A Perfect Friday!

Gambler munching on some hay while I tacked Auggie up

The ponies running around yesterday, Gambler on the left

With all of this ridiculous snow, I haven't had a real ride in almost two weeks! Needless to say, I was itching to get back in the saddle, and it was amazing to get three rides in today! Since I didn't have school and our ring was frozen on Wednesday (so no lesson), I had a lesson early this morning. Our ring was okay yesterday, but had re-froze overnight, so I rode Gambler in the field. He was a perfect little saint, despite the fact that he hasn't been ridden since last Monday!

My lesson was great. The ground was pretty hard, so we did mainly walk and some trot, no cantering. It's amazing the things you can do just at the walk! Despite Gambler being very good, he was a little wiggly and distracted being away from the herd. We worked a lot on getting him straight and supple. We also worked on halting just off my seat and leg. Gambler is now learning that whenever I close my leg, he must halt. Eventually, I'll be able to use that cue to ask him to collect. We also worked on getting him to seek the contact. He is doing so well!

We also talked about an appropriate conditioning schedule for Gambler, and came up with what I think will be super beneficial for his training physically and mentally. I'm super excited to see how he flourishes the next few months; I am so blessed to have such a great trainer. Here is what we came up with!

Poor guy was having a rough hair day! 

Sundays will be our hack day. For the next month, I will do hill work at the walk for one hour. At the beginning of March, I will begin adding in three sets of five minute trot sets. Mondays will be a dressage day. We will begin with a short hack in the field to warm up, then focus half our dressage school and softness and stretching, and after a short break, work on more trying things. Tuesdays Gambler gets special attention from my dear friend Florence, who loves him! Wednesdays I have my lesson with Jaclyn, which will be a jumping lesson from here on out. Thursdays will be a shorter and more intense dressage school, and Fridays will be a jump school focusing on whatever Jaclyn wants us to work on.

We'll reevaluate how this is working out probably in the middle of March, and go from there. I can't wait to have a super fit pony! :D

Ponies and sunshine, the greatest things ever! Love God's beauty :) 

After my lesson on Gambler, I rode Auggie. It was so nice to be back in the saddle. This horse is such a steady eddie, and although he isn't super exciting, he can be a fun ride. He was very up and willing today, which was nice! The ring was pretty much melted by the time I was riding Auggie, so we were able to get some nice trots in. He has a nasty habit of dropping his shoulder (much like Gambler) and requires a lot of support (just like Gambler... they must be comparing notes out in the field). We worked a lot on that, and I was really pleased how he was doing by the end of our ride. Hopefully this darn weather starts cooperating so that I can get more consistent rides in on all of the horses.

Auggie is definitely getting in a lot better shape. He had a nasty abscess in the fall that had him out of commission for a while, but he seems to be getting in better shape now. If this weather would just behave, I could start doing more intense trot sets and such on him. Ah, well.

Also - I have it on good accounts that getting a super huge horse (Auggie) the day after leg day is pretty painful. Just a PSA.

After riding the ponies, I went and met my friend Becca! She has a rescue named Oliver who is the darndest (new word?) cutest munchkin ever! He is tiny. It took me a while to get used to riding him, because I felt like he was soooooo narrow! I may or may not have looked ridiculously big on him, but oh well!

My friend Becca has only had him for three weeks. He's a... work in progress. By that, I mean he's a bit of a maniac, but he was really fun! Becca is doing a great job with him, despite his... spazziness. I can't wait to hopefully work with him more and see how he progresses. Right now, he can't canter like a sane creature (oh, he can canter all right! Just not when asked) but boy can he trot! It's funny, he is a super uphill mover. Those rescues, there are so many diamonds in the rough!

I feel so blessed to have such an awesome trainer, because I'm then able to share the knowledge she provides me with to others! When I rode Oliver, I worked on getting him straight and also listening to my seat/leg, not just the reins, which is what he is used to now. He was very responsive and such a good boy! He is so much fun to ride... That stride! Seriously. It feels like he's floating, it's awesome!

Becca is actually hoping to compete him at the show I am, Lord willing, taking Gambler to in March! Speaking of which, I am so excited. Here's to making February the best yet in prep for what will hopefully be an awesome competition season!

Baby, It's Cold Outside

It snowed!! A lot! 

We now have about four inches, but had almost eight when it first snowed on Tuesday. 

I've only been out to the farm twice since then, but I was able to snap some pretty pictures. Gambler was of course such a lovebug, and my brother got some really adorable pictures of us.

It was so windy, and my poor pony seemed a little cold.


 I hate the cold so much. The wind, the runny noses, the red cheeks and ears, the layers... I'm just not a fan. I am a summer girl through and through.

I have no idea how people in the north or midwest do this. Seriously. This whole heating waters, smashing ice, having frozen fingers and toes, having your hair freeze on the way to your car...


I am not a fan.

On the bright side... I have an adorably photogenic horse AND a stunning farm to take pictures of.

Even if that is the only brightside. It's something.

And seriously? Isn't God's creation just ridiculously pretty? (Yes, it is) These pictures were taken around four in the afternoon, and I love them. The lighting was really pretty. (Even if it was freezing and I almost suffered from hypothermia as a result)

And also, I have a pretty cute horse too, I guess. He's pretty great, not to mention good looking. He was so happy to see me and gave me lots of snuggles. Even if the majority of the pictures of us are extremely dorky (I can make some pretty hideous

The Latest Events

Greetings, Internet! I haven't blogged in so long! Wow! I had intended on writing a blog post about 2013 in review, but obviously that never happened! 2013 ended well for both of us, with the emergence of an awesome new opportunity, fun hacks in the snow, spending time together on the ground, and a photoshoot with a friend of mine. The final product was impressive! I love getting pictures taken with Gambler... especially when the photographer can make me look pretty like Sarah did! I hope and pray that 2014 will be a good year for us! So far so good, and Gambler continues to be awesome, of course. Gambler is doing so well! God is good as always and continues to bless us with His mercies! 

Gambler continues to amaze me, and has improved so much. Some big things have happened since I last blogged, and I couldn't be more excited about some things on the horizon! I will say it again, God is awesome! Gambler continues to be adorable and try his little heart out, bless him! I am so impressed with this horse. And yes, I say that every time I blog about him, but I mean it! Seriously! He is so good. I will never tire of the view between this marker tipped ears of his! He is such a special horse and I realize that more and more every day! 

Some big changes have gone on since I last blogged! Around the beginning of December, I started training with a local eventer. It has been an amazing experience thus far, and I can't wait to see what God has in store for us this coming year! We have been focusing a lot on getting Gambler straight on the flat and all I can say is wow! The difference it has made in both his flatwork and jumping is unbelievable. I feel so blessed to have found my trainer. She has worked wonders and the improvement he has already made is amazing! In addition to getting him straight, we have been getting him to stretch into the contact. Hopefully he will be maintaining a solid training level frame by our first show.

Yes, our first show! March 9th! So exciting. We will be doing a combined test - Intro Test A and an 18" jump course! We have only had two jumping lessons so far, but he has improved so much in just that time! He is very brave to the jumps, and the best part is that I find him to be very adjustable and willing. We did some canter work over fences yesterday for the first time, and he was very willing to adjust  his stride and take the distances I ask! Hooray for an awesome pony, and hopefully he will be just as awesome in the show ring! Gambler still thinks that putting effort into jumps is, well, too much effort! The result - lazy, crazy knees! We will be doing lots and lots of bounces and grids to fix that before our first show! 

It has been awesome to see Gambler get stronger just since working with Jaclyn. His canter is coming along great. We were having a really hard time with his right lead, but under her wisdom, he's doing much better! We have been doing a lot of transition work to get him stronger in the canter, and it seems to be working. She has us cantering half a 20 meter circle, trotting the full thing, cantering half, and so on. It has helped him a lot! We've switched his bit to a big happy mouth eggbutt, and he loves it! He is much more eager to stretch into the contact, and raise his back. It is such a nice change.

Gambler is also getting FAT! Which is a good thing, of course. He is almost at a really good weight, finally! It has been an uphill battle to get him here, but I am so blessed.

His ground manners continue to improve. He now stands on cross ties to be tacked (heck yes!) and even bridles in the aisle now. He is standing for the mounting block, and even let me get on him in the field the other day. It was so nice to just lay on his back and relax while he ate.

And of course, Gambler continues to be a total camera ham! Of course! He loves the camera and having his picture taken! I can't say I can blame him... He just wants to share his good looks with the world!

It is snowing cats and dogs (is that a thing?) today. We're supposed to get up to 8 inches. Needless to say, I probably won't be riding for a few days! Although it would be lovely if I could get in a nice snow hack tomorrow, something that has been a longtime goal with Gambler. The snow is so pretty, and luckily I was able to go get some quick pony cuddles in this morning before the storm hit! We caught some snowflakes as we were running up the hill to the car! I'm sure the farm is gorgeous right now with all the snow, though. It sure was pretty last snow storm!

So what is on the horizon for 2014? Well, I don't entirely know! I'm leaving that one up to God. Other than our first show in March, hopefully we will be able to attend some jumper shows over the summer. Maybe a few xc schools are in store for us. Perhaps another big change that is still in the works. Who knows! Whatever happens, as long as I have the best pony by my side, I know it will be awesome!

Hopefully I actually start blogging every week about my lessons. Maybe then I will remember all of the awesome info that my trainer throws at me! 

Olivia and Gambler!

Today, my friend Olivia came to ride Gambler! It was a lot of fun to see her and catch up. I know her through YoungRider, and she lives super close to me. I rode her horse Riley in the summer (and he is the cutest horse ever, except for Gambler of course).

It's always really fun to see other people ride Gambler. He is much better about other people riding him now then he used to be.

I rode Gambler for a few minutes before Olivia got on. He was so good. He's doing really well. He is still having a hard time going to the left. It's just hard for him to bend and go round, especially in the corners. I have a lesson next week, hopefully, and Heather will be of great help per usual! He got his lead going to the right on our second try today. Baby steps!

The ring is kind of a swamp from the rain/sleet the other day, and one half of the ring is a huge puddle. I wanted to trot Gambler through it and see what he did, but I had a feeling he'd slip, because he is dorky and clumsy!

Olivia looked really good on Gambler. She looks so tiny! He is getting so big, it's insane.

It's so cool to compare his movement in these photos versus photos from a few months ago. Such nice, positive changes, and I love seeing that!

Gambler's new blanket came in the mail yesterday. I spend and arm and a leg and approximately half my soul on blankets last year that Gambler destroyed and no longer fit him. Wah. They were really nice Rambo's, too. I was able to sell one that I never used, and hopefully I'll get around to fixing the other two and selling them for a little bit. He has a nice blanket from Smartpak though. It's an 81", holy moly. It's a little big for him, but he'll grow into it. And he looks awfully handsome in it!

Gambler is so fuzzy this year. Last year he grew hardly any winter coat, but this year he is all fluffy! I guess that means we're going to have a bad winter. He's nice and warm, though; I foresee lots of bareback this winter on the days that I'm too cold to do anything else!

Now, story time. So, Monday I fell off Auggie. It was hilarious. And I want to write this so that in ten years I can look back and laugh again. So, the fat pen ponies haven't been coming in when the rest of the horses do. I had to ride Auggie anyways, so I just volunteered to go look around the field for them. I got up to the top of the far hill, which is close to the road. Well, some dummy drove down the road really fast and honked, and Auggie lost it. Which is so weird because he's usually very calm and when he does spook, they're nothing bad! Well, this time, he jumped forward and to the side. I (not so) gracefully tumbled over his shoulder, "ass over teakettle" as Sally said. I was by myself, which was the scariest part, because I was as far away from the barn as I could get; as I was falling, all I could think about was what if I was paralyzed and I had to army crawl back to the barn! Oh, goodness. Luckily, I am all in one piece, albeit a little sore on Tuesday!

Also, I have a photoshoot with Gambler on Sunday. I am part excited, part terrified, because getting in front of the camera and looking decent isn't really my forte.

Thankful, Thankful, Thankful!

Did I mention I'm really thankful?

Okay, so not a day goes by that I do not thank The Lord for my amazing horse, and all He has blessed me with. If you've read any of my prior posts, you'll see that I pretty much just talk about how blessed I am by my pony just about as often as I use punctuation. But since it's the week of Thanksgiving, I figured I would write a whole long blog post because ya'll. I'm really blessed. And sometimes I don't remember that and snap at my farrier or get annoyed with my horse or cry to my parents about money. Sometimes I want to give up, because I'm so caught up in my own whatever that I don't see how good I have it.

But I have it good. Really, really good, in fact.

First and foremost, I have the best horse ever. And yes, I am super biased. But really, he is just the bomb dot com, and I love him with all my heart. He is the most forgiving horse I have ever met, despite his questionable past, despite the fact that I mess up a lot. He tries his blessed little heart out for me. Even when I am unclear, even when I ask too much, he puts his 100% into it, and I love that. He is the biggest goofball, with the funniest "smiles", the biggest yawns, the cutest face (I mean, seriously), and the dorkiest personality.

I am so beyond thankful for the people who helped Gambler and I get started. I am thankful for Annie, who brought my horse back to her farm as a three day old, and raised him. I am thankful for Jeff, who taught me how to train horses; who put up with me and all of my dumb mistakes, who sparked my interest in Christ, who gave me my passion for horse training, and who has played such a huge role in my life. I am so beyond thankful to my dear friend Kelsi, who has done so much for me and Gambler - who gave both Gambler and I a home and a place of love and safety last summer, who has supported me through everything, who knows more about me than anyone else, who has helped me realize I am good enough, and who has taught me that the people who don't see that don't matter. Though we are now thousands of miles away and don't take as much anymore, that girl means the world to me, because she has helped me and my horse become who we are today, individually and as a team.

I would not have a horse without my parents. Their support in my endeavors with Gambler mean so much to me, and I could not be more blessed. My dad has blessed me with a stable job at his office, that has taught me so much about the business world, as well as supplied me with the funds to pay for my portion of Gambler. My mom and grandmother are the most amazing cheerleaders, and are constantly helping me out in one way or another. I am also grateful for my dear siblings, who put up with me constantly smelling like horses, and who don't grumble (too much) about the fact that my mom is constantly driving me to and from the barn.

I am thankful for all of my amazing friends who have been there for Gambler and I from day one of bringing him home. I am especially blessed by my friends Ada, Madi, Allie, and Rebecca. These girls are just the greatest, and have helped me through so much. There is no way I will ever repay them. Rebecca was very helpful when I first brought Gambler home. She helped me with him so much and blessed me a lot financially, for which I am eternally grateful. She's the sweetest girl ever, and even though time has separated us, I am so beyond blessed to have had her calming and knowledgeable presence the terrifying first few months of owning Gambler. Ada and Madi have been here for me since before Gambler even came into my life. These girls are hands down my two best friends, and I love them both dearly. They're such amazing people and I don't know what I did to deserve such loyal, unconditionally loving, and amazing friends. They have blessed Gambler and I on so many levels, and I don't know how I will ever repay them. Ada continues to be my comic relief, my confidante, and the girl who puts me to shame with my riding because there is not a single inch of her that is not dripping with talent. Madi has helped me with Gambler's training so much, and has been such a source of light and encouragement to me throughout our struggles. She is such a loyal friend whom I love dearly. Allie is equally as amazing as all of these girls. She has encouraged me to improve and reach new heights in both my training with Gambler and my relationship with Christ. She's also the funniest person to ever live, and I love her dearly.

Gambler and I are so beyond lucky to have been able to learn from a lot of wonderful horsewomen this past year or so. There are absolutely no words to express how thankful I am to have been able to work with a friend of mine, Sarah, last winter. She helped Gambler and I through a very difficult time, and helped me to put some finishing touches on Gambler's very basic walk-trot-canter training. More recently, I have been able to take some lessons with my wonderful barn owner. She has taught me so much, and observing her riding her personal horses has really aided in my personal development as a rider/trainer. I have developed a love and appreciation for dressage that I never thought I could possess, and more than that, I have come to appreciate the hard work that it takes to run a farm. Heather is one of the strongest people I know, and I could not be more honored to be able to learn from her, about every aspect of life. I am thankful for Florence, who came into my life at an essential time, and has given me the confidence that I can do this. I am also thankful for Heather's sister, Kim, who is such a sweet warrior of a woman, and who will be helping me teach Gambler how to jump. I am so blessed to be able to learn from these women.


I am thankful for my awesome farrier, who puts up with me, and who has helped Gambler in so many ways. Gambler's feet weren't great when I first bought him, but thanks to my awesome farrier's hard work, they are now!

Last, but most certainly not least, I am thankful for my Sovereign Lord, who has somehow seen it fit to bless me with such an enormously wonderful life, dripping in blessings. Even though I mess up a lot, He loves me. And that truth has helped me through so much. Gambler and I have faced a lot of obstacles in our time together, as anyone who knows me personally knows. The Lord has helped us through a lot, when the odds were stacked against us big time. For that, I am so thankful. And I know, that whatever will happen, next week, a year from now, ten years from now... My God has got this.

On a few unrelated notes... my horse has been amazing (see the pictures of him struttin' it above as reference), and also, this is our third winter together. Time flies when you're having fun?!

Updates

(Seeing as I seem incapable of blogging on a daily basis)

Gambler continues to blow me away. The Lord is, as always, so, so good, and continues to bless Gambler and I on a daily basis. I honestly just could not be more pleased with how Gambler is doing. He is improving every ride, continues to make me laugh like a madwoman, and is really just growing into himself so well.

I just love my precious little pony!

I had off from school last Monday and Tuesday, so was able to get some good, solid rides in on both Gambler and Auggie. On Monday, I went out to lunch with my grandmother, and then she came to watch me ride Gambler. She hasn't seen me ride him since the beginning of the summer, and even though she is as "unhorsey" as one could get (she's terrified of them. It's honestly so funny), she kept commenting on how well he was doing and how much he had changed! I first started off with lunging him super briefly in the neck stretcher, and then we played around a little bit at liberty. He is such a goofball, and makes me smile so big. :)

I really like the neck stretcher, but I think we will not be using it for a while. Which is awesome, because he is just doing that good! I bought the neck stretcher a few weeks ago, lunged and rode in it once or twice, and then Florence uses it. However, I rode in it the other day and it made him really heavy on the bit. I have always been very anti-gadget, but liked this... However, now I think it's just going to sit in my tack box, because I've been able to achieve the same thing, if not better, without it.

Anyways, Gambler was, of course, really good last Monday! I had some trouble last week getting his lateral flexion going to the left, which has always been his harder side - he just naturally can't really bend very well going that way, and wants to counterbend. His canter going that way is also not great, he drops his shoulder and leans, while sticking his neck in the air like a giraffe. It's probably hideous. Well, last week, I wasn't able to get his right lead! Nada! No matter how many times I tried. He can get pretty strong at the canter, so it was kinda annoying to have to pick up the canter, fight a little bit to get him back into the trot, and start all over again! Oh well, he's never perfect, and neither am I!

My grandmother got some adorable pictures of us, which I love! Most of the pictures of Gambler and I are awkward selfies, so it was nice for her to use my camera and actually take some good ones!

Tuesday, I went to the barn midday again, so I had the ring to myself! I decided to putter around with Gambler at liberty for a little while, and lunge him over some jumps. I started off with the jumps super low, although he got really excited and jumped them really big! It was a two stride to a four stride. I raised them a little, and he just sailed through them! The first few times, he was a little confused and tried to put five strides, before trying to jump the actual chute itself... what a dweeb. However, he was sailing through the chute at the end. He honestly is dripping with potential, I just love it! He's so bold and honest, tucks his knees up nicely, streeeeetches over the jump (holy freaking scope. I foresee being jumped out of the tack lots and lots!), and is just all around adorable while jumping. ;) The rest of our ride on Tuesday wasn't great, he was kind of spooky and the fact that he wasn't flexing well and wasn't getting his lead was kind of discouraging. Wednesday, same thing. I thought perhaps he was a little burned out, so I gave him Thursday, Friday and Saturday off. Spoiled pony!

Today I had a lesson. Oh my word. It was so great! Usually Heather rides for part of our lesson, but she hurt her knee, so I rode for the whole thing. Going down to the ring, I was not so sure how well it would go, because it was so windy! I thought surely Gambler would be a total spazz, but he was an absolute champion through all of the gusts! What a good little five year old he is!

We first started off getting him nice and supple and stretching out. Then, we introduced leg yields to him! He was so good at it, picked it up very quickly, oddly enough going to the left, which is his hard way! He was good at it both ways at the walk, but had a harder time going to the right when we put him into the trot! Well, we worked a lot on it, and he finally he got it! We also worked on vertical flexion, ie bending at the poll. He was kind of confused and frustrated at the beginning, but got it pretty quickly. He is starting to look so fancy! His trot has changed so much since he has started to round over the back, I love it!

As I mentioned, I've been having some issues getting his right lead... So what Heather had me do was leg yield over to the track, and before he was even straight on the track, ask for the canter! He got it! Woo hoo! That will be my mode of attack from hereonout to get the canter when he doesn't pick up the lead! After more leg yielding, we did some canter work going to the left, which is the way he was less balanced. By this point, he was kind of tired, but we worked through it! Heather had me on a smaller circle, and just encouraging him to bend! Well, we did some more trot, and then went to canter again going to the left, but he was going nuts! It was feeding time, so Duchessa, O'Brien, and George were going crazy! Gambler didn't try anything stupid, but he was just so distracted that he wouldn't get his lead. Oh well! We got it, and then he tripped (a BIG trip) and when he got back together, he was on the other lead! I honestly am so blown away by how hard he tries though, every time he stumbles he never breaks gait. He just wants to please so much, and I love him for that.

Obviously, we had to end on a good note, so got some nice trot sets before calling it a day. I am so pleased with how he's doing, and the icing on the cake is that Heather keeps complimenting me! She said he is going to be such a nice dressage pony, and that just makes me so happy to hear. I couldn't have done any of this without her, and I am so thankful for her. She really is just so amazing!

I am truly so blessed! Love my pony and all of the people who grace our life with their presence! I am really trying to be more mindful and thankful of those people, especially with Thanksgiving creeping closer! Gambler and I are so lucky to have some really awesome people in our life, I really could not have done any of this without them.

Two Years!

Baby Gambler! 

On October 8, 2011, my life changed. It was what I thought would be a normal Columbus Day Monday at the farm - morning feed, stripping the baby barn, doing miscellaneous chores, hilarious conversations over lunch, helping with training and maybe riding. And yes, in that sense, everything was normal. But on that day, the Lord introduced me to the horse who would change my life. 

Gambler. 

The picture I sent to my mom, of my new horse

It was a cold morning for early October, and I was doing feed with Kelsi. I remember our conversation word for word. We were feeding field four and five, when I spotted this huge, handsome bay gelding trotting around in field four. He had a black halter on, and was covering so much ground!

"Who is that, Kelsi?" I asked. 

She shrugged. "Garfunkel. He was over at Remington and had an uncanny knack for jumping the fence. He ran through it when we were over there and has a chin abscess, so now he's here." She seemed annoyed about it, for a reason I couldn't fathom. 

After I scarfed down a sandwich, I went out into the field and pet Garfunkel, telling him he was so cute and that I loved him. His chin abscess needed cleaning, and I volunteered. He'd never been led before, I was warned. He might do something stupid away from the herd. He was really big, was I sure I wanted to be the one to lead him down to the barn (a very long walk)?

Gambler being lunged

I took him into the barn, and tied him to go get the stuff to clean his chin. He stood there and turned his head to look at me. He had a funny way of turning his head - not his neck, just his head. It's something we'd laugh about for a long time. The first words I told Garfunkel down at the barn that day was, "You're just so cute! Do you want to come home with me?" Tracy walked by, and commented on how much he seemed to like me. "You should go home with her, Garfunkel!" She crooned. We turned him out in the little lot behind the barn to do some chores, before lunging him over some poles to see what he did. I snapped a couple of pictures of him, which I excitedly texted to my mom, telling her about "my new horse!"

First time sitting on Gambler

Seeing as Gambler had barrelled through fences several times, we decided we should lunge him over some poles to see what he did. I have some videos, and they make me laugh because he was the biggest klutz ever at that point. 

For the next few months, every Saturday that I was out there was spent playing with Gambler. The first thing I would do when I arrived at the barn was go see Gambler, and love on him. I have such wonderful memories of quiet, misty winter mornings spent hugging Gambler's neck in the field, watching my breath freeze right in front of me. 

And then Chris and Mike came along. Mike was doing morning feeding and wanted to start working with horses. I still remember meeting them on a snowy morning, hopping into the truck as they drove down from the mustang field. When we got to the field G was in, I excitedly introduced them to my horse. Mike smiled sadly. "We're planning on adopting him!" And that's when I thought the sky was going to come crashing down around me. My horse? No! They couldn't! "I... oh!" I said, smiling weakly, trying to hide my fear. "Maybe I could work with him for you guys!" They agreed to that. 

I spent the next few months in fear, wondering when my precious horse was going to be taken away. I talked to Mike, and he promised me that I could always come out and ride Gambler once they took him home.

And then the adoption fell through. I'll admit it, I was happy and excited. As horrible as that sounds, I was so relieved. 

Day 1 of horse ownership!

It was at this point that Jeff became such a large part of our lives, about February of 2012. He started working with Gambler for me once or twice a week as well as mentoring us on Saturdays. Jeff is largely a part of my success, and all of the ground work and exercises I know I can attribute to Jeff. 

I sat on Gambler for the first time on March 17, 2012. My goal had been to get on Gambler by my birthday, April 9th. When Jeff told me to go get my helmet, I was in shock! When I first got on Gambler, I burst into tears. I could not believe it. I was sitting on the horse I had trained! The one I loved more than I thought possible! I had done it!

The condition Gambler was in when I first bought him

This was just the beginning. I rode Gambler two more times at Eagle Hill. 

Around mid-April, Gambler started rapidly losing weight, due to what I now speculate was ulcers. It broke me to the core. Here I was, 13 years young, knowing nothing about horses, watching my horse waste away before me, with nothing I could do about it. 

So I asked my parents if I could buy Gambler. And they laughed at me, until I showed them pictures of his poor condition. And then they said I could buy him. The next few weeks involved me frantically calling a million barns and asking my friends all sorts of questions and trying to get everything squared away. 

Gambler and Kiki (about three weeks after I bought him)

On May 12, 2012, my mom and I signed the papers that officially made us Gambler's owner. It was one of the happiest days of my life, and so nerve wracking. All of a sudden, I was in charge of this horse. Whatever happened to him, I was responsible. 

It was thrilling and scary at the same time. I now had Gambler all to myself! 

Those first few weeks of having Gambler home were brutal. As he got more energy, his personality really started to come through, but he also tested me. He would rear, he would back up at rapid speeds. I vividly remember how one time I was lunging him in the field, and he took off galloping! I let go of the lunge line, and he ran around the field for a good five minutes with the line flying out behind him, until he stepped on it and broke the breakaway on his halter. 

One of the last few weeks that I had been at Eagle Hill, I met a woman who happened to have adopted a horse and boarded in McLean! About a month into owning Gambler, she started to come help me once a week. We had him going on the lunge with tack, and planned on getting on him by the end of summer.

At the end of June, Gambler got hurt. I first noticed it one afternoon when my friend Becca was out, and he had a little heat in his right front. He was barely lame, but I could see it. I freaked out. I called the farrier, who came out the next day. He told me he could barely feel the heat, but that it was definitely there, and that I needed the vet out to further assess it. The vet came out and told me that he'd probably injured a tendon, but only an ultrasound would tell; regardless, he'd need to be on stall rest. I started frantically calling layup places, and they all said the same thing. Board would be about $1k a month. I was working for my dad once a week, and at this point barely paying for a quarter of board. I freaked out. We couldn't pay $1k! Then I called Kelsi. She was working at a polo horse vacation farm, and told me that I could keep Gambler there for even less than what I was paying at Linda's. Gambler went to Kelsi's farm the next day, and that began what was the best summer of my life. I stayed at Kelsi's multiple days per week, and spent the hours in a sunny daze of laughter, manual labor, greasy food, learning how to drive the golf cart, swimming in the moonlight, watching crappy TV, leading horses while she drove the gator, and more. 

Gambler's second week under saddle. 

Gambler was on stall rest for a month, before he was started back into work in August. The plan was for me to move him back up near me in September, so I could see him multiple days a week while in school. I rode Gambler for the first time on August 12. I rode him off the lunge line for the first time later that week and we even trotted. Those were some of the happiest days of my life. Kelsi rode him the days I couldn't, and we cantered the morning of September 2 (on the lunge), before I brought him home. 

And then it was back to square one again. When I brought Gambler home, he had been under saddle for less than three weeks. We did a lot of groundwork, and slowly he got better under saddle. Here I was, 14 years old, riding a horse who had been under saddle for only a handful of days, all by myself! It was exciting and terrifying, and I loved every minute of it. 

Our bond continued to grow, and we both continued to improve. 

Then Chris past away. As I mentioned above, Chris had been planning on adopting Gambler. His death shook me to the core for a number of reasons, but I started to feel like maybe Gambler wasn't supposed to be mine. I almost gave him to Mike, but somehow I didn't give up.

Yet, I still had something tugging on my heart. I stopped riding Gambler as much, and generally dreaded going to the barn. I took a few lessons with Heather, which helped to an extent, but my heart still wasn't in it. 

In December, the amazing Sarah, who had worked with Gambler when I first got him, re-entered our lives. She saw there was something wrong with our relationship, and gave me the reality check I needed. 

From our photo shoot in March! 

Sarah continued to work with Gambler and I through the winter, and slowly we both started to improve, feeding off of each other's new found confidence. 

In March, something happened. Gambler became grouchy, angry, and sluggish. He lost weight rapidly. Something wasn't right. I suspected ulcers, and put him on ulcer-guard. It was expensive and sad to lose a month of our training, but we strengthened his behavior on the ground. 

In April, I finally got back on Gambler. We continued to make progress, but I felt like we were in a holding pattern of no improvement. I pressed through, however. We started riding strictly in the field, and I started to finally have fun on Gambler! It was refreshing. The beginning of the summer was off to a great start, even though I was no longer taking lessons. We spent the summer simply having fun, galloping around the field like maniacs, riding bareback in the pouring rain, relaxing and not really doing any work. It was fun, if not the greatest. 

And then Gambler went lame in August. Always something, huh? White Line Disease. My wonderful farrier put shoes on Gambler in the beginning of September, and we've been back in work since. 

These past few months, I have started to take a few lessons, and as I have mentioned before, Gambler now has a leaser who rides him on Tuesdays. Classical dressage training has really made him improve, and I have learned so much. Gambler continues to be amazing and the goofball he always has been. His work ethic has really started to shine through and he is really maturing mentally nicely. I love him with all of my heart, through his shenanigans, through my mess-ups, through the days that don't go like I wanted. He tries his heart out for me, knows how to make me smile and laugh like a mad woman, and just has the funniest personality ever. I am so blessed with this horse, and pray that we have many more years together! The opportunities with this horse are endless, and I feel like he would do anything. 

We have had people doubt us, I have doubted us! I have been told I was stupid to by a horse for love instead of talent (not that he is lacking in it) and that he was worthless, I should have left him at Eagle Hill. I have almost lost this horse many, many times. We have faced hardships, mental, financial, physical. I have cried and screamed and been too rude to him. He has been pushy and a stupid four year old. We have forgiven each other. We love each other. We compliment each other well, if I do say so myself. We have had people against us, but more than that, we have had people support us. And for that I am so, so thankful. Here's to many more years with the best pony by my side! 

**Yes, I know this is, oh, almost a month late. What of it?**