The First of a Long Series of Posts

Well, hello there :) I thought I'd introduce myself properly. My name is Aoife, I'm a teenager living in Ireland, and I set up this blog to save my mother from the boredom that she inevitably feels (and kindly disguises) any time I start to passionately discuss any equine issues I find important but have absolutely no relevance to her in any way. This blog is dedicated to sharing my horsey opinions, observations, and rants, and hearing those of others in the equestrian community.

     I have been riding horses for seven and a half years, and have been working with one very special horsey in particular for nearly eleven months, but I'll elaborate on that in another post. Living in suburbia, it has been tough to cater for my hunger for horses, especially as my parents aren't particularly horsey or wealthy, though they are very supportive of my riding. But we have devised some ingenious ways of dealing with this.

     Firstly, I have been taking lessons for donkeys' years in a great equestrian centre where I have learned the basics of horsemanship and equitation. I absolutely love it. The ponies are quirky, the people are fun, the atmosphere is positive, and I am thankful for every lesson I have taken there. Without them, I wouldn't be an equestrian, I would be... a hopeless wreck of a rider.

     Secondly, my parents have been amazing. They have done what they can to make my equine experiences pleasurable and plentiful. They're the ones who cart me to lessons every Saturday, take me to as many events - Dublin Horse Show, countless race meets, and a few shows amongst them - as possible, while maintaining a balance. I adore my parents. I obviously wouldn't be alive without them, but that aside, if I had different parents, my equestrian life would be frought with a lot more hardship.  They are neither pushy nor lazy, and it's them I have to thank for everything.

     Finally, a little beastie (by which I mean 16hh Thoroughbred) has been my anchor over the past 11 months.  I say anchor instead of rock because rocks don't do much.  They're just there.  I say anchor because without Sunny Side Up, I would be floating along, untethered, unhappy, uninterested.  He always puts a smile on my face, and any time I see him, whether he's been a star, or refused a million times, I feel a strong, happy, comfortable bond, and know everything is better in his big, ginger presence.  He has done wonders for my riding, my confidence, my general horsemanship, and, above all, my happiness.  Words cannot express how much this horse means to me, and nothing could stop me loving him.

     I hope I haven't bored you to death, dear reader, but this has been an informative introduction into my litle world :)