Because this is what I think about at work.

So I work as an editor at a financial media company.

There have been many, many times when I've come across some financial term and thought, "Wow, that would make a good name for a horse."

Which is your favorite? (If you're curious, I've linked them to their Investopedia definitions, but I didn't want to bore those who just want to look at random horse pictures from Wikimedia Commons and fantasize about names.)

via

Silver Futures

Called Away

Depreciating Asset

via

Black Swan

Volatility Spike

Welsh Cob for  my cob-loving readers! via

Gold Bug

Dead Cat Bounce (OK, maybe this would not be the best name but it wins for strangest chart pattern)

Liability Swap

Seeking Alpha

via

Foreign Exchange

T-Note

Takeover Artist

via

Return on Investment 

Tangible Asset



What about the rest of you? Does oddly specific work terminology inspire you to think of horse names? Or am I just that nerdy?

Viva Carlos: What's in Your Name?

Because L of Viva Carlos wins at equine blogging, and because I can't get enough of this weird-ass unicorn.

Everyone has a story to tell and in blog land, most of us have stumbled upon each other mid-sentence, so to speak.  

What is the story behind your blogname/url?

I started this blog as part of a blogging class I took my final semester of college. I wanted an easy class I would have fun with, and that would hopefully keep me in the habit of writing even after I was done with school. At the time I had just started to pay for lessons again after several years of just riding on breaks from school, and it had just dawned on me that if I just told people my situation--that I was a poor college student--then they were willing to help me figure out ways to ride, or work off lessons and things like that.

The name Collegial Equestrian was sort of spurred by that gratitude for others, the collegial atmosphere of the class, and also the fact that I was involved in horse rescue through Gentle Giants and I exercised horses for a therapeutic riding center--hence "collegial" to invoke a sort of volunteer community. And what better way to become a better horseman than to come together and share our knowledge?

Truth be told, though, I sort of wish I chose something that wasn't so simultaneously dorky and ostentatious. But why fix it if it ain't broke?

For giggles I looked up my final assessment from my blogging class professor...would you give me the same grade?

Presentations, In-Class Assignments, and Blog Community-Building: 30%

You performed exceptionally well in this category. You attended class 27 times (in a 3-way tie for first in the class) and did all four of the in-class writing assignments. You got an A- (blog tracking), an A (blog roots), and a B (blog theorization) on the group presentation. You were also an exemplary citizen of the class blogging community, through comments left on other students’ blogs, posts to the class blog, participation in blog challenges, and conducting a tutorial for the class on Photoshop. You went above and beyond the call of duty and so earned an A+ in this category.

Learning Analysis: 20%

Your learning analysis essay is also exemplary of the genre. It’s a well-designed essay and an incredibly thoughtful reflection on the practical and theoretical components of the work we did throughout the semester. You never strain to make the connections between those two realms, as writers of such essays tend to do. You make them smoothly and purposefully. Excellent work. A.

Blog Building: 50%

You came into the class with a clear sense of what you wanted to do, and you set about doing it with considerable skill and discipline. You set the class record for quantity of posts and a very high standard for quality as well. Collegial Equestrian is well-written, well-designed, knowledgeable about its subject, and savvy and generous in its efforts to make connections with like-minded others. You prove well Blood’s claim that great blogging is fueled by passionate interest. You also prove that writing about oneself doesn’t have to seem self-involved or self-aggrandizing. In your case, precisely the opposite is true. You draw upon your own experiences as a way of informing and connecting with your audience. You do it very well. I look forward to seeing where you and the blog will go from here. Thanks for your hard work and your generous participation in the class. Keep riding, and keep blogging! A.

COURSE: A

Not like it's that hard to get an A in blogging class if you just do the assignments though...lol!

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Yeah, I'm way late to the Snapchat party.

KITTENS inspired by PONIES

Midnight's cooler is now Polly's quarter sheet

Big sexy tail got cleaned and Show Sheened this weekend

And something bizarre and hilarious from the barn bathroom

Viva Carlos' Magical Blog Hop: 7 Deadly Sins

This drooling unicorn cracks me up. Thanks L for such a fantastically weird logo for the blog hop! (And I mean that in the best way.) On we go!

Pride

Seven great things/strengths in your riding life

1.  Ability to figure out when things aren't working (though I don't always know the solution right away!)
2. Body awareness continues to improve (Why is my right shoulder in outer space? I don't know, but at least I know where it is)
3. Exciting new goal--foxhunting
4. I do my homework from lessons and use those exercises in my practice rides
5. I'm good at keeping calm in a crisis
6. I have a good seat
7. I am lucky to have a really fun freelance gig at HorseNation

I also want a magical white unicorn.

Envy

Seven things you lack or covet for you or your horse

1. A time turner for more hours in the day. Anyone have one that works?
2. My own saddle (that fits) but it is SOO far on the "want" end of the spectrum that it's not on my radar for a while
3. Plaid things
4. More money for less work (ha, well this is all hypothetical, right?)
5. Would like to learn about equine photography
6. Would like to live in a Florida climate but not give up the culture of DC
7. A collie to be my barn dog :) I don't have time or space for a dog though.

When we chip a jump, apparently

Wrath

Seven things that make you angry

1. Unsolicited nonsense advice
2. People who blindly worship a bad trainer (because I've been there, when I was a kid!)
3. When I have to stay late at work and can't ride on weeknights
4. Horses with bad or dangerous ground manners
5. Too many people in the arena (doesn't make me angry so much as stressed out)
6. When people backtalk the judge, the instructor, the show steward, etc...there's no need for sass!
7. When people blame the saddle for their bad position. You shouldn't need the saddle to suction you into correct position!

Sloth

Seven things you neglect to do or cut corners on 

1. Taking pictures
2. Horse shows
3. Cleaning tack in the winter. Normally I enjoy it, but in the cold...no thanks!
4. Blogging (working to fix that though!)
5. Consistently making time for the barn so I'm not on a time crunch. Hoping I can change around my work schedule though.
6. Watching and analyzing videos of other riders. I always MEAN to do this on Youtube but never do.
7. Horse laundry

Yes Beckett, you look fabulous.

Greed

Seven most expensive things you own for your horse/riding

1. The damn Passier saddle that doesn't fit and I haven't sold
2. Charles Owen helmet
3. Show jacket--bought new, so it was pretty expensive, but I've had it for...ten years at this point. Wow.
4. Ariat boots
5. Monthly lease fee
6. Stupid stock tie that really should not have cost almost $40. It's just a piece of fabric!
7. XC safety vest

Gluttony

Seven guilty pleasures or favorite items

1. Leasing a horse, and realizing this is the most comfortable option for me now
2. Barn book club from my last barn--I have not gone yet, but plan on going to the next meeting to keep in touch with my friends there
3. Blogging (at least when the going is good!)
4. Trail rides
5. Relaxing and cleaning tack
6. Getting all dressed up in my show clothes and doing stuff--whether it's a show, foxhunt, whatever
7. Pulling manes. I don't know why I enjoy this.

Lust

Seven things you love about horses and riding

1. You can always improve
2. It makes you more patient and fair
3. The style
4. Horses do silly things
5. Being able to talk to horse people and feel totally comfortable, when normally I am pretty shy
6. The smell of horses and leather
7. It's fun!

First Rides on the Polly-wog

So...Polly had not been ridden since I tried her in like...December.

And she was totally fine this weekend. :)

Now, her owner was not kidding when she said that Polly is an absolute PILL to catch, but now that I'll be getting her back into work, she's being moved to a smaller paddock. Hopefully a combination of that, treats, and being in regular work will help.

Saturday's ride:
Under saddle she was perfectly quiet and easy, if a little stiff to the right and a little "wobbly" in that she wanted to drift one way, then the other, one way, and then the other, so I had to keep "catching" her with my leg to keep her straight. I think more balance will come as she gets fit though.

I didn't even try cantering in the arena since I know that is hard for her to balance (it's a small arena). We cantered a little outside and the brakes still work, which is nice!

Sunday's ride:
I was all ready to head to the arena when I tacked up, but one of the boarders intercepted me and took me on a long hack around the farm (her cool-down, our warm-up). I saw a lot to like--even more than I realized when I tried Polly! There are two outdoor arenas, one with dressage letters and one with stadium jumps, plus an indoor and an XC field with a nice stretch alongside it for galloping. That will be fun when she's in shape and the ground is less mushy!

There was a little bit of excitement when some horses in an adjacent field started galloping. I got a little nervous about what Polly would do, but she just jigged and tossed her head...if that's the worst she's got in her when she's freaked out, I don't think we'll have any problem!

We also tested how Polly does with water crossings. No big deal.

After our hack I went back to the outdoor arena and did a bunch of walk-trot-walk transitions. Attempted canter both ways, and got it, but it's still pretty messy. I think it will be better to have just a few correct steps of canter at a time until she can really get herself balanced in the arena.

Who knows if I'll be able to ride this week with the snow. Planning on getting a rope halter to put under her bridle for lunging...my general plan is to do short lunge sessions, or stuff from 101 Dressage Exercises on weeknights since time is limited. Then on weekends we can jump, have lessons or hack out...maybe even go roading if I can tag along with other boarders!

The New Barn

If you are like me, you like to live vicariously through other horsey bloggers and see how their barns compare to yours. If you're not like that...well then why are you reading horse blogs?

This is the loooooong driveway in. I like farms that have long driveways--not only does it keep the horses well back from the road, but it gives me a chance to slow down and leave the rest of the world behind.

 

The upper barn where Polly lives has a really cool layout. There's this big storage area hub in the middle with brick walls (I guess it could also be a small arena if it was cleared out), and it has an aisleway branching off each of the four walls.

 

After my wedding venue searches, I'm pretty sure that if they wanted to, they could convert this into a place to have weddings to make some extra money! I certainly saw some that didn't look as interesting. Here's one of the aisles closer up so you can see the bricks:

 

A different aisleway, with lights on and Polly tied. I am excited just to have a horse who doesn't FREAK OUT in the crossties!

 

The saddle they're letting me use is an old, no-frills Stubben. It fits her really well but doesn't have a padded knee roll or thigh blocks. It does have a small knee block so you can sort of "set" your knee when in two-point. It needs a good cleaning and conditioning, but I like it!

Goats!!!

The indoor arena. The ceiling is kind of low, so if Polly decided to try some airs above the ground I would be in the rafters. Hopefully that won't happen!

 

The outdoor arena, since it was in the 40s today! There is also another outdoor arena with jumps in it.

Hacking around the farm

 

Awesome lake on the property (hard to see, but it is fenced off from the paddock)

And just for kicks, a picture of Beckett being his usual weird cat self. He sat like this for about 10 minutes.

Why, Beckett, why?

Want...or Need?

When I was little my mom had all kinds of little catch phrases for different situations.

Say we passed someone smoking on the street. "What happens when you smoke cigarettes, Carli?" she would ask.

"You get cancer and then you DIE," a wide-eyed little Carla would respond.

Say I was being bad. "I'm going to call 1-800-GYPSIES on you!" she would say.

"NOOOOOO!" I would say.
(side story: When I went to Madrid, a Roma woman chased me on the street trying to get me to buy something, and kept yelling, "NO TENGAS MIEDO DE LA GITANA!!!" at me. By that point I had gotten over my gypsy fear though.)

And whenever I saw some amazing thing on TV that I NEEEEEEEEEDED MOM PLEEEEEEAAAAAASE, she would say, "Well do you need  it or do you want it?"

In hindsight most of these catchphrases were pretty bizarre,  but the last one definitely stuck, and since  Little Bay Horse  brought up the topic, I thought I would get up on my soapbox about needs vs. wants in the horse world too. Not that I'm qualified to do so, but hey, that's what is so great about blogging.

Also I am home sick and Dr. Gato has recommended I lift my spirits by reading or writing

Of course, unless you rely on horses for your livelihood, they are always going to be more of a want rather than a need. But once you give in to the "want" of having a horse, all of a sudden so many "needs" start piling up. Shoes, vet, shelter, feed, tack that fits. These are pretty basic things I think anyone would agree are "needs" (at least for a horse who is rideable). But what about other things? Supportive boots? Supplements? Lessons? Shows? What divides a need from a want, when objectively they're all really wants when it comes to horses?

Although I love horses, I do see it as a hobby, not an all-consuming force that takes over my life. Through trial and error I've realized I don't really want to ride 4-5 days a week, or train up a completely green horse, or even have a set schedule of hacking Mondays, dressage on Tuesdays, jumping Wednesdays,  etc...I just do what's fun for me on that particular day, and what I can afford. Even as a kid, it sort of baffled me that some of the girls at my barn were showing at rated shows practically every weekend. When it comes to special wants like shows and clinics, I think that they need to be just an occasional thing so you have some time to look forward to them! (Don't get me wrong, though--I was WAY jealous of those girls.)

And today as an adult, I kind of scratch my head when I see people struggling to make ends meet for themselves, but they have a $2000+ saddle, brand-name everything, and board at a super-expensive barn. It's like, don't they know life would be SO much easier if some of those costs (and in some cases, debts) were reduced?

I'm not trying to point at anyone in particular, since I've seen so many people this applies to, and I'm not trying to say you shouldn't ride if you have limited means. There are lots of ways to ride for free, or to work off some of the costs! However, I do think it is so tempting to justify crazy spending just because your horse is your baby and you want to take the best possible care of him. There is an article on a sort of related topic on Horse Nation today--and although it is blasphemy to say it in equine bloggerland, I do think it is possible to love your horse too much if it's at the expense of the rest of your life!

I know from experience that it's not fun to have to say no to going out for lunch with barn buddies because you have perfectly good groceries at home, or to skip the XC schooling day along with all of the hauling, coaching and other fees. But it's also not fun to subsist on peanut butter sandwiches, and only drive to absolutely necessary places because you bought a saddle on a whim and literally have no money until your next paycheck!

Anyway, to avoid ending on a  know-it-all note, I thought I'd make a list of some of my top horsey wants right now:

Joules everything. I don't own anything by Joules, but I drool over everything by them in the Dover and Smartpak catalogs every time they arrive! Their clothes are the perfect mix of preppy and weird. And so springy!

I like all these patterns, so why not wear them all at once? Oh yeah, because it's a $90 polo.

Straightforward stripes on the outside, party on the inside.

Fuzzy Mountain Horse boots! Well, now winter is HOPEFULLY over (though there might be snow on the ground for my birthday next week, which has never happened in my entire life). I would totally pick these up if I found a really good deal used...but I just can't see the sense in buying them full price when ridiculously cold winters like we just had are the exception rather than the rule in MD.

If the dog was included I'd pay full price.

A Melton coat for hunting: Now if the whole thing with Polly works out as planned, and I end up hunting during the formal season, this creeps closer to a "need" on the spectrum. Of course those are a lot of "if"s, so when I meet with her owner, I'm going to ask if it's something I should shop around for in the meantime...or ask Byron to shop around for me as a birthday gift :)

A cubbing jacket for hunting, and 10,000 patterned stocks: You may have gathered from the Joules stuff above that I like pattens...the more the better. Tweed cubbing jackets and patterned stock ties simply enable my love of matching different patterns together. Some call that mismatching, but where's the fun in that?

 What are your horsey wants?