♣Ambitious♣

Ugh, love being in focus Song: "Tonic Water" by Moglii ft. Novaa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi22frfHuz8

I had decided a while ago that I wasn't planning on showing this academic year. Studio, work (i.e. commuting), grad school applications, fraternity matters, and even this blog take up a decent amount of my time. Actually, not a decent amount. They take up all my time. Every second. Nothing left over at this point. But then, at my first lesson back, Coach S asked if I was showing this semester. I said no, to which she replied, "But you're showing next semester, right?" Cue panic. We had a practice show coming up on September 16, so she recommended that I sign up for it. I wasn't sure what the format would be, but it ended up basically being a regular IHSA show but with divisions instead of individual classes. She also added a test for each division since this show was entirely flat classes. My draws were Ed, Kodi, and Murry. Kodi and Murry I've ridden before, but Ed was new, and he was my first ride. I was holding him for most of the day as well...

Now that we've officially hit the first day of fall, I thought it would be the perfect time to share some of my favorites for the season. We all know that I hate winter, the cold, and anything having to do with snow. Fall is usually the time where I start to get ready for the impeding suffering, so here are some things that help make the shift a little bit easier. 1. Pumpkin Spice Lattes Yes, friends, I am that girl who will wait in a line of any length, credit card ready, to get my goblet of pumpkin coffee. I pair it either with a pumpkin muffin or a buttered croissant for a quick snack before I head to the barn. If you're not a fan of the taste, get a Starbucks gift card for a friend because I know you have one that likes pumpkin spice. We all do. Firs Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season! 2. Pumpkin Spice Fly Spray Since climate change is forcing warm weather well into November, pumpkin spice fly spray keeps the bugs at bay (lol horse joke) while also giving a nice s...

Who else hated this 13 month drought as much as I did? By some miracle of god, my schedule managed to work itself into something doable this semester. I cut back to 12 credits, which was only possible since I front loaded so many classes freshman and sophomore year. I'm working eight hours a week, which is less than I wanted, but it's also a three hour round trip commute . . . gotta love the DMV. Lessons are on Tuesdays this semester, and we get three practice rides per semester too, which is, as the kids say, lit. I'll probably use those rides to do polework and other assorted riding things that I've missed. No, hip stretches do not fall in the "things that I've missed" category, but I'll do them for my sake. The first ride back was fairly uneventful. The most exciting part was just my ridiculous Instagram story. Coach S put me on Leia, which was surprising but appropriate. Fun fact: when you only go to the barn a handful of tim...

Hopping back into 2017 for a moment to address what the heck happened with Vodka. While Roman was basically on vacation at the end of August, Vodka was a different situation. I was only on him for about a month, but I saw major improvements in the quality of his gaits, softness, and consistency. "Treat lady, come back" Tack definitely made a difference in how he went. He had been ridden in a poorly fit saddle for quite some time prior to me even trying him out. During said trial, he crow hopped and kicked out going into the canter, expecting a saddle to pinch his withers. While I swapped between the Dressage and close contact saddles, I still noticed that he was much more comfortable in the Dressage saddle. At one point, I even tried out a different girth because he was just a touch too opinionated with the anatomical one. A lot better than where we started Conclusion: sensitive horse does better when you consider his sensitivities. Vodka was like Roman in that ...

Yeah, this again. Completely missed the last quarterly review, but meh it would have basically been the same as this. Before we get to the categories, some highlights: Competed for the first time in forever Went through the whole leasing debacle Spent the summer with the war horse And went to my first Dressage show with him Added another horse to my regime for all of no logical reason Almost died Went to an event for the first time and saw Boyd Martin And onto the goals: Improve my equitation: I mean, with Miss El screaming at me to bring my shoulders back all the time, I guess my equitation had to improve at some point. Continue to open hip joint and soften ankle: Yes, actually. Sitting trot got pretty good. Strengthen my right side & continue to improve balance: Also yes, but I've been having trouble lately due to not working out as often. Can't wait to see how bad it is when I ride a horse again. Exercise 5 times per week: Was ...