December 10 Questions

1)  Does your horse need shoes?
Stinker has shoes because he needed more support behind after the EPM.  Prior to that he was barefoot.

How to wear your bell boots...

2)  What do you think about the barefoot vs shoes debate?
I think horse people have strong opinions about many things and people should talk to their farrier and their vet and make an informed decision about what works for that horse in that situation.

3)  Favorite season for riding?
Fall.  I love everything about fall.  But really any time it isn't freezing cold or boiling hot I am good to go.  My desire to ride wins out over a lot of weather conditions (except thunder.  never thunder).

4)  How many shows do you think you have gone to?
One since I switched to English.  I don't know if you count when I was a kid riding western.  We did one horse show a year for 4-H and I can't remember when I started that.  Then we did some gymkhana stuff but I can't remember how often or for how long.  I know I have a crap ton of ribbons from the 4-H stuff and a belt buckle from the gymkhana stuff.

5)  Do you consider yourself a good rider?
This depends on how you define a good rider.  When comparing myself to adult amateurs in general I would say I am above average in my ability to stay on the horse and average in my actual english riding skills.

We have both come a long way

6)  How experienced do you think someone needs to be to own a horse?
I think this has less to do with the amount of experience a person has and more to do with their willingness to learn.

7)  Have you ever gotten into a fight with your trainer?
Nope, I try not to get into fights with people in general.  And I make it a point not to pay people I don't agree with.

8)  Describe your dream horse.
When I was a kid I was obsessed with wanting a chestnut with a flaxen mane and tail (My Friend Flicka was the root of that one).  As I got older I cared less about looks and more about personality.  I like hot, athletic, intelligent horses.  I can also only think of a few horses that I didn't like in my life time, so I am pretty easy to please when it comes to horses.  But I wouldn't say no to a horse that could do GP dressage and jump a bit...

9)  Does anyone in your family ride?
Everyone in my immediate family can ride.  Both my parents are excellent riders.  Even the non horsey sister-in-laws (and one brother-in-law) have been tossed on horses at various points.  Most of my extended family has ridden too.  Basically I am from ranching families on both sides and it was a requirement whether the person wanted to or not.

10)  If you could ride any horse in the world which one would it be?  Why?
So many to choose from.  If it extends into the dead horse period I would love to gallop Secretariat.  I had a period growing up where I really wanted to be a race horse jockey, but sadly I outgrew that one in about second grade...
I would love love love to ride any horse Michael Jung trained, but I do think my favorite one of his is FischerRocana.  Of course I would also love to ride Valegro, but really who would turn down a chance to sit on him?