how i got into halfingers

I got into horses at a later age than most. When I was a kid, I was into a lot of things and horses never really crossed my mind. I started out with ballet (can you imagine?), swimming, and competitive figure skating. By eighth grade, I was burned out! For skating, I had to get up at 4:30am skate before school, get to school late then leave early for more skating. It was pretty intense. When I finally hung up the skates, I took a break from everything. I did play school sports like volleyball and tennis, then I completed my high school career running cross country and track. When I started college, I was through!

My friend Robin bought her horse Ryleigh and I started going out to the barn with her. There was this one horse at the barn . . . she was super annoying, always kicking her stall door and everyone was always yelling at her to stop. She was a pony and she could barely be seen over the stall door. I couldn't stand her! I was told she was like a cross between a Shetland pony and a Budweiser horse. She was pushy, loud, fat, nippy, and had this look on her face that I can't even describe. 

I continued going to this barn with Robin. Sometimes I got to ride Ryleigh for a bit, but Robin had her lessons so I did a lot of hanging out.  One day Robin's trainer asked if I wanted to ride a horse. Um, yes! And she proceeded to bring out the short, fat, annoying pony horse. I was not convinced that this was a good idea. 

She tacked this pony horse up and I crawled on. She gave me basic instructions on what to do and how to work this horse. Since she was a lesson horse, she knew the drill. But she also knew how to get out of the drill. . .

This horse was Mia. No, it wasn't love at first sight, it wasn't even like at first sight. But it seems that all the animals I fall in love with it takes me a while to really warm up to them. 

What can I say. . .Mia grew on me. I would ride her every time I went to the barn. I bought Mia her own grooming supplies. I brought her apples and carrots every time I saw her. And I rode! 

Typical Haflinger that she was, Mia did give me my fair share of grief. She refused to trot without a crop in hand. I didn't have to use it, she just had to know I had it. She would break out of cross ties (multiple times) to make a run for the grass. She would almost break fences to get to grass. She would decide on certain days that she would not stand by the mounting block and make a 15 minute game of it. Mia's top speed, unless it otherwise suited her, was a crawl. 

Mia often chose to go where she wanted and since I was a beginner, I had limited steering especially at the trot. So we would trot up and down the center line of the arena and I would say were were practicing our 100 yard dash. I rode Mia down the rode (where she chased a van and produced a fancy unasked for dressage move) and I rode her in the outdoor arena by myself.  I rode her bareback, sometimes just to give my knees a break (she was so round they would hurt after riding!). Fat Mia was so comfortable bareback. But she also knew I had even less control. More than once Mia walked us right out of the arena and into the grain stall. She was a Haflinger with only food on her mind!

Mia was bombproof. She was amazing. She was funny. She would nicker when she saw me. When Robin decided it was time for her to move to a new barn, I offered to buy Mia so I could take her with me. Obviously, I was turned down. And then I was sad. But my mind was made up. I was bit by the Haflinger bug! That was the only horse I would even look at when looking for my own. And I really wanted a mare. 

Mia did not like Jolly Ranchers!

Tadaaa! I got Shyloh! And although I haven't been able to ride her like I rode Mia, we have had our own journey and it has been fun. Hard at times, but fun. I wouldn't trade it for 1000 Mias!

How did you get into your breed of horse? Or the horse you now own? Will that be your next horse, too? I think it's only Haflingers for me!

wet pony

It rained! It rained! It rained! I actually had to pick mud out of Shyloh's hooves today! We need the rain in a bad way.

But, then it rained. . .so no round pen and no ride. I don't ride wet horses. And here is why. . .

One time, the Haflinger Mia, that I leased was on outdoor board. I am not even sure I was leasing her at this point, just riding her, so I was really new to riding horses (not like I am an old pro now, but. . .). Anyway, it was raining outside. Mia was in her shelter and I was not about to walk across a muddy paddock to get her. So I grabbed some hay and Mia came trotting out. Mia loves to eat even more than Shy. 

Fuzzy Mia

I put Mia in the cross ties and questioned what to do next. The "trainer" at the barn said towel her off and tack her up. I questioned this. . .she was soaking wet! But the trainer said it was fine. Later I learned that it was not fine. . .I kept asking the trainer if she was sure it was okay and she kept reassuring me that Mia was fine. So I did what I was told. Then I walked sweet, old Mia to the arena and mounted. We walked one length of the arena when Mia reared up! 

Wet Mia

Let me tell you, I would have sworn on my life that this rear was vertical. But witnesses on the ground said it was only about two inches off the ground. Then Mia bucked out! Again, it felt way worse than it was. Mia was an extremely overweight 18 year old lesson horse. She really was not doing much. But for a very very new rider, it was quite the ride!

She had the softest hair!

Oddly enough, I was not terrified. Don't get me wrong, I was a little afraid, but I knew Mia would never bolt or take off, it was not her style. I stayed on that hefty mare without a problem. And I continued to get on her multiple times a week. Why can't I do that with Shy? 

I came to the conclusion that Mia did not appreciate being ridden while wet, so I dismounted. I gave her some apples and carrots and loving. I never rode Mia when she was wet again and Mia never bucked or reared on me again.  And I never will ride a wet horse again.

But, I suppose I could have lunged Shy. But I didn't. Lazy me. . .

Shy on a non rainy day

the what ifs. . .

The good news: Yesterday I did yoga for the first real time ever (trying it on the Wii doesn't count). All I can say is WOW! It was nothing like I expected. It was calming and stretchy, yet I felt I really was working and concentrating on what I was doing. All outside thoughts were gone. I really enjoyed yoga and I am excited to continue with it. And, the temperature was 55 degrees today! Horses went outside and got all muddy! They loved it! Shy did not want to come inside, but stayed put when I showed her the peppermint I brought. Good girl. At least she is not running, as long as I have the peppermint. 

Not ready to come in!

The bad news: Yoga gave me a lot to think about afterwards. First, I wanted to do the yoga to help improve my balance and become a better rider. If I was a better rider, I probably could have stayed on Shyloh when she spooked and I fell off the back of her. But then I got to thinking, I am not a rider. I have barely ridden Shyloh and and mostly rode Mia, the Haflinger I leased, but not for that long. 

Me and Mia. Pretty in purple :)

Old barn had crappy lighting, but me on Mia.

With Mia, we would walk and trot, but the only canter I attempted was a few steps. This was mostly due to me, but partly due to Mia because just to get her into a trot was quite the process. She was a lazy pony!  I was always able to stay on Mia when she gave her little bucks and rears, when she spooked at birds in the outside arena, when I rode her bareback and she completely ignored what I was telling her and took me down the aisle to get to the grain stall (multiple times), when she would almost canter back to the barn after a ride down the road, and when she thought it would be fun to chase a van down the road. That horse sure had a mind of her own! But Shy and Mia are two totally different horses. Mia was mostly a lesson horse and pretty much nothing bothered her. She was also about 18 years old and had a lot of experience behind her.

Mia loved grass like no other, once she busted  the metal clip of  a line that was acting as a barrier  of a doorway as she escaped the barn to get to grass. 

This then led to the thought that since I am not a rider, what I am doing with Shyloh? What about our main goal of trail riding? Which in turn led to. . .

What if I can't ever ride/drive Shy?

What if she is too spooky for trail rides?

What if she can't ever get her "spook" under control?

What if I keep falling off of her?

What if I get seriously hurt?

What if I get a saddle and she spooks and I fall of the side but my foot gets stuck in the stirrup and she drags me around?

What if I don't ever take lessons? 

What if I do?

What if I can't find anyone to give me lessons? I do not want to compete or ride a discipline. I just want to have fun with her.

What if I am not good enough for Shy?

What if she is not the horse for me?

What if, what if, what if!!

It's a dangerous game to play. There were about a thousand more what ifs running through my mind, but I won't bore anyone. Then I got to feeling really blah. And that is where I am now. Blah. But once again, my million miles a minute mind starts to think, well, we DID get this far. We ARE making improvements, slowly but surely. Maybe we won't be able to ride this trail season. Maybe we will. I have no idea. Maybe I need some direction.

We can do it!

Things that I know to be true: I need a saddle. I need lessons. But these are entirely different subject matters to perhaps discuss at a later date.

tomorrow is the big day!

I feel that I needed to start a blog to put my feelings and my new horse adventure into words. A good friend of mine blogs about her horse experience it is very interesting to read. So even though, at this point, I am not ready to share with anyone, I thought I'd still write. As a disclaimer, everything I write will be from my own point of view and I will not censor myself. I may not mention people by name, but these are my thoughts and feelings on my adventure. I believe in the freedom of speech and I will exercise that freedom. 

Tomorrow I bring home my new, and first horse! My feelers (aka feelings) are all jumbled up. I am excited, but overwhelmed. The horse world is quite complicated and I am brand new to it. 

Here is a little background on how I got to the place where I am now. . .My friend Robin bought a horse about a year ago. I started going with her to the barn to see her horse. I met a lot of new people. The barn is a very calming place for me. The smell of the hay and all the horses there just relax me. Robin's instructor at the time, began tacking up this little pony, a Haflinger horse, for me to ride while Robin did a lesson. This horse was Mia and I really fell in love with her. She was so sweet, yet so sassy, what was not to love? I had a connection with this horse. Mia is a lesson horse at the barn, which means that she is ridden by a lot of people. Eventually, I spoke to her owner, and I decided to lease Mia. After a while, I thought, wow, this is really amazing, and I asked Mia's owner if I could buy her. I was denied and I ended my lease with Mia. I wanted a horse of my own, that was not ridden by a bunch of other people. So, heartbreak ensues. . .

Robin and a few other boarders at this barn decided that they wanted to move to a different barn. I began looking for a horse of my own after I could not buy Mia.  I wanted a Haflinger. I did a bunch of reading on them and they seemed perfect for me. I do not want to show or compete or anything. I just want to learn, have fun, and go on trail rides. Even though my lease with Mia was up, I still was going out to the barn with Robin, and some other barn friends, Terry and Anthony. I still had to see Mia. Every day that I went there, I would go in her stall by myself, sit down and cry with her. I have never told anyone that. I am so sad that Mia will not be a part of my life anymore and I will truly miss her.  And I think she knows that. She has been displaying some behaviors that she had not displayed while I was leasing her. So, I think tonight will be the last night I cry with Mia, I just don't know if I can handle it anymore.

And tomorrow I bring home my new horse. A 6-7 year old Haflinger mare. She was Amish trained, and they are very heavy handed, to put it nicely.  I am excited because she is my horse, my first horse and we are going to be going on this adventure together. I am overwhelmed because a horse is a big responsibility; financially, emotionally, and time wise. But I am up for it. I am also scared. What if she doesn't like me? What if we don't bond? So many what ifs! But we are going straight to the new barn, which is amazing!

I will keep posting all about this horse with no name!