Hobby Horse Blog Hop - Week One

Hay, thanks for stopping by! I hope you have the time to participate in this new blog hop I'm starting. I think it will be great fun to get to know more horse lovers and to learn from each other.

The Hobby Horse Blog Hop is for bloggers who:

• love horses, whether they have one now, had one at one point in their lives or just enjoy seeing them.
• cantered plastic horses around their bedroom floor,  jumping over shoes and trotting over pencil cavaletti. 
• have taken a riding lesson, or never taken a riding lesson, or wish to take a lesson.
• dream of owning their own horse, or have their own horse.
• put a pony on their Christmas list every year as a child.
• read every horse story in the school library as a kid!

What experiences and memories do you have to share? 

Each week I'll post two or three prompts. 

Choose one, two, or respond to all.
You can respond in comments or 

create a post on your blog and link to it.
Complete your post by asking a question for Blogger friends to answer.
And, who knows, maybe your question will become a prompt some other week.

Put the Hobby Horse Blog Hop image on your post
and create a link back to this post.

Link your post to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop

by using the Linky Tool below.
(If you link your blog and not your actual post
readers might not connect to your responses.)

Visit other participating blogs on the list

and respond to their questions or leave a comment.

Let's have some fun!

Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 1:

1. Tell us about your first horse, real or imagined. 
2. What lesson(s) did you learn from a horse?
3. What riding discipline intrigues you the most?

Here are my responses:

1. My first horse was somewhere between real and imagined. My first horse was my barrel horse! I wrote about her here. At the time my barrel horse was created I was taking my first lessons and learning the basics of English riding, which is why I had jodhpurs, boots, a helmet and crop in the picture.

2. My first 'real' horse taught me a very important lesson about having a horse vetted thoroughly before making a purchase, or at minimum, having someone who is very knowledgeable go along with you to try the horse and assess its soundness, health and way of going. When I outgrew a friend's horse I began looking for a horse of my own. I bought a sweet little grey. He was a bold jumper. In fact, when I went to try him they showed me how easily he jumped 4'. I used 'Socky' for Pony Club, a few fox hunts and a few beginner's level three day events. He was a great first horse. He had a willing attitude and we traveled many a trail together. Sadly, Socky developed navicular disease. It became apparent that he would no longer be able to withstand the stress of the type of riding I was doing. Future horse purchases would be conducted only after X-rays and a veterinarian evaluation. (.... and then I bought the Haffies... no vet check, no X-rays. I went against everything I have always thought was important!! But, knock on wood, they have been pretty healthy, happy and sound!)

3. I am fascinated by vaulting. I admire the horse used for this sport, who holds himself to a specific gait until told to do otherwise. I admire the vaulters who lightly leap onto the backs of the horse as the horse calmly canters around the arena. Oh, my, it looks like such great fun!

My Question: What barn chore do you enjoy (or do you think you'd enjoy) doing the most?

Here's where you link to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop: