Relaxing after a nice hot shower after a super busy cold day at the barn, my heart is filled with such joy and happiness. Let me bring you all up to date with the adventures of Alfie and Copper.
I can officially announce to the world – Alfie is barefoot. He no longer requires custom shoes. He has been barefoot for 4 weeks, and he’s doing great. His feet are adjusting nicely to not having shoes in a very long time. The crack that developed in his heel in March, grew out completely and his feet look fantastic. The day I got the call that Alfie was officially barefoot, I cried hysterically in the parking lot of my local supermarket, tears of pure joy and relief for him. My boy finally caught a break with his feet.
With Alfie’s feet feeling good and his arthritis pain being managed with some extra supplements, we have resumed our Sunday workouts. Sundays are for Alfie, and he really does enjoy our time together. While I groom Alfie I sing to him – although my singing voice is awful, Alfie doesn’t care, he loves when I sing to him. We then have fun in the arena. We jog together, we hop over poles on the ground together and when I need to sit and catch my breath, we play tug of war with his lead rope – I always let him win.
Now for an update on Copper – in a nutshell – he’s wonderful. It’s been almost 6 months since this beautiful red head joined my family and he’s letting his guard down a bit so his personality is coming out which is great. I was worried about dividing my time between both boys, making Copper feel loved while giving equal attention to Alfie. At times I felt myself literally being pulled in separate directions, worrying about Alfie’s feelings while earning the trust and love of Copper. But, all those hours spent building a relationship with Copper have paid off. He knows who I am, he knows I’m his human. He also knows I love him.
I know you are on the edge of your seat with anticipation, you want to know how our riding is going . We are doing AMAZING together! I am an official member of the “Canter Club” as I like to call it. That’s right, I am not only walking and trotting but I’m learning to canter. The canter gait has always been a challenge for me, but I’m doing it.
Just when I had given up hope in finding an Alfie 2.0 the universe stepped in and brought me Copper. Many people may have doubted us as a riding pair. I mean, Copper is a registered horse with an impressive show history, and here I am, an intermediate beginner who is a timid rider. But Copper brought out the courages side of me. For the first time, I wasn’t afraid of taking a little risk. I wasn’t afraid to step out of my comfort zone. And by trusting my skills and my horse, we are making huge strides.
Copper has a pretty big fan club when it comes to the younger students who ride him. Right now, there are 4 kids who want to show him in horse shows in the spring – and I want to compete with him as well. What’s so great is while I am doing dressage with him, the younger students are jumping over small jumps with him, which he really loves. I get to watch most of the lessons with the students and my heart swells with joy when I see how they appreciate him for who he is. Everyone that rides him seems to fall in love with him which is what he deserves.
As 2021 winds down, I can’t help but smile. I started out the year as a single horse household. All was good until March when our riding time abruptly ended. Months of serious lameness issues would follow until a 2nd opinion from a different vet changed everything for Alfie for the better, but I desperately wanted another horse to love, another soul to save and another riding partner to call my own. The month of June brought Copper into my world.
To all my fans, supporters and readers, thank you for the love you have shown Alfie, Copper and myself this year. May the joys of the season fill your hearts with love.❤️🐴❤️🐴
Confessions of an Equestrianoholic 