Happy Thanksgiving from Team Riley!

First off, all of us here at Team Riley want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving! Since giving thanks on Thanksgiving is the cool thing to do, I thought I'd share what I'm thankful for today.

What I'm Thankful For:

Of course I'm thankful for the basics- I'm so lucky that I was born where and when I was, to the family I was born to. I have a roof over my head, central heating in the winter, central air in the summer, plenty of food, plenty of clothes, and a good education. Not everyone is so lucky and it's easy to forget just how lucky I am.

Next, and quite obviously, I'm thankful for my horses.

I'm thankful that Riley is currently healthy and sound. He's had a rough year with a suspensory injury and EPM, but he seems to refuse to give up. Not only am I thankful for his health, but I'm so thankful that he was willing to take me back to my first two horse trials since losing Will (and to even win his first training in three years!).

I'm thankful that I'm able to have a second horse to (hopefully grow up and) do what Riley physically can't. I'm thankful that things are finally starting to click for me and Cole. I'm also thankful that Cole is healthy and made it through his bone chip surgery in one piece. 

Most days I'm thankful that my horses are absolutely rotten, because I don't think they'd be so entertaining if they were perfectly behaved. While I could do without Cole eating my nice bridles, martingale, Riley's halter, etc., his antics, as well as Riley's, are pretty darn adorable.

I'm thankful that John puts up with me, and that instead of being intimidated by the horses or trying to maintain a good distance from them, he has taken up riding. I'm not sure what amazes me more- the fact that he comes to the barn with me on weekends (when I spend way too much time out there), or the fact that after spending too many weekends at the barn, he doesn't mind spending the weekend at a horse show (and helping to groom and keep me in one piece!).

Finally I'm so, so thankful to have such an awesome family. My parents are unbelievably supportive through both the good times and the bad. Some parents are ambivalent, but I'm so thankful that mine genuinely enjoy having horses as a part of our family and care about them as much as I do. 

Oh, and one last thing. I think the boys are both pretty thankful that I did make them craft hoof-turkeys and write down what they're thankful for! (We all know they're a bit ungrateful- after all, they work hard and deserve all the love, treats and care they get!)