Hosses, pt.1

I am a very fortunate person. Even when things go wrong, something is always going right. Since I moved to PEI, everything has been moving according to a plan that I've had since I was very young. New things, even, have been worming their way into this plot line. For instance, I've always wanted to move to PEI (check), have horses to work with and build my equine reputation (check), graduate early (in progress), and work with a large animal vet (next year).

Before we continue any further, you'd best be warned that this is going to be a looonngg story, mostly about horses. Ready? Okay.

When I was really little, I always wanted a horse. Not a pony, a big horse! I had a rocking horse, who I named Sal. She was my mom's rocking horse when she was a little girl, and you could tell that she had been loved very much, as she was missing large patches of her velvet coat. I made up all sorts of adventures with this rocking horse, including cattle roundups and the Kentucky Derby. Sal was my gal. I still have her today, up in my room with a big duct-tape patch on her back, which had been worn down to the straw from so many long hours in the saddle. After a few years, there was a new arrival: a spring horse, who I promptly named ClipClop, after my favorite video ever. I think he was supposed to be Kathryn's or Aaron's horse, but that was no deterrent for a horse-loving little girl. I spent hours on that thing, bouncing around at a gallop.
There was, of course, an enabler for this addiction. Her name was Auntie Mal. My cousin Kerry took riding lessons, so every now and then, I would get a trip to the tack shop where I could buy a brush, or maybe a stuffed horse to play with. Those trips were the best.* One time, they took me for a short riding lesson with Kerry's teacher, Jill. That was a blast, and I was not afraid to let people know it.** After that, I was especially keen to go for pony rides when ever I could, eventually moving up to trail rides on dead-sided horses. I lived for those days! Every summer when we would go to PEI (thanks Harvey!), I would get a pony/trail ride, which would only make my excellent stay better. I was ready to stick my foot in the door of the horse world. Maybe.

to be continued...


*I still get at least one of these trips per year, but now it's for things like grooming supplies, treats, and tack.
**Auntie Mal still loves to tell me how funny it was when I yelled from the saddle "I'M THE BEST RIDER IN THE WORLD!"

*bonus*
-Mom used to dress me up as a cowgirl.
-All of my pictures as a little kid show me wearing cowgirl clothing or playing with horses.
-It was all thanks to Harvey that we ever went to PEI in the first place.