I was perusing Etsy the other day, looking for some bling.  Horsie bling.

I found a little belt shop where this lady makes custom screen-printed webbed belts, Mango Bay.  I immediately found one that was almost everything I wanted.  So I sent the lady a message to see if she had the intentions of making what I wanted - she had the pattern in different colors, but not the color I wanted.  Blue.  I just love blue.  Her bio said that she was occasionally at expos, which would delay shipping.

She almost immediately replied with a photo of the belt I wanted, which she was offering at the Horse Expo in PA.  She invited me over to come buy it.  :)  I explained that I was in Georgia, but would love it if she could make a reserved listing or send me an invoice via Paypal.  We went back and forth for a few days, trying to work on the logistics since she was, you know, working.  I tried very, very hard to be considerate of the fact that she stated on her bio that things would be delayed due to traveling for expos.  By that I mean, I was polite.


Finally, she said that due to her limited mobility, she would go ahead and ship the belt to me.  And then figure out the payment aspect of it once she got to a place with wi-fi.

Three days later, my beautiful, beautiful belt has arrived.  And I still don't have an invoice, so I sent a friendly reminder that I needed to pay her.  Now tell me... how often has the seller gone above and beyond what you would ever expect?  Go show her some love!

Also?  I freaking love her handwriting.

I rode Tuesday night and Archie was also above and beyond what I would expect.  I had a forward horse who was balanced and carrying the contact.  He accepted corrections immediately and with no grumpiness.  I'm thinking it was the sudden thirty-degree drop in temperature, but the Kid felt fan-fucking-tastic.

What's that?  Horrible weather and no horsie fodder?

1. I own my own horse.
2. My husband asks absolutely no questions regarding the horse or the financing of the horse, except, "How was your ride?" Reason #4,872 as to why I love him.
3. The horse is a freaking dreamboat.  I might be heavily biased, but I believe that he has consistently been the prettiest horse at every barn I've ever had him.  Maybe not the most willing, best trained, most athletic, sanest, blah blah blah, but damn.  He sure is pretty.
4. Intelligence.  The horse has a fierce brain.  Sometimes, his rider does, too.
5. Because Archie and I have been together for so long, I know all of his buttons.  And installed them.  Sure, there are only about three, but no confusion!
6. Flexibility - let's jump a little, mosey a little on the flat, and then go wander the woods, alone or in a group.
7. Community brain.  If I have an issue, a question, a concern, or am just seeking more information, there are about seventeen people that I can go to, ranging from friends with fancy DVM degrees to friends with better horse sense.  Or friends just willing to let me bitch.

Favoritest vet ever.

1. Immortality - for him.
2. Stronger joints - for him.
3. Custom everything.
4. A rig.
5. Our own place.
6. A consistent trainer. (Or natural talent... not picky!)
7. A lighter rider.

get the InLinkz code

So, that exercise that the Eventer set up?  Whoa.

I had to pull things out of the deep recesses of my brain to figure it out.  Like, um.  Opening my hand.

OR and I took it in pieces.  We pulled one line and set it straight on, so we wouldn't be beginning with bending lines.  After that, we started adding in the bending pieces, one by one.  I was satisfied after doing one successful bend and quit there.  I can't expect more of him than I'm able to do with my own brain.

I pulled his blanket off the rail and draped it over him.  Good pony!

That was Thursday.  Friday's ride was spent working on halting and getting him in front of my leg.  It made it quick because it was (surprise!) cold.  In Georgia.

I went back to the fences on Saturday.  Pony was good.  We successfully did a line of those hard three bends.  I guess my brain is still working on getting up and over the fence so that doing things with my hands while jumping feels incredibly hard.  It's easier every time, but damn.  Re-wire already, brain.  I followed that up with a short trail ride to the river.  He had a nice marchy walk.

And Sunday... more fences.  When I went to get Archie out of the pasture, I think he was lamenting the loss of his favorite pasture buddy.  OR officially left the barn.  Sad face.  But the Kid was standing under a tree near the mare that was married to OR's other's horse.  I sent her a photo of them and told her that they were consoling each other.

Sad pony is sad.

We also worked on opening circles.  I thought he would balk at exiting the ring and then entering again, but the Kid was just amazing.  His reward was to be forced on another trail ride down the scary dirt road to the left of the barn.  I had my crop with me and good thing, he need a little reminder that we don't stop on trail rides.  I thought about cantering him out again, but I don't want him to get conditioned to thinking that a certain area means a certain thing.  I try to vary the places in the ring where I ask for transitions.  What can I say?  My horse is smart.

A little further each time.