My New Cowboy & House

Do not get me started on the phone company (I would like y'all to note I am being nice and not naming the specific company that has ticked me off for the past week). Last Tuesday they told me it would be no problem getting high speed internet out to my place on Friday. Thursday (after realizing I do not get great cell service at the house) I call to say I want to add a phone line and they tell me that nobody was coming out on Friday because my address wasn't "verifying"...I guess it is a good thing I called or I would have been out waiting all day Friday and nobody would have showed up (obviously they don't care that I have a life and had rearranged my schedule to be there). Friday they call to tell me I can't get high speed internet, just the phone line - and oh yeah there is an extra one-time $40.00 activation fee they forgot to tell me about. This morning they call to tell me they have changed my phone number - again. If they call me tomorrow I'm going to tell them exactly where they can stick there phone line...

Other than that (and the downpours of rain that have kept me from moving my mattress and desk - the last two things in the apartment) my move has been very smooth. My mom came and helped me last week after graduation - if it wasn't for her I'm sure everything would still be in boxes! I will try to get pictures of the inside up soon, I actually have them on my camera I just can't find the cord to get them on my computer because it is packed in a box somewhere! LoL!

One of the biggest joys of moving is getting my Cowboy! He is a 9 week old Black Lab/Chow mix who is absolutely perfect and has stolen my heart! Though he is still fairly timid (he was abandoned so there is no telling what he has had to put up with) I think in time he will actually grow to be quite the little (I use that term loosely) guard dog. His first horse show is this coming weekend - luckily it is a local NWAHJA show, let's hope he gets through it with no issue!

Hunters and Jumpers and Equitation Oh My!

If you had told me five years, heck even 2 1/2 years ago, that I'd be going to "AA" Hunter/Jumper shows on a regular basis I would have laughed in your face. Well ladies and gentlemen, it's official, I have gone to the "dark side," where the braids are tiny and body clipping is a year round fashion trend (and did I mention there normally aren't thorn trees?). Do I miss the galloping and adrenaline rush of cross country? Yes. Do I miss the dressage? Hell no. :-p

This week I am moving out to Southdown Farms to settle in my little training business, Tripple Spring Training - like we all didn't see that one coming. Anyway, turns out I'm actually pretty good at this whole hunter/jumper/equitation stuff; if you ask my mom she will say she always thought I'd end up in the jumper ring...something about watching Onyx and I rock out in show jumping and then being terrified of ditches on cross country...oh well, I guess it is true: mom is always right! I'm not saying that I'm done with eventing, I will probably do an event now and then, but I'm graduating and will soon be financially responsible for myself. Scary. No, like really scary. And I'm getting paid to go to hunter/jumper shows instead of paying to go to events...it's this whole new concept that I'm starting to like: actually making money, imagine that!

The picture above is one of my students, Shelby, and her horse Ollie. Last weekend they placed in all of their over fences classes in the Children's Hunter division in Tulsa (field of 12), including a 1st and a 3rd. I could not have been more proud of her. The progress that these two have made since November is amazing!

So for now it is farewell to eventing and hello to the world of hunters and jumpers and equitation oh my! (And yes...I am slowly having to change my riding wardrobe and accessories over to the trends of this new world. Example: I no longer rock out in the skull cap helmet. But don't worry - I'm keeping the cross country vest!)