Keep Moving Forward

Its here, the inevitable New Years Post. So lets get some stuff out of the way:

1) I thought that 2010 was rough, 2011 was rougher, much rougher. 2012, you had better have your shit together because none of us can deal with anything worse than 2011. Done.

2)I'm gonna be a better person/lose weight/yada yada yada. (but this year for real.....)

Okay, now on to more important/fun stuff :)

I'm still begging for votes, winning the "coolest horse in the world" contest would make a huge difference to me financially...so please take a second and use this link to vote: http://www.horseshow.com/shows#/coolest-horse/entries/69 Video title is "cooles" (fifth row, first video on left) Video picture will say "Bastian is the Coolest Horse in the World" I'm actually in first place right now....I'd like to stay there! :)

I'm enjoying my short little break from school, I'll be getting in lots of riding time :) Yay! I've got a lesson on Friday, and then hopefully two more next week followed by the Chagrin Valley Farm Hunter Schooling Show on Saturday the 7th, we're doing the 18" division again. We've been jumping 2'3"ish in lessons, but I still need some confidence at shows, so we're doing something I feel safe with.

I had an awesome lesson last Friday and today's lesson was just as productive and wonderful. We're jumping very consistently and I'm actually pushing to the fences. Its been great. Kristin's hopped on him at the end of both lessons so he could get in some jumps with someone who knows just what the hell they are doing. I'm excited for our show this weekend, I think he's going to be quite a good boy.

So 2012, we're going to Keep Moving Forward. Forward to the jumps, forward to our down transitions, forward into whatever you try to throw at us. Bastian and I are ready to take you on. ;)

Here's the plan for 2012:

Winona Horse Trials (starter division)

Stone Gate Farms Hunter Pace the next week

May-Daze at the Park (dressage and eventing! yay!)

EHSC Combined Test June 2/3 and/or Lucinda Greene Clinic at Stonegate

WPDA/Grand Haven Dressage Show

LHPC Horse Trials (BN)

South Farm Horse Trials (BN)

NODA Dressage

EHSC Horse Trials (BN)

And some more dressage shows thrown in there. Should be fun! Wish us luck and come cheer us on!

Happy New Year!! :)

Vote for Bastian!!!

Hello!!!! Okay, first order of business. Thank you to everyone who "liked" my photo in the Smartpak's Worst Dressed Rider Contest. This was my fabulous outfit:

We came in third and I scored a pair of Sit Tight Supremes in Tan. I'm super excited. Kerrits Sit Tights are pretty much my breech of choice :) Woo-hoo! Second Order of business. I found another contest, this one is way more important and I need serious help for this one. Its a contest for "The Worlds Coolest Horse" I uploaded this video to www.horseshows.com The first entry to 5000 votes wins. The prize you ask? $5000. Yup, that would really go a long way with me getting my financial situation sorted out, that is two major bills that I could pay off. You can vote once daily, voting ends when someone hits 5000 votes or on December 31st. I cannot beseech you enough to please please please please vote for me!!! Here is a link directly to the contest page: http://www.horseshow.com/shows/view/coolest-horse Our video is the first one in the sixth row, click on it and it will appear at the top of the page, then just hit the "vote" button. You can vote once every 24 hours. Please please please vote. Third order of Business: Bastian is wearing four shiny new shoes and was an absolute peach jumping today. He's been a peach for the past couple of weeks. His canter is really coming along and we're getting good at our "leading up to lead changes" exercises. Today we started off with a x-rail, he jumped it AWESOMWE so we made it a wee-tiny 2' verticle and he was still super-didn't look at it wonky once, so in a fit of enthuisiasm I put it up one more hole and made it a 2'3" verticle and he soared over it and was super good! I actually had to push him to the fences, he was coming in super quiet and soft so it was nice for me to have to think about pushing him forward, trying real hard to see my spots. I think I have trouble seeing my spots because I'm not a math person, I'm a writing person so I would prefer if we could just do creative jumping or something instead of having to visualize and try to figure out where our take off is and if I need to push him or pull him back a bit... but we're working on. So to review: 1) Thank you for helping me score some free breeches 2) Please please please vote for my video every day...encourage your friends and family members to vote too! 3) My horse jumped 2'3" today beautifully and by my own free choice (I wasn't even in a lesson....) Thanks all!