It's beginning to look alot like Christmas....

Well Christmas is just around the corner. My mom made if here safely to visit for the Holidays. I'm so excited I don't have to spend it alone. This is the first time I've been away from home for the Holidays. I miss everyone!
Things at the farm are good. It's been cold and snowy but luckily with the barn, arena and heaters it doesn't affect the day much except turn outs...chilly!
Ralph is doing great. He's getting stronger each day and I can't wait to start our jumping lessons. Maybe while mom is here I'll use her to my advantage to snap some pictures :)
After Christmas I have a few lessons with Amy before she heads to Florida and then I start riding weekly with Glen.
The other young ones are fabulous. So easy going and amaze me with each ride.
I am starting to feel better as a rider too with all this time in the saddle.
I'm getting a good feel for how my facility will be run back home being in charge here at this time. I now have boarders too so it's pretty much a mirror image of what I'll be managing in the future.
Well stay warm, hug your loved ones and enjoy the Holidays.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Shawna

I'm Baaaack!

Hi All. Well again it's been awhile since I've written. Seeing as it's now officially winter and everyone is leaving I am going to start blogging again....after all I'm going to need someone to talk to haha.
Things here continue to go great. The weather has turned from Fall to -15 and snow....how did that happen? Brrrrr
Last week I treated myself to a one week holiday in the Dominican for some much needed R and R. It was FANTASTIC! Bit of a shock to return home to this cold.
Now I'm back to the grind at Millar Brooke. The first load of horses left for Florida yesterday and the next leaves on Wednesday. There will just be one other staff member and myself at home for most of the winter, they are in Florida until April.
My horse, Ralph, is doing great and I can't WAIT to start our jumping lessons :)
I've been riding a few of the young horses and they are coming along very well. My heart certainly sways towards working with the young ones.....training has always been my passion.
I'm going to be riding 4 a day all winter and will rotate them out as needed since I have more then 4 to ride.

Other exciting things since I last wrote. For a week I got to ride Contino....Jonathans HUGE grand prix horse. He is so incredible and I really felt tiny on him as he's bigger then Ralph. I'll have to add the pictures. I've also got to ride a few of the clients horses and all of them are equally as fabulous.
We've been clipping like crazy....no hairy horses around here. Really need to do laundry! Everything is itchy haha.

I finally got around to putting up my Christmas decorations tonight. Mom is coming to visit so I'm excited to see her!!
Hope everyone is doing well.....Talk soon I promise.
TTFN

Big things can come from small places

Well today is a pretty big milestone in my life so had to write in my blog. As of this moment I co own a horse with Millar Brooke Farm. I never would have thought in a million years I'd be here, working here and now owning a horse with the possibility of showing. I have amazed even myself on this one.
I'm feeling pretty lucky, proud of all my hard work and greatful for the opportunities I've been given.
I am proof that big things can come from small places and you can never have dreams to big or too far out of reach.
I am going to keep dreaming, keep reaching....the world is my oyster as a friend once told me.....

My mom has been here visiting me for the past 4 days and what a great 4 days it's been. She is such a beautiful ray of sunshine in this sometimes rather dark world. What a great feeling it is to come home to a "mom" cooked meal or to have someone to share these amazing moments in life with.
While she's been here she's been working to help make my life easier and to help get my apartment in order so I have the things I need to nuture myself and take care of myself. I feel great and home feels great. Today is a GREAT day.
One of the things I really needed and she helped make a reality is a car :) As of today I am also the proud new owner of a 2005 Saturn Ion red sports car! I said I bought two kinds of horse power today haha....one to ride and one to drive.
I am thankful to have had these past few days off to spend with my mom and make big things happen.
Nothing is too big to achieve and no dream is too big.
Just don't forget when the world gets busy to always pay it forward....karma will treat you well.

Hello Hello

Hello blog readers....if there's many of you still out there.
Things with me are fantastic. Many exciting changes on the horizon which I will update you with in time.
I have commited to staying here through the winter.....brrrrr. Not sure how excited I am about the -30 temps again especially since it's just around the corner. I CANT believe it's already SEPTEMBER! I've almost been here for 8 months now....crazy hey. Time moves too fast. This year has been packed with so much excitement, adventure, life lessons, hard times and fun ones. I feel like I've grown leaps and bounds in every which way.

I am getting stronger with my position here and feel like I'm gaining new respect from everyone. Ian stopped me at the end of a convo to tell me I'm doing a great job....which coming from him always means the world :)
Those few thankful words make the hard days worth it.

Amy and Jonathan leave tomorrow with 4 horses to Europe and Ian leaves from Spruce Meadows in a few days for the Masters. Me.....I stay home as usual haha.
When Amy gets back she talked about having some more time to work with me and the young horses....quite excited about that :)
I should get to bed though.....losing my train of thought.
Take Care TTFN!

I'm still alive....

Hello everyone.....it's been a long while since I wrote in my blog so I figured it was about time to make an appearance.
I am doing fantastic at Millar Brooke. I have been riding lots....usually between 2-4 horses a day and loving every minute of it. It pays to ask for what you want. I've always been a bit of a go getter.
I don't remember the last day I didn't ride. Even on my days off....I ride :) Happy Camper!

Everyone has come and gone more then a few times now. They've been to Bolton, Palgrave, Blainville, and Ottawa. I actually got to make a day trip to Ottawa and hang with the crew and actually watch some of the show. While I was sitting with Amy on the fence of the ring I looked over to see Beth Underhill sitting beside us. I of course went up to say hello and see how things are going. It feels great to be able to approach these riders and actually have them know who I am :)
It was a very hot day and I got to enjoy some shopping. Picked up some new breeches and boot socks. Being here is causing me to have a taste for quality expensive things which my *ahem* savings account seems to be complaining about as the savings that is happening in minimum. I keep telling myself it's all an investment for my working wardrobe LOL. rolls eyes.....

In about 10 days or so Amy and Jonathan will be heading over to Europe and Ian will be heading back to Spruce for the Masters. Always coming and going around here. I'm about the only constant besides the maitenence crew haha. I enjoy it though as show grooming just isn't for me anymore.
I adore the Barn Manager title and having the horses that stay home.
We are bringing a few more of the young horses in so I'm looking forward to working with them more this fall.....ugh.....fall. I can't believe summer has come and almost went. The leaves are changing and falling far too fast for my liking. I know just how cold Ontario winters get and I'm not so sure how I feel about living through another one.
I have been here 7 months now....crazy hey, how fast time flies.
I've gained leaps and bounds of experience and enjoy just taking it all in.
I haven't really formed a plan for whats next. I had intended to be here for a year so we'll see. I continue to keep my eye out for a dressage trainer I'd like to work for next.
The future is all so unknown and for the moment I am just living in the Now and it's a fantastic place to be.
So how is the Island? I really really really miss home!
I still have a few horses for sale back home if anyone is looking.....
Hope this finds you all well. TTFN
I am relaxing this evening and got myself a movie to enjoy!

Update

Well time is flying by again as usual. I have now officially hit the 6 month mark here at Millar Brooke.
I went home for a one week vacation....it was so nice to see everyone and have a little more down time....not that I had much time to have down time with so many things I wanted to do haha.

Back at the farm here everyone is getting ready to head to the Bromont show tomorrow. We have plenty of staff so it'll be a great time to get caught up on everything that needs to be done here at home. I get to put in some more riding time which is greatly appreciated. I'll be riding Amy's mare Piccobello (very excited about riding her :) ) as well as Ralph who is one of the young horses.....but he's massive....I'm sure he's over 18 hands.
The next few weeks will fly by I bet. Horses will be coming and going each week to different show circuts.
Life never cruises in the slow lane around here...pedal to the metal and let's GO!
Just thought I'd drop a few words in....hope everyone is doing well.
TTFN

Guess what I did today.....

Today I had such a great day that it brought me back to my blog to share. To some people it would be no big deal but to me....it made my whole week :)

So it started off as any other day....I was pretty tired and people telling me I look that way :( Hmmm I'm 24 I'm NOT supposed to look tired lol. Anyway I've been working pretty hard lately as the crew was away at Spruce for 4 weeks so I was running the farm at home with two other staff. I've been riding Cash lots and lunging a few of the young ones to get them back in the swing of things for riding.

I like perfection and worked my A$$ off to get things perfecto for when the Millars arrived home. It paid off as Ian told me I'm doing a fantastic job and everything looked great......a HUGE compliment coming from him :) I was pleased with myself and my efforts.

I was excited for the others to come home as it's been quiet around here. I will miss my regular 7 am-4 pm days with a lunch break but oh well....ce la vie!

We are currently a little under staffed so that all the grooms who were at the show can have some down time to relax and catch up on some much needed R and R before heading off to the next one. Today flowed well though and we have a good team.

I've been ridng Cash and loving every minute of it. Yesterday I went out to ride in the jumping field with Jonathan and his lesson. It was great to watch and he helped me with a few things as well. I take every bit of coaching I can get and just love when I get the opportunity to.

So back to why my day was so great......I GOT TO JUMP! I was running around like a mad barn manager all day and finally the time came to ride. I was getting out all my tack and ziging and zaging through people in the barn....Amy, Ian, the vet, the other grooms ect....it was a busy place this afternoon. Amoung all the hustle and bustle Ian mentioend to Amy we need to start putting Cash over fences, then looks at me and says "Can you jump?" I quickly think in my head....hmmm well yes I can jump, not like people around here can jump but yes I can hang on and get over it haha. No I actually can jump and I LOVE to I'm just out of practice. So I answered back with a yes. He told me to set up a couple cavellettis. I must have been grinning ear to ear. Amy got on her horse and said she was going to hack outside then would be back to help me. I thought ok great so I headed to the ring to get Cash warmed up. He feels like a completly different horse to ride now that hes getting stronger. His power and fitness are back in order and he feels even better. I worked on the things that Jonathan had pointed out the day before. Ian was lurking on his cell phone by the door....I was trying to ignore him as it's a little intimidating riding while Ian Millar watches you.....

So Amy rides back into the ring and gives me a few pointers. Tells me to pick up my canter and ride the cavelletti. Again....pretty sure I was BEAMING :) Other then a few mistakes and the odd bad distance on my part the ride was great. The jumps were little but here I was riding at Millar Brooke Farm with Amy Millar giving me a little lesson while Ian is now sitting at the rail watching me jump. I was trying to pretend he wasnt there haha. I felt on top of the world.....I still do. It's amazing how one little thing can mean the most when its something you really want and appreciate.

Ian is going to jump Cash out in the grass field tomorrow. Amy said I need to make sure to go watch as Ian is really good about critiquing everything I'm doing wrong and explains what I should do better and work on. So I'll go set fences so I can watch and be apart of it all. I'm so grateful for every ounce of knowlegde that gets offered to me. Any chance to learn and better myself as a rider is graciously accepted.

Tomorrow is going to be a good day too.

Only 7 days now until I come home!!! A much needed break and I'm excited to see my friends and family.

Well I really need to clean my aprtment and do some laundry but this was a moment in my adventure I just had to share.

Thank you world...today was fabulous!