Blog Hop: Move Your Hoof to the Beat

I love this blog hop, from Alyssa at Four Mares, No Money. What songs make you think of your horse? What songs do you ride to?

First, Tristan's song, the one that makes me think of him, is "Easy Silence" by the Dixie Chicks.

The easy silence that you make for me
It's okay when there's nothing more to say to me
And the peaceful quiet that you create for me
And the way you keep the world at bay for me.

As for songs I listen to while I ride? I don't listen to music, but sometimes when Tristan is fidgety, I sing to him. I always sing Cole Porter mashups, seguing from one song to another depending on the pace and what lyrics I can remember at the moment.

Instagram

I've been off and on (okay, 99% off) with Instagram ever since I picked it up about a year ago to learn how to use it for work, and see whether it would be a good tool for us. (Nope.)

I'm trying to re-focus on taking pictures of cool things, though, and I decided to commit myself to putting something on Instagram every day. I've added a little widget-y thing to the front page of the blog to show them.

I'm @beljoeor, if anyone wants to follow.

Are you on Instagram? Do you like it? Send me your username so I can follow you, too!

(PS: I also registered this blog on Bloglovin, mostly so I could edit the entry about it and change the name and description, because it's a rainy Sunday and I am avoiding work. So, if you so choose, you can now follow my blog with Bloglovin.)

Horse Blogging Roundup

I'm always amazed at the wide world of horse blogs out there: how many there are, and how many wonderful horse people are sharing their advice, stories, expertise, and humor. I read dozens on a daily basis and I'm always finding more.

With that in mind, I'd like to start a new series. Each week, I'll pick 3-5 posts that I've read during the previous week that had caught my eye. I don't guarantee to get every single post that I've liked included, so if you feel left out it's not personal!

So, here are this week's selections.

Endurance Gear Under $25 from Boots and Saddles
I love this - good thoughtful recommendations, a variety of products, descriptions of how to use them. All practical and thoughtful examples.

Blog Hop: Why Do You Do What You Do? from Stories from the Saddle
I love a blog hop, and this is a particularly good one: how did you get into your current riding discipline?

Lincoln Trail 2014: Magic's First 50 from A Collection of Madcap Escapades
Great pictures, great adventure, and a great write-up of a 50 mile endurance ride.

Is your horse a "heart horse"? Have you had a heart horse?

A recent thread on the Chronicle of the Horse forums caught my eye: Stop it with the "heart horse" thing. No, really. Stop it.

I don't recall ever using the term "heart horse" in print, but when I think about the way I've typically seen it used on the COTH forums - yes, Tristan is my heart horse. I have ridden and loved many horses in my life. I have fallen in love with a few.

No horse has ever meant to me what Tristan means to me. Whenever I see him, without fail, I get an almost physical pang in my chest, like my heart is too big for its space. Everything about my life is better when he's nearby. I tried to explain it to someone once by saying it's like my heart somehow took up residence outside my body, and inside his.

I realize that sounds corny. I'm not trying to say that I'll never love another horse. I guess for me, it just means that my relationship with him is special.  It's different, deeper than any other relationship I've had with a horse, even ones I've ridden quite a lot and loved dearly. We've been through so much together. He has saved my sanity more than once. (In between the times when he's making me lose it...)

What about you? Have you ever used the term "heart horse"? Is your current horse a heart horse? Have you ever had one before?

Happy Friday!