2016 Year in Review

I was going to write a month-by-month year in review, but I only posted 33 times over the entire year. Once in January, no posts in February or March. 4 in April and 7 in May, where I thought I'd actually start writing consistently (spoiler alert- I didn't). I didn't post at all in June, I posted a total of 11 times in July through November, and then a record 10 (now 11) times in December. I'm finally getting into blogging now. I really want to do more ride recaps for my future self so I can see where I've come from.

So here's a general recap of the year, not necessarily from the blog and mostly in pictures:

January: 

Tony feels like a First Level horse for the first time. Here is a quote from my facebook page: 

"Today, Tony felt like a real, live first level horse, plus some moments that made second level feel possible (and not too far off). He got walk-canter transitions to the left for the first time (he can do it to the right pretty consistently), and did canter serpentines a up and down the arena with lead changes through the trot. Who knows if we will be able to recreate it again tomorrow, but today I'm happy!"

February:

We plod along at home in the outdoor arena with bad footing. We get a few okay rides in. Winter sucks.

March:

We try Working Equitation for the first time. Tony is overly excited about lancing the bull. He is mostly good. Observers judge us for using a double bridle. I mentally tell them to screw off. Strong/spooky horse + obstacles + other horses in the ring + lots of people in the ring = better safe than sorry. 

April:

We attend our first schooling show/ride and review of the season and earn a 66 and 68%. We feel on top of the world. Judge tells us if we can control the lateral movement a bit more, we could be looking at 2nd level.

May:

First ever Jessica Wisdom clinic. I am nervous. But it was a success. Tony was amazing.

June:

Karen Pavicic clinic. Tony's really feeling like a dressage horse. We're out doing the things and being awesome. Start feeling extra depressed second half of June. Lose lots of motivation.

July:

Power through the first half of the month to make it to our first rated show. I thought Tony was great. Our scores did not reflect that. A few sub-60 scores and some snarky comments brought on disappointment. Still happy with the pony. He was a good, broke pony and felt great.
A week after the show, I had intense pain while farm-sitting. Rushed to ER, had appendix out. Went home the next day. No riding for the next month. Get even more depressed.

August:

Scrape myself together to ride Tony in another Jessica Wisdom clinic. He was great. I don't remember a lot of it. I was on a lot of drugs, this being the first weekend I am allowed to ride again after my appendectomy. 

Go to the beach with a friend and ride her horse. Mostly just relax and enjoy a vacation. Feeling extra depressed. I pretty much don't ride for the rest of the month.

September:

On September 1st, we were in a major car accident on the way home from Seattle. I sprain my wrist pretty badly. I ride Tony maybe once a couple weeks after the accident, and then go to a schooling show. It's not a disaster, but it wasn't good. Scores in the 50s. Once again, on a lot of drugs so I don't feel the pain in my hand. Things aren't going well.

I bring this guy home on September 16, and am forced to ride again. My motivation starts to come back and my mood starts to improve. After a pretty sucky summer full of hospitals and bills and car problems, finally something good. 

October:

I start learning to actually ride dressage. Lessons with my trainer and JW. I'm broke, but not broken, and finding joy in life again.

November:

 More of the same. Another JW clinic. I momentarily lose my half pass. It comes back better than before. Saddle searching sucks. 

December: 

I find a decent saddle. Lines is much happier. We start improving more. A trip to JW's barn for some lessons helps me learn how to actually keep my leg on and stop riding so defensively (a bad habit from Tony).

I realize I miss Tony like crazy and am excited to start back up with him in the spring when the days are longer. I am healing in both body and mind and feel ready to build our relationship back up.

Christmas!

Well, the holiday is over! It felt a bit anticlimactic this year as it was the first year not spent with either my or my husband's immediate family. It was nice to have a nice quiet holiday, and we did spend time wth my extended family, but it was a little different. When my family comes to visit, we usually go out and do things before or after Christmas (they're school teachers, so get a long break). We've done things like Zoolights, the aquarium, Circue du Soleil, etc. And when we see husband's family, we have to travel to get there (they don't ever visit us as his mom has some sort of inner ear thing and can't fly or drive over mountains). Anyway...onto the festivities and gifts! The real reason for the season. Right? Oh wait, I think that's not quite right. Oh well...

We always get a real tree now (something we never did growing up, but my husband's family does every year). This year we went to a different tree farm and ended up with a beautiful 7 ft tree. I about choked when they rang it up, but you can't exactly put it back in the field...so I'm like...we better be keeping this freaking thing up through February. I'm Dutch, I need to get my money's worth.

I can see you, kitty...

Firstly, I got my Secret Santa gift just before I left for my JW lessons last week. I of course immediately used it without taking pictures, so had to dig it back out of my barn locker and take a picture when we got back. Thanks so much to Carey at Me Jump Pretty One Day. She sent this super awesome Dapplebay bag. I've been coveting Dapplebay gear since I heard about them a couple years ago from my friend, one of their ambassadors. So I am pretty stoked :) I used it to carry my polo wraps and am excited to bring it along on my adventures. Lines and Tony are pretty excited about the Mrs. Pastures treats. I went to a barn party, my GMO's Christmas party, and did another Secret Santa, and I think I got pony treats from each, so the boys are set for a while. They're pretty pleased about that (as am I- I tend to forget to buy them cookies when I stop at the feed store and mooch off of my trainer).

Thanks Carey! I love it!

My husband did well this year on gifts. I got him tickets to an NHL game and he was pretty excited (we went the beginning of December), so he got me lots of good stuff. The Noble Outfitters grooming tote has been on my wish list for a long time now, but I couldn't justify spending the $50 on a grooming bag. But now I have it, and husband even ordered a pretty colored one. Good man. I LOVE the mesh bottom and big middle section for spray bottles.

Here my kitty is modeling the Canada scarf from my in-laws. It came with a patriotic hat and gloves as well. She is also sitting on the super handy car seat warmer from my husband. Yay for a toasty post-barn butt!

Prudence says "How do you turn this thing on? I demand heat!"

Possibly my favorite gift this year came from my in-laws...it's a unicorn robe. It even has a tail, and I can prance around and be magical.

Lines even got in on the Christmas spirit with a pretty red bow and red polo wraps for our Christmas eve-eve ride. 

And for the first time since we've lived in Washington- we had a white Christmas!

Dog enjoys snow. I mostly enjoy snow. Except when I have to drive in it. Or work at the barn in it. So really, I just like looking at it.

I even hopped on my poor motherless pony on Christmas eve. Poor dude has been feeling neglected lately. He's hairy and dirty. His tail touches the ground and he has a giant hay belly and no muscles. He's like "Um, who are you? You're dead to me." But obviously he came around and mostly behaved for a few pictures. I'm excited to start working him again when the days are long enough to ride two horses. I miss my pony man!

He's just the cutest thing that ever lived.

December 10 Questions

Thanks to L. Williams for providing the blogosphere with content!

Does your horse need shoes?
One does, one doesn't. I wouldn't think about pulling Lines' shoes. He's got super funky heels in the back and enough other problems, I'm just not going to touch that. Haflingers generally have good feet. Tony's are ok, but I'd love to try front shoes on him (his owner would prefer he stays barefoot). He stays sound enough on soft ground, but any prolonged exposure to hard ground and he'll be ouchy on gravel. I'd also like to see how his gaits differ with shoes and without.

What do you think of the barefoot v. shoes debate?
I don't think it should even be a debate. Many horses need shoes, many don't. Do what's best for your horse and treat them like the individual precious snowflake that they are.

Favorite season for riding?
Late spring through early fall. After the rains of April/early May, before the rains of mid-September and later. We don't get too many days that are too hot to ride. Maybe one or two a summer. I'm allergic to the sun (no, really) so I'm happy that sunshirts are so popular right now, and that my sport involves covering basically every inch of my body ;) Thankfully, living in NW Washington, I don't have to worry about too much sun exposure.

How many shows do you think you've gone to?
Well, I did IHSA in college...so however many I did there. Like 30-40ish? I didn't show before college, and have done lots of schooling shows and one rated show since then. For a total is 50ish, we'll say. That doesn't include the ones I've gone to as a groom/moral support...then it's...a lot!

Do you consider yourself a good rider?
Well, I have painfully low self-esteem and am often consumed by self-doubt, so I'll say no. But objectively, I'm not terrible. I'm not hurting the horses, and I can generally point them in the right direction. Not always, though. I haven't screwed anything up too badly...yet...

Tony says, "My mom only kinda sucks, but I'm teaching her."

How experienced do you think someone needs to be to own a horse?
I don't think experience is as important as a willingness to learn and dedication to a horse's well-being. There are lots of experienced people who shouldn't have horses, and lots of newbies that can offer horses and comfortable and loving home.

Have you ever gotten in a fight with your trainer? 
No. Well, once I suggested we eat at a different restaurant, and she said she wanted to eat at the same one we had been eating at all week, so I said "Okay" and we went to the same restaurant. So the answer is still no.

Describe your dream horse.
I have two- something tall, dark, and handsome. A beautiful neck that is easy to ride, 10+ gaits, stellar personality, sounder than sound, perfectly healthy, competitive at Grand Prix, a personality that says "yes ma'am" and loves to work.
And- a 15-hand Grand Prix Haflinger. Basically Tony with an attitude adjustment and no more submission issues. He has nice conformation and really good gaits. He could do it, he just doesn't want to do it.

Basically I want Pippin's brain in Tony's body. Their first ever USDF show- broke 60 in 4th level and PSG. Because why not?

Does anyone in your family ride?
My cousin rides Western casually. I have a 2nd cousin that used to run barrels. No one in my immediate family rides.

If you could ride one horse in the world, which one would it be? Why? 
Valegro. Because duh, he's Valegro. Or Cardi. Because...Grand Prix champions, that's why!

I'd give my right arm to ride this. But then I couldn't ride...so, moot point I guess. 

Another Day, Another JW Lesson

My trainer, her working student, another boarder and I all traveled down to JW's barn Monday and Tuesday to take lessons (and the boarder was trying out one of her ponies). It was my first outing with Lines since I brought him home in September. When we went to pick him up the first time, it took 45 minutes and 5 people to get him into the trailer, so we left plenty of time to coax him in if needed. I was prepared with lots of treats and a stud chain. It took him one step up and one pull back, and then he hopped onto the trailer with just a little pressure on the chain, and two people behind him with brooms making a back barrier. On the way home, it was just me and trainer loading him, and he hopped immediately in. Good boy! He's learning trailer rides mean I stuff his face with treats.

Getting ready to kick some loading butt in our fancy pink wraps! Under the wraps, he is wearing homemade pillow wraps- navy blue with pink anchors. A man's gotta have nice things!

We were a little nervous heading out as there had been snow over ice down south, but it was supposed to heat up to a balmy 40* by the time we went down there, so we ventured out. The drive down was thankfully not too bad. We took it slow as there were some slushy areas, but we made it in just over 5 hours. On the way home, it took us nearly seven as we hit Seattle rush hour traffic at just the wrong time. And let me tell you- city drivers do not realize that trucks pulling horse trailers cannot stop fast. They just pull right in front of you. We will squish you like a bug!

Anyway, onto our lessons... Because I am not always super good at organizing my thoughts, I'm bullet pointing my highlights. Sadly, we didn't get any canter video and it was some of our best work! The video I got is super helpful to me, but not super pretty...so I'll use screen-shots instead ;)

• Keeping "drag"on the reins. Not dragging on the reins. I struggle with connection on Lines. He is a funny dude. Too much pressure and he'll curl behind the bit, too little and he'll giraffe his neck up into the rafters. The feel in my hands should be as if I was dragging a fishing line through the water. Just enough to keep a consistent feel, and allowing my elbows to be the "end of the reins" or that the reins are an extension of my arms. Connection is the name of the game right now. If I can't keep it, I don't have Lines where he should be. 

  

  Trying to keep consistent contact and have him reach for the bit. Not so easy.

• Get your effing right leg back. Pretttty much the theme of both lessons. I finally started to get it at the end of the second day. There's so much drilling on "heels down" in the equestrian world (especially hunters, where I started), that I tend to jam my heels down and push my leg forward, which makes my leg (especially my right leg) stick out like a sore thumb. I can see it in almost every picture of me riding. JW had me swing my legs back and forth to loosen up my hip, and keep my right leg back as if I was asking for canter or a haunches-in. It finally clicked in when she had me do nose-to-the-wall leg yield and then slowly change that to renvers. Finally, my right leg was on and where it was supposed to be for appropriate bend. I am now sore today as I actually had to use my leg effectively. 

  

  Yikes. Those legs. Not cool.

• Put your effing hands down. JW is not shy about using strong language. I need to invest in a bucking strap so I can hold my hands down. Some of my best steps of canter came when JW told me to keep my hands on my saddle pad and bend Lines with my legs. Apparently she knows what she's talking about or something... 

  

  Lower than that. But getting better...

• "Rear up" in canter/walk and walk/canter. I need to feel as if Lines is rearing up in both the upward and downward. It puts me in the backseat and then I can set him down (or pick him up) nicely. Also more leg. No really, MORE leg. That's not enough leg. Canter to walk or halt uses the most leg of anything. 
• "Could you turn right?" in half pass. I tend to hear "half pass" and get frantic and drop my outside rein. I need to keep enough of a feel on the outside rein that I could turn the opposite direction in counter canter. We had our very best half pass at the end of our first lesson. I was getting frantic, as I do. We were going to the right, and broke gait. JW had me pick up the left lead on the long side, turn in counter canter up the quarter line and then flow to the wall in half pass. Boom. Perfect. She was like "Walk, you're done. That's it." We both had big smiles on our faces. She said "That's not just a good half pass for Emily and Lines, that's a good half pass." Success! I'm still super green at the level, and Lines is NOT an easy horse (he has so many little evasions and quirks that are hard to figure out), so that was a HUGE compliment. So happy! 

It was a pretty exhausting two days! We made it back and my poor old man was pretty stiff. I let him run around in the arena. Lets just say that Lines at liberty isn't exactly the picture of elegance. Ahem. What can I say? He's an awkward dude! I've got a video, but I need to wait until it's backed up. Tomorrow will be video day :)

My Other "Hobby"

I'd say my two hobbies aren't really hobbies, as much as they're a real part of my lifestyle. You can't just set horses down and pick them up later (well, you can, but I know from experience that it's tough). They kind of take over your entire life.

My other "hobby" is art. My dream is to have my own studio and to make a living between commissions/artwork sales and private art classes. Someday! For now, I take on a few commissioned drawings a year. I don't have a ton of time to devote to drawing anymore with a full-time job and the horses, but I try to fit it in when I can (lunch breaks, after dinner while watching tv, etc). 

One of my favorites that is sadly no longer in my possession. 

My favorite part about creating these portraits for people is their reaction upon receiving them (although I don't often actually give them in person). Many times there are tears, often with memorial portraits and people remembering their horses or pets that have been lost. 

One of the few times I've seen my trainer cry was when she opened this.

The holiday season is my busiest, with orders being sent across the country. I didn't take on very many this year, as I knew I wouldn't have the time or energy to put into a ton of drawings, but I think I'm ending up doing 5 or 6, plus a couple of Secret Santa things and I always give away a drawing in the barn Christmas party gift exchange.

 So, that's what I do with all of that "free time" I have (hah. hah.). Shameless plug for my website: emilydieleman.com . And more pretty pictures, because it's too cold to ride right now!

Tony!

Justice, the horse I rode in college.

Another dog. This one I kept and it travels to art fairs and such with me,

One of the few of my drawings that I still own. Another art fair traveler.

I also do these fun Paint Your Pony events where I sketch out a horse (or other creatures...I've done cats, dogs, goats, parrots...), and then guide people through painting it. It's super fun and everyone's always turns out nice!

Tony again!

The Difference a Saddle Makes

Tony is not overly-sensitive about saddle fit. He's pretty much the same no matter what you put him in. I thought Lines was much the same, as I had tried about 10 (!!!) different saddles on him over the course of about two months. He was kind of his same old self in everything- quite hollow through the back, neck swanning up, but willing to do the work.

Then I tried the magical saddle. It's the weirdest saddle I've put on him, but he's a weird guy. It's a Jaguar XKC, which my research says was made by Harry Dabbs for the Jaguar car company (yes, my horse rides around in a Jag, and I drive an older Honda).

Because I forgot to take pictures when I was at the barn, you get my super fancy MS Paint sketches.

The saddles I had been trying had panels like this:

They lay flat on the horse's back and kind of spread out. I tried a few Albions that were shaped like this. A couple I tried on I couldn't even fit two fingers in the rear gullet while I was sitting in the saddle. No bueno on an old man back.

The Jaguar has funky upswept panels that look like this:

On lots of horses, this would mean the saddle rocks back, or there's not enough contact through the rear of the panels. But for some reason it works for Lines. 

This week, he has been so loose and round and relaxed. It's been amazing! Now that we have that figured out, we can start pushing more. Starting with a last-minute trip down to JW's barn for lessons Monday and Tuesday!! 

Winter!

Up where I live in Washington, we don't get much snow (except on the mountain). And we rarely get snow before Christmas. It's snowing today though, and it snowed on Friday as well. I'm super bummed that I'm stuck in my office today with the snow coming down outside, so I'm going to share my favorite snow pictures! All of the ones of Tony are from February 2014, which was the last time we had enough snow to ride in! This is what I'd much rather be doing today:

Marlee! I miss this little mare so much! 2012

Marlee 2012

My house!