About Me
My name is Alison and I am a Newfoundland-raised, current resident of Southern Ontario. I'm a mother, wife, freelance writer, small business owner, and Dressage Queen wannabe (albeit not a very good one). After a 20-year break from horses I climbed back in the saddle in 2014 and the following year took a leap of faith and purchased the biggest and goofiest horse in the land.
Welterful (aka GusGus) was a 2009 Oldenburg / Belgian draft cross who taught me so much as we progressed together from Intro to Second Level before he moved into semi-retirement in 2019. Not long after he left I found my new dance partner, a 1997 Hanoverian mare named Caprice. She may have been in her 20s but this super senior schoolmaster was literally the horse of my dreams - sweet and safe but never ever boring. With her help (and the very patient assistance of my trainer) I achieved my lifelong goal of riding at Third Leve, and learned more than I ever could have imagined.
Tragically we lost Caprice suddenly in September, 2020 from colic due to a strangulating lipoma. I was crushed and had no plans to look for another horse. But the universe works in mysterious ways, and just a few months later I was offered the lease on another exceptional schoolmaster. Ronan is a 2000 Hanoverian gelding by Rotspon who has competed up to Fourth Level. His super steady, ultra safe, and uber sweet personality is the perfect remedy for my broken heart. Dressage isn't done with me yet!
I started this blog primarily to highlight news and accomplishments in Canadian dressage, but from time to time I share details of my own struggles as an overweight, middle-aged adult amateur struggling to master the world's most frustrating and rewarding sport.
You can contact me any time through the blog comments section or by email at alison@mywordsmith.ca.
Welterful (aka GusGus) was a 2009 Oldenburg / Belgian draft cross who taught me so much as we progressed together from Intro to Second Level before he moved into semi-retirement in 2019. Not long after he left I found my new dance partner, a 1997 Hanoverian mare named Caprice. She may have been in her 20s but this super senior schoolmaster was literally the horse of my dreams - sweet and safe but never ever boring. With her help (and the very patient assistance of my trainer) I achieved my lifelong goal of riding at Third Leve, and learned more than I ever could have imagined.
Tragically we lost Caprice suddenly in September, 2020 from colic due to a strangulating lipoma. I was crushed and had no plans to look for another horse. But the universe works in mysterious ways, and just a few months later I was offered the lease on another exceptional schoolmaster. Ronan is a 2000 Hanoverian gelding by Rotspon who has competed up to Fourth Level. His super steady, ultra safe, and uber sweet personality is the perfect remedy for my broken heart. Dressage isn't done with me yet!
I started this blog primarily to highlight news and accomplishments in Canadian dressage, but from time to time I share details of my own struggles as an overweight, middle-aged adult amateur struggling to master the world's most frustrating and rewarding sport.
You can contact me any time through the blog comments section or by email at alison@mywordsmith.ca.
