Cantering Out of 2021

I love to do an orderly, month-by-month year end wrap up post highlighting our big adventures for each year. 

Buuuuuuut this is probably the least orderly year I've ever had. 

We kinda did everything. But also nothing. 

I didn't take a single lesson, haul off site once, go trail riding in a substantive way, or make it to a clinic of any kind. 

We did, however, cross off a bucket list item for me:

canter my horse bareback through a field

We also did the didn't-know-it-was-a-bucketlist-item:

jump bareback in a halter

We ticked off 2021 goals:

lope in snaffle

walk/job in curb

You can always count on us for great hair:

yup

Great outfits:

dressage

western too!

And great photo ops:

always be a unicorn

who is this fancy lady!

We definitely plunked away at traditional training:

peep new saddle pad

stay posted for more on this

And sometimes we did it in non-traditional ways:

barebacksies!

remember when she thought halters were optional?

Sometimes we just plain did non-traditional things:

tiny dog was NOT THRILLED about this

queue 70 lbs puppy exiting stage left

Can your dressage horse do this?

We trained a new barn dog:

the darling of all the barn ladies

And ZB continued to be the most stand up lady for any adventure:

family photo!

The only time I made it to a horse show was when I accidentally ended up showing a mule at the state fair:

NGL made me want ZB to have a mule baby

But ZB looked fabulous no matter what we were doing:

that shine <3

Whether we played cowgirls:

shiny

Or dressage pony:

you're welcome for the outfit

Or late night bareback adventure:

sometimes you don't knock the mud off

I can always count on her to be my very best lady horse.

<3

I had her in training for the greater part of the year and for the first time ever, canter is just effortless and if I got my shit together, I actually think we'd lay down a really nice 1st level test. I'm really missing jumping right now so we're messing around with poles and fitness and seeing where that takes us. I don't know what next year will bring (other than another list of fun goals!) but I'm looking forward to spending it with very-much-grown-up baby mare.