Just in time for my week off from work that includes a trip to Finland and less horsey activities than I would like, here's a fun blog hop with some cracking questions! Thank you to Alberta Equest!
Q1: What hobbies do you have outside of riding?
Life at the moment is VERY full on (I mean whose isn't, but I feel like at the moment I am juggling far more than I can cope with!) and having the horses at home means that whenever I'm not at work I'm very busy catching with things that I don't manage to do on work days! At the moment I'm trying to balance work/riding/blogging/family/friends/trips back home to Finland/sleeping with varying degrees of success 🙅🏼
Q2: What is your boarding situation? Are you happy with it?
We have the horses at home, with 5 acres, a barn with 5 stables, a feed area, tack room and storage room and a 20x40m arena. I'm over the moon with happiness and eternally grateful to have another chance to carry on keeping the horses at home.
Q3: What's on your horsey-related wish list?
Apart from the new bridles that I'd like to buy for my boys and the bit fit lady who is hopefully coming to visit in the next few months to come check the bits in all the bridles, the big thing I have on my wish list is a new riding hat. I've been looking at KEPs or then getting another Samshield, but I need to have a chance to go to a shop where I can try them all on before deciding. (And this is fully ignoring the new matchy that I always have to accommodate for!)
Q4: What is your most expensive horsey-related item?
Our horse trailer. Our trailer is the Ifor Williams HBX 511. Unless our home counts? I mean it was purchased mainly because we had the chance of having the horses at home again. If not then the second place goes to my WOW saddles, one of which was bought new and made to measure! 💸
Q5: What was the hardest horsey-related decision you've had to make lately?
This is not even just of late, but the hardest decision of all my life - having to have Basse put down. It's so heart breaking for me to not see his cute grey face in his stable or in his paddock. I hate having to move his bridle away from the bridle holder into the storage room and I found that I had to sell my matchy sets that reminded me of him. It has been very difficult, but I do know in my heart it was the right decision for him. Doesn't make it any easier for me.
Q6: What's something you feel you can't live without in your routine?
Lots of things, but one of the biggest things for me is being able to feed the horses as often/as early/as late as we want to rather than having to stick to someone else's routine is such an important aspect for me and my routine - I always get up at 6am to go feed them their breakfast . Also being able to turn the horses out whenever we want to
Q7: What's on your horsey-related calendar for the rest of the summer?
I have a few field trips planned to the local woodlands for hacking out, the local canter track as well a new indoor arena that we found about 15 minutes away from us for more schooling opportunities at new places - new blog posts about these to come!
Q8: What is one thing you would willingly change about your horse?
If I could change anything about Erik, it would be how easily distracted he is, and how hard we have to work hard at getting him to cool down when he loses the plot. But literally nothing else, both my boys are incredible and I love them just the way they are!
Q9: What is something you most want to improve on with you and your horse?
My posture. When I get nervous it's the first thing to go to pot, and I adopt a protective stance and hunch my shoulders forwards in readiness for take off! 🏇
Q10: What has been your horses most severe injury?
Touch wood Erik has been nearly injury free apart from lots of little cuts on his legs, from tripping or kicking out at the paddock fending. Vallu on the other hand likes to give me yearly heart attacks with swollen legs and I think we are currently on rehab #4 for tendon/ligament injuries - which is great for teaching you how to read ultrasound scans so vets don't have to explain as much as they normally do and you also learn to become incredibly paranoid about the tiniest spot of swelling...
Q11: What do you feel your biggest downfall is as a rider?
Over thinking everything which means that I sometimes struggle with going competing because in my head I'm never good enough.
Q12: What feeds your motivation?
Seeing progress with each of my horses and in myself. The reason I started this blog was because I wanted to have an online diary to look back on and see everything that I'd achieved. And I still do this, I often go back to the early days with Vallu to see what I learnt in lessons to deal with a certain issue so that I can apply it again. And I just love horses and love riding - riding is fun and gives my soul pure joy.
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