Happy Fathers Day! And Happy Birthday!

First of all,

Happy Father's Day to a great man. He can be a little rough around the edges, argue his points til he's blue in the face and make sure to correct you when you've made a mistake.

He's also a very kind, loving man who loves animals and does his best to help.

My dad has always been quietly in the background, giving false scowls of disapproval when I chose to go to the barn instead of out with friends, talk endlessly about the dramas in the horseworld and put majority of my pay checks to that four-legged animal.
But he's also the man who has stood behind me, and supported me, since the first day I sat on Symbah. Who went to my horse shows even before I had Symbah, who cheered me on and never failed to remind me how proud he was of me even if we didn't have a good day at the show. He's my voice of reasons on days I blindly jump into grand ideas which, in reality, aren't.

He went to my early shows, and rooted me on for every class I went in, even if he didn't understand the difference between a Road Hack and a Show Hack, or why we didn't pin when galloping around a course looked so much more fun than those silly horses loping around.
When I would go into a panic late the night before a show because I couldn't find my breeches or showshirt - and quickly find out he'd folded them on my bed. Or taking a button off his suit jacket to put on my show jacket when I had gone into full panic mode the day before a show. A simple gesture meant so much to me that day.

He helps me more than I've thanked him for. From fixing flymasks, to sewing rips in breeches.. to wishing me luck at every single show I've gone to. And always asks me how I've done afterwards.
But always, always, he tells me how proud he is no matter the outcome of the day. And some days (or most days) I don't think I sit back and really appreciate everything he has done for me like I should do. So here I am, trying to write my thoughts out here, so you'll have to forgive me if things seem jumbled. I'm not so great with my words.

He's my biggest fan and I am so happy to have such a loving, doting father like I do. And I'm sorry I don't say that enough, because I really should.

So thank you, Dad. Thank you for being there for me, thank you for quietly putting gas in the car, for saving the day before a show, for sending me those little messages wishing me luck at shows, for always pushing for me to do better and improve myself. For believing in me when sometimes I didn't believe in myself. Thank you for making me a stronger person, for being proud of who I am and who I can become if I put my mind to it. I hold onto your words when I feel weak, I remind myself that I have people who believe in me and that makes me a better person in the end.

I don't say it enough, but thank you.
Thank you, and I love you.

And Happy Birthday to my big guy, Symbah! He's 9 years old now. It's been a long 8 years full of ups and downs, bruised egos, uphill battles, as well as success, fun, smooth sailings and lots of learning.

I am so very grateful to have such a great family and wonderful friends and animals in my life!

Sigh.

Okay, round.. 4? at keeping this going.

Things have been turning out great! Moved to a new facility that is more show oriented, quiet and coach is on site.

Symbah has been shaping up nicely, I can't even begin to explain the horse I have now. Soft, supple, forward and bold. We're finally here! Ready for the jumpers and I can't wait.

Our first show is in 3 weeks. We'll be trying for the .90M Jumpers this year on the trillium circuit..better to dip our toes in then dive!
We did two shows this past winter and Symbah was phenomenal. He really held his own and for that I'm proud.

I have some jittery nerves, but we're ready!

Lets go show season 2013!

Who the hell updates these days?

Not I, good sir!

No seriously, I have the attention span of a goldfish and don't remember half the things I'm supposed to do - look! shiney penny!

In all seriousness, I'll try to update things as good as I can, and hopefully update the blog from now on.

Last update was in May. So here we go..

Not much happened.

Didn't have the money to do any shows until August. So save costs, I pulled all 4 of Symbah's shoes in July. Then showed the CNE in August. It just wasn't amazing and I think the lack of shoes was really bugging him as he just didn't have the 'oomph'. It wasn't a terrible show, but not successful.

Fast forward to September, and my barn owner moved facilities. Bigger place, pretty spiffy but needed (or needs) a LOT of good ol TLC. No worries, it looks really nice now. When you have a facility, there will always be maintenance. No biggie!

So I've been working Symbah pretty regularly, and I have an amazing part-boarder who treats Symbah like a king. Together, we work really well to keep him fit and working correctly. She is more dressage-based and is a stickler for the flat work. I'm really excited to see them this summer and hope she has an opportunity to show him atleast once!

Symbah has been clipped for the second time since October in his attempt to be a silly mammoth (he will not win). Christmas is around the corner which means January is coming.. meaning winter shows!
Hoping to do a jumper schooling show January 20th.. fingers crossed!

I'll try to be more update-savvy :)

Mother's Day

So today, like every year before, is a special day where we celebrate having our mothers.
They give us life, they give us advice, they give us heckling and they give us support.

I'm not witty enough to razzle dazzle anyone reading this or beat those awesome touching hallmark cards.. so I'm just going to put it all here in a jumble of words I hope will make sense.

Like most people, when I hit my teenage years (I like to pretend it was just those years) I was an absolute terror for my parents. Lets blame it on hormones, hm?
We've fought together, laughed together, cried together. I haven't exactly been the shining example of a perfect daughter and I've made some royal mistakes in my life - but I'm always loved regardless.

So I'm going to take this time to thank the woman who has been there while I've made those mistakes and learned from there.
But where does one start?

Thank you for always having food on the table. Thank you for providing a roof over my head. Thank you for never letting me go without anything.

Thank you for seeing how awed I was when watching Spruce Meadows on TV as a kid. Thanks for taking me for trail rides so I could see a horse in the flesh and ride one - ultimately igniting the love the horses I have to this day. Thank you for taking me to those trail rides week after week during that summer so I could get my horsey fix. Thanks for sacrificing your sanity so I could watch those horse shows on the television. Thanks for signing me up for riding lessons after that summer.

Thank you for driving me to those weekly lessons for years and years. Thanks for taking me to those tack shops to get proper riding equipment. Thanks for listening to my rants and raves on my lessons, for asking questions and trying to learn. Thanks for continuing my riding lessons when the original barn shut down.

Thanks for finding a horse for me to partboard when I was devastated that the riding school moved too far away. Thanks for driving me to that barn multiple times per week. Thanks for supporting me with lessons and part-boarding, even when I had to ride other horses. Thanks for listening to me that day I found out a certain Fjord x TB colt was coming to the barn. Thanks for bringing me up to the barn more often so I could see that horse. Thanks for listening to all my accomplishments and setbacks. Thank you for being supportive when I thought I'd forever lost that horse.

Thanks for calling me when I was at camp when you found out that horse was for sale. Thank you for bending over backwards to help me get that horse and, despite not even knowing where to start, managed to get that horse moved and boarded elsewhere. Thank you for being a "half owner" to help me keep him. Thanks for driving me up to the barn all the time so that I could see my "heart horse" and spend time with him even though a barn setting is not your favourite thing.

Thank you for the additional tack shopping sprees we had, trying your best to make sure I had adequate equipment for Symbah. Again, thank you for always driving me up to the barn even when you had exhausting days at work and wanted to simply sit down to relax. Thank you for driving me to the barn on those insanely early horse show mornings when you could've been sleeping in.

Thank you for being my support throughout the years even when I took horse ownership on my own. Thank you for even pretending to listen to my rants and raves of the horse world, my fears, my troubles. Thanks for lending me your car after I got my license, so that I could continue to go to the barn.

Even more recently..
Thank you for helping me get Symbah back home. Thank you for going to my recent horse show and even registering me when I was running late. Thanks for hanging out at the show while taking videos. Thanks for asking me how my rides go, thanks for asking about Symbah in general.

Thanks for allowing me to get into horses in the first place and finding something I truly love/enjoy.
Thank you for taking care of my dog while I was at school and unable to take her. Thanks for lending me your vehicle so I could safely travel.

Thank you for being there for me. For being my support, my teacher, my voice of reason, my guidance, my mother.

I know I don't say thank you enough. Or that I love you. But I do. You rock.
And I wrote this because I want others to understand just how much you mean to me and all you've done for me. Perhaps it's not as warm-hearted as a touching Hallmark card, but these words come from the heart.

Thank you.

 

No stirrups = death

Onward onto post #2!

I think I'm doing pretty snazzy at keeping things updated! Lets see how long I can go, haha.

Ontop of taking a 30 day workout challenge (oh Jillian Michaels how I dislike you and your planks..) I decided to up the ante on my own riding.

COTH (Chronicle Of The Horse) had a challenge to its members for the month of February to ride without stirrups. I was a little late to that challenge, and with an upcoming show (next saturday!) and then reading week, I felt like I would just be cheating that challenge. So instead, March will be my challenge month. No stirrups for the entire month of march!
Perhaps I've gone crazy, I don't know. But it'll be interesting for sure.

I've started a little early this month with that challenge, removing my stirrups tonight for my ride. It was a pretty uneventful ride but it's definately more of a workout without stirrups. We did some simple walk/trot/canter with some circles, over a few trot poles as well as canter poles. Worked on a few lead changes and that was about as exciting as it got.

Perhaps I'll try a no-stirrup lesson soon. Not this week as I do need to practise for the show, but possibly after reading week. A week without riding.. TRAGIC.
However, I will be 6 hours away at home and with my super awesome stoner-eyed pooch named Maddie. So definately not a loss.

I don't have any horsey pictures from tonight so instead.. here's a picture of my "heart dog"!


Gosh.. she's just like a pretty little butterfly.
I kid. She's neither photogenic nor will ever win any beauty contests.. but she's a damn good dog!

Here we go!

I'm going to try and keep this updated as much as possible.. I have quite the short term memory so no guarantees!

My name's Marissa, and this is my horse Symbah. He's a rising 8 year old Norwegian Fjord x Thoroughbred gelding. He stands 16 hands high (I kid you not) and has the characteristics of the Fjord with a sportier build. I've known him since he was a yearling - met him for the first time on November 5th, 2005. When he showed up at the barn he was barely halter broke (they defined it that he had a halter on his face = halter broke) but we clicked instantly.

At the time I was part-boarding another horse at that farm when he showed up, but I knew he was mine. He was brought over because the barn owner's boyfriend thought I'd like him (and buy him). I was 14. I would've loved to pluck cash off my money tree - unfortunately I didn't own one of those so I was out of luck. Instead I spend hours at the barn every time I was up, simply playing with him and working with him. Now keep in mind I was 14 years old, and had been a simple lesson kid the past nearly 5 years - I didn't get hands on work until riding at that barn.
I had no idea what I was doing and by sure luck, I survived working with a barely handled stud colt. As time went on, that barely handled stud colt became a sweet heart, my sweet heart, of a gelding and I would take him for hour long in-hand walks along trails behind the barn.
Eventually I taught him how to stand in the crossties, pick up his feet, figure out how to lunge (as best as I knew how), to accept a saddle pad and eventually a saddle. I was a horse-crazy girl, so I so desperately believed that Symbah was my "heart horse".

Through a series of unfortunate events (aka I was a teenager with a big mouth) I spouted off about issues with the barn and that info was eventually relayed back to the barn owner. So I moved on, without Symbah as devasting as it was, and just stopped riding. I picked up a job that following summer at a residential horse camp a few hours away. It was during that time that the ex-barn fell apart and horses were being sold. One of which was Symbah. Thanks to two old barn buddies, my mother and myself were contacted and with the combination of our saved money (more hers than mine) we were able to buy Symbah and move him safely. That was July 28th, 2006.
I quit the camp job and returned home to see my long lost pony. What I saw was upsetting. He was about 150lbs underweight, his feet were curling, he was incredibly wormy and he had ringworm. Yet within a week or two he was already perking up and was getting a sheen to his coat (show sheen may have assisted this).

But I had a great barn owner, and she had him fattened up in no time and he was still the horse I remembered. He had a new fear of bridles thanks to the previous owner but it didn't take long to get past that with him. I was in horsey heaven.

Now I could bore any of you readers out there with every finite detail of the past 5 and a half years, but you'd be more likely to exit this page. Lets just say, as any horse owner, we've had our ups and downs. I've made my mistakes, I've fallen off of him more times than I can remember but I would never change the past. He turned out to be a pretty cute guy with a winning personality. He takes care of me better than I could ever take care of him. He's taught me trust, confidence and courage when you'd think there'd be none. I've been made fun of and insulted for having a horse like him but I've never been ashamed.

He's the definition of a saint. I don't know how many mistakes I've made on him (but it's plenty) but he's never disappointed me. He put up with my inexperience, even while he was inexperienced too and we learned together. For sure, I came out with plenty of injuries to show some of our "learning curves" but it's simply taught me even bigger lessons even about life in general. When I had a severe concussion (one of many), he stood by my side and carefully guided me out of an arena so I could seek help. When I got nervous on a trail, or on course, he took care of me. When I showed doubt, he showed me confidence.

Yes, yes.. it does sound pretty corny. But the point of it all - I love my horse, he's my heart and I wouldn't trade him for the world. He can pack anyone from friends, to kids, to even my mom around. He has more heart than any horse I've met, and while neither of us will ever be Grand Prix - who else could rock a mohawk has badass as his?

I'll try to keep the rest of this as short as possible before you fall asleep.

His show name is King Of The Jungle, pretty fitting eh? I thought so too. I've tried a ton of different things with him. Cowsorting, gaming, trails, hunters and now jumpers. He was pretty good at cowsorting, but I wouldn't classify him as a hunter. Have you ever seen a fjord move? Yeah.. they're not very flat kneed. But he loves to jump, and so we've recently (within the last year) made the transition into the jumpers.We've competed at local jumper shows last summer and did fairly well. Speed is not his forté, but he's got the power and the heart to try. And a surprising natural jumping ability that helps keep those pesky rails up. We even competed at the Canadian National Exhibition jumper show last August. We competed for the first time in the 1m (3'3) Jr/Am jumper division. What a thrill that was!


So this year we are hoping to compete in either the .90m or 1m division at the local Trillium level. This will be the first year either of us have competed at that level. I'm excited and nervous - I don't know if we'll be fast enough to be intimidating and at the same time, I don't want to be that yahoo who rips around the ring for the sake of a ribbon. We'll see how we progress through the winter and spring to be able to make that final decision. I intend on owning him until his final days, so I am more than happy to cap out at whatever limit he has.

OH! Here's a little known fun fact - Symbah is actually completely blind in his right eye. Two years ago he got dust/debris into his eye and while we thought that the medication he received had healed it - we were not correct. He'd progressively been going blind the past two years and so subtle no one had noticed, not even I. His personality never changed. Until this winter he never even tilted his head, but when we misjudged a distance to a jump I knew something weird was up. He'd approached a jump and passed a beam of light from a window on his left side, at that moment he went to take off and then hesitated. I don't know why, but I checked his eyes. There's only faint cloudiness in the eye but the pupil is constricted and the vet couldn't even see into the back of his eye. But no worries, he's in no pain and is still the same horse I fell in love with at 14.

Just another reason to root for the underdog?


Happy trails, everyone!