My Bucket List

Here are my answers!

1. Gallop along the beach - Done it and LOVE it! Now that I think of it, I need to go again soon...
2. Win a blue ribbon, even if it’s for the egg and spoon race - Done it, although I was never very good at egg and spoon!
3. Enjoy an evening of equestrian theater, from major touring productions such as Cavalia to local performance troupes. - Done it! Watched the Lippizaner Stallions and numerous productions of the Pfizer Fantasia.
4. Try your hand at cattle work. Find out what it means when they say a horse is “cowy.” - Did this last year at a farm in Arizona and LOVED it! I wish there were more experiences like that closer to home!
5. Jump! From crossrails to cross-country obstacles, experience the thrill of soaring over fences. - I have jumped in the arena, but have always wanted to do cross country, even if the thought frightens me a bit!
6. Fall off and get right back on again. Conquering fear is empowering. - I have fallen 7 times in my career and have gotten back on each time except for one. It was a pretty bad fall, but knock on wood, no broken bones!
7. See the majestic white Lipizzan stallions of the Spanish Riding School. - I haven't seen them in Vienna, but would love to! I have seen the local performances by the US troops.
8. Come to a sliding stop on a well-trained reining horse. - This is the one thing that I have ALWAYS wanted to do but have never been able to. Maybe some year for Christmas I'll get a reining lesson as a present!
9. Take a lesson with your equestrian idol. - I have LOTS of idols, not sure where to start!
10. Nurse a horse through a crisis and back to full health. - Check! That's kind of the point of this whole website!
11. Experience the smooth ride of a gaited horse. - I have been on Rocky Mountain Horses, Standardbreds and Trotting Ponies before, but have always wanted to try a Tennessee Walker.
12. Watch the horses come through the Head of the Lake on cross-country day at the Rolex Three-Day Event. - Not done.
13. Have the courage to do the right thing for your horse, even when it’s not easy. - Yes, we had to put one of our school horses to sleep a few years ago. She came to us as a rescue and was just an amazing horse. I'll have to write a post about her someday...
14. Attend the Kentucky Derby dressed to the nines—including hat! - Not done, but always wanted to! Minus the hat... :-)
15. Tackle a trail accessible only by horseback and enjoy the view. - Done! Picture above!
16. Take your dream vacation on horseback. - We went to a dude ranch last year and got to work cattle, learned how to team pen, rope, etc. It was a blast! I've always wanted to go to Ireland, too.
17. Master the sitting trot. - Mastered? Probably not. But I don't think I'm all that bad at it either!
18. Ride a fine-tuned horse in your discipline of choice, be it dressage schoolmaster or barrel champ. - I have also always wanted to have a lesson on an upper level dressage horse. Looks like fun!
19. Watch polo. Even better, try your hand at it! - Not done.
20. Feed, muck, groom, ride. Repeat daily. - ALWAYS done, just not the riding part!
21. Wake up to a whinny every morning. - Either whinnies or our donkey Dominic braying right outside our bedroom window.
22. Fly down the track on a Thoroughbred. - I have always wanted to do this, but think I might be too much of a chicken to attempt it! I am not sure if we get less courageous or more intelligent as we get older. When I was younger I would have done it, no doubt about it.
23. Meet one of your favorite famous horses in person. - I met the horse from Lord of the Rings, which was pretty interesting.
24. Ride bareback, bridleless ... or both! - Yes, of course!
25. Share a bond with your horse that’s deeper than words. - I think the bonds I have had with some horses have been stronger than the bonds I've had with humans!


Have a wonderful weekend! :-)


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