October's Ten Questions

L. at Viva Carlos asks some great questions!

1. How many pairs of breeches/jods do you own? Two... seriously.  I ride in jeans and sweat pants a lot lol.  Shorts sometimes too!

2. How many horses have you ridden? This one was hard!!!  I thought of as many as I can, but I probably missed some.  Beware lots of pictures and info!

I don't remember anything before I was five, but I might have ridden fair ponies or something.... not sure.  Here are the ones I do remember...

Horses I've owned and ridden include: Tony, a pinto pony gelding (sorry no pics, before I owned a camera).  Whopper Stopper, a big (like 17hh+) bay OTTB gelding (sorry no pics, before I owned a camera).  Lady, my Appaloosa mare that I've mentioned on here before.  Lightning, a chestnut Quarter horse mare that belonged to my sister during the same time frame that I had Lady.  Cloud, a weird colored (I don't even know what it's called) Quarab filly that Lightning was pregnant with when we bought her, so she was also the first baby we raised.  Finn, a 15.2hh bay OTTB gelding.  And Chrome obviously.  Oh and Rory (short for Aurora) a piebald mare that I actually didn't ride for the first time until after we had given her to a friend because she was too young when we had her.  It was really neat going back to ride her.  :)

Cloud

What color is she?? She was born this color from day one.

 Four years old in 2002.

Three years old in 2001.  Loved her roman nose!

 Thirteen years old back in 2011 when I went back out to visit her at her new home.  

I gave her to a friend in 2003.  She's gotten lighter, but did not gray out.

Aurora (Rory)

Around two or three in 2004 when I had her.  

I only had her a year, she was a project horse that I basically 

bought because a neighbor was sending her to the auction house.

 Around nine years old in 2011 when I went to visit her in her new home.

Finn

I only had him two years and he sadly died of twisted gut.  :(

 Finn with my Appy mare Lady.

 I sucked at conformation shots back then!!  This was in 2004.

 Love this picture of me galloping him down the road.  

Wish I hadn't had that expression on my face.

 Dressed up in the jousting knight outfit my mom and I made.

Lady

This mare means the world to me.  I love her with all my heart. I had her for thirteen years before I gave her to a friend because I was moving to a place where I couldn't keep a horse.  

 2004.

 2004

2004.  See Finn in the background?

I don't know why I only got pics from 2004... must have been because the others sucked.

2011 at 21 years old at her new home.

 I miss her so much!  I really need to go visit her again!

Lightning

My sister's Quarter horse mare.
Mother to Cloud.

 

 

I went on one guided trail ride in 1996 where I rode an appy gelding named Moe.... I have no idea how I remember that considering I haven't thought of it in years.  It was short for Molasses and yes he was that slow!!

Horses I exercise rode or started under saddle:  Tory, a bay Paint mare.  A big, stocky gray mare (I think Appendix) that I can't remember the name of... she was trained for roping and was amazing!  You could steer her and stop her with your pinky finger.  Grizz, a big bay gelding that was severely hand shy on his right side which I found out about when I reached up to brush my hair back and got dumped under his feet.  An evil bay Quarter horse gelding that I can't remember the name of (actually I'm 99% sure it was Jack) who had a hideous bucking problem that I wasn't told about until I was bucked off  (he immediately went back home).  There was one more that I started under saddle that was an absolute dream... I gave his owner lessons too but I can't remember any details... dang!  The bay and Grizz are two of the reasons I have fear issues now...

Tory

Horses from the dressage stable where I worked:  Timmy, a chestnut Appendix gelding lesson horse.  Baby, a bay Anglo-Arab mare lesson horse.  Boomer, a black Thoroughbred/Appaloosa cross gelding that I've mentioned on here.  I was in love with him and it was a dream come true to get to take lessons on him.  Dolly, a chestnut Missouri Foxtrotter that I exercise rode.  Mel, a buckskin Quarter horse gelding that belonged to a friend.  Mac, a really tall bay Thoroughbred gelding that I exercise rode.  Ruler a chestnut American Saddlebred gelding that I trail rode.

 Baby, 20 something Anglo Arab mare.

 Boomer, approx. 11 year old Thoroughbred/Appaloosa gelding.

 Dolly, four year old Missouri Foxtrotter.

 Mac, Thoroughbred gelding.

 Mel, approx. ten year old Quarter horse gelding.

Timmy, Appendix gelding.

Ruler, approx. 14 year old American Saddlebred gelding.

My twin sister loved him like I loved Boomer.  :)  That's her hosing him off.

All of those pictures and ages above were around 2004.

There was a Paso (don't remember if it was Peruvian or Fino) that I rode once.  I rode him/her up and down the road a couple of times.  It was the first time I had ridden a gaited horse and good grief that horse was volatile!  It was like riding dynamite!

When I was a kid I had a couple of friends who had two horses.  A palomino and something else.  I don't remember anything else about them but I know I rode them a few times.

I rode a little gray pony on the same day we were trying out horses when we bought Whopper.  I don't remember anything else about the pony...

I rode a bay Thoroughbred gelding at the therapeutic riding center where I used to volunteer.  I can't remember his name though!  I think it was actually Finnegan because I thought it was weird he had the same name as the OTTB I had that died.

I also rode a huge bay Selle Francais gelding that I was thinking about buying.  He was incredible, but his owner was too clingy and creepy so we passed on him.  The whole situation just felt weird.

My best friend's horses Sexy, bay Paint stallion (first stallion I ever rode!), Tony, bay Quarter horse, Pretty, bay Paint mare, Rocky, Paint gelding (he's actually solid black with white legs though) and Z her Friesian mare that I've posted pictures of me riding on the blog.

 Z

Best friend's Friesian mare.

Dream come true right there folks!

Sexy

Best friend's Paint stallion.

 

Pretty

Best friend's Paint mare.

 Pretty, with Tony in the background.

She is not sway backed... not sure why she looks it here.

Rocky

Best friend's Paint gelding.

 The mule foal belonged to the lady who owned the land.

 Rocky ridden by me and Tony in the background.

Tony

Best friend's Quarter horse gelding.

And the best ride of them all... ;)

 

 Love him this much!  Hehe.

There are probably others that I took a quick spin on, but I don't remember for sure so I'm not including them.  So that's 32 horses that I actually remember.  The ones I don't remember I guess are lost to history.  :)

3. How many trainers have you had? Only one.  The owner of the dressage stable where I worked for over three years and took dressage lessons for a year.  She will be my trainer again when I have the money to start taking lessons on Chrome.

4. How many barns have you ridden at? Only one (see above answer).

5. What is the name of the horse you consider yourself to have the greatest bond with? Chrome

6. What is your favorite show name you've ever encountered? Uhh.... I'm sure I've seen some great ones, but trying to remember would probably give me a migraine lol.  I have a horrible memory.

7. What do you consider your greatest weakness or flaw in riding? Inconsistency!  I don't ride on a consistent schedule (yeah just call me a fair weather rider with no covered arena) and that really impedes progress.  Lack of lessons/trainer does too!

8. What do you consider to be your greatest strength? Um...  I'm kind to the horses.  Is that considered a strength?

9. Have you ever leased a horse? Nope.

10. What is the name of the first horse you rode? If I rode before I was five I don't remember.  My first pony was an adorable pinto gelding named Tony.  I think he was a buckskin pinto if I remember right.  He was sweet, but stubborn and he did buck me off once lol.  Sadly he died of colic after only a year with him.  He was very old though!  The vet said he was a lot older than the guy that we bought him from said he was.

Thanks for the great questions L!  Especially the one about the horses we've ridden. That was a lot of fun!