My first post was rushed, and hurried and I think that this subject deserves MUCH more respect and thoughtfullness on my part.

Many of us know how heartbreaking Eventing can be. The challenges are what draw many to the sport, but the challenges can also be a downfall to the must unsuspecting of athletes. Missteps, falls, scrapes, cuts and bruises all come with this exciting sport.

As many of you also might know, successful eventers, Andrea and Gogo are going though something no horse mom/owner should have to experience. 2 years ago, beautiful Gogo sustained and rather terrible injury to her right kind leg during a competition. Careful rehab and all the love in the world was all Andrea could do for this amazing mare, and sadly, they might've lost the battle after two long years.

I simply cannot fathom by any degree, what pain Andrea must be going through. Even though she is a new friend, I have respected her from day one (a few days after Gogo's original injury) and fell nothing but sympathy and sorrow for her. She is the strongest woman I know and I have no idea how she bounces back from the worst situations that would turn me to mush. relocations, injured horses, getting fired, Gogo...I would lose it.

Last year, Brooke, almost lost her mare, Denali, and Andrea stepped up and started a fund for Denali and Brooke.

"None of us thought even for a moment that Andrea herself would be in the same position [as Brooke] in just a few months. Gogo's injury, carefully rehabbed for two years by the most meticulous and caring owner imaginable, continues to get worse. Andrea wants the best for her and won't condemn her to a life of pain, regardless of how much she just wants to hang on to her beloved mare."

This time WE want to do something for her. With Stacey (Kleinmare's mom) , Brooke (Denali's mom) and Aimee's (Izzy's mom) help, we are getting together something for her, however the situation turns out.

If anyone can, PLEASE donate anything you can give to this amazing mare and her courageous mom. If or when you donate, we will put you on the contact list to help decide what we are doing.

Even if you can't donate, don't worry, just keep these two in your thoughts and if you're the prayin' type, please do.

We ALL love you and Gogo, Andrea and we are here for you!

Hard Times

I am at a loss for words for my friend Andrea over at Eventing A Gogo.

Her and her horse have fought so hard to regain their footing on the injury Gogo sustained 2 years ago and they might've actually lost this time.

My heart goes out to this courageous woman and her horse. I could never go through what she has gone through.

Many of you know her story...just keep her in your thoughts.

Andrea, we support you and can only offer that to you right now. I know this is a hard time :(

F*** Authority

Sorry for my long abscence, I've just lost my camera amongst all other things and hate blogging without pictures, its boring.

So as of late I've been doing not a whole lot of anything and my horse has managed to massacre his back R hind and rip out half his tail as well. How, I have no idea.

As for my title, as you can see below, I rode my horse. One week after my crash...yeeeah. My injury hasn't healed, ahaha. Oh well, you can't keep a girl from her horse!

I decided to ride him in the double, since I havent done that since winter. He LOVES the double. He is so much more relaxed, and not rushy and all that. I wish I could compete at training with the double bridle. I think he just enjoyed the thicker bits, so I am looking for a thick, french link, loose-ring for dressage.

Yankee pants looking rather bleached out, but relaxed.

Amazing what a nice, relaxed, active trot looks like!

And how about that canter! Please disreguard my position here, I look rather floppy. But I've only ridden 3 times in the span of a month!

And yes, this is my new barn :) He doesnt move in till thursday, but I wient there to ride with Ayla.

I am getting the knock-off version nof the Eskadron climatex wraps...I'm on a budget, but I'm hoping they work just as nicely as the real thing!

I don't have much else, to update. Sorry about the boring!

Equestrians are Not Afraid

Guess I'm Open For Business

Since sketching this crappy picture for my friend Ayla and her horse Fancy...

Tons of people have been emailing or FB me for portraits. SO. I guess I am open for business!

Sketches I will do for free and simply upload them to FB and tag you in it. Sketches are on 10x10 paper, and take me about 20-30 minutes. The above picture took me about 25 minutes and it was a rough drawing, not done very well actually. Gancy's neck is a bit off, and Ayla is way too big. Sketches are in graphite or vine charcoal.

Otherwise, if you want me to take some time and really get the proportions and lighting correctly done (NOT like in Ayla's drawing-it has some major obvious flaws) the pricing is as follows...

10x10 portrait in charcoal, pen or graphite $40

18x24 portrait in charcoal, pen or graphite $70

Any size, add color, +$10

So yeah, if you want something done, I would love to give you something other than a photograph to represent or remember your special ponyface by :)

Example of the beginning of a portrait for a friend and her horse named Chance

Beginning of  sketch for Stacey and Kleinmare, much needed to fix here, just an example of the beginnings

An example of some pen and color work. This was part of a 30 panel storyboard for a class

Sorry its sideways but this is an example of charcoal. Black and white charcoal on brown paper. This took me 11 hours. Life sized, for class.

So if anyone is interested, email me at mavg24@mail.missouri.edu

ALSO, tons more examples on my FB :)

Recovering

My sadface. My burns hurt! !

Hoping, praying, pleeeading my bad luck ends soon. Please? Pretty please? I can't handle much more.

Tonka says "preeze Gawd, let mah mommee stop stressing over splited milk"

So now we get to see how destroyed my Brandon's car is, and what we are going to do about getting him a new one. He still had 14 months left on it to pay off, so I don't really know how this is going to work. I feel like the worlds biggest asshole :/ 

Our insurance companies aren't agreeing either on coverage...awesome guys! Lets throw more on the shitpile that seems to be my life! My insurance believes that Brandon's is responsible for both vehicles, whilst his thinks mine should pay for repairs on the other car and his will cover his car. Personally, I think my insurance should cover it all...

OK moving on from all that junk.

I rode the ponyface today...bareback...DON'T TELL ANYONE! 

He was super sweet and loving today and our ride was brief but excellent! It was rather moist out, and we were both sweatin after about 10 minutes, but I just hopped on bareback and rode him down the lane a bit.

 We cantered on a little grassy knoll and I couldn't help but feel giddy all over! I was tingley I was so happy! My hair was blowing in the sunshine and my beautiful sweet horse was beneath me and I was ALIVE! I will NEVER take for granted again the little things...after coming so close to near death, I am just thankful to have a horse who will let me hop on bareback and canter him in the grass along a road and be so kind and gentle with me :) I love him!

The dirty fat pony before I rode, nommin on some breakfast. God is he bleached!! But look at his dapples, they ARE there!

I've been sketching a ton over the weekend since I am houseridden (sort of, just scared to drive mostly!).

Been in a racehorse mood I guess. I also have begun my sketch of Kleinmare and Stacey who BTW are kicking major pa-toot-tay at Goose Downs this weekend!

In other news, classes start tomorrow AKA "My relative freedom is ending".

FML...Again

So 2 days after my "happy post" I get in a pretty god-awful car accident.

Awesome!

Now my life is back to its f***dom and I am yet again freaking out.

The worst part is that the wreck was my fault and I wasnt driving my car, it was Brandon's and its totally wrecked. The entire front end is gone up to the engine...completly shaved off as easy as a hot knife through butter. FML FML FML FML!

Not only did I total my boyfriends car, his mom is pissed, both our insurance rates will go sky-high now and I have to go to court and pay some hefty fines. AWESOME.

I was minimally hurt, burns on my left arm and severely sprained fingers and wrist from the airbag but other than that, just a massacred conscience. I feel like a total asshat. "Look mom, look what I can do! Stop traffic on a major highway for over an  hour!"

However, I feel lucky to be alive. If the other car had been a fraction of a second slower (she hit me at 75 MPH) I would have been smashed by her car, not the front end of the car I was driving. The other driver was totally fine, just scared since I spun her car off the road into a ditch. Her car was barely damaged too, just the windsheild and a rather large dent in her passenger side door.

So this means no riding for another week, and after that slow walking, no fast work or even trotting since I can't grip anything with my hand.

FML FML FML