What a week it's been.  I'm still healing from losing my beloved cat, my Mom hasn't been feeling well but thankfully is recovering, I've been super busy with work although that's always great stuff (I'm so lucky) and my boy Oliver has been, well, feeling REALLY frisky! 

 

Ollie got new shoes about a month ago and I'm so glad his hooves are now pain free but all of a sudden I have a REAL five year old horse!  He's been high energy, spooky, bucky, dancy and prancy!  The problem is, I'm new to riding so when he does these crazy little five year old antics, I don't understand them and frankly, I started to get scared.  Great.

 

I started to get that feeling of "I can't do this, I'm not the right owner for him, what the heck did I get myself into"?!

After my last scare, I ...

If you know me at all, you know this past year has been all about the horse.

Being a new horse owner, the biggest surprise to me was how much the horse world coincides with the rest of my world.

I've learned how much ....(or how little!) patience I have.  I've learned about unconditional love.  I've learned....believe it or not, more about dating from my horse than my actual dates!  I've learned how to be a better leader, have more confidence and I've learned how to let go.

 

I've started taking lessons recently and one of my biggest obstacles is .....wait for it.....ME!  Go figure!

My fear and just plain me gets in my own way!  I'm afraid I'm going to get hurt or thrown off.  I'm afraid I'm not doing the right thing for Oliver and not being a good leader or horse Mom for him.  I'm constantly afraid I'm ...

This past weekend was a bit rough for me.
I had to put my cat down Friday afternoon.
She was 17 years old and I've had her since she was only 4 weeks old!  Her mother got sick and left her kittens, Kitty being one of them.  I took her home wrapped in a towel, bottle fed her and soon enough she was terrorizing my toes in the middle of the night!  If you've ever had a kitten, you know what I'm talking about!
And she was a tough cat....indoor/outdoor because she wasn't having that indoor only life!  No way!  She ran the neighborhood making sure other cats knew she was in charge and letting the neighbors know they could pet her any time they liked.

Kitty and I had a long, wonderful life together.  She moved with me to many apartments and homes, met and welcomed countless boyfriends and had to put ...

A friend of mine sent this great article to me and it was as if I had written it myself!  It was as if someone took MY list and wrote about it!

You know that list you make when you're thinking about what you want in a partner?  You know the one!  Your "Must Haves"....the list of desires and well, non negotiables.

I'm a big believer in sticking to your convictions but I also believe in being open to breaking your own rules once in awhile...just as long as you're happy.

 

I hope whatever your situation whether you're single, dating or married, you are happy and having fun.  That's what it's all about!  Click below

My main goal this year is to be the best horsewoman/rider/Mom to Oliver I can be.  What I've discovered is the more I learn about horses, the more I realize how little I know about horses!

 

This past weekend is a great example.  Horses are known for being "fight or flight" animals.  I know this and I pretty much know what to do if and when Oliver "spooks".  And you never know when that might be.  One day you're traveling along the same trail you travel every day that has the same trees, rocks, bushes, etc.   But today will be the day that for whatever reason, your horse will think "THAT rock shouldn't be there and must be there to kill me"!! 

These days Oliver might do a little spook, a little dance to the side and it's no big deal.  I laugh it off, tell him he's a beautiful, brave ...

The past couple of weeks have been a bit rough.  A family member was in the hospital, my horse's foot was hurt....AGAIN!, had a misunderstanding with a friend, another friend had to go in for surgery....you know...when it rains it pours!

I was feeling a bit beat up but I started to see some really amazing things during all of this.  My family member is ok thankfully and my wonderful close family became even closer, my misunderstanding with my friend helped me move forward and in a more clear direction with my friendships which are so amazing right now!  I have such a great group of friends who are healthy in mind, body and spirit and I've grown stronger in keeping it that way.  My other friend recovered well from surgery and we're making an extra effort to get together....we're even hiking and running!  She's a stud!

I found a ...

One year ago today, I got my horse Oliver. 

When I think back to how it was when we first started, I'm amazed at where we are today. 

The first three months were tough.  I got thrown off three times!  And he's a big boy at 15.3 hands.  To top it off he was only 4 years old at the time.  It's crazy to put a new rider with a young horse.  But I've never been one to do anything the conventional way.  And I knew I needed to move slowly and take baby steps with him given my lack of knowledge.

After those first few months, Oliver had an injury...it wasn't severe but enough that I had to go to the ranch every day and do what I called "therapy" with him.  We did that for a solid month, every day, three hours a day.  And from that, our ...

It's amazing to me how much I've learned from my horse Oliver.  I thought I'd get a horse, learn, bond, love, care and hopefully become a good rider.

What I didn't expect was how much HE would teach ME!

You know, one of my favorite qualities is confidence.  I like it in my friends, I like it in the guy I date and I like it in myself.

But I  haven't completely had that confidence and leadership when it comes to Oliver.  I think in the past 11 months of owning him I've sort of "faked" it while I've been learning.  But horses are so smart, they know when you're not authentic.  They know when you're feeling uneasy and unsure of yourself.

 

Confidence and leadership is what I strive for in all aspects of my life so I've been feeling like there's a little chink in the armour.

But this ...

It's amazing to think I've owned Oliver for 10 months already!  I have to say the first three months were really tough as much as it was wonderful.  I was a brand new rider and he was only 4 years old.  A crazy combination!  I was even leasing him first when he was just 3!  Ignorance is bliss!!

He tossed me off a good three times those first few months and it was challenging to say the least learning all there is to learn when owning a horse.

But I am in love and now ten months later, Oliver and I are buddies.  We've grown to be partners trusting each other and having fun together.  I wouldn't trade this life for anything!

Yesterday however rocked my world just a little.  We were on a ride with a few other friends.  There was a different "horse energy", it was windy, storm ...

I'm back!!  I spent 8 beautiful days in Italy visiting Rome, Florence, Pisa and Assisi.  I saw THEEE most amazing things!! The Vatican, Sistine Chapel, The Duomo Cathedral (largest Dome in the world), The Pantheon, The Colosseum, The Statue of David, Leaning Tower of Pisa, The Trevi Fountain (I threw in two coins!), The Spanish Steps, walked through the Roman Forum, saw countless amazing churces....St. Peter my favorite, the tomb of St. Francis....(this was most special), drank delicious cappuccinos and ate amazing pastas and pizzas.  On Good Friday after breakfast there was a religious procession that walked right in front of us.  The whole town gathered behind it and on Easter Sunday we went to Pisa to see the Leaning Tower.  Wow!  We then went the to Cathedral in Pisa where mass just happened to start.  I looked at my friend and said "So, we are in the most beautiful church on Easter Sunday attending Mass ...

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