Reading List

I feel like I used to post book reviews fairly regularly. The Kindle app assures me I still consistently read 80-90 books a year, but for the most part it's a long while between reads that are both equine relevant AND good enough to want to share. Realistically it might be a case of the book count being more of a testament to insomnia than anything.

I do, however, have a few I've meant to recommend this past year:

1.

I feel like I've owned this one in the past and it maybe got lost in a move. The good news is that it's still an excellent resource for the days when you're feeling uninspired. I like how it maps out the exercise for you, and also gives tips for how you should ride it and what you're hoping to accomplish. There are exercises for any level, but for the most part they're simple enough. But, let's be real, the 'simplest' ones are always the hardest! My chances of running out of things to practice from this book are very low. My one complaint is that my newer version is printed on cheaper paper and I wouldn't want to actually have it out at the barn with me anymore. I guess that's what cell phone cameras are for though, right?

Bonus mention: Anything else Jec Ballou is worth a look too - I have the Equine Fitness book, as well as the 55 Corrective Exercises for Horses and while there is a bit of crossover, I find them all useful.

2.

This one I picked up on a whim after a working equitation clinic. I was pretty fascinated by how fun and easy it is to jump in at an intro level on your well rounded ammy horse, but like all equine sports there is a lot to know if you want to really start to perfect things. I like how the obstacles provide a visual purpose for the patterns and flatwork and practical skills we all practice on our horses - adding them seems to be more fun for everyone. Also, the people involved always seem to be a really good crowd. If you're looking for something to try, I'd 200% recommend. 

Anyway, the book.  I really enjoyed this book - it's got a perfect mix of great photos and diagrams and a ton of inspiration for fun exercises to set up. I'm going to be referring back to this once it's time for the cob boys to be started under saddle. I think a lot of the exercises and tips in this book are going to make learning new skills a lot more fun for them. If you're interested in showing WE I feel like this book could be a goldmine of advice and how to's. Or if you're a dressage rider that wants to open the arena gate on horseback or cross bridges on the trail this could be for you :) It breaks down all the obstacles you'd expect to find into bite sized training pieces and would be a nice addition to your more dressage marketed exercise/training books.

3.

This is a great little book. I really enjoy how straightforward it is. The first 75 or so pages are dedicated to a (concise and well written) overview of preparation and knowledge for building and  utilizing the exercises in the book, then it's on to the exercises. I'm admittedly not one to sit down and read a bunch of pages filled with 151 diagrams of poles. I AM however, the person who gets to the barn and thinks "I should set something up!" and that's where this book will save me. Literally flip it open to a random page and there will be something there for me to try. Even better, each chapter is organized by how many poles are required, so I could be a little less chaotic and start where ever my motivation takes me. I appreciate the simple check boxes under the diagram that tell you what the exercise targets - "Straightness" "Impulsion" "Bend", etc and what gaits and movements you can practice. I think the one thing missing - for lazy people like me - might be to have the ability to cross reference those, so if I want to target straightness for example, I could be referred to a list of relevant pages.

4.

This one might not be of much interest if you have a saddle fitter (but really, I would still recommend, knowledge is power and all that). If you're like me and without reliable on the ground help, this book is wonderful and absolutely full of things I wish I knew years ago. The internet and saddle fitter social media pages have been a great resource for me, but as with all horse topics, 3 people will have 5 different opinions and without someone to bounce ideas off of, I'm left a bit confused sometimes. What I really needed was a book where everything is laid out logically by the same author, based on a single system that I can easily refer back to and cross reference elsewhere. I also appreciate having a really detailed base of knowledge (even just having the diagrams and correct words for things!) to refer back to so I can feel more comfortable asking any new questions that arise :) My only (small) critique is that while the illustrations are well done, I'm a real world example type person so this sometimes misses the mark a photo might have made for really easy reference for me.

To Do in 2025

I have some thoughts around goal setting these days. Lucky for you, Emma wrote an excellent post that sums it up beautifully and much more eloquently than I could have attempted. While I'm not one to write up a big plan for the year anymore, January still gives me the urge to get things in order. Whether that's tidying up my trailer and getting it ready for spring adventures, or using this space for bigger picture life organization.  

Where we're at:

If my equestrian life was a sports team I'd definitely say we're in the rebuilding/development phase. But, there's a lot of fun to be had in this space. Arguably the most fun, even.

no shortage of fun here

We all know the foundation of the big dreams is just a bunch of smaller building blocks, mixed with a good dose of enthusiasm and a dash of luck.  The building blocks are the most important part of the puzzle and where a lot of us will spend years of our time, but still it's tempting to downplay things... like "sorry my blog is boring, my young horses aren't riding age and I am only doing x,y,z this year." 

Thinking on the future:

The first step in hitting those big wins is confirming I still want them. I like to pause now and then and check in as to whether this path are still something I really want. It's easy enough to continue on and stick to the plan, but speaking from experience, my dedication will be lacking and the rewards won't be great if my heart isn't really in it anymore. So:

To Do #1: Write down what I hope to achieve this year and in the mid to long term. Commit to keeping an open mind and reevaluating things periodically. I'm guilty of setting vague goals and persisting well after things are fun or this beyond my control have changed potential outcomes - just so I can tell myself I completed all the measurable pieces in my control...often losing the important part (the qualitative 'enjoy and have fun!') in the process. 

This was a nice 2024 view, but not pictured was the absolute misery of hiking up here (and back down) in a crazy storm. Trees were literally falling around us and the trail was a waterfall. I thought we would die, so 1/10 for that effort, should have been sensible and gone to the gym (or even (gasp!) rerouted when the weather hit.)

To Do #1A: It has to stay fun. It's OK if there are low points or things get tough for a bit (hello December weather making me question why I even own horses), but if I'm dreading showing up on a regular basis, it's time for a redirect. My husband is great at questioning why I'm still stubbornly going down a path when he can see it's not one I'm finding rewarding. I should probably listen to him more, he's lived with me for 20 years at this point and probably has an idea of what he's talking about ;)

What I can do now:

My goals do change and are in a bit of flux right now, but the base motivation to just be out there having fun and learning new things is very consistent. I think I'd like to get back to lower level dressage and eventing once the boys are riding age, but I think the priority for me is to be a happy and confident rider on two happy and confident, fun all around, well adjusted ponies. Working backwards from that:

To Do #2: Keep giving the baby ponies positive life experiences. They're going to be 2 year olds this spring, so (fingers crossed, not seeing any signs of brain installation yet ;)  mentally and physically mature enough that we can probably go for longer hike and leads a little further from home and choose a couple of friendly clinics and events for them this summer. Building blocks for well adjusted ponies.

The ring sand is finished so I think in hand poles and obstacle courses could be in our immediate future too

To Do #3: I gotta pay for this stuff. Sit down and make an equine related financial plan/budget for the year. Cry if I have to. Top of mind is that my truck is well past needing replacing. I don't think it's needed this year, but 2026 me will be grateful for a nice amount of cash on hand for a new reliable tow vehicle. I've been borrowing G's truck when I need to hook up the trailer and while we make it work, it's not going to be a solution as the boys get older and I want to get out more regularly - G needs a truck too.

He needs his own truck for all the barn help I ask for ;)

 To Do #4: So cliche, but I need to keep consistently prioritizing taking care of myself. My mental health has honestly sucked this past year. I'm aware and I know the triggers and yet I just didn't do anything to help myself. Top of mind as far as gym/yoga/riding fitness - I'm still quite a bit weaker on my right side than my left. Some days that is just going to be life due to ongoing injury, but there is always room for improvement and I'd like the 'good day' baseline to be closer to symmetrical. Future happy confident rider is going to be a lot harder to maintain if the mental and physical pieces aren't ready.

This not-a-saddle at least helps me keep my balance monitored

To Do #5: This is the hardest one. I started removing what's not working for me in 2024. That included ending relationships with some people, stepping back from others, setting a whole lot of boundaries, and letting go of long term goals and thoughts about who and where I should be that weren't serving me well. I simply hit a point where I just couldn't continue as it was anymore. But, a blessing in disguise because it needed to happen. I still am feeling a bit fuzzy/guilty/sad because I hate conflict, I like making people happy, and a lot of things I thought were OK to accept...actually weren't. And oh yeah, I'm not a huge fan of change either. But, mostly I'm relieved because there's already so much more room to breathe and just be me, if you know what I mean? It's something I'm going to need to continue into 2025 and beyond, so bear with because I'm not great at it yet. 

Whew, that got personal.

I'm excited to see where 2025 takes us, and I'm looking forward to following along with all of you.

The Sun Came Out

 Sometimes, I feel like writing, but I don't know where to start. I know there's things I did and want to chat about or things I'd like to write about to be able to look back on.

A quick scroll through my phone camera roll usually provides the inspiration. And, wow is my camera roll ever a reflection of not only what I've been up to, but how I've been feeling. Case in point - this is all I had for the second half of December.

I mean, we all love a good poovalanche though, right?

So, we can deduce I delivered some manure to my parents' garden. Apparently there was nothing else even remotely worth documenting or more inspiring to me than a 5 sec video of poo :D

 Since, then, though, things seem to be on the upswing.

Heading in to my first office day of 2025 and there was a bit of a sunrise

Look! Sunshine is coming! This made me happy after months of grey and rain. It's a gorgeous trip when the weather cooperates. 

Since then, we've had almost a full week of the sun peeking through here and there. It's rained hard at night a few times, so the groundwater is not receding, but it feels like everyone just took a deep breath and is waking up and getting ready for spring.

Especially this one. My right middle finger was sprained a couple of weeks ago due to longe line shenanigans, and she regrets nothing. She'd try it (and did try it) again, in fact. Yes, I am aware that's poor pony behaviour, longeing is time to work, not play. But, did I mention the sun came out and we've all temporarily lost our minds? 

Let the pony out of the paddock, enjoy your wish for total chaos.

Speaking of chaos, the kittens are 8 months old now and prime chaos attractants. They were probably just as crazy a few months ago but now they're full size and it sounds like they're demolishing the house every night.

 This guy just turned 10, and influenced the kitten color scheme. My order for twins to him didn't pan out though, the kitten fluff didn't expand to luxury proportions like the OG Kitty. But in hindsight, 2 more of this guy would have been crazy, even for me.

In other fluffy creature news, the boys are already starting to shed. In true baby pony fashion, they're not ready for the feels of that and you've never met two itchier, muddier ponies in your entire life. They're malfunctioning right now.

For some reason, only Bakari pictures. He's been the most eager to get a good grooming so he goes first, and I guess by the time I do something with Sophie and finish with Reggie it's been too dark for photos.

This sunrise was crazy - no filter added

Nicer weather means time to pick up some hay

Unloading done under supervision, of course

Other than that, my saddle to try is still waiting in a foreign country. I didn't realize our post office isn't accepting international parcels, so I will need to be patient until they catch up to the backlog from a labour dispute prior to Christmas. 

The house has been progressing. I got seriously sidetracked over Christmas, building a custom kitchen cabinet that really I had no business attempting. It turned out great, but it took me literal days and wasn't what we might call an effective use of time. We're on hold now for one last visit from the plumber and electrician, and then I*think* the only outstanding thing will be tiling the kitchen backsplash and maybe picking out a dining room light, but obviously we can move in while we do that. This is the second full renovation I've done of this house and I'll go on record here saying I hope it's the last. Also, it's never getting rented again. We live in it or we sell it, that's it :)

Brighter Days Ahead

 Literally, as the days grow longer again. 

Figuratively too. I have all sorts of things I want to do or I want to write about here but the winter blahs were winning in a big way and creeping into pretty much every aspect of life. I'm not cut out for these winters - I think I simply need more sunshine and outdoor time (if I'm making a big ask of the universe, I'd love more riding time too). 

On that note, a new (to us) saddle is in the mail. Bareback pad is lovely but a bit of a safety concern this time of year when 'big field' turnout is limited and feral ponies rule the day. You'll have to look closely, but the blue pen line is 'now' and the cardboard cutout is what we used when ordering her saddle 18 months ago. It's slightly shocking since she was 7 and buying the fancy saddle for her then felt like it should have been a safe bet. (Also, no wonder she hated it after a few months.)

She's fuzzy but not overweight. Out of shape, yes, but I think an xw tree is legit where we are at now. Fingers crossed the new one is a good fit (or at least a reasonable starting point).

Sad times because I really, really loved that saddle (Amerigo Pasubio), but Sophie made her feelings known and I was aware it probably wasn't ever going to work for us again. Just for fun I measured my baby horses and at 20 months old they're wider than that (mw-w tree) saddle as well so it will likely need to go off to a new home.

Shiny Bakari. Sorry for the middle of the night photos, it's really like 8pm but our barn lights are kept low in respect of the neighbours.

Daytime Tradey naps

The nice thing about feeling a bit 'meh' this time of year is that we get a new one. My logical brain knows it's just a date on a calendar, but a big part of me embraces a reason to mentally draw a line under everything and start fresh. Endless possibilities, suddenly at my fingertips! Spring daylight feels like a tangible thing to look forward to again.

It rained this much between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day and of course we had no power Christmas Day. That about sums up this winter's weather, but it was a nice excuse to not have to cook anything!

I got him this new ditch for Christmas. I joke but he actually loves it. Tools with handles are his favorite so you can imagine how helpful he wanted to be with the raking and shoveling. Now he's low key old man horse watching the river flow by his cottage.

Two very helpful creatures. If you'd have asked me a few years ago I would have said geldings are not for me, partly because they turn everything into a chaotic game if you give them any leeway. Here I am in the future where stealing and dragging my manure fork away every time I turn my back is a hilarious game for them. Timewasters, and not only do I allow it, it makes me laugh.

If I was to only post everyday photos this is probably what you'd get 90% of the time. Tradey's actually respectful and polite, but he's also insatiably curious and friendly, so if you let him he'd be this close all day long. Buck is a bit more pushy/testy by nature so my personal bubble with him is a bit stricter. It's fine though because he's secretly my favorite :)

One last Dec 2024 Sophie picture. Onwards to 2025!