It has been two years since I started working with a wiggly, distracted baby named Drifter. And almost exactly two years to the day since he weighed in for the first time. He hasn’t said too much lately. I’ll have to talk to him about that. September 2014 | Age 4 Height: 15.2 hh at … More Drifter’s Diary: 2 Years Together
I am bursting with pride. Drifter went to his very first show this weekend. And he was a rockstar. He was a little nervous when we arrived, but settled right into his stall and from then on he offered a calm demeanor and willing attitude the whole weekend. I honestly went into the weekend totally prepared … More Drifter’s First Show
About a week ago, the time came to cut Drifter’s mane. Yes, the long, flowing locks had to be chopped off in the name of hunter show ring style. (He gets to keep the Fabio forelock, though!) It really was a shame to cut it off, but he now looks a lot cleaner and even … More Drifter’s Major Haircut
In my lesson last week, Drifter was pretty lazy and dopey. I was actually pretty happy about this because the last three weeks or so, he’s been pretty spooky and revved up – particularly in one stupid corner where, apparently, there be dragons. (Screw you, winter in Wisconsin!) Anyway. He mostly ignored the Dragon Corner … More Drifter Jumps Like a Big Boy
Over the weekend, I had a jumping lesson on Drifter. He has been coming along so well, even after having three weeks off around the holidays while I was traveling, dealing with the awful mud we’ve been having and the fluctuations this week from sub-zero to 40-degree weather. It’s enough to make even the sanest person go … More Drifter: A Jumper in the Making
Oh my gosh, guys. In my most recent lesson on Drifter, we jumped for real! Not just cavalettis or even a single small jump; they were real, honest jumps! It was nice enough to ride outside, so our trainer, Leanne, wanted to have us experiment with going over the colorful, “spookier” jumps set up out … More That Time I Jumped Drifter (Again)
We are at a beginning, Drifter and I. It’s really more of a middle; after all, we’ve been working together for a year now. But this is the start of our partnership, I think. It’s certainly a new beginning in that my attention is now solely focused on him. It feels like a beginning because … More Drifter’s Diary: October 2015
Last week, Twinkle had a visit from the chiropractor, so I rode Drifter in my lesson. Usually we either jump or work on fairly advanced stuff since the lesson is a group of older competitive riders, so I was both excited and slightly nervous about riding Drifter in that environment. But I was mostly looking … More That Time I Jumped Drifter
Wow, it has been quite a good three months. I can’t believe I’m about to officially turn 5 years old! I’ve been learning a lot with my Person and we’ve gotten really good at some things. I am starting to fill out and look like a real adult horse instead of a baby. These last … More Drifter’s Diary: Part II
Hi. My name is Drifter. I have recently begun working with a new Person and it seems pretty interesting so I’ll be keeping a record of it here. To start, here’s a bit about me: Age: 4 Height: 15.2 hh at the withers, 15.3 1/2 hh at the hip Breed: Foundation Quarter Horse Color: Grullo, … More Drifter’s Diary: Part I
Centered in the Saddle 