Outfit #28: Horse Girl

Dress c/o Pigeons // Hat: Thrifted // Purse: Thrifted // Boots: Thrifted // Necklace: eBay // iPhone Case c/o omg I can't remember and I can't get it off of my iPhone to look at the sticker on the inside of it AHHHHH (this is not a brand, this is me freaking out)

I've ALWAYS been horse crazy - to the point that my mother said when I was born I whinnied instead of cried. I spent my childhood taking riding lessons (starting at only 3 years old) and going down into my parent's bedroom nearly every night and begging for a horse. When my mother taught me about charts, I even made up charts with reasoning why I needed my own horse.

Finally, when I was 10 years old my parents bought me Paladin, a copper Morgan/Arabian cross who was half crazy but I loved that horse more than anything. He liked to buck me off and make me lose riding competitions, but I learned so much about horses from that evil beast.

Paladin opened the gateway to horse ownership. My mother fell in love with them - not to ride, just to love. So we acquired a little Welsh/Arabian pony named Star (originally intended for my little brother, but he was more interested in four wheelers). Then my first Arabian - Cisco - who was the sweetest horse I have ever owned but he tripped all the time and sent me tumbling off the front.

Once we moved to the lower 48 from Alaska (with Cisco and Star in tow), I began riding semi professionally. I was riding for hours a week at an Arabian farm, staying there on the weekends and after school. I took these high caliber horses to huge circuit shows. But the politics of breed showing quickly took its toll on my family, and my mother bribed me into quitting if she bought me a horse suitable for show jumping.

Enter Mahris, the most amazing horse I have ever owned. She was an Appaloosa with no spots, built like a Warmblood, and she and I LOVED EACH OTHER SO MUCH. We did three day eventing together, but when I realized she wouldn't jump higher than 3'6", I knew I had to "upgrade". So I sold Mahris to a young girl and bought the demon horse - Janson the pitch black Thoroughbred. He was insane, but that horse could clear 6 feet with ease. But I soon wearied of his "crack horse" antics - he would just never calm down, and he was a total handful. So I sold him for college money and haven't ridden since, my dreams of being a professional rider squashed forever.

Recently I have been desperately looking for a farm around the Seattle area that offers riding lessons to experienced young adults, but so far I've had little luck. I miss the feeling of flying over a jump on the back of a majestic creature, imagining I'm riding a unicorn ;-)

With that rant about horses complete (I'll make a proper post about my actual horses, pictures and all... someday), it's obvious why I am painfully in love with my dress. It was sent to me by the amazing Kate Garey of Pigeons, and may be my new favorite dress. Honestly.

What about you guys? Did any of you ever ride horses?