As a little kid I had always dreamt of riding horses, but in California it really wasn't a possibility. When we moved to Utah when I was 11, my parents made my dream become a reality! For my very first riding lessons I rode this little pony named Blossom. My instructor was so wonderful and she taught me so much! I started out bareback on Blossom, and then later used a saddle on her. I was always worried I would squish her because she was so small!
From Blossom I moved to Skyler, a Quarter Horse. Skyler and I shared a lot of great times. After learning to ride on him and doing a rodeo competition, my instructor actually sold him to my family and my uncle (we shared and kept him at my uncle's stables). Skyler and I made a lot of good memories. He was a really great horse and so great to ride. I learned to walk, trot, post, canter, and gallop on him, and we also did lots of pole bending, barrel racing, and even goat tying practice together. Skyler could really run! It was funny because he had a very, very slow walk, but when he got galloping, he was true to his breed and sprinted like a quarter horse! We competed in the Rodeo Princess Competition together when I was around 13. That was actually the only rodeo I ever participated in. Although we tried to enter competitions for the other rodeo events, there was always some kind of major schedule conflict that came up. I just loved the riding though- I wasn't really worried about competing. I was especially interested in bareback riding and was especially starting to practice that towards the end of my time riding. It was after the rodeo princess competition was over at some point that the idea of us buying Skyler came up. It was awesome to spend so much time with him. Even just being around him and the other horses was always very soothing and calming for me. The time seemed to stop when I was grooming him, mucking stalls, or just sitting on the porch nearby the horses. When I was 16 we had to move to California and had to say goodbye to Skyler (he stayed in Utah). It was really sad, but I knew there was nothing we could do, so I tried to cowgirl up and not make a big fuss.
Rodeo Princess Competition:
Practicing Barrel Racing:
Just for fun, here was another dream fulfilled:
Anyways, after moving when I was 16, I didn't get to ride much anymore, until just recently- almost 10 years later! It was by a series of events (that I really believe was guidance and little miracles from Heavenly Father), that lead me to taking riding lessons again! Now I am learning English riding, while before I did Western. So it's really new in a lot of ways! It's been so fun and so fulfilling for me! It's hard to believe that I had forgotten how good it feels to be on a horse and how much this is a part of who I am. Riding horses is something that I always dreamt of doing as a little kid, and that I loved so much when I finally got the chance to really learn and get involved with riding. Somehow between being 16 and being 25, I lost connection with that part of myself, and to be doing it again at last feels so good. It really is a miracle to me. I never, ever, ever imagined that as a mom of 2 young kids, and with my husband in school, that I would be riding horses. It's the last thing I would have thought of pursuing, but I really believe that Heavenly Father knew it was exactly what I needed. He really made things fall into place- He lead me to consider that it was actually a possibility for me. And I feel so blessed because it has helped me feel excited about life. It has rekindled my passion for discovering/developing myself. And it has helped me be a more present wife and mom. Knowing that I will have personal time during the week to go ride has helped me to be able to be at peace and excited about being home with my kids the rest of the week. I always loved being home with them, but somehow adding riding to my life has made my time more meaningful. I feel more excited about all aspects of my life. I feel excited to be a mom who is still herself and is unique. I feel excited about teaching my kids to ride someday (if they want to), and excited that my kids will know that their mom has passions and interests, and that they can have unique passions and interests too!
Here are some screen shots of my recent riding adventures. Learning English has made me feel like a beginner all over again in a lot of ways. I'm learning so many new things and I'm loving it! It feels good to challenge myself and try to improve. This experience has really taught me that it's such a good thing to have dreams. I always dreamt of becoming a wife and mom, and I also always dreamt of riding horses. Riding horses is WAY less important to me than being a wife and mom, but it's something that brings a spark of excitement and a lot of personal fulfillment into my life. I've really been learning that Heavenly Father wants us to have that personal fulfillment in our lives. I believe He wants us to pursue our dreams for our families and for ourselves as individuals- and when we seek His guidance, He can help those to fit together and be in harmony.
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