third time's a charm

After two attempts at starting and maintaining a blog, I had a revelation: I should blog about something that I actually care about! Maybe I'm being too harsh when I say that - after all, I managed to keep my first blog (a melodramatic account of my middle-most college years) around for a solid three years and my second was meant to document the lives of two newlyweds finding their way in the world. Hardly longevity and subjects to scoff at.
Still, lately I've seen my husband's eyes start to glaze over slightly when I have yet another story of my horses' superequine feats or when I state that the thing I'm most looking forward to on a Sunday afternoon is conditioning my field boots. I see his eyes roll when the bulk of the mail is horse magazines, Dover Saddlery catalogs and flu/rhino reminders from the vet.
But I can't get enough.
I've loved horses my whole life. At the age of three, I was confidently feeding carrots to the neighbors' Quarter Horses. By age eight I had started a still-going-strong Breyer collection. Next I was galloping around my backyard on a broomstick horse, dreaming of riding in the Rolex or the Breeder's Cup. I began actively riding in 1995 at age 10. I also volunteered with the Oregon Special Olympics at their yearly Equestrian Games. When we studied persuasive writing in language arts, I used it as an opportunity to convince my parents that I was ready for a horse of my own. It worked. Mom and Dad bought me my first horse, a registered Arabian gelding named TBM Meghans Rapper, when I was 12 and he was three. A dozen years later, he's still with me and we've since teamed up with a Thoroughbred hunter named Keenan and a wonderful riding facility, Triple Rise Equestrian Center. I've been training with a great hunter/jumper instructor for the past year and I still can't believe how much I've been fortunate enough to accomplish.
I don't just dream of galloping around a course anymore. I no longer go to horse shows to watch and sigh. I'm out there living my dream. Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes the laundry doesn't get done when I'd like it to. And often I wish I'd become enamored with a less expensive sport. But this is my heart and soul. I'm so blessed to be able to feel such passion and joy for what I love. I hope you all enjoy my stories from the barn and fall in love with the horses - and the people! - as I have.