♣Ambitious♣

  Fuego's second show was back at the start of February. Lots has happened since then . . .

 

I hemmed and hawed again about what to do with goals in 2023. Much of 2021 and 2022 was spent figuring out life post-academia. In starting work full-time, I learned quickly that I'm very goal and task-oriented. I love a good checklist. To the point where I'm very upset with myself when I don't check off enough tasks within a day, even if a significant portion of those tasks were unreasonable to accomplish within a single day. Do you see where this is going? Populating this post with some of Eggo's best moments Not to get to into it, but it's looking more and more like I might have ADHD. It would explain . . . a lot. So my first thing to tackle in 2023 is going to the doctor. Beyond that, I need new glasses, my asthma has continued to act up, and I'd like to see if a nutritionist could help me better develop my vegetarian diet. I just recently learned what a "complete protein" is, and I'm enthralled. There's a lot of lifestyle items that need wo

Fergus didn't get the memo.

Favorite Show Picture Favorite Non Show Picture Favorite Thing You Bought Boots! Even though they put me through hell! Favorite Moment on Horseback Favorite Moment out of the Saddle I don't have any pictures, but . . . the drunken walk from brunch to the Longines Arena . . . 10/10 would recommend. Favorite "Between The Ears" Picture Y'all know the drill. Favorite Horse Book or Article Identifying and Understanding Saddle Panel Options from Trumbull Mountain Tack Shop. This article was a game changer for me in understanding saddle fit and helped me get back on course to find the right fit. It's older and better viewed on mobile. Favorite horse ridden (or groomed/cared for) aside from your own I've ridden a lot more horses this year than I've posted about. Someday, I'll share those updates. Favorite funny picture of your horse Why the long face? Favorite fence that you successfully jumped or movement that you conquered First and second favorite. That ju

So . . . I bought the wrong saddle. But it's not my fault! I specifically asked the seller if it was the high wither version of the T8 saddle. She said yes, and the panels did have a drop to them. Like, I literally went back and forth between her pictures and Thorowgoods, and they looked identical. So I pulled the trigger. Unfortunately, it was the medium wither, boo! It nearly went back on the market immediately until I started to compare it to the Circuit saddle my trainer originally had me in on Fuego. Y'all, just putting these things on my flat saddle rack . . . there was a huge difference in how they sat. The Thorowgood sat much higher and had significantly more clearance than the Circuit. That's not to say that the Thorowgood is better than the Circuit (tbh it was quite the opposite), but these are both "average" saddles in that they're medium tree, medium wither, average back, and yet they fit completely different. This echoes what I was saying in my la

I was a little hesitant going into my lesson last weekend only because I wasn't sure where my endurance would be. The fatigue was a bit on and off. I was happy to share the lesson. It meant more breaks for me. Fuego had a lesson earlier in the morning, so my warmup was a quick WTC. He was a bit spicy with the kid, which made sense since Trainer T was trying a new gut supplement. Good chance that his tummy was a little upset. Hopefully, this supplement makes a difference. When I got on him, I took a long walk break. The tension was palpable. He was weirdly reactive to things happening outside of the ring. My legs also meant pretty much nothing, and he generally didn't want to bend his body at all. I can manage tension as long as he remains generally workmanlike. When he's nervous but still dialed into what I'm asking, that's all I can hope for. At that point, it's on me to create a positive experience. I'm hoping this continued process will help us out when h