Haiku Farm Blog Hop

New-to-me blog Haiku Farm has posted a lovely getting-to-know-you style blog hop! This is also an excuse to show off all of the pretty photos that one of the barn moms took of me and Leo a couple weeks back without turning the post into a complete photo dump.  :P

Introduce yourself!

My name is Kaity, and I am a 20-something person currently living in central Missouri.  I have a master's in cognition and neuroscience, a PhD program drop-out, and currently work as an advocate for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault - and work at the barn where Leo lives in my 'free' time.  (currently I am the Interim Barn Manager, while our regular BM is out with an injury).  I have a cat, a dog plus two more that belong to my boyfriend, B, and an assortment of aquarium-dwelling fish.  I enjoy reading (specifically young adult novels), writing (someday I'll write my own young adult novel), watching nerdy TV shows, travelling, and sleeping.

What's your favorite horse sport? Do you cross train in other activities?

I have a pretty solid background in hunters, but having begun actively showing this past year, I can say pretty definitely that it is not my thing.  No thank you.  I intend to begin eventing competitively in the spring, if Leo is up for it.  I successfully completed my first ever event (yes, it was a Mini-event, but it still counts!) in October of this year, and it was the most fun that I have ever had at a horse show.  Most of my work with Leo right now focuses on dressage themes, with some jumping sprinkled in.  If I had a trailer of my own, I would definitely add more cross training ( esp trail riding!!!) to our repertoire.

Cross country schooling with Sherlock, March(ish) 2016

Who else in your family rides?

I've gotten both of my parents on horses at various points in time throughout my life.  Typically it's my dad - he's the one who always good-naturedly tagged along on the vacation trail rides that I occasionally was able to talk my parents into growing up - but the last two times that my parents have come out to visit, I've gotten them on horses.

In other words, just me.  Although I have high hopes for my horsie-obsessed niece!!

Niece and her Leo - the giant stuffed pony I got her for her 2nd birthday!

What's your proudest equestrian accomplishment?

Ribboning at that Mini-Event was pretty legit, not gonna lie.  Also, every time my horse surprises me in a jumping lesson by doing something brave.

It was so warm!

What is your lowest moment as a horse owner/rider?

 When I made the decision to send my trial horse back.  He was such an amazing horse...and he needed so much medical attention that I simply couldn't afford - and he was not fit to do the job that I wanted him to do.  It broke my heart to let him go. And honestly I am tearing up writing about it.

What's the most important small thing you have ever learned in a lesson?

That one time that Trainer K and I realized that if I shifted my weight forward to sit more on my pelvic bones than my seat bones, my legs would magically do the things they need to do!

Do you have any riding rituals or superstitions?

I always check that horse's boots like 3-4 times - the whole boot thing is relatively new to me, and I'm super paranoid about putting them on wrong.  At shows it gets a little more intense - like when I change into my show clothes, which clothes I wear, which socks I wear...for a while, I even had a specific bra that I had to wear because reasons.  And now that I have my awesome bridle charm from Straight Shot Metal, it must be on the bridle when showing.  

Necessary.

What are your short term goals for yourself/your horse?

I would like to be able to canter quietly.  I would like to master leg-yielding.  I would like to have a horse as relaxed during flat work as he is at the end of jumping lessons.  I would like to feel comfortable enough at the canter to canter bareback - we just this week have mastered bareback trotting.  And always, the ever-present goal of a lowered head.

Long term goals?

I really, really would like for Leo and I to complete a BN event by the end of the 2017 season.  That, I think, would be the point that determines future goals.  (I'm assuming that we can make it through an event at the starter level, knock on wood)

If time and money were no object, what is your dream equestrian vacation?

Basically this.  I lived in Wales for 6 months back in 2005.  I cannot wait to go back.

Leo wants to go, too.

What kind of horse activities were you doing 10 years ago?

There was a point in high school where my long-suffering parents needed a break from the horse-daughter life.  It was expensive, it required a large time commitment, and I was pretty involved in a lot of things during my high school career.  I was also struggling with some mental health issues, and was in a toxic on-and-off relationship.  I believe that around 10 years ago is when the first horse hiatus began.  Parents have since expressed regret for this, which I deeply appreciate, but at the same time, I understand.  I was not riding at a barn like CEC.  I firmly believe that if I had been riding at a barn back then like the one I have now, where it truly is like a giant family, things would have been very different in all aspects of my horsey life.  

What kind of horse activities do you think you'll be doing 10 years from now?

Leo will be 20 in 10 years.  20!!!  Hopefully at that age he will have chilled out enough to be teaching my future spawn the joys of all things horse.  B and I have plans and dreams for a hobby farm, and horses at home.  I hope that I will still be eventing, theoretically at a legit level.  As long as horses are a part of my life, I know that I'll be happy.

What is the quirk about your horse that you like the most?

Leo is really, really vocal.  When he had a stall, he would nicker every time that I walked by, or whenever his horsey friends were led by.  Now that he's in the pasture, he still nickers at me when I walk by (if he's paying attention and up by the gate), or if I'm walking out to get him and call for him, he'll whinny for me and come running.  It melts my heart every single time.

P.S.

MY SADDLE CAME!!!! AND IT FITS!!!!!  Photographic evidence to come soon.