I began riding horses when I was 30 years old, which means that I was far, far past the time period in your life where you are not only fearless, but you also bounce when you hit the ground. This has made learning to ride a struggle, especially when you have to contend with an anxiety disorder on top of being fragile. The struggle is real, but that doesn’t mean the struggle isn’t relatable. So, here are some problems that only people who began riding when they were already an adult will understand.
1. You’re the oldest person in your beginner’s riding class.
When I started riding lessons, I was the oldest person in my class by about 20 years. That made things pretty awkward…
2. Wanting to go tack shopping, but you have bills to pay.
My best friend and I took a trip to Milwaukee this past February, and on the way we stopped at a Dover Saddlery store (because there isn’t one near us). We wanted to buy all the things, but we have bills to pay and no disposable income. š
3. Falling off and needing three weeks to recover.
Kids fall off and bounce. They giggle and get back on the horse. When you’re over 30, you fall off and need weeks to recover. (Especially if you’ve spent most of your life with a messed up back already!)
The broken helmet from my last fall… I miss this helmet every day
4. Every horse movie and TV show you’ve ever seen has lied to you.
I got the impression from horse movies and TV shows that you just jumped on a horse and in minutes you were cantering and galloping down the beach, wind in your hair, enjoying life. No one told me that every. single. thing. about horseback riding was way harder than that! It took me nearly 4 years to get to the cantering stage, and I still haven’t ridden down the beach in the sunset, wind in my hair! Also, you can’t just get on a horse and start jumping in ten minutes.
Goals.. but only if it’s safe.
5. You will never stop learning… and that’s a great thing.
When you start in adulthood, you have so much more to learn. I feel like I’m constantly “catching up” with my friends who have been around horses their entire lives. I’m constantly learning something new about horses, whether it be about tack, training techniques, feed, or a new barn hack. And that is amazing. I love to learn and I feel like I’ll never run out of new things to learn and do, which means that horses are always a fresh subject that I can’t get tired of!
How long have you been riding? What equestrian problems have you had? Let me know in the comments!
Horseback riding is dangerous, and there is no way we can ever make the sport completely risk free. Even with increased technology in helmets, body protectors, and even jump set-ups, accidents happen. Horses are huge prey animals who can spook, have a bad day, or even just trip over their own feet and fall on their rider. Even the best rider and the most well-trained horse can make a mistake, whether that be over a cross-country jump, running a barrel race, or even walking on the flat in a schooling arena. Aside from never getting on the back of a horse or ever coming near a horse at all (since accidents can also happen during groundwork, or even just while feeding a horse in a stall), there is absolutely no way to guarantee the safety of both horse and rider.
That being said, there is a lot we can do to make the different branches of our sport safer. Western disciplines are beginning to require riders to wear helmets – a welcome change, if you ask me, dressage is doing away with top hats and also requiring helmets for competition, and even Eventing has come a long way in the past few years to reduce rotational falls.
And Eventing is what I want to talk about today. Now, Iāll preface this by saying that I am NOT an Eventer. I have never taken a cross-country jump at a gallop. Hell, Iāve barely jumped a cross-rail, to be honest. So I’m basing my opinions on watching videos, reading about the sport, and from the experiences of my friends who do cross-country and eventing. If I have a fact wrong in this blog, please let me know! I like to learn as much about the many areas of horse sports as I can!
So, letās talk about Frangible Technology. Frangible Technology is responsible for the drop in rotational falls in Eventing in the past few years. Frangible pins can be added to cross-country jumps to make them collapse when a certain amount of force hits the jump (i.e. from a horse not clearing jump and hitting it). One of the biggest problems with cross-country jumps is that they are usually solid, and so if a horse or rider makes a mistake, the jump isnāt likely to move easily. Instead, the horse and rider hit the jump and fall, usually resulting in a rotational fall where the horse lands on top of the rider. These types of falls are more likely to result in serious injury or death.
The difference between cross-country jumps and show jumping is that arena jumps collapse much easier. Only the slightest tap is required to knock a pole off a jump cup, and poles and jump standards fall if a horse and rider crash into them, making it less likely that the jump will become a pivot point and cause the horse to flip over. (LESS likely, not completely impossible. See opening paragraphs about horse activities being inherently dangerous.) Also, there has been lots of talk in the past few years about cross-country in Eventing getting more and more challenging, with course designers making courses that have too complicated of jumps simply for the āWow factorā and to fit the demand of spectators for more excitement in watching the sport.
Personally, just watching a Go-Pro video of someone doing cross country jumping is enough to make me wet myself, I wouldnāt want to actually be galloping across a field toward a wooden table that drops down into a pond five feet below the jump. No thank you!
So, yes, Frangible technology can help with safety in the sport of Eventing, and some courses have updated some of their jumps with frangible pins to make the jumps safer. But itās not enough, and converting jumps is expensive, up to $1000 per table jump. The United States Eventing Association allocates about $26,000 a year for grants for competitions to make their jumps safer, which is not enough to implement the technology at a fast enough rate. Aside from being cost-prohibitive, there is no reason to not put frangible technology on every Eventing course across the country.
Jon Holling, Chair of the USEAās Cross Country Safety Division, has put out a call to make Eventing safer, at a faster rate. He is proposing a 3-year timeline to make any fence that can be converted to frangible technology in some way to be converted, at the Preliminary level and above. The cost of this project is a minimum of $500,000, which is a LOT. But if we spread it out among everyone who loves, participates in, watches, or knows someone who participates in the sport of Eventing, it makes the cost much more manageable and makes that number attainable.
Even though Iām not an Eventer, Iām sharing this information because I have beloved friends who are. I donāt want to go to a funeral for any of them because there was an accident and their jump didnāt collapse. Frangible pins can be the difference between needing a hospital stay and needing a casket, and I donāt want any of my horsey friends to end up dead- even if they died doing something they love.
Please give to the campaign if you can, or share it to the horse-lovers that you know!
(Featured image from Wikipedia. Most research for this blog post was taken from this Horse Nation Article.)
I thought it would be fun to share my favorite colors today! I love colors, but my favorites are green and blue. I use blue for Glory’s tack and my riding clothes, but I also LOVE green.
Click the photo below to go to the Instagram post with that photo! What’s your favorite color? Let me know in the comments!
Cleaning your horse grooming brushes is very important, but can be such a pain. Soaking, scrubbing, rinsing, drying- it’s not a chore I usually look forward to! However, my best friend and I recently started making brush-cleaning fizzy bombs that contain natural ingredients that don’t leave residue and make the process a lot easier! It’s almost fun now to clean my brushes! Below is a video of me cleaning my grooming gear with one of my favorite scents of our brush fizzies. Watch the video below!
Cleaning your brushes regularly can extend the life of the brush, and let’s face it, horse stuff is expensive and we need to make what we do have last as long as possible. A clean brush also cuts down the time you spend on grooming, because you’re not depositing dirt from the brush bristles back onto the horse. Also, certain skin conditions can be spread by dirty brushes, so you need to clean them to prevent that (especially if you’re sharing brushes between horses, which is not an ideal situation, but I understand that sometimes you don’t have a set of brushes for each horse and have to use communal brushes).
If you follow me on social media, youāve seen my new series of horses Iāve been working on this year – Birthstone Horses. These are horses with coloring based on the birthstone associated with each month, and they also are bordered on two sides with sprigs of the monthly flower as well. I’m so happy with how well these designs are being received, and I wanted to introduce the next four horses to my dear readers. So, read on to see some new Birthstone Horses and to read about the properties of each stone and flower.
Traditionally a stone of priests and kings, the sapphire symbolizes purity and wisdom. This stone was once thought to guard against evil and poison, and it was believed that a venomous snake placed in a vessel made of it would die. Considered one of the finest of all colorful gemstones, the sapphire features in Asian, European, and Near Eastern mythology, history books, and religious texts. The name of this stone originates from the Greek sappheiros, which means āprecious stoneā. Many people believed the sapphire could cure physical ailments, especially eye infections, headaches, ear ache, and thyroid problems. In ancient Greece and Rome, royalty wore blue sapphires because they believed the stone would protect the wearer from the evil intentions of their enemies.
Click the photo to buy a print of this work!
The Morning Glory is the flower of September and of 11th wedding anniversaries. This flower blooms and dies within a single day. In the Victorian flower meanings, they signify love, affection, and mortality. In Chinese folklore, they represent a single day for lovers to meet. The flowers blossom in the morning and die by afternoon or nightfall, making it representative of the sometimes fleeting nature of affection. The vine produces new flowers each day during its growth season, representing the renewable nature of love.
Opal (October)
The birthstone for October is the Opal, whos name was derived from the Sanskrit upala, meaning āprecious stoneā, and later from the Greek Opallios, meaning āto see a change of color.ā For a long time, Opal was believed to be a stone that brings bad luck. This unfortunate reputation and myth is attributed to Sir Walter Scott and his 1829 novel āAnne of Geuersteinā. The public took a part of the novel where an Opalās color was destroyed after coming into contact with a drop of holy water to be a warning that the stone would bring bad luck in real life. This myth destroyed the European opal market for almost 50 years, causing the market to crash within months of the novelās publication. Before this, however, in medieval times, all blond maidens wanted a necklace made of Opal because it was believed the stone would keep their hair from fading or darkening. The opal was also believed to make its wearer invisible at will. The opal was a symbol of fidelity and assurance among the ancients, and became associated with emotional religious prayer. It was believed to have healing properties against illness of the eyes, and that it would also make the wearer of an Opal amulet immune to disease and increase the powers of the eyes and mind.
Click the photo to buy a print of this work!
Calendula, also known as pot Marigold, Holligold, Bullās Eyes, and Maryās Gold, is the flower of October. It also bears the folk name of Summerās Bride because the head of the plant turns as the sun moves across the sky. Because of this, Calendula has strong symbolism tied to the sun. In the garden, Calendula repels insects, which gives it a protective meaning. The petals of the Calendula are edible, so when you want to take in the energy of this flower you can toss it into salad or soup! Healers in the Middle Ages carried Calendula as a talisman to protect them from the plague. In India, this flower is among the most sacred. It represents thankfulness, excellence, and serenity. Calendula can be found adorning holy statues in India like living necklaces.
Topaz (November)
For over 2000 years, the Topaz has been treasured and appreciated. Though Topaz comes in many colors, it is the golden-yellow version that is associated with November. Topaz is said to bring prosperity and happiness into its ownerās lives. It is known as the bringer of abundance, and also has a reputation for promoting good health and alleviating stress. It is said the stone has a relaxing effect and may help people keep calm under pressure and help you think straight. The stone is said to aid in visualization and the manifestation of your goals and dreams. Topaz was associated with the sun god Ra in ancient times. In India, a Topaz worn just above the heart promised beauty, intelligence, and long life.
Click the photo to buy a print of this work!
As early as the 15th century BC, the Chrysanthemum appeared in Chinese writings and was used as an herbal remedy. The boiled roots of the flower were believed to cure headaches, and the sprouts and petals were eaten in salads. The Chinese city of Chu-Hsien was named after the flower, and the name literally means āChrysanthemum Cityā. Buddhist monks took the Chrysanthemum to Japan in 400 AD. Soon after, it was adopted as the emperorās crest and official seal. Every year there is a national Chrysanthemum day, which is also called the Festival of Happiness. The Chrysanthemum blooms in the fall, signifying joy and beauty despite the oncoming Winter. Victorians used the flower to show friendship and to wish others well. In China, the chrysanthemum is traditionally offered to the elderly as they symbolize long life as well as good luck.
Turquoise (December)
Since the days of Ancient Egypt, turquoise has been known throughout the world and in high demand. Turquoise was one of the first gemstones ever mined, as far back as 6000 BC. It has been used for thousands of years in jewelry, especially by the Ancient Egyptians. Today, the Native Americans, especially the Zuni and Navajo peoples, produce the best pieces in the United States. The Zuni believe that the stone protects from demons. The Navajo believe that this blue stone falls from the sky. Apache warriors wore turquoise in the belief that it improved their hunting abilities. It has also been seen as a symbol of good fortune and success, and is believed to relax the mind and protect its wearer from harm. In particular, Turquoise rings are thought to keep away evil spirits.
Click the picture to buy a print of this work!
The holly plant, now used primarily to decorate for Christmas, was considered to be sacred by the Druids. The Druids regarded the plant as a symbol of fertility and eternal life and was thought to have magical powers. Cutting down a holly tree was said to bring bad luck, but hanging holly in the home was believed to bring good luck and protection. Holly was also thought to protect the home against lightning strikes. Christians adopted the tradition of hanging holly from the Druids, Celts, and Romans, and its symbolism changed to reflect Christian beliefs. Today, Christians believe the red berries symbolize the blood of Jesus, and the spiky leaves symbolize the crown of thorns placed on Jesusā head before he died on the cross.
And that, dear reader, is the end of the Birthstone Horses series! I loved working on this series, researching the different stones and plants, and using new techniques to render these beautiful horses! I learned so much about colored pencils doing this series. One of the things I love most about doing art is figuring out how to tell a story with a static picture, and this series was a challenge but also so rewarding to work on!
Aquamarine is now available as this month’s coloring page for my Patreon Supporters in the $5+ tiers! You can get this month’s and all previous month’s coloring pages by signing up to be a Patron!
The year was 1993, it was nearly summer and the weather was starting to warm up. I was ten years old and was looking forward to a summer of relaxation, bike riding, and spending time at my friends’ houses. One of my friends at this time had a pool, and we were celebrating the end of school and a nice warm day by swimming and hanging out on the back deck, talking and just generally enjoying the day.
I remember, while we were out on the deck wrapped in towels at some point in the day, seeing that one of the neighbors back behind my friend’s backyard had their charcoal grill going. They didn’t seem to be cooking anything though, because the flames were quite high, so they must’ve been burning something. I lived in Baltimore City at this time, so seeing open fires in backyards wasn’t exactly common, and I think that’s why I noticed the high flames in the grill and still remember them to this day.
A few days later I began developing an extremely itchy rash across parts of my face, the backs of my hands, and the bottoms of my legs. It didn’t take long for my parents to realize that I’d somehow contracted Poison Ivy. I hadn’t been in any wooded areas lately, so we eventually came to the conclusion that my friend’s neighbor must have been burning poison ivy to get rid of it, and the wind blew the smoke across the yards and that’s how I came into contact with it!
“Poisonous” 2- Poison Ivy
The next week or so were MISERABLE. I had poison ivy all over the right side of my face, including on my eyelid and INSIDE my ear. My eye swelled up to the point where I couldn’t open it, and I was covered in an itchy rash that kept oozing, so I spent most of my time dabbing at myself. I took baths in every poison-ivy remedy that could be purchased or home-made. Eventually, the rash on my face got so bad and was making me so miserable that my mom ended up wrapping my head in gauze and bandages, partly so that I couldn’t scratch and partly so that I wouldn’t have to dab at the oozing rash all the time. I looked like I’d been in some sort of horrible car accident!
Part of the reason why I remember this childhood incident so well, though, is because I was still recovering from this poison ivy run-in weeks later when the first Jurassic Park movie came out. We’d been looking forward to seeing it for months, and even the fact that I wasn’t fully recovered from my rash wasn’t going to stop us from going to the theater. At the time I was still itchy, but the rash was looking much better. However, my eyelid was still pretty swollen and I couldn’t open my eye because my eyelashes were literally glued shut from all the oozing the rash had done.
I remember sitting in the movie theater, trying to watch Jurassic Park, and only being able to see half the movie because my one eye wouldn’t open! What a horrible experience it was! I sat there during the movie and picked at my eyelashes until I got to the point where I could finally get my eye open and enjoy the entire movie instead of just watching the left side of it. Definitely a terrible but memorable childhood story!
Jurassic Park is still one of my absolute favorite movies of all time, by the way. And this story is why I chose to include Poison Ivy in my “Poisonous” series! I steer clear of this plant now whenever I see it because I do not ever want to go through that again. Don’t burn poison ivy, people!
Still the best character in Jurassic Park, fight me
Have you seen my merch on Amazon yet?
Birthstone horse shirts are available on Amazon! You can get February-October’s designs on a variety of fits and colors while taking advantage of your Amazon Prime benefits! I got to see one of these shirts in person just yesterday and I am BLOWN AWAY by the quality. The print looks amazing and the shirt itself is high-quality. I definitely recommend getting a shirt for yourself or someone you know who loves horses through my Amazon shop if you want the best feeling shirt ever!
I will be adding more shirts to Amazon as I can, however, the way that this program works is different from other t-shirt storefronts I have. With Amazon, you have only so many design “slots”, and as you sell more shirts you rank up and get more slots. I am currently on the lowest level and only have 10 design slots, so I can’t put up all the months until I open up more slots. This means I have to get more people to buy shirts on Amazon! So if you know someone who would love one of these designs, please share the link with them! I need to sell 6 more shirts before I can get to the next tier, so there’s still a ways to go but I know we can do it.
We went to the PA Horse Expo yesterday for a few hours and had a great time! Unfortunately, I’ve also come down with a cold and am feeling pretty crap today, so I’m going to keep this blog post short and sweet, so please enjoy a few photos that I took at the Expo in the gallery below.
Iāve been an artist since I was very young. My mom tells a story about me as a very young child, watching her paint ceramics, and wanting to paint my own. She gave me a paintbrush, a cup of water, and a rubber duck that I āpaintedā, and apparently that worked just fine until I realized that things change color when you paint them!
Growing up, I was constantly drawing and writing. I was constantly doing something creative, including doodling on the margins of my school papers. Drawing and writing as just always been something Iāve done. I like to keep my hands busy, and I love to tell stories.
Making a pretty picture is great, but I also like for there to be another layer to my pieces. I like to start a conversation, spark curiosity, and encourage learning with what I create. Part of the reason I began creating the Horses Of The World was not only so that I could learn more about horses by drawing, but also to introduce other people to some of the breeds they may not have heard of before. When I talk to people in person or at shows, they love to hear about the Quagga, or about the Heihe, or random tidbits about other breeds Iāve researched. And I love hearing people tell me things about horses that I donāt know, too! Now with my Birthstone Horses and the other series I have in the works, I get to do more research and connect with other horse lovers over gems, flowers, birthdays, and favorite colors.
Creating art also helps me to channel my anxiety and depression. Art, writing, and story-telling have always helped me work through my emotions, my worries, my dreams, my hopes, and my fears. Whatever Iām feeling, I can channel it through my art. I am a very introverted, internal-focused person, and creativity has always helped me process what Iām feeling and get it out instead of holding it inside.
Are you an artist? What role does your chosen form of art have in your life?
Have you seen my merch on Amazon yet?
Birthstone horse shirts are available on Amazon! You can get February-October’s designs on a variety of fits and colors while taking advantage of your Amazon Prime benefits! I got to see one of these shirts in person just yesterday and I am BLOWN AWAY by the quality. The print looks amazing and the shirt itself is high-quality. I definitely recommend getting a shirt for yourself or someone you know who loves horses through my Amazon shop if you want the best feeling shirt ever!
I will be adding more shirts to Amazon as I can, however, the way that this program works is different from other t-shirt storefronts I have. With Amazon, you have only so many design “slots”, and as you sell more shirts you rank up and get more slots. I am currently on the lowest level and only have 10 design slots, so I can’t put up all the months until I open up more slots. This means I have to get more people to buy shirts on Amazon! So if you know someone who would love one of these designs, please share the link with them! I need to sell 6 more shirts before I can get to the next tier, so there’s still a ways to go but I know we can do it.
