New & Old & In-Between.

My "Year in Review" post took me a very long time to write.

Actually, it didn't, it just took me a really time to finish.

What happened was that I began to write, and as I did, I was catapulted back into last years winter. Last winter was not a good one for my pony, Jingle, and I. Jingle and I were in a lesson program that was simply not working for my horse and his brain. We had some tiny accomplishments here and there, but for the most part, almost all of my lessons were becoming increasingly and increasingly frustrating. I was reading all those words I wrote last year, and suddenly... I didn't want to write anymore.

& I was really sad, and I really missed my horse.

Finally, a month later, and at the urging of some friends, I sat down, opened up my Macbook and began writing again - vowing to get it done in one night. Then a funny thing happened, I began going through last year, and I began remembering how truly amazing and blessed last year really was. It was a complete and utter whirlwind year. It was a year of change, growth and happiness. It was a year surrounded by good friends and even better horses. It was a year I closed a very significant chapter of my life (university), and then diverged onto a new path into the horse industry. Finally, to top it all off, it was a wonderful year spent with the love of my life. My most beloved thing in the entire world, my horse Jingle.

But, even after hitting "publish" on that behemoth post, I still really missed my horse. I am still hoping and attempting to figure out a way to get Jingle down to Arizona, but it is not happening in the foreseeable future.

So now it comes down to this blog. For me, "Time in the Saddle" is a very personal blog. It is more about my journey, the issues I face and the things I witness in my own person day-to-day. "Time in the Saddle" is a lifestyle encompassing blog. Also, "Time in the Saddle", really reminds me of Jingle... which in the end was kind of why I was hiding from the blog.

Now, I am back, and I am going to keep posting my long, wordy, sometimes boring posts. They are still going to be entirely overly personal, sometimes they will be random, and the blog wont really driven by anything topic-wise... but me!

However, I have cooked up a new blog... which I am very excited about.. and will announce in my next post. Stay Tuned! :)

"The Land of the Sun"

So, this afternoon my plane touched down in...

Arizona!!

Yes, friends, this is where this crazy journey that is my life is taking me now.

When I was stuck in Texas, experiencing everyone's all-time favourite weather pattern = chunks of ice rain from the sky, I got a call from my old boss from back home. She was the one I originally was suppose to head down to the states with, but her plans fell through and I ended up in Texas. She was back on her feet, needed some help, and wanted to see if I was interested.

We had a long discussion and basically what enticed me into taking the job was two things: one-on-one and a small operation. My boss is a much "smaller" trainer than the guy I was working for, she has a small operation, and she can only have one person helping her (me). She's also getting a bit older and wants to physically slow down a bit, that's where I was really interested. She really has the time, and the means to train me how to cut. She also focuses a lot in coaching of amateur riders, and as of now... I am beyond amateur in the cutting pen, so someone who knows how to work with amateurs was a serious plus.

So here I am, my first day jitters are in full effect, but I'm hopefully optimistic about where i've landed this time around. Plus, Arizona is beautiful, and warm (warmity warm warm warm yaaay), just a short drive around today and I'm already obsessed with the desert and the rock. I'm hoping I can find some areas to do some hiking/running and can hopefully find some time to do exploring. (smaller operation = a bit more alone time) However, in february we have three big shows, so I doubt i'll have that much alone time. What kind of loper gets alone time, really?

Wish me luck on my next (and newest!) adventure.

Adventures in being "Turned Out"

From Princess Pony to... Fuzzy Draft x Pony Cross...

This is what I left:

Sleek, Shiny, Rodeo Star, General Badass...

 This is what I came home too:

Fuzzy, Fat, Cheeks bigger than a Clydesdale...

Jingle has been "turned out", and although he's still in a blanket throughout these cold months, he's really reversed back to his old shaggy disheveled ranch-horse self. That includes a wee bit lacking in the manners department section...

This is how I feel about his no manners self... ergh.

Stop.Being.A.NitWit.and.Love.Me

I found myself attempting to braid his mane (which is scraggly and lacking and so sad) and tail... as if that would bring back my sleek horse...

Frosted Tips = Princess Horse?

It didn't.

My farrier came out and Jingle was awful, oh right... he hasn't had a person pick up his feet since my farrier last saw him 8 weeks ago...

"Tehehe, screw farriers, what are manners, where are my friends, gimme cookies and get out"

Jingle also had his shoes pulled in September (remember... turned out), in the end i'm happy with how his soles and hoof wall look, both seem very strong. He's always had chipping on his hinds, which is definitely accentuated and his fronts didn't look very pretty from where he's growing out old nail holes. A very concerned Louisa asked her farrier what we can do about that... the response...

A crooked eyebrow, a head shake at me and a "put shoes on him, but you wont, because he is turned out"

Well then.

Yes, Jingle is loving life in semi-retirement, he is fat and fuzzy and happy. He munches hay all day and hangs out with an annoying bay that refuses to leave me alone. He no longer looks like a sleek machine because he doesn't need too be right now.

& his owner... she needs to get the heck over herself.

My most favourite thing in the whole wide world.

But, some things are still the same, Jingle is still an absolute cookie monster who loves his long brushes, and will still reluctantly do his stretches for me. I still completely adore him. Although I have visions of cowboy challenges and low-level dressage in our future, when asked at a get-together the other day what I "wanted" of Jingle in the future I had to pause. "Well, I would really like to wake up every morning, walk out to his field, and have my cup of morning coffee with him." 

So, being turned out has been a learning experience for both Jingle and I. 

Jingle is learning how to expand his belly every single day, and I am learning to stop over-reacting, and get over myself as a horse-mom.

Baby steps.