Going Crazy!

"If today's the day I die
Lay me down under the lights
Let me fall in love
Let me save a life

And let me lose my voice
Singing all my favorite songs
Let me stare up at the stars
'Cause it's where we all belong"

Living Louder by The Cab

So I know its been forever since I've written, but to be honest there hasn't been much to write. Last time I blogged it was after Chatt Hills when Mystic and I had our accident. It turns out, in our accident, Mystic got hurt, and I haven't consecutively ridden since. Its been driving me crazy. I've spent the last two months trying to figure out what is wrong with my horse and today I finally got a solid answer. If you go back and look in the picture I posted with my last blog, you will see that her hind left boot fell down when she tripped. Since then she has been lame on that foot. When I first took her to the vet we started with a week of stall rest and my doctor drained the fluid out of the fetlock. After a week I got back on her and she was still lame. Then she got a month off and I went on vacation with my aunt and cousin. When I got back and tried again she was still lame. At this point, it had been like six weeks since I had ridden more than once every couple of weeks. We finally just got her back to the vet and she hadn't improved much. One lameness level is all our vet said. She has a tear in her deep digital flexor tendon. We decided to start shock wave therapy. She got her first one today and will go back two more times over the next month. All we can hope is that it works and she can to back to full work. Hopefully, but honestly, we don't know.

Meanwhile, I'm going absolutely bonkers. The last time I didn't ride for like two months was when I had my concussion my freshmen year and was bed ridden most of my time off. For Area V camp, when I was a counselor, I was eternally grateful to Jenna and Martin who allowed me to take one of their five year olds, Bacarro, to see if he had a knack for jumping. That was fun. He's a cool little horse.    Then I went on vacation and that was great. I love my job and my ponies, but lets face it, I'm a workaholic and needed a break. 

Martin had to travel to Albuquerque for a show with one of the younger Concordia Dressage students last week, so I went out to their place to help Jenna hold down the fort. It was the first time I had ridden since camp and I came home a hell of a lot happier. It was so good to be back riding and I wasn't just riding one horse but fluctuated from like 3 to 5 a day. I cannot express how grateful I am to Martin and Jenna for letting me come out again and help her ride horses. I had been in a really weird mood since like the third week into Mystic's stall rest. Not to sound like a corny, dramatic teenager, because I'm not, but when I found out Mystic was hurt, I literally had no idea what to do with my life. Some people don't get it, but some do. To some people, horses are just a stupid hobby that I'll grow out of by the time I hit college, but it's not. This is my life, and the one horse that I could ride was down. I didn't have another one. This is a time where I really wish Prince was three. I feel unproductive when I'm not out at the barn, and feel like people are going to judge me for being out there as long as I usually am. I would try to find little things to do out there to keep me out with the horses longer. Lets just say my barn is REALLY clean. I don't like sitting down so you know when I go through 8 books in two weeks that there is probably something wrong. I read fast, yeah, but usually I'm working most the day and will open my book at night. 

Within these two months, I began working on college because well I'm me; a crazy, nerd who loves school. Also with not riding, I realized I wanted to be on a collegiate equestrian team. So I've began to start that process. I began to pin point what I wanted to major in as well. I always knew I wanted to help people through riding as it's always helped me, but I wasn't sure which part I wanted to work with. So I decided on Psychology. I've always like knowing how people think and work and how the different mental challenges form. Also maybe a double major or minor in physical or occupational therapy for the physical side? I'm not sure yet, but I want to do equine assisted therapy. I know if I didn't have my horses, my personality would be a little different and I would probably struggle a little bit more on the physical side of things with my eye. I finally sucked it up and got my permit, so as I'm learning to drive, I'm starting to realize it probably would be hard had I not had my riding. Now, I know people along the way are going to be like, you wont make any money. And it's just like first of all, I've done my research and I can, plus I want to teach people how to ride whether they have a challenge or not, and second of all, who bloody cares? Isn't helping people enough? I like it. Simple as that. But needless to say, I've found solace in starting college stuff. Fingers crossed someone wants me on their riding team. 

On a brighter, awesome note, I was asked to be on the July cover of Horseback Magazine and be their cover story. That was super cool even though I was a blubbering idiot in the interview because I was so nervous. I'll post a link to the online magazine at the end and I'm sure if you go into a feed store you'll find it there because I've been told it sells in like 55 countries. (Insert where Gaby goes and hides in a corner.) And it's not like I'm not grateful for it because I am and I like telling my story. I want people to know I'm not any different than any other rider. Well I am kinda different, but you know what I mean. My love and motives are the same. I do horses because I love it and being blind in one eye doesn't and shouldn't make me any more different that the average rider. I'm just, for lack of a better word, special and have to work a little harder and I'm okay with that. But, yeah, Gaby in the spot light is a cowering Gaby so this was a little different for me. 

So obviously, with Mystic being down, our August plans are off the table as well is AECs as we qualified for Prelim Horse, but to be honest, most of our fall season is out. So I'm putting a help me I'm going crazy call out. Anyone got a pony?? No seriously. If someone needs me to ride a horse, I'm looking something I can lease and or train so if anyone knows of something please let me know! I would be forever grateful. :) I'm gonna wrap this one up, but I'll make sure to keep everyone updated on Mystic's progress. Thanks for everyones support, you guys have no idea how much it means to me. Until next time guys! 

Horseback Magazine