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Showing posts from January, 2019

Recapping 2019

I had many great horsey experiences in 2019!  I am really pleased with how the year went overall; nothing is ever perfect, but both horses are sound, happy, and healthy, which is really what matters to me.

Some of my 2019 goals were met easily or with lots of hard work, and a few of them were utter fails haha.  C'est la vie! Let's recap!

Happy, health, sound
Both mares are doing well in this regard!  Dreamy will be 29 this year, and while she definitely shows signs of her age at times, she overall looks and acts much younger than she really is!  Ellie has really matured this year, filling out as well as mentally becoming more comfortable in her own skin.  As she will be eight this year, I feel like we have moved through the baby phase.

Continue lessons with Beth and Babette
This goal was met and then some!  I took almost weekly dressage lessons with Beth and monthly jump lessons with Babette. Thanks to the Morgan Dressage Association scholarship, I was also able to attend two clini…
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Morgan Dressage Association Scholarship

When I bought Ellie back at the end of 2017, I somehow came across the Morgan Dressage Association's Facebook page.  Promoting Morgans in dressage is a cause I find worthy of support, and of course with a fun year end award program it seemed like something I might want to do with Ellie someday haha.  They base their awards on rated USDF shows, so it will be some time before we are ready to show regularly at that level though.  Schooling shows are life (and cheaper and closer...!)  MDS also has a scholarship program and an interesting newsletter, so overall it seemed worth the small fee.



Besides sending in my yearly membership check, I have admittedly not had much to do with the organization.  However, back in November, I received two different emails from MDA about their scholarship program, as they were extending the due date by two weeks.

Basically, MDA awards three to four $500 scholarships a year, to be used exclusively on dressage training on a Morgan.  As the website states, 
S…
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Restless

This is the time of year I always grow restless.  As much as I am glad to give Ellie the down time, with just two to three days a week of hacking out in the sn*w, I really miss being able to ride more than just at a walk in questionable footing haha.  I was spoiled last winter with good sn*w, while this year has brought a lot of rain and ice.



December distracts me enough with the holidays, but January and February make me crazy (and sometimes March and April, too)!  This is when I start wishing I could board her out over the winter in order to ride productively more often, but that scenario isn't realistic in several ways; the biggest issue being there isn't a nearby farm with indoor I would feel comfortable with boarding.  

Oh, the woes of a horse girl in Maine!  ;-)
Despite the fact the majority of our rides have been just walking in the sn*w, it is interesting to me just how much Ellie has matured over the past year.  Last winter, she was so green and not yet even comfortable …
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2019 Goals

Setting goals as an equestrian is really just compiling a wishlist of hopes of what the following year will bring.  I always attempt to create realistic yet challenging goals that are attainable, fairly specific, and FUN!  I love outlining an idea of what my show season might look like as well, and I happily create a Google Doc as the show dates come rolling in.

My overarching goal of any year is to keep both my horses happy, healthy, and sound.  That really goes without saying, but I ought to include it anyway.  Dreamy is 28 this year (!!!) and Ellie will turn seven.  They both have their own specific needs at this point based on their ages, and I will continue to meet those needs to the best of my ability.
Training goals
I will definitely continue my weekly(ish) lessons with Beth and hopefully also my monthly lessons with Babette.  Both of these instructors were a huge help in 2018, and I want to continue my riding student relationship with them.  Specifically, I want to improve Ellie&…
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