Haiku Farm Blog Hop

There is a new blog hop over at Haiku Farms and I thought I would join in.

*  Introduce yourself!

Hi am Gina.  teacher, wife, daughter, horse crazy from birth person, avid reader and drinker of coffee.  

*  Introduce your horse(s)!

I currently have 4 equines living at my house. 2 horse, 1 mule, and 1 donkey.

 

This is Dutch. He is my everything. I dork-ily look at pictures of him on my phone the way teenage girls look at celebrities when I am bored.  After 10 years together and numerous career changes, and one notable month where 2 event trainers (one pretty famous) told me he would eventually kill me, we get each other.  Maybe one day we will ride into a show ring together, but right now the joy at learning new things with him at home is enough to carry me off forever.

The baby brother, the surprise, the horse I never knew I needed.  Uno.  He is techincally my husband's horse, but I stole him.  We have only been together for 2 years, but I think we have come a long way from the gangly 3 that came here form South Dakota.  He is not always easy, but he down for every adventure and 100% dependable.

Cecil.... I may have bid against myself to bring this crazy kid home from auction.  He was terrified of people and will now let us come up and love him.  We have hopes of one day turning him into a productive member of the family, but for now he is our wild child.

STEVE!!  He is the newest member of our "horsei hurd", adopted by us as part of the fat camp program prescribed by his vet.  We do not have any lush pastures and as you can see by that fact that he looks 3 years pregnant, Steve needs no lush pastures.  He was entrusted to us by a friend and his morning "he he he's" and face hugs make my day.

*  What's your favorite horse sport?  Do you cross train in other activities?

My heart (but not my courage) lies in eventing.  Right now the boys and I fox hunt in the fall and dressage our summers away.  Soon Uno will make his jumping debut, then we will see what the word holds for us.

Could he be more adorable?

*  Who else in your family rides?

My husband is (others can vouch for me here) the best horse husband and ok trail rider. He is my rock. Farm life is hard and I am best described when I say I am not an easy person.  He made a lot of sacrifices to make my dreams possible, and even more crazy lucky, that seems to make him happy too.  We have been together for 11 years and in that time he went from, "Oh your going to the barn again?" to "Hey, can you get my horse tacked up we will just be able to sneak in a ride when I get home." AND EVEN MORE EXCITING, "I know its raining, you stay in bed. I can bring the horses in."

I KNOW!!! I am stupid lucky.

*  What's your proudest equestrian accomplishment?

My bond with this horse.  He trusts me to look out for him no matter what.

*  What was your lowest moment as a horse owner/rider?

The number of years I spend forcing my round peg into a square hole.  The fact that it took my almost 20 years of riding to let go of what I want and to truely listen to the horse.

*  What's the most important small thing you ever learned in a lesson?

Patience.  Faster and harder do not equal better.

I pretty much still suck at this.  But seriously, this is my place of biggest growth as a human being and I owe it to my horses.

*  Do you have any riding rituals or superstitions?

We always pat the saddle a few times before we get on.  Dutch is cold backed and used to buck alot in the first few steps otherwise. it is now a habit my husband picked up.

*  What are your short term goals for yourself/your horse?

Uno - learn to canter like we have 4 legs and 1 brain.  Jump over small stuff in front of people without dieing.  finish the hunt season strong.

Dutch - Stay sound. Not be allergic to the food we eat anymore. Find a dressage legal bit that doesn't make the world end. Get in front of a judge at training level.

*  Long term goals?

I would love to see Uno become a finished 1st flight hunt horse and rock around a registered beginner novice cross country course.

I secretly (not anymore) long to earn my bronze on Dutch with the USDF.  

*  If time and money were no object, what is your dream equestrian vacation?

The Mongolian Death Race, or to back pack ride across Ireland with the hubbs.

Pic stolen from Google.

Seriously, the Ireland thing is a buck list item for hubbs and I.  Before the farm sucked up ALL our money, it was our dream honeymoon.

*  What kind of horse activities were you doing 10 years ago?

Medium Children's Jumpers.  It was... ick. Bad. like really bad.  Like the reason I am terrified of jumping now.  I had a trainer who approached everything in a very pushy and forceful way.  We were always pushing the edge of what we could safely get out of the horses.  Sometimes I think I am am lucky I got hurt.

*  What kind of horse activities do you think you'll be doing 10 years from now?

Foxhunting and dressage, with my Uns.  Loving the crap out of Dutch.  Annoying the husband with more crazy horse ideas. I would really like to try so many different equestrian sports and I think between my 2 horses I am pretty set up moderate talent and GREAT brains.

*  What is the quirk about your horse that you like most?

Dutch knows how long it takes for the coffee machine to make coffee and that is exactly how long he waits for breakfast on the weekends, or how he always "checks in for ahug" before going into his stall for meals, or how when we self care boarded he learned the sound of my tuck on the side of the road and night and would cove over for flash light blanket changes.  How in a field of grass, and friends, and fun - he still stops to come say 'hey' each time I walk out.

And now I want to cry...

Most importantly how, my crazy gonna-kill-you-TB, carried my broken hip-to-ankle-casted,while I was still in wheel chair, and on drugs, and major storms were happening, self up and down the aisles of our barn after my surgery, because I needed feel normal again.

And yes, I brought my horse to someone's beach wedding. How could I leave him at home!!