Still life, project for school Dapple gray jumper, for Jackie
As I sit here drinking my Bud Light Platinums, I was overcome with the strong desire to makeover my blog and catch up on my lack of posting. Also, I've been drawing ^
But I sort of forget all that happened this week.
This happened.
Bath time was not very fun since it was 50 degrees. The water was about 33 degrees...yeeeah.
Yankee was mysteriously lame Sun-Tues and I blamed Pronto for it. However, he got over it and Jackie had some amazing coursework with him on Tuesday?
They were basically boss.
We are prepping for the Jumper show on Friday of this week. I havent done a lick of dressage for over a week, but I'm pretty sure Yankee isn't complaining.
I plan on jumping in the 3'9 division while Jackie is going to "warm him up" in the 2'3 division, 2'6 pairs division & 3'3 division. I'm pretty stoked because the show grounds are only 30 minutes (most places are 2-6 hours away since I live in the BF of no where) away and each class is $15! Plus, no braiding. WINNING.
Thursday? Jackie BEASTED Yankee over a 4 ft oxer...
Uhhh, yeah. Yankee is awesome. So is Jackie. I love her.
You can't tell, but she is doing this one with the turtle backpack.
I'd say Yankee is more than ready for the show Friday.
I'm sorry, I'm pretty sure I'm drunk-ish and this post is not really following an idea of any kind. Mostly just rambling.
Video stills from the 3'3-3'6 course
RAWR-ing over the corner.
Basically to sum it up....
This week has been hell. Yankee has been a boss, minus the 3 mystery lame days. Jackie is the best lessee ever. I cant wait for the show.
Oh also, I won 2 things on Ebay. A brown dressage girth for my jumping saddle and leather jumping boots for showing. So I can match.
WARNING: lengthy, semi-serious post. To view the abbreviated version, scroll all the way down. BUT if you have time/interest, reading this could be juicy.
Jackie and I have issues.
We can't stop perusing sites like CANTER, Equine.com and New Vocations....daydreaming...lusting after those sleek bodied OTTBs.
I'm positive its a sickness. Thoroughbred-itis.
It seems ridiculous to divulge this to you all, since I discussed rich bitches & overconsumption a few posts ago, but adopting another OTTB to work with, to me, does not apply as concept of over consumption.
Let me explain.
Sure, I'm not that rich and I'm not the master of all horse trainers. But horses are my life, and without them, I would be nothing. My passion with horses lies in training and working with youngsters. I enjoy seeing progress and turning a horse into something even more beautiful than how they naturally are.
I fell in love with OTTBs with Yankee. Ever since I adopted him, I've connected with so many other OTTB owners and the likeness is astonishing. All of us commend their attitudes and willingness to learn. Loyalty, and beauty. Speed, power and grace.
How can I stay away from that?
Judge me all you want, or support me, but I want to at least say why I feel the way I do. With Yankee, I learned precious lessons about life and love. But he is now 10 and quite the experienced pony :) I dont have the money to event him like he needs & wants to be, and thus, why he is leased. In case you didn't know, events run about $800/weekend and I simply don't have the cash to do that twice a month. Thats half my salary! SO. He is leased and moving forward, and yet I still get to see him everyday and ride him on occasion. I love that horse more than my own life and would die if I ever lost him. I don't want any of you to think I am tossing him aside with my talk of adoption, simply, giving him a chance to do what he loves to do and possible give him another brother or sister :)
I want to give another OTTB a chance like I gave Yankee. I want to give them a better life, a chance of redemption, a chance to prove themselves!
I've actually been doing this for over a year now, searching for the perfect horse and window shopping. But I believe its turning away from the window into something more serious.
I am graduating in August, and I think this would be a perfect gift to myself for all my hard work. Same for Jackie; she has wanted a horse her whole life, and her parents are willing to get one for her in May. I've been fueling her fire too with all my OTTB talk...MWAH HAHAHAHA.
So without further ado...Security Zero...
Isn't he just wonderful? Security Zero. Defines my life. Crookedness aside, his trot is to die for. Even his canter is lovely for 4yo OTTB. With proper work, I think he could really shine! Plus, he is a big boy, at over 17 hands. PERFECT.
Mr. TallShinyPants. I'm already in love. DAMMIT.
I adore chesnuts by the way. So his specs; he is 4 years old, 17.1 hands, re-started undersaddle and is $3500. I think I could talk them down.
A girl can dream right?
As for Jackie, I thought I found the perfect horse, but she got adopted today! GAH. She was only online for 3 days. THREE.
No wonder, aint she a purty thang?
I found out that the family who adopted her, bought my first horse from me! She was an arab, and it turning 30 in March. I'm glad to see she is going to a good home, but its still crazy that I know the person who adopted her, since they live in SC. Small world!
I suppose I can divulge another fun fact about myself before some of you possibly make up your minds about me; because who doesnt like spilling their soul on the internet. Its all the rage.
Anyways, I pretend to be a sarcastic hard-ass, but really, I am not when it comes to some things. I have extreme anxiety about almost everything, and the biggest worry is that I will never succeed in life. I feel like my degree is worthless, and I will never be wanted by any company because I'm not smart enought o become a vet, doctor or engineer & I only obsessed over one thing in my life; horses.
This is where I have done myself a disservice. While my college peers were getting shiny new unpaid interships to pad their resumes, I was slinking away at minumum wage jobs to support my expensive hobby. While others were partying high school away, I was striving to get that perfect distance, that perfect transition, that perfect harmony. While others played soccer and baseball, I mucked stalls and brushed coats. Horses have been my life since I was in gradeschool and I am thankful for that.
However, I struggle to grasp how anyone would ever hire me. I barely make it in college by studying my balls off-and even then, my grades arent that great. And its because I honestly don't care as much as I should, because I am not passionate about it...at all. Some may be happy kissing ass in the business world, I, however, refuse to do that. Granted, I could become an artist or riding instructor, but lets be real, in this economy, I would be more hungry than I already am.
So here I am, a college senior, graduating in August, freaking out about this transition in my life, worrying incessantly about not being wanted and causing myself all kinds of turmoil.
Not only would I be doing an deserving OTTB a solid, but working with another would have some sort of therapy for me. DONT worry people, I dont need a shrink. Just scared and anxious about the future, and a project would give me something to focus on, and shed positive light on my "self image", if thats what you can call it. I think it could be really good for me.
So, I shall continue to search, if the Zero situation doesnt pan out.
Also, I'm 96% sure that after graduation, I will begin attending school to become a Vet Technician. I am EXTREMELY excited about this, since it seems right up my alley. Even though vet techs dont make bank, doing something I enjoy will be worth it. In the mean time, I hope to get a job somewhere in town that can give me ample monies to live off of.
YAY PLANNING FOR FUTURE.
OK, boiled down boring version: I have anxiety about everything. Getting a horse will help. Don't judge me.
Aint that purty though? Thats the road to the barn. I wish snow would stay pretty forever. At least it snowed once this winter though. I would be sad panda if the whole winter went by with 60 degrees and sun. Makes me fearful for summer...the days are going to be like burning balls of fire. Although, if we have a summer worse than last years, I think I might die, one way or another. 102 degrees for daaaaays in a row, with 110-115 index is ridiculous.
But I digress from the focus of this post. Squirell.
Pony face gazing longingly at nothing in the distance.
I knew it would happen. It cant always be cupcakes and rainbows in YankeesWorld.
He was going so wonderfully for me the past few rides, that I knew it had to end. Perhaps he was tired from jumping, or frisky because of the snow. Or the fact that I was kind of upset when I began riding, and cut our warm-up short/ wasnt as focused. Either way, he was kind of a dick.
For your viewing [dis?]pleasure, some epic fail lateral work.
I was focusing on shoulder-in/fore as well as leg yeilds at all gaits. Last week he was a dream and I toats bragged about it. And now I feel dumb for that, since I said "he has finally grown up". I think he still has his big boy panties on, and it was just my fault for being upset and transfering that to him. He was rather tense during the lateral work, where-as last week, he was perfect.
It always happens that way, doesnt it? When they are farting rainbows, there is no evidence. And when you try to capture that, it ends up just being shit.
Oh well, win some, lose some right?
Also, excuse the BF's fingers in the video. He must have been really bored.
Afterwards, we went for a little walk in the snow. It was perfect for snowballs, but as BF informed me, only 7 year olds get excited about snow anymore. News flash to me.
My happy face
Pony was eating the snow. I don't blame him, snow is delicious.
So I should be doing homework right now. But I told Project Management to go screw itself for the time being. If I don't blog, I will be distracted and thus, the assignment will be half-heartedly done. That is my excuse. Plus I really don't want to spend 4 hours entering numbers into Microsoft Excel.
Coffee. Need dis.
Yesterday I had the intention of taping my camera to my helmet, but Hannah showed up to jump with me, so whaa-lah, video. I also had the intention of jumping a solid 3'6 course, but in addition to the ridiculous cold wind/ temperatures, combo of less than 4 hours of sleep and extreme anxiety about everything, Hannahs horse can't jump that high, so I left some of the fences low and only made one bigger fence.
Oh herro semi-large oxer. You were very boring today.
Yankee for once, was rather agreeable. One could even call him lazy.
No major complaints, just the vertical was major awk. I think that was my fault though, as usual. He was pretty solid, no waivering, no stutter steps. Just good all around :) Stoked for the jumper show Mar. 2. So I guess this post is really just my excuse to not finish my hateful Excel project.
Pronto did something I've never seen a horse do, and I lost my shit with laughter....
Look at those feet!!! LITERALLY at his nose. I cracked up for a solid 3 minutes. Sirry ponee.
In other barn-related news, my barn-mate blew my mother fuggin mind when she showed me this...
Yep. Thats an electric bit warmer. I had NO clue what this thing was, I just always assumed it kept all the wiring in the barn tidy. NOPE! Magikal bit warmur.
I think my life was made by this. I've always pined for a bit warmer, and my numb fingers are forever grateful.
So one of my readers asked me to do a before/after post and explain how I've manged to drop 30lbs since lasy May. Oh right, HEY GUYS IVE LOST THIRTY POUNDS IN LESS THAN A YEAR :D :D
Ok Ok, sorry, I'm just seriously happy/proud of myself because I thought I'd be a fatty boomblattie the rest of my life.
Without further ado; BEFORE:
May 2011
July 2011...mmmm look at those thighs and that stomach, by golly!
How did I manage to gain 30lbs you ask? Severing my achilles tendon in August of 2009, then fracturing my tibia in Jan. of 2010. No matter what I ate, I gained weight because I was on crutches. And I didn't really notice till I could walk again. I dropped about 15lbs once I could walk again, but re-gained it in my relationship with my ex. He was from the south and always made delicious rib-sticking meals. I always said "Oh its just this one time". Every night. HAHAHA.
I finally woke up a few months before he drop kicked me out of his life and started going to the gym more regularly. It wasnt until he broke up with me in August that I really cared.
How else was I to nab myself a super-sexual-better-than-Mr. Loser himself, if I was about 20lbs overweight? Sure I had a great rack, but tina-the-talking-tummy and Thunder Thighs were more important to ditch than keeping my super star boobies. I do miss them though. Sadface.
Anyways.
How did I do it you say?
Through self-hatred and thoughts that I would never be happy again, blah, blah, blah. It was EXTREMLY difficult to go at first. I felt fat and out of place at the gym and it HURT. Like a bitch. But I kept pushing myself. "Slowly but surely" I kept telling myself. I kept going at it and lost 10 more lbs. But I didn't really know what I was doing and kinda just did whatever till I was tired. Not the most productive thing ever.
It wasn't until I met Mr. Sexyface...
(say hello to Sexyface :))
...that I REALLY got my ass into gear and dropped the remaining fattyness. Working out is basically his hobby. No, his life. And he's boss at it. Since I started dating him, I figured I'd come with him since its what he likes to do, and I drag him to the barn on occasion. Seemed like a good deal.
He ended up motivating me (since I am literally one of the laziest people I know) and teaching me some more "moves" at the gym. I credit most of my weight loss to him. Thank you BF :)
Also, together we stopped eating fast food. Not only was it expensive, but its like the worst thing for you to eat! That REALLY made the difference for me. I saw the fat literally melt off my body when we nixed fast food. I probably only eat it once every 2-3 weeks now, and it kinda makes me feel sick. As typical college students, we stay up pretty late, and if we were hungry we would just run out and get something. Or after drinking, of course. But it was easy for us to give it up together; and we got a Sam's Club card and buy the bulk of our semi-healthy food there.
I say semi-healthy because it know its not the greatest, but I am poor as shit and can't afford to spend $300/mo on groceries. Normally, my day consists of a bagel with cream cheese or kashi cereal, apple, coffee and protein bar/eggs/lunchmeat for breakfast. I try to NEVER skip. You boost your metabolism this way, and it keep your full longer throughout the day. Lunch usually consists of progresso soup, or a big, meaty sandwhich, as well as a can of tuna and an apple or carrots. For snacks, I have Kashi protein bars and V8 juice. NOMMY. Dinner is usually ravioli or more progresso soup and another can of tuna. I know, not very interesting. But thats what I can afford/what I eat and its working! If I get hungry late, I eat cereal, have crrots and hummus or drink another V8. Mostly though, at every meal I try to eat as much protein as possible.
Gym wise, I go at least 4 times a week, sometimes 6, as well as my barn job and house cleaning job, riding, and speed walking to and from classes.
Cardio wise, I like to spend 30 min on the elliptical regardless. I have an old leg injury (see above under "reasons why I got fat") which hurts like a bitch if I run for more than 20 minutes, and since I like to do 40+ minutes of cardio, I always start off on the elliptical. Then, I go to the treadmill and vary the workouts. Some days I do sprints, others, mileage work. Yesterday I did 10 minutes on the highest incline possible, walking, then ran for 20 minutes at a 9 minute mile pace.
Weights wise, I split my body into sections. I have upperbody-arms, upperbody-chest/back, core-abs/back then lower body-legs. And I rotate through them. Varying with free weights and machines.
So yeah, thats how I do it. It sucked at first, A TON. But now I'm used to it, and If I don't work out, I feel like shit. I feel STUPENDOUS these days after all this weight loss :D
SO here it is; AFTER:
2 weeks ago
January 2012
(haha this was the only good picture I could find of my whole body. What can I say, I like to party).
