Because about two and a half weeks ago I threw the damn thing in the dirt...
That's when I realized that summer was over and I had fallen pretty short on my horse/riding goals for the summer....and that I was still far too fluffy for my liking....I guess that falls into my summer horse goals, but not directly horse related....but related non the less. Which then in turn is related to why I should throw my sucker in the dirt... (0:
I started out pretty good. Riding 4-5 days a week. Working on Fiona's start that she got from Brian and working on legging up Remi for "our" barrel runs that we were going to make this year.
Finding at long last a saddle/pad combo that worked for Remi...and then everything kind of went sideways. (All except the fluffy part....I never really got that "work" rolling at all....)
Remi had (what we guessed) was a stone bruise. That laid us up for about two weeks. That doesn't seem like much time off, but it was an interruption to my mojo that I really didn't over come.
Fiona has been off on the hind...her "good" hind, for about two weeks, and kept throwing a hind...her "bad" hind shoe until we decided to just go with fronts only... Jake said he guesses it was something she was doing while playing... She actually plays a lot. Wild child that she is! Then she got a poke on the left front that got infected and swelled up from ankle to elbow.
Then I pulled her out for a new set of shoes the first of August and she was lame on the right front. Yet another poke this one right over the tendon. Another two weeks of limping. I wonder if I need to invest in some bubble wrap for her?
Somewhere in all of this it got grossly hot. ( This was during and after my little jaunt on swing shift...) Working in an non-air conditioned shop with equipment that produces heat makes my work environment 10-15 degrees hotter inside than outside. I was coming home exhausted and was barely able to get the dogs ran and horses fed... Or so I felt and it seemed. I just had nothing to give as far as riding... I was done in. Ice water and air conditioning was all I could think about as I pulled into the driveway!
During all of that we were trying to get Horse Girl bred too... And things we not going well. So at the end of August/first of September, I really had my self a little pity party. As I was reminiscing to Mindy about my woe's it occurred to me that plenty of good stuff happened too. And I could either dwell on what I didn't get done OR be happy with what I did get done. I had a lot of "good things" happen too.
Fiona has came a long way, and although I still don't know if she can hold up to real riding, Brian liked her... And he does know stuff! (0: Fiona also had started complaining when I rode her the same way too many times in a row. She was actually happy if I shook things up. Even if that was riding through the trees along the road vs riding on the road. We trotted circles around mud puddles and used them to trot figure 8's and she actually enjoyed it. So now I know she is smart! Only a smart horse would protest the same routes! (0:
Remi and I have actually bonded and she has started a pretty good bond with Chad. Her breath holding is diminishing and her personality is busting through...and she is so enjoyable!
Her saddle and pad fit it now good! And although we didn't make it to a race this year, we are now speaking the same language and NEXT YEAR, we are going to do it!
Twin Willows Farm or the BRC let me help at their barrel races they hosted this year. And I loved it! I had no idea what it took to put a race on, and know that there is still more that I don't know. But I learned a lot. We had 40-50 racers in the open on each of the four days (two separate weekends) and everyone was nice, friendly, and accommodating. It was a great experience to be on Team Twin Willows if only for a couple of weekends!!
I also got to spend lots of time with the worlds cutest little boy! (0:
Got to spend time with my good friend Pat and her family. Her daughter is Miss Rodeo Idaho. Caitlin Thornton. She will be competing for Miss Rodeo America this year in Vegas!
Our appointment to see if Horse Girl took on her last hurrah is next week...Friday at 4:30 p.m. After that appointment I will finish up my You Can Buy One Cheaper with the results of her ultra sound...and fill you in on all the ups and downs...and of course money spent. Through all of this crazy fertility stuff, I met and befriended some really great people. People who you can trade animal stories with for hours...
I'm not going to lie, I'd love to have a Si Dude baby next summer, but if it's not in the cards for 2013, we will try and figure out something for 2014. These people are wonderful to work with. They REALLY go out of their way to do right by you and your mare.... And Terry actually sent me a text about a week after Horse Girl left and told me she missed her goofy antics and personality. I was so very happy to know that she truly did like my mare and enjoyed having her around.
So Seven has licked all of the big chunks off of my sucker, I've given it a quick swill in the water trough and popped the thing back in my mouth! (0:
I'll try and squeeze a few rides in on my girls as they start to hair up and make BIG plans for next year's riding season!!
Remi had (what we guessed) was a stone bruise. That laid us up for about two weeks. That doesn't seem like much time off, but it was an interruption to my mojo that I really didn't over come.
Fiona has been off on the hind...her "good" hind, for about two weeks, and kept throwing a hind...her "bad" hind shoe until we decided to just go with fronts only... Jake said he guesses it was something she was doing while playing... She actually plays a lot. Wild child that she is! Then she got a poke on the left front that got infected and swelled up from ankle to elbow.
Then I pulled her out for a new set of shoes the first of August and she was lame on the right front. Yet another poke this one right over the tendon. Another two weeks of limping. I wonder if I need to invest in some bubble wrap for her?
Somewhere in all of this it got grossly hot. ( This was during and after my little jaunt on swing shift...) Working in an non-air conditioned shop with equipment that produces heat makes my work environment 10-15 degrees hotter inside than outside. I was coming home exhausted and was barely able to get the dogs ran and horses fed... Or so I felt and it seemed. I just had nothing to give as far as riding... I was done in. Ice water and air conditioning was all I could think about as I pulled into the driveway!
During all of that we were trying to get Horse Girl bred too... And things we not going well. So at the end of August/first of September, I really had my self a little pity party. As I was reminiscing to Mindy about my woe's it occurred to me that plenty of good stuff happened too. And I could either dwell on what I didn't get done OR be happy with what I did get done. I had a lot of "good things" happen too.
Fiona has came a long way, and although I still don't know if she can hold up to real riding, Brian liked her... And he does know stuff! (0: Fiona also had started complaining when I rode her the same way too many times in a row. She was actually happy if I shook things up. Even if that was riding through the trees along the road vs riding on the road. We trotted circles around mud puddles and used them to trot figure 8's and she actually enjoyed it. So now I know she is smart! Only a smart horse would protest the same routes! (0:
Remi and I have actually bonded and she has started a pretty good bond with Chad. Her breath holding is diminishing and her personality is busting through...and she is so enjoyable!
Her saddle and pad fit it now good! And although we didn't make it to a race this year, we are now speaking the same language and NEXT YEAR, we are going to do it!
Twin Willows Farm or the BRC let me help at their barrel races they hosted this year. And I loved it! I had no idea what it took to put a race on, and know that there is still more that I don't know. But I learned a lot. We had 40-50 racers in the open on each of the four days (two separate weekends) and everyone was nice, friendly, and accommodating. It was a great experience to be on Team Twin Willows if only for a couple of weekends!!
I also got to spend lots of time with the worlds cutest little boy! (0:
Got to spend time with my good friend Pat and her family. Her daughter is Miss Rodeo Idaho. Caitlin Thornton. She will be competing for Miss Rodeo America this year in Vegas!
Our appointment to see if Horse Girl took on her last hurrah is next week...Friday at 4:30 p.m. After that appointment I will finish up my You Can Buy One Cheaper with the results of her ultra sound...and fill you in on all the ups and downs...and of course money spent. Through all of this crazy fertility stuff, I met and befriended some really great people. People who you can trade animal stories with for hours...
I'm not going to lie, I'd love to have a Si Dude baby next summer, but if it's not in the cards for 2013, we will try and figure out something for 2014. These people are wonderful to work with. They REALLY go out of their way to do right by you and your mare.... And Terry actually sent me a text about a week after Horse Girl left and told me she missed her goofy antics and personality. I was so very happy to know that she truly did like my mare and enjoyed having her around.
So Seven has licked all of the big chunks off of my sucker, I've given it a quick swill in the water trough and popped the thing back in my mouth! (0:
I'll try and squeeze a few rides in on my girls as they start to hair up and make BIG plans for next year's riding season!!
3 comments:
Hell of a busy summer you did have tho! Can't wait to hear if Horse Girl took.
I'd love to learn barrels too, might turn out I'm too big of a chicken though lol It just looks sooo exciting!
I totally understand the "interruption in your mojo" - happens to me too :)
The best laid plans of mice and men... I had a lot of plans go awry this year too, with Chickory going lame the day she was to be shipped to Texas, and finding out that my hoof care provider wasn't doing my horses any favours and learning to trim them myself. So I think I spent more time under my horses than on them!
Kellie- You should try barrel racing OR some other horse speed event! They are fun, but I am quite certain I don't ride as hard or fast as I used to. Matter of fact, the last race I went to (last year) a 70 year old man told me I'd take a good 2 seconds off my run if I'd give Remi her head going to the first barrel. But I felt like I was hauling! (0: If I could afford it, honestly I think I'd like to get into cutting or reining... But first I've got to win the lottery!
Shirley- I do love cheese! (0:
I admire your determination and get 'er done approach with your horses feet! Next year you'll be riding for sure!
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