MOVING TO THE UNITED KINGDOM!! And Sig Update

 This is not a drill...we're moving to England!!  Yes..."we!"

I got the call just before Christmas.  I had no idea it was coming and it was a total surprise for lots of reasons!  I wasn't supposed to be up for a new assignment this summer.  I was originally supposed to be here in Kentucky until the summer of 2022, but for some reason the Air Force decided I should move this summer instead.  I was happy to be offered a fantastic and competitive position.  After a very short period of consideration, I accepted and the details are being worked out now.

I have been trying to get to the UK for 11 years now.  Once I got back into horse ownership, I wrote off any long tours (two or more years) overseas because I figured I could not afford to bring my horse with me.  And not that I can totally afford it now, but I have the cash now if I had to pay for it up front, and I have to sell my (extremely beautiful, perfect, total dream) truck before I leave for some substantial money anyway.  So...I am planning on Sig coming to England too.

At least that's the plan right now.

I only hesitated briefly on accepting the position because I had no idea what this meant for Sig and I.  But it's the perfect position for my career development, it's a welcome early "out" from a very unhappy professional experience here, and it's in a place I've wanted to live for many years.  I had to say yes for the sake of my career, and I figured I'd figure the horse piece out in the months to come.

I initially wanted to book Sig's flight immediately, but then doubted myself and what was "right" in this situation.  I wrestled for the last couple of weeks with leaving Sig home (lease?  Sell?  Leave in training?) and buying a young warmblood over in the UK.  I think that 17-year old side of me that still dreams of being in the Big Eq and jumping the 1.30s tried to convince myself that this was my one and only shot to get an outstanding prospect in Europe that I could never otherwise afford here in States.  And I started to feel sad about Sig and what would happen.

But just in the last couple of days I've found my decision is for him to come with me.  I am so, so looking forward to this adventure with my best boy!  What fun it is to think about hacking out in the English countryside, the rolling green fields and forests, and enjoying the total life adventure that is having my horse in a foreign country with me.  I had a horrible first day back at work a couple weeks ago where I actually was in bed crying myself to sleep, and it was the thought of escaping to the UK with Sig that actually settled me down somewhere around 1am.  And that's not the reason I decided on taking him, but it was a first sign that it was the right decision.

Sig has grown up immensely over the last year, especially since August or so.  He's mentally and physically matured so much, and become an absolute dream to be around and ride.  He is getting so much stronger on the flat, and his lateral work (shoulder-in, travers, leg yields, turn on the forehand/turn on the haunch, walk pirouettes, etc) are getting very reliable and confident.  Over fences he's been remarkably consistent and soft, tackling more technical questions and more height/filler with ease and bravery.  He's his usual cuddly, lovey self on the ground and has grown a lot of confidence through groundwork.

I don't have recent flat footage, but now he's giving me the type of push and suspension I felt in these videos from this past summer.  Out in the field he has to push a bit more due to the higher grass and slight elevation, which he can now offer in the ring.  I mean he's no Valegro, but for a polo pony: he fancy. 😎

And as if he knew I was unsure of the future, his last couple weeks especially he's been just nothing short of SPECTACULAR.  We had a dressage boot camp and two weeks off jumping (staff quarantine), where he really started to feel super on the flat.  His jump schools have been his usual consistency and overall he just seems so mature.  We've had some extra time too the last few weeks to spend time and I think that helped too.  This is me anthropomorphizing of course, but it does feel that he's making his case for us to stick together. 

He also gave me not one, but TWO flying changes in yesterday's jump school.  I've not been schooling those of late (to avoid confusion and dramatics) and have instead focused on the building blocks: counter canter, canter loops with simple changes through the walk, haunches-in at the trot and canter, etc.  I went to transition to do a simple change on course through the trot, but he swapped clean to the correct lead instead!  Total surprise.  Shortly after he again swapped to the correct lead, this time cross cantering for a few steps, but I applied the outside aids and he stepped under with the correct hind very smoothly.  I was totally thrilled.  He jumped great too, but it was the changes that had me smiling ear to ear.  He's trying!  We'll continue our building blocks and make slow progress toward consistent flying swaps.  I'm not rushing this as our current approach seems to be working.

We have both been working so hard the last 18 months, and that progress is really apparent in the last couple of months.  I've received so many compliments lately from our barnmates that I swell with pride every time someone mentions how good he's looking, how well he's going, how lovely he is to watch jump around, and how far we've come together.  He's starting to get push-button and very educated.  I am starting to see the horse that I had hoped he'd become when I looked at him as a three year old.  

And what a horse he is.

On top of all that, he still hacks out on the buckle, loves to just snuggle with his person, and is one of the absolute sweetest, kindest horses I've ever met.  He has a huge personality and is just plain fun to be around.  That's what I want with me in England.  What better way to settle in and enjoy a new country than with my best friend?

The tentative plan right now is for me to move and for him to stay in training with Ashley while I get settled in the UK (quarantine, work turnover, house hunting, etc).  Once I'm in a good place and have a chance to make sure this will work, he can come over.  I've had some wonderful horse friends help me get some education on the export process/flying.  I already have a deposit at a local yard (Anvil Park Stud), and have a town I'm looking at living in that is convenient to both the yard and the RAF base.  That all fell together quite nicely.  I think he'll love the yard, they have amazing facilities and seem really lovely and extremely horse friendly (and big on turnout, which is my biggest priority). 

If course the plan could change once I get over there, or even between now and when I leave, but after considering all the possible options and guilting myself into thinking I should sell and buy in Europe, I feel at peace with the notion of bringing Sig with me.  I'd be spending more than he's probably worth in the round trip, but it's worth it.  I have a horse now that I love riding, I love spending time with, has the athletic potential for what I'm realistically going to need, and a personality I adore.  

What a marvelous new adventure!