This is why I keep threatening to jump ship and join the eventing world, y’all are hillbillies and I here for it! 
5 Likes
As much as I love all the photos in this thread, what I’m really enjoying, are the stories behind the photos, and why they are your favorites.
18 Likes
I am raiding the closet of locked away pictures. This first one was my very first jump in eventing. At the Horse Fair, in Columbia Mo.
This is one at another event. Dr. Pepper has a mud tail.
This is another random one, taken by a friend. One day he came out and shot a whole roll of film on us. We weren’t dating, and he didn’t ask me to ride my horse!
This one is my horse and my niece and her daughter. My niece is the one from before, sitting on said horse when she was young. She is behind the horse.
23 Likes
Every time I hear people bitch about footing (and the cost of showing, usually in the same breath) I wonder if they have any Idea that you can show on grass?
Meanwhile, these guys keep on keeping on. And to keep it on topic these are my latest go to pics!
I laugh, because these really do have all the footing and in about 20 steps no less; slick mud, loose sand, water, sliding packed gravel, not to mention the (wet, slippery) wood bridge I’m turning to gallop over in the 1st pic. But it’s his day job so I make sure he’s more than fit for it, both in fitness and familiarity with changing terrain. I’m a firm believer that your horse, no matter what he regularly shows on, should be comfortable and fit to do all the elements of his day job on variable/changing terrain. He will be sounder a lot longer if you do.
But before I had this much fun in life, I shared pics of this boy a lot 
59 Likes
I’ve always loved these two pictures of me on my mares at a local schooling show. We’ve had more glamorous outings but this one was the young mare’s first time off property and a one of the last few shows for my older girl.
34 Likes
I love all the photos and stories in this thread! I chose one for each of my most significant horses.
First up is my retired GP dressage horse (and my dearly departed dachshund, the real Libby). He was my second horse, bought as a 4-year-old when I was a teenager. He suffered a lot of setbacks and when he was 13 vets told me that after three surgeries he was probably only going to be pasture sound. He bounced back though, and finally when he was 17 we made it to GP and I got my gold medal! I couldn’t have done it without my coach but I was super proud that we clawed our way up the levels together, as I went through high school then college then grad school then the early years of my career. Now he’s 28 and living the fat, fluffy, retired life at home.
The photo was taken by a coworker who wanted to get into equine photography (though I don’t think he ever did). He spent 2+ hours taking artsy staged photos like my reflection in the horse’s eye. Libby followed us around dutifully but eventually started to make it known that she was running out of patience and ready for her dinner. As we were setting up a sunset photo she walked up and put her paws on my horse’s legs to get my attention, which she never did before or since. Of course I loved it more than all the staged photos, which made me feel a little guilty, but how could I not!? I had to let her go a few years ago at the age of 16. For all those years she was my feisty little shadow.
Above is Remy, my first real baby horse (chosen as a weanling and bought as a yearling), who went lame at 4 and had to be euthanized at 5 due to DSLD. He was the sweetest, bravest, easiest-to-start horse who probably spoiled me for every other one, and after less than 60 days under saddle I was hacking him out alone in the woods. My best friend took this candid photo when he was 2 and handwalking on the trails. I’m off camera at the end of the lead rope. He was a fancy young dressage horse but also had the best brain, and my favorite memories of him are all trail riding, doing obstacle courses, and foxhunting. When he went lame I was pretty sure I would never buy another young horse.
Next is Z, my superstar TB eventer who took me from Novice to my first two Prelims (more to come this spring I hope!). He won $90k in just five starts then after a mild bow got snagged by the breeder/owner’s wife to rehab and train as an eventer. When I bought him he was an XC machine with fairly awful dressage, so we were a perfect match. I’ve taught him to fancy prance the best I can and he’s taught me how to gallop and jump big sticks. When I first bought him he was going in some big bits and still dragged me to all the jumps. Now our partnership has developed to the snaffle level, and while he still has opinions he has accepted that occasionally I can contribute some necessary input. It was hard to pick one photo and I have some over bigger jumps, but I love his expression in this one.
Finally, I can’t leave out Petey, who’s so fancy that he made me cave and buy a youngster again (imported off video from Germany during Covid like a crazy person, no less!). I do have some nice under saddle photos but this one really shows what a snugglebug he is.
Horses can be soul-crushing sometimes, but looking at this collection, I’ve been lucky to have some really special ones.
56 Likes
The swimming photo is worth about as much as any show shot! Beautiful picture and what is important about our life with our equines.
5 Likes
I’m really enjoying this!
Feronia was a very keen jumper, not that I did much jumping with her… She could be a bit too keen! She was an eventer at first, and here’s the only photo I have of her jumping. The rider, whom I sometimes refer to as the Fearless Teen, posts on COTH and may identify herself if she cares to. This was 16 years ago.
Feronia has a whole album at
https://photos.app.goo.gl/ZEkqWFYnZHGjrJHp7
She was the subject of many ears photos. This was around the time I realized I would have to retire her, standing in the Ipswich River at sunrise.
This is my favorite photo of me and Lola; I’m going to miss this.
And some years ago, I bought a Morgan filly named Josephine. It didn’t work out, but is this not the cutest photo?
31 Likes
This is one of my favourite pics of my mare. We didn’t get to jump much since she tore the cartilage in her stifle at around the age of 8 but as quirky as she was so was so good to me and was very very gentle with cats
She has a little kitty Pumpkin sitting on her butt. We all used to hang out. I miss them both.
The hover pony!
33 Likes
Is that a knabstrupper? (I hope I’m spelling that correctly)
2 Likes
It is and you did 
He is my Knabstrupper lifetime approved stallion Pyxis av Drommarna
19 Likes
Beautiful!
3 Likes
What a wonderful thread! I really enjoyed seeing the pictures and reading the stories that went along with them.
Haven’t been a show ring in many years (and never jumped the sticks many of you do even back then!), but these are my go-tos when people ask about my riding now:
Dream, my first horse who was my heart:
Sultan:
Duroc:
Phin:
Dunkin:
Lam, my 4yo whom I started under saddle in the fall:
46 Likes
Those are all great photos!!
4 Likes
We are very lucky to have some extremely talented photogs at our distance events, so I have many beautiful photos framed on my walls.
The last one was a screen grab from a video I asked DH to take of the first time the baby was in the snow. I hoped for a fun picture… but figured if it went sideways that would be memorable for a different reason. 
6 Likes
That’s great. It looks like you and all the horses are having such fun. I’d love to do that.
3 Likes
You can! A fit eventer should be able to do a Limited Distance ride with no additional fitness prep, just some pace adjustment. There are several rides that take place in and around TN; I have ridden the one in Big South Fork and it’s a lovely venue.
3 Likes
