My other hobby is horses so of course I was going to try to get her. Took 3 10-pulls that I’ve been saving up.
And of course I’m bought the skin!
I'm a driver. I came into driving fairly young because I have some health issues that make riding not feasible for me. Initially it was just a way to stay in the horses, but now, it's become my passion. I drive in breed shows, pleasure carriage driving, and combined driving. I'm on the board for my local driving club.
One of the most common topics we talk about it how to keep the sport of carriage driving alive. Let's be honest, most people come into driving the way I did. Something takes away our ability to ride and it's the "next best thing." And I hate that this is a a prevalent attitude. Even when I tell people what I do, I get, "Oh, when I can't ride, I think I'll give driving try." So why is driving seen as less valid way to experience horses?
In my opinion, this assumption is coming from pure ignorance. The average rider has little conception of what driving is like. I know I didn't. I find driving just as complex as riding, I build a relationship with the horse just as much as I did with riding.
So here's why I think you should driving a chance:
- It will make you a better rider, especially with your hands. When I was riding I was constantly struggling with getting the horse on the bit and accepting contact and I feel like driving has completely changed that.
- It's great cross-training for the horse. Driving allows the horse to move freely, and I've found my horse's topline greatly improved when she went from a mostly riding horse to a mostly driving horse. This is also seen in the longevity of driving horses. Boyd Exell, the #1 Combined Driving 4-in-Hand Driver, for his indoor team has horses in their late teens and even one in it's twenties still competing at the highest level.
- Helps maintain a dying tradition. There's so much equestrian knowledge in driving and we're worried there won't be much of a next generation.
Now I do understand there's other reasons that make driving a higher barrier to entry than riding:
- Start-up cost is much higher than riding. Carriages aren't cheap and they are big. So storage and transport are more difficult.
- You need more space to drive than riding. For example, our dressage court is either 80x40 meters or 100x40 meters.
- Not all horses are appropriate candidates for driving. We want forward, brave, and sensible. Overly reactive and bolters need not apply. But I think there's a bit of a misconception that only the most perfect, calm horses should be driving horses. Anyone who has seen a Hackney knows that's not true. Both of my driving horses are more on the 'caliente' side of hot, one being too hot to ride but a great driving horse. There's all types.
So what else prevents you from considering driving? How can we as a drivers at the very least get you to experience it once and see what it's really about?
I’ve been meaning to write this review for a while but I haven’t had enough karma. I will admit, I’ve been fan girling hard for this series for a good six months. So I’m hoping to give a balanced review for everyone.
This book series was the one that broke nearly a decade long reading slump. I would try to read anything and I DNFd every single one. Thanks to the persistence of Instagram, which kept shoving one of Kikito’s animations down my throat, I finally relented and purchased the first book.
The book starts with Charles, a man who just wants to do his half-sheriff, half-forest ranger job well. After a bizarre incident where a family disappears, he meets Eric Linnaeus. From there he’s dragged into a whole new world of monsters. Along the way, you discover the history of Eric, a man touched by the Fae and who is the reason for a 50 year long war.
What I loved about the books:
- The world building. Kikito built such a fascinating place to explore. It feels realistic for a modern day fantasy. She draws upon multiple mythologies while spinning them in unique ways.
- The characters. She has a talent for creating such fun and distinct characters. Characters that I hated at first became my favorites.
- The plot. This is a series where as you go, you realize she gave you every little tidbit to figure it all out, but hid the hints so well you didn’t even notice. I’ve read the series twice now and I was shocked how well planned everything was.
- The relationships. There are two relationships in the series. The main one is MLM and can best be described as SLOW BURN age gap and friends to enemies to lovers. These are toxic broken people who through each other become healthier. The other is a hetero couple that initially seems out of place, but you end up rooting for them just as much as the main.
Things I can see people not enjoying about the books:
It’s a slow burn. This is true slow burn. Multiple books before any real romantic movement between the main couple. The spice in the early books is from the side couple and there’s very little of it.
Certain aspects of the world building. Creatures in this world are not kind to humans. The descriptions are not graphic or abundant, but humans are regularly talked about being consumed, enslaved, and dubiously consensual sexual encounters. SEPARATE TO THAT, there are instances of characters experiencing childhood abuse (both physical and sexual). The prose never gets excessive but more than a brief mention.
How is written. Each chapter is written from a different perspective. Some reviews I read beforehand complained about that. Personally, I had no issue with this. The beginning of every chapter clearly states whose perspective it is and the timeframe. Also the voice of the prose clearly changes as well.
It’s self published. There are rarely (less than a handful of errors each book) grammar or punctuation mistakes. I find it well written. But if this really bothers you, maybe pass.
All in all, I found it to be a fun ride. So much so I devoured the first four books in 3 days while on staycation.
And if you enjoy the world, the author has also started an AU series. That book is definitely spicier and it is so much fun to see the differences in a new universe. Personally, I prefer the AU storyline but love it all.
Lastly, and this is the biggest part of the recommendation, my husband loved it as well.
Here’s the tropes from the Amazon listing:
Tags & Tropes: fae, mm romance, slow burn, friends to enemies to lovers, fantasy, touch him and die, possessive ML, multiple POV's, unreliable narrators, mystery/puzzle, HEA.
Triggers: horror themes, monstrous fae and other fantasy creatures
Sometimes it’s all just luck and zero skill. By all the rules, there’s no way I should have won this hand. I played terribly, I knew I was playing poorly but I didn’t care. I’m sick, running a fever and just said screw it. Let’s see where it goes.
Of course the first bad decision was to pon the East. Why? Just cuz. Then the 9’s come up, sure, let’s pon those to for the lolz. I then decide my only semblance of a legitimate hand is all triplets but let’s be honest here, that’s a reach. But oh look, the four bamboo comes to feed into the delusion.
Then the red five comes out, now if I was smart, I’d keep the green dragon and south because I might get a pair and that would at least give me a potential yaku. But no, let’s just collect Dora.
Oh look, another red five, bye bye South!
Then the last 9 comes out and at this point, I’m committed to the chaos. I know I’ve mucked this up, let’s just get some entertainment out of this. It’s like poker players who go all in on 7-2 off suit.
Oh nice, gave myself a Dora!!
Oh hey! Another Kita, why would I do anything else but kita it????
Kan the East? Don’t mind if I do!! Yay! Two more Dora! Don’t have a yaku but this is fun.
I actually signed a small breath of relief when the player across from me kan’d the ones. Maybe he’ll kan the south too and end this nightmare.
Well, darn, lookie here. The last Kita just for my collection.
And then it happened, pretty much my only out for a yaku. After a kan.
I laughed so hard but felt terrible for the other players.
13 Dora. I think it’s my highest amount.
This feels illegal.
Just remember friends, it’s not always who plays the best, just who is the luckiest.
I’m sorry, I’m putting myself in mahjong timeout.
Currently, there’s an established Fully Promoted franchise for sale in my area due to owner retirement. I’ve been keeping my eyes on it out of interest but the fact it’s a franchise does make me wary.
This would already be a large pivot for me, from 15 years in the tech world (data side) to promotional products.
Does anyone have any insight with these franchises? Would I be better off starting smaller and building a business from scratch?
To be honest, I didn’t even realize the three concealed triplets when I was mentally calculating.
And I only riichi’d to lure them into a false sense of security of dropping honor tiles since it was such an early Riichi. Wanted them to think I had a “normal” wait.
Last February, as a somewhat last minute decision, I took my mare to a local combined driving event. We did both the combined test (dressage and cones) and the driving trial (dressage, cones, and marathon).
It was such a great learning experience for the both of us. I am so proud of my mare and how she took everything in stride. This was only her second time out in big wide open spaces, I had taken her to a playdate on a cross country course before and she was a rockstar there too. We don’t have the facilities to truly practice everything and I was in a chronic illness flare right before this so we went in with the mindset of have fun, be safe, and don’t eliminate. So we accomplished all of our goals.
I can’t wait to try more of this sport out, and I think this little mare is going to become something special. Also, look at her little pony ears!!!
If anyone is wondering, she’s a Morgan. She started life as a Park horse, stepped down into Hunter Pleasure and had a successful young horse career there, before becoming my carriage horse. I will sing the praises of Morgans everywhere.