Notes from Mo's Mom: We're still here! After a great ride, or a good I happen to write blog posts in my head on my drive home from the barn - needless to say that by the time I am home, the post has mostly been written (in my head) and I don't feel the need to copy it all down. I'll try to work on that.

Due to various vacations and lack of motivation, I haven't been out to see Mo much lately. Maybe I've been avoiding him because I've been frustrated with my own fears and feelings of inadequacy as an effective rider. Sometimes I think I am in over my head. Whatever the case is, I finally went out to the barn today - ran a few errands with Anita, before returning, holding some horses for the farrier and then finally going out to grab Mojito!

Lazaro, our morning chore assistant at the barn doesn't speak much English - but between my craptastic spanish skills and much pantomiming we can communicate. Essentially what came to pass is he recalled I had mention Mojito was my horse when we were mucking stalls one morning, and when he had turned Mo out in the morning, he had noticed him limping. I thanked him for the information and told him I would check in on Mo that afternoon - I could see him in the pasture and he did seem a little off on his right front foreleg but was grazing contently and I figured he could wait until our errands were done.

When I went out to grab Mo, his problem was readily apparent - the poor guy has a pretty decent case of scratches and apparently it was causing him some pain. Odd, because it hasn't been that wet around here and it's only on his front two legs (Anita mentioned maybe it's his white socks?). It seems like everyone has a pet remedy for it, today we slathered them in Desitin - I'll repeat the process tomorrow and try to peel off any softened scabs. Lather rinse, repeat. Same deal on his sunburnt nose, I've been slathering it with zinc oxide. It looks a little better - probably would look even better if I went out more. *kicks self in the head*

Here's the best part though! Student loans finally came through, I'm using a little bit of them to pay for two months training on Mojito! Nothing fancy, I just want him to get over whatever this bolting thing is, then I can start riding him and we can work towards some progress. I am so excited. I'll keep you guys updated.

Lastly: When we worked with Mojito, he was more or less a very good boy today until he got bored. :) He was very tuned in and level headed - I was so proud of him!

So Mom has not been keeping her promise and coming out every single day to see me. >:| In fact, she has only come out once a week! I guess maybe I scared her off...

Last time Mom came out I was a very very naughty pony! I keep telling her that my great great great grandma won the Russian Oaks and placed second in the Russian Derby - I just want to run!!! Maybe one day she'll take me to a race track and let me go! Anyway, I wanted to run and Mom said no. So I ran anyway and she fell off again. :| Then she didn't come out for a week. I sort of feel bad, so I came trotting up to her the second I saw her in the pasture - and she had some treats for me!!! Maybe Mom will just let me be a really big lap horse...


We did some really really excellent showmanship today though, I really like to show off after I've had some time off. Today's the first day I really seemed to understand that Mom stepping into my bubble means back off! Which translated into an AWESOME 360!

While Mom didn't get on today she did apparently have other sinister plans in mind and found a squirt bottle! D: How could she?!?!?! Mom must seriously spend time thinking of scary monsters to introduce me to. Although, I have to admit, after about a half hour of running for my life, the cold water actually felt kind of nice! And I have to give Mom a gold star, she's learned how to hold objects like they aren't terrifying!

P.s. Mom told me today she thinks I'm getting fat! How rude!

Notes from Mo's Mom: Mo and I have had a few setbacks lately, his bolting seems to be becoming a habit and I just don't have the experience and presence of mind to successfully pull a one-reined stop every time it happens. I'm working on it - it's just extremely frustrating to have all these ideas of where I want to be and where I wanted to be at this point in time and still find myself very far behind. It's so easy to let it get to my head and overwhelm me - and then I don't go to the barn, then Mo gets worse because he hasn't had to focus in over a week, and then we have a wreck and then I go out even less. I get too far inside my own head sometimes.

So. I can either sit at home and hide from it, or I can start making steps to change how it is. So I present to you:

The Mojito Battle Plan:
1) Go out atleast 3x a week. I'm serious about this one. I'm just not going to make ANY progress if I keep hiding from it. Friends, anyone who knows me, call me out on this. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. If you see me, ask me if I went to the barn yet. Make me feel like an idiot if I haven't gone. Just go. Even if it's just to groom him and do showmanship or whatever. Today I worked on my running braid. It's an improvement over not going.

2) Fight negative thoughts. My biggest problem is I keep thinking of where I think we should be, and where I want to be instead of realizing how much progress we've made. Every day that I do not want to go the barn to avoid Mojito (wow that sounds weird), I will make a list of 5 positive things Mo and I have accomplished or made progress on.

3) Western Saddle. I love my english saddle. I'm much more comfortable and able to move around in it. Unfortunately, all this movement is not so helpful when I'm trying to cling on for the life of me as Mo spins in a 15 foot circle at a gallop. Western saddle it is. Hope it still fits him!

So, whether I would admit it to her or not, I have missed my Mom over the last few weeks - and have decided to take it out on the lovely staff at A.N.D. Stables!


Mom heard about it today when she came out to see me, apparently I have been my bossy, jerklike self and have been running away from people who are trying to catch and deworm me! Well seriously? Do they expect me to behave when my mom doesn't come out to make me listen? Psh! No way! I'm not going to be good unless I *have* to. Plus Mom just bailed on me after the show, brought me home and didn't even clean all the show gook off me.


So needless to say, I was pretty full of myself when Mom came out today - unfortunately she wasn't easily scared off. :(


We did a LOT of showmanship work - maybe I shouldn't have fidgeted so much at the show! But I showed Mom that I DO know what I'm doing after all, and even squared on my own twice without being asked. It's sort of nice to be back to work!


Mom wanted me to give you a little sneak peek at my family members too so here goes!


First up is my dad, HA King AHearts - who the judge at the show knew! I'm not sure I look very much like him - well really at all. I favor my mother's side of the family a lot more!

Mom has been remiss and lazy and has not posted the entry I gave her almost a week ago! I guess she's pretty busy with school since she hasn't come out to see me this week, I think it's those "Finals" or whatever she's always talking about. They sound pretty scary. :|

But enough about her, time for me!

So last weekend we went to our first show! And guess what?!


Mom was a nervous wreck and very awkward but I did amazing! There was so much to see and do, so I was a little distracted but after I got to exercise a little in the arena I settled down and did alright. Arabian halter was super easy - I got a first place! It totally helped that I was the only one in the class, haha, I guess I scared all the competition away. Since I got a first in that one, I got to go into the Grand and Reserve Champion halter class. We didn't win - but I got some extra practice and didn't do too badly.

Then came Showmanship. :x It was kind of a disaster, I was pretty fed up with all the primping and fussing and general craziness. Mom didn't set me up right, then I decided to try and leave and whinnied right in the judge's face! It's not my fault she was standing right in front of me! But there were only two people in that class AND we did an amazing 180 - the part mom was most worried about, so all in all I did pretty well!

I got to go visit other horses, get an apple all to myself and explore a little! It was a little overwhelming and I actually kept trying to climb in Mom's pocket to hide - I think she thought it was cute but a little overkill!

Kane and Anna did awesome - the judge at this show was tough! :| I'm still not really sure what she was looking for...

Oh! And she knew my dad! The judge came up to Mom and asked if I was out of King AHeart's - and sure enough, the judge was the one that broke Dad to ride at Salem! Small world!

Labels: landmarks, picture, shows

Oh. My. GODDDD!

Mom brought the SCARIEST monster ever out to the barn today, it's so horrible I hate it I hate it I hate it. D: It's this horrible, buzzing, snake with teeth that for SOME reason Mom feels the need to put ON MY FACE. I had a melt down. Augh.

Mom says gee, I look super pretty when I'm very upset though - she thinks I looked like the spitting image of my Grandpa then!

At the end I guess it was ok - the snake just feels funny and buzzes a lot, I finally let her rub it on my neck a few times...I hope it never comes back!

So Mom has got this idea that in-shape horses are happier and perform better - and look better for halter. So guess who gets to run around and do all the work while she sits on her butt and does nothing? I'll give you a hint - ME!

This sucks. >:|

Mom also says that Midwest Horse Fair was this weekend - which doesn't mean much for me other than I got a break from my exercise routine...and she bought a ton of stuff. Apparently most of it is nice smelling beautifying things for me - yuck. Oh and a new hunt bridle - I liked my old one thank you very much! This new one has a nose band - I keep trying to rub it off my face.

And some exciting news! Mom has decided to enroll me in the Open Event Incentive Program of the Arabian Horse Association! What does that mean? With a little bit of paper work, any placing that I earn at local shows goes on my big fancy record at the Arabian breed registry - so I can be famous (not really but that's ok). Even better news? My upcoming show is already approved - so Mom can just send in the results (if I place). It was free to sign up! If I earn enough points, I get little awards and Mom gets a fancy pin.

Although I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with a hat or a t-shirt....