Boredom sets in

I have no horse to write about (YET. Poor Emily has heard it all…), but I’m bored reading and not actually writing (uh, probably because I have too much free time because see above no horse). So, L’s questions it is.

1. What discipline do you ride? What would you ride if you could pick any other one?

Well, I’m an eventer these days. Or was/will be again? An eventer in purgatory? But I grew up riding on the Quarter Horse/Paint circuits showing all-around, using spur stops, wearing ALL THE SPARKLES, and going extremely slow. I’ve also spent a little bit of time in the hunters, the QH hunters (yes, distinguished from the USEF hunters, although not as much now as in the past) and on working cow horses. If I had unlimited time/money/sanity, I’d definitely have a cow horse again.

2. How many horses have you ridden in your entire riding career?

Like… a lot? I sat here and counted off 35 and I’m sure I missed some along the way.

3. Most bizarre activity you’ve done with your/a horse?

Poor Lucy has put up with like… everything. I routinely came home from college in the summers and hopped on her bareback with a neckstrap or halter and did dumb stuff like ride her backwards. In a bikini. At a lope. (The only time I’ve ever come off that saint of a mare and she just stood there like, “What did I do to deserve this idiot?”) We also “herded” (um, lacklusterly chased) alpacas around once.

4. Do you consider riding to be your outlet? If yes, why?

Yes… and no? It’s an outlet from work, but my mind also goes 900 miles a minute about horses too, so I’m not sure it’s entirely an outlet. I’m far too competitive as a person for that. But being physically in the barn I might consider to be more of one. Or cleaning tack, sweeping aisles, that kind of thing. Riding uses more of my brain power than I’d like to publicly admit.

5. Have you ever read horse-related magazines? If yes, which one(s)?

All of them? Definitely read Horse Illustrated, Young Rider (I was even in it!), AQHA Journal, Chronicle of the Horse, The Equine Chronicle, Horse Connection (a Colorado/NM local magazine), Practical Horseman… I was even known to pick up a Western Horseman. These days I consume most of my media online, like every other millennial.

6. Most memorable advice given to you?

Yikes, there are a lot. But honestly probably my mom just saying something along the lines of, “it has to be fun.” When it stops being fun, it’s not worth it. But in more practical advice, hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard. Also, to breathe.

7. Did you ever collect Breyer horse models or similar?

Only somewhere in the range of 150-200 of them, whoops. My mom and I got really, really into model horses for a while (actually mom still is). Lots and lots of Breyers and a large number of Peter Stone models. We actually met Peter Stone and he made my first mare, Coorina, into a model. Every once in a while I see a Coorina model floating around on eBay or something.

8. Favorite “celebrity” horse?

Can I pick Lil Sebastian? If I have to pick a real one, probably Funny Cide, Mr Medicott or Vital Signs Are Good.

9. If you could spend a day learning from any horse person (past or present), who would you choose?

I hate these pick one questions. The eventer in me says Ingrid Klimke, the practical person says Sharon White and the girl who grew up on a Quarter Horse says Jack Kyle (who my mom actually rode with growing up).

10. If you could ride in any international arena in the world, where would you choose?

Can I just go hack around at Burghley? Or can I really piss off all the golfers and go ride around Augusta National?