In a lesson the week of December 14 in which Connor skittered sideways for no good reason approaching a tiny crossrail, my trainer suddenly asked, "How old is he now?"
"He'll be ten in May." We both laughed, and she said something to the effect of, "He's just taking the slow track."
On the one hand, it's been a while. I've owned him for four years. We've been with my trainer and at this barn the entire time.
On the other hand, we've come a long way.
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| Before I owned him, our first show together, 2011. |
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| May of 2015 |
I started this blog before I even had Connor, and also before I met my trainer, if you can believe it. I started it at the only period in my life that has been 100% horse free: the few months between getting married/moving to a new city/being unemployed for six weeks and beginning lessons with my trainer, whom I have been with five years in January.
So now, 1,000 posts and five years in, it's now a chronicle of my entire "Part II" of my riding career. It takes me from being so afraid to jump, I never thought I would jump again. I came to my trainer as "probably a Dressage rider". The blog chronicles the process my trainer took me through when I first came to her, which was to completely rebuild my riding as if I was a beginner.
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| Lesson on Mac in 2011. Man I look small on a full-sized horse. |
It takes me from learning to jump again on the saintly old Dillon, without whom I would definitely still be a Dressage-only rider. It takes me from first laying eyes on Connor, his breeder offering him to me, and agonizing over whether to take him or not.
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| January 2012 |
It takes me from going XC for the first time, jumping a show jump course for the first time, doing a rated show for the first time, learning to ride a ditch, learning shoulder in, riding a Dressage test for the first time, bodyclipping for the first time, moving up a level for the first time, winning an event for the first time...in short, it takes me through everything that has made me the rider, and Connor the horse, that we are today.
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| April 2012 |
Blogging is an interesting journey sometimes. The community is amazing, the people I met through it are the greatest. JenJ and I are like long lost twins or soulmates that never would have met if it wasn't for blogging (seriously, we share a name, one of us owns a real Haflinger and one of us owns a wannabe Haflinger, both own mutant Malamute mixes, and both work in tech. Twins). The blogger meetup last year was AMAZING. And I've bought/sold/won/been given/gave away so many things through blogging, so while it doesn't actively make me money, it has definitely been financially worthwhile too.
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| Simon selfie with Genny! |
All that is to say, I have no intention of stopping despite slowing down a bit in 2015 for the house. Here's to another 1,000 posts and five more years. Maybe Connor will have stopped overjumping ditches by then...maybe.
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| Um, we're just, playing it safe. Really, really safe. Penny Oaks, 2014. |
To celebrate having written 1,000 posts over five years and two months, I'm giving away a $50 gift certificate to blogland's favorite equestrian retailer, Riding Warehouse. Enter by leaving a comment and then entering the Rafflecopter giveaway (and sorry if my Rafflecopters seem awkward, Rafflecopter has made almost every feature paid-for since I did my last contest).
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Congrats on 1,000! You and Connor have both totally transformed since I started following along with your journey. You have so much to be proud of, and so much to look forward to! Plus, our little community here is just the best. :)
ReplyDeletecongrats, love checking in!
ReplyDeleteThe progress you've made is incredible :)
ReplyDeleteIt's so cool to have such a chronicle of your experiences with Connor! Congrats on 1k!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 1,000 posts! It was amazing meeting you earlier this year, and I hope we can meet up in 2016!
ReplyDeleteI almost never comment, but I love reading your posts!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on sticking with it for 1,000 posts! Looking forward to the next 1,000!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 1000 posts. That's amazing!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 1,000 posts!
ReplyDeleteLove reading about your adventures and being a welsh cob owner with you!
ReplyDeleteYay for 1000 posts!! Quite a milestone. :-)
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Really enjoy your blog!
ReplyDeleteBest cob in blog land! I love how Connor-centric you've kept this blog. There's nothing I love reading more about than lessons, shows, and general ride recaps, and I know I can always find all of those here.
ReplyDeleteIt's been great watching you and Connor grow as a team - keep up the good work!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats! I've loved following along!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your awesome blog's past, present, and future. Your blog is what got me into reading allll of the horsey blogs - something I now love and really value. :)
ReplyDeleteWow - such a cool thing to have been doing this for 5 years and to have this whole "Part II" of your riding and your entire Conner journey documented. I've really loved riding along with you and rooting for you over the past year and a half that I've been in this cool community!
ReplyDeleteI hate to tell you Comrade is still not grown up, and he turned 10 this year :) Love watching you two develop.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on a great 2015 and here's to a fantastic 2016!
ReplyDeleteYou guys have made so much progress! I've only started reading your blog fairly recently but I've gone back and looked at some of your first posts. I hope that this is where I am after 4 years with my instructor and 5 years with my blog :-)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 1000 posts!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on 1000 posts!
ReplyDeleteI love your blog and wish we could be real life friends! Your writing is great and you and Connor are a fun team to follow:-)
ReplyDeleteSilly spooky pony. Probably still will think I'm terrifying when he's 30, and not far wrong either... ;)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 1000! That's definitely a huge milestone and it's awesome that you have so much if your equestrian journey documented! And yay for blogging allowing for more riders to meet each other - I had a BLAST riding w you on NYE!! :D
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 1000 posts! What awesome progress you have made with Connor.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Terrific milestone!
ReplyDeleteWow, congratulations on 1000 posts!! I love reading about your journey with Connor, especially as you tackle dressage. Happy New Year!
ReplyDeleteYou guys really have come a long way - LOVE the picture comparisons!! Congrats on 1000 posts.
ReplyDeleteWhoo hoo! Congrats on the 1000 posts! And you and Conner are looking fab. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 1000th post!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 1000th post!
ReplyDeleteJust discovered this blog through hand gallop. Excited to follow!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your 1,000th post! I've loved reading along with your journey with Connor and watching you two bloom together.
ReplyDeleteI've loved every minute of reading you and Connor's journey, though it appears that I didn't make it all the way back to the beginnings of the blog. Congrats on 1,000 posts, and I look forward to many more!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the milestone!!! I can't wait to read more of your adventures! :)
ReplyDeleteNever stop blogging (and come back to Austin sometime!)
ReplyDeleteWould love to win!
ReplyDeleteI can't believe you already have done 1,000 posts! I love reading about your journey
ReplyDeleteCongrats on 1,000 posts! I've been following you for quite some time now and it feels good to celebrate this accomplishment with you. Here's to another 1,000!
ReplyDeleteDamn, 1000! That's really impressive.
ReplyDelete