Road Well Traveled

I've had to branch out about what I'm writing.

I'd say this blog was initially a training journal about my journey with Runkle. It was a place to jot down my microscopic victories and share what worked for me. It turned into something else, of course. Mostly it turned me on to this weird, big, very embracing e-horse community that's allowed me to get even more involved in the sport and given me a lot of courage. It's big. Bigger than I thought it would ever be when I started.

Got a dose of pony'tude
not shown in this picture: alli letting me put my foot on her ass
because I couldn't get my boot off

Out in the wild, a fraidy-guinness

Why do I have so many great pictures with Austen???
We may never know.

Not a blogger, but a jumping percheron ;)
The training journal aspect isn't really coming to me with Spicy. I still keep my own personal log every day, every ride. I still want to relish my small horse training victories. But while Spicy is very different from Runkle and Indy, I still find myself travelling the same well worn path that I have before.

The downside to starting over with yet another green horse is I'm tired of putting all this time and energy into transitioning an animal from wide-eyed track broke to an upstanding dressage-ing and jumping citizen. I really have to teach contact, again? Steering? Canter departures? I think good canter departures are my least favorite thing to teach because I myself am so bad at them. I rode at a hunter barn too long, my instinct is to throw my upper body forward like Pocahontas diving off a cliff.

CANTER!!!!!!

The upshot however is I get to experience teaching a horse to jump again. And that doing the green horse thing twice in quick succession means I'm better (and faster) at it this time around.

But what the hell do I write about? Because I'm doing all the same things I did before. Yes, Spicy is the most sensitive, pressure averse horse I've ever worked with. He's also the most closely bonded to me. That could make him more difficult... but it also makes it extremely easy. I had to desensitize him to a dressage whip. That wasn't a whole day of training but more of an extra step before I could pick it up and use it when I rode.

I guess this was a long entry to say, you're not missing anything by me not writing every cross and victory we've bore since I brought Spicy home. It's a road already very well traveled.


Comments

  1. Aw Spicy <3 I definitely feel ya on not feeling particularly compelled to write our every detail after having already written so much about it. I do like the check ins tho, mostly bc I loved reading about Spicy. Hope to meet him (and see you again!) soon!!!!

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    1. i know it's been ENTIRELY too long since we've seen each other. I have fair hill on my calendar for real this time so hopefully I'll see you there. and as soon as I teach spicy to get on a trailer (lol) we'll be out and about for sure!!

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    2. yesssssssss i will for sure be at fair hill -- actually a ton of my barn mates will be there too to support Emily Beshear's Olney Uncle Sam! should be a good ol' party. and you should definitely come our way for the starter at the end of september, just sayin ;)

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    3. yes!! it's on my list. i just have to teach him to get on the trailer first. and maybe canter? meh cantering optional.

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  2. I would read your shopping list so no worries. Just keep on blogging whatever you want to blog about. I will read it :) I am so thrilled that Spicy is such a good guy though you deserve it. And lol you mean we ARENT supposed to throw ourselves forward to canter?HA HA HA (I still do this wtf).

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    1. i'll probably throw myself into the canter until the end of time. it's funny when i try to stop myself and my body has his internal struggle and just throw the outside hip forward instead. i feel like SOME part of my body has to do it!!!

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  3. But he's beautiful and we want more pictures of his gorgeousness 😍

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    1. this is VERY true... i need to teach sara how to work the fancy camera and then it'll just be a spicy picspam. forever.

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    2. Spicy Picspam sounds awesome. I could go for that!

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  4. Awww, well we love reading whatever you want to write about. Love Spicy pictures!

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  5. You can just post like ten thousand photos of Spicy if you don't want to rehash the day to day. :)

    But seriously, I've ridden hunter/jumper my whole life, and never was taught to throw my body into the canter. Who were your trainers?! I want to give them a flat lesson.

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  6. Each time you walk down the path it get's quicker and the details are less likely to be overlooked <3

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  7. But I didn't get to read all the initial stuff with Runkle.... :)

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  8. That's the cool thing about blogs.. they evolve with us! Can't wait for our 30-Something Ammys Doing Starter Party at Flora Lea! <3

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  9. But but... I would love to hear more :D

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  10. Awww he looks so cute! And I do believe more pictures are in order! lol

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