Thank you all for the continued support.
RIP ALFIE 💔
On Monday, October 20, 2025 Alfie passed away, surrounded by all those who loved him.
He was 38 years young. To say that my heart is shattered is putting it mildly.
Tuesday Morning Diary – Goodbye 2024 🎉
Hello to all my devoted fans! My sincerest apologies on not keeping my blog up to date this year. I hope to get back into writing more consistently for 2025.🤞🏻
People refer to challenging times as “seasons” – they do not stick around forever. They pass. Well, my “season” has lasted since 2023 when my mother was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. As I look back, I am truly amazed with myself for all that I was able to handle, especially when it came to my horses. Although there were many times where my body was both mentally and physically exhausted, I still managed to enjoy spending time with all of them.
As this year comes to an end, let me bring you all up to date with the happenings of the fabulous Bennett Boys.
Alfie. He’s doing incredible. He will be starting his 38th trip around the sun in 2025, and for such an older horse, his spirit is very much young. Aging has been challenging for him, he lost a tooth due to simple decay/age. That discovery led to cutting out horse cookies which are simply too hard for him to chew – he now gets to enjoy animal crackers – low in sugar and soft enough to chew. He’s had a few arthritis flare ups, and some minor hoof issues, but other than that, he’s doing great.
Copper. My pepperoni as I like to call him – I mean sometimes he can be a bit spicy 🤣🤣, he’s doing very well. He will be starting his 20th trip around the sun in 2025, and he is truly in the best shape of his life. He has grown in muscle mass so much that he went up 2 blanket sizes since I’ve had him. He also went up in girth size as well. Our lessons have been very fun. My trainer has taken a different approach with us, and my lessons are geared more like training rides. We focus on very specific areas, at a pace that I am comfortable with. There’s no race to the finish line when it comes to me and Copper. In the fall, we competed in a horse show where we participated in a canter class – for the very first time. So I was able to cross that off my bucket list lol. At this point in my life, adding extra stress to my riding is not something I want to do, and this more relaxed take on our rides has helped significantly with our partnership.❤️
Flame. My little cutlet. He will be starting his 12th trip around the sun in 2025. Lots of incredible progress has been happening for Flame. Firstly – let’s talk about blankets. The first year Flame encountered a blanket was in 2022. It took me about 45 min to finally get it on him, and that was after days of slowly introducing him to what a blanket actually was. 2023 saw an improvement of time – 25 min to dress the little guy. 2024… 5 minutes!!! It’s a total non issue now!!! The other incredible milestone – he is now comfortable with being turned out and turned in by Lindsay – one of the women who works on the weekends at the barn. Their relationship over the years has been like oil & water – they just didn’t mix well at all. But through a lot of time, patience and love, Flame finally came around. Remember, the timeline isn’t up to us, the horse sets the time. This huge milestone as well as no bolting and no issues bringing him in and out from the arena means…in the springtime we can work on going outside for turnout!!!!
Judy. What, did you think I wouldn’t give you an update on myself?? 😉 I will be starting my 50th journey around the sun in 2025. Granted, my birthday isn’t until November, but this is a HUGE milestone. On the personal front, I started a new position within my company in July, and it has been the best change for me. I also have been able to teach more riding lessons at the barn. I am known as “Aunt Judy” – a title the barn kids affectionately gave me, that I cherish so very much. “Aunt Judy” power-walks at horse shows to make them laugh, and I’m their biggest cheerleader.
As always, thank you all for the support you have shown me and the boys. If you are on TikTok, I go LIVE every Sunday, 10AM EST from the barn, so feel free to stop on by.
Wishing EVERYONE, a very HAPPY & HEALTHY NEW YEAR!! ❤️🐴❤️🐴❤️🐴
Monday afternoon diary: Truly living my dream…
Yesterday, Copper and I did something I never thought we would do…at least this year. We went to a horse show, and for the first time EVER, competed in a walk/trot/CANTER class!!! It was actually my first time CANTERING in a show EVER!!!
As you may remember, it was only a few short months ago that I took my tumble off of my beautiful Appaloosa. Confidence – severely damaged. I was terrified every time we trotted. I was hyper focused on the great tumble. But I was determined to get back to the place I was with him, and I did.
The time I spent refining my skills and abilities not only helped my confidence but it changed the dynamic between Copper and I, for the better. A new more deeper trust developed between us, a stronger partnership was formed.
The last time I rode Copper in a horse show was a few years ago – in fact it was the Dressage show where Copper decided to stop and “moonwalk” backwards during the test – it was a beautiful move, just not part of the test at all lol. I remember being very hard on myself because my nerves had gotten the best of me, and because of that, Copper took matters into his own hands to get my attention focused on the task at hand. It was the moment I allowed anxiety and fear to take over, and I stopped showing him in riding shows after that. All I would do was compete in “in hand” horsemanship classes, where I was leading him around. I enjoy doing that with him, and we managed to win the in hand Championship last year.
At the end of last year, my trainer and I decided to upgrade our barn’s show team for this year, complete with tryouts and a schedule of shows we would be attending. At the time of the try outs this year, my mother had just passed away, so I wasn’t interested in showing Copper at all this year. So I assisted with the tryouts and helped judge the participants.
I had told my trainer that maybe if Copper was available for me to ride in a show in the fall, I might consider it, but honestly, I didn’t put too much stock in that fleeting thought. I never wanted to take Copper away from one of the young students to ride in a show, but it turns out, he was available this time around.
Deciding to compete with Copper at this show wasn’t an easy decision. First up, was the classes I would be showing in. Because of my age, I wasn’t allowed to compete in the walk/trot/poles class – age restrictions set the max age at 12. I know I look great for my age, but I can’t pass for 12 lol. Since Copper and I don’t “jump”, the only other option for us was the beginner walk/trot/canter classes. The way the classes were set up, I could’ve elected to only compete in the walk/trot classes. I didn’t have to do the additional 2 classes that included the canter. That’s where the great dilemma began for me.
I decided I would give it 1 week of rides before I made my decision. I was on the fence about it until a memory came up on my Facebook feed. It was when Alfie and I did our first English show. I remember how nervous I was but all those nerves went away once we entered that ring. We had fun. We took a huge step out of our comfort zone and did it. And that’s when I decided to do the canter with Copper.❤️
The only thing that was weighing heavy on my mind about the show, my mom. This show was the first one where I wouldn’t be calling her right after to tell her how we did. This was the 1st first of many firsts without her.
Yesterday morning, as I listened to the horses eat their breakfast, I sat in a chair eating my breakfast sandwich and thoughts of my mom started to overwhelm me a bit. I then looked at Copper happily slurping his food, and my heart started to feel better. I quietly said “I love you mommy” and started the mental list of all my riding gear I had to bring.
Now the canter – it’s been the hardest gait for me to learn, as it is with most riders. Being an older rider, it’s really a bit more scary than for the younger ones. I mean, it’s a much more forward gait, meaning you go faster than a trot. To do it correctly requires strength, balance of both you and your horse. Like people, horses have a dominant side, one direction they move better in. Copper, his better direction is to the left. Doing anything to the right requires a lot more assistance from his rider, to help keep him balanced. My canter skills with Copper to the right, are a work in progress. So to my not so surprise, the judge at the show asked us to canter….to the right…twice.😩
Our first pass was…interesting…I didn’t have him positioned correctly and he swapped his lead – that’s where he changes the leg he leads the motion with. Copper has suspension – he’s a bit springy so it sort of feels like you are briefly defying gravity a bit when he does the swap. It was an elegant display of strength and balance on my part as I managed to stay nicely on his back.😆
Our 2nd pass to the right was much better. He picked up the correct lead, broke to trot for a few steps but I was able to have him pick up the canter again.
By the end of the classes, we had taken 3 Fifth place ribbons and a 6th place ribbon. Our walk/trot movements were really good, considering how nervous I was in the beginning. Overall, it was an incredible ride, and something I’m so grateful for doing.❤️🐴
Tuesday Evening Diary: After you tumble, you have no place to go but up.
It’s been many weeks since I took “the tumble” off of Copper. Since the great tumble, my riding lessons returned to the basics. I had to re-learn how to ride my horse properly, and correctly.
Copper was a Western pleasure horse before he entered the dressage and English world. He spent the first 16 years of his life competing in many rated Western shows and did pretty well in them. Western riding and English riding are very different worlds, that go beyond different saddle types. In the Western pleasure world, Copper was trained to have a nice slow and steady walk, trot and lope (canter). Although those abilities made him a star in the Western world, it’s the opposite for the English world.
For the past 3 years, we have been working on getting Copper to be a forward moving horse – and that means, training him to move from behind and push himself forward in movement, as opposed to using his front legs to pull himself forward. This is the reason I took my tumble…I didn’t have the strength, or skill to do this properly.
So, that’s what my lessons have been focused on, proper movement, proper power. After around 12 lessons doing nothing but working on walk/trot transitions, Copper and I had a huge breakthrough.
During these last several weeks, I stopped my somewhat independent Tuesday afternoon rides, my confidence wasn’t there at all. I was very focused on being able to properly ride him, I was afraid to ride when not taking a lesson. That all changed last Tuesday, when I decided it was time to give it a try again. I rode for a bit while my trainer was finishing a lesson, and then it was just me and Copper. I was so amazed at how well I did. I was able to feel when he wasn’t engaging the power from his rear, and I was able to get him re-balanced. For that ride, I worked on transitions and….canter!!! It was my first time cantering since my tumble, and it was incredible. The weeks of working on those transitions, and getting Copper to be a forward moving horse didn’t just help Copper, but my body suddenly became incredibly strong!
Today, it was hot. But I was determined to ride. I got to the barn, put my boots and half chaps on and tacked up Copper. I was ready to ride, but…there were no other lessons happening like there normal is. My trainer was occupied at that moment so I found myself alone…with my horse…no one else in the arena. This was a first for us.
So I tighten Copper’s girth, check all the tack, and walk to the mounting block. Now, I wasn’t totally alone in the barn, people were around, but I was the only rider. I can count on 1 hand the amount of times in my 8 1/2 years of riding I’ve done this (this was only the 3rd time, and the 1st time with Copper). I get Copper to the mounting block and I get on. We enter the arena, and he looks around and turns his head towards me as if to say, hold up, there’s no one in here but us! I halt him, get myself all situated and we start our warm up.
I basically treated this ride as a lesson. I did everything my trainer has had me working on these last several weeks. I was able to get him into his forward sassy walk. When I felt that he was too heavy in his front legs, I was able to shift him back with a slight adjustment to my hands and body. I was able to trot circles and over ground poles in both directions. I was even able to canter in both directions. And I did this all by myself.
After my ride, I excitedly run to my trainer to tell her how it went, and she is just beaming with joy. She then told me she deliberately wanted to leave me alone to see how I could handle being a true independent rider. If I had needed her, she would’ve come to assist, but I didn’t need her.
“The tumble” had to happen. It took my confidence away big time, but it forced me to fight to get it back. It forced me to work even harder at learning, understanding and executing my riding so that I could be a better rider for Copper. Today’s totally solo ride happened because of “the tumble.”
I’ve said it before, and I’m going to say it again…riding is a journey. There are ups, downs, circles, missteps, and everything else in between. I am very fortunate that I have found an incredible trainer to guide me through this journey. I am also so fortunate to have this beautifully talented Appaloosa in my life.❤️🐴
Sunday Morning Diary – a fall, a confidence de-rail and being a curvy rider.
When I started this blog, I promised to share with all of you the good, the bad, and the ugly of horse ownership and riding. This entry falls under a mix of all of that.
Several weeks ago, I fell off of Copper. What was so profound for me – it was my first fall. Yes, after riding over 8 1/2 years, it finally happened.
Since the passing of my mom, I have been riding 4 times a week. Although my spirit has been willing, my body hasn’t been able to keep up. In fact, the day I fell, my body was physically exhausted. But I ignored what my body was telling me, and I rode anyway.
The fall happened about 10 minutes into my ride. Copper didn’t spook, nothing frightened him. He simply lost his footing a bit, because he wasn’t moving forward enough – let me rephrase that…because I wasn’t physically able to get him to engage properly, he briefly stumbled causing me to lurch forward, the left side of my face hitting into his neck, bouncing back from the impact, falling off of him, landing on my right hip, and rolling over onto my stomach. Hey, if you are going to have your first fall, do it dramatically 🤣.
As I lay on the arena ground, I did a quick check of my face – nose was bleeding a bit, but was not broken, my lips were numb but my teeth were fine. The left side of my face was bruised and swollen but I was OK. My right hip – badly bruised, very sore but nothing was broken.
Copper – totally OK. Once I got up from the ground, and my nose stopped bleeding, I got back on Copper and we continued our lesson – we trotted large circles in both directions and called it a day. My trainer got on him then to make sure he was physically moving well, which he was.
The trauma of falling, and yes, for me it was traumatic, it shook me to my core. I have always been very honest with my riding fears and anxiety, and my confidence was now completely shaken. Everyone has always told me, the more you ride, the more likely you are to fall. Sure, I logically understand that, but the emotions I experienced – I was not prepared for.
My first official lesson after my fall, I was scared. Not so much scared of falling, but scared that my body would let me down physically and I wouldn’t have the strength to ride him properly. The lesson went well, but the thoughts of my physical ability and weight and body type really took a front row seat in my brain – precious real estate I didn’t want invaded with such negative thoughts.
When I was a kid, I was the skinny little “string bean” as my mom would affectionately refer to me. Then puberty hit and the “string bean” turned into a “lima bean.” This began my weight struggle, something that I’m still fighting today.
Being an overweight 48 year old woman isn’t easy. Sure, you are probably thinking, just lose weight, diet and exercise and you won’t be overweight anymore. Guess what folks, it’s not that easy. Although over the years I have lost around 50 pounds, and managed to keep it off, I’m still considered overweight, or “obese” per the many weight charts available on Google. I am also entering the “peri-menopause” phase of my life, and weight gain is the norm, no matter how little you eat. Between the hormone issues, hereditary predisposition to excess weight, and being a diabetic where eating regularly to maintain blood sugar levels is crucial – this is the body I have.
Being overweight had a benefit with my fall off Copper, my “extra padding” prevented my hip from breaking as well as any other major damage, for which I’m so grateful. This is about the only benefit of having the extra padding.
Despite my weight, I can say I am physically the strongest I’ve ever been in my life. The riding, farm chores, ground exercises I do with Alfie and Flame, have helped get my body into shape, even if that shape doesn’t fit peoples opinions about what an equestrian is supposed to look like.
What is a woman equestrian supposed to look like – similar to a super model, except very strong. Well, I’m not a super model, I am just me. Over the years in the horse world, I have had comments made about my weight, surprisingly, most of those negative comments have been made right to my face. I know, sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me – that’s a big ole lie lol. The comments hurt. Most times I am able to nicely deflect them, but the truth is, the deflecting of those comments is only on the outside, to the people who make them. On the inside, it’s nothing but pure pain.
There are always lessons a person learns with riding. My fall off Copper was a wake up call so to speak, for me to listen to what my body is telling me. My lessons these days are a bit different, I am dialing them back a bit, so I can focus on my body strength and being able to ride Copper in a more collected frame, so that he is forward in all his movements. This is also helping with my confidence a bit. I’m still nervous when we trot or attempt a canter, I can’t help but look down at his neck worrying he will stumble and I will fall again. But I take each ride as a new opportunity to improve.
As for the bully’s in the horse world – they come in all shapes and sizes. Some are total strangers passing judgment, some are people who you trust.
If you are a curvy rider like me, please know, you are not alone. I feel your struggles and frustrations. Please try to remember though – your body is who you are, and your body, no matter what size, has made it possible to ride. You are riding, whether you are riding for fun, doing dressage or just enjoying a relaxing trail ride in the forest, you are doing all that thanks to your body. Love who you are.❤️🐴
Saturday Evening Diary – a bit of canter, a little walkabout around the barn, and some personal growth and change…
Good evening all! Let’s catch up!
It’s been 9 weeks since my mom passed away, and the reality of her not being here has fully set in. The autopilot days are long gone and I find myself thinking about her more and more throughout the day. But the one place I can’t do that, is the barn. My attention needs to be focused on what I’m doing, so being around the horses is helping with my grief.
I am proudly riding Copper 4 days a week! My 48yr old body is adjusting nicely to the increased exercise. I lesson 3 of those days and the 4th day Copper and I ride solo. Our partnership has grown…in HUGE LEAPS! We are now jumping cross rails. We are cantering more. We are listening to each other. We are supporting each other. And man, it feels amazing.
What has lead to this somewhat instant display of confidence you ask? Well, besides trusting him, I trust myself. For the first time since I’ve been riding (8 1/2 years now) , I have trust in myself, trust in my abilities, trust in knowing when I’m nervous (which is totally OK and normal) and trust in who I am as a rider, and I have found my voice.
My voice. I am the strongest advocate for my family and of course for my horses. But I wasn’t ever a good advocate for myself. I often found myself not expressing my feelings, for a variety of reasons, being shy, not wanting to admit I couldn’t keep up with other riders, so you, know, you do your best to fake it. Well, that doesn’t work out for you EVER. Even though I’ve made improvement in that area, it wasn’t enough. After my mom passed, suddenly I found my voice. It was always there, but something is different now. I feel as though I want to show my mom, what an incredible human she raised. Oh don’t worry, she told me all the time, especially the last few weeks before she passed just how proud of me she was, and how she was so thankful I found my passion in life. But without her here, I feel like I have something to prove to myself. And that is what’s different with my riding these days.
I speak up when my wonderful trainer asks me if I want to try something I haven’t done before. Most times, I say yes. But it’s OK to say no, I’m not comfortable with that just yet. Because I know I will be comfortable with it in a few weeks, and that’s fine.
My new found voice is also helping with listening to Copper. I know, how strange is that…my voice is helping me listen to Copper. Let me explain. When I feel him getting nervous about something, or I see that he is paying attention to something other than myself, I speak to him in the language he understands and shift gears a bit and will do something to get his focus back. Just today, 2 birds were flying very low to us, and Copper got nervous so I did a bit of leg yield to get him focused on me and we avoided a potential spook…although I did get covered in bird poop 🤣, but Copper was totally relaxed which is all that mattered. I’ve known for years what to do when you feel your horse isn’t listening to you because they are focused on something else, but I finally found my strong voice to actually act upon it.
Little Flame. Little Flame is doing great. He is learning to expand his circle of trust with 2 more barn employees. Both women are working with him, leading him around the barn, our “walkabout”-working on building a strong foundation of trust which will benefit him when he and Alfie can be turned back outside in their paddock. The weather is getting warmer and both boys are anxious to be outside, but this process is one that I refuse to rush through. Again, here is me using my voice. I am making choices to set both Flame and his handlers up for success. When everyone handling him feels confident, and Flame is confident in knowing what is expected of him – no bolting, allowing himself to be caught and brought in for turn-in, then everyone is happy and safe.
Alfie. Alfie is Alfie, his days are spent playing with Flame in the arena, napping and begging for treats. 😊
Alfie has navicular, a condition that is common in older horses, and because of that, he requires shoes on his front feet. In the late fall Alfie had his shoes pulled off due to an issue with his heel. Since he was going to be in the arena all winter and wouldn’t have to deal with hard frozen ground, being barefoot wasn’t an issue. In fact, he’s totally 100% sound (he has no lameness). The issue with his heel is slowly starting to correct itself but shoes right now are not a great option. The hope is he can stay barefoot once he and Flame are back outside in their paddock.
The last 9 weeks have changed me, on all levels. I am growing as a person. The ones that sense this the most are my horses. I have seen such a positive change in all of them. They are growing with me.❤️🐴
Sunday Morning Diary – Remembering my Mom
My mom passed away 3 weeks ago. 💔 It was incredibly hard to watch as her body finally shut down.
I didn’t go to the barn the day she passed. I was numb that day, and was on autopilot. I received many pictures of the horses that day which certainly lifted my spirits.
The day after she passed, I managed to get myself dressed and went to the barn. When I got there I was told that Alfie had been acting like a fire breathing dragon when he and Flame were turned out in the arena – something that normally doesn’t happen unless there was an extreme change in weather, which there was not. Apparently he was snorting and prancing around with his tail up which then of course got little Flame all excited. When I looked into the arena, and made eye contact with Alfie, I said to him, your grandma paid you a visit, and he closed his eyes and nodded his head.
I know, you are probably thinking I’m reading way too much into this, but there was a feeling of warm comfort I felt, something I never felt before, it was truly like I was getting a hug from my mom.❤️
The last 3 weeks have been hard, but I am doing OK. Knowing my mom can finally watch all of my rides, adventures and mis-adventures with my 3 boys brings me great joy.
I am forever grateful for the support my mom showed me as I began my equestrian life, even though sometimes she didn’t fully understand the level of my commitment. She enjoyed hearing about everything barn related, and I still chat with her on my drives home from the barn, keeping our nightly “phone calls” the same.
I love you mama.
Sunday Evening Diary – Sunshine and Horses
11 days. That’s how many days went by where my area didn’t see the sun. Grey clouds, rain & snow, no sun. All week leading up to this weekend the forecast said the sun would come out. But you know, the ones that forecast the weather are the only people who can be wrong and still have a job. So when I woke up yesterday morning and saw the bright sun. I knew it was going to be a great day.🌞
I am happy to report that I am back to riding twice a week. I’ve already noticed an improvement with my stamina and strength, and I’m much less sore in the days following my rides.💪🏻
On Saturday’s I ride with 2 other adults. Both of these adults have more experience than I do, and I sometimes feel like I’m in over my head. Copper and I were not on the same page for a good chunk of our lesson on Saturday. I had issues getting him to move forward, then we had some disagreements about walking straight and staying against the rail or wall of the arena for my non horsey friends. But I stuck with it and adjusted all my cues until he finally stopped walking like a drunkin sailor lol.
On Sunday I ride with 1 other adult, and this lesson for me, is where I can fine tune what I didn’t do well on Saturday. Today’s lesson was much better. I did a much better job at keeping him straight and forward and that resulted in some beautiful moments of cantering that we did.
Both rides were learning experiences and were fun. But I haven’t told you the best parts. So….I know the suspense is killing you 😉
In the beginning of January I told my trainer that my goal for this year was to be confident enough to ride around the property alone with Copper. I’ve had some lovely times with riding him outside but I usually have someone walk next to me or I’m with another person on horseback – but there’s usually a person walking next to me. So it’s basically a pony ride. She told me that goal was something we can achieve.
What better way to get used to riding alone than in the safety of the arena. For the last 3 weeks I’ve ridden in the arena alone before my Sunday lesson. It helps Copper get an extra long warmup and it’s giving me the confidence to get comfortable riding alone. So while my trainer is finishing up with the previous lesson, Copper and I work on whatever issues we are having. Today we worked on leg yielding to help keep him more straight than yesterday..
Being alone in the arena with him is quite comical at times. Anyone walking by or sitting in the viewing room will hear me have a full on conversation with him. Talking to him helps keep me focused and keeps my nerves in check. I can’t be nervous if I’m telling him step by step what we are doing lol.
Oh but there’s more. My new found independence has also led to me getting on my horse without needing anyone to hold him for me. I will admit, I have a lot of mounting block PTSD from Alfie. Alfie had dramatic mounting block issues for all the years we were riding. Copper has always stood perfectly still for me, it was me that had to get over it. And this weekend, I did. Both days, I got him lined up, climbed those mounting block steps, and got on. No issues.🙌🏻
I also managed to squeeze in time with both Alfie and Flame this weekend. Both boys are doing FABULOUS. Alfie has had no issues with his feet since his shoes were removed a few months ago. And little Flame is getting used to hoof oil and hugs & selfies. Interesting combo right??
My mother is still with us, although she has started to really decline. I’m not sure how much longer she has, so every chance I get I tell her how much I love her and how she and my father did a fantastic job of raising me. I know I’ve made her proud in all areas of my life, but especially with the horses. ❤️🐴❤️🐴❤️🐴
Christmas Eve Diary: he’s finally my Alfie 2.0
First and foremost – Merry Christmas to all my amazing supporters!🎄
The last several months have been an emotional rollercoaster for me. My mom is in declining health, and that topped off with me getting COVID put a monkey wrench in riding, as well as working on ground work with Flame. Although my mother’s medical condition is stable, she is currently in hospice. This has forced me to completely change my entire outlook on life.
Here’s a little tidbit of information you might not know about me. My type A personality needs to be in control, needs to have a plan always, and has this uncanny knack of looking ahead into the future, which comes with a constant state of worry. Not so much anxiety, but just plain worry, which then kicks my brain into hyper drive. The situation with my mother has forced me to change that. I know she is going to die, I just don’t know when, nor does she. Worrying about the when isn’t going to make dealing with her passing any easier, so I am now trying my hardest to live in the moment of each day, and not worry about tomorrow until tomorrow comes.
My apologies for getting heavy and deep, but this has changed my entire approach to riding, as well as handling and training Flame.
The last several weeks, my lessons have been different. The first time I got back on Copper my ride was short and sweet. Recovering from COVID has been a challenge. I don’t think I have what some describe as “long COVID”, but I was left with a pretty constant stuffy nose and dry cough. My stamina took a huge hit as well, lots of rest breaks with me catching my breath. But something that was different, that I noticed right away – I have zero anxiety about riding. And then, like a light bulb moment, it all made sense. I am riding in the moment. I am not worried about Copper spooking in the “scary corner”. I am not worried with him looking at a pole or cavaletti strangely. I trust him. Let that sink in for a moment. I. Trust. Copper.
Copper has been mine for just about 2 1/2 years. Of course you have to trust the horse you are riding a little bit, but to put total trust in a horse has not been easy for me to do. It took me 4 years of riding Alfie before I could say with confidence I truly trusted him. And although I trusted Copper, there was always that doubt I had – from worrying about something that hadn’t and wouldn’t happen, that stopped me from totally trusting this beautiful soul. Well all that seems to be gone. What a feeling it is to have finally reached that point of total trust,
When I was on the hunt for a second horse, I was looking for an Alfie 2.0. I needed a horse that checked all the boxes, and Copper did. What was lagging behind the full experience was me. But I’m not lagging anymore.❤️
That’s the update on Copper, we are enjoying our lessons and my new way of thinking which came out of necessity from a truly heartbreaking situation with my mother. Today’s lesson was a fantastic one. We learned some new exercises which will help with leg yielding. We worked on our stretchy trot, we had fun. I didn’t want our ride to end.
Now for an update on the other boys, Alfie and Flame. Both are doing fabulous. When I was sick, I was away from the barn for 2 weeks. That time away forced Flame to really trust other people who were handling him and he is doing so well. He and I are getting back into a routine.
Alfie and Flame are enjoying turnout for the winter in our indoor arena. Alfie had to have his shoes pulled because of an issue with his heel, so to make sure he doesn’t injure his feet on frozen rocky terrain, he is staying inside until he can have his shoes put back on. So far he is sound – he has navicular and needs shoes but if the shoes hadn’t been pulled off, the heel problem would’ve been more painful for him.
Below are some recent pictures of the 3 best horses I could’ve ever have asked for.
Again, I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas!❤️🐴❤️🐴❤️🐴
Confessions of an Equestrianoholic 