Viva Carlos' Magical Blog Hop: What's In Your Name?

What's in a name?

I’ve been riding for as long as I can remember.  I was taking riding lessons in elementary school.  Always, I was in a western saddle and the focus was: go, steer, stop.  But, I wanted to jump! (Is this story sounding familiar, yet?)
My mom made arrangements for both of us to start lessons at a facility where my Aunt was riding – it was to be a family affair!!
I had my first English riding lesson, which just happened to be recorded!  Parts of it, anyway.  I will never forget watching it later…  As the camera follows my attempts to learn the posting trot, I finally start falling into a rhythm.  Just about the time my rhythm is turning hypnotic, you can hear my mom’s voice from off-camera say, “Look at her.  She looks like an equestrian snob!”

Well, after that, when my mom would introduce me to anyone new, it was something like, “And this is my daughter, the equine snob…”  It was really this grand joke, because no matter how snobby I might look in the saddle (my husband seems to think I have a penchant for archaic and presumptuous art forms), we all know that I’m really not any sort of snob.  Not even close.

The nickname hung around for a while, and I got my first e-mail address…  There was a 10-character limit, and variations of my name were already taken… Then, it hit me!  I officially became “equinesnob”.  When I set up my blog, that version had already been taken, so I went with the original “equestrian snob”, but I didn’t want to use that as a title.  It didn’t really fit what I wanted to share.  I had already been riding for years and years, but I had just embarked on yet another journey of learning.  You see, I have many of those journeys.  Some last longer than others, and at least one will last a lifetime.  My journey with horses really is an odyssey.  No clear destination – many side adventures – countless highs and lows…  I knew that what I started blogging about would not always be what I blogged about, so I didn’t want to have to change it later.

I used to tell certain stories about The Old Man (you know, before he grew up) over and over again.  I had always wished I had written them down, because they would have made a great book!  Well, this time, they are getting written down!

Not every ride is notable enough to have a story.  Although, I was having quite the entertaining couple of weeks recently!!  Sometimes my blog goes dark for a couple of days…  or a couple of weeks…  Sometimes between riding and work, I just can’t find time to write about the random silliness that I happen to be pondering… But the odyssey continues, and I always return with another story.

I am always honored that you come to read and share my humble journey.