From The Vault: 2015 (In Photo Review)

I have 167 posts in my drafts folder. If I plan this right, I can schedule a year's worth of blogging! Just kidding, I would never do that to you. However, there are a few of those that I think would be fun to share. This post, for example, appears to be the start of a year end recap...for 2015. To set the scene, 2015 was the year I moved back to the coast and took my current job. I still owned Ginger, Bridget was fairly new to me,  and it appears I met my current coach mid year. Exciting times! :)

I thought about typing up a 2015 monthly recap type post, but I just don't have the patience to do it. If I don't have the patience to write it, I doubt any one will have the patience to read it either. This year we're going to test out an illustrated version...

January:

Ginger was living the easy life - once or twice weekly outings, but mostly just hanging out in the pasture looking pretty

Midge had been under saddle about 4 months and was doing lots of  trail riding, plus some introductory poles. She was pretty angry about actually having to work for a living...

February:

Doing lessons 1x a week and trail riding the rest is not helping Ms Bridget or I ride a balanced turn

Ginger was getting low stress rides,  still on a pretty relaxed schedule due to my own anxiety and preference for riding Bridget

March:

Bridget and I went to two (not overly successful) clinics, one 'cowboy' and one dressage. Pony was a bit uptight but a superstar considering it was all new to her.

Ginger came along for the trip, but was pretty stressed out and after the not so great experience with Bridget I ended up chickening out and just hacking Ginger on the area trails rather than taking her in the clinics as well.

April:

More hacking

More weekly lessons. B is (finally!) starting to learn how to carry herself, and even canters a couple of tiny cross rails

May:

I got a new job and moved for work, so pony visits were limited to weekends. Where of course we took a lesson,

and went for a hack.

June:

Bridget said goodbye to her old stomping grounds

And hello to new ones. We started weekly lessons with our new coach, and dressage boot camp was kicking both of our asses.

July:

Bridget slowly got into reasonable shape

And with our coach and barn mates away all summer showing, we spent many hours alone in here doing dressage and tiny jumps

August:

Bridget was getting ever fitter, and we started planning for a mini show season: a local hunter cross rail division and a dressage show later in the month doing Canadian eventing Entry level (= US Beginner Novice) dressage tests. Much practice to be done!

September:

Bridget and I had some super fun outings, and I was really pleased with how both of her first shows went!

Ginger left the farm and went back to work with Trainer M, in hopes of being sold to the best home.

October:

Ginger's training continues and it's her turn for outings and shows. She won her first dressage outing. The ponies were making me proud!

She also got to go to the beach, while Midge and I buckled down with twice weekly lessons in hopes of being ready for a late fall combined test in the big city.

November:

December: 2019 T back in - it looks like I had great ambitions and started my year end recap early and didn't finish it, so I guess we'll never know what happened next. We're all still here so it couldn't have been too bad!