Child is doing awesome. He's been living outside all winter and doing well. The last several videos I've received from Ashley have really, really gotten me excited about how Sig is coming along, and excited for the future with him. He'll be five years old in a couple of weeks and I think his four year old year with Ashley was a very productive one. He's learned so much and moves like a totally different horse. He's much steadier in the contact, seems much more balanced and stronger, and he's still got that great natural rhythm over fences.
It's important to remember that he's still only four years old (well....soon to be five!) and right now it's just the basics. When I bought him he was so backed off the contact he didn't know how to truly go forward. Too much focus on "headset" and not enough focus on just forward from behind and straight. The few months we had together in Maryland were mostly hacking on a long rein and moving forward into the contact, and some light ring work focusing on the same. Ashley and her team took the next step in his foundation work and I'm now seeing some really lovely results.
Here's a video from yesterday with Kalena, the assistant trainer, aboard. I like this as I'm seeing more and more freedom through his shoulder and it seems like he's really starting to work from behind more. While he still needs to learn to properly stretch and take the contact down (no slack in the rein), which he's not doing yet in this video, he's learned the concept of moving freely forward, which makes me very happy to see!
From here with more time and training I think he's going to be really lovely. It makes me feel good seeing his progress. Looking at him a year and a half ago as a three year old and knowing there was something in there, but not really sure what, and now seeing it start to come out is validation. It's just hard when all you're doing is hacking for months on end to know for sure whether the potential athlete you think you saw is really in there. I've always known he had the best personality, a great work ethic, was really smart and sweet, but athletically I was still unsure. I just knew he needed time to grow and get strong, to relearn everything about moving and contact, and I needed time to chill after losing Soon. But his development over the last nine months is showing me there's a really, really cool horse waiting for me back in Kentucky and I cannot wait to get home!
Oh, and on that note...
I'M MOVING TO LEXINGTON, KENTUCKY!
I got assigned to the ROTC detachment at the University of Kentucky! For anyone who's actually been reading this blog for awhile (probably fat chance since there's like...seven of you), you might recall this post in which I outline my life plan. That was almost two years ago. And after a lot of work, a lot of convincing, and 365 days abroad in exchange for the chance to do it....it came true!!
Go after your dreams friends, and apologize for nothing.
I spent nearly two years putting this plan together, it required lots of different people and agencies to all concur, and I am so totally grateful for the opportunity. I am inspired to work with and educate young cadets about becoming Air Force officers, and I think it is a role I will embrace and really enjoy. So professionally I think it is a great move, a bit of a detour from my previous professional track, but still useful and a good opportunity. Personally, of course, this is wonderful. It puts me in Kentucky for about three years, and during that time I can decide if I want to remain in Lexington (and separate from the Air Force) or stay active duty and go on to a full 20-year USAF career. We'll see. Right now I'd say I'm about 50/50.
I'm not just excited about the horses and riding/training/showing opportunities, I have many reasons to look forward to living in the Lexington area. I'm eager to continue my violin training with UK professors/students and joining a local amateur orchestra. I'm looking forward to exploring a Masters degree through UK in their Arts Administration field, should I decide to take that path. I'm excited about playing hockey and becoming part of the Lexington hockey community. I'm excited about buying my first house!
I'm just excited about Lexington. As of today, I have only three more months left before I land at Lexington's airport and begin my Kentucky story. I'll enjoy the remaining time here in Okinawa, but I cannot wait to get to the Bluegrass and be with Kentucky's greatest son.
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| Sig and I in Kentucky, December 2017 |
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