♣Ambitious♣

For Literature Friday. Happy Thanksgiving, guys. I find it funny how I thought that I would be able to stick to that diet of mine as the holiday season set in. Do you know how good ham is? Do you know how difficult it is to just stare at a glazed ham, with its pineapples and cherries, while your stomach grumbles and rumbles after having been basically starved for the past month? I want me some ham! my digestive system screamed, but I requested that it kindly hush for we were sharing what we were thankful for. “I’m thankful for my loving family,” said my aunt. Ironically, she had basically been exiled from the family for stealing the entirety of my grandfather’s fortune when he died, but, according to my dad, it was too soon to boot her out completely. I pitied her slightly, very slightly , but blame fell only on her. The focus was passed on to my brother. “I am thankful for the creators of Grand Theft Auto,” he joked, “And I’m thankful for my parents who have funded my...

Welp, I just had my last ride for this month on Wednesday. All I can say is . . . YES! OH GOD, YES! THANK YOU LORD JESUS CHRIST, YES! I don't think I've ever experienced such torturous leg pains ever before in my life. Even my bareback only lesson wasn't as difficult as riding with no stirrups. I guess this month did do some good, though. I've learned what and what not to squeeze with, and I built up a decent amount of core strength despite only having three rides the entire month. I also got my posting without stirrups down, which is something that I'm very happy about because I had the feeling that I was posting off of my stirrups rather than doing it the correct way. The canter is still iffy. The first ride this month was good, but the second and third were not as nice when it came to the canter. I rode by myself two weeks ago, and it was okay going to the right, but really bad going to the left. Throw that on top of the fact that Baby is very difficult on he...

This week's outfit, "Sweater Weather" 1. VANCL V Neck Premium Wool Sweater Beige SKU 80438     SOLD OUT 2. The Tailored Sportsman Trophy Hunter Front Zip     www.smartpakequine.com 3.  Heritage Performance Riding Gloves     www.heritagegloves.com 4. Ovation Flex Sport Field Boot     www.doversaddlery.com 5. More & More Blouse     www.zalando.co.uk 6. Dorothy Perkins Tan Blunt End Jeans Belt     www.dorothyperkins.com 7. Zara Basic Reversible Belt     www.zara.com And, that's this week's outfit. Looks comfy if you ask me. I was actually inspired to put it together after watching a rider at a George Morris clinic, and, as far as I know, she made it out alive, so I think it's fair to assume that this ensemble received the George Morris Seal of Approval.

Oh, you want it to be Fashion Fridays? Nope, sorry, Fridays are for literature. Since I am not of a mind to trust you all when dressing yourselves (the tomato . . .), I've decided to inspire your riding outfits in a direct manner. Every Thursday, I will post an outfit with a list of the items that compose it. Now, I'm not usually one to pay attention to price when I make my outfits; I simply use what I like, but if it's the look of the outfit that you like, you can very easily get that look for a whole lot less than the items that I use. T J Maxx and Marshalls remind us of this. Most of what I put together I would consider schooling outfits that you either wear for your lesson, or a simple ride, or to a show before you put on your show clothes, so just keep that in mind. Some of the groupings could work for a clinic, but I tend to use those Horze half chaps often, and they are not George Morris approved. First outfit. I call it "How Are Ya?" If...

Here is a short narrative for you. I was shaking again. "Relax," they all told me, again. They were my teammates, ya know, the people who push you when you don't want to be pushed. I could barely see into the temporary indoor arena, but I could hear the crowd. I could hear the delighted screams; I could feel the thundering claps moving the seats and the floor. How many of those thousands of people really knew who was riding that night? Wikipedia can only tell you so much. It tells you about achievements with some childhood facts thrown in, but it doesn't tell you who the person is. No Wikipedia page could tell you that I like to poke my horse's nose until she gets so annoyed with me that she is forced to play along. Granted, I don't have a Wikipedia page, but if I did have one, that wouldn't be on there. I couldn't really comprehend why the crowd seemed to love every rider so much. The only people who received boos were, well, no one. You could a...

It's the most miserable time of the year! Now go back and sing that line otherwise it's not funny. I started off No Stirrup November with a bang, if I must say. The leathers and irons came off on Monday and they're not going back on until December (honestly, I'm counting the days). I'm kind of glad to be rid of them; I bought my leather brand spanking new and they came to me marked unevenly. I haven't had a chance to put correct holes in them for jumping an flatwork, so they're been affecting my horizontal alignment. If you're confused, look at the photos from my last lesson. See how much I'm leaning to the left? That's what I'm talking about, and it's those little body shifts that easily throw your horse off balance. Anyway, with my stirrups gone I was not only more centered, but I was way more relaxed. It seems like everything except the rising trot and jumping are far easier to do without stirrups. I should do no-stirrup work mo...