I was incredibly fortunate to get a leg up on this year’s training by taking two amazing weeks in Aiken, SC. I came home supercharged and motivated to keep the momentum up but I was also met with all the challenged and obstacles that typically compete for my attention here at home.
I decided upon coming home to give Stanley a week off to rest and recharge. In the meantime I had to return to my job…while also returning to running my business. I was getting some progress done on some big projects. In the past 5 weeks I built 24 raised gardens. I also had some jumps to build… 32 poles to paint, 3 sets of jumps to build and paint, schooling standards, cavaletti, and more.
As I mentioned earlier in the year Mapping the Road of 2026 I wrote about my mantra.
Balance Gives Me The Power To Grow
This mantra means that I am finding balance in my life. In work. Health. Business. Riding. Emotions. Relationships. It also means that sometimes things can be off balance but the whole picture can still be balanced. I spent a lot of time on rest, riding, and self…so it made sense to me to dive back into work pretty hard.
After Stanley’s week off I have been prioritizing my balance, and I’ve been committed to riding a few times each week. I’ve even made a list of my ideal show schedule for the year.
We recently had our first outing of the year (in NY). Larkin Hill Farm has been amazing by creating a schooling show series and hosting other fun events throughout the year.
We signed up for a starter combined test at Larkin Hill Farm. It was a chilly day, mid 50s, and blustery. The sand was flying out of the arena mid-test!
Stanley was amazing in South Carolina…but I didn’t expect that of him going to Larkin Hill. For one, it was chilly. Secondly, I haven’t been riding him daily like I did in Aiken.
He was a superstar. Stanley showed up as a professional. He wanted to look around but he was obedient and willing. In our dressage test we of course had our bobbles but it was the calmest he’s been while riding a dressage test off property. We ended up getting a 36.18 … not the best but still far better than we’ve done in the past.
We didn’t have any time between dressage and jumping so I changed tack briefly and popped him over a few of the warmup jumps.
We rode our jump course thoughtfully. I was happy to have had a chance to walk the course because it was fun and full of turns. We didn’t get the leads at each jump, but we had a clear round, and I had a horse who listened to everything I asked of him. He was happy, obedient, willing, and professional. I was beaming.
At the end of the day, we actually came in fourth place!
By the time of this posting, I’ll be preparing for an arena derby at the same farm.
The spring season is officially upon us, and we have our sights on some fun events this year!
What are you excited for this season?
The Green Horseman 
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