So much work goes into showing horses, especially with the specialized breeds, like quarter horse. There are the lessons year round, the training of the horse if needed, the conditioning regardless, the clothes, the tack, the daily care, and most importantly the bond you build with your horse as you work toward your goals. In my opinion, that’s the most important part. K and Max have an ease and confidence in each other which is so important in getting things right in the show pen. Max is beyond his prime at 19 years of age, and K treats him with the kindness he deserves after many years in the show pen. He actually whinnies when he hears her approaching, knowing the treats are in hand. In return, he has taught her well and given her the confidence to get out there and do it.
Some of the other members of our team seen below, such an easy subject to photograph, and they are all tolerant of my lens 🙂

This young lady (Max’s previous owner) is already
quite the rider at just 11 years of age.
She is seen her with her new horse –
a young gelding that is learning the ropes along with her.
Trainers are constantly working with their students, even right before
a class, to go over patterns, techniques, tips for showing off your horse
to the best of your ability.
Practice, practice, practice…… 
Gleaming coats, beautiful faces, polished silver…. 
Waiting their turn, practicing, practicing….
Do you see KMax?
There are several patterns to study during a weekend –showmanship seen here…
Trail patterns, horsemanship patterns and equitation.
..and the endless primping.
Lots of waiting, too. This weekend was a cold and windy one,
this is where I give the participants a whole lot of credit for
sticking it out. There’s no doubt, horse show people are a dedicated crew.

I am so thankful that we have this opportunity to be a part of something that has given my daughter a new confidence after a horrific ordeal. She has an awesome horse to love on and compete with, and she knows what it takes to accomplish goals and does the hard work to get there.
It’s been a while now, eight years to be exact. Seems like yesterday to me, If I could only have seen these pictures back then…..
I remember saying to myself in the heart of the most horrible time as I sat on a hospital outdoor retaining wall trying to squash the heavy coat of anxiety I wore daily…… …can I just see a snapshot of what a few years from now might look like? But please, only if it’s good. Then maybe I won’t lose my mind here.
I didn’t lose my mind, and we survived. We. I have no idea why the writing of this particular post took me into that territory. But I won’t delete it, so there it is.
This snapshot, of our life now?…. It’s a beautiful thing.