A hipster weighs one instagram...

I shall update everyone on Greta via various pictures from instagram (and a few not prettied up with instagram *sad face*). It will show how excitingly repetitive our summer has been. She's enjoying being a horse out in the pasture, though, I'm waiting anxiously for her next vet check so we can see what the future holds. It might not be a bad thing for her have more pasture rest time once school starts up... it would give me more time to hit the books. Because I seriously need an excuse to NOT go see her but for a short grooming visit when given a choice between hours at the barn and hours studying.

I learned my lesson during freshman year that being a barn bum and going to classes do not mix well. Well-planned pony visits that coincide nicely with class and studying schedules DO mix well :)

As for my summer, it has consisted of working between two to three jobs (cashcashcashcash), a craptastic relationship fail (ouchouchouchouch), discovering this thing called a social life (funfunfunfun), art projects (relaxing), and landing a pretty sweet gig helping JenJ out with her ponies that I absolutely ADORE right behind Greta ;)

So now, pictures of our EXCITING summer!

Here's one of her grazing! Actually, this was spring, but still...

Here's one of her giving me a funny face in the crossties.

She is pro at this trick. She should get paid she is so professional at it.

I did sit on her once or twice and walked around. I just couldn't help myself. No swelling or ouchniess afterwards either. Yay!

And then she got an abscess that quickly resolved itself...

...which meant I could use my handy dandy vet tech skills to make a pile of duct tape boots!

And her sitting pretty for grooming, per usual.

Oh, Lizzy has since moved to the big mare pasture and has attached herself to Greta's hip. Greta is being a good mommy and Lizzy is a very good citizen now on the ground, and I'm growing even MORE attached to the Lizzard. Dang it.

Oh, and SmartPak has a SMARTPURPLE plaid now! My prayers have been answered!

And the latest picture of me torturing my horse by putting sunglasses on her head. Pretty cool, huh? She's my homie pony still. That new Lil Wayne song was stuck in my head and killing my brain cells. MY HOMIES STILL!

So, yeah, that's it. Actually, here's one more interesting thing I found this summer:

The sacrum of a rodent. Found in the hoof of Jen's pony, Saga. My inner biologist geeked when I saw this. Geeked. Out.

May 2012 Portraits

WHAT'S THIS?! BRE AND GRETA HAVE NOT DROPPED OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH?!

No, we're still here... I just haven't had anything terribly interesting (that is also relevant to horses and Greta in particular) to post about. And if I ever did I forgot about in the bustle of life. Whoops :)

She is enjoying fat happy pasture life and I'm working my way back to riding her whenever I can make it out (I'm 45 minutes away from her now, so I must use my gas wisely) BUT I will be exercising my G-Pa's pony Choco (remember Choco?) and helping jenj out with her ponies (who are all so much fun!) so expect to see some of that stuff soon... if I can get my blogging act together.

So enjoy Greta and I'd first ever formal portrait session to commemorate our three year anniversary (May 19!)

Thank you Greta for getting me through high school and keeping me grounded in college. You're a wonderful friend :)

Why I will never work in the horse industry...

Life is busy, finals, blah, blah, blah. Sorry I haven't been blogging for a good while now. Not like I've had anything too terribly interesting to say lately. Get over it ;)

But this past week, as busy as it was, was a nice break from the horse world and, you know, having a life and all. And it made me realize further that I am so stinking glad I will NEVER EVER work in it.

Too much estrogen. Sorry girls, but we're already pretty crazy. Something about horses makes us SUPER FREAKING CRAYCRAY crazy. There's also the opposite problem with too much testosterone and something about horses makes some men be absolute over-domineering macho jerks. Not all, but enough that it's noticeable. It's just something about horses makes horsewomen let their inner OCD freakiness/witchiness come out. I don't even want to fathom why, but I'm happy as long as I'm aware it's there.

The super-sensitive people are also mind-boggling. If you're that timid, what drew you to be around and attempt to control a 1000+ animal?! As long as you learn to toughen up from your time with the big critters, then I'm happy. But usually you don't, and then you resort to magical sticks and round-pen-bonding voodoo. And then I cringe.

Oh, and the horse world is chuck full to the brim of first-world problems. Seriously. It's a group of people with their head so far up in the clouds they can't even the see world around them or below them. It's also chuck full of opinions, which is what probably what does every horseperson in: everyone and their pet turtle has an opinion on how things should be done.

The sad part is that I have been all of these people. I would like to think that I have moved on, but I know I still have my moments. At least I'm aware of them and not entirely self-righteous. It's a start, right? I have learned to only take my negativity out on not the entire world. Barn world included.

I love horses. Some more than others. I love riding. I love riding some horses more than others. I also understand that they are horses, not humans. I love the horses, not always the people.

I just want to ride and pet my pretty pony. Remind me to never work in the horse industry and to get my own dang place to keep my horses when I'm older. I understand that the latter entails a whole other set of problems, and thankfully my boarding barn I'm at now has little to no drama. Missed that bullet!

PEACE!

GO CLARK MONTGOMERY!

So I found out that a good friend at the barn and her partner are going to ROLEX! Why? TO WATCH HER FORMER STUDENT! And when I say "former" I mean "she taught him most of his dressage skills". Yay Meg! Like I told her, "It takes a rockstar to know a rockstar."

So, if y'all could please cheer on Clark and Loughan Glen as they compete at Rolex? I wish them the best!!!

Yeah, I can definitely see Meg's hand in that pair of awesomeness. So much to learn from her.

Greta meets sheepskin....

Mudder this is my Y U NO BRING TREATS face! I'm too stinking cute for this nonsense!

STOP STOP STOP! I must smell this strange new material before you place it on my back. I shall smell it INTENSELY and SEVERAL TIMES.

This smells like sheeeeeeeep. No wonder you could never go vegan Mudder. Ooooh, wait, my back LOVES this sheep stuff. NEED DIS.

That Micklem bridle that I would LOVE to write a review on if we did more work in it. I swear to you guys,  when I can work more in it, then I'll tell ya how I like it. I do like it, but I can't say I can be too accurate right now.

Mudder this is my SEXY look. Victoria's Secret is always looking for models. I THINK IT SHOULD BE CALLED GRETA'S SECRET FROM. NOW. ON.

Apples nom-nom

NOM-NOM

(my ears weren't pinned, I had just finished shaking a fly off my head. I don't get foodles for my noodles if I'm mean about it)

Working Equitation and Haras Dos Cavaleiros at The Pin Oak Charity Horse Show

I have had the fortune to meet Rafa and Carmina Zamorano in person and they are really lovely, down-to-earth people. I had no idea the chaos they had gone through in Mexico nor their journey here in Texas. I have never been to their facility, but OMG IS IT NOT GORGEOUS?!

Pin Oak is one of the largest H/J shows in Texas. Located in Houston, most of the proceeds go to benefit Texas Children's Hospital, the Houston Ronald McDonald House, and Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance. Let's just say I'm happy to see Haras Dos Cavaleiros be one of the main sponsors of this show.

And I am also very happy to see classes like Working Equitation begin to show up. Like the Hunter Derby and Sporthorse Versatility classes, they require a horses and riders who are NOT arena-pampered, and THAT MAKES ME SO HAPPY.

So what is Working Equitation? It's like an American Hunter Derby class (notice I say American, because hunters in the UK is the equivalent and more of a hunter derby class... their horses and riders are being tested for their ability in the hunt!) but for dressage horses. It started in the Spanish breed shows, and showcased the training required of these breeds to work on the ranch and in the bullfighting ring. Dressage Working Equitation is modified to make for a less-strenuous test, usually with minimal or no obstacles, and is similar to a lower-level Sporthorse Versatility or Prix Caprilli class. What they will offer at Pin Oak, though, is very much like a Spanish breed working eq class, just slightly more accommodating and costumes are not mandatory.

What does a HARD CORE working eq class look like, you ask? Observe this chunk of awesomeness and WHAT IS THIS A GENUINE ALL-AROUND ENGLISH HORSE?! I should love to see a Lusitano in eventing. I think they could really rock it, at the lower levels if nothing else.

CRAZY 1967 Grand National Video

"Foinavon Wins Grand National after Huge Pile Up Causes Race Shambles (1967). The 1967 Grand National was the scene of one the most notorious pile ups in Grand National history. Foinavon had odds of 100/1 to win the race. Even his owner Cyril Watkins did not bother to attend Aintree because the chances of a win were wholly improbable. As expected, Foinavon did not play a competitive part in the race until at the 23rd fence, a loose horse cut across the riders causing all the horses to either fall, unseat their riders or refuse to jump. Foinavon and his rider, John Buckingham, are so far behind that they manage to bypass the shambles, jump the fence and take a lead of 200 yards. Although most riders were able to remount, no one managed to quite catch up with horse and rider. Sadly no owner or trainer were in the winners enclosure to congratulate them!"

This plays out like a movie! CRAZY! And I imagine the look on the owner and trainer's faces when they got a call saying "By the way, your horse won the Grand National".

Oliver 4-9-2012

Video from lesson on Monday. Ollie is drastically different from riding Butters, and I like it. He does not have a smooth round jump, and would rather rush fences versus sputter to a halt or straight out refuse them. Keeping him consistent to the fence is key, and staying with that jump is very good too! I re-learned about the magical world of mane-grabbing... it saved my butt and Ollie's mouth. The first few fences (NOT shown in the video haha!) on him were probably the worst I've ever done: I got horribly left behind and popped him in the mouth, poor guy! Thankfully it was reversed by the end of the lesson. He is also much more forgiving and tries a lot harder than Butters. Don't get me wrong, I like them both... but if I had to choose favorites, well, y'know....

I love learning on different ponies!

Greta has been quite well lately, still not too happy about the lack of a real job ("MOM walking around is NOT work!" If only more people shared the same mindset!) but happy enough nonetheless.