Keeping busy. My studies are going well and so far I have gotten through all my exams, although I still get performance anxiety.🙈📚💉👩🏼‍⚕️ Riding really helps to keep me grounded.🎈 On Sunday, @EmmaNyman and I took part in a peace ride called #fredsritten organised by @fasterna_hsf ☮️🕊️🇺🇦✨ Riders from our neighbourhood joined up and rode/walked 10 km where the entry fee will go to a refugee-aid organisation. Emma rode Popgun and I decided to walk, and since we had to get there and back, our total trip ended up being 20,5 km.😅🚶🏼‍♀️🎠💕 Today, Popgun and I trained dressage with @annawallberg on our neighbour’s paddock via @Ridesum. Their three young cats had a wonderful time helping; I think we were the best show they’ve had all week.  They were so inspired by our performance that they balanced on the fence, pounced out of the bushes, climbed up the light post, wrestled each other and took full advantage of the Spring sunshine. 🐱🐈😻🐾 Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

The first pictures are from Thursday’s jump training; we had so much fun!🦄✨💜💫 Poppy was a bit overly excited but he felt lovely as we flew through the air. During Friday’s dressage training with @annawallberg, he was equally thrilled to find himself in an arena full of jumps again so it gave us an extra opportunity to work at containing our excitement.🙈💓 Her comments were “Fun to see your nice horse. Lively and ambitious, both of you.” 💛 Our homework is to continue working on our transitions (walk/trot and trot/canter) and to make sure we have a good trot before he is allowed to canter. She also suggested moving him around my inner leg and changing directions often to keep him entertained. When Emma rode him yesterday, he looked really lovely! Arshaq was handsome too but he got spooked by a lady in the woods who was unintentionally waving a torch around in the dark. Tomorrow it is his turn to train with Anna.🌟 Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

Last night’s ride with Arshaq was more spectacular than anticipated.🌌💚🐴❄️🦚✨ It was late, but I decided to set out anyway in search of somewhere safe to give him some proper exercise. We were lucky, and finally found a small patch in the forest to work on our dressage, free from ice or heavy snow. All of a sudden, I became aware of a light in the sky; somewhat dim behind the trees. In a dream-like daze, we followed it out to a clearing and sure enough; Northern Lights!💚✨I watched in awe as the swirling curtain of green danced across the sky. Two shooting stars and waves of red joined in, which is even more rare. The deep snow swished under our feet as we walked on; hypnotised.❄️ Earlier in the day, Popgun and I trained dressage for our new trainer @annawallberg aka @apridutveckling aka @hastpoddens 😱🦄✨💜 We used an app called @ridesum which was new for me. I had audio connection via iPhone and my dad filmed a live video stream with an iPad. Very covid-safe! Both Poppy and I were rather excited but it was a real treat and we had so much fun! The start of something great?🌟We were in a local riding house, for a change, where we also had jump-training the night before. 🎈💫 On Tuesday, we had our amazing farrier @siddy.johanns here and she made me a new hoof pick on the spot, just because I mentioned that my old one sucked.😱 It’s nice having such wonderful people around us! Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

It is New Year’s Eve and I am nervous.😰 This is my least favorite day of the year and I spend a lot of time planning how to best deal with all the fireworks.🎆 My main concern is Arshaq but all the horses will have their legs wrapped up to protect them from the ice-studs on their shoes.🤕💥 Usually, Arshaq spins around like a centrifuge, Popgun shakes, Nipeta looks worried and Shahina stays calm. I have ploughed the road and prepped the trailer, just in case, but hopefully we won’t need a trip to the vets.🙈🚨🚑💨 During the last few days, I have been studying for my next exam and the snow has been too sticky/icy for riding. Fortunately, Emma has been able to help by taking Popgun for walks by hand. Last week was beautiful with lower temperatures; perfect for riding! You can feel the horses bubble with excitement as their hooves swoosh through the powder snow.☃️🎄🏇💨❄️✨ One day, it was so misty, it felt like we were walking through a cloud.🌫️ Another, the sky was perfectly clear and the sunset colored it all the shades of the rainbow.🌈🦄 Last weekend, Emma and I rode some dressage in the summer pastures and Popgun was happy to sample some of the grass (we have trained the horses to pee when one whistles and they always get to graze afterwards, as a reward.😂 It is practical when competing because it lowers the heart rate💓). I noticed that my car anxiety had returned, having not worked on it since the summer. The rattling sound of winter tires against the packed ice makes my stomach churn, despite us being separated by a ditch and a fence.🚗💨❄️ It is interesting how perceptive horses are; I apparently look quite calm but all it takes is for my seat to become tense, for Arshaq to start making dragon noises.👀🐲 This, of course, makes me feel like a bad horse-mom since he is perfectly calm as long as I am calm. A good New Year’s resolution is for me to keep working on this and not avoid the roads. I hope you all have a peaceful New Year and dare to challenge your fears too! 🥳🎆🎈🎊🎇🎉🦄✨ Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

Today’s lectures ended early so, as part of my new balancing act, I was on Popgun within minutes from heading out the door.🏇💨🚪 Last night was the coldest it has been this winter (-17ºC) and today the sky was beautifully clear.🌌 My horses get extra silly when it is cold so Popsicle had to work extra hard at listening today. We did transitions, stopping, backing, moving sideways all along the forest trail.🦙❄️✨☃️ Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

It always builds up to be a big deal when I haven’t written for a long time, but here I go. I’ve been burying myself in my studies and since it starts getting dark around 3 pm, there have been weeks when I have barely seen the sun.📚🦉 On the ‘bright’ side, my exams have been going well (anatomy 94%, embryology 99%, histology pass but I don’t know the exact score yet). But I think that I need to find a better balance between studying and the rest of my life; starting with getting out with the horses in the light. There is a thin blanket of snow covering the forest and the evenings have been starry and cold (down to -12ºC). Magical!❄️✨☃️🎄🏇💨 I just saw a shooting star blaze across the sky and the night has barely begun so there are some advantages to Northern climates.🌠🐻‍❄️ In support of my favorite podcast @hastpoddens , I have included a picture of my favorite horse-brush (as requested). It is perfect for detangling long manes and tails, and always puts a smile on my face. 🦄✨A good Christmas tip.🎁 Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

Shahina had an appointment at the vets today to get her melanoma vaccine. 🦄💉 Her lumps are about the same size which is great but no dramatic decrease this time. We had two vets to bombard with questions which is a luxury. It felt surreal being there today now that I have classes here and might work at the clinic in the future.  The building in the background of the picture is where I have classes. 📚 It’s my birthday tomorrow and I will be starting it bright and early with an enzyme kinetics lab. 🎂👩‍🔬🎈✨ Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

After a week riddled with panic attacks, it was wonderful to have a truly great day. I woke up after a good night’s rest and got both boys out for a ride in the sunlight. The air was crisp after a frosty night but the leaves looked as golden as the sun. Now I have just got back from a walk with Shahina and Popgun under a clear starry night. Vet-school is still just as fun and interesting as I hoped it would be although I am finding it hard to differentiate between the cells/blobs. 😂 Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

It was nice to get out in the light today with Arshaq, Popgun and @emmanyman .🍂🌾⛰️🍃 Our farrier @siddyyj was here on Thursday and put nice new running shoes on all of the horses.🦄💜 University has been intense and we have started our second course: Basic Biomedicine.👩🏼‍🔬🧬🔬📚🧪 So far, we have mostly listened to lectures although we’ve had one practical session with microscopes looking at tissue samples. Who knew that would be so much fun. I guess it helps having a great group to work with?🦙✨Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

First course is finished!🌟 Now we just have to wait and see if I passed the tests.😱 It’s been quite intense as you may have guessed by my lack of posts.😅 The horses and I are doing well; Arshaq managed to get a minor eye infection but I was finally able to ride him again today; @emmanyman came by and we went out on our usual loop. The golden leaves made up for the dreary weather but it is noticeably darker in the evening.🍂🦉 The forest was alive with animals today; we saw two elks, a buzzard, and a rather confused pheasant. Arshaq, in particular, finds them very off-putting.🦌🦅 Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

Sunny afternoon ride with my love-birds.🕊️💞 Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups

1st place with Popgun at yesterday’s District Championship in Bruksridning (loosely translated as “Working Horse”).🥇🦄✨💜 Our neighbour did a great job hosting the event, although the weather left something to be desired.🌊☔🐟 I decided not to take Arshaq, so @EmmaNyman and I shared Poppy. He would gladly have zoomed around the course a couple more times: he had a little bit too much fun!🤪🏇💨⚡One of the tests was to stand still for 20 seconds with his feet between two lines, which he felt was an eternity.🙈⏳He did it perfectly with Emma but not with me.😂 Sponsored by @exclusivehorsewear and @tech_stirrups