Gone Solo.: Blog Hop; The Owl's Approve

Shining Star

Let's talk about the biggest achievements your horse has accomplished. I'm not talking about you as a rider - I want to know what your ponykins has done to make you proud. Is there a glorious satin collection, did he/she figure out some dressage movement that took months to learn, or are is it just a great day when your butt stays in the saddle?

Personally, I am loving this series of hoppin's. The question's posted are really making me reminisce which is really nice to do. Especially since I know I, too often, get caught up in the here and now and then forget where we have come from. The reminder of who horsey and I were then compared to now is quite inspiring!

Back to the hop.

Inspiring the expression.

Pal- expressing her boredom at the wee fence. Uck.
2012 - Age 4.

Paloma has certainly surprised me in our four years together.

I had big hopes for her future as a hunter when I purchased her all to find out between the ages of 3-5 that she was seriously showing a knack for dressage just like her sire. To further that thought, her future as a hunter seemed to dull when we began schooling over fences. Paloma didn't jump. She stopped and flopped.

I remained stoic and pushed through two years of training and competing cross rails through 2'6 divisions. The results, though slightly better the higher we got, remained pretty consistent with her initial impression staying true. She didn't care.

On the plus side, the show season of her fifth year, Paloma discovered stretch and started to become more relaxed in her work.

We started cleaning up the local hack and flat eq schooling classes. My hopes slightly starting to glow but I was still unsure of our fit together. I was not about to change disciplines for my horse nor was I going to spend the bucks are the big shows if she wasn't competitice localling.

Call me callous but despite all my dabbling, I will remain a hunter. The perfection of the discipline is just me.

Fast forward to age six.

I trailered over to a local known coach for a lesson and to get Paloma out to be seen as a hunter-hack horse. It was supposed to be private but some boarders had shown up so we decided to group together.

The lesson started with some flopping and flailing on her part. Coach said to stop riding and let her rap rails. I stopped nagging and helping. We went through some gyms, poles, x's small verticals. No improvement.

One thing this coach is known for is calling out navigational directions mid course, which took some getting used to but I followed the route prompting. It actually reminded me of the Garmin nav system that always seemed to call the streets just a hair too late.

He said diagonal purple oxer, I thought OK, another fence, I looked around for purple, all to find it a bit too late for a nice turn but we made it. Little did I know the fence was larger and wide, nothing serious, 2'9 maybe, but more than Pal had done combined with the width.

We had no choice to stop. I put my leg on. We are going.

Paloma gave quite an impressive effort. I smiled.

I had just finished telling the coach that I did not think she would be a very good amateur hunter right before this mock course. His only response as we can back to a walk, 'so are you still selling her?'

That moment she was sold. To me! Even though I owned her on paper, I never felt she was mine until then.

June 2014 - 3' line of skinnies.

September 2014- settling in to new challenges.

Pal got a little excited to this fence.
Me realizing her neck is too long.

Finding out that your horse isn't lazy and untalented but rather too smart and uninspired was a breathe of fresh air.

I still have to work hard to keep things interesting. And we still get the same result if I don't get her brain rolling but when I ride focused and determined, she gives me just as much as I put in. When we do decide to work together the 1st place, red 'satin' if often rewarded.

Ribbons however, should not matter but they are a testament to the work we have done together.

I now am a true believer in, 'you get the horse you need, not always the horse you want.'

Hmm. That sounds like the title of a future blog post.