New Year's Resolutions and Year in Review

Non-Horsey
1.) Maintain my veganism with NO cheating! This year, I slipped up a few times and had dairy- ice cream is so hard to resist!
2.) Practice yoga at home instead of waiting for class

Horsey (more goals, than resolutions, per se)
1.) Perfect our flying changes
2.) Ribbon in the working hunters
3.) Claim a year end HSITP award
4.) Gain better control over ankle and hip angle for a better position

We shall see. I am moving to Twin Gaits in February, hallelujah, because our current facility it in shambles and it just isn't working. I feel like that will really boost our schooling.

Anyways, year in review.

2010 was tough. Coming into it, Berky's hocks and back were giving him trouble and he had a good bit of time off. We hit a high point when we took overall Reserve in equitation in Denna's little show series in February after just bringing him back into work. Shortly after, his health started to deteriorate, and test after test later, we made the decision to put him down in May.

But it's funny. When I got him, I promised him I would never, ever sell him and risk him being abused again. He was very fragile and a smack with a crop just about reduced him to jelly, so I can't imagine putting him through that. And even though it happened much sooner than I expected, I kept that promise.

I had been shopping for a while, since Berky had started to get sick. I just had this feeling that he wouldn't make it. And that's how I found Bunny.

I had wanted another Thoroughbred, preferably a made horse, or perhaps a warmblood cross. I tried quite a few, yet I ended up with a not-quite-four year old Quarter Horse. Which is also funny, because I used to say, even before Berky was ill, that my next horse would be a chunky stock horse. Well there you go. I have my own little chunky stock horse.

She has been fabulous. I can't believe I've had her six months. It's been amazing to watch her grow up and develop her own unique personality. We have plenty to work on, but I feel like she is steadier and more broke than my goofy ex-1.25m jumper.

We have been swimming and XC schooling and waded through streams and crossed trails. We have jumped and galloped and just generally goofed off, and we have schooled and worked hard to get where we are now. I may not have the relationship with her that I did with the boy, but we certainly have a rapport.

In two weeks, we have a goofy little 4H show. She is going to try her hoof at the handy hunters, equitation O/F, HUS, and showmanship. I feel like we will do fine, but I definitely have stuff to work on. Looking forward to seeing how this goes.