Cob Jockey

I'm feeling extra grateful and thankful this Thanksgiving. Both in that I have more to be grateful for than usual, and in that I'm (I know, I know, common theme) feeling feelings like gratitude in ways I never have before.

I am, first and foremost, grateful for my SO. I never knew love could be like this, and never knew how powerful it is to have a partner like this. Without him, I would not have the confidence to do so many things, from the little things to the biggest things.

My SO helping my longtime career mentor unload the tiller I borrowed to redo the indoor arena footing this month, with the help of my former trainer

And on similar lines, I am grateful to have three of the best boarders on the planet. Our co-op setup is not without its challenges, but none of them are because of these wonderful people.

Boarder Leah, her husband and my SO fixing a fence the horses went through...(not Disco and Connor!)

I'm as grateful to have Disco home as I'm grateful that he was gone with Maude for a year and a half.

I'm grateful to be able to MOVE. I spent the first three months of 2024 in pain after I got cocky and made bad choices in the gym, which is very unusual for the person whose gym motto is "Don't do stupid shit". It was my first injury ever, and it really drove home the fact that being able to move is key to who I am, to my ability to contribute to the co-op, and to my mental health. Certainly not something I will take for granted as I age.

Dropping in at a random CrossFit gym in Texas with my SO earlier this month, where they had the rare appropriate-height pull-up bars for my height. Thankfully, I am ending 2024 just having set a lifetime PR back squat, so no lasting impact from that injury.

I am grateful for this little house and for the opportunity to buy this farm. Every time I walk the quarter mile across the field to the barn, I'm happy. Even in the weather.

Best commute ever

I'm grateful for my momma, for getting me into all of this in the first place and for being my rock through all of these life changes.

I am grateful for the best barn dogs, who are nearly perfect off-leash these days, and are so happy living here.

I'm grateful for Lisa, as a friend, as my "other mother", and as someone who has given me the most amazing opportunities with horses over the last decade, and of course, in particular this last year, with Encore, Eva and Disco.

I'm grateful for Kate, who, despite living thousands of miles away from me, continues to be such an amazing friend, mentor and trainer. She will tell me I'm wrong about this, but I'm not sure I could do Disco without her, and she continues to teach me the most surprising things about the animals I have loved my entire life.

 

I'm grateful for the relationship I have with my SO's kids, and in particular his daughter, who has fallen deeply in love with Connor, and he with her.

Most of all, I am grateful for this life I have now. I have always said that I want to build a life that I don't feel the need to escape from, a life in which I take vacations because there are interesting places to visit, not because I need to get away. I thought I had that before, but I didn't realize all the little escapes I had built into my life back then. This, now - this all feels so right.

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Thankful for a lot - today I'm thankful for this beautiful facility and the gorgeous sunsets I've gotten to see lately. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

The center cupola on the indoor is lit at night.

One more month til the days start getting longer...

Happy Thanksgiving to all my US-based readers!  Connor and I have so much to be thankful for this year.

A continued healthy, happy and sound pony


Enough pennies saved to find and buy a saddle that works for both of us



TWO amazing trainers for twice the fun

GP trainer at USDF Finals this month, on her $1 GP horse

A whole lotta miles on the ol' rig this year without any trailering incidents

I will knock on wood for that

Blog friends to share the journey with <3



And speaking of blog friends, one of you has won the Dressage Rider's Journal giveaway!  And the winner is...

Rafflecopter hath spoken

Congratulations!  And thanks to everyone who entered - it was so fun to see everyone's goals for next year, whether they were just having fun with their horse or competing.  I encourage you to go back and read everyone's comments sometime, it's encouraging to see what everyone is working on.

I know I'm late on this, but I'm doing it anyway.  I have so much to be thankful for this year, I'd be remiss not to write this post.



Having Connor 10 minutes from my house instead of 50 has been such a massive life improvement, I'm most grateful for that. I ride more, I see my husband more, I get things done around the house more, and my relationship with my horse has totally changed. 

Photo by my momma

I am thankful that I can catch him now.  He hasn't even thought about playing hard to catch since May, and various people catch him every day, sometimes multiple times a day.

(There's even a new barnworker that commented how much she loves catching him because he comes to the gate when she calls - she was shocked to find out he was impossible to catch literally his entire life up until six months ago.)


I am thankful that my trainer moved in to my new barn, giving me peace of mind while I travel, and immediately improving the only thing I was worried about at the new place, the footing.


I am thankful for the Shadow, which might be my favorite purchase of all time.  Yes, possibly even more than the CWD.  I know.  But seriously, we both love it.


I am thankful for the kickass ladies of Team Fluffy (sponsored by Booze Water) making my show season the most fun one yet.


I'm thankful for NK kicking my ass and telling me like it is this year.  I would not have grown nearly as much as a rider without her, and also, that ride on Mr. P at the beginning of the year!

The very best teacher

But mostly, I'm thankful for a happy horse.  He's so much happier at the new place - being turned out on grass, being turned out with other horses, being able to sniff his neighbors through the stall bars.  He's happier under saddle after how much I've learned this year and with two saddles that fit.  He loves the 1H slant so much he's started eating hay during travel again, stopped pawing at stoplights, and doesn't try to shoot out of the trailer the second the door opens.

And happy horses are what it's all about.

Happy very very very late (or early?) Thanksgiving!

It was one year ago this month that I was patiently waiting for my schedule to align with Connor’s breeder’s so that I could take delivery on the pony I had agreed to take in the end of October.  It was a long month of near-constant blogging, surfing SmartPak and hanging out on the CoTH forums in an attempt to keep a lid on my bubbling excitement.  One of the blogs I wrote during that time, just a few days before I got Connor, was my “Giving Thanks” blog.  Re-reading it today, I am still thankful for all of those things, but I also have so much more to be thankful for this year.

This year, more than most years, I have so much to be thankful for.

Baby Shae

I love him.  (We had just finished eloping here!)