End of the Year

*Warning: Extreme overuse of positive adjectives and adverbs.
Sitting here, thinking back, trying to figure out what to write, I cannot believe everything that has happened in the last year. There are so many people who have so greatly influenced my life that I didn't even know before this year. It absolutely blows my mind. This time, last year, mustangs were hardly a blip on my radar, and now they are an every day part of my life.
If I sat and named every life-changing person or moment, we'd all be here all week, and I'm sure no one wants that. But, really, my whole mustang family. I am so blessed to know each and every one of you. Each of you has influenced my life in some way, shape or form, whether we have met or just spoken online or (for so many of you in the MM family) if I've just seen your updates.
2013 has definitely been the most wild year of my life. I've experienced crazy highs and crazy lows and it has truly taught me so much about life both in and out of the horse world. From deciding to do the Makeover and meeting and working with Z, to losing my incredible, beloved Mia (and dealing with the subsequent nightmare that is finally over) to resuming real life, I have felt myself grow stronger and more empathetic and in-tune with both two-and four-legged friends and family.
Now that I am truly ending the year, I have received an awesome opportunity. I am so excited to announce that come the New Year, I will be joining Raise Your Dreams Farm (Woodstown, NJ) as a riding instructor. RYD is a lesson facility run by the truly blessed, beautiful inside and out, Jill Mansor. I am more than stoked to start working with Jill and her multitude of students. I think it will be a great opportunity and definitely the perfect place to learn about instructing.
I want to take this time to thank, from the bottom of my heart, each and every person who has ever read this blog. Whenever I look at the stats for it, I am blown away that people from the U.S. and other countries have clicked on to this page almost 4,500 times. It's crazy to think about the reach I've been able to have simply by sharing my journey with my lovely, intelligent, talented, beautiful, sweet, athletic, wild girl.
I look forward to sharing my adventures with all of you in this coming year, both with Z (it'll be her first year as an event horse!) and Raise Your Dreams Farm.
Have a Merry Christmas and a safe, prosperous and happy New Year. <3

Videos from Z's First Event

Dressage:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DQYi--n9Wc

Stadium Jumping:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6R60ix1Xjk

Cross Country:
(skip to about 1:00, we were having some trouble getting into the woods. lol.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=reL8-OXWKj4

First event wrap-up.

After getting about twelve hours of sleep last night, I'm finally ready to really reflect on Z's very first event yesterday. We had just about everything going against us except rain, going into the event. I knew I had a smart, brave, trusting horse under me, though, and that's all I needed. The wind was wild, it was nice and cold, and I rode at the end of the day, so we just prayed they would move fast enough that we could get done and placed before dark. The day went about as goo as I could have expected. Z was 100% chill off the trailer, for grooming and anything on the ground, and got uite tense once we mounted up and headed to warm up.

Dressage warm up went just about as good as I could have expected. I gave us about 45 minutes before my ride time so we could do pleanty of walking and stretching to really relax the baby girl. We also got to meet another mustang girl who had her 4yo little black mare at the Million! It was so neat to really see someone else striving for the same thing. Our test went, well, not as great as she's done at home, but I think it was Philip Dutton who says "you're only going to get 70% of what you get a home from your horse at a competition." I'd say that's about what we got. She was obedient and didn't break or really spook, but she did stay counter-bent most of the test and threw her head quite a bit becuase I didn't let her have her fun spooking. :) We ended up with a 42.5, which is more than commendable for her very first time in a dressage ring or in that sort of show environment (out in the open, car horns, etc)

Now, I'v never ever been nervous to jump a horse, so the nerves I felt while tacking up for jumping were twice as scary. I knew I had a brave horse and the jumps were pretty much ground poles, but we hadn't really been able to strike our rhythm jumping at home the past few days, and frankly, I had just decided not to jump her after Tuesday to just keep her fresh enough. Warm up went well and she was probably the most attentive she has ever been to jump. We got into the ring, and let me tell you. I have a real event horse on my hands, granted, she was only jumping 18". She locked on and pulled me to each jump, not rushing, just super confident in her job. It was incredible, a totally different rush from galloping 3'3" training courses on my old mare.

Cross country was a bit of an adventure, but probably one of the most rewarding rides of my life. Again, the jumps were barely anything height-wise, but Z hadn't gotten out schooling to prepare her. She was really look-y for the first few jumps, stopping and then sort of stumbling over the second jump and then deciding she really didn't want to go into the woods. After the woods discussion, she realized how simple and fun the rest of the course would be and just stuck her head up and got more and more brave as we went on. Now, most eventers can tell you, we want our horses to lock on and really enjoy what they do, essentially pulling us around the course, but staying attentive to our directions, and that's exacty what Z did. She was so happy around the whole rest of the course. :)

We ended up SECOND. SECOND IN OUR VERY FIRST EVENT. I couldn't possibly be more proud. She was stellar and acted like an old pro. Never once did sh have a big melt down or totally tune me out. I love this little mustang, and she LOVES being a little mustang ambassador to the eventing community in our area. She loves the apples and pets that everyone gives her and stads quietly while I explain her brand and our story.

Here's to many more years as eventing partners. :)

October

This past month has been so much fun with Z. She's really coming into her own and I can't wait to show her off. We've finally gotten a trailer, so the adventures will start soon! (Adventures primarily meaning learning to load into a two horse straight load with a ramp...) We've started riding outside more and she's starting to relax more and more into doing that. We have a few tentative shows that I'd like to hit before it gets entirely too cold. One is just a hunter show the end of this month to do the baby greens, and then we have a beach ride scheduled for the following weekend, and I think we may do our first unrecognized event either the next week or two weeks after. :) I'm so excited to get her out and show off what my little stang can really do. :)

Also, this may not seem like a huge thing to most people, but Z can canter now! I don't know what changed, whether it was her muscles or just her mental capacity, but she's finally totally cool with cantering. It's far from balanced, but we're getting there. I'm so happy with her. She's had a few "baby days" where she kind of reverts back, but she's absolutely phenomenal overall.

I'm going to try to keep everyone updated as I'm planning on getting her out as much as possible during the next few months and I know she'd love to meet her extended family and any fans. :)

Quick plug, if you have a facebook, head on over to "like" my training page at www.facebook.com/nicolebarbyehorses

September

I'm finally back in the saddle. And I couldn't be happier. Though Z has picked up some of her old habits that we were just starting to get over, she's taking everything in stride. We both have to get back in shape and get motivated to get working. :) Attention is our main thing right now, so that's good. I mean, if my only steady complaint is that she doesn't pay attention as a four year old mustang mare, I'm quite alright with that.

That being said, worry-wart Nicole came out today because Z seems to have a hematoma right where the girth goes, centered on her belly right behind her front legs. Now, I know she kicks herself there when she kicks and stomps at flies, so I'm assuming that's what it's from. There's no puncture site and it doesn't seem to hurt her, because, believe me, she lets me know loud and clear when she's anything less that comfortable. It's also not warm. So we're going to keep an eye on it and if she starts to show discomfort, act then. If not, I know they tend to heal on their own, so here's hoping that's all it is. My tough cookie is gonna be completely fine. :)

So updates. Before I got back on, I decided to free jump Baby Z, just out of curiosity. I went into it saying, if we got to a height she refused or knocked hard, we'd just stop. No pressure, no expectations. Well, my little mustang jumped four foot. FOUR FOOT. My 16.3 TB couldn't do that, at least not more than once in a blue moon. Anyway, I think I have my first prelim horse, LOL. She's such a brave girl to even try that. I've attached a (very blurry) still from the video, which is, in it's entirety, in my Facebook.

Also, I'm going to be speaking, at some point in the near future, to a 4H club in Pennsylvania about y experience with Z, which I am super pumped about. Mainly because it'll be another excuse to wear my EMM shirt. Which I can't really ever wear because I ride English. :/ Regardless, super excited to spread the word about mustangs, MHF, and EMM to young people. Their club apparently already has a mustang, which is super rad. :)

I think that's all the September updates, we're still hoping to get out schooling and get to at least one little event or combined test before the end of the season, but I don't want to rush things. If we get a trailer and she feels ready, we'll do it, if not, there's always next year. :D

Also, found this gem of a picture of my spaz taking off during the auction. Good Lord, my body...

Quick update

So in case some of you didn't know, I've been out of commission for about a week and a half due to major jaw surgery. Bekkah has been awesome enough to work with Z a few times while I'm in recovery. Yesterday was the first day I got out to see her since the surgery last week. I'm still pretty weak since it's so hard to eat, but I walk out back to see her and she was under the run in with the other horses in her field. I yelled "hey, mom!" and she whipped her head up to walk to me, like "where have you been?!" I gave her a good brushing, but frankly, shouldn't have for my own good...but Z is so fat. LOL. I mean, not the fattest, but I'm so used to my skinny OTTBs, not a pony that noticeably gains weight in a week. :)

Anyway, today I went out when Bekkah said she was going to ride. Z is doing so well. She's still opinionated and sassy, but she is learning every day and getting more balanced every single ride. I can't wait to get back on her. I miss my baby.

I'm not sure how to title these anymore...

So this week was amazing. Z and I finally had relaxed playtime. Clearly, we both needed it. Z spent the week meeting new friends and chasing me for treats. :) Today I decided I had to get back on her, but, it of curiosity, I wanted to see how she would lunge in a neck stretcher. I'd really like to start building her back muscle, but I always feel like draw reins and even side reins put the horse too far on the forehand (not that I don't love their effects on the right horse, lol). So I tacked her up and for about 5 minutes (since she's not used to ANY sort of head restraint, even light and stretchy), I lunged her in the trusty neck stretcher. Oh. My. Goodness. Now when I say she was incredible afterwards, believe me, I've never had such an instant change in a horse. She was light, not eating the bit, resting her mouth, and super responsive to my rein aids. I don't know what it was about the darned stretcher, but something clicked for her today. I can't wait to see where she goes from here. :)

I also want to say that today I went to work with Caitlin's mustang, Halona. She'll be mentioned plenty in her, from now on, as she is a huge part of my mustang journey. I'd like to say Halona was the mustang before the mustang who started it all. Meeting Halona and Caitlin last winter, I had NO idea I'd end up with a mustang the same age as hers, only, maybe, six months later. Crazy... Anyway, Z has given me so much insight into the mind of a mustang, that after four months not working with her, and two or three weeks of absolutely no work, we were able to pick up right where we left off. Bit, saddle, lunging, and we even learned some steering today.

I love mustangs.