2013: Year In Review

Wellll everyone else is doing it so I will too :)

River is starting his hill-work-on-the-lunge regime as of today. He was agreeable but decided that hill work is tiring, thank you very much!

Also, I found that our local Ace Hardware store just started carrying Tribute feed! YEAH!! Finally something decent quality with low NSC and high(er) fat (right now I'm transitioning him to their Kalm-N-Ez, so it's not super high fat, but still about twice as much as he was getting), and it's no more expensive than plain whole oats! Thanks Saiph and Jen for your positive comments on this feed so I can be excited! :) 

ANYWAY on to the Year-In-Review!

Started off 2013 at my second barn in Tennessee, riding with Coach. I had Rhapsody and Brandi as unofficial project horses. Brandi struggled with working in the arena (I later decided it was probably a saddle fit issue), and Rhapsody learned to be catchable (at least by me). Fringe (my 2012 project horse) regressed and I fell off during a lesson on her.

Adorable baby face

I didn't post about this on the blog, but in late February Coach moved out of the barn and stopped giving lessons there. I was on my own--a little nervous, a little excited!

In March I "inherited" Coach's project, Surge, as my own third project horse. I learned to listen to horses, especially Rhapsody, who wouldn't take anything else! Rhapsody really started bonding to me, and we figured out the stretchy trot! I rode her bareback in a halter, and though she didn't like the halter idea, she did very well.

In April, I started having issues with Surge (still not sure what was at the root of those, wish I'd been able to figure them out). Fringe sold to a new home. I experienced a rearing horse for the first time, and decided I'd rather not experience it again! 

May, things started changing. I left that barn and started looking for my own horse, all in one fell swoop! I looked at horses...and more horses...and...

In June I finally found a horse I thought might work!
Coach liked him!
And River came home! 

First full day back: Needs to learn manners, anyone?!

The shot that sold me on him...

I debated whether to take him barefoot or not (and got many good opinions). Decided to try it, got a very sore pony, and went on vacation for two weeks while he healed and toughened up. Came back and he was overall better!


July and August: River got an abscess, but it blew out eventually and he felt much better. So did I, when he could go out on pasture again and I didn't have to feed him twice a day! River started putting weight on and feeling better yet. We tried a new trimmer (who I "fired" later because he couldn't come out often enough). I rode at last! We went on our first trail ride and River rocked it. 

Need to see this view more often!

September and October were more trail rides, and I tried riding bareback. I started working with some Arab babies at a boarding school. Sadly the colts have not been gelded yet so I haven't been back...the agreement was that they would geld the studs in return for my work with them. Came up with some goals for River and I.

November and December we struggled with Daylight Savings Time, and I started auditing lessons at a nearby dressage barn. River had his first big spook, and I almost fell off, but didn't quite. Then there were finals, and now it is break! And here we are!

In all our derpy donkey greatness...

A lot of ways, I feel like I'm starting all over again. I feel like I got to June, bought River, and stalled in my riding. I don't know what to do for goals for this spring; I don't even know where to head River (post in the works about why). But I know I'm one blessed girl to have this Beastie and I'm going to enjoy every minute of it! :)