Blog Hop: Favorites of 2018

Ganked from Amanda C, and although I didn't do every prompt she provided I enjoyed getting the chance to photo dump and look back on a year full of surprises!

Favorite Show Picture
I really wanted to go to Essex Horse Trials to compete with Indy this year, but when that ended up not working out for his own reasons I at least wanted to go spectate. A dear friend of mine was running beginner novice and I wanted to see what the venue was all about in the event that I could go one day.


Sara was super gung-ho about going with me, even insisting we go when it looked like it was going to piss down rain. Like, really insisting. And I was second shooting for a horse show and the photographer was really stressed and wanted to make sure my camera was going to be all right for it so I was like okay, okay everyone. We'll go.

We made it in time for the prelim cross country, after Sara criticized my outfit (who gets dressed up to watch a horse trial though??) and made fun of me for slopping a Wawa burrito bowl all over my dress. Buck galloped past us on one of his eight million rides and Sara got... weird. Like, 'say my full name including the middle name' weird. And then all the weirds kind of clicked together as she took a little velvet box out of her pocket.

So yes. This is a show picture, in that it was a photo taken at a horse show. It's my favorite horse show photo, and probably always will be.


Favorite Non-Show Picture
Niamh came out to visit Spicy after I had him for a month or so, and snapped this lovely shot of us. He brings so much happiness to my life. I need to talk about what we've been doing lately, but a big part of that has been treating for ulcers which has really helped both his weight gain and demeanor. It's been a joy seeing his personality emerge more over time. He doesn't like hugs but will do them in exchange for cookies!


Favorite Thing You Bought
This is a two-fer. Because I really love my saddle.

But I also bought Spicy this year. And I love him more than my saddle.

Favorite Moment on Horseback & Out of the Saddle

I wish I had more better pictures of this day, because it was such a huge deal for me.

At the end of September I loaded up Spicy and we did our first off the property adventure to Carousel Farm to try out some cross country schooling. It was my first loaded trip, the first time Spicy went off the property with me, the first time he went cross country schooling... it was a lot of firsts.

I've had my truck for awhile, and my trailer even longer, but it took me ages to actually drive it. In June 2017 I got in a very bad car accident and I was way too scared to drive much less haul a giant gooseneck so much as down the block. Between that and Spicy's own trepidation about trailering, this day seemed like a very far possibility. But we did it. I drove my horse all the way to Delaware. I had a lot of help, and Spicy was so amazingly wonderful at the park. He jumped everything I put in front of him and even was a trooper about the water.

Driving an hour to go cross country schooling might seem like a small ant hill to some, but for me it was a huge mountain and I totally shed a tear on the drive home from the barn for finally being able to realize this dream.


Favorite 'Between the Ears' Photo
Probably what will end up being our last field trip for the year, on the last nice day of the year, a few of us from the barn hauled out to Fair Hill to trail ride. While Spicy spent the first ten minutes jigging (this appears to be his MO), he eventually settled and walked on the buckle for hours. He walked right into the water, went through the Scary Tunnel of Doom, and even galloped flat out which he enjoyed way more than I thought he would. It was a beautiful fall day and I was so happy to be out on my horse!


Favorite Horse Meme

This is more than worth a watch.... Guys Spicy let me catch him on Tuesday for the first time in probably 3 months. I got so excited I almost just fed him cookies and turned him back out. CHRISTMAS MIRACLES, YOU EXIST.

Not horse specific, but between the saddle and my Black Friday explosion I also really relate to this one:



Comments

  1. I love all the stories that go with the pics! I didn't know some of this stuff but it's awesome. Also I really like that I got "ganked". I've never been ganked before. Sounds exotic.

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    1. it's only exotic if youre not from new jersey :P and yeah it was fun to do! thanks for sharing

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    2. I'm from Arkansas and Texas so yeah that's definitely super exotic LOL.

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  2. aw i'm so glad you finally got a year full of Big Happy Things!! <3 next time you go to fair hill or carousel definitely let me know - charlie would love to meet Spicy and both those places are just under an hour from us ;)

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    1. omg yes. Definitely carousel - have you been there since they redid it? it's amaaazing.

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  3. great photos! Love all this. :) Good things are coming for you in 2019 I can just feel it! :) Happy holidays to you and Sara and all the critters :)

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    1. thank you and to you as well!! I love hearing about your new farm life and your sassy ponies running your life

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  4. love that first photo - so beautiful!!

    and yes, please update us on spicy!!

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  5. Yep, that first photos is amazing <3

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    1. Definitely my favorite of the year, including all the lovely horse ones i've gotten!!

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  6. Love your year in pictures!!! Great stories to go along with all of them :) Sara is quite clever and really picked the best spot to propose!

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  7. I love that non-showing picture of you and Spicy! It's perfect <3

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    1. same! figured you might recognized it - it's on our binder. and my work background. And my personal PC background.

      I might use it a lot...

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  8. Pretty big year for you! Love your engagement story, that sounds so perfect (despite the wawa stain...)! And so glad you and Spicy found each other this year!

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    1. the wawa stain is actually very me. It is impossible for me not to get food all over myself.

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