Hobby Horse Blog Hop - Week 21: Those Things We Do

This has been an incredibly busy week. In fact... it's hard to believe a week has gone by - it flew by so fast that I didn't see it!

Let's settle for a minute, and chat with each other. 

I hope you can join in on the Blog Hop.

In case you are new... or as a reminder:

Each week I post two or three prompts. 

Write about one or respond to all.

Or, just link your blog to mine if you

care to share something else about yourself.

Most importantly,

complete your blog post (or comment) by asking a question of us.

I am really enjoying answering your questions,

and look forward to seeing other responses, too.

I think it's a great way to have a conversation of sorts!

Link your post to the Hobby Horse Blog Hop

by using the Linky Tool below.

Click where indicated, just after it says

"You are next...."

Or...

Leave a comment with the answer(s) to the

questions(s) on my blog, down below.

Visit other participating blogs on the list

and respond to their questions in your comments on their pages.

Hobby Horse Blog Hop Prompts - Week 21:

1. When things get busy for you, what/who takes priority? How do you juggle everything?

2. We have been Hobby Horsing for 20 weeks... but I still don't know some things about you. Do you have a hobby and, if so, tell us about it.

3. What practice(s) with horses, or other domestic animals, rubs you the wrong way?

My answers:

1. Who or what takes priority during busy times? What an interesting question! When my kids were in residence I would say their needs were top priority. They are off, enjoying their independence, so now my next priority would probably have to be our pets. After all, they are pretty much helpless. I would say that I am usually on the short end of the stick, oh, and my poor Hubby ends up having to fend for himself, too. When life gets 'crazy busy' I manage by prioritizing. Doing things around the house gets put on hold. I also try to 'kill two birds with one stone'. If I know I have an appointment or errand on one side of town, I'll save other errands in that area for the same time.


2. I enjoy crafts. Sadly, my basement is a mess and my craft things were dumped there and haven't been unpacked - I don't have a place to unpack them! I think that might be our next project! I have been known to crochet and knit. I make greeting cards. I have worked with stained glass and mosaics. And now, I'm doing some rug hooking. I also enjoy gardening... is that a hobby?!


3. It irks me to see horses subjected to anything that makes them move or hold parts of their body in an unnatural way. I guess my early exposure to Black Beauty and the descriptions of the check-rein have left a lasting influence! Last week at therapeutic riding the instructor put side reins on one of the horses because, "they take her mind off of the rider and side walkers because she is focusing on her head." Yeah, she was right. The horse wasn't paying much attention to the folks behind her shoulders because she was miserable. She mouthed the bit the entire time. It seemed very aggravating to her. And... even with the side reins, or perhaps because of them, she misbehaved. I'm not sure what set her off, but she suddenly lunged backwards. The rider had to be taken off quickly. A few weeks ago we went to a Morgan horse show. We walked through the barns and it almost made me sick to see these beautiful animals in tail-sets. Many of the horses were walked around with chains around their pasterns to make them step higher. Their feet were very long and had additional wedges applied to change their way of going. I cringed just thinking of the potential damage to small bones in their feet.

Despite my disquiet over the practices in the barn that may put 'beauty' over comfort (but heck, don't people do the same thing to themselves?!) I couldn't get over watching, in awe, as this little tyke trotted around the warm-up arena on a very forward moving Morgan.


Now it's your turn. Link up!