july 10 questions

So L Williams is basically the reigning queen of blog hops, and used to do these monthly "10 Questions" posts, well, every month. But it's been a while. She recently busted out the topic again for July, and I couldn't be happier to hop aboard with my own answers. You should play along too!


1. Do you actually always pick the horse's feet? Always? Really? My answer for this would totally unequivocally be YES. Except. Um. Yea I also totally just absent-mindedly forget sometimes. Like right before our 6-8mile ride the other day. Whoops!


2. What is the biggest obstacle/reason preventing you from becoming a professional or competing full time with ease? I can't compete full time with ease bc my "full time" designation is already claimed by other obligations. Y'all know what I mean.

The biggest obstacle to being a professional? Well. There are many. I'd be happiest as a professional if I could take a horse, work with it, and send it off as a better, improved creature. Call me delusional if you want, but I think I can already achieve that with most horses to at least a minor degree. Alas - such a minor degree that nobody would really pay for it. So... yea, would probably need to be better (WAY better) at that before assuming the mantle of 'professional.'

this horse is a better and improved creature for the time we spent together

3. Do you think it will ever not be about the money? Can I pull a Clinton here and say it depends on what the definition of "it" is? In some ways, horses are not at all about the money to me. They have never been about the money for me. I will always find a way.

In other ways tho, it's obviously foolish to pretend like money isn't a factor in the horse world. 'Nuff said.


4. Was there ever a horse that you loved and really wanted to have a connection with, but it just never panned out? So many. Ohhh so many. As someone who has only ever ridden schoolies and project horses, but never owned, my history is littered with missed opportunities, almosts-but-not-quites, and ones that got away.

life goals: get a horse like lad

Angel was a powerful, smart, nice moving paint mare who pretty much just didn't want the job and learned fast how to dismount her rider (mostly just me). I worked on her for a year bc I feared for her future should she flunk out of the program. But flunk she did....

Shrek was a green bean who probably got overfaced early in his education and I met him at my weakest stage as a rider (fresh off a 4 year hiatus) - and really didn't have the tuned up skills, feel, or timing to truly help him. Tho I desperately adored him and took it like a punch to the gut when he got bought up by another adult ammy... but he landed a great home with her.

Lance was pretty awesome to ride. But holy shit was he a terror on the ground. Like, big horse would GRAB YOU and shake you. He apparently had pretty high Lyme levels (maybe 18K? idk) and it made him crazy aggressive. I worked hard with him tho, getting him to ground tie for grooming and saddling etc without murdering me. While it mostly worked for me, it didn't translate to a nicer horse to handle and he got sent back to his owner (I hope!).

And. Well. Bali. I still miss him terribly :( Gosh and so many others too... Stormy, CJ, Willie.... The list basically never ends.

bali <3

5. What is one weakness in your riding that even your trainer doesn't pick up on, only you? Hm. This is tough. I ride with so many trainers that I'm fairly positive that between them all, I'm basically totally transparent in my weaknesses as a rider lol. It all essentially boils down to lacking trust and patience at the end of the day anyway.


6. What is the biggest doubt/insecurity you ask or tell yourself in your head? I generally feel like I mostly get by as a fluke or lucky coincidence.


7. There is a barn fire. You are the first person to discover it and see that the roof is collapsing in slowly, and you can tell it's going to come down any time. Do you call people first or head straight in to save the horses? Oooooh idk! I try to be a very rational person - and very time conscious. But I'm also perhaps very bleakly realistic (don't call my cynical tho!). So probably I would call in reinforcements rather than try to be the hero and do it all on my own.


8. What is one event in your riding career/horse/anything that you're still not over, even tho you might tell others you are? Breaking my god damn leg.

still not over this

9. If you could tell off one person you just don't like, what would you say? Hmmmmm. This question highlights my divergent behavior in disdaining all the catty rail birds... while also counting myself among them. So. Probably I don't need to spend any more time thinking about how I would tell someone off haha.

pretty accurately sums it up

10. Have you ever seen questionable riding or training practices, but let it go/ignored it? How do you feel about it in hindsight? I very often wish that I would/could say more than I do.

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What about you?