Oh the places you'll go

 In the beginning we were just a girl and her mare.

I figure it is best to start at the beginning. We are the very fortunate recipients of a NEDA scholarship to pursue training in order to advance our dressage education. I am looking to achieve better Second level work through our month of training. My overall goal with my competition partner, Medea is to train her doing the vast majority of the riding myself from ‘haltering to half-pass’. We’ve come a long way from the tumultuous days of leading, haltering and learning to eat hay.

I purchased Medea in 2006 as an untouched 3 year old from her breeder, she came with a halter on her face and that was about it. She is a registered Canadian Warmblood with Hanoverian/Holsteiner breeding. She isn't the first rough youngster I have worked with but the first of my own. The first few weeks were spent acclimating to New Hampshire and being a horse. Hay didn't seem so bad at first, grain was questionable for about 2 weeks until she finally figured it was edible. Treats on the other hand? Oh no, it was a good month or so of shoving sugar cubes in her mouth to melt then she'd spit them out. Eventually after what seemed like forever 'things' were deemed tasty. She wasn't on the wagon with apples until she watched me take bites out of one and then decided it might be worth a try.

Here's a picture of her first night in a stall ever.

Hello ragamuffin!

After much introduction to all manner of things including long-lining, tack and vocal commands Medea was successful backed and was roughly walk-trot-canter the winter of her 3 year old year. We did light rides a few days a week and a lot of walking trail rides. In hindsight backing her was much simpler than what we are learning now!

That winter I moved her to Twin Ridge Farm where we graduated from 'baby horse' to emerging dressage pony.

Happy 4th Birthday! Yes, those are ribbons in her braids.

With my knowledge of how to train and instill the basics and under the watchful eye of my instructor, Jerilyn Nieder 'r' we have bumbled our way to where we are now. 

This morning Medea (aka 'Dea) and I arrived at Foster Meadow to begin training with Pam Goodrich for the month. I am very excited to begin a new phase in our dressage journey and hopefully my experience as an adult amateur can be of insight to others.

In the end we are just a girl and her mare.