I met Jade!

Today... I met and rode Jade! <3

I'm in love! 

She's definitely a sassy and feisty girl, but Amber said it's because something about how the current owner treats her and has treated her.  Amber said she knew Jade before the current owner had her, and she was much sweeter then.  Amber says she just needs some love, which I can definitely give!

I took a ton of pictures, but they all turned out pretty crappy because it was in a stall and it was weird lighting and whatnot.

Riding her was just fabulous.  I loved riding her. Compared to Lexi, she was great!  Also, she's a lot nicer to ride than I remember Matt being.  We still have stuff to work on, but with Amber's help, I'm positive we'll make a great team.  Amber agreed that it went well.  I liked that she is smaller.  She felt lighter, I liked the way it felt to ride her.  I liked her... gaits?  Is that the term I'd use?  I'm not too great with the horsey terms... 

So, what we're doing is I'm starting the lease tomorrow, the 15th.  This month I will only have to pay half of the lease, which is fine.  And then I'll do a full month next month.  It'll be a month to month lease, with the requirement of a 30 day notice to end it on both ends.  I'll begin cleaning the stall immediately, and of course, I'm going riding tomorrow.  I have tack to borrow and brushes/grooming supplies to borrow.  I even have my own place in one of the tack rooms!  I'm extremely thrilled.

Monday and Volunteering

Monday -  Will be trying out Honey AKA Jade!  Amber is having me do a lesson on her to see what she is like and get a feel for her, see if she's the one to lease.  It'll be at 12:45pm.  I absolutely can't wait to meet her!  I'm already in love with her, just seeing her picture, and imagining her being mine! (Or almost mine...)

Volunteering - I don't think I will be volunteering at Possum Creek anymore.  It's thirty minutes away and it's too early to be waking up on the weekend mornings when I don't have to.  They have plenty of help, and I'm going to be cleaning out a stall every day once I start leasing.  So, yeah.  It was good while it lasted!

Jade

Amber just texted me with another option.  Apparently there is another horse at the barn named Jade, and Jade's owner has been trying to sell her for about a year now.  They really want someone else to be paying board, and Amber thought it would be a good horse as the horse is in shape and needs less work than Matt. And then Lucinda doesn't have to move any horses and whatnot.  I think it's a great idea.  Amber said they showed Jade in Spring and she did great.  I trust Amber and so if she thinks this is a better option, I think so, too.

Here is a photo of Jade.  I think she's extremely cute!  She's an 8 year old quarter horse, 15 hands.

As everyone knows, it is my dream to have a horse of my own, so if everything works out with this lease, I would love to buy her.  Amber had that idea as well.  I think I would definitely name her Honey then!  I might start secretly calling her Honey anyways...haha.

Still texting Amber about her, will update when I find out more!

Stressed

This week I did not have a lesson. My migraine was so bad I just couldn't do.  I felt really bad about having to cancel (and paying $50 for nothing) but I was not going to ride a horse with a headache that bad.  I get headaches a lot.  I did go there intending on doing the lesson, but just couldn't do it, so I left. But I did get pictures of Lexi to show you.

Amber let me borrow that dressage book she was talking about.  I haven't gotten a chance to read it but will begin soon.

So, I'm extremely stressed at the moment.  Somehow my PayPal took from my bank account when there was no funds in there, and so I was overdrawn and there were a ton of fees and whatnot.  I was supposed to pay that last week, but I wasn't paid until Monday, and when I finally got my cash I LOST IT.  I've been so upset.  Now there are going to be even more fees, they might send me to collections, etc.  Ughhhh!

Now I'm behind in my funds and will probably have to wait longer to lease.  I'm nervous about having to tell Lucinda and Amber that it will be longer because they will probably see that as me being flaky and whatnot.  I don't want to appear that way!  I'm serious about this!

Just extremely stressed and down right now.

Plans for this Week

Lucinda invited me over to her place on Sunday so I could check out her new construction on the barn and pet/groom Matty.  I'm pumped to see him, as I haven't seen him in a long time.  He's a good boy.

I also have a lesson tomorrow (Wednesday) at 8pm, after I babysit.  Very excited!  According to my friend Erica, Lexi was not a lesson horse in the past, and she was just plain crazy!  But they have been working with her a lot, and I can tell.  She's obviously now rideable and a lesson horse.  Amber says she will not buck or any of that stuff, so that's good.  (Would not be riding her if she did!)  Like I've said before, though, she is pushy and big.  I'll have to get a picture of her next time!

 I also volunteer, of course, on Saturday and Sunday.

I feel like I should post.

I feel like I haven't posted in a while and I should post.  I don't have much to say.  I volunteered at PCS this morning and followed the same girl around as last time.  It was good.  I like it because it doesn't quite feel like work.  I feel like I'm helping out and it's not too long or too tiring or anything.  I'm looking forward to when I can volunteer without having to follow somebody around the whole time.  I wish I knew exactly what to do and how things worked.  I suppose it will just take some time.

Not sure when I have my lesson this week, I'll have to check with Amber.

Third Lesson

Today, I finally had my third lesson!  (The time between getting to ride seems SO LONG!)  Today's lesson also felt like it went pretty well.  We are still working on foundational stuff, which we'll probably be doing for a while.  Today, towards the end of the lesson, she put me and Lexi (I've been spelling Lexi's name wrong, it's Lexi not Lexxi) on a lunge line and had me post trotting, two-point, and sitting trot without reins, and a little bit without stirrups.  Amber wants me to get a better, stronger seat.  I'm leaning forward a lot, and then when the horse pulls or something happens, I fall forward.  And like most riders, we found I was relying on my stirrups too much and when we took the stirrups away, when worked on using my legs to post, etc.  It's a lot, and seems a little overwhelming remembering everything, but I'll get it down eventually!  Besides, I believe there's always room to improve, no matter what level you're at. 

Amber says the book I bought for dressage is a bit complicated, and I noticed that when I tried to read it, so she has a book that she's going to let me borrow that's a bit simpler and focuses more on the rider, and I'm excited to read that.

I also met another boarder at Conference today.  Her name is Connie and she's very kind.  While I waited for Amber to arrive for the lesson, I talked to her while she was cleaning out her stall.  She told me about her horse and history with riding and horses, and I told her about mine, and leasing Matt and such.

I'm not sure when my next lesson will be, I'll have to talk to Amber about that.

October 18th

October 18th is the day I will begin my lease.  Matt will be moved to Conference, and I will get to ride him whenever I please!  I will begin using him during lessons as well.  Both me and Lucinda are very excited, and if Matt knew, I bet he'd be excited, too.  He's a great horse, needs a little work (according to Amber) but he's great.  I'm beyond excited and beyond pleased with how this is turning out. Yahoo!