As we prepare to close out 2024 and welcome in 2025 we all often take a few moments to remember the happenings of this past year. It’s a collective chapter in our lives. Maybe we added new friends or family…or lost them. Maybe we celebrated big wins…or merely hung on to get by.
JANUARY
January began with a lot of misery here at The Green Horseman. In only 2 weeks I had a terrible dentist appointment; I was due to get a crown…their mapping instrument kept acting up…then I sat for hours AFTER they drilled my tooth out while they 3d printed the crown only for the network to go down. My mouth was in agony for months after and I still can’t chew on that side of my mouth. I hit a deer…my first ever. The worst of it all was losing Reality.
Since my aim is always to look on the bright side I think there has to be some good in every month. The good thing in January was I did my first stall sign workshop with a group of local 4H students. The kids did very well and I learned a bit so I could improve.
Articles to read more: A Week That’s Lasted a Year
FEBRUARY
In February we were well into the new year of 2024. I was still sad for Reality’s absence but needed to support Nahe. He was sad and mourning and needed a friend. I discovered an amazing pair of new friends who had a retired gelding named Augie (Augustus). He arrived in February for a care lease…meaning I’d provide care while they supported his financial needs. Like Nahe, Augie is a paint…while Nahe is black on white, Augie is white on black. They are yin and yang. They get along spectacularly…both independently confident in themselves but enjoy each other’s company. I feel blessed to have found this arrangement.
We also celebrated Stanley, who has a birthday on a leap year. He was foaled February 29th, 2016…so I decided we’d have a birthday party. Stanley enjoyed special treats with his barn-mates and we had pizza and cake. He knew the fuss was for him and relished the attention. It was nice to have a bit of fun after January.
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MARCH
For the first half of the year we struggled with Stanley. His saddle was no longer cutting it…he was telling us over and over he was uncomfortable so I listened and began to work with my fitter. While we were working together we went through many severely cold days which did not allow me to ride. We spent a month treating for ulcers. Then his brother kicked him in the hock. We X-rayed to make sure and the vet found no fractures so we gave him time for the swelling to subside and FINALLY, we could try the saddle again. It seemed as though whatever we did things weren’t working out. I ultimately had to say no to the saddle after months of my fitter going above and beyond. The saddle was lovely but it simply didn’t fit me.
For St Patrick’s day I took him and his swollen leg for a walk dressed up and watched Suzanne and Tiger have a lovely ride.
I began to ride in my western for the foreseeable future until I could find a fitter with either a used saddle or a new saddle in my price range and something that fit both of us (my fitter only carried one brand and a new model was out of the question for my budget).
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APRIL
In April began to offer free photography for ENYDCTA indoor clinics. I’m always looking to improve and this was a great way to support the group while growing my skills. This month was a jumping clinic with Margie Hutchison at Larkin Hill and a dressage clinic with Jessica VanEyck at Two Sisters Farm.
In April we also lost my Uncle Tom to a horrific accident working on power lines. He was such a light of happiness and joy in our family. I thought my anger towards his company and the power company would have subsided by now but I still cannot come past it. Their negligence took him away from us and I still feel his absence. Uncle Tom helped EVERYONE. He helped us build our shed at home and was often there first thing in the morning and long after everyone else left. He’d work into darkness to help get things done. He left behind my aunt Cheryl and my baby cousin…who was to (and did) be married later in the year.
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MAY
In May the show season officially began as did my mission to get Stanley off property 2-3 times per month. In our first excursion we went to a hunter show. We didn’t tack up nor did we ride. Stanley walked around the show grounds and watched the goings on.
We were also going after ulcers on a multifaceted approach. We began their day with omeprazole, waited 30 minutes and gave sucralfate, waited 30 minutes and finally gave breakfast with misoprostol. It was expensive and tedious, but it seemed to really help.
We took the boys to a local bike trail the following week. It was a simple walking trail ride as there was plenty of other things to create a stimulus for them.
During our equine shenanigans I was able to travel to Cobleskill to work with another great 4H group. This group didn’t all have horses but we created signs for their personal use or to display at fairs with their bunnies, cows, and hens. It was a fantastic group!
At the end of May I got the opportunity to work a clinic as a paid photographer…I did photos at a local Boyd Martin clinic and the participants were able to purchase later. As a courtesy I offered everyone one free digital photo and they were able to purchase more as they wished. It wasn’t huge but it was huge to me.
We took a trip the same weekend to see some friends at a Dom Schramm clinic in Connecticut.
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JUNE
June didn’t slow down a whole lot. The first weekend we took a trip to northern Vermont and Suzanne competed at GMHA’s horse trials. The pair took home second place in a large division and TIP High Point Champion for beginner novice. This result qualified them to go to American Evening Championships in Kentucky.
The following weekend I brought Stanley to a schooling show run by ENYDCTA. We tacked up but did not enter into competition. I walked him around, and he was feeling pretty calm so I hopped on and rode around the warmup ring for a few. He was wonderful the whole time so we packed back up and returned home.
The same weekend (Monday and Tuesday) we were signed up to ride with both Tik and Sinead Maynard. On day 1 Stanley was a freak…he brought the horse I needed him to be in order to get the help we needed when he had his anxious moments. Sinead worked with me as I circled him over and over again…learning tools to help me help him cope with the stress of being separated from his brother. The following day when we arrived to the same farm he settled in immediately and was falling asleep with Tik’s groundwork clinic. He demonstrated to everyone that he was brave and capable.
We also welcomed two 8 week old kittens into our family in the beginning of June. We settled on naming them Mango and Mingus. They are fiery young boys and have been such a blessing in our home.
Towards the end of the month, I was able to attend the Beth Baumert clinic and take photos of the rides there. I always enjoy what she brings to the table. She is supportive, fair, and I appreciate her style.
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JULY
By the time we got to July I was feeling pretty good about where Stanley was in his training. We were working hard to fill in some gaps and get him out into the world again with lower pressure than we did in 2023. I signed him up for a western dressage intro test at a local schooling show. We had a little time to tack up and look around before we got on, and to my delight we warmed up incredibly well. Our test went lovely…in fact he was so relaxed he stopped to scratch himself on our half circle free walk costing us a few points on the double coefficient. We left the sandbox sitting taller as we were able to have a relaxed and productive ride. I couldn’t have been happier.
The following day we took him up to the vet clinic to have a lameness evaluation. He was ever so slightly short on the hind left…not noticeable to my amateur eye but we wanted to make sure there was nothing serious. After finding a 0degree and 1 degree palmer angle in both hind hooves we decided to continue our recent decision to place him in hind shoes to improve his heel height and hoof angle.
We took Stanley to another schooling show a couple weeks later. We rode the same test (only the one) but instead brought Tiger and other friends. Immediately after seeing Tiger we had a change in his emotional state; Stanley called out for Tiger. We warmed up and ride a decent test. We improved our score from two weeks prior by not botching our free walk but only by a small amount because we had a bit more tension and inattention. Still, I was quite happy with our progress. He was never inconsolable during this show…which tells me he has matured a lot emotionally.
For the last weekend in July we traveled south to Millbrook Horse Trials. What a place! Tiger settled into the environment like a pro. Suzanne warmed up for her dressage test alongside Buck Davidson and other incredible advanced level competitors. The pair did amazingly well and learned from the experience. An expensive refusal at a cross-country fence cost them 20 points going from 2nd to a final placing of 12th after stadium.
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AUGUST
By August I was beginning to feel the effects of summer. Heat and being busy paired with the shortening of days often puts me into a slight depression during this time of year. I was hot and exhausted. I decided NOT to travel with Stanley in August as it would be travel for the sake of travel and not for any true productive purpose. We took it as an opportunity to rest our travel muscles.
We did get two new saddles…a Black Fairfax Monoflap Jump, and a Black Fairfax Monoflap Dressage. I chose to go with all black so I’d have less tack overall to account for. It was a great decision. I began to take Stanley for “field hacks” where I opened all the gates and rode around the entirety of the property. It helped us form a stronger partnership as he can get ring sour. It also helped both of us work on terrain and on our endurance.
Instead, I rigged the barn at home with a pulley system to make the process of putting fly/shade curtains up easier. The whole system didn’t cost more than a couple hundred dollars and works decently (not foolproof but I’m happy we don’t need the ladder anymore). Currently I have my shade curtains daintily rolled up and out of the way until next summer.
I also published a new Equestrian Journal/Planner. The 2024 journal has been a tremendous help so I created this new one to continue my system. This is a newly improved DIY dates journal giving 18 months of tracking.
Mos notably in August was our journey to KENTUCKY to participate in the American Eventing Championships. While we were there we met some extraordinary people and formed new bonds. Tiger walked around the gigantic venue as if he’s always belonged there. It was a HOT HOT HOT week and we did our best to temper our moods from the sticky 100+ heat. Suzanne and Tiger were stupendous in dressage. The heat was not our friend in XC where they were eliminated due to missing jump #2. They allowed her to finish the course, and they got the experience of riding some tricky questions.
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SEPTEMBER
Taking August off from driving Stanley around ended up being the right call. After healing him up from some scrapes he got on his back in turnout (we had some in hand sessions) we were ready for our next show. Mid-September we attended a schooling show and rode not one but two tests this time. Not only was Stanley cool as a cucumber, but we achieved a 67.75 in one and 68.00 in the second test. I was so happy especially here because my trainer was there to see it and she described our rides as “harmonious.” The judge agreed. We took home two first place ribbons, a high point TIP (Thoroughbred Incentive Program) award, and a high point championship for the overall show.
The following week we took the boys out for a nice relaxing trail ride.
September was also an excellent month for our farm family. We came together to paint Suzanne’s new jump course. Everyone pitched in to help paint schooling standards and poles. I delivered her custom farm jump and finished the poles with colorful stripes.
Unbeknownst to Suzanne we were also planning an extra special surprise for her. We didn’t deliver until October 5th but I build her another special jump. I created a light up pair of wings. Her sibling painted a pair of flowerboxes. Our farm family contributed toward the cost of lumber. We added to the farm the full jump set, a gate, 4 cavaletti, tracks for the walls in our indoor arena, ground lines complete with flowers. The reveal was spectacular and a complete surprise!
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OCTOBER
The first week of October we welcomed Andrea Waldo for our first clinic at Hidden Meadow Farm (at Lucky 7 Equestrian Center). It was my first time organizing a clinic, too. Suzanne, her fiancé Nick, Nate and many others worked hard to prep the farm to welcome guests. It was magical to see it all come together and to see everyone’s smiles.
The clinic went off without a hitch, everyone arrived on time and we got started with the morning 3-hour classroom discussion. After lunch we moved into our mounted sessions. Everyone rode well and I was incredibly proud of how perfect Stanley felt. He acted like such a professional I was BEAMING. Our talented friend Malaina Rhodes did photography for everyone.
The following week we left NY in the wee hours of the morning and arrived at Fair Hill International at 7:30am. We enjoyed watching the Maryland 5 Star with amazing people, great food, and we stayed in a lovely Air BnB on the river. The competition itself was disappointing due to the low entries; the cross-country day was crushing…more than half the 5* riders retired on course or fell. The trip itself was a pleasure and I cannot complain.
At the end of the month we added another adventure for Stanley. We took the boys to Saratoga Spa State Park. We walked around the paths and trails, past people with dogs, through parking lots (including Saratoga Performing Arts Center). We crossed bridges and walked past geysers. Stanley spooked at a large boulder and I came off, landing on my feet…he made friends with it as I used the boulder for a mounting block afterward.
The day after we attended our dressage lesson and Stanley was singing a different tune. He began to hollow through his back and became incredibly tense. We tried several things but could not get him comfortable. He palpated sore along his lower back. NOT GOOD! I opted to give him some in hand sessions and time off.
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NOVEMBER
I was still figuring out the source of Stanley’s back soreness coming into November. I had to make the crushing decision to withdraw from a Beth Baumert clinic I signed up for. I was able to instead give my spot to Suzanne and Tiger. Our vet was coming the next day to do routine dental work. She didn’t find anything too concerning and agreed to a round of methocarbamol to help him relax his sore muscles. The day after dental our other vet came out for chiropractic and acupuncture (our horses are truly lucky beings, aren’t they?). Again, she agreed on our general consensus. We all agreed to muscle relaxers, time, and in hand work.
We were lucky to convince Andrea Waldo to visit our farm on a semi-regular basis (provided we have at least 5 or 6 riders per trip). On the 11th we had 7 of our boarders ride in lessons throughout the afternoon. Stanley seemed ok in his jump saddle a couple nights before so I went with our plan to lesson. We had a fantastic yet tense lesson and worked on gymnastics. Andrea helped to reassure me that we shouldn’t always coddle them…he was tense and hollow but not indicating signs of pain. As I gained his attention he softened, and we had a very productive lesson.
The weather in November was unseasonably warm. One Sunday morning I packed p the farm trailer and brough Stanley to the Saratoga Battlefield. Alone. I have dreams of taking Stanley places on our own…doing endurance rides and conquering our goals. This was a step towards that goal. We worked through initial tension and had a 90% calm ride. He only became tense after 45 minutes when we passed a pair of thoroughbreds going in the opposite direction. I got him to a turnaround point (I looked ahead and set a plan so he didn’t tie the turnaround to his behavior). He wanted to take off and catch up to the other horses, so I simply and calmy circled him every time he trotted away without me asking. Once he learned that he was allowed to go straight if he WALKED, he calmed down immediately and stayed calm the rest of the way home. Back at the trailer I had the pleasure of chatting with the couple we had passed (and nearly caught up to by the time we were done). This solo trip was a huge step towards our future, and it was a great reminder that I AM capable.
The following week we attended a clinic with the US Olympic Equestrian Team’s physical therapist. She watched as I rode and noted some imbalances in my hips. She got me on her table and worked to release some tension, taught me some movements, and got me back in the saddle. It was amazing to feel the difference! My dressage trainer noticed the difference in my hips immediately that week. Sadly, the dressage saddle once again started to cause pain in Stanley’s back only 20 minutes into our lesson. This time Krystal had noted at first he was holding his breath. He was also sweating very early in our lesson. It wasn’t a surprise this time when he began to hollow and evade the pressure. We pulled the saddle off him and I walked him bareback to get him breathing and soft again. At this point we decided not to use the saddle until it was looked at by the fitter (I had scheduled an appointment a while ago but it wasn’t until December).
November is also ENYDCTA’s annual online silent auction and Year End Awards. I decided to take on the auction this year and coordinated some fantastic items to auction off. At the end we raised over $3300 for the group…a record for the auction and something I’m incredibly proud of. At the banquet Suzanne received numerous awards for her and Tiger’s achievements in eventing. Stanley and I received some Championship prizes for our achievements in Western Dressage. It was a wonderful night with great people.
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DECEMBER
That leads us to this past month. I had my appointment with the saddle fitter. Stanley trotted around happily with his jump saddle, but as soon as I sat in the dressage he began to take short choppy strides and through his head in the air. At least we could demonstrate and recreate the problem! We tried flocking it, shimming it several different ways, and finally Jay put in a wider gullet plate. She redid his back tracings and he had filled out about 1/2″ in only 6 months. Immediately it seemed to feel better…I felt his stride open up, but he was resisting…anticipating. Five minutes in he took a big sigh and lowered his head. It seemed the wider (medium) gullet plate may have been the missing link. He didn’t seem to be hurting any longer and he was releasing his tension. Due to the cold and other reasons I have yet to ride in it again since the appointment, but it certainly helped!
While November was unseasonably warm December has been unseasonably cold. On the 16th we welcomed Andrea Waldo back for another lesson day in the indoor. With everyone more tense inside (and after having a week of snow falling off the roof) the lessons were primarily cavaletti. They were incredibly productive, and I had the pleasure of seeing some huge wins with everyone. I enjoy watching the rides as much as I enjoy riding.
Unfortunately, we lost Zac’s grandmother this month. She was a tough woman but had recently fallen a couple times and was living painfully in bed with a fractured spine and pelvis. Although we’re glad she’s no longer in pain we’re still mourning his absence.
Finally, my dad. At the beginning of 2023 he was diagnosed with esophageal cancer. We spent all spring and summer enduring a very rigorous chemo and radiation schedule. In July 2023 he had an esophagectomy in Boston at Dana Farber. By the end of the year it seemed he was doing much better. He was working again a day or so at a time…he was going to the gym. He began to regain the weight he had lost. This year at a “routine” scan they found something else…they said it was residual from the esophageal, but it was previously too small to detect until “now.” Dad spent the better half of this year once again going through chemo and immunotherapy. He most recently had five intense rounds of radiation. We are impatiently awaiting the results of his latest scan but since then he’s been admitted to the hospital to address blot clots in his legs. Please. If you are spiritual, please say a prayer for my dad. We all would greatly appreciate your support and positive thoughts toward his healing right now.
This post was inadvertently long and I didn’t even share the details of other happenings. Scattered throughout I celebrated friends, cried with friends, we had ladies’ nights, get together with family and dates for Zac and myself. I never even mentioned all the work I did as Wahbee’s Woodworking (when I wasn’t working my real job).
We have laughed and we have cried.
We have LIVED and we have LOVED.
We have gained and we have lost.
We have struggled and we have triumphed.
This year was busy. I don’t know if I can truly say it was good or bad…but it was a year. We cannot stop the passage of time, but instead of fighting it we have the opportunity to make the absolute most of what we have while we are here.
My wish for you is that you never look back on your year gone by and regret a thing. You don’t HAVE to be as busy as I was…you just deserve to live a fulfilled life with joy and no regrets. You own your life. You set the rules. You set your schedule. Don’t let anyone take your joy or your peace away from you.
Find your silver lining.
Find your tribe.
Create a place that is safe for you to be who you truly are.
There’s some cliched mantra that goes something like “Live Laugh Love…” but really…DO IT
Live
Laugh
Love
YOU define what that looks like in your life and YOU get to make that happen.
Don’t let yourself down
Now it’s your turn. Share about your 2024. If you have a post to share, post a link!
Happy New Year and may 2025 bring you new adventures and happiness
The Green Horseman 
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