Oops, it has been a long time since I have updated again. October apparently slipped away from me. Actually, it has been tough since my computer crashed. I can use my phone for emails and stuff, but it's hard to type a lot on there.

We just got back from the ATA, which was a lot of fun! A lot of work, but definitely worth it. I had planned on riding two horses - Paddy, a 4 year old that I have been working with for the past couple of months to get him ready, and Tanzeln, John and Kari Cassel's stallion. I had only begun working with Tanz a few days before the ATA, since I wanted to go and ride, and Beth (his regular rider) did not care to. He is tricky to ride, since he doesn't want to take any contact, but he was really good, and I had a great time with him. Kari likes how I ride him, and we are going to talk to Jean about having me take him on, which would be great since I will get to show him.

I didn't end up getting to ride Paddy at all, which I was really disappointed in. We were showing him in two classes. Erin was going to ride him in one, and I was going to ride him in the next class. However, the classes were so unorganized, that we did not have time to get everyone prepared for the class. I ended up having to get him ready and warm him up while Erin got changed, and since I was not changed for my class, she rode him in both.

We choreographed a 10 stallion quadrille, and only had 2 practices with the whole group before the show on Friday night. I rode Tanz. I also got to present Tanz in the big arena for the stallion parade beforehand. They played "I want to break free" while I rode, which is one of my favorite Queen songs. I was so happy with how the demo went, that I teared up as I exited. Actually, what I felt was that I was the closest to my genuine self that I have ever been. Riding and showing in front of a crowd is what I feel like I am meant to do.

We did not finish until 10 pm that night. I had been staying in the horse trailer with Erin, which was cramped, needless to say. John Cassel mentioned that they had a huge suite that had a separate room with a pull out bed, tv, and bathroom. I asked if I could stay there that night, which I did, and it was awesome! My house does not even have tv! I was too tired to really watch anything, but it was nice to flip through the channels =)

Saturday was the stallion approvals. We had brought Indelible, who is a 4 year old clone of Hailo. We were not sure he was going to be approved, since we are very critical and can see that his hind legs get wide behind when he trots out. However, of the 10 or 11 stallions that were presented, he was the only one to be approved! I guess Jean knows what she is doing after all ;) Afterwards, we packed up and the trailers hauled out. Roy was sick, so Jean had an extra ticket to the banquet that night, and I ended up being able to go. It was a lot of fun! Jean won an award for Stiletto, since he has proven himself in both eventing and dressage, which is hard for any horse to do. Tiffany and Andrew were there with Tiffany's mom. Even though Tiffany had gotten run over by a stallion the night before, she was still in good form on the dance floor. Anna from Montana was there with us, as well as this Andrew guy who ended up hanging out with us all night. He was actually Very Funny, as well as a good dancer, so he was a lot of fun to have around. Of course, my luck, he's gay. Anyway, we all danced and danced at the banquet, met some fun people from Wisconsin, actually, and went to a club afterwards, where I got to ride a mechanical bull. Let me just say, that I kick butt at riding the mechanical bull! I couldn't even believe that I stayed on as long as I did. Even after I had that thought, I stayed on even longer! John and Kari kept the room for me, so I was able to stay there again that night. Awesome!

Work has been going really well, and I have been super happy. Erin's assistant, Kate got here and relieved me of my position. It is really nice to not have to do all that grooming, and just worry about working my horses. I do still help Erin out, but it is on a more limited basis, when I have time. I offer to help Iris a lot as well, which usually ends up being just riding some of her horses, which has been great. I really love being able to ride a lot of different horses every day.

Danny, who used to work at the farm next door moved to Gainesville with his boyfriend. He is still a good friend, however, and I have been spending a lot of my days off with him. We go rock climbing together, which is awesome, because I have always been looking for a climbing partner. His boyfriend, Tim, is really nice, and I have enjoyed getting to know him as well. Danny's replacement at the farm is a Canadian girl named Miranda. We have hung out a few times. She is really nice, and a very good rider. I am looking forward to getting to know her better.

Halloween was a lot of fun. Saturday night Beth, Ryan and I went out in Gainesville. Beth was a vampire, I was a french maid, and Ryan was a 50s gangster. We had sushi, and then went out to the clubs. We ended up going to the UC, which is a gay club, and we danced and danced. They had a costume contest. which was fun. At one point, Ryan took me aside and said that he did not know what was going on with him and Beth, and that he would like to know if she was interested in him, because otherwise he could puruse other interests - like me! After he dropped me off that night, Beth told him that she was not interested in anything with him, and he immediately texted me to see if he could stop over the next day to see me. Needless to say, Beth was very upset when she found that out, and there was a lot of subsequent drama. Even though they are "just friends" now, Ryan has still given Beth his car to use on an unlimited basis until she gets her own car. He put her on the insurance and everything.

Iris's sister, Baerbel, came to clinic with us in October. I got to ride Isabeau with her. It was the most amazing ride I have ever had on that mare. I am trying to scrape some extra money together so that I can visit Baerbel in the spring, and train with her for a month or so. Herwig is coming the end of this month, and I am going to try and ride with him as well.

Erin is leaving next week. I can't believe her 6 month stay is up already. I will miss her a lot, and the farm is not going to be the same. I am going to miss her as a roommate as well. Meghan is coming in December, and will stay with me for 3 months or so. I think it will be good to get to know her a little better.

I am back at the Tobacco cottage. Home, I guess. I am very lucky to have made some really good friends here at Valhalla, people who are willing to catch me when I fall. Erin has decided to hire Kate. I am disappointed and hurt, but I will be working more on my own and will have access to both instructors, so that will be good.

Erin gave me a very bad lesson the other day on Insightful, and left me crying in the saddle, and after my lesson. She basically made me feel completely worthless as a rider, and told me that I was ruining her best horse. At one point, I almost got off. I confronted her after my lesson about how mean she was, and she said that, amoung other things, she had some residual anger about me leaving in the first place. However, she realized that she was completely in the wrong and apologized and apologized every time she saw me for the rest of the day.

I feel like everyone is a little upset with me for leaving, so I am working through that right now. However, I told Jean that I am still glad I did it, because I would have always wondered what would have come from the opportunity if I didn't pursue it. I am really mad at AJ for screwing things up for me, though. He had promised to buy me a horse, a saddle, and take me to shows - all things that I desperately want, but am not willing to sell myself for. Hopefully there will be another way to get there.

So, last Friday night AJ and I went to Bilinda's for dinner. I had a few margaritas and got rather tipsy. Afterwards, we went back to the barn to do night check and stopped to look at the stars and remark on what a nice night it was, and he tried to kiss me! I dodged him, and then he just hugged me and said "That's a good girl." I avoided him the entire next day and called my Mom in the afternoon to tell her what happened. I was sobbing so hard that I could barely get the words out at first, and when I did I was shaking and crying so hard that I knew I had to get out of there.

Fortunately, Erin was coming down that day to stay with us and take me to a show the next day as her scribe. It was good to talk it out with her, and come up with a plan. I knew I was welcome back at the farm and have started to work as her assistant. Unfortunately, she had already begun moving forward with interviewing for a new assistant. The day I got here Kate was trying out. So, I will be here until the first week in October at least. I think Erin will make her decision soon. If she doesn't pick me, then I might be able to work as Iris's assistant. If that doesn't work out, I will probably head to SC with Gilda and Nick for awhile, unless something else comes up. I will be posting my resume and checking out openings shortly.

After talking with Jean and Erin about the opportunity, they offered for me to stay on as Erin's assistant trainer. I would have been riding more, which I would have been happy with, and I initially told AJ that I was going to stay at Valhalla. But, he still wanted me to come down and have a lesson with Bilinda on Forrte, which I did. Bilinda teaches a lot like Erin, which made me very comfortable with her. She took me aside later and told me that she wanted me to come, and also told AJ that she thought I was a very good rider with a lot of feel, but that she also liked the fact that I am coachable. I got to thinking about what a good opportunity I was passing up, and I changed my mind.

I have only been here 2 days now, but I feel like I made the right choice. AJ had to start from scratch here, so everything is new. What a difference to the run down place I am from! Not only is everything new, but AJ also gets the best in quality in everything. The barn has the best of everything, including this bedding that never has to be taken out - all you need to do is pick out the poop. Forrte has been in his stall for 2 weeks now, and it is true to its word. The house is also furnished with top quality furnishings, new beds, etc. The kitchen is going to be redone. For the office he went out and bought the best laptop McIntosh makes, and got me an incredible new phone. All those things are nice, but they are besides the fact that he has one of the best trainers in the country, and has imported some of Holland's best horses. Cinderella, the 3 year old filly, won 4th place out of 100 horses that had been each picked from 100 horses. She is really going to be something. I am very excited for how the future looks for me right now, and I am enjoying every moment!

Yesterday was my birthday. It was actually one of my better birthdays. The day ended with dinner with my friends, and then going out for karaoke. It was a lot of fun, and I like being able to bring people together.

I started out the day by going to visit AJ's new farm in Ocala. I got there the night before, and we went out for dinner and chatted. He wants me to come work for him. I would be his go-to person, and make sure everything gets done, as well as be in on decisions with him. I would also be doing his books, which would be a great use of my degree. The trainer he has working for him is Belinda Nairn, who got to the Olympics twice. She regularly goes to Holland and imports horses for clients. She is importing some for AJ, one in particular that I would get to ride and show. I really love working for Erin, but I think this opportunity is too good to pass up. I talked to Erin about it today, and we started throwing around ideas for ways to work out me staying here, but I don't think it's going to work. And now that I know Erin understands my situation and is supportive, even if a little sad, I am getting excited for the new opportunity again. There is a lot of potential gain, which also means it's risky, but I know that I can always come back here if it doesn't work out. Plus, the qualities in me that have yielded me success this far are still there, and I get to take them with me.

Today marks my one year anniversary here at Valhalla. I have come a long way in my riding, and I am very thankful to Erin to instill in me such good basics. This week we are hosting a clinic with Herwig Radnetter, from the Spanish Riding School (upholder of the classical standards of dressage), and I am fortunate enough to ride with him twice. I rode with him when he came over the winter, and came away feeling very frustrated with my riding. However, I had my first lesson with him the other day on Adeline, a moody mare that I have been riding for this past year, and think I made a better impression on him. I was very pleased with Adeline as well. Other than trying to yank the reins out of my hands a few times, she worked very well.

I got a lot from my lesson with Herwig. First of all, do not squeeze with the legs, this makes the horse tense. Have a little weight in your stirrups and let your leg hang. Ride the horse forward, look up, and feel that you have equal weight in both reins. If the horse is offering you a steady contact and is in a good frame, ride with a quiet hand. If the horse is not round enough you can play with the reins, but once the horse is round, be quiet. From there you can half halt and have it mean something. Also, when aiding the horse to canter, from the trot or the walk, slide your outside leg back, wait for a response from the horse that says "I know you want to canter" and then depart. Herwig says that if the horse understands what you want, then he will do it - which begs the question from me "why do they do it?" Practice collecting the horse and sending it forward without building tension. Play and see how strong the horse is already. When asking for a shoulder-in, just turn your upper body. Use your aids if needed, but play around to see how little you can do. Also, in the canter, if the haunches are coming to the inside, just turn your upper body to align the horse and weight your inside seat bone. I can't wait for my second ride with him, I will be riding John and Karrie's stallion, Tanzlen. I have just started working with him, but so far he has been a lot of fun. I have been riding him while Beth is in Canada.

Erin had an accident today. She was riding Infallible in the outdoor, working him in the walk, when he started bucking and bolted. She was thrown onto his neck and actually rode him that way for awhile while he continued to buck. When she saw that he was headed for a tree and a fence, she came off. Luckily it doesn't sound like she broke anything, but she is going to be pretty sore for awhile. That is the down side of horseback riding =(

I just got back from South Carolina, visiting Gilda and Nick, and teaching lessons at her place. It was my first time teaching that much - I taught 4 lessons today and 2 yesterday - and it was a very good experience. I was a little nervous at first, since two of the riders and horses were people I had not worked with before, but it went very well. Everyone was happy with their lessons, and they all want me back. It is nice to have the opportunity to get away from the farm and make a little extra money. Friday night Mary and I also went into Beaufort for the evening to check out their yearly Water festival, which was a lot of fun. This afternoon Gilda, Nick and I also went to the beach and did a little surfing. I stood up briefly, but fell over immediately. It was very windy and the waves were pretty big, so it wasn't the best conditions to try and learn on.

The other day Shannon Brinkman came and we did pictures for the website. I had 5 horses to do, and I am pretty pleased with how the pics turned out, though there are some position errors that I am still going to be working on.

Erin and I have moved into the Tobacco cottage. Jean wasn't too thrilled with the idea at first, but I convinced her that we deserved it, and we offered to help her furnish it and pay for some of the cost to heat/cool it. I love it over here, and have the whole upstairs to myself. I also have a little porch off my bedroom, and I love to do yoga out there, overlooking the horses in their fields. It is wonderful!

In my purse I carry a quote from Shel Silverstein, "Listen to the mustnt's, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me... Anything can happen child. Anything can be."

That quote is an inspiration to me, as well as a reminder. A couple of years ago I never would have dreamed that a life like this would be possible for me, much less that I would be successful at it, but I am starting to feel like all my dreams are coming true. It's a lot of work, but it's happening! For starters, I had a lesson with Erin on Hilife the other day. I rode that horse to the best of my ability, and Erin actually complimented me afterwards, telling me that it was very good riding. Erin is not quick to serve out compliments, so they are often well deserved. She said that I could really ride him, and has already had me start riding him on my own on days she is out. During my lesson, she was riding Immy, her "Big" stallion, a stallion with a lot of potential. I had done ground work with him when Erin is not in, but I figured it would be about 3 years before she ever let me sit on him, since she tends to be protective with the horses she really likes. But, on this day, she was having a bit of trouble with him, and asked if I wanted to ride him. I could barely believe what she was asking me, and I asked her to repeat herself even though I understood her perfectly. Of course I hopped on. I remember mounting up, not even believing it. I tried to retain my composure as I rode, but I was jumping up and down inside. Fortunately, the other Erin (my roommate) came into the arena as I was riding, otherwise I don't think anyone would have believed me. I think I did an ok job with him, though he was a bit wiggly, so I hope that Erin will let me ride him again in the future, but it probably won't happen again for awhile.

Kite's owner came the other day to see how she is going. I guess she is thinking about taking her home, which I didn't realize. I rode her walk/trot/canter in the round pen, which is awesome for only having the horse for 3 weeks (especially considering I have not started a horse myself before), and she wondered why I was not riding her in the arena. I felt a bit disheartened that she was not as pleased with her progress as I was, but I still have her for another 2 weeks to see where we get.

Tomorrow is my day off! Not sure what I am going to do yet...

Time is so weird around here. The days are so long, but go by so quick. It seems like forever ago, but it was only 2 days ago that I was a demo rider for the L program. Basically, the L program is for people who are working towards being a judge. You have to have all 3 medals, amoung other qualifications to begin judging. You start at the lower levels and work your way up. I have only ever shown training level, but did a demo ride at second level on Trevoreou, who is trained to Grand Prix. I was nervous, since it is a lot of pressure to ride in front of so many qualified people, Erin and Jean included, but I think we did rather well. We rode parts of a couple of tests, then took a break while the prospective judges talked about how they would have scored it, and what they saw - good and bad. The movements are scored 1 - 10, with 10 being the best, though hardley anyone ever gets that. We actually got a 9 on our entrance and first halt! We scored pretty well on the other movements as well, though it was interesting to see what we have to work on. Overall, it was a very good experience, and a good way to meet dressage people in the area, and to start getting my name out.

Yesterday, we took Hannah out for her last night here =( We were going to go to karaoke, but found out that it was cancelled in lieu of someone's 69th birthday party. We decided to go to Applebee's instead. On our way there, driving down Hwy 90, Hannah said "Is there something in the road ahead?" I saw someone's tail reflectors on the side of the road and had planned to go around it, but when I put my brights on I saw that it was a whole semi carrying round bales that had jack knifed in the middle of the road!! We came very close to running into it, and I had to slam on my brakes - thank goodness Hannah called attention to it! We were the first people on the scene, so we called 911 and got out to see if everyone was ok, which they were. I guess the driver swerved to miss hitting a tree that was up by the roots in the middle of the road - maybe fell off another truck - ? Anyway, it was scary!

Today was a long day - 13 hours. We usually get about an hour break after morning chores, and then have to quick sneak a break in to eat again later at some point, which is what happened today. However, it was a very productive day, even though it seemed to include a lot of waiting around, since the saddle fitter was out today. I am starting a young horse on my own - Kite, and we cantered for the first time in the round pen today! She is so smart, and has already figured out that leg means to go forward, and stops and turns like a pro. I had Erin Root (my roommate) hold the lunge line while we cantered for the first time, because she can have a little buck in her. But, she didn't buck at all, and Erin actually lost hold of the lunge line, which could have been a complete disaster, but I was able to pull Kite up calmly without anything happening, and we ended on that. Next time I will use a longer lunge line ;) I have also been helping Erin start Fulcrum, and we ponied him out in the field for the first time today, which went well. Also, Rezzi's owners came out tonight to see him and Tanzlen go, so I rode him for them. He was a star! That horse gets better each time I ride him, and it is so great to see that they are pleased with his progress.

Erin also had me ride Hilife today, one of Jean's stallions that she has been training. She is actually training him for a girl that is a parapalegic, and does not have use of her lower body. She has competed in the para-olympics and won the gold medal! She has also trained with Pat Parelli. She rode Hilife awhile back and really liked him, and nearly convinced her sponsors to buy him. However, she was involved in a bad automobile accident about a month ago, so it will be awhile longer before she can take him, if it is still going to work out. Erin has been training him so that he can be ridden without using your legs. Instead, she rides him with two whips, and uses voice commands. It's really neat! She has been very protective about what gets done with him when she is not around, but it sounds like she is going to start letting me ride him! This is a real compliment to my riding, and I am very excited about it. Looking ahead - the annual ATA (American Trakehner Assoc) is meeting this year in Jacksonville, and Jean plans on bringing all her stallions. It would be very exciting for me to get to ride in it, since Erin would definitely be riding Immy. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Today was my day off. Hannah is leaving next week, and since we have enough help and she has not seen the ocean since she was 6, we went to Fernandina beach. It was awesome! We had so much fun floating around in the ocean. I took a boogie board we found at the house and tried to catch some waves on it. There is something I am missing in regards to that, apparently. Hannah and I also had lunch at the Sandy Bottom Beach club, which was right on the beach. Then we went into Amelia Island and went into some of the little shops there. It was very cute.

Gilda came by this weekend for some lessons. I gave her a lunge lesson on Trevor and made a little extra money =) She also told me that her and Nick are going to loan me one of their surf boards, so that I can practice on my own.

Erin called me today about the judge program next weekend. She said that they switched my ride from Saturday to Sunday, so that I can go over with Iris and Andrew. However, that means that I will now be riding a Second level test on Trevor, as opposed to training level on Adeline. It is going to be tricky since I have actually never ridden a second level test before, and now I have less than a week to prepare for it. But, I think it will be ok, since it is not like I am actually showing, I am just sort of practicing for a show - in front of many judges, instead of just one. Well, I am going to try and not stress about it and just do it.

Today was Kat's last day =( Hannah is off tomorrow, so we are going to have a dry run of working with just the three of us. Today was a really good day. I got on Kite for the first time today, and she was perfect! I am excited to see where she will go from here. The other horse I am starting, Nachi, is going to take a lot longer. Kite was really calm and accepting of everything, but Nachi is scared of everything. She even jumped when I lifted my foot to place it in the stirrup. She is going to take a lot more ground work.

Rezzi's owner, John, came by today too. Beth and I rode both of his horses for him so that he could see how they were coming along. Afterwards, we rode into one of the pastures with a pond so that John could get some pics. When he left, we went for a walk around the pasture. Beth ended up hitting some hotwire, her horse jumped into the pond and almost went into a tree, but Beth managed to stay on. Rezzi saw the whole thing and hardly reacted at all.

I had a pretty good ride on Adeline. I am riding her for the judging program, so I am getting her prepped. I am actually pretty pleased with her because she is round nearly 100% of the time now, and is letting me get in and ride her a bit without having a fit. She is a very sensitive and opinionated mare. We actually did some of our first canter half passes the other day!

Felicity had a little bit of a spill the last time I rode her, so I am trying to build up her trust and confidence again. She needs to work on turning! I am working through that with her on the lunge line. Today I took her out in the field afterwards and did some work out there, and she was very happy. She is such a doll, I can't wait to see the progress in her.

Well, another month has gone by. I really need to update my blog more often. Not just so my family and friends know what is going on with me, but also so that I can keep track of everything that happens! Geez, even at the end of the day we usually look back to what happened in the morning and can't believe it happened in the same day. Mostly we just work a lot, and ride a lot.

We do have 3 new girls, and they are so great! Hannah is 20 and is from New York. She is going to an equestrian college there and is here on internship. She is really sweet and a super hard worker. She has fallen in love with Ammador and is hoping to win the lottery in order to buy him. Today they went cross country jumping, which is something I am not typically brave enough to do. Kat is from Utah, and has worked at a few places before coming here. She imported her horse from Germany, but hasn't brought her here yet. I don't think she is going to, I think she is going to move on to an eventing barn. Erin is here and has brought her horse. She is so great! I love her energy and enthusiasm, it's exactly what I needed. In fact, the other day we decided to ride out in the field after finishing up all our chores, and we ended up riding until 9:00 pm. It was actually pretty nice because it is much cooler at the end of the day.

Luc went home last weekend. You would think I would be sad to lose him, but it has actually been a really great experience. I went to South Carolina with him to help Gilda with him for the first couple days back home. It was nice to be the one to turn him out to pasture. And I have never seen a horse so excited before. He knew he was home, and all his buddies knew it was him coming back, it was very sweet. Gilda sent him to me for training because he was very bratty and scared her a couple of times, including bucking her off. However, he was so well behaved when he got home that not only did Gilda and all her horsey friends notice, but her non-horse husband noticed that he was a different horse. That has been my most rewarding experience so far. Not only that, but I stayed with Gilda and Nick for a couple days at their lovely house and Nick took me to the beach to learn to surf! It was a lot of fun, and even though the second day did not offer ideal conditions (Gilda likened it to a washing machine), I still stood up on the board, and am looking forward to trying it again. I love South Carolina so much, and Gilda and Nick both encouraged me to come as often as I like, that I have decided to try and get up there once a month or so. It will be really good for me as well, since Gilda will be able to set up a few lessons for me to teach while I am up there, so I can make some extra money, as well as get my name known in that area as well, since I think I will probably end up there in a few years.

Now that Luc is gone, I have another horse in training with me. She actually has similar breeding, as she is a Quarter horse cross by Stilleto as well. She is grey, and is named "Kite" because the marking on her forehead looks like a kite. She is only 3 and hasn't been started yet. I had to explain to Jean after she came that I have never started a horse before, but she has confidence in me, which is great. Actually, I am starting 2 horses right now, the other one is Erin's horse, Nachi. Nachi was so wild as a youngster that they resorted to breeding her to see if she would mature and calm down a little. She has really started to trust me, and has actually been pretty easy to work with so far. A LOT of work goes into starting a horse before you actually sit on them for the first time, so it may be a bit before I really get them going, but I try to do at least a little something with them each day.

My riding is improving overall, and Erin even told Jean right in front of me that I was "pretty darn good." In fact, she said that she just got back from teaching a clinic for 3 days, and none of those riders were as good as I was. That really made me feel good. Not only is my riding at the higher levels getting better, but I am getting better at riding the young horses as well. However, I still need improvement there, since young horses are much more unpredictable, and that tends to make me tense up. However, Rezzi, one of my training horses, is only 4, and I feel totally comfortable on him, and he has been coming along really well, so I know that I am getting better in that area as well.

There is so much more to write! But I will have to stop here for now, and will just have to get better at writing more often =)

This is my first post as a college graduate! I went back home to walk in my ceremony, and it was a lot of fun. It was great too see all my friends on Friday night, I had a blast! It is nice to know that I can always go home to a great group of people that love and support me. I really feel like they will all be my friends forever. Saturday, my family and I went to Sheboygan for the banquet. The food was really good, and it was nice to be on the campus. The ceremony was on Sunday, and it went really well. My Grandparents joined me for that, and after the ceremony we all headed to Madison to meet up with Kyle and Jenna for dinner. I got to see Kyle's place that night as well. For only being home for a few days, I feel like I sure got a lot done!

Beth sure missed me while I was gone! It is a LOT of work when one of us is out, and the weekends are even busier than the weekdays. She said that by Monday, she was so tired that she didn't even ride, just did chores. I wonder how I was able to do it by myself for so long. Beth did ride the pony that I have been training for Erin while I was gone, and she was very impressed at how much he has improved since the last time she rode him. She actually told me that there is a difference between a rider and a trainer, and that I am a trainer! It feels really great to hear a compliment like that, especially coming from her.

Today was my first day back at work. It started out well, and I even rode 4 horses today. But it rained all afternoon, and by the time it was time to feed, it was downpouring. I got completely soaked! And then we had to mess around with bales of hay - almost nothing is worse than being wet and having hay sticking to you =(

We are still counting down untill Erin gets here. In fact, we have a total of an additional 3 people coming this month. It is going to be awesome! We are already talking to Jean about being relieved of some of the feeding responsibilities, which will free us up for more riding!

Since my last post, I have shown Luc twice. He has taken to showing, and is going to be a good little show pony. We have won two blue ribbons so far, and his scores are getting consistently better. However, the last test we did, he was a little fresh and anticipated the canter transition in the ring and did a little bucking/taking off in the test, and almost left the arena! We still have a little work to do, but me and Gilda have been very proud of him, and I am getting some much needed showing experience. Showing is a lot of fun, but also a lot of work and long, long days. In addition to the two that I rode in, I have also gone to help out Erin in Orlando, so I have done a lot of traveling to shows, which I really enjoy. Actually, once I get there, I am often surprised at how many people I know there, and attending more shows just makes the world that much smaller.

I have been able to take a little bit of time off, and went to South Carolina to visit Luc's owner. She lives on St Helena Island, which is outside of Beaufort. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! It was wonderful to ride horses on the beach, and I went on a boat ride and saw dolphins. Eventually, Gilda will take Luc home, and I will go with him to spend a few days helping her with him. We have discussed the possibility of me going up there to help her with her little farm and maybe start training out of her barn. It is nice to have the option, but I don't think I am quite ready to go out on my own yet. My riding still has a long, long way to go.

Meghan will be going home on Thursday. It was really nice to have her around, since she is so nice, positive, and a really good rider. She has helped me out when I really needed it, too. The girl that was supposed to come in April fell through. As of today, we are expecting a new girl in May, which I am really looking forward to, since we have already met her, and she is close to me and Beth's age. She is also in the Army Reserves, so she knows what it's like to be dedicated and hard working.

Somehow I let the whole month of February slip by without giving an update. Oops! Honestly, time goes by so fast around here, and I get frustrated with how little personal time we get.

My Grandparents, and Great Aunt Sue and Uncle John swung by for a surprise visit a few weeks ago! I didn't even know they were coming until I got a call from Grandma saying they were going to be in Lake City that night. They came out to see the farm, watched me ride a little, met Erin, and had dinner with me that night. It was a very nice surprise.

Beth has decided to stay for another year, which makes me very happy. We know that we can run the farm just the two of us, so anyone else we get in here will be gravy =) It's not always easy though, and we usually work 12 hour days with only one small break for breakfast. This past Sunday I had a little meltdown, so we took the afternoon off from riding and went into town, which was very nice. Today was my day off as well, and I went to Jacksonville beach. It was so relaxing, and the drive was really nice.

Raniero is leaving =( I did my best with him, but it turns out that he has a potential neurological problem which makes him unsafe. I hope his owner gets that checked out and treated, he is a really nice horse otherwise. I have a new training horse, Rezzie. He is coming 4, and just green broke. He is a funny little guy, and we have started with groundwork. I can't wait to start riding him though, he's going to be fun.

I am going to my first show this weekend. I am taking Luc, and doing training level tests 1, 2 and 3. I am very excited, though I really don't know how Luc is going to be. He could be great, or he could be a total spaz. Regardless, I think it will be fun, and will be a good experience for us both.

Jean broke her collar bone a few days ago. We had Peggy Flemming, a chiropractor and accupuncturist working on some of our horses. Many people were watching, and she had much equipment laying around. Beth came by with one of her horses who spooked at the equipment on the ground and slammed into Jean who fell against the wall and hit her head. Both Beth and the horse were shaken up, and I know Beth feels really bad, even though it wasn't her fault. Jean is 70 years old, and according to one doctor she has a 50% chance of it healing on it's own. She is considering flying out to the west coast to have surgery with a brilliant doctor she has worked with in the past.

Beth's mom is here for a visit. It is cray how much they are alike! Today they rode together all day, and each rode like 8 horses. I joked that I don't even know if my Mom has ever been on a horse =) This weekend they are taking an equine massage course. I am learning that massage and chiropractic work on horses makes a huge difference. Arella was adjusted a few days ago, and I cannot believe the difference in her.

I rode Adeline in Jean's saddle the other day. That is a horse that I have just had trouble with. She never seems happy in her work. However, when I rode her in that saddle, it made all the difference, and I felt like I was riding a different horse. Andrew was visiting at the time and saw the ride and commented on how far she is coming along. I have decided to not ride her in any other saddle! I have also learned how important it is for the rider to have a saddle that helps their position. My saddle doesn't do anything - it doesn't help, and it doesn't hurt. I always thought that it was better to learn "the hard way" and not get any help from the saddle, but I am beginning to realize that I will actually be able to ride better by getting some support from a knee roll, because I will be able to relax more. Long story short (too late) I have been putting the word out that I am looking to buy a saddle. I can't spend a lot though, because I don't have a lot.

We took some video of Raniero yesterday. I really didn't think it was all that good, and even said so in the video, but I was pleasantly surprised when I watched it. I am beginning to look like the riders that I admire whose positions are correct, and who look like they are just sitting up there while the horse is going beautifully. Now I know how much work it is to make it look effortless!

When it goes too long between updates to my blog, I never know where to start. Jake went home, so it is back down to me and Beth. We had Sam helping us out for a few days, but that didn't work out. Jean is talking about taking Tracy off doing morning feed, so that will increase our workload yet some more. It will be manageable, but means that either our days will be longer, or we will work fewer horses. With the sunset becoming later, my guess is that it will be the former.

The pictures are up on the website, and seeing professional pics of me up on a sale page has really helped me to feel professional. Erin has recently complimented my riding as well, saying that it has come along a lot farther that she has even realized. Gilda just came for the weekend to visit and ride Luc. She is very pleased with his progress, and I am very happy to see that he is growing up and taking his job more seriously. She is going to let me start showing him in February! I also have a 3rd client horse, Luna, in training with me. She is an older mare, 12, has had a few babies and has not been ridden in two years. She is quite the project. She is very out of shape and crooked. She seems to like working, but is a bit of a bully on the ground. I think it will just take some time for her attitude to come around. Jean seems to really like her - she is BIG, and is by her favorite stallion, Martini.

Word about John is that he had been telling us that his dog got in to some poison and died while living on the streets. This turned out to be false. However, Jean was still talking to him and trying to work out a way for him to come back. John called me, presumably to talk about the situation. So, when I called him back, I told him that I had been thinking about it, and I did not want him to come back. I explained that on top of the fact that I do not feel I could trust him again, I think it would be better for him to find a place to work where he can have a fresh start. He then said that he was never even considering coming back, and that he just said that because he thought if he did, everyone would forgive him. I told him flat out that his lying and manipulating like that was the number one reason why I did not want him to come back. After saying that, he twisted it and twisted it until he was pointing back at me. At one point in the conversation he said "this is not the worst thing that has ever happened to me, nor is it the worst thing I have ever done." I ended the conversation by telling him that I forgive him, yet I don't want him back in my life, and that I hope that he gets things straightened out for himself. The next day I told Jean what happened, and told her that I think he needs professional help.

I am into week 3 of Business Law - the final class needed before graduation. I am keeping up with the reading and the majority of the discussion. It is tough, but it's not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Wish me luck!

Whoops, it has been awhile again since I last updated my blog. So much has happened. Let's see, I got to go home for a few days for Christmas, which was very nice. It was awesome to see my family and friends back home. It was a nice break from work too, and I was able to come back refreshed and refocused.

We have Jake helping us out for a few weeks. He has been a very nice addition to our group. Beth and I have had a lot more fun at the barn and after work with Jake being around. In the week since I have been back though, Erin has been sick, so I have been largely working on my own and not getting too many lessons. However, I have had a few good lessons and I have been able to get some good work on my own as well. We have also had Shannon, Jean's daughter, come out to get some professional pictures of us riding some of the sale horses. Seeing my photos up on the website has really helped me to feel like I am really doing this professionally! They aren't bad pics, either!

John called me the other day. Said that he got kicked out of the house, lived on the street for a week and is now at a homeless shelter. He is really sorry for what he did and wants to make it up to everybody. He has been talking to Jean, and says that he wants to come back. I know that Jean wants him back and that what I think probably doesn't matter in the decision, though I did tell her that I would not live with him. Beth is not even willing to work with him. After thinking about it a bit more, I don't think I even want to work with him either.

My roommates and I have been doing a lot of things together lately. This morning we all went out to breakfast, and tonight we cooked and ate together. Now we are watching the Princess Bride, as Jake has never seen it. Gotta run, the best part is coming up!