Horsey highs and lows of 2008?

Highs: getting back on a horse for the first time in three years and galloping down the beach while realizing exactly what had been missing from my life for those three years.

Getting a horse that loves the water as much as I do and taking him swimming for the first time

setting up log jumps on the beach when the tide is out and jumping them.

galloping so fast across country so that all i can hear is the rush of wind in my ears and all i can see is the tears from the wind in my eyes and knowing that it doesn't matter that i cant see anything because my horse is the best horse in the world.

befriending a crazy young stallion that I had to help teach to load onto a truck. and watching him turn from a crazy rearing stallion to a kitten when I scratched his withers.

gathering up the courage to jump higher than I have ever jumped before.

Lows: not being able to walk properly for a week after my *first* ride. getting bucked off a huge almost 17hh horse into the water and then having to ride with sand down my pants for the next hour, mind you the getting bucked off into the water and the unexpected swim were actually highs for me, it was fun... it was just the sand that was a low :D

For me, my horsey highs were the two four day long clinics I had with the O'Connors. One was with David, and the other with Karen. Each clinic was a quantum leap in my riding. And I had a great horse trials right after the most recent clinic where I had my best dressage score ever.

I guess I didn't really have a horsey low this year. I'm sure it will come, though.

My Horsey Highs and Lows of 2008:

Highs:

-Getting Back Into Horse Showing

-Aspen coming to our barn

Lows:

-Outgrowing my fave pony Heidi

Highs:

getting my 3 year old best friend, angel =].

training her from scratch.

watching my mum's horse have a foal was amazing, and looking after them both.

Lows:

having a horse that was in our family for 23 years put down. He had very bad colic ='[

Retiring our showing/fun horse to light hacking after she got arthritis.

Angel running into the fence and cutting her legs open =S All better now =]

High: Getting my first horse Ever, a VERY VERY green OTTB.

Lows: Having to make the decision that an OTTB may not be the greatest mount for a 15 yr old girl, especially when the horse is dangerous, and having to get rid of him.

Aw, see arr harr! I'm so sorry to hear about your colt and his mom.

My horsey high was working with a couple of really cool greenies that I had a lot of fun with. They were fast learners and smart and (for the most part) pleasant to work with.

My horsey low was falling off one of above-mentioned greenies, breaking a rib and messing up my knees (which now have the ability to foretell rainstorms).

Here's hoping 2009 will be better!

High(just so you know im an optimist):

-got to part board a A.T.B

-now gonna be able to lease a horse of my choice

-bought my first saddle

-verrry close to convincing my parents to buy me my own horse

-jumped my first 2 foot 9 jump (I've only been riding english for 2 years, 2 years western)

-rode the youngest horse ive ever met ( 5 year old tb, he was green broke)

-got to know how it feels to have a bond between you and your horse

-went hacking for my first time ever! (my horse galloped away with me, but it was fun anyway XD)

Low:

-Never gonna see 4 individuals (horses) ever again

-only being able to ride 2 days a week

My highlights were discovering Y!A, I have learned so much on here! And getting to experience so many things, like trying a horse out for lease(even though I didn't end up leasing her). And finally getting my mare to go in a frame and just making progress very quickly with her, more than ever before.

The lows were...well honestly I don't have any lows, I mean I'm sure I could name a ton but those are kind of like regrets and I don't regret anything.

Highlight: OMG! So happy went to my first BSJA 1.25m class and I got 4th. But wasn't in the big rosettes.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28045320@N04/30646326...

And we now have a new baby colt from Carry our other clydesdale broodmare!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28045320@N04/26622063...

And my little sister won the RDA(riding for disabled) in hand Dressage!!! So pleased!!!

Lowlight: After a traumatic birth my cousin lost a filly to her clydesdale mare. Their was something wrong with the way the foal came out and she couldn't make it through... =(

Also I managed to damage my upper neck muscle and had to stop riding for nearly a month!!!

Sorry about your colt and dam...

high- i did well in some of my shows this summer. my ridding improved a lot form 07. i also had a lot of fun at the barn! haha i love horse people.

low- right now i can't ride and its seriously driving me INSANE! my parents can't afford a horse right now and my lesson barn doesn't have an indoor for winter lessons. i miss all the people at the barn and the horse i used to lease.