Meghan A

Moj and I were able to get off property yesterday to have some fun with the group! Moj started out with a bit of trailer loading anxiety but on the load back he loaded in under a minute super chill! Everyone else was getting in some xc practice which meant Moj had to practice a lot of patience walking and halting before we got to the dressage rings.
Once we got to the arena, Moj put in some beautiful work with trot & canter half passes, changes, and some intro work on the canter pirouettes. Then we kept walking around with everyone and when we got to the water (Mojo’s arch nemesis of last year) he literally pricked his ears and walked right in! And then he kept taking me into the water over and over again just because he wanted to.
All in all it was a great day and I continue to be beyond proud of this horse and more and more excited for showing next year! 💜

Had an amazing lesson on Moj the other day with the always wonderful ☺️
I’ve been trying to be really committed to getting consistent ride time in the saddle as our last little fitness push before winter hits and Moj has been responding with such enthusiasm. Yesterday involved some pole work that built on what we did last week as well as focusing on the canter half passes and changes. Moj was freaking fantastic and ended with a solid half pass right to a beautiful high action, clean change (both our harder direction).

So excited to solidify our 3rd level work and introduce/finesse the 4th level movements this fall so hopefully we can come out the gate next year ready to have a blast showing and getting those scores!!

Holy Moly Mojo 😍

Few screenshots from our lesson with the other day! We’ve started introducing the half steps to help Moj have a different cue in his arsenal to help distinguish when I am asking for a true collected walk and remove his tendency to get tense and jig. In true Mojo fashion, he picked it up almost immediately and while it will take a lot of time to develop the strength needed for the suspension and sitting, he was so happy and willing to try and figure it out! It helps so much to have a trainer on the ground who understands how to develop a horse like Moj and who understands that, for him, sometimes we have to teach the advanced things to simplify the fundamentals. Cannot get over how genuinely willing Moj is now to do all the dressage things, it truly makes my heart happy 💜💜

So very happy with how Moj is doing lately. He’s picking right back up where we left off and is genuinely enjoying doing all the dressage-y things and I’m really enjoying it as well!
He’s maturing into such a wonderful, reliable guy and I’m cherishing every single second with him 🫶🏼

“To look into the eye of a horse is to see a reflection of yourself that you might’ve forgotten.” 💕

Added some bridleless fun back into our riding work today! Moj was perfect of course ☺️
It’s so nice to be able to pretty much jump right back to the basics of everything we were doing last year even after such an extended break. Just focusing on getting that fitness level back up!

Convinced that Mojo’s smile is contagious because how can you not smile at this ☺️☺️

So incredibly, insanely proud of Moji the other day. The whole farm moved to a new property and he had to load in a tighter slant load, step up trailer at night - something he hasn’t had to do since a very traumatic experience a few years ago. We were actually moving to come to Chelsea’s property and he required 1.8 dorm, 1.5 hours, and three people to get him loaded on a similar trailer. Chelsea has done an AMAZING job working him through his trailer trauma and helping me understand his process, all which showed last night. In less then 15 minutes he stepped up into the trailer but what impressed me the most was how calm and thoughtful he was throughout the whole process. There was no moment where he said a definitive no and at no point was he stressed. It was such a small thing but such a big moment to see him continue to overcome past traumas and trust in me and in himself. I could not be prouder of this horse or more thankful for / for helping us rebuild our trust in each other. Moj is many things, but above all he is a horse that has reflected everything about myself while showing his truest version of himself and that’s something I have come to be in awe of. So here’s to little steps towards such a bright future with this horse 💜💜

Calm evenings with Moj 🥰

Life with Moj lately 💕
I’ve been sitting on posting this for a bit just because I wanted to get the right words and I feel it’s an important topic to discuss. Over the winter I took a break from riding, mostly because I don’t handle cold weather well (like at all) but secondly because I was trying to figure out how to balance a full time job and grad school. And while I do think that break was essential for me and Moj, it led to a bit of a mental spiral for me and I was really struggling for a few months. Motivation to be at the barn was at a low and I honestly started wondering if I even wanted to still have horses and continue riding. It’s tough to balance everything, especially when you can’t necessarily count on a good ride to lift your spirits due to a complicated horse or due to letting life and feelings get in the way of communicating positively with your horse.
Now that the weather has been gradually getting nicer, I’ve made it a point to focus on working with Moj again and going out to the barn and it truly has lifted my spirits again. I’ve found myself happier and wanting to be around my barn friends again and have started looking forward to what this year will bring, horse wise. That’s the worst thing that I’ve found about major depressive episodes: they rob you of the enjoyment that your favorite activities bring and thus make you question the activity’s worth. It also doesn’t help trying to find the energy to enjoy hobbies when it seems almost everything else in the world is going wrong.
But these past few weeks have reminded me how important my horses are to me and the balance of my life. Horses have been a constant in my life from a young age for a reason. They fulfill a part of my “why” in my life. I may not always realize how important they are to me, but I do know that my life is made infinitely better by their presence. That’s what this winter taught me. Without the storms we cannot appreciate the clear skies. I have more appreciation for the role that my horses and my barn family play in my life than ever before. And I am continually so thankful to be part of a barn family that is always ready to welcome me back to the light with open arms

Missing the fairytale summer days while I’m stuck in the apartment during the snowpocalyse ❄️❄️

3 years. 3 years with this special horse. 3 years filled with moments of happiness, tears, doubts, determination, and love.

To most, 3 years is nothing. It’s a new partnership that has barely taken root. For Mojo and I, it is everything.

They say horses speak to the soul and show us what we need to learn about ourselves. Mojo has done that for me over and over again in the time that I have had him. I have learned my own strength in times where I have been made to feel so small. Thanks to Mojo. I have learned to trust my instincts, even when others are convinced I am wrong. Thanks to Mojo. I have rediscovered the beauty in trying new things because simply “why not”. Thanks to Mojo. And I have learned how to trust again: to sincerely trust in the friends I have, in the trainer that continually shows me how to believe in myself, and in my horses that would genuinely jump the moon for me. Thanks to Mojo.

3 years with Mojo has taught me so much and I am truly grateful for every moment I have had with him. So thank you Moj, for trusting me to be your person. I look forward to all the moments and memories yet to come 💜