I think my greatest accomplishment since finishing college is riding my horse more consistently.
We haven't had a very consistent track record. She's gotten weeks, months, etc. off at odd times (but I believe that's why she's so willing...she's not bored with the work yet!) but now Sue and I ride at least three days a week, sometimes four.

Tuesdays are usually dressage-y, with a cross rail thrown in.
Wednesdays are usually trail rides, with a few little logs thrown in.
Thursdays are set up weird jump days...like this:

...Yikes.

Callie was brilliant today, though taking pictures always makes me hate myself for not being able to take lessons anymore.

We rode in the field out back & Callie was good to warm up, but then tried to bolt...I knew there had to be something BIG because Callie does not bolt. Well, Sue and I were talking about how it must be the train, and all of a sudden a deer came running out of the woods! He was beautiful, but the horses wanted nothing to do with him.

Once the deer issue was over, we rode to the trails out back and jumped some logs and took pictures. Both ponies were very good!

Disclaimer..I haven't taken a lesson in over two years. And the last jumping lesson? About three years ago. So...without further ado, here are some photos of our ride!

Callie and I had a lovely ride today!

I had bought her a new girth since hers is magically too big- size 42 for my little mare.

We hopped on, did some warm-up, and I schooled Callie for a little while at the trot and canter. I'd really like her to use her hind end more, so we're working on that. We then started doing some figure eights with Sue and Dart at the trot, and then Sue cantered some figure eights! Callie doesn't know lead swaps yet so we kept it simple and trotted through the lead changes, but she did really well for never having attempted it before and did the simple change very well! I was quite pleased with her willing attitude today.

We popped over a few fences, as well. My form is..lacking, to say the least. I am NOT the rider I used to be but I am trying to work on my form, with use of Sue watching me and taking photos that I can review later on. Today, though, I felt very "connected" and never once felt left behind. I could count the strides easily between jumps and Callie was very collected and calm, like she'd been jumping well her entire life.

Today's ride was certainly a confidence booster. I felt so connected to my mare and it felt like we were reading eachother's thoughts.

After the ride, we galloped our horses up to the barn from the ring (not a great habit, but it's just so...fun...and they don't do it unless we ask!) and Callie got to enjoy the leftover cereal that Chad and I hadn't eaten.

It's a mare's world...

There have been many times where I've liked to post all about my fabulous ride on my mare at my other blog, xo, me but didn't feel as though it would be a post for EVERYONE to read. So here I am, adopting a new blog domain, separate from my "other life," where horse people can come see me brag and ooh and ahh over my perfect princess, Callie.

When I was about 10, a farrier at the barn I was taking weekly lessons asked me, "are you sick, too?" I thought he was asking if I had a cold. He clarified quickly: "Horses are a disease. A disease you have for life."

Now, I don't know if I'd call my passion for horses a disease, but I certainly have it for life.

I started riding at the age of 9. I'd always wanted a horse, begged every Christmas, and finally my parents gave in and enrolled me in weekly lessons.

By the time I was 13, I was leasing a thoroughbred mare named Nikki, who had raced under the named "Ex-Courageous" in the early 80's. Nikki had foundered and I basically took care of a large dog. For about two months I was able to ride Nikki, walk trot, until her laminitis got the best of her and she was put to rest.

A few weeks later, I began riding an appaloosa mare named Lady. I missed Nikki, but she and I clicked. I began leasing her and had the time of my life on that mare. She had a beautiful trot that I barely moved to (imagine my excitement riding bareback for the first time, and WELL!) but her canter was simply...lacking. Looking back, I know that lots of transitions and building up her hind end and helping her balance would have done her wonders- but that's another story.)

Lady was bred to a two year old stud colt in 2003. On April 12, 2004, a bay filly named Callie came into the world, and my riding instructor said, "Happy Birthday, Janelle. She's yours."

Any horse person knows that a free horse is never free. After eight months and a few sketchy remarks, some including, "there won't be a bill of sale until she turns two" and "if you move, she has to stay with me for training" I realized that this was not my horse and that I was paying for someone else's. When I saw an article with a picture of Callie and I at a show, and the caption reading, "Owned and bred by...." (you can guess my name was not filled in) I told my parents I wanted nothing to do with horses anymore, handed her my last board check, and said, "I don't want the horse."

When I picked up my things, my dad and I both cried. My lifelong dream of owning a horse had come and gone in the blink of an eye.

...Do you think I'd leave you with a sad ending? The next spring, Callie was for sale. When I inquired about her, I was told she was pending sale to a family in Maine. Apparently, from a source, the family looked at her, got right back in their van, and drove away.

I offered money I didn't have for the filly, who was now a year old. After a few nasty emails back and forth, my offer was accepted. My parents helped me with the initial purchase of the filly and said I'd be responsible for everything else.

Kids. It's true. The horse is the cheap part. Upkeep...way more.

When we picked up Callie, she was scruffy, had a VERY bloated belly and was very thin. And small. At a year old, she was 12.2 hands...the same size she had been at 6 months before we left her. I was told she was getting two quarts of pellets (no baby grain) & three flakes of hay twice a day. As soon as the clearly malnourished filly came out of the stall, I knew better than to believe it.

It took years to get Callie to where she is today. I had vets, trainers, friends, and fellow boarders telling me to get rid of Callie, that she'd never grow, that we'd never get anywhere. For a while I began believing them and thought about who Callie would be perfect for.

The image of ME never left my mind.

I never gave up on the filly, and finally at age 5 she hit 15 hands. Today, I'd argue that she's about 15.1 at 7 years old. We ride dressage, we jump, we trail ride, and we do it all in a Dr. Cooks bitless bridle. We're both a work in progress as I don't take lessons too often, but she is the most willing, fabulous horse I have EVER had the pleasure of riding. A day off? She's perfect. Two weeks off? She'll try even harder. She enjoys a good gallop as much as me and she's also content schooling for a while.

Welcome to our blog. We hope you'll visit again, soon. Don't give up on your dreams of owning the perfect horse. Callie's taught me a lot about that one.