I was working at Karens and learning a lot. Trying to prep for the Inavale HT with Zena.
May 2011- Zena decided that she doesn't want to show and becomes lame, I tried shoes, which made it worse so those got pulled and after a couple weeks, she went home. I began riding a saddlebred/arab cross named slammer, He was a doll and I SOOOO wanted to buy him, but he was WAY out of my potential budget.
June 2011- I took Slammer instead of Zena to Inavale where we got a pretty good dressage score putting us in 6th, a little bit slow on XC but we managed to grab 4th, but got a couple rails in SJ and ended up in 10th. Overall it was fun first event and slammer was a very good boy for me:)
July 2011- I stayed at the farm for the first half of the month while Karen and everyone else went to Rebecca farms. After they got back they decided that they couldn't afford to keep me around so I ended up going home at the end of the month.
August 2011- I moved back on July 31st, and the morning of august 1st I decided I was going to sit on my mom's morgan mare(loose, bareback and no helmet), while I filled the water trough. I ended up in the dirt jarring my back very severely and whip-lashing my neck and head so much that I sustained a major concussion. This basically put me on bed rest for 2-3 weeks, I don't remember much as I was asleep for most of it. by the 4th week I had just enough energy to pick ONE semi involved activity to accomplish each day, and that was usually go ride my horse a little. On the 31st I moved out of my parents house and into GK Coombs house with her family.
September 2011-I spent most of my time asleep but I gradually pushed myself to do a little bit each day. I don't remember much still.
October 2011- I did start up with Refereeing for Evergreen Wrestling Officials Association, it was REALLY hard because my focus lasted maybe a minute at that point, thankfully we start out the season with middle schools so the matches are much shorter, By the time HS started in, I was almost mentally ready for it.
November 2011- I spent the month reffing and had a blast, although I did exhaust myself a bit too much and it took me a couple days to recover from each assignment...
December 2011- Still full fledged wrestling and I was still pushing myself but by that time I was able to ref at tournaments and stay awake and focused enough to manage.
January 2012- I decided I needed to find another job because wrestling only lasts so long:( I ended up working at a gummy vitamin factory doing 12hr NIGHT shifts from 5pm to 5am, and still reffing on the weekends...I was a dead on my feet.
February 2012- I, umm, sort of, accidentally, on purpose, inadvertently, managed to find a horse that fit my parameters, and was in my price range...His name is Doc. I decided that his show name is Mischievious By Design. I was reluctant to go look at him, as the pics were not the greatest and I din't think he would fit the bill for what I needed as a future event mount, but I went to look at him anyway, since he was only a couple miles from my house. Turns out he was a just around the corner. I didn't even have to get out of the car to know that he was the one. He had almost 3yrs of ground driving on mountain trails, but had only had a rider on his back a couple times. He had the FACE!!!! and and the eyes!!! and the obnoxious pesky attitude that SCREAMS event horse:) He is a little long in the loin and a little downhill and a total ham, but I LOVE HIM TO DEATH!!!! All I had to do was figure out how to pay for him, as I had only had a real job for a couple of weeks, and had eat to be paid and I still had to pay off the car I had committed to buying(from my sisters ex bf no less:P) Carmmal was a doll and she knew that doc and I were meant for each other and she really wanted me to have him as much as I wanted him, so (bless her heart) told me that I could make payments on him and pay him off when I can. In the mean time she continued to pay for his board(at the chicken farm:P) and I went out and worked with(we moved to riding after 3 days of reviewing ground work) him, or at least brushed him and developed a relationship with him over the month.
March 2012- I continued to work with Doc and pay off my car and pay off him. I had him all paid for by the third week of march, Wrestling was now over and it was just MY horse(whom I fondly refer to as my boyfriend:P) and the gummy vitamins now.
April 2012- I had not planned on moving Doc to a real boarding facility until May but just to be a pain in my backside he decided to develop an abscess the 2 week of April...so I had to move him early. I moved him to Lucky K stables, and after a week of stall rest in out of the nasty rain( I did manage to get him clean for the first time!!!) he was all better and we started REALLY working on our riding skills:P
May 2012- I think I started jumping Doc a little by the end. He was coming along in his training so nicely!!! I was still working the night shifts so it was hard but I managed it:)By this time Doc was doing well enough that I was trying to squeeze in a lesson with Anne Carr here and there. I also took him to his first Dressage schooling show and LOHC where we got a 58(?) on the Intro B test and placed 3rd or 4th, cant remember.
June 2012- I got a job offer from Lake Oswego Hunt Riding Academy Manager Shannon Vandermolen, to be a the lead camp instructor for the summer. Over all the pay would be the same as the vitamin place, and it was 5 days a week and DURING THE DAY!!! so I said yes. Doc and I went to our second Dressage show and did Intro Test C and received a 67, and a blue ribbon:)
July 2012- I quit my job at the vitamin place a little early and my money was a bit tight so I ended up bringing Doc back to my house for the month, I also started Teaching the 2nd week, and was having a lot of fun:) Doc and I Went to the ShowTime Jumper Schooling Show at Si-Ellen stables. I entered him in the 2' division in 2 classes. The first one he decided that the 3rd to last jump was terrifying enough to unseat me, and land me on the ground...BUT I LANDED ON MY FEET!!!! I immediately remounted and finished the course with no further issues. (apparently I'm scarier on the ground and he would rather me be mounted.) We went into the second class and completed the course with NO problems! He jumped the whole thing like he had been jumping for years...We got second:) Not bad for a our first jumper show:P
August 2012-I moved Doc To Si-Ellen stables so that I could start to have weekly lessons with Anne because hauling there after a long day of wrangling children just didn't work in July...I was also asked to start helping out at the barn, which was convenient because camps were only through the end of the month. We had to put Tausha the old pony down, as she was getting to immobile to allow her to go throug hanother cold winter. RIP The Super Pony:*(
September 17th 2012- Zena ha officially found a forever home with a little girl whom I have known for as long as Zena has been alive. They are going to grow up together and have LOTS of fun adventures, and win lots of blue ribbons:) Up to today Doc and I have jumped up to 3' and his dressage is coming along VERY beautifully:) we are understanding half halts to fullest extent of the use now:D and I have discovered that Doc likes to put his feet on things...He also likes doing Walk pirouettes and has also decided that walk to canter transitions are FUN!!! He is still fairly strong over jumps because he LOVES it SOOOOOOO much, but he is figuring out VERY quickly that running around a jump course and not paying attention isn't as much fun as it seems. We have another Showtime show coming up this saturday(the 22nd), and we now have homecourt advantage:D MWAHAHAHA so if anything goes wrong, I am going to blame him and claim that he planned it just to be a turkey head. We are also going to be doing our first 1 day HT and Lincoln Creek in chehalis the following weekend on the 29th. and from the 30th -3rd I get to be in charge of the barn:D *evil snicker* I love being in charge:P Anne and her husband are going on a much deserved vacation to the San Juan islands*jealous* so I get to hold down the fort while they decompress:)
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