25. Ever been to an 'A' rated show?:
I've competed in a B rated show and I've gone to watch an A rated show, but I primarily do Eventing

26. Ever competed in pony games/relay races?:
just at little Pony Club playdays - I always had horses

27. Ever fallen off at a show
oh yes

28. Do you ride Hunter/Jumpers?:
nope though I'll hit up the local HJ circuit sometimes when I'm bored

29. Have you ever barrel raced?
LOL!!! Once, on my TB in my English saddle

30. Ever done pole bending?:
I think I might have done it once on this rodeo I went to w/ a friend on her QH -- we also did Barrel Pickup

31. Favorite gait:
Canter

32. Ever cantered bareback?:
yup -- though I prefer a less Thoroughbredy horse if I'm going to ride bareback

33. Have you ever done dressage?:
Yes - LoL, if you can call it that!!!

34. Have you ever evented?:
Hell Yeah!

35. Have you ever mucked a stall?:
Oh yeah

36. Ever been bucked off?:
oh yeah

37. Ever been on a horse that reared
yup

38. Horses or ponies.
Horses

39. Do you wear a helmet?:
Usually - always when I'm jumping or on a young/strange horse

40. What's the highest you've jumped:
I dunno -- over 4' though

41. Have you ever ridden at night?:
Yup

42. Do you watch horsey television shows?:
If I can find them

43. Have you ever been seriously hurt/injured from a fall?:
obviously not too seriously b/c a.) I'm still alive, b.) i'm still walking and riding

44. Most falls in one lesson:
2 times - it was ridiculous

45. Do you ride in an arena/ring?:
sometimes

46. Have you ever been trampled by a horse?:
yes

47. Have you ever been bitten?:
yes

48. Ever had your foot stepped on by a horse?:
too many times to even think about counting

49: Favorite riding moment:
Getting Onyx around Holly Hill in Spring of 2004 double clear or Nationals 2002 when I beat out all the rich little East Coast girls

50. Most fun horse you've ridden:
Onyx or Spyder....Roosevelt was really cool too (he was an upper level Dressage Schoolmaster - I really learned a lot the short time I got to ride him)

Heartache ---> Home

Whenever I start to hit rock bottom I always go home. Maybe it is the girl in me, I'm not sure, but I truly am a homebody in the sense that nothing makes heartache go away better than my horse and my family.

For the last couple of months I had lost that feeling of home with my horse. Don't get me wrong, I never stopped enjoying horses, teaching lessons and talking shop. That connection had just slipped. Now it is well on the way to being reconciled - starting with all the groundwork (thanks Pat Parelli!) that we've been doing.

Also in the past couple of months I've reconciled another connection: me with my spiritual beliefs. Now I'm not going to go all Bible-thumpin on y'all, I promise, but I've really been thinking about why I believe what I believe. Now I blame my being raised Lutheran on my need to know "why" and "what does it mean." (Have you ever read any of our doctrines, they are full of "What Does This Means" for every single Prayer, Creed, etc.) But it is because of these "What does this mean" statements that I know what I believe. I believe Communion is a sacred thing. I don't believe anyone who is visiting a Church (in other words doesn't know/believe that particular Church's beliefs regarding the Lord's Supper) should not take Communion. It is a testimant to your faith and your own personal belief. Now I'm not one to judge - I believe that everyone believes in what they believe (if that makes sense) and that they have their own personal feelings/reasonings for believe that - so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE don't get offended or start arguing beliefs/faiths with me - this is simply me writing out what has been churning around in my head for a couple months now...Lutherans believe that there is a Spiritual combination of the bread and Christ's Body and then the wine and Christ's Blood. It is one of the Sacraments of the Church - it is a very spiritual thing and I personally cannot take Communion without it being first blessed by the Pastor and then personally handed to you with the traditional litany of sorts taking place. As I said, it is very personal and Spiritual for me.
Last week was the first time I've taken Communion since my sister died in September of 2003. For the first year and a half after her death I was so angry at God that I was not ready to have the closeness of Communion with Him. After that I think I was scared and embarrassed to come back to the Church. I wasn't sure where it fit into my life and honestly I didn't really care that much for it. But probably in the past 6 months or so I've started mulling over what I believe and why I believe it. It also wasn't until recently that I realized I was much stronger in my beliefs than I thought I was and I'm not nearly as willing to give them up as I feared I would be.

So, I guess the silver lining of what I like to call "The Valentine's Day (Heart) Massacre" (yes, I'm a little on the melodramatic side, but this isn't a new thing) is that it has caused me to come home, physically and spiritually. For as good as it felt to throw a leg over my horse, it felt at least 8 times as good to go Home in my faith.

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous hand." Isaiah 41:10

Dressage Horse What?!

Yesterday was the first time I've really ridden Coaster in a really long time. (Note: When I say "really ride" I mean not just trail riding or poking around, but actually training) He was GREAT! I don't know if it is the Parelli stuff we've been doing, my "new" mindset, the time off or if he was just in a good mood. Whatever, I'll take it! All of a sudden my horse was NOT fighting me, he WAS in front of my leg, and was ACTUALLY listening to me! Of course I'm sure Coaster was sitting there thinking "Geeze, finally she did NOT pull on my face, she STOPPED nagging me and she did NOT make me trot/canter around in mindless circles!" Like I said, though whatever the cause of this newfound mindset (of both of us!) I'll take it. I'm having fun with the groundwork associated with Parelli, it obviously isn't hurting anything and it obviously works for other people.

Good Enough For The O'Connors = Good Enough For Me!

The past two weeks I've started taking Parelli lessons with the manager of Coaster's new barn. Several people have made fun of me, telling me that I should have fun teaching my big expensive Event horse circus tricks. Ha. I'm pretty sure if Linda Parelli can jump picnic tables and do piaffe and passage bridleless I have something to learn. I'm also pretty sure if Karen and David O'Connor have learned from it and applied it in their daily routines then there is definately something for me to learn as well. I've already started noticing good changes in my relationship with Coaster - and only in two weeks! I figure what the heck - it isn't going to hurt anything and it isn't going to do anything except strengthen our relationship - hey, maybe I should try it on my boyfriends! LoL!!!