Day 1: 30 Day Challenge Equestrian Edition

I swear I say this at the beginning of every post, but its true.

So yeah, I'm a bad blogger. I keep up with your blogs but I just can't seem to write blogs with out straying soooo far off topic :/

Anyway I was on pintrest and I found this!

http://www.wattpad.com/27501787-30-day-challenge-equestrian-edition

I know it's probably reeeaaallly old, and been done a bazillion times but, being the person I am I'm going to do it in order to get me in the habit of blogging more regularly (Now let's hope it works :P)

Also I came across this:

Day 1: A picture of your horse(s) or the horse(s) you ride
Day 2: A picture of you riding
Day 3: A picture of a grooming item you couldn't live without 
Day 4: A picture of your equestrian idol
Day 5: A picture of your dream barn
Day 6: A picture of your riding boots
Day 7: A picture of your dream horse
Day 8: A picture of your favourite piece of tack 
Day 9: A picture of your favourite famous horse
Day 10: A picture of a horse-related item you want
Day 11: A horse-related picture that makes you laugh
Day 12: A picture of a horse-related thing you want to do
Day 13: A picture of you and a riding buddy
Day 14: A picture of your helmet
Day 15: A picture of your favourite piece of show attire 
Day 16: A picture of the treats you feed your horse 
Day 17: A picture of you at a lesson
Day 18: A picture of your [favourite] saddle
Day 19: A picture of you riding a different horse 
Day 20: An "ear-shot" picture 
Day 21: A picture of the arena you ride in (indoor or outdoor)
Day 22: A picture of your biggest ridding pet peeve
Day 23: A picture of all of your grooming supplies
Day 24: A picture of your horse tacked up
Day 25: A picture of your horse(s) in their pasture/stall
Day 26: A funny picture of your horse/the horse you ride
Day 27: A picture of a discipline you'd like to try
Day 28: A picture of a horse that makes your day
Day 29: A picture of a place you'd like to ride 

Day 30: A picture of you giving your horse/the horse you ride a kiss or hug

It won't align with the middle and it gave me no source... Grrrrr

It's a 30 day Equestrian Photo Challenge! 

So in the interest of making my posts a little more interesting, I'll be including that at the end :)

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Now off the information and onto the good stuff!

Day 1: When and why did you start riding?

I've been on pony rides since I can remember! (the 5 minute ones, with the fat fluffy shetlands with bad hooves :/) And trail rides since I was 7ish I think (not very often, maybe once a year?)

However I've only been taking regular lessons since 2009, specifically August 2009. I'd always been that 'horse crazy kid', my room was covered in posters, I had a few informative books and wore them to death! I'd begged and begged and BEGGED my parents (who hasn't, be honest!) and researched and researched and researched (mainly on actual riding not places and such) then a few months before my 7th birthday, my parents said if I found a place cheap enough and close enough, and worked/saved my but off they would pay for half of each lesson! :)

Long story short, I saved, Every. Single. Cent. For 2 years and finally when I turned 9 I had enough for my half of 8 lessons, and I found a place (GV, the same place I ride at and love today_, 40 mins from home, but the cheapest in the area for at least 2 hours. A few phone calls later and my riding assessment was booked :)

The week leading up to my assessment was a blur of excitement and nervousness but it turned out really well, I was told I could go straight into a beginner 2 group class and off I went. 2 lessons in and I had my first canter, turns out all those years of pouring over books taught me a thing or two and in my first instructors words "You've saved yourself a few months of riding, with whatever you've been doing!". All was fine and dandy, and I LOVED it.

Fast forward to August 2012. In August I turned 12 and subsequently was old enough to volunteer at GV, let's just say I took to that like a duck to water and I've been doing it as much as freaking possible! Volunteering has honestly been the best time of my life so far, it's taught me so much and I've met the best people. From "K", "S", "H", and Jess from over at Adventures of mate on my first day, to "A", "T", "J", "J" (a different person I swear) "V", "R", "A" and "F" in the past 8 - 10 months. They've all taught me so so much, and I've made really good friends with people of all ages! I've learnt a HEAP, just to name a few things:

- Saddling and Bridling (when I first started)

- Watching a gelding of two colts recently

- Blood being taken

- Preg tests being done

- The farrier at work

- The vet at work

- Foal training

- General upkeep of horses

- General maintenance of the property

- And loads, loads more!

Everyone at GV is just so awesome, I literally can't even begin to thank them! I started off volleying once a month, and now I'm going every week, sometimes both sat and sun if I can convince my 'rents :)

I guess that's both the questions kind of mixed up into one, but just in case you couldn't pick it up: I started riding because I'd always been in awe of horses, everything about them kind of captivated me, I learnt as much as a horse crazy 6,7,8 and 9 year old could and learning to ride just kinda seemed like the next step!

Now onto the photo challenge:

A picture of your horse/the horses you ride

Uh well this is gonna be difficult 'cause I ride a different horse almost every week I'm at GV!

However there's always:

  

 This cute face around :3

Midge, he's a permanent fixture, I may not get to ride him every time I'm there but we all know I still love the fluffy pony!

The pony I'm currently riding in lessons is Casino, however I don't have a photo of him (kinda defeats the purpose of a photo challenge...) but I will have one soon.

A couple of months back, I rode in the agistment gymkhana (as a volley, on a valley horse) and I rode Bonnie. She actually hasn't been in lessons/arenas before (she's a trail horse) and "A" and "F" the yard managers wanted me to trial her out in a arena/lessons situation. Turns out she went so well for her first time in lessons that she is now being brought down to lessons regularly!

And here is the lovely Bonnie:

Please excuse her lack of enthusiasm, her brain was tired from a full day of new things! She is a sweet horse!

And my muddy, chaps and awkward leg angle, we were both tired!

Now in another post I may actually do a kinda recap of all the horses (I have photo's of!) over the years... Maybe... You'll have to remind me.