Odin motorboating through the water during a photo shoot at a dam near the yard.
Jumping show with my instructor.
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Thank God the barn staff sees it as amusing 
He’s always had a special technique for getting an even coat over his entire face but now that he’s retired, he refuses to wear a turnout sheet so he can get the full-body experience. I keep telling the barn owner it’s a good thing she doesn’t charge a mud removal fee, though honestly, looking at that photo, she probably should!!
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Ok, well, I can’t resist posting photos of one of my other mares. I feel like I’ve posted these somewhere here before, but 
I got her in September ‘22 out of an auction pen. She was so pathetic. 
Less than a year later she was bopping around the baby jumpers with me like she’d been doing it her whole life. I love the photo of her standing at the trailer after a Tori Colvin clinic. It was almost a year to the day of the auction photo. 
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Before @Renn_aissance bought him, I had the extreme good luck to campaign “Tipperary” at a number of jumper shows.
LOVED him and qualified to compete at Washington during the now non-existent, “Local Jumpers.”
We finished 3rd and sadly I don’t have that pic handy but I do have these.
I’m so lucky to have sat on him for a bit.
Give him huge pets from me @Renn_aissance 
Em
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I enjoy the ‘life’ photos! I used to swim my horse in the borrow pits back in the 70’s.
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Chantal, my first jumper. I had a lot of firsts with her. First 1.10m courses, first time getting a HOTY award, first time winning a perpetual trophy - she was just incredible. She was just so careful and fast, and fairly unbeatable at the 1.0m height. Also probably the horse I’ve ridden who I just most instantly clicked with and the most “my ride.” I miss her all the time.
My current horse, Mensa, in the 1.0ms at Vermont this summer. It wasn’t my best show, but he was perfect and jumping incredible. This is one of my all time favorite photos.
Also Mensa, from an event in 2022. This ended up being our first eventing win after a few times knocking on the door.
And lastly, a candid a friend and volunteer took of us at Area 1 Championships last summer. It was posted to the event’s social media with the caption “find yourself this kind of partnership.” I cried seeing the photo and the caption, and people’s very kind comments (it had been a long weekend!)
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Fun and gorgeous pictures of everyone!
I have 2…… my last and most amazing horse ever ! (Sullivan) I had him from a 3 year old (given in trade from Spruce Meadows for a horse that didn’t want to jump!) and I had him until he was almost 14 when sadly his DGE got the best of him! He took me to many hunter top placings and my first bigger hunter derby…. I miss him deeply
And my very first owned horse (Eclipse)… yikes 25 years ago now!! I had her from age 4 to 12 and we went from baby green hunters to my first 1.15m jumpers! She was little (15’2) and a speed horse like no other but a beotch to flat… I adored her! I’ve had more in between but these 2 are my 2 heart horses
Now I’m happily just riding school horses , one is a cool pony that I can now just jump little 2ft6 on and I am enjoying not showing anymore! My wallet is happy too 
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I probably have too many, but this is my favorite
Don’t mind 10(?) year old me and my lower leg above. I fixed it.
I’m not a mare person in general but this mare was the best.
And while my arguably “best” horse never took a good photo ever (so I don’t really have one to post here), he was a huge struggle as a 5-6 year old. And after him, I bought this guy who was the bestest baby horse ever. Made me feel like a baby riding genius (have since been humbled greatly by other youngsters). ETA - Last I knew of his whereabouts, he was a barn favorite for the Clemson team, in case anyone here might have known him.
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When it’s my two homebreds enjoying their partnership.
And sharing their beer!
and I really like this one, below. It was Peter Gray’s favorite too. I gave myself a 70th Bday present 3 yrs ago and I scribed all day for him at a Young Event Horse Program in KY. He was mentoring a learner judge so I really got an earful that day! This boy likes to ‘express himself’ and DD just laughs and rides it out.
Now I’m going thru old files and memories … this one gets me because knowing this horse how keen he is. it’s the eye.
What it feels like to feel that kind of go power in your hands and your seat! When it’s a team it is so amazing. I had that with my TB back in the 70’s - so in tune together. I’d shift my weight back to make a turn on xc and his ears would prick up and he’d say ‘where?’ Then he’d see the next fence and go ‘on it!’
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Some horses really enjoy a beer!
My gelding was really into white wine. The mare would eat anything and everything, including her enjoyment of Ivermectin paste.
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I love this thread. We have lots of bada$$ horsemen and women here. I’ve been stalking this thread trying to decide which picture I would post. I couldn’t decide so you get a few. My grey from my avatar who has been with me over a decade and given me so many firsts, so many highs, and several lows (that is the coffin bone infection horse). And the steel grey was my baby who I lost in a terrible pasture accident at a very young age a few years ago. I didn’t get enough pictures of her but think the one of her at liberty captured her really well.
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My mare that my mom bought for me as bribery to move back home. We got her sight unseen from Europe (we are on the West Coast USA). Best online purchase ever, 6 years and counting.
From her sale ad in Europe as a 6 year old:
With me in the 1.10 amateurs
To leadline with my daughter:
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My dad reminded me that COTH published my favorite pony pic above as an ad for their junior and pony issue. We submitted the photo for the year end zone/state awards issue in 1991, and the editors asked us (and the photographer) if they could use it for their ad. There is probably a clipping of it somewhere at my dad’s house. They showed it zoomed in and cropped, and the caption was something like… he snaps up his knees and she picks up the ribbons. lol
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I just want to say that I love this thread because it is so refreshing. Sometimes we on the forum tend to complain about a LOT of things, so much so that often I skip a lot of threads these days. But this one has shown a lot of love. Thanks, all, for participating! 
It reminds me how much most of us love these animals.
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This was 1979 or '80. It is not the first one I pull out, usually, but it has gotten a lot of mileage recently when we talk about footing. Show rings used to be rope strung around a field.
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This little guy was my homebred 14.3 Connie/TB. I absolutely love this picture of him as it just captures who he was and how happy he made me, even more so than our nice horse show photos. I, as a stupid 15 year old kid, “started” him by climbing on his back while he was lying down, loose in the pasture as a two year old. He just stood up, then walked and halted when I either clucked or pulled on his mane. This little guy was a phenomenal mover, jumped a 10, and just was the kindest little horse you could ever imagine. He would hack out without tack, or even a neck rope, and was just the best horse. I learned so, so much about starting a baby, developing a green horse, and just adored him. He was euthanized at 14 years of age due to complications of colic surgery, but I was so lucky to have had him as long as I did.
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Psssst!
Tell him that while the Fullbody Mudpack may be a pleasure, nothing tops my Hackney Pony 's gift of completely breading one side & leaving the other pristine.
The Payoff is showing that clean side as Staff approaches, hearing their sigh of relief, thinking their job just got easier…
Then doing a 180 to show the full glory & Xtra added effort for them. 
Keep the pics coming!
This may be my new Cheery thread 
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I will share another This is a photo of myself with my girls. Gracie, mare, is my heart horse I posed about above. I got her as a 3yo when I was a teenager, and we accomplished so many of my dreams together before an injury sidelined her. She spent some years making more Trakehner babies! This foal, Stormy, was her first foal that I kept. Photo is from Stormy’s foal inspection Fall 2021 where Stormy earned Premium! Stormy is now at the trainers getting started for a whole new set of dreams!
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You’re living my dream! I want a baby from my heart horse so badly.
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