Littles

   Hey guys! I have not written in forever! I am sososo sorry. Anyways today's blog will be a bit different, it's just something I wrote today about Littles. I thought some of you might be able to relate, or if not you might enjoy it. I know the spelling and grammar isn't great, but as I said, I just wrote it today in like 30 mintues because I'm feelin all emotional and stuff... :P  So here you go.

    It all started with a sassy bay pony. A beautiful little pony, but the kind of beauty you have to know to see.  She is too thin, her legs too long. She is too little to be useful, they tell me. She is too fast to fit the definition of the perfect little hunter pony everyone wants. She is used up and thrown out. Maybe that’s why I like her so much, because I relate to her. The less than perfectness, the unwantedness, the rough edges, maybe that’s why I love her. 

   Her eyes though, they go further than that outer shell. They still have that fire, and that cannot be snuffed out by some brats who don’t want her. I want her. Even though the dreams I’ve been taught to have may not have her in the picture, I want her. I need her. I couldn’t stand if she sells to another brat who uses her up and then sells her on. Maybe that’s how this world is supposed to work, but in this pony I see hope that I haven’t seen in a long time. And I know why she is like this.

   The constant goodbyes.  The falling in love, and almost feeling safe, almost being happy, then the goodbye. We are not the spoiled, we do not control this. Goodbye has become just about inevitable when it comes to falling in love. And it makes giving up that much easier.  You can fall so hard, love them so so so much, but you have no control when it comes to their departure. And no matter how many tears you shed, and how many nights you cry yourself to sleep and wonder why it is even worth it anymore, those won’t bring them back. This world is cruel, and that is just how it goes.

   But this pony, this pony is different. Even though the inevitable goodbye may be looming in the future, I can’t protect myself. No matter how much I will myself not to care, how much I tell myself not to fall. I’ve learned that, over the years. You can pretend not to love something, bubble wrap yourself from the pain you get from the goodbye. You can tell yourself countless times that it is “just another horse”. But the pain is still there, it is just masked under a pile of lies. But not this pony.

   People come and try her out. They see whether she is the pony they want. She almost never is. For that I am thankful. Even it prolongs the time I get to spend with her by a couple of months, that time is worth it. But someday someone will come, as they always do, and they will buy her. I will not know this person. I won’t know if they will give her candy hearts, I don’t know if they will carefully groom her, I don’t know if they will hug her tight and promise to never forget her as long as they live. I don’t know if they will have soft hands, or what they will do with her, or if they will ever sell her. But one thing I know for sure is that they could never possibly love her as much as I do.

   But that day will come, like it always does for kids like me.  I am not the lucky one, who’s parents will surprise me with a pony on my birthday. I will not get a ribbon around her neck one morning saying she’s mine. Instead, some other kid will load her onto their trailer and take her home. That’s all. I probably won’t get to visit, and even they let me, I probably won’t. I couldn’t, really. I wouldn’t want to see the perfectly imperfect pony who I love with all my heart in someone else’s barn. With some other kid, who may pretend to love her but I know that they could never love her so much as I do. That’s just the way it works though.

   I will go home and cry into my pillow and wonder why I even do this anymore. And other ponies will come, yes, but they will never be the same. Instead, I will just cry and pray silently that that beautiful, beautiful, sassy bay pony mare would come back. But she won’t. They never do. No miracles will happen, they never do. I’ll always wonder what happened to her, where she is now. And no matter what great scenario I am assured she went to, I will never know. And she will never be replaced to me. Instead, that loss just adds to the others that make me the broken person I am. Maybe I should learn not to love so strongly. I don’t feel very often, but when I do, I feel strongly and love with all my existence. I wonder why I still do it, but I guess even the short time I get to spend with these amazing creatures, these perfect horses, is still worth it. 

My Fears

  Hey guys!
         Sorry I haven't written in a couple of days, I have had no inspiration whatsoever. Only this morning after doing night check at the barn and spending some time with horses do I have an idea what to write about. As you guys have seen in my other blog posts, I ride a pony named Littles.

   Littles isn't her real name, her real name is Dallas, but that name does not suit her at all. Instead she goes by a bunch of different names, including Pony, Little, Littles, Apples, and Ponygirl. :P She is 14.1 and very petite. But she has so much sass and the heart of a horse twice her size. She is 12 years old, so you'd expect she would've mellowed out years ago and would be quite well broke. Well her story goes a bit differently. From what I have been told, she was pulled out of a field when she was older (7,8,9) and broke by my trainer. She is a lovely pony with good bloodlines and she has a really good work ethic. She was a great pony, then she was sold/taken back (I dont know if my trainer owned her or if she was just training her) by a kid to have as a project. I don't really know what happened to her at that barn, but she came back untrained.

    This upsets me so much, first they ruin her then they just send her back? There were times when she was almost sent to auction, but because my trainer is a lovely human being, she didn't end up going. There were a few different riders at my barn riding her and it was all good. She was being worked and slowly taught to be the pony she used to be. She really is a good pony, just very fast. One day I got to ride her in a lesson, it was amazing. I love harder horses and had so much fun riding her. After that, my coach said I could ride her a couple times a week!

  So I started riding her, and grooming her, and then as it always does, started loving her. We started off riding in full tack, not really sure what to make of each other, then slowly the walls came down.

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    I love this pony. I trust her. And now I will tell you my fears. So the barn I ride at with the amazing trainer and amazing horses is for sale. My trainer also leases another barn and hour and a half away from us. There are only 7 horses and few clients at the barn I am at. And it is for sale. Why my trainer still drives out here and teaches us and runs our barn, I don't know. But I am so thankful she does. It can't go on forever though, and the barn is only (hopefully) going to stay open until end of show season. I also ride the lovely Appy and will show him this year. But my biggest fear is what will happen to Littles when the barn closes? Where will she go? Will I ever see this pony who I love so much after September? 

   I don't know the answer to these questions. I've promised her I would never let her go somewhere bad. The problem is no one will lease her and the people who would buy her are not the kind of people who could give her the life she deserves. And I know every kid says this, but no one could ever love her as much I do. I know that's probably wrong, but I need her. I don't know what the future has in store, but I can only hope it is my and her together.

    Sorry for the semi depressing blog post, and thank you all for reading. Have a fabulous day!

Annie

How I Make Money For Horses as a 13 Year Old

   Hello!
Yay! I'm finally writing blog posts every day. Finally the ball of blogging is rolling! Today I'm going to be talked about the ways I make money for horses as an underage worker. It's always a struggle to make enough money to support our very expensive passion. Thankfully, my mom also loves horses so I get lots of support from her. But horses are very expensive and so is everything that comes with them. It's even harder to make enough money when you are under 16 and can't get a true part time job. I myself am under 16 so I have a few tricks up my sleeve for finding jobs and making money. Here are my tips for making some money for horses!
1. Baby sitting. I know, I know, this is the most stereotypical job ever for underage workers, but it makes money and it isn't too physically demanding. I did this when I was ten as a 'mothers helper'. It was kind of horrible, but in the end I had more money than I did before and more money to save/spend on horses. If you really like kids, this is a great choice for you. The best ways to get babysitting jobs are by taking the course, putting signs up, and straight up asking your neighbors, family friends, etc...

2. Working at a barn! This is probably the best choice for the kind of people reading this blog. Working at a barn is a good way to work off lessons, board, or just making a few bucks. There could be a few problems with this kind of job though. First off it is a very physically strenuous job. If you like that kind of work (I do) this could be a great job for you. Also, working at the same barn you ride at could cause problems. From my experience this sometimes causes problems with owing money, drama, and some other problems as well. Of course, I don't know what your situation is, but be careful when working for people who are also you trainer, barn owner, etc.

3. Pet sitting. This is one of my personal favorite jobs to do. You get to work with animals, and you get paid! This job is generally pretty fun if you don't mind cleaning up after animals. I really like working with animals whether it is horses, dogs, or cats. They don't talk back, they are cute, how could it get any better? This job is good for people who are responsible, because there is truly a life in your hands. You can't just forget to feed them one day, like you could another job. There are no sick days and no days off. But that is also good practice for owning a horse, so I really like it!

4. The last tip I have is not a job suggestion, but a tip about money. Save it! I know it's tempting to blow your money on useless things, or things you want, but especially if you are saving for something important, do not give in to the urges! I know it's hard, I want to buy that beautiful piece of tack, or tailored sportsman breeches too, but there are other things I need more than that.

   Also remember, if a job doesn't work out, if you get nothing else out of it, you get experience. You get another thing to write on your resume. And never let someone take advantage of you at a job. No matter how much you need the money, it is not worth it to suffer through a bad situation. Other jobs will come, and it never pays off to stick around in a bad situation. Thank you guys for reading and good luck saving up! Hope you guys learned some good tips for saving for our expensive sport. Thank you sosososossoso much again for reading, and have an amazing day!
Annie

Jumping 2'7 For The First Time!

    Hey guys!
       I just got back from an amazing lesson. It's the first real lesson we've had in over a month due to the horrible weather. So that is one thing making it amazing. You never realize how much you love jumping until you can't do it for extended periods of time. Also, we got to jump the highest we ever have before!!! This was in the form of a 2'7 red coop jump. My friend and I had been eyeing it since we first started on our hunter/jumper journey 9 months ago. I know to most of you 2'7 sounds like a ground pole, but to us it is huge. Of course our jumps weren't anywhere close to perfect, but the feeling of soaring through the air at a height we have never experienced before was perfect regardless.
    So the first time had the most buildup. We cantered to the fence and I could not take my eyes off of it. For a second I thought I was gonna bail, but the great Appy took over and got us over the fence. It felt huge, even though it is only a couple of inches more than what we usually jump. I, of course, failed miserably. But that's okay, the next time was tons better. I am so proud of the rider I have become, and even though there is still a lot to work on, I've achieved so much. I'm so grateful for the amazing horses and people that have helped me and taught me how not to look like a flopping fish over jumps. It takes a village to raise a kid. It also takes a village to raise a good rider. And I can't thank my own little village enough for the support and wealth of knowledge they have shared with me.
   Sorry for the short blog post, school and horses have been keeping me very busy! Thank you all so much for reading and I'll talk to you soon! To pacify you until the next blog post, here is a picture of Appy jumping an invisible jump. He swore it was there though. :P

 Have a fierce day and remember to hug your horses!

Annie

Why I Ride

    Hey!
 Sorry I missed posting yesterday, I was too busy riding! I had such a great day today, I didn't even ride! I went up to the barn to go ride Zack and Boo but it didn't end up working out. Instead, I just spent hours grooming them, playing with them, and talking to them. Sometimes you get so caught up in riding, equitation, showing, and you forget why you are really in this sport. I know I didn't start riding to show, and jump, and win pretty ribbons. I started because I was a little girl who truly loved the animal and wanted them to be a part of my life.
  If you never spend time with your horse on the ground, you never truly know them. You could ride a horse for 10 years but if you never took a moment to groom them, to be with them, to just love them, you would never truly know them and they would never truly know you. You learn so much from just being around horses that no amount of hours in the saddle could ever make up for. If you want success in equestrianism, you really have to love horses. There is no substitute for raw love and appreciation for the animal.

   It's moments like that that make you realize that even if you never win a class, or go to the olympics, or show in the big eqs, it doesn't matter. Yeah, those dreams are great, but if you have nothing else, you have a horse you love and a horse that loves you back. Even if I never show past novices, I will always have the love and connection with my horses. Even on those days that my arthritis is so bad it hurts to stand, I still have my horses. Sometimes I start to feel so hopeless, like I should just give up on my goals. I will never be the girl with the 100 000 dollar horse or the groom grooming my horse for me. I will never have the top trainers, or the best barn, and some days I start to feel like I don't even have a chance because of this. But that's not why I ride.

   I'm happy I have to work for what I get and I'm happy I don't just hand my horse off to a groom at the end of my ride. If I did that, I wouldn't have the one thing I truly love, which is the connection you get with a horse. And that, of course, also helps you to have a better connection when riding the horse. You can't expect them to work their hardest for you when you don't do the same in turn. Groom them, talk to them, love them, and they will give you the world.

   I thought since this post was inspired by my time with the wonderful Zack, I would tell you a bit more about him. He is a 14.2-15 hand ( I'm not totally sure his height, he's pretty short though to give you an idea) quarter horse. He was a really good reiner back in the day. He is so well trained when it comes to that. It;s insane to ride a horse trained to voice commands and neck reining. He is at a private hunter jumper barn owned by a family. He is the dad of the family's horse, but he doesn't ride him too often. So that's where I come in! I am helping to get him back into shape and helping to teach him the english discipline and how to jump. It's been a really fun process so far and I can't wait to see what the future brings with him.

  We are aiming to show him by March 1st, which is coming up so quickly! I can't wait to bring him out to a show, he is such a good horse. He always tries to please, and he's learning so quickly. It's gonna be very fun to bring the reiner out for a spin in the hunter ring. If you guys wanna see a video of him being a hunter horse, 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPIEXS4xMKo.

   So thank you all sosososososo much for reading! Go out and hug your horses and tell them you love them. :) Have a wonderful day!

Eqspiration And Sassy Ponies

  Hey guys!
        So as you guys know from my last blog, I was having some joint issues yesterday and couldn't really do anything. I spent all day just lying in bed watching YouTube videos. It was a pretty cruddy day. I found out that our show division was cancelled (for very stupid reasons I might add), I couldn't ride or see the ponies, it was overall a useless day of nothing. Except of course hitting 250 page views!!! Thank you all for brightening up an otherwise horrible day. So what do I do when I have nothing to do? I watch equitation videos! If you can't ride, you can always watch and learn from other people riding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4lw9MBcu0I
   This video I have watched probably a million times. It's like I think that watching amazing riders will make me become an amazing rider! I thought I should post a link to that video in case anyone else is having a cruddy day of doing nothing at all. And for your viewing pleasure, I must post this video too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUaP0t5IUnM
   That video should pretty much make your life complete. I find it so adorable how the little boy never even seems fazed by the fact that he's falling off, getting bucked off, being taken off with, etc.. I think every little rider needs to ride a bratty little pony. Usually you grow out of the bratty pony stage when you are about 8. Me on the other hand, I never did.

   So if you are having a bad day, just come back to this blog post and watch little children being bucked off sassy ponies. That sounds a bit odd, doesn't it? We horse people are a strange breed. Anyways sorry for the short blog post, it's a bit all over the place and I'm quite busy. But regardless I hope you guys enjoyed and thank you so much for reading! Remember to hug your horses and have a lovely day!

Annie

Coping With Arthritis in the Equestrian Sports

   Hello everyone!
         So today was a really bad day. You guys probably don't know that I have juvenile arthritis. I have this in my wrists, my knees, my ankles, and it seems to be developing in my jaw and maybe my hips as well. The problem with this is that these are all joints you have to use when riding! Today it was very bad, and I had to leave school early. This of course means I have to miss my lesson. It's so frustrating, wanting to be able to do something so badly but not being able to physically. It sucks. A lot. But pitying myself never helps, and the only way to make it through this is to just push through it and keep smiling. Sometimes I feel like quitting everything, I feel like I can't do it. But as I'm sure all of you know, quitting horses is not that easy. You'll be having your worst day, and you feel like giving up on life, but then you get to the barn. All that changes. Horses make life worth it for me. If I didn't have horses, I would have nothing. They are my everything, and whether I can ride them or not, I could never give up on horses. As you guys know, I have dreams of being a top equitation rider, which of course seems next to impossible considering the circumstances. Maybe that's why I do it, because it seems so outrageous that if I can do it, I could prove something to everyone. But some days that seems to be an impossible task. I want this so bad. When you want something this bad, you can't let anything get in your way, even your own body!
     I wanted to write a blog on how I cope with my JIA. Maybe some other people here suffer from the same kind of problems, and I would love to help. I have had arthritis since I was 8 years old, so I know a few tricks for getting through the bad times. Here is Annie M's guide to surviving joint problems while riding!
1. Ride stirrupless! The best way to avoid pain caused by stirrups is not to use them! This is also great for building leg muscles, which will improve your equitation. It's killing two bird with one stone. In the beginning it seems so hard to do, but once your leg muscles build up it's a piece of cake and kind of fun too! Even if you don't have arthritis, I highly recommend trying some stirrupless riding here and there.

2. Ride in special stirrups designed to absorb shock and prevent joint pain. There are so many different types of stirrups out there on the market, there is definitely a pair that will work for you. Some attributes in a stirrup  that will relieve joint pain that you should look for are

            - Jointed stirrups

            -Twist top stirrups

            -Wide tread

  I won't get into the function of each of these attributes, but I may write another blog about stirrups only. Personally, I ride in tekna stirrups (knockoff Royal Riders :P). 

These are black composite stirrups with wide tread and a little bit of flex. I recommend trying out several different types of stirrups before choosing, because different stirrups work for different people.

 3. Wrap the problem joints and keep them warm/cold. For me, warmth helps my joints, but this will differ between people. Wrapping your problem joints will offer some support. You can use tensor bandages, specially made wraps/braces, or anything that provides support and isn't too bulky for riding. Since where I live it is very cold, this causes major problems in the winter. So sometimes I get a bit creative in finding solutions. First I took some hot packs and applied them to my knees. This solved my warmth problem. Then I took polo wraps and wrapped them around the hot packs and my knees, holding the hot packs on and supporting my joints! 

 Here you can see my slight ghetto solution in action. I'm so classy with my white polos. Do what works for you, and don't let anyone make fun of you if it works! My coach thought I was crazy, but hey! I rode well and not in pain that lesson!

   I'm sorry if I just bored all of those who don't suffer from joint problems (lucky!) but I hope I helped out a few who do. Also sorry for the rant at the top, it feels good to let it all out though. So thankyouthankyouthankyou everyone who has read this far! You are amazing and remember to never let anything stop you in achieving your dreams. Thank you all for reading, and have a fantabulous day!

Annie