Cob Jockey

Hopping on this blog hop train.  I have several posts that need written: in-hand work, Noble Outfitters outfit giveaway!, how awesome Majyk Equipe's customer service is yet again...but I am so deep into the house stuff, I might not see Connor for two weeks.  It's insane.  But almost over.  So have a blog hop.

1. Mares or geldings?  Why?
Dr. Marks (100 mile endurance rider) always said she likes mares, because a mare will stop at the head of a trick section of trail and go "I think we need to discuss this, are you sure about this?  Because I'm not.  Let's talk about it."  and a gelding will go "SURE OKAY!"  She likes that extra bit of survival something with reproductive organs has.  Me?  I need more "sure okay!" in my life. GELDINGS.

2. Green broke or fully broke?
I realized that I knew the answer to this question when I thought about going from where Connor is now back to dealing with green stuff.  Where he is now is way more fun.

FUN.

3. Would you own a hotter breed?
No.  I am a chicken.  I feel safe on my round little pony, and don't do well on things that make me feel unsafe.

Things I would not do on a hotter breed.

4. What was your 'dream horse' growing up?
A Selle Francais.  No idea why.

5. What kind of bits do you use and why?
Bit #1: Loose ring french link KK snaffle, because it works.
Bit#2: Three ring elevator, because it helps Connor keep his chest up before the jumps, and one day he woke up and decided he had no brakes on XC.  Brakes.  I has them now.

6. Helmets or no helmets?
One of the great things about having an equestrian for a mom is that you get rules like "If I catch you riding without a helmet you won't even see a horse until you turn 18."  Done.

7. Favorite horse color?
No kidding, my favorite Breyer (an 8 year old birthday present from my grandparents) was Sundown, the chestnut Arabian with flaxen mane and tail.  I still remember describing what flaxen was to my grandma on the phone.  And here I am with a real life chestnut with flaxen mane and tail.

Can we all collectively "squee" for a second about button braids on a flaxen mane?  OMG.

8. Least favorite horse color? 
Anything that makes people breed for just it and nothing else.

9. Dressage or jumping?
If I had to choose one thing to do for the rest of my life, it would be Dressage.  I am just having a blast with it lately.

FUN.

10. How many years have you been riding?
I first rode when I was about 5, and then just rode off and on until I went to college.  I was not blessed to live in an area with lesson stables.

11. Spurs/whip or no spurs/whip?
I don't have a thing against either, but lately I've been riding without spurs but with a whip.  JLC says "Sometimes Connor needs a little 'tick tick!' from the whip to remind him to pay attention and move forward."  I agree.

12. Your first fall?
I was riding my mom's saintly quarter horse Little Red with her supervision, and I was about five or six.  It was feeding time, and he saw the feed guy walk into the barn, so he followed him, I think at a gentle canter.  I hung on all the way down the barn aisle and rolled off into the dirt at the end.  I'm sure my mom was terrified.

Little Red, the first horse I fell off of, still hanging around! (With my mom and Festus)

13. When was the last time you rode and what did you do?
Saturday :-(.  Lots of shoulder in.

14. Most expensive piece of tack you own?
Well, no surprises here, even though it was an incredible discount I still almost paid for it what I'm paying for the trailer:

The loves of my life.

15. How old were you when you started riding?
Five I think.

16. Leather or nylon halters?
Leather all the way.

It wants cookies.

17. Leather or synthetic saddles?
I liked the Wintec, but I love taking care of leather goods, so it's leather all the way for me.

18. What 'grip' of reins do you like?
Currently a point of contention between me and my trainer, because my favorite horse-sized Nunn Finer Soft Grip Rubber Reins are too long for C and get stuck between my saddle pad and Connor throughout my ride, but the pony size is too small, and I just don't like the feel of any other rein enough to switch.  So she's been riding him in someone else's reins for training rides.  Nunn Finer, you need a Cob option!

19. English or Western?
I just never figured out the allure of a western saddle.  Unless I was ponying racehorses.  Then I was happy to be in one.

Things that were fun.  Pictured:20 year old me.

20. How many horses do you currently own/lease?
Own one, and it will stay that way forever.  I don't have the time for two riding horses.

21. Do you board your horse?  Self-care? Full board? Half board?  Home board?
I grew up with horses at home, so BTDT.  I'm in the position where I have the job that pays for the horse, but not the time to maintain a farm, or all of the other nice amenities that go along with being a boarder (like friends.  And a nice arena).  So while there are some true positives to keeping a horse at home, I'm a full boarder for life.

I board because I could not possibly build/buy/maintain all this, and I love it.

22. Have you ever put down a horse you loved?
No.  And I'm not looking forward to it.

23. How many saddle pads do you have?
I gained a lot in late 2014!  Probably 10.

Obviously, since the bonnet matches the saddle pad on a regular basis now.

24. Slant-load trailer or straight-load?
Straight load rear facing is my favorite.  Straight load front facing is my second favorite, and slant load is my least favorite.  I think it has to be a lot easier to balance if you're a horse in a trailer on the interstate and you're absorbing motion from front to back rather than side to side, and they have more room in a straight load.

Still really can't believe this is mine.

25. Why do you ride?
It's changed at various points in my life.  Because I have a demanding, virtual job, and at the end of the day there is no better way to unwind than a very physical hobby that demands my full attention, and lets me grow together with an animal.

We're friends.  Except if you look at his lips he's gunning for the cookies in my pocket.  Maybe it's more of a symbiotic relationship.