LoveFest

I know I gush about Frankie on the regular, but we haven’t had a dedicated gush session in a while.

So strap in, because I need to talk for a while about just how much I adore this horse.

Of course I always adore him, but it just hit me super hard in my last lesson. We weren’t doing anything crazy, the jumps weren’t huge and the courses were simple. It was one of those lessons where we went back to basics and focused on precision.

But for whatever reason, it struck me so hard that I really do have the horse of my dreams.

Whether it’s because we’ve trained him to perform exactly how I like, or because I’ve adjusted my own riding to his style of going, or (likely) a little bit of both, he’s my favorite horse that I’ve ever ridden in my entire life. By a long shot.

He wishes I loved riding him less so he didn’t have to do weird crap like this, but he deals with it.

He’s the perfect mix of steady and fiery. His version of spooking is taking a deep breath and blinking twice, and will happily toodle on a loose rein forever and ever. But if I put some leg on and take a feel, he will turn and burn and jump the moon.

He’s so wonderfully athletic. Everything I’ve ever asked of him, he has been able to do without difficulty. As he’s learned how to use his body over jumps and we’ve developed our flatwork, the jumps have gone up and the turns have gotten tighter and he’s met it all with the same happy attitude.

catsjump — He’s just so darn HAPPY all the time

He doesn’t hold grudges. I mess up all. The. Time. And he bails me out without hesitating. I have no doubt I would be eating a lot more dirt on any other steed, but Francis keeps trucking and lets me go back and try again without a fuss. And then he turns around to look at me and demand ear rubs for being so good.

He’s got so much personality. I swear, he’s like a little boy. He just wants to know what’s going on, and get attention, and poke his nose where it doesn’t belong, and pretend he didn’t hear you when you told him not to eat the crop. He loves to play and I can spend hours with him without getting bored.

jtc_sun_home — He loves booping his snoot against me for snuggles

When I got him, I was hoping for a horse that could safely take me around a 1.10m course. What he’s given me is so so so much more than that. I’ve never had to say no to something because I thought my horse couldn’t or wouldn’t do it. He gives me the confidence to say yes to everything because I have the best partner in the world.

Championship rounds at 1.15m? No sweat, and let’s throw in some inside turns just ’cause. Cross country schooling? Happily, on a loose rein. Go into the equitation ring? Let’s go win the class. Toodle in a halter? Best day ever. Work on lateral movements I never even heard of ’til recently? Mahm it’s like this. Chill in his stall? We can trade scritches alllll day long.

cn_fri_nap — Also sometimes he wishes I would leave him alone to nap in peace but TOO BAD BUDDY LET ME LOVE YOU

He’s been my pony for just over 570 days and I keep waiting to be chiller about having a horse. Like, maybe one day I’ll wake up and this will be totally normal and whatever it’s all cool I just have this incredible animal that I get to take care of and ride no big deal at all. Except clearly I have NO chill and keep getting MORE excited about it because HOLY CRAP THIS HORSE IS AMAZING.

I feel like all I ever talk about is how much I love my horse, but I can’t help it. He’s everything I could ever want and more- and he just keeps getting better. Every time I think we’ve hit a peak, he goes out there and shows me that he’s got more to give.

My trainer jokes that if she hears me say “OMG I LOVE MY HORSE” less than 4 times in a lesson, she knows that something is terribly wrong. Can you blame me?? He’s the total package, and good looking to boot.

I’ll shut up for now. I just need y’all to know how much I love this big, goofy, wonderful creature.