Blog Hop: 25 Questions

Thanks to the$900facebookpony and many, many more who jumped on the blog hop wagon, we have another good blog hop going on!  I love how Instagram has these templates but often I don’t read fast enough, my phone goes dark too quick, or I just miss what people write.

One time I responded to a different person about one of them because it had jumped from one person to another without me knowing it. So yeah…this is much better. You have time to savor the reading and I have loved everyone’s blog hop posts so far! Mine will probably not be as indepth or insightful as some but here we go!

1. Why horses? Why not a sane sport, like soccer or softball or curling? Something my dad often asked me as a kid and to this day he still asks. I suck at throwing and hitting things (except kicking and punching bags I do like that). I have no coordination on my own two feet, and I get bored with team sports. However, horses are a total different experience! 
2. What was your riding “career” like as a kid? Started riding at 10 at a lesson barn and stayed there through college. Showed in all sorts of disciplines (Morgans, Arabians, local hunter circuit, you name it). Took my Morgan gelding to college with me for one year but then leased him to a friend at home at the same barn. 
3. If you could go back to your past and buy ONE horse, which would it be? I bought a lot of horses off and on through the years.  This is a tough one.  None of them were that great honestly some of the horses I bought.  I don’t really know of one I  would go back and buy. (I mean I would go back and buy my friend’s Morgan mare but she would have killed me first before selling her HA).
4. What disciplines have you participated in? Morgan (western, huntseat, saddle seat and driving), Arabian (western and hunt seat), local shows (hunter, western pleasure, gymkhanas, you name it). I jogged Standardbreds in college for a summer for a summer job that was fun. I helped with Chincoteague ponies at a Christmas Parade once does that count as a discipline (Talk about herding cats try ponies!).
5. What disciplines do you want to participate in some day? Combined driving maybe? I would need money first, a good horse, a good carriage and so on 🙂
6. Have you ever bought a horse at auction or from a rescue? OMG have I? Regrets I have a few. Remember Amanda’s ghetto auction? Yeah it got me too a few times! I also bought a GORGEOUS well-bred Morgan mare at the DuPont sale back in the 90’s.
7. What was your FIRST favorite horse breed – the one you loved most as a kid? Morgan Horse of Course. 
8. If you could live and ride in any country in the world, where would it be? Would love to hack out where my husband’s parents live in Essex outside of London. People walk by all the time there on their horses. I guess I would have to actually go back there to do this? I DO NOT WANT TO LIVE THERE. Just ride. Prefer USA thank you.
9. Do you have any horse-related regrets? I regret it took me so long to find Remus. 
10. If you could ride with any trainer in the world, ASIDE from your current trainer, who would it be? I am not really a trainer person. I would love to ride with Sally again and Emily too. I am pretty down to earth on this. Any professional would do at this point 🙂 Riding with a trainer/instructor again would be very nice!
11. What is one item on your horse-related bucket list? Would love to get semi-competent with riding again (who knew I was actually doing pretty good up in the Northeast, riding, competing, and taking lessons)!
12. If you were never able to ride again, would you still have horses? I am sure I would as long as I still had a barn in my back yard!
13. What is your “biggest fantasy” riding goal? Actually riding more right now is a fantasy! 
14. What horse do you feel like has taught you the most? Pasha, my first horse and the Morgan who started it all, taught me to laugh at myself once in awhile and not take life so seriously. If I didn’t do this, he usually dumped me.  And Remus for making me realize I can do the things (albeit slowly, carefully, and by choice)!
15. If you could change one thing about your current horse/riding situation, what would it be? A ring or arena! Or a horse farm near by with an arena! Oh and could for the love of all it just dry up for a bit so I can fix the paddock area. It has rained so much in the last 12 hours it is a sheet of mud AGAIN. Sigh
16. If you could compete at any horse show/venue in your home country, where would it be? I am with Emily (May as Well Event )on this one: Kentucky Horse Park. Hey at least it is closer to me now!
17. If you could attend any competition in the world as a spectator, what would be your top choice? I am planning on NOT-ROLEX next year! (I can never remember its real name). Otherwise would love to go to AECs one year when someone I know is actually competing. I think it would be fun to cheer friends on.
18. Have you ever thought about quitting horses? I did take a break when I was younger. My husband would probably love for me to quit. But not planning on it right now. 
19. If you could snap your fingers and change one thing about the horse industry, what would it be? Less horse abuse…saw a lot of this growing up showing Morgans and Arabians (ginger anyone? ugh) and also just basic horse abuse where they are not taken care of correctly (poor food, no shelter that thing). 😦
20. What’s the dumbest horse-related thing you’ve done that actually turned out pretty well? Um, buying a Morgan yearling colt when you were just 12 years old yourself (I blame my parents and sister on this one).  It worked out okay. 
21. As you get older, what are you becoming more and more afraid of? Falling and hurting myself.  I am not agile at all now!
22. What horse-related book impacted you the most? Like others I loved National Velvet as a kid, I read all the Black Stallion books too. BUT MY TWO VERY FAVORITE books of all time are The Monday Horses(If you never read it try to find a copy. It really does show you how showing can be great (and awful) at the same time) and the Horsemasters (it was a Disney movie but find the book if you never read it it is out of print. I have a beat up copy here somewhere. It really shows you how the horsemaster program in UK was done back in the day).
23. What personality trait do you value most in a horse and which do you dislike the most? Like: Laid back is a plus (hi, Remus), easy going, not spooky (most of the time).  Dislike: Cribbing, biting, kicking, rearing, being a hog of personal space, and general flightiness.
24. What do you love most about your discipline? The people who event are usually the nicest people you meet. They don’t seem to judge you (Or if they do they at least don’t say it to your face) if you are riding a fat QH and they are always willing to help out. I also love the thrill of going to an event, pulling into the venue makes me want to puke (but in a good way) :)!
25. What are you focused on improving the most, at the moment?RIDING THE DAMN HORSE MORE. Once we get a system set up, Remus and I need to improve our fitness and get some jumping done (and a dash of dressage wouldn’t hurt. I need elbows in, head up, sit up, don’t look down and so on….)