Viva Carlos Blog Hop: Why Do You Continue to Ride?

 I don't always enter Viva Carlos blog hops, but this week's question really stuck out to me so I decided to write a post about it. L wrote, "Some of us are sidelined due to physical conditions, horse injuries, finances, or even lack of a equid to throw a leg over. Why do you continue to ride?

From Viva Carlos

 As many of you know, I don't have a horse of my own, which makes it hard to progress quickly and ride more than once a week. However, in spite of that, I do not give up on this sport and I continue to ride. Why? Because I can't imagine anything better. Horses are my passion. I love riding and just being around horses more than I like to do anything else, which is something only equestrians can understand. Although this sport is anything but easy all the time, I take the good with the bad and continue to ride because we love doing it. Horses seem to make my life whole, and now that I do ride I can hardly imagine life without them. My favorite horse quote perfectly describes why I ride. You've probably heard it before, but I will share it anyways.

From Pinterest,

   "I ride to fly, to feel, to touch to breathe, to laugh, to soar, to overcome, to relax, to prove them wrong, to belong, to feel strong, to heal, to love and be loved back, to communicate without words. I ride to live." -unknown

Thank you for hosting, L. 

Hunter Princess Hop: Expand Your Inner Hunter Princess

 To finish off the Hunter Princess Hop, Lauren at She Moved to Texas has asked us this: What would you do/change if you had no limits on your inner hunter princess? No limits means no limits!

Though I am not actually a hunter/jumper princess, I am one at heart. The main thing I would change is the fact that I am currently horseless. I would want a horse I could train to jump and would go to lots of shows throughout California with him. He may not be able to competitively show at A-Circuit shows, such as the Washington International Horse Show, but he would be a horse I could compete with in shows higher than schooling level. When not showing, we would school over jumps in an arena or go for hacks across the countryside. Sometimes, we would go to clinics with big-name trainers, especially ones that know a lot about jumping. 

 My show attire would be a navy blue coat, a white shirt, and tan breeches, with one of those nice felted black helmets. My horse would have a saddle pad and cooler with his name on it. Oh, and I would be able to successfully put those hunt braids in his mane without hair escaping from the braid(wouldn't that be nice?).

This. I want to do this. credit

What I just described is the hunter princess fantasy I live out in my daydreams. Let us know about your hunter princesses!