Leibster Award Ceremonial Blog!

I am beyond honored and excited that Deborah from My Examined Life nominated my fledgling blog for a Leibster Award. Especially since I realize this blog needs a little touching up! As I understand it, the Leibster Award is meant to pass on the good feels of the blogger community through nominations and fun Q&A. Here are the questions Deborah sent along:

1. Why do you blog?

 I started this blog because I wanted to keep track of my progress with riding. With the million things you have to keep in mind during your lesson, as well as the slow progress that comes with only riding once a week, I wanted to make sure I was on my game. I also plan to make this blog prettier (eventually) and get more photos of the horses I get to ride. I go to riding alone (pretty common, I bet, for an adult beginner), so there are never pictures of me riding, but that just motivates me to put myself out there and meet more riders! I also blog because I'm obsessed with riding and it's just another activity I can do to feed that obsession! And I'm excited to tap into this blogger community I did not know existed.

1. When did you get started with your horseback riding journey?

The journey began a couple years ago when I was in grad school in Rhode Island. I had always wanted to ride, but where I grew up (Boston suburbs) it was prohibitively expensive. My flexible grad school schedule led me to look up affordable riding lessons in the mornings. After the first lesson, which I prepared myself to be a one-time experience the instructor, S said, "So, is this a good time for a weekly lesson?" And that was it! I became an adult beginner. I took a little less than a year's worth of lessons with S, but I got to lease for a month which was a great experience, and I got to do one show, getting 5th in the year-end walk-trot championship! When I moved back to the Boston area, I got on a backyard horse and broke my arm. Now that I'm back to normal, I'm excited to be back to weekly lessons and ready to make some serious progress (and maybe show again?!)

1. What is the most difficult thing you find, about horseback riding?

The most difficult thing is the risk of injury. When I broke my arm, a lot of people assumed I wouldn't get back on the horse. I think because I wasn't very good yet, they assumed I hadn't invested a lot into it, and it would be easier to stop. Or maybe they thought I would be too scared to get on again. There were some minor fears due to that fall, but I think they were healthy (I was actually pretty fearless before that, so a little fear is probably safer!). I also find it difficult to justify the $240 a month that goes to these lessons! Especially when I still have student debt, a car to pay off, and my boyfriend and I are thinking about buying a house. But, I got a higher-paying job which riding in mind (really!) and am driven to be a little money-fiendish, if I'm being honest, so that I can afford this hobby in the long-term.

1. What is your favourite vacation spot/experience?

When I graduated from college, my uncle gave me a tour of Armenia, which he is very familiar with. We went all over the country with this driver who took us up mountains and down valleys. We went to an ancient monestary among tumbling hills. I loved wondering through the stone passageways and walking through the fields. It gave me an amazing sense of freedom. As I was writing the answer to this question, I thought I'd include some photos from the trip. I was amazed to see how many photos of horses I had taken! This was before I started riding, even before it occurred to that horses could be in my life at all.

A photo I took of a grazing horse in Armenian countryside.

Mama horse has to work, so baby follows close behind!

 

...And this picture I took of an Armenian cowboy (sheepboy?)

1. What is your favourite novel/book and why?

I don't read a ton of sci fi, but when I do I get really into it. I always loved Ender's Game and I recently read Ready Player One and was obesessed with it! My other favorite book is Pride and Prejudice. I just love a witty heroine.

Thanks again to Deborah for nominating me! I would love is people could suggest blogs from other beginner riders that I could nominate. I would love to start reading more blogs and connecting with more beginners!