Generally, I don’t write reflective end of the year posts, and this year is one that I’m glad to see the backside of… however, in the spirit of the season, I’ll post some thoughts on 2010:
My biggest insight with the horses came when I was working Z with the neckrope. The Mirror Exercise is one I need to do more with and I know there is a video still awaiting to be published on it.
The biggest influence in books came from Gallop to Freedom by Pignon of Cavalia. Again a surprise because I was expecting it to be a coffee book, fluff piece but it really grabbed my heart and shook me up.
The biggest personal change in my life was deciding to go back to school and start working towards being a certified Vet Tech. I have a B.A. in journalism but have no more interest in continuining in that field (yes, I have been a news reporter and worked in public relations – for reasons not important to this blog, I want to go a different direction at this time in my life).
Probably the biggest benefit of going back to school is meeting people and getting interested in something outside of family and home. I have a tendency towards clinical depression and 2010 was quite a struggle in that area but attending school has helped me by pulling myself out of myself. Even though it did turn out to be harder then I thought at the time of signing up.
The biggest worry all year long was Big Guy. His series of accidents put him underweight going into the fall and I officially retired him. I struggled with that decision all year long – a year compounded with multiple injuries to him by Lady Z, on and off again lameness, and simply just not the horse I want to be riding right now. I’ve come to the conclusion that this is definitely the right decision for him.
I also contemplated moving him into a retirement home but could never find anything that cost-wise would have worked.
Horse Ideology 