Update

Hey EL! So the last time I posted was in April and the last time I even said anything about me and my life with horses was in February, so today you guys will get an update!

FFA

I was on an FFA horse judging team with my three best friends and another girl. Our team got in the top ten at Regionals so we were qualified for state. State Convention would have been this April but was sadly canceled along with Nationals due to COVID-19. So it’s really sad because they are just gonna start all over so even the people who qualified for state will have to start over and not be able to go to state which stinks. Plus the other girl on our team was graduating this year so can’t come back on the team, so this was literally her first and last chance to go to state and it’s gone. If I end up doing FFA this school year again (which I’m still contemplating) I hope our team will possibly qualify for state again.

Vet Clinic

In late January I went to a vet clinic with some friends. It was mostly just first aid, diet, istering medication and IM injections, vital signs, bandaging, and some farrier tips. It was a really great clinic and I enjoyed it immensely!

Work

If anyone read my icebreaker you’d probably know that I work at an English Dressage stable every week. Well I can’t go to work right now since my parents don’t want me at a busy stable especially since my younger brother is immune compromised and they don’t want him to risk getting COVID, which I totally understand. So I haven’t been able to have jumping lessons or work.

Romeo + First Fall

On May 5th, I started leasing a sweet little pony named Romeo. Romeo is a 13hh pony whose breed is unknown but he’s around 18 y/o. He is located at my next door neighbor’s so I go over there to see him like every two days and I ride him on Wednesday’s and Fridays. I also clean paddocks at my neighbor’s in exchange for an extra ride without paying extra. I’m going to teach him how to bow, and the figure eight with jump pattern! Yesterday I rode him bareback and I decided to ask him to lope but instead of loping he started bucking and I soared over his neck while ran off to eat grass on the side of the arena :unamused: . Once got back on I made him lope without any issues so maybe he just felt free and excited so he bucked :joy: . I did notice that he had been acting a little off when I picked his feet so I’m hoping he doesn’t have thrush or something. So out of my almost seven years of riding I fell off for the first time, I’m kind of happy it happened though because I got it over and done with and know what to ‘expect’ lol. Just a little sore but otherwise we are all good :ok_hand: 🏻.

Sad News

On May 5th, 2020, one of my best friend’s horses ed away. Her name was Indie and it was due to kidney failure. Indie was a 19 y/o palomino Quarter Horse Mare who literally had a heart of gold. My friend bought her on April 19th of 2019 from a horse trader so she only had her for a little over a year. I literally started crying when my friend texted me the news so I can’t imagine how she and her family feel right now. So please pray for her family and her other horse, Tonto as he was very close to Indie as well. We all had a lot of fun memories on that horse and we will all miss her :two_hearts: My other friends and I are putting together a photo album of Indie as well as ordering a blown up picture of Indie on canvas that my friend can have in memory of her. RIP Indian Summer :herb:

Willow

On 5/6/20 my best friend and I started training our neighbor’s new rescue horse, Willow. Willow is around 17 y/o, is 14hh, and my guess is that she’s Arabian or at last least part Arabian. When we first started working on her I was very surprised, I was expecting more of a skittish horse since they knew nothing about her background. We worked on lunging, stretching (to help with her swayback), putting weight on her back, and desensitizing :) Willow’s owner actually broke her collar bone, arm, and multiple ribs and her daughter isn’t very confident around horses and lets them push her around. So we will be teaching her daughter how to handle them better and just gain more confidence. We gave the daughter some “homework” to do over the week until we come again next Wednesday. I also really want them to bond more! But I’m super excited to see where we get these two!

That was my update! I hope you enjoyed it and found it interesting :joy: :two_hearts:

~Dream