Finally, Another Ride

Sorry, no pictures from yesterday because I was on my own and it was pretty grey out/too dark for nice photos.

The fog still hasn't really lifted but when I got to the barn to groom Ms Gingersnap, it was immediately apparent that someone needed a job. She was being a little ignorant about standing tied or even just generally standing still or paying attention to anything except where here boyfriend was. Granted, patience is not one of her virtues, but I was still annoyed. To give her her due, she's come along really far from the horse that used to scare people by doing all sorts of crazy acrobatics while somehow never pulling on her tie ring. These days, she's normally only a bit fidgety if I leave her alone for a while and she gets bored. Yesterday, the constant moving around looking for her friend was a little much. Having had a really herd bound horse once before, it's not something I care to repeat or encourage in Ginger :)

So, off we went to the ring. Drama pony was on full show. I think she was pretty much "I can tell my owner is annoyed even though she's trying to hide it! So now I'm pretty sure she is taking me somewhere far far away to beat me and murder me and bury me in an unmarked grave. I'll never see my boyfriend again!!!!"  Which meant she was super spooky and silly and lunging consisted of her trying to run away from me for the first couple of minutes.

Sulking, post ride :)

Then, magically, the pony got her brain back, let out a big sigh and got to work. Dare I dream to hope that she's finally maturing? I hopped on and had a short walk/trot ride. Ginny was still pretty spooky and worried, but she did alright considering the road alongside the ring was very busy and some horses came and went at one point. I'd expect a lot of horses would be worried because of the way the trees and bushes are between the ring and the road - they screen it, but you can still partly see through now and then. So something catches their eye, then they can't actually see it for a bit until the next break in the bushes. For Ginger this of course means there are zombies or something lurking and waiting to pounce :)  All in all, we did alright and I was happy with our little outing. I have our first lesson back set up for next week - how exciting!

Fog Off! (And Sold Horse Update)

I'm feeling all impatient because we've been fogged in for the better part of 3 days now. Normally it's not a big deal, but since there is no ring at the barn or direct trail access, I'm left riding on the road to get anywhere. It's a busy road and I don't feel like little bay mare and myself would be overly safe or visible in such dense fog. I'm shopping for a reflective quarter sheet right now and ready to push the button to buy a dressage saddle too/ (and a trailer! - ha ha, just kidding, G! But please don't act surprised if a saddle really does arrive in the mail )

I keep reminding myself that it's not a big deal and I need to remember to be grateful to be able to ride outside in the winter at all.  Still, the fog can move along any day now.

I spent part of the afternoon attempting to teach Ginger to come when she's called (ha! good luck, right?). The pasture is huge and I am lazy. I appear to have taught the barn cat to come for nothing more than a pat (she declined my offer of a carrot), but that's been the limit of my success so far. How's that for a super exciting update? ;)

At least she looked up from eating?

Barn kitty is much more obedient.

As for my last post, there seems to be a whole ton of horse person drama with the entire story. Makes me sad and really disappointed, actually. The good news is it sounds like things are going to work out for Sold Horse. Oh, and I'm never selling again. I don't do drama unless it comes in cute Welsh Cob form.

Cute. But crazy :)

When You Sell...

(And NO, not a post about Ginger - I'm not selling Ginger!)

How long do you feel responsible for a horse's well being? I found out this morning that a horse I owned and sold many years ago ended up going from the home I sold her to, to a possibly not-so-great situation just a few months ago. Truth or no, just the thought of it makes me feel queasy. I'm going to find ex - horse help if she needs it.  (Sorry for the vagueness, but as this is all rumor I'm keeping this post deliberately generic with no names or descriptions. She's just a good girl who deserves a most excellent retirement, as they all do.)

So, all I can think about tonight is ex - horse and whether she is ok. I have many friends that sell horses to great homes and just don't worry about it beyond that. Other friends keep their horses for life because they want to be sure their horse always has good care. I've been more middle of the road and sell if the situation warrants it and I find a great match, but I do like to keep tabs on my old horses whereabouts. The gossip today partly made me wish I was one of those people who just keeps them all, no matter how unrealistic that would have been for me at the time.

What about you? Are your horses with you for life, or have you bought and sold a few as your (and your horses) needs change? Have you ever stepped in and taken an old horse back/found them a safe place to land?

This photo has nothing to do with horses. The beach was quite foggy and peaceful this afternoon. Zen is good before bed :)

Ride #2

In pictures...mostly :)

Come on, lets go do something! I love how she is always happy to see me.

More mane pulling/taming wasn't what she had in mind...but a little bit each day is the easiest way to do it - we're just about there!

Walk and trot each way for 5 minutes or until pony is suitably focused.

Steady your nerves and hop on. White knuckles in photo sadly somewhat accurate. 

Relax and enjoy :)

I was pretty darn nervous for our first 'real' ride back, I won't lie. I always battled a bit of nerves when we got outside our comfort zone in lessons or a show, but this was unreal :( I think it's because I feel like I'm quite out of riding shape and not as secure in the tack as I should be. The good news is time and miles should fix that :) I'm forever grateful that Ginny is a kind soul and would never think to take advantage of me. She really needs a confident, secure rider, but today she was quite forgiving of me and just held her breath with me and relaxed when I did :) We did a few laps at the walk and then a couple of spirals and serpentines each way over some ground poles. Just enough for us to get in tune with our steering and brakes and play a bit with marching forward on the bit. It's really amusing in a way - these first two rides remind me so, so much of a first ride on a baby, except this time I'm older and more nervous and the pony student is a genius and suddenly knows everything after the first reminder :) I'm so, so happy with her today - particularly as she's still in heat and crazy for her pasture mate!

Weekend Happenings

G and I had a super busy weekend somehow. I did manage to visit Ginger both days and we even DID things. Crazy, I know!

On Saturday I was feeling grouchy because it seems like every weekend is filled with social obligations and I just wanted a time out. Plus it was running out of daylight to get to the barn or go for a run. It got to the point where it was either going to be one or the other, so I figured I'd live dangerously and go for a run WITH Ginny. Such a great idea and so happy I brought her, because she's so well behaved on a lead it's no trouble at all to bring her with me. No one even looked at us funny since she just jogs along beside me like a giant dog. We went up the same road as last weekend, except this time it seemed even busier. When we got to the top of the road near the entrance to the trail network, someone on a neighbouring property shot at something and it was LOUD. Seriously! I was more scared than Ginger, whose normal operating routine is to assume the worst so that when something bad or scary ACTUALLY happens she sort of just rolls with it. Thanks to adrenaline, I ran faster than normal and we only made it about 10 minutes or so into the trails before Ginny was huffing and puffing next to me. It would seem I'm fitter than my horse - is that even possible? We walked most of the way home and got back to the barn late and in the dark, but it was so worth it - my day was redeemed and I think Ginny enjoyed herself too.



Sunday, I tacked Ginger up for the first time in 9 months or so. She was convinced she had never worn tack before and was even pretty worried about the fact I was wearing a helmet. I'm sure it was just Ginger drama, but I'll get her checked out if her stress levels continue to stay high.

Seahawks colors saddle pad was a particular problem for her. Perhaps the Broncos are more her team?

 I just took my time until she seemed confident with each step. No big deal, she's probably been thinking she won the horsey lottery and is finished with the whole working thing. After a short session on the ground to remind her that her attention belongs on me and NOT her boyfriend, I pulled out the mounting block and hopped on. That's not as brave as it sounds because I had G leading me to start :) I could feel we were both a little unsteady and unsure of each other, so his being there was reassuring for us both. After a couple of laps, we were both feeling a little more confident and I called it good since pony was tired and sweaty - mentally it was a pretty huge day for us both and her fitness level is pretty abysmal. We'll try to get out for a short walking trail ride in the next day or two and work up to a normal routine gradually. I know horses on lots of pasture supposedly maintain some level of fitness, but Ginny's is terrible and this weekend's adventures tired her right out, poor thing.

Sweaty, sad pony considers herself violated.

Wait, Wait! I've Changed My Mind!

In my previous post I was all "Oh yeah, I'm awesome and I have everything I ever wanted la la la...I especially don't need $100000 for horses!"  Then, an hour later (and for the rest of the day) I got about a million frantic texts re: workplace drama and can I please quickly help with this problem, just this once? These are my ex coworkers at the engineering/tech job. So glad I'm not there! I decided on the spot I never want to work again (ha ha) and more importantly, that I needed more fantasy money to cheer myself up.

I saw the awesomeness that was everyone elses blogs and was like "Yeah, clinics and shows would be fun....ohhh that IS a pretty truck and trailer....sweet tack...etc" But still, I decided to leave my original post up. Then, while perusing the real estate listings this morning, I saw this:

Want

I informed G I was selling our current home and buying this little acreage and barn. I'll stay at home and garden and sell eggs or something, I don't know. Apparently I'm not totally over the whole own-our-own-farm-and-live-happily-ever-after fantasy. So, with my fantasy $100k I am building a cool barn for my fantasy acreage. And buying all the stuff in the other post too! Ha, take that, bad day! But wait. I'm not done yet! Maybe I need to do a post with a $1000000 budget :)

In real life news, the Therapy horses are all as cute as ever, I've picked up even more hours at the barn, and best of all, Ginger continues to come back to a 'real' schedule quite nicely. She's still the crazy pony we all know and love, but I'm pretty sure she is enjoying having a bit more purpose.

Tuesday saw a visit from her new farrier (a teeny tiny non intimidating lady with a Welsh accent - perfect for anxious Welsh Cob mares :) Ginny was pretty concerned about this new person actually touching her but she managed to keep a lid on it and ended up doing quite well. I think this farrier is a keeper - she loved Ginger even with Ginger being her full on drama llama self.

Yesterday saw some more of this:

Walking! Working my way up to taking a non-blurry photo while lunging her at a trot ;)

Then, today I found a pony who has gone from "Geldings are SO gross and icky!" to "I'm in LOVE, my boyfriend loves me, we cannot be parted, I must pee everywhere, la la la all I can think about is boys..." I just gave her an apple and opted not to deal with it. Ginger on a good day is...Ginger. Ginger in heat? I was praying it would somehow never happen lol.

Ginger's hunky boyfriend. He's a Morgan and really cute. He loved her at first sight. So romantic lol.

Took this pic of her on the opposite end of her paddock ignoring him last week about a minute after the one above of him looking longingly over the fence for her. Today she was glued to his side. Remember in the '30 Questions' post where I said if Ginny was a person she's be a super dramatic old school movie star? I stand by that :) 

We've tentatively planned a 'first ride back' for this Saturday. Not that it needs a ton of planning, I'm sure we'll be just fine. I'm just waiting for G to have a day off and so he can come give us both moral support - also it's just fun to share exciting things like this with him  :)

$10,000

I saw the latest post on All In asking what you'd do with $100000, which of course got me thinking. While I would LOVE $100000, it's simply not enough to do anything around here real estate wise. Since we already have new-ish vehicles that I'm happy with, and I'm pretty content just boarding, believe it or not I can't think of anything horse related I would spend that sort of money on. It would likely sit in the bank - how boring is that? (G would probably like to take the money and have a racehorse or something, but I'd be too cheap to let him :)

So, I'm going to play along but give myself $10000 to spend instead.

First off, I'd buy a trailer. Nothing fancy, and probably slightly used so I don't cry over the inevitable dents. Maybe a 6k budget for that. I can't believe I haven't bought one yet, to be honest - this last haul to get Ginger home cost $1200 at the end of the day, and we drove right past the farm on my way home from Alberta in a truck we specifically bought to tow a trailer. Sigh. I try not to think about it too much :(

Adventure MX 2H. From Trailswesttrailers.com

That leaves 4k.

I'd buy a dressage saddle. Since I'm super happy with my Stubben saddle on Ginger, I'd likely go with the same saddle in the dressage version, but I'd try others. Again, because I'm cheap and hate being the first to damage new expensive things, I'd go with used or demo and but have it custom fitted for Ginny. Lets go with a $1500 budget for that.

Stubben Juventus D. Stubbennorthamerica.com

We're down to $2500.

I'm going to spend the rest on taking G on a nice vacation. Not strictly horse related, I know...but he does support my horse obsession without question, thinks Ginny is the best, and has fed and mucked out more than a few times without complaint. The man deserves a vacation! I'd take him somewhere sunny and warm. Right now Curacao looks interesting, maybe stay a couple of weeks and do some island hopping and/or sailing. I see they also have horseback riding on the beach ;)

via Google images

When She is Good, She is Very Good Indeed

We finally had a break in the weather this morning. I feel like I've been away so much I'm not sure if this is 'normal' weather or as crazy as I feel like it is. Either way, we've had tons of monsoon like rain and high winds (anyone see the Seahawks game yesterday? - Like that!) day after day this past week.

Ginger had to have this happen the other day:

Let me out!

Because she was spending her days like so, and getting soaking wet and cold:

"Hi, sorry, can't stop, Cob Patrol sensing activity on the outside perimeter - must investigate!"

This morning, we finally got off the property. I opted to just take Ginger up the road to the community ring and back home in a big loop. It was about an hours walk, not counting the time spent at the ring. Since we are pushing 9 months without a ride,  I figured leading her it would be an easy and safe way to get her back into work, plus it would give her an easy introduction to the neighbourhood. It's sort of a mix of bigger working farms, some residential, and a whole lot of 'executive' homes with 5 acre lots/hobby farms. It's definitely as close to the country as you'll find around here, but still quite busy by any standard. There are tons of sights out there I'm pretty sure Ginger has never encountered!

There's huge shoulder on the road that everyone rides on, but still, the drivers were horrible and speeding past us - even accelerating before they were fully past us. Ginger was a bit spooky and looky but surprisingly the cars weren't an issue at all for her this morning - good pony! I would never claim she is 100% yet with traffic, but she was excellent today and would have fooled anyone into thinking she's done it a million times. It was only a short walk up to the ring, where I opted to lunge her. It was then I noticed the cars on the road sounded like they were doing highway speeds. So I guess they were slowing down for us after all?  The ring itself is small but decent, but there was a lot of weirdness going on up there in general - first off a peacock (I think?) going crazy in the bushes/trees next to the ring, then 4 or 5 dogs running around barking at some horses in a pasture next to us. So loud, and I was worried they were going to hurt one of the horses because they were obviously trying to chase the horses. It must be a common thing because the horses just ignored them. Next, some lady and a man were screaming "GO HOME" over and over. Ginger was perfect to lunge anyways. It was hard to restrain myself and keep things easy for her, because she was being super obedient and focused. She was probably on her best behaviour so I wouldn't leave her there! I think the people were yelling at the dogs, but I got weirded out and left with just a quick visit just in case they were screaming at me. Not sure I want to go back there, thank goodness I have a friend with a ring that lives equally as close!

Let's get out of here, this place is crazy!

Halting and standing quietly even with all the chaos going on around us. Sorry, no action shots - I'm having enough problems getting my coordination back lunging her without adding a camera to the mix :)

Our walk home was as uneventful as the walk there. We did a big loop because Ginger was obviously enjoying the outing. She was perfect to lead, and while she was obviously looking at things and concerned about some of it, she didn't put a foot wrong. Today would have been a challenge for her at any time, but I'm super impressed she handled it so well after so much time off. I think I'm going to be totally fine to just get on and start out with some short rides in the very near future :)

Finally, here's a photo of how my day started. I had to return home partway through my run to fix this. Happy to say things improved from there lol

Someone needs to go back to kindergarten. And it's not Ginger.

30 Things...

1: If your horse could talk what would they say? What would they be like?
I always imagine Ginger to be one of those female leads in an old black and white movie. You know the ones...where every word is spoken with the highest amount of drama/emotion possible. But they're just asking what the man wants for dinner or something :)

2: If you were a horse, what would you look like (color, markings, etc), what discipline would you do, and what would you be like to ride?

I would be a short and stocky cob like pony. Easy going, but fun.

3: How many barns have you ridden at?
Lots, too many to count - I've moved around more than the average person for work, school, etc. As far as boarding, not so many since I had the horses at home for a long time - maybe 4 or 5?

4: What kind of bay do you prefer? (bright bay, blood bay, etc)
I'd have a darker bay with 4 whites and a blaze. Oh wait... I pretty much have that :)

5: Can you braid a horse's mane? Tail?
I can do the dressage button type braids pretty well...hunter braids  not so much...tails...I wish!

6: Do you believe that you have to fall off in order to be a good rider? I think a few falls usually indicate you've put in some serious time and challenged yourself, so yes falls are probably an inevitable part of becoming a good rider. I think realistically a lot of us would be bolder/better riders without the falls though!

7: What do you think is more important: eq or effective riding?Effective riding is most important - but in most cases proper eq IS effective riding
   
8: Are there any "horse couples" at your barn? 
Where I board, the farm owners are married. She owns a horse, but still works. He's retired so does the barn chores.

9: Favorite treat to feed your horse?Apples/carrots/bananas. Easy and cheap and Ginny loves them!

10: Silly quirks your horse has. 
Everything. Silly and quirky define her :)

11: Strangest thing you've fed your horse.
 She ate last years Halloween pumpkins
 
12: Have you ever made any horse friends through the internet?I've connected with a few people in real life via our local horse club facebook group.

13: Would you buy horse furniture?Probably not - maybe for the barn?

14: Funniest horsey moment
  My rescue QH, Rusty was full of funny moments. One time I had company over and called him. He came running and was whinnying and my company were like 'wow, he's like a movie horse!'. Then he took the corner from the pasture into the paddock and completely wiped out on his side. He got back up and pretended nothing happened, but the 'movie horse' illusion was kind of ruined.

15: Post a picture of your horse (or any horse) making a silly face that you got on camera!

16: What's a moment with horses that you wished you caught on camera?

So many. I hate photos of myself and tend to avoid them, but as I get older, I wish I had photos of myself and my horses at memorable shows and events.

17: How old was the youngest horse you've met?

Brand new. I've boarded at a couple of places that breed
18: How old was the oldest horse you've met?

There was a little skewbald pony where I used to ride who was in his 40's. He had no teeth and ate mush but was still super sassy!
 
19: Opinion on colorful tack? (like red or blue)
Not for me.

20: Have you ever tried horse treats? Hay? 

Yes, that COB stuff with the molasses. We were SO hungry. It wasn't that great though.

21: Have you ever felt like giving up on a horse? 

Yes, and I have.  I think everyone needs to recognize their limitations. I'd rather find the horse the perfect home or trainer than persist on my own if it's unsafe or simply not working out. It's cliche, but they all deserve to be special to someone :)

22: Tell the story about the horse that you first felt "click" immediately with you (and if you can't remember, most recent)
I don't think there's ever been an instant "click" for me. It takes a little longer to build into something special. It's probably just me though, I'm like that with people too and knew G for a number of years before I ever dated him.
23: Ever ridden side-saddle? How was it?
No - we used to pretend as kids but it was bareback (and difficult)
 
24: Most interesting place you've ridden at. 
Can't think of anything super interesting - standard vacation rides on the beach and in the Rockies maybe. A memorable gallop across a golf course as a kid? (Don't do it - they WILL find you! ;)

25: What kind of horse do you like? (sport, stock, endurance, etc)
 Welsh Cobs! Also a weakness for thoroughbreds and morgans.

26: Do you feel like you have more patience with horses than people?
Yes definitely. If Ginger was a person, she'd be the kind of over emotional and needy person I steer well clear of. Since she's a horse I have endless patience.

27: Is the horse you ride very vocal?
Ginger is quiet. Lainey was really loud when I rode until I had enough and started to get after her for it. Then she starting doing this weird noise kind of under her breath that sounded like she was DYING. G always said it sounded like she was whinnying but her 'batteries were dying' LOL

28: Ever ridden in the sunset? 
Of course! And the sunrise too the other morning - never thought I'd say that!

29: How do you like a horse's mane? (roached, pulled, long, etc)
Pulled
  
30: What is your dream name for a horse?  

Not telling! I'm saving it for a special horse needing a name.

Horse, horses, horses...blah blah blah

There is a small herd of minis that meet me at the gate and swarm me, so here some of them are, welcoming you! They never fail to make me happy.

Our weather has been really nasty the past few days, with storm after storm rolling in from the Pacific. That makes for wet and miserable mornings at the Therapeutic Riding barn and sort of drains my desire to actually do anything after work except go home and have a hot meal and shower. I've turned weak from too many months at a desk job!

Therapy horses enjoying a roll and a nap with a break in the weather this morning. Chestnut with the blaze "Ty" is my potential riding buddy should I find the time.

Of course, I suck it up and visit Ginger every day - her barn is only about a 15 minute drive from the one I work at, and hey, this is GINGER we're talking about. Normal rules don't apply and showers can wait.
The weather is almost a blessing in disguise as it's stopping everyone from riding and giving Ginger some quiet time at the barn, which I think she needs in order to really settle. She's still not eating all of her meals and is drinking her water kind of randomly - she's drinking the right quantities, but she gets busy watching things or exploring for hours on end and I think sort of forgets she needs to eat and drink. Then, she must suddenly realize she's hungry/thirsty and eats a pile of hay and drinks an entire bucket of water. She still won't spend time in the barn unless someone is in there. I'm not super worried because it's only been a couple of days and she's always a big worrier when things change even slightly. This was another big change for her so I expect it will be a week at least before she really feels at home and lets her guard down a bit. I was there about an hour ago and she was racing around the pasture and having a great time splashing through puddles and spooking herself, ie acting like normal :). I didn't have the heart to interrupt her fun - particularly with turn out time being a bit limited due to the weather.

Drinking because I'm there to watch her back.

Weather permitting, we're going to get her out and about for a bit tomorrow. G came with me yesterday to say hi and she ran up to him and posted herself perfectly next to his right side like he was leading her. She continued to shadow him everywhere he went. He asked me if she was remembering that he takes her for walks and was asking to go for one. I was like "She remembers you for sure, but I'm not sure she's asking to go for a walk. She's kind of like a dog but not that much like one!" As we left she followed and he backed her up out of the way so we could close the gate behind ourselves. As soon as the gate closed, she spun around and ran off, bucking and being silly. Despite G's efforts to call her back, she stood at the far end of the paddock with her butt facing us. G is convinced now that she is pissed that he didn't take her for a walk :) I'm not so sure he isn't right.

So Happy!

I woke up this morning and it took a little while to sink in that Ginger is really and truly here :) I managed to show a bit of restraint and wait for a reasonable hour to head up to the barn. The weather is miserable today - not cold but raining hard, with rainfall warnings in place. Yuck.

Ginger's new pasture - off limits today due to the weather

 When I pulled into the barn, Ginger was waiting at the gate to meet me and say hi. She seemed just about as excited to see me as I was her! Sadly for me and my visions of recreating the Black Stallion movie, it became apparent that silly mare was extra excited to see someone because her breakfast was there waiting in her stall and she was too worried to actually go in there. Sigh. She's obviously been in a barn many times before, but I guess this one is new to her and therefore suspicious. We're back to the wild-pony-who-has-never-been-tamed routine, as she was soaking wet and muddy hanging out in her paddock eating random bits of greenery while the other horses were dry and cosy in their stalls eating a proper breakfast. Sad, cute pony obviously controls me because I went and put some of her breakfast closer to the door so she could eat.

It looks like she is stepping in, but really she's backing out. Silly girl.

About as far as she'll go on her own right now. I groomed her in her stall and she was quite content, but once I left she got all worried again. Food is a huge motivator for her so she'll probably be just fine tomorrow.

I gave her a good grooming, which she liked. She needs a good bath more than anything but with the weather and her already being suspicious of the barn I just called it good. I'll give her a day or two more to settle in to the barn and the routine before we get back to any sort of training/exercise. Besides, I had a big job today moving her mountain of belongings into the tack room :)

Long mane! What 8 months without pulling it gives you. Undecided whether it has possibilities or whether I will pull it again. Pulling = work, leaving it, not so much. But I do prefer the pulled look.

She does have a huge overhang outside her stall to hang out under if she wants, so I'm not overly worried that she didn't immediately love the barn.

She's here!

She finally arrived an hour ago, safe and sound. she settled in right away :) 

I was so excited I wanted to jump around, yell a bit, hug her a billion times, and then maybe cry a little too. Since she is Miss Gingersnap and she doesn't really go for any of those things, I just gave her a pile of hay and a neck scratch and turned her out in a paddock for the night to stretch her legs and have a time out :)

Pics and a proper post tomorrow...I'm off to bed - it's been a super long and stressful day.

What To Do While You Wait For Your Horse To Arrive

Adding a new post for CobJockey and the rest of the bored, snowed in people :)

We still have green grass around here in BC, but don't be too jealous since I spent from the beginning of October through December in a snowy winter wonderland in Alberta. Also it FROZE this morning. I had to break ice in the water troughs and everything ;) I've paid my dues for the year lol.

I have a ridiculous amount of nervous energy at the moment. I'm so excited for Ginger to arrive!

So, here's what to do while you wait (if you're me, of course)

1. Wake up super, super early, because that totally makes the wait seem less ha ha

2. It's still dark out, but you're so full of excitement you can't sit still and decide to head to work at the barn really early.

3. Get to the barn, go OCD on the whole thing. Also, check texts/emails compulsively with one hand while cleaning stalls with the other. Can sweep one handed too, FYI.

4. Barn and horses now sparkling. Multiple people annoyed by early morning texts re: Ginger's arrival and updated scheduling.

5. Drive home. Check email and home phone messages just in case anything changed in the 10 minutes I was driving.

6. Decide to stay home and not to go for a run or to the gym because what if someone calls re: Ginger and I miss the call? Maybe I shouldn't shower...on second though pretty sure that's horse poo on my neck from talking on the phone and shovelling at the same time. Horse poo on my iphone too. Sweet.

7. Shower - imagine I'm hearing the phone ringing. Check phone/email. Check blogs compulsively - surely there is something distracting?

8. All logic lost. Decide to eat Cheetos and leftover xmas treats for lunch. Because adding sugar to the fire just made sense at the time.

9. Reorganize Ginger's stuff one more time. Contemplate finishing tack trunk - but the sander is really loud and maybe I wouldn't hear the phone....decide to look on the Internet for horse gear - just to be sure Ginger needs nothing.

10. Check emails/phone/blogs......Oh hey, why don't I write something? :)

Cute pony of the day. He's my favorite at the barn

And apparently someone else loves him too! I love his new heart haircut :)

New Barn

We went for a visit this afternoon to Ginger's new digs and I'm very happy with the barn and the owners. Ginger will have a gorgeous stall with a nice dry run out paddock complete with her own tree, plus for a few hours every day she'll be turned out into a larger (I'm guessing 6-7 acre) pasture that looks really nicely cared for and mowed. There are plenty of additional paddocks and pasture, and even a trail network and a creek to play in right on the property. The owners have a beautiful new house near the creek and the whole place gives the impression of being very well cared for, horse friendly (and safe!). She's only going to be sharing the field with one other horse so she's going to have her work cut out for her eating all that grass! Her friend to be is a chunky little Morgan gelding the same age as her, which is nice because I suspect we are dealing with very similar horses as far as management and pasture turn out goes. Ginger will have a dry lot buddy in the summer lol.

The owners seem like really good people and I met another lady who lives across the road who is interested in getting together for trail rides. I know a few others in the neighbourhood (including someone with a nice all weather ring about a 5 min hack away). There's a great eventing coach that travels to the area pretty often, and the whole area has a laid back, low drama vibe - just what I'm looking for! G and I have been looking for property in the area for quite some time, so boarding there will be a good way to get a really good feel for the place :) I'm feeling really positive about this move.

In related news, I'm heading out for a trail ride this weekend! Yay for getting back in the saddle!

Many, many pictures to follow, I'm sure. Ginger arrives Tues afternoon!!

Happy New Year!

With G currently on night shifts and Ginger still waiting for her ride home, I did the only sensible thing last night and avoided a hangover by staying home to watch the George Morris clinic from Florida.
Link here.

I don't have any goals or resolutions per say, just the usual things I work towards every day - living every day to the fullest, keeping Ginger healthy and happy, appreciating every moment with G, and continuing to lead a healthier lifestyle. Those are the important things to me, and I think if I take care of them, everything else will fall into place.

Happy New Year, everyone. 2014 is going to be the best yet!