My horse girl journey thus far

I have been obsessed with horses since the first time I saw one. I remember my parents taking our family over to one of their church friends’ houses and this couple calling their horses in from the far field and the horses running in. Honestly this might be my earliest memory.

this was the farm I remember the horses running in

My first toy I remember was a horse I still have to this day.

I invented the horse games before it was a thing LOL I would have my dog jump courses and pull a wagon because it was the closest i could get to a horse

Every birthday or friend with a horse I would finagle a way to get a ride in. I volunteered in middle/high school at a therapeutic riding center. Every birthday my request would be a trail ride my parents would pay for us to go on.

I picked a college major that I knew would afford me to get into horses.

However, during school and working to afford such school that dream kind of fell away. I wasn’t pursuing it like I used to have that singular focus.

After graduating I moved back to my home town and it wasn’t until a friend starting taking lessons (probably like a year after I moved back ) it hit me like a bag of bricks. Why wasn’t I taking lessons?!?!

I got in touch with my local barn and started lessons. Eventually leasing a horse. Then buying a horse. Who died quite unexpectedly. (Another story for another time). I took a break for about 6 months after.

Jericho. he was a really good boy. I didn't know how to ride one lick. not at all

I started taking lessons from other trainers at this point and found Cecile (@CPHorsemanship) who was really the turning point of my horsemanship. She actually started teaching me how the horse relaxed into the frame and biomechanics of the riding. 

i shudder looking at old pictures of me riding. even sometimes now

Sometime during the trainer transitions I bought my mare who I still have to this day. Who we worked through lots of physical issues and the fact she and I were just entirely too green for each other. I fell off a lot and gained a lot of nervousness from this experience. HOWEVER I learned SO MUCH FROM HER . Like how my emotional energy effects the horse, nutrition, farrier and physical  issue interactions (hoof angle, SI, hock , etc) and I learned about saddle fit.

All very expensive lessons in both money and time.

Thankfully while going through this rabbit hole I met my friend Emily.

Skye - green on green

more green on green. but she would be so calm then suddenly...

she would just snap and want me off

Emily  had her gelding (Murphy) returned to her as the leasee had went off to college. She already had 2 horses at the moment and I was out a horse so she graciously offered me to try him. And then I just kept riding him and taking lessons on him and we worked out a care lease.

PSA--I highly recommend going this route if you’re also a broke horse girl. Any horse as good as he is now would be about 10k at this point. I rode him during pregnancy and since Emily had him as a youngster she had put a really good foundation on him. We took lessons on trailer loading, and for me to relax and also helping murphy to relax under saddle.

lessons with CPHorsemanship always with the goal of a parasympathetic system

Around the time Murphy and I started be-bopping I decided to retire Skye. I did not feel safe to sale/re home her as she is such a kind horse. There is truly a problem either physically or mentally that makes it painful /unsafe to ride her.

With Murphy I gained freedom of a sane, pain free horse I could take places and truly learn on.

I was pregnant here and rode him the entire time he was such a trooper

After I bought my farm I took both of my horses there. It’s been absolutely wonderful getting to look out my window and see my horses.  Even during the suck of winter and changing blankets and no arena (yet) it’s 100% worth keeping them at home.

at home <3

Last year (I’m getting old maybe it’s been longer than this) my friend Erin found a ringer of a trainer Susan Bright. Susan has changed my life. I haul over to Erin’s house to split a lesson fee and she has brought my horsemanship up to another level. I’ve never been so confident riding/on the ground with a horse even though I know I am still I would say a green intermediate rider.

lessons, lessons, lessons, one of the highlights of my week when I get them

And today, I take lessons on Murphy, we’ve been to clinics and this year we have BIG plans! I am planning on riding more than last year and I can feel my partnership with Murphy has reached a new level. I am so much more aware of his body and my body as we are riding and learning to be softer and keeping him in better alignment.

our very first clinic back in 21'

I have so little media of me riding now

My goal is to be an eventer. I want to ride training level and honestly I am sure one day I will make it that level. Maybe I’ll want to try my hand at one of the western sports eventually but for now I just want to be balanced, gallop and jump the jumpies.

Happy riding.

-A