2018 Show season recap and year-end awards

I've been trying to decide what the heck I'm going to blog about now that I actually re-started a blog! lol  I don't want to spend too much time looking back, but we are in the dead of winter and I'm not riding, so I don't have a lot of options! 

Actual footage of me, pondering what to post...

2018 was exciting for me, as I got my new halter horse in May.  Fred was 3 in 2018, so I was able to show in the 3yr old classes at our local QH shows.  I had initially had some wild plans to travel to some shows further afield with a friend of mine, but she lost her show horse suddenly last spring, so we dialed back our plans.  Not to mention that showing breed shows is damn expensive!


We went to Kentucky (about 18 hrs) to get Fred - it was a fun trip - my friend had (she sold it! :-( ) a big 36' LQ trailer and truck and loves road trips, so we were off. She also arranged the purchase of the horse and knows the breeder quite well, so we made it into a mini-vacation.

We had a long way to go and a short time to get there!

Fred was quite thin when we got him home, so that was a bit disappointing.  I had hoped to show him sooner, but a halter horse with visible ribs is not going to win any prizes!  I immediately started feeding him up and working him lightly on the longe and hand-walking.   We made it out to our first show in June.  He was still a bit too thin, but I wanted the mileage to see how he would behave.  And, it would make us eligible for year-end points with the local club. 

I have to tell you, showing in hand at breed shows is pretty sweet.  I do 2 classes and then I'm usually done by 9 or 10am!  We then go grab breakfast and hang around at the show helping friends.

Still needs more weight and muscle, but looking ok!

Fred's next show was in late July and he had put on quite a bit more weight, so we did quite well.  We had 4 grand champion and I think 4 reserve champion halter wins.  In addition to the satin (hells yeah!) the first time your horse gets a grand champion halter win, AQHA sends you big ass trophies!  (woot!)  I got those this year as well, which was pretty damn awesome.

Yasss! Trophies!  Finally, after years of paying AQHA memberships...lol

We were also the provincial high point 3 yr old gelding in the open and amateur halter classes and I got another trophy and a stall-front bag, which I still need to pick up from a friend.  Not too shabby! There wasn't a lot of competition in the 3yr old classes, but I'll take the trophy!!  Fred was also the high point open and amateur 3yr old gelding in the local QH club, but we won't get those awards until July of this year!  That club does their awards at their first show!  Ugh. Not good at waiting!  lol

That wraps up the show side of 2018.  I'm still debating on 2019 show plans and hope to post more abut that in March. 

Winter wonderland?

So, I started a new blog.  Not sure how I feel about it yet.  lol  I had a blog back in the day, but let it sit idle for too long.  I have some work to do here - to give everyone some info on who I am and what my deal is!

My rationale for attempting to start blogging again was to connect with other horse bloggers and to encourage myself to do more writing.  I have to write a lot for work, but it tends to be more formulated responses, so not a lot of creativity is needed.

I don't have any plans about what I'll write about - I didn't ride much last year, as I have a new halter horse and fitting him took a lot of time.  I guess I'll write about whatever takes my fancy at any given time.  I like photography, art and personal finance stuff as well as the obvious: horses.  Also expect to see a lot of cat and dog photos!

Here in my region of Canada, we are deep - like 260 cm (102 inches) deep - into winter.  Now, that much snow falls over a few months and packs down and melts a bit here and there, so we aren't all trying to navigate snow that deep everywhere.  We did just get 30 cm (11") overnight and I get to work from home today - hence this first post!

I kept the horses in the barn last night (2 QH, 1 mini, 1 pony (who is a boarder)) because the wind and snow were howling out of the SE and they had no shelter.  I typically keep the horses outside much of the time, but I make an exception when they can't find shelter from the barn or their lean-to.  I'm not a total monster!

I'm short - maybe I should've stayed in?  Copper, probably.

Copper was a little hesitant to leave the barn this morning - can't say I blame him - he is pretty small.  I'm only 5' tall myself, so I get the difficulties of short legs and deep snow!  Luckily for him, the snow drifted in a way that there are quite a few clear spots for him to get around.

This whole re-entry to blogging thing also requires me to remember my phone for media! That will take some getting used to.  I took some super exciting video of the horses walking out through the snowdrift at the back door.   Agreed that there is work to be done on the quality of said media.  LOL

I will go back out the barn later today and do some shovelling to clear out the shelter, the back door and the area around the water trough.  I also have to get rid of this wave-like drift that blew in the front doors of the barn!  The doors don't close 100% in the winter (ice, snow, laziness on my part) so I sometimes get a bit of snow inside.

Crazy wave snow drift - looks like it could come to life at any moment!  Also - foreshadowing of the waves I'll see on my trip in 2 weeks!!!

OK - first post done! Phew!  Hopefully I can post somewhat regularly moving forward!