Q2 Goals

Well, guess I picked a good time to get back into riding, that way I can just pick up at a new quarter. 


So this is a really rough, just trying to hold myself accountable draft...


Goals (riding and life):

1. Ride at least 1 lesson/wk (no option for hacking yet)
2. Set base two-point time
3.Double two-point time by end of quarter (..so like 1 min lol)

Yup, totally me

4. Convince self don't need pony

5. Buy a pony.......... ok realistically find one to ride (bought or leased)
6. Budget for a horse (like the realistic order this is in?)

7. Kids ride 1/mo (no horse to put them on yet- mine or borrowed)

No more Trooper pony :(

8. Set technology boundaries for family

9. Regular exercise 3 days/wk (gym or home)

Seriously I just wanna do a weight circuit and treadmill

10. Not eat like I'm still pregnant (hello waaaaay too many calories)

This vague list in all honesty still seems really ambitious, because babies and eventually going back to work will kinda mess up my pathetic energy levels. When I get a feel for that I'll shore up a real list.

Return of the Dirty Mirror Selfies

FINALLY back to riding.

Felt like eons, but to an equestrian months of no saddle time, is forever right?

Clearly stoked to take selfies

Since trainer has no lesson horses currently, another boarder was kind enough to loan me her gelding. Jasper is a pretty nice gelding, similar enough to Holly to not feel totally foreign after my hiatus.

Done with me

He is more forward, which is really nice, that whole squeeze to go then just keep a little leg on to maintain is pretty awesome. I got to half halt instead of kick kick kick like I was doing on Trooper pony before my hiatus. Jasper has a higher headset, which makes me feel like he is "perked up" and ready to spook at something, but no, just not dragging me over his neck. Novel.

 Trainer was funny and had me do some two-point at the walk and trot. Um, yeah... that was not pretty. Posting trot felt fine, Jasper has a nice rising trot, although fussy about frame and can get hollow at sitting trot. I am really impressed with how he has turned out since they got him fairly green (but not young). I cantered like a mannequin, super stiff and unable to float with his decent sized canter... certainly feeling it after. 

Thank you car outside for getting his ears up

 Did get some really nice shoulder-in, prompting trainer to say there's "hope for me yet" if I can remember that after all this time off.

Another boarder who only rides on weekends has offered me her green bean mare, who I will love to ride... once I get some core back.

Now to figure out how to pencil in riding around my schedule, small children, and having to borrow horses... easy peasy I am sure.

Allow me to officially introduce...

In my typical delayed fashion...
(mostly because most of you already follow my FB or IG)


Here is Lucas W.

Now 3 weeks old.

Big Sis decided he's ok afterall

Life with 3 kids is kinda like... getting ready for a horse show, I'm running late, need a shower, forgetting things, and worried I am messing it all up.

Bright side I still have a few more weeks before returning to work. VERY happy for the break.

Also get to return to riding soon. Will be basically catch riding as my normal rides have been sold. Because when you have been off over half a year its a good time to catch ride lol.

1 month of puppy

So its been just shy of a month with Mr Lucky.


He's still super adorable, and apparently already 3 lbs heavier as of last week.

Power of depth of field- his ears look normal sized :P

Integration: My Aussie has decided playing with him is worth getting puppy-drooled-dread-locks on his belly and being constantly nipped on the legs (corgis are true ankle biters lol).

So happy they get along

Training: He came with Sit command already nearly installed, Go Potty works (at least as well as it does with my ADHD-ish son). He gets Up, he just still doesn't have much hops. Watching him on stairs is incredibly entertaining. 

This will be the first dog I likely take to training classes because there are a lot of holes in my Aussie's training (because I trained him) and after years of paying for a horse trainer, I realized its ok to enlist professional help for dogs too. Ain't no shame in wanting your animal trained right. Plus I get to tote around Mr Sassy-Pants-Adorable-Fuzzy-Butt.

Lifestyle: I have never had a smaller dog and couldn't resist a little dress up as we wait for him to get current on all his shots so we can explore the great big world.... I'm sure it will then rain incessantly.

Tuxedo harness, but of course I NEED :)

My kids adore him and still help out with feeding him etc. I am excited to have a dog they can walk that won't drag them along like my Aussie.

Seriously such a snuggle-butt

Please excuse my techno-addicted kids

I Blame Hormones

Meet Mr Lucky

Because, what do you need when you are horse-less, pregnant with your 3rd child, and already have pets? A CORGI!!!

I had been stalking following a corgi breeder on FB and last week she posted this little guy up. Hubby and I = instant love.. D'oh. Messaged breeder and inquired about him, figuring there'd be someone with dibs. But...

We filled out the application while taking son to haircut, making dinner etc and followed her directions of what to do to a tee, and we had first rights to him. 

Then woke up to a message that since we hadn't put down the required deposit, so she was moving on... 

I was dumbfounded, and managed to send a polite text back with screen shots (despite hubby ranting and my hormones flaring) and she instantly apologized, and he was ours again.

She took him to her vet when he flew in, cleared his health, caught him up on shots, and scheduled our pickup. 

So much quieter in the car than my kids

He is from a ranch in Texas and already 12 weeks old. 

He is half Cardigan, half Pembroke, and 2/3 ears lol.

Breeder was awesome, had him playing with her kids and was a wealth of knowledge (also bred Aussies and had horses, so extra points there). 

We drove nearly to Mexico to get him. Like past San Diego, crazy far for a one day trip from our place. 

And since we were in San Diego area.....

I got to visit L.W. ,Dante, and get tacos (bonus).

 Since we had puppy in car we made quick work of the tacos and went to see Dante. 

Shameless selfies while LW was getting ready

Hubby is awesome because he drove the whole way down, took a power nap while I got my horsey fix, then drove the whole way back.

Dante was such a good boy, honestly she just grabbed him, tacked up, and hopped on. It wasn't warm out and he is young. His trot is dreamy to watch, I can't wait to see him progress.

Totally forgot a pic of us together
but got her and Dante at least

Got home and have been in puppy-integration mode since. Its been 9 years, you forget all the little things, but he is such a little cuddly bugger and likes naps as much as I do.

My son named him Mr Lucky. For a 5 year old, it was probably about as good as I could have hoped for a name. I probably would have picked something more Dingo-ear related.

Champion snuggler

Can't wait for him to get his 16wk shots so he can go out into the world. 

Surprisingly happy to have a n ankle-biting playmate

More puppy spam to follow, because no ponies for now :)