Cob Jockey

You know it's winter when we all have time to do these interesting indoor activities!

1. If your horse could talk, what would they say?
"Ooooooooooookay, crazy lazy."

2. If you were a horse, what would you look like, what discipline would you do, and what would you be like to ride?
As a short-legged athletic person, I would of course be a Welsh Cob!  And I would compete in the equine equivalent of CrossFit, eventing, and I would be one of those horses that gets frustrated when they don't understand what's being asked of them, but tries her heart out.

3. How many barns have you ridden at?
Not counting the one-off lessons here and there, 5: Fox Hollow, Willowbrook (racing stable), the College, and my current farm.

4. What kind of bay do you prefer?
I'm just using this as an excuse to put up another picture of Gwynfaes Noah.

You are so welcome.

5. Can you braid a horse's mane and/or tail?
Mane, I am fairly good at.  I even made braids where Connor had almost no hair after the blanket rub incident of 2013.

Tails, well, that's why I have a native pony breed and show in eventing.  Can you imagine braiding that thing?

He's got more tail than the regular horses!

6. Do you believe you have to fall off to be a good rider?
Not directly, but I believe that falling off is statistically likely to happen during the course of the amount of work it takes to become a good rider, and will also likely happen as you find new ways and horses to challenge yourself as you grow.

7. What do you think is more important, equitation or effective riding?
I don't think the two are mutually exclusive, however, when I'm on a freaked out horse, or a recalcitrant horse, you better believe I'm thankful for my effective riding before my gorgeously long legs (That's a joke.  I'm five feet tall.)

8. Are there any horse couples at your barn?
One horse couple, and a couple of "wife is into horses and husband hangs out with her" couples

9. Favourite treat to feed your horse?
Clif bars.  They're on hiatus until spring, though, because I can't break them apart when they're frozen.


10.  Silly quirks your horse has. 
Where do I start?

He plays with his water bucket every night, batting it around his stall like a Jolly Ball.
He jumps between hot wire strands.
He gives you the crazy eye and runs away from you if you try to catch him while his buddy is in the field, but comes when he's called and whinnies for you if he's alone.
He gets into stock tanks.
He spooks at white cones, but not orange.

That's enough for one day.

11. Strangest thing you've fed your horse.
Cinnamints?  I'm boring.

12. Have you ever made any horse friends through the internet?
Yes, all of you guys!  And I've actually met some of you.  Kelly, Sabrina, and of course, Amy, whom I awkwardly ran up to in 2012 after her Dressage test that left her with tears in her eyes.  Luckily she doesn't seem to hold it against me...

13. Would you get horse furniture?
No way, man.  I got rid of most of my Breyers after I got my own house/husband, and try to keep the horse decor tasteful, classy and minimal.  My husband appreciates it.

Christmas Breyer decor

Aaaahhhhh I need to dust!

14.  Funniest horse moment
Midway through a lesson, I was riding Adagio, the appaloosa pony that can jump 3'6 no problem, and as we're going by the ledge that has some cones, lunge lines, side reins and whips on it, he takes his head and slings it across the ledge, knocking every single thing off of it.  He's a cheeky bastard!

15. Post a picture of your horse making a silly face.

Why post just one when you have a silly face making machine at your disposal?

In my head he's singing "Livin' on a Prayer" in this photo.