Sid moves, again

So I'll spoil the surprise...I did not stay at Arroyo long, only about 6 months. I felt like I had to dress up and put on a full face of makeup to go to the barn, the care was sub-par for the "normal" horses, and I disagreed with some of the training methods used on such a young horse. Not that it was all bad, it was great to rub shoulders with some of the best riders (and horses) in the world, and both Sid and I learned a lot both from watching and our actual lessons. Because the setting was so formal, I expected more from him and he grew up a lot in a few months.

The final straw came after I had been gone from the barn for a week or so, and when I returned my horse's back was so sore you couldn't even brush him. I felt incredibly guilty, so we gave our notice and left. We ended up at a sort of run down barn with awesome care and great people right around the corner from my house.

Sleepy Sid 

Once again I was on my own, but we had both gained a great deal of confidence and training at Arroyo, so it was exciting to start using all my new riding "tools" as I saw fit. And leaving Arroyo, where I had no friends or riding buddies made me appreciate the awesome people and great atmosphere at my new barn...the feel and environment of the barn is something that has been weighed heavily in every subsequent move.