Changing Trajectories

Back in the day when I got asked to ride people's hunter ponies all the time because that was my 'thing'.

Between the hellacious weather, coming down with the Stomach Flu of Doom, and finding myself doing not much else besides working and sleeping, I haven't been riding much at all over the past couple weeks. But I have been thinking about how my riding journey has gone totally rogue over the last several years.

When I graduated college over 8 years ago, even though I'd started doing some dressage at school, I still had both feet firmly planted in the hunter/jumper world. My long-term goals included eventually buying a horse, probably a Thoroughbred, and doing the hunters and equitation. I hoped one day to show in the 3' A/A hunters on some fancy thing, and was more than happy to stick to a fenced-in arena the majority of the time. After all, trail riding wasn't "real" riding, and I had training to do.

Moar hunter ponies. Being short has so many advantages.

After I graduated, I started taking lessons at a big H/J barn nearby and began showing in the jumpers, which to be honest REALLY intimidated me at first. The courses were so long, the turns were difficult, and it was a far cry from the relatively simple hunter and equitation courses I was used to. But I learned, and improved, and grew to love the jumper ring. I had moved away from the hunters, but was still very much entrenched in arena-based, USHJA-sanctioned jumping disciplines on the whole.

Along came Dino, and somehow my trajectory morphed from working towards rocking around the 3' jumpers to dabbling a bit more in dressage, to agreeing to try XC jumping, to diving into eventing, to trail riding more and longer and more intensely than I ever had before, and now, Lord have mercy, I've gone and become deeply enamored with foxhunting of all things.

The hunter princess has left the arena, and she loves it out here.

Who is this rider? I do not know her. 

My riding life has certainly changed dramatically over the last 10 years, as have my dreams, goals, and what I consider important traits in a horse. As Dino gets closer to retirement age and I start to think more about what I want my next partner to be like, I realize that the traits I value have changed quite a lot from what I thought I wanted 10 years ago!

Then, I thought I wanted a horse that ran a little hotter and had a good Go Button. Something with a fancy trot and a 10 jump. I didn't think I'd mind a horse that was a little neurotic - I could deal if it was talented enough to succeed in the hunter ring. As for a horse that could hack out alone or in a group, cross water, and navigate obstacles on the trail? Didn't matter to me! I was a "real" rider and "real" riders didn't trail ride very much. They were doing more important things, like showing.

Oh, how young and silly I was!

Young and silly and laying on the necks of fancy ponies. 

Now, having spent 6 years with the most fantastically brave and sensible pony in the world who brought me out of the arena and into a big, wide world of riding outside that I never thought I'd love, my priorities are very different.

Now, I want a pony with a good head. Sure, fancy is nice, but smart and sane are more important. I want a pony I can toss on the trailer and take anywhere to try anything. And if the pony in question is green or unsure, I want it to have the kind of mind that will allow me to teach it to be confident and obedient. I don't have time for neurotic or spooky or silly. I want steady and trainable and level-headed. I'm okay with a kick ride. I want a pony that I can trust out on the trail, in the hunt field, and on the XC course. Trail-ready is more important than show-ring-ready at this point in my life.

Though an excellent work ethic, nice movement, a good jump, and limited psychological baggage wouldn't hurt, either.

Ahhh, that's more like it! 

How have your priorities changed over the years? Are you doing something in your riding life now you never even thought you'd try?