To say that 2023 was a banner year for me seems wrong somehow, in the face of…*gestures at everything else*. Though to look back and not smile at all the miles we put in and highlights we found together, my spicy chocolate mare and I, rings hollow as well. I’m still mulling over a word for 2024 (having forgotten what my word for this year was!), so here’s the 836 odd miles we did together in photos instead.

We kicked off 2023 with a large group ride at Hardy Creek. Benny earned many compliments, but our days in the side pull were numbered. Kade has, both sporadically and more regularly, been joining me to ride my friend’s Paso Fino gelding Cody. Little makes my heart sing as much as watching Kade slowly develop the riding bug. He loves and attracts animals of all stripes, but he’s been a little slower to warm up to longer rides, so here’s hoping 2024 affords us some more trail riding together on warm, sunny days! I also started regular dressage lessons with a wonderful new trainer I really clicked with. It’s hard to see the progress in the moment, which is why longer reviews are so key. Below is a video when we first started taking lessons in early February, to one of our latest rides.

One of the most enjoyable rides of the year was actually on the beach, my friend Sharalyn made it over from the Dry Side! She borrowed a steed and Rachel, Kara and I rode up the beach to Pelican Brewery, where we grabbed a drink and the horses were made much of. Tarma even sampled Shar’s drink! As always, upkeep of rigs to keep the pony show on the road never stops, so in the spring my husband and I took care of the trailer’s annual maintenance ourselves. Benny turned two years old in June, so this year he really got to come along on pretty much every adventure, he’s shined up into a dog I’m proud to call my own. His newest and greatest skill is watching boots fly off horses feet and 50% of the time he snags them and brings them back to me before I ask!

With over 800 miles under our belts, I finally figured out our gear! We had to switch pads halfway through after the Jen X unfortunately gave her heat rubs, but so far the Supracore/Synergist combo is holding strong. On a more frustrating note, we tried the EasyCare glue on Octos shoes all summer and they would not stay on for a full cycle, no matter what the farrier or I futzed with. This was a true bummer, as while they are more expensive than boots, they absorbed so much concussion and Tarma flew like a happy monster in them. For now we’ll stick to Scoots, I have her in Regulars in the front and Enduros on the rears. This spring I was also able to walk out into the pasture on a sunny day during her naptime, and Tarma stayed laying down for a good 20 minutes while I quietly squeed inside and hung out with her.

Endurance riders get it done, no matter the weather! I’ve rarely been so happy for my Artic Skirt as the day Rachel and I rode from sun to sleet to snow and back again. She’s also showing off her blingy tack set by our friend Alexis of Cascadia Custom tack, and the addition of her Mylar bit. Maybe someday we’ll earn our way back to bitless or a hackamore, but we’re not there yet. I’m always futzing with things, but this is pretty much what my trailer dressing room looked like all year: Organized and ready to roll on a trip at a moment’s notice, just add fresh food! I beat my personal haunting with the Grizzly Mountain ride and finished down to the wire; this photo was taken between puke sessions while folks helped me get Tarma pulsed down for our first ever 50 miler completion!

In April my husband and I celebrated our fifth courthouse wedding anniversary with a trip to Las Vegas, where I proceeded to drag him into the literal desert on hikes past signs that warned you not to pass if the temperature was over 95*, and we saw several Cirque de Soleil shows. On every trip this year, I stopped halfway to give the horses a wet mash and a break, and pony trailer selfies are required. I don’t know who was more pleased to be riding on one of the hottest days of the early summer, but Cody definitely looks thrilled!

In May I dragged my offspring, my friend Sabrina and Tarma to the Oregon Outback for our second (and I think best) endurance ride of the season. I even managed to get a quick cat nap in during the second vet hold! I realized somewhere along this year that I’m running 50/50 with this “forming a human being” process. 50% of the time I have an engaging, willing, smart as nails kid, helpful and happy to tag along. The other 50%, while normal, is less fun. Being a lifelong horse girl, I see the horses (and the dog and barn cats) as my shortcut to the first 50% forming the core of who Kade is as an adult, so my goal is always to get him around and aboard horses as much as I can. Our farrier survived a nasty accident in the early summer, so I gave myself a crash course in the basics to keep Tarma’s feet as well as I could while we bounced between farriers during the height of competition season.

Our tide of luck got sidetracked in July, when Tarma tangled with her Hi-tie the wrong way. Thankfully it was a minor strain and burn and resolved with a few weeks off, but we skipped the 50 at Bandit (which means we’ll be back for 2024!) I found Tarma’s perfect dog tag for her bridle, and Tom spent more time at the barn with me while I tended to Tarma.

My favorite ride, even if it ended with a completion only, was Midnight Rider in August. Flying through the dark on single track trails with only a green breast collar for light, trusting my smart and solid mare to keep us safe, was a high I’m not sure I’ve totally come down from. I learned the most from this ride, both in terms of what I did right and what Tarma and I still have to build within ourselves, but our partnership solidified out there on there on those dark trails. One of my biggest regrets from the year is my best friends and I didn’t get to ride together as often, due to my competition season, family and horse woes. Here’s to a better 2024! No yearly review post would be complete without recognition of my favorite holiday, Drunk Pony Day! Kade tagged along and learned all about horse dentistry, so there’s a possible career path for him.

Just to prove we didn’t just go fast this year, here’s my second favorite photo of the year. I love Tarma being on the Hi-tie, despite her tangle with it, as I can just lean out and hand her a treat each morning. Benny keeps me warm at night and always laughing. Kade started middle school, which was a huge mental leap for me, even though he was so ready for it. Tarma learned (or finally accepted) that sometimes she just has to wait for me, tied or not, while I find the way forward.

As the year wound downward I shifted our focus from being road warriors to starting that body building, with the eventual goal of a 100 miler in the back of my head. Arena rides are definitely not our favorite place, but so much good comes out of even a twenty minute ride…or an all day clinic. Kade’s in regular lessons as well, with the hope that soon he’ll be able to join me on trails again when the weather warms up. Our trainer loaned us a different type of saddle, so Tarma can feel my seat and legs and I can build myself into a stronger position.

Wow, this post just keeps going! I’ll finish it up here with my favorite photo of the year. I haven’t been brave enough to canter Tarma a ton, either on trail or in the arena, but we’re putting in the work. For our last endurance ride we had no one around us when we passed the ride photographer and a flat road ahead, so I let Tarma go and Jala snapped this beauty. Four off the floor and one hand on the reins, we were flying and strong and happy. I’ve had Tarma for three years now, which I realized today is my longest equine relationship. I feel I still have so much to learn from her and for her, but we’re in a solid and safe place now, where we find joy and and rest and work in equal measure. Thank you for an excellent 2023 all, and here’s to a better 2024 for us all.