Sunday, January 3, 2010

Twenty Ten

It's amazing. I've lived through my first decade! Ten years ago I was legitimately riding a horse for the first time. A little Shetland pony mare named Jiffy, more because of her peanut-butter coloring than her actual speed (if she was to be named for her speed, she would likely be called "Molasses".) My very first lesson not only did I walk and trot, I also cantered, just to see how much gutsy I had and how sticky my seat was, more than likely. From then on, I did five years of western lessons and some competitive barrel racing. I phased out of that, and for a while was on the brink of taking hunter lessons, which I wish I had done some English lessons sooner, then perhaps I wouldn't feel like a Training level lifetime member right now. But as fate would have it, I learned some far more important lessons in the years after chasing cans: horse rescue and rehab. It was these "lessons" that paved the way to fulfilling the dream of having a horse of my own, and later hopefully going into equine medicine as a career.

It's one thing to learn how to ride. It seems like that's the simple aspect of horse ownership, because one can do that with or without a horse of their own. The hard part is caring for the horse, and it should be. What to feed? Does she need this or that? Hay or alfalfa? What are the effects of this on her (i.e. all that protein in the alfalfa makes her, well, crazy to put it simply)? What helps them gain weight? What helps them lose it? What does a healthy horse look like? Too skinny? Obese? How do I get her in shape? All of these things and more, so much more.

In this past year, well starting in late April, I fell like I've entered a new phase in my horse life. I phased out of horse rescue, and into actually owning a horse. Since April, Greta and I have actually come quite a ways, though it may not seem like that to me. We have learned each other. She has calmed. I have become far more patient, though not saintly. Dwelling on the past, though, does no good. I am very eager for this year. It will be a fresh start.

As far as horse goals, I want to be at first level by the end of the year. I want to show. I want to move forward. I want to build Greta's muscles, most importantly, as well as my own. Once we get dressage down, I want to give Greta something fun to do and try jumping. Nothing huge and definitely nothing competitive, but just to say "yes, we can jump." At least want to master two-point so Greta can gallop comfortably in something other than an arena.

Thursday, last time I rode her (a friend from Portugal has been hanging out with me the rest of this weekend) Greta was actually "in frame" for a good majority of the riding session. A good sign, I suppose :)

This past year was like the prologue, and want this coming year to be the first chapter to what is hopefully a very long and happy book.

Cheers to Greta and all of the other equestrians which I am so fortunate to have come to know! Here's to 2010!



On another note, for those of you who have not seen Avatar yet, do it. I command you. It's not just another cute little sci-fi movie (one of my least favorite genres, by the way) but it is truly a work of art with a very profound and deep meaning. Also, the visual aspects of the movie are beautiful and amazingly realistic, just as groundbreaking as critics claim them to be. If you haven't seen the movie, it will be a great way to start off the new year, even if science fiction is not your calling, because it certainly isn't mine!

7 comments:

  1. Avatar = awesome.

    I have a possible request for you! I'm playing around with a new banner for the blog and want to try using this picture: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_XJPVbyyr-oY/SY-ouSOdiJI/AAAAAAAAAW8/qnr6eCRIX6E/s1600-h/DSCN0207.JPG but have essentially no Photoshop skills. You, on the other hand, have ridiculous mad Photoshop skills. If you have any extra time on your hands, would you fuss around with this picture for me and see if you can come up with anything interesting? I like how the picture is now, without any cropping, but I can't come up with much beyond that.
    Certainly not important in the slightest, but if you're ever bored and have nothing else to do, it would make me a happy child :D

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  2. Absolutely!!! I love hunching over the computer like Quasimodo and playing around with Photoshop. Really, I do! Actually, that's a cool picture you got there and I've already got an idea for it. Once I'm done with it, how would you like me to get it to you?

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  3. Good luck with your 2010 goals! Jumping ftw :)

    Avatar, I wanna see it so BAD! But I want to see it in 3D and most of the 3D shows have been sold out all day and all night around here if you are not first in line in the morning to buy tickets for all the times for the whole day. I'm waiting until it calms down a little then I'm gonna definitely see it!

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  4. Bre- I also have a proposition for you! I don't have Photoshop, (sadly) and am quite accomplished on the computer, but noone I know has it! I will actually reward you with one of my horseshoes (view a couple under Holiday Giveaway) in colors you'd like. Purple I presume? Soooo, if you are interested in doing a header, contact me on pinkcurlytail@yahoo.com and I'll try to find some pics for you to look at have you choose the best one to work with. I really am not satisfied (sadly) with any I have of Jackson and I together. Suppose I need a photoshoot with a real photographer too.... LOL!
    ~Mindy

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  5. I found your blog through Andrea's.......love the new header you made for her! Your mare is adorable!!! :)

    How did you make your blog layout so pretty? I am an idiot when it comes to my blog...it is pretty simple. And none of the Blogger templates are that great.

    Thanks! :)

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  6. Stacey: love your blog and welcome to mine! Avatar is amazing. I haven't seen it in 3D yet, but hopefully I will this weekend! It'll be my 5th time seeing the movie haha! I've had so many friends drag me along that I've seen it 4 times, whoa! Thank you very much and good lukc with Klein mare!

    Jacksonsgrrl: I will gladly make a header for you. I'll email you about it w/ details......

    stb eventer: welcome to the blog! Thank you, Greta is super sweet, I love her to bits! I use Photoshop Elements 5.0 (the cheaper version that can do just as much as CS2) and a Wacom tablet. I made a background image and added it to the HTML (go into layout and then go into Edit HTML) and the customized the colors, also in the layout (go to Fonts and Colors). The Edit HTMl has lots of Javascript in though, and I'm a total dummy when it comes to Java (nearly failed that course in computer class last year!) Hope that helps!

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  7. Thanks for the response! But of course, you might as well have been speaking a foreign language! LOL! I know what you said, but I would never be able to do it. ha ha ha

    I can just enjoy your layout....the heck with mine!

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Thanks guys!