I started looking for pictures on facebook and was totally distracted by baby yoda memes!
![]() |
ahahah - love it! |
Anyhooo...here we go!
2010
I owned an appy gelding named Rusty at the time and I moved him to a boarding barn with lots of trail access. He was my confidence re-builder after owning a nasty little paint gelding. He was a nice quiet older gentleman and really helped me get comfortable in the saddle again.
![]() |
I used to ride a lot more! |
I got a little ahead of myself mid-2011 and was thinking about a horse more suited for endurance and trail riding. Rusty was 20-ish and couldn't do much more than 5-6 miles and wasn't good on hard ground. I sold him and bought a little Quarab mare. And totally overhorsed myself again. This mare and I did not get along from the minute I brought her home.
![]() |
Cute, but way too much attitude for me! |
In early 2012, we put an offer in on our current house. As we were getting ready to move in June, I moved the mare to a boarding stable down the road from the new house. I took a few lessons with her from a new coach to see if we could make this work. Spoiler alert: it didn't work. I ended up selling the mare in the summer and was horseless for a couple of months! I brought Spencer home in September 2012.
![]() |
First winter having horses at home since I was a kid! |
Over the winter this year, I boarded Spencer down the road and took lessons. It was awesome. lol I refreshed all of my western training from when I was young and was looking forward to some schooling shows with Spencer. We ended up doing 4 schooling shows and took home 2 reserve high point awards.
Not amused. lol |
In 2014 we did more schooling shows and a rookie day at the local AQHA show. I just did walk trot classes with Spencer, but my big success was a 2nd/18 in a big showmanship class. Sadly I have no pictures from those shows. I also showed my friend's horse at some fall fairs, which was kind of fun!
![]() |
Rascal - at a fall fair |
2015
I was pretty excited to show Spencer more in 2015, but my coach retired! That threw me for a loop, as I wasn't ready to show more without lessons. I ended up showing my friends QH gelding at two local AQHA shows. I also got Copper in 2015!
![]() |
Copper! He was 8 when I got him |
Ugh. 2016 sucked royally. I was supposed to lease another friend's gelding and show him at AQHA shows in Ontario with a friend. But then life kicked us in the pants and my husband got sick. Luckily, it all worked out and he is fine now. My friend still wanted me to show a bit to have something fun to do, so she and her hubby brought Spunky to the shows, bathed and banded him and handed me the lead line.
![]() |
Showing Spunky in 2016 |
2017
I'm drawing a bit of a blank on 2017. I did show Spencer at an appy show with friends. It was a bit of a crappy show, since I was really sick with a sinus infection. I have two professional pics from that show, but cannot find them anywhere! I'm including one of Spencer and I doing showmanship, which is what we did at that show anyway!
Game face! |
I did a bunch of lessons with Spencer with a new trainer in early 2018 and then Fred came home in May! He came from Kentucky as a 3yo. I showed him twice that summer and we ended up getting some grand champion wins and our first AQHA trophies!
![]() |
Fred's 2nd show in 2018. I need some new showing pics! |
2019 was the year of ankle-gate. Not much horsing was done - except for the basics of feeding and grooming. Spencer went to the therapeutic riding centre and Fred was very lightly backed. I'm also working seriously on rebuilding my english saddle pad collection! ;-)
I'm looking forward to the next few years and what it may bring on the horse-related front! I hope everyone has a nice holiday season and a great 2020!