Day 6 - All the tack and riding clothes you have

Ugh. Who would honestly want to catalogue all their stuff? I don't even have that much!

Anyway.

Saddles
Dressage - KN Ouverture Victoriana
Jump - Riviera Jump

Bridles
No Bit Bridle (hardly ever used now)
Collegiate Hanoverian with flash for dressage.
Collegiate figure 8 for jumping.
Also my pearl and diamanté dressage show browband.

Also a few saddle cloths, a 5 point breast plate, Bell boots etc etc no one really cares anyway lol.

For me I have about 4 or 5 pairs of jods, two pairs gloves (one schooling which are black, a white pair for show), show stock which is lovely, my very well worn Ariat Bromount H20 tall boots (I need a new pair for show), blah blah blah.

I don't have an excessive amount if tack compared to some of you!

Day 5 - Your First Fall

I don't actually remember my first fall. I have a terrible memory and I fell off Wombat easily hundreds of times (to be expected, I didn't use a saddle very often and didn't worry about not jumping because of lack of saddle).

So I shall tell you a funny story about my sister Erin's first fall off a horse.

Now Erin is the middle sister - I am the eldest, and Natalie (who is SUPPOSED to co-author this blog but has no interest) is the youngest sister and shares my horsey obsession. Erin, however, does not. But when Erin and I were tiny little girls we both had the pony bug, as you do. One day our parents took us to the local 'hire-a-horse' style riding facility and took Erin and I on lead line pony rides.

I was having the time of my life, on a horse where I honestly felt like I belonged. Erin was not feeling as comfortable as I and her pony bolted, pulling the lead out of my father's (possible mothers?) hand. Of course, she toppled off, cried and was hurt, cutting my glorious pony ride very short. :(

When we returned home I was NOT pleased. Erin was being tended to by both my parents, as she really had hurt herself and had been winded. I felt jipped - I wanted to ride that pony and just because Erin had been scared and spooked her pony I had to get off and come home.

I devised a plan - I would show my parents! Erin wasn't hurt that bad - I would show them what a hurt daughter looked like!

I climbed to the top of the cubby house slide. I carelessly threw myself to the ground, hoping to at least break something. I did not however hurt myself at all, but I screamed and cried like I had. I cried and cried and cried and peeked out of the corner of my eye to check if they were watching and then cried some more.

Nope. Not even a face at the back window. Nothing! I got up, stormed inside and was ready to give them a piece of my mind. I could have died! And they didn't care at all!!

I think you know how this ends - I was sent to my room for being a brat and Erin continued to get the sympathy.

I never forgave her for that. How selfish!

Day 4 - A Ride That Impacted Your Life

Gosh! This is a hard one...

I was 12 years old when my mother took me looking at horses to buy for a friend of a friend who had a son who was at about the same level as me. I was allowed to look after and ride the horse until Christmas, when the horse would then be given to the other kid (or so gullible 12 year old me thought).

After trying quite a few horses, we went to a dealer's yard to try a grey arab x welsh pony called Wombat. When we pulled into the driveway the horse had his head over the gate and I thought he was the most regal, stunning creature I had ever seen in my entire life.

I had fallen in love right then and there. But the ride on him changed my life forever. I had been a nervous rider, having only ever ridden in lessons and the occasional supervised trail ride at walk only. This pony though, I felt 100% comfortable from the second I was boosted onto his back. I walked and trotted around a little round yard for a while, loving his willingness to do what I wanted and to go where I wanted.

Now, this round yard was in a paddock that backed onto a train track. When I heard a train coming I felt my nervousness return - I wanted to jump off but I didn't have the time before the train was almost going past us anyway. I was worried the horse would spook and that I would fall off, but the horse continued as if the train was not even there. Those few seconds changed me as a rider - I wanted this horse, for as much time as possible. He was the one for me for the next few months, anyway.

After the ride I was standing with the horse patting him while my mother and her friend whispered to the dealer. I was happy, as I was about to have a pony of my own for a little while.

My mother's original plan was to tell me on Christmas Day that Wombat was my pony as a surprise, but she didn't have the heart to keep it from me. She told me in the car ride home in between me jabbar jawing "Wombat this... Wombat that... Isn't he the most beautiful horse you have ever seen? Wasn't he brave with the train? Wombat Wombat Wombat!".

Obviously not 12-year-old Lisa.

I was stunned into silence, then I am sure I screamed and cried and yelled all the way home. Then once I was home, I proceeded to call every person I knew to tell them I had a pony of my own - forever.

This, dear readers, is what we like to call in Australia a 'bogan'. Note safe footwear and top notch helmet.

That horse gave me everything. His hooves were the hooves I learned to trim on. He was the rock I needed to survive a broken family when my parents divorced, relentless bullying at school, first, second, third and fourth boyfriends and the first three's associated break ups, you name it. That first ride on him changed my life, and me, into the sound, happy, well rounded, healthy self-esteemed person that I am today. I can never repay him and I often dream of seeing him again in another life.

Day 3 - Your Best Riding

This is a hard one to write about for me. My 'best' riding happens in snippets - like recently when I was trotting Allie along the side of the road, we had a little argument over going left or right around a tree. At the very last second we had to slam the breaks on and it was quite violent. Right after we continued on and I looked down at my left stirrup - the leather had twisted. In that split second I must have lost my stirrup and got it back again all without noticing. Oops!

I'm quite good at ignoring bucks and pigroots and little bobbles like that when training, keep the aid on and release it when the correct answer is given. I'm also good at keeping my fear or nervousness to myself and ride through it. I think I'm quite good with young or nervous horses because of this.

Most of my best riding happens during my lessons with Ann. I LOVE having lessons with her. I love how my horse feels. :)

Day 2 - Your Current Riding Goals

January 2013 - my current riding goals are to get Allie fit enough over the next couple of months to send her off to be started over fences in March. Hopefully attending a dressage comp or two along with dressage lessons every 3 weeks or so.

Basically, I just need to get this year started off right. :)

Day 1 - When and Why You Started Riding

First time I had ever sat on a horse bareback. Don't ask me who the horse was, I have no idea!

The why - I was a horse mad kid. My mother remembers when I was just a baby how sometimes when I cried she couldn't console me and the only thing that calmed me down was plonking me in front of the TV when the horse racing was on. I used to tie rope to the handlebars of my bike to use as reins and rode around the backyard (often loosing control and falling off!). There were horses for a while in the paddock at the end of my street that Dad used to take us to visit. I lived for those moments when I could touch their noses and feed them long green grass over the fence. I had thousands of pictures of horses cut out of magazines that I kept like they were gold pieces. My horse posters were my pride and joy.

I'm sure you are all familiar with this story - it is probably much like your own!

The when - I was 9 years old when my mum finally forked out for riding lessons. I remember the night before my first lesson I was so excited - Mum was busy using the sewing machine to sew some old track pants into riding pants for me. Along with the daggy trackies, I had a bike helmet, black shoes with laces and a fluro pink and green rash shirt to wear while riding. I was jealous of the girls with dirty cream jodphurs, boots and proper white (ugly!) riding helmets.

I had lessons every second Saturday for maybe a year or two I think. There was a long time (to baby me) where I didn't have lessons at all before I finally got a pony.

But that is a story to be told another day. :)

New Year Equestrian Challenge

Borrowed this from K.K at Good Time to Review.

Day 01- When and why you started riding
Day 02- Your current riding goals
Day 03- Your Best Riding
Day 04- A ride that impacted your life
Day 05- Your first fall
Day 06- All the tack and riding clothes you have (brand/color/other details)
Day 07- Your favorite ribbon won at a show and why
Day 08- A little about the barn/stable you ride at
Day 09- Any injuries that occurred from riding
Day 10- How your family/friends feel about your riding
Day 11- Find a horse for sale online that you would want to buy
Day 12- Favorite horse color
Day 13- Most Embarrassing moment
Day 14- Your dream barn/farm
Day 15- If you could speak to any horse, dead or alive, what would you say?
Day 16- Your most recent fall
Day 17- Your equestrian idol
Day 18- Your grooming routine
Day 19- A discipline you would like to do that you’ve never done before
Day 20- Your favorite horse show
Day 21- Your perfect schooling outfit
Day 22- The importance of riding in your life
Day 23- Picture of your favorite jump/combo
Day 24- Your best riding friend
Day 25- Your dream trailer
Day 26- Biggest riding pet peeve
Day 27- You know your an equestrian when….. (Give 5 original ones)
Day 28- Helmet or no helmet?
Day 29- A style/trend in tack/riding apparel that you don’t like
Day 30- Your Future With Horses