A decade in review

I have thoroughly enjoyed everyone's decade retrospective, sparked by May as Well Event Picture Challenge. I have loved reading the history of blogs I have been following, and have added a few more to the mix. But it sure was a challenge to find some good pictures from those early years. 

2010 seems so long ago, given how much my life has changed in these few years. It was a ho-hum year, with lots of work stress, and riding with my mom and our two palominos (my first mare on the left, and her son on the right). We logged lots of trail miles and I convinced my mom to do some local showing with me, including a pairs class. Note the Elvis outfits for our pairs pleasure class. Hilarious!

2011 is most notably marked by my meeting my husband-to-be and us spontaneously being engaged within 3 months and married within 6 months on the Cook Islands in the South Pacific. We had a lovely honeymoon and wedding trip on the islands and New Zealand and became quite fond of the island chickens that were so industrious.

Plenty of our friends thought we were crazy, but I guess 9 years later our spontaneous folly was proven right.

2012 was a transition year, shuffling between homes and pending the sale of my country farm. I asked Shawn to surprise me for Christmas, and he sure did. With a trip to an unknown destination. Acapulco was great and we got a great surprise with this sunrise.

2013 was the year we travelled the most, and I logged 13 trips in all. But it was mostly marked by the purchase of our first joint home, and the major gut and renovation project we accomplished. It boosted our confidence in home renovations, and we are planning for another project next year.

2014 was a big career changing year, and most everything else took a backseat. I also restarted teaching at the local university, and built my first course from scratch. Riding was happening, but my mom decided to retire her mare and I was solo. My homebred QH was a tricky ride and needed much more schooling than I had time for. Quiet trails after a few weeks away were an impossible objective. But we had fun nonetheless, and paired up with barn friends when we could. Here we were doing a pairs pattern class at a fun day.

2015 was professionally a very difficult year. But also took a toll personally. It was the year I had to euthanize my homebred baby at the young age of 13 after a 6 month stall rest for a suspensory injury to both back legs. This picture was taken as I fed him his last carrots. 

2016 was also the year I decided to purchase my dream horse: an andalusian colt in Florida, and have him shipped to me. He was halter broke, and that was about it. Could not touch his ears, pick up his feet, and forget about blankets. I was sure I would send him off for professional training. But one day, after 8 months of ground work and training on trail obstacles, I put my foot in the stirrup and got on.

I definitely credit the groundwork and the time spent walking on the trails. But I also credit his amazing personality and bond with me.

2017 was the year we tried things. We went on our first trail rides, did our first canters. And then one day, after 8 months of riding, I decided to jump on bareback and do the apple dunking game. As we started trotting towards the barrel filled with water and floating apples, I started screaming because I was sure I was falling. As you can see , I was not falling at all. And Q was only interested in the apples.

2018 was the year we conquered solo rides, and the year I quit my corporate job to start my own business. I learned how to live a life with less stress, and started really enjoying my horse. 

2019 was a great year with tons of travelling, riding in foreign lands, and starting this blog. My favorite ride was the gallop down Rotten Row in Hyde Park (London) where I intercepted the Queens cavalry.  This little grey cob was superb!

I am amazed at how much my life has changed over the years and I am excited about the decade to come. I will strive to be bold and courageous, and ride like the wind.