Monday, June 17, 2013

Post #200: Leibster Award

Well I reached 200 faster than I reached 100 last year. And this coincides with Carla at Collegial Equestrian nominating my blog for the Leibster Award. Thank you so much. I am still a little amazed at how many people enjoy reading about my ponies and all our experiences.

HOW TO ACCEPT THE AWARD: The Liebster Blog Award is a way to recognize blogs who have less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word that means beloved and valued. Here are the rules for accepting the award:
  1. Thank the person who nominated you and include a link back to their blog.
  2. List 11 random facts about yourself.
  3. Answer the 11 questions given to you.
  4. Create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate.
  5. Choose 11 bloggers with 200 or fewer followers to nominate and include links to their blogs.
  6. Go to each blogger's page and let them know you have nominated them.
11 Random Facts About Me
1. I am the tallest woman in my family, but unlike Carla I am only 5'2".
2. In addition to some horsey items, I collect trolls. Yep the cute little figures with wacky colored stand up hair, including an Elvis one and an equestrian. A bunch live in a cage because one little cat used to steal them away to play with.
3. All the way from Middle school thru College I played instruments, clarinet, bass clarinet and oboe. Probably why I love to ride to/with music.
4.I hate shopping for myself especially clothes. I normally ask for stuff at Christmas or birthdays so I can avoid going to stores.
5. My bedroom is smaller than my horse's stall and piled high with books.
6. I can't swim. Totally sink like a rock. All my family love to swim and I just wade.
7. The hardest part of riding in a Hunter show when I was younger, smiling. I was having fun,but I was so focused I always forgot to smile.
8. I was part of Model UN in high school with 2 other girls from my school. We were a small but mighty group and really learned to look at issues from different perspectives.
9.When I was 7 or 8 yrs old, I disobeyed my mom and petted a horse I was not supposed to touch. The horse ended up tearing my ear, almost off,  causing me to get five stitches. I had to ride my bike home with a bloody ear.
10. In high school, my lab partner and I dissected a black cat who was pregnant. We named her "Velcro" since her hair kept sticking to us and we found out her babies were tiny. The cats served as the link between the anatomy and genomic part of the class. My family hated me talking about the various dissections we had to do.
11. I used to sleepwalk, until one time I woke during an episode. Then no more, at least that I know of. 

 
My questions for you:
1. Outline your riding experience.
I started out going for pony rides, then trail rides. When I was old enough my mom started me with lessons. I wanted nothing to do with jumping so I was taught by a dressage instructor from Holland. With a strong start in basics, we moved to VA and I began to learn to jump. With my size, I rode a lot of rotten ponies and had so much fun. Soon the eventing bug bit me. I used Hunter shows to get mileage, but they were not for me. Nearly all the horses I showed were grey, by my choice and my first horse was a grey Arabian. He and I competed in CTs and HTs for the next 5 yrs or so before he was sidelined by an injury. I competed my Mom's Morgan for a little bit in eventing but he was a bit of a chicken. After the loss of our two first horses, I have done little competing. With the addition of our Welsh Cobs to our herd I am learning the joys of totally green horses. Also the scary side of that too.
2. Who was your favorite instructor and why?
I have been fortunate to have great instructors, but my favorite was my second one Ruth Perkins. She really is the one who developed me into the rider I am today. She brought Barry and I from a completely green horse/rider pair to winning our first CT. She had great insight and compassion, but she did punch a horse that bit me in the calf when I was mounting. The saddest day was when I outgrew her and had to move on at her urging. I still have a shirt she painted me and a book she wrote called "Off Centered Riding," which has a forward by Sally Swift author of Centered Riding.
3. What is the best thing that has happened horse-wise so far this year?
Being able to sit on Roscoe and seeing his growth.
4. What is the worst thing that has happened horse-wise so far this year?
Winston being diagnosed with Laminitis.
5. Are you a cat person or a dog person--or both, or neither?
Both. All my life I have had cats and dogs. I told my mom the two dogs were all the grandkids she would get out of me :)
6. What's your favorite piece of equipment?
Mounting block. Being short it really helps me and it saves my horses' backs from being torqued.
7. What's your favorite thing to do with your horse?
Stretches or tricks. They anticipate and give so many answers because they are happy. Simple things that keep them supple, but are enjoyable to do with horses of any age.
8. What is something you've always wanted to do but never tried?
I would love to ride on the beach. I may not like water, but with my pony it would be fun.
9. Do you and your horse have "colors"?
Currently our barn colors are green, black and white. When I evented my colors were Royal blue and white, Royal and Hunter, Hunter and Navy and finally Hunter, Navy and Maroon. The Morgan's colors were deep Purple and Black. For Western, the colors were Red, White and Blue.
10. What is your favorite easy dinner to make after coming home from the barn?
Grilled cheese sandwich.
11. What is your #1 riding goal for this year?
To ride with some consistency. I need that before I can even think about bigger goals.

Choose 11 Bloggers with under 200 followers:1. *TBA*
2. horsecrazyamerican
3. Bringing Up Baby
4. Eventing Unicorn and Gigantor
5. Poor Woman Showing
6. PonyEventer
7. shemovedtotexas
8. simplyhorse-crazy
9. Oh Gingersnap!
10. Dressage Adventures
11. adreamcometrue-mystic


Okay 11 questions from me:
1. Did you find your horse(s) or did the horse(s) find you?
2. What is the most unusual item in you tack trunk or barn?
3. Do you believe it is bad luck to change a horse's barn name?
4. What is your horse's favorite treat?
5. Any unusual breed of horse you would ride if given a chance?
6. Do you cross train your horse (s)? If yes what other stuff do they do?
7. If you had your own place what other animal(s) would you own?
8. What was your inspiration to start riding or being involved with horses?
9. What is the worst horse's name (show, registered or barn) you ever heard?
10. What happy moment riding you would want to repeat?
11. What is a funny fact about your horse(s)?

3 comments:

  1. How fortuitous that it was your 200th post!
    And I have to answer the worst name one. It was a gray rescue horse that had a bunch of melanomas in her tail. They named her Mel.
    Actually, I also knew a horse named Stalin. That was pretty bad but at least he was fittingly named because he had terrible ground manners.

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    1. Wow those are pretty bad! There was a appie that would come to show at our barn and its name was "Almost Alpo." He was a rescue saved from slaughter.

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  2. I have left this award for you on my blog :)

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