Follow Up on Feedback

I really need to get better at taking pony pictures but here's a cute,
sleepy puppy picture for some media.

Thank you all so much for your feedback. Instead of responding to each of your questions I thought I would just write a quick follow up and then I promise I’ll get back to pony updates next.

After reading through all of your feedback and suggestions I decided to make a spreadsheet with different options and the costs. I think I’ve had sort of an idea about what different things would cost but hadn’t really laid it out until now and I’m really glad that I did. The main problem isn’t whether I could get a trailer over the next few years it’s how I’d pull it. Not only would there be a fairly considerable amount needed for the trailer (new or older with maintenance) but I’d also need to pay to rent a truck to pull it. Buying a truck or having any second vehicle is completely off the table right now since I only have metered (2 hour) street parking. Trying to rent both things also just isn’t on the table right now because it would take way more coordination etc. than I have available. It would also be way too stressful especially for someone who’s pony already causes a lot of stress with traveling.

Long story short, after looking at it all laid out, the sheer expense of even buying a cheap trailer and renting a truck is just too much on top of the new car payments with a single income for it to happen within the next few years and I don’t want to wait a few more years to get out on trails, do clinics, or show more than 2-3 times a year.

Moving still isn't something I want to do so I'm still chewing over my options, making lists, and trying to figure out how all of this fits with my current needs as well as my long term goals. Hopefully I'll have an update soon because I'm so tired of being in this place and feeling stuck.

One Year With Jane

What can I say really. Jane is someone that I've learned way more from than just riding. Her way of handling things, her message about training horses (especially mares), and her support of me even with things like stressful work situations will always stick with me.

I'm so glad that I decided I couldn't afford my previous barn anymore and even more lucky that my previous BM recommended that I move to Jane's barn.

Prior to L

Jane's instruction, from a riding perspective, is something that will stick with me for my entire riding career. When I started working with Jane my position was a mess, I rode a lot with my hands, and had lots of well developed habits. Sure, I've worked hard too to overcome a lot of this but I've always worked hard to overcome those things and to learn and improve it just wasn't until I started riding with Jane that I actually started to see progress.

Really great example of how things were going before Jane.
Already much improved by L

Even more impressive to me is the subtle mental shift that's been caused by Jane and how it's also completely changed Katai's attitude about being ridden. Some of that, of course, is that I'm riding better so she can actually be more comfortable in the work but it's also the way that Jane encourages me to think about training a horse (mare) and how gentle Jane's approach is. Her message, that sometimes it's important that mares get to be right, isn't something I've ever heard from any other instructor and yet it's made a huge difference in my work with Katai.

Katai's thrived from the new work as well

I will study with Jane for as long as I can and I hope that her retirement from teaching is far out on the horizon. She has even caused me to be less enthusiastic about looking at relocating out of state because I can't quite imagine leaving her program. Right now, the thought of trying to find another instructor in a new place that can meet her ability to make changes with Katai and myself makes me feel slightly overwhelmed and ill.

I don't know what the future holds and I do still plan to relocate at some point but no matter where I end up or when, Jane's instruction has made a huge impact on me and for that I'm truly and completely thankful.

For the present I'll continue to enjoy every single lesson with her and absorb as much knowledge as I can. Here's to another fantastic year!!

Starting to look almost as good at a show as we are at home :)

Also, this sort of makes it sound like I'm planning to leave but that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm positive that I'll be working with Jane into the near future and will likely push my plans to relocate out even further so that I can continue to work with her. I'm just hoping that she doesn't have any plans to retire any time soon.