I'm Fine, She's Fine, We're All Fine

 I haven't ridden Sophie since mid December and that's proving to be a bit of gossip fodder. Since bloggers and blog followers are the best, you all understand that sometimes life just happens and there's no drama to report. We're cool like that.

B doing her part to add a little interest to this post

S really, really needed a regular schedule (ideally 5 days a week or more) this winter, which I was struggling to provide given extra Christmas work hours and the lack of daylight/indoor arena to use. Then I fell (not her fault) and needed 3 weeks off. Finally, last week I was mucking out by flashlight at 5:00 in the latest monsoon, dodging falling tree branches, and I kind of just lost the will to live. 

OK, that's a bit dramatic :), but I've decided to let things sit for another couple of weeks until daylight is a bit more of our friend again and I can get out often enough to be fair to her. I have friend R lined up to ride her a couple of days a week as well, which should be very helpful.

That time before Christmas the sun came out a little

Anyway, I've been feeling kind of guilty because I had hoped to keep working hard this winter and put lots of miles on, but S is still quite green and silly due to lack of work. I know it's not cool to compare yourself or your horse's progress to others, but I'm human and I do look around and feel a little behind the norm (whatever that is!)  Add in a bit of gossip and pushiness and I get a bit frustrated. I'm an adult! Why do I still sometimes feel like I'm in high school?

Like an adorable, excitable puppy, this one.

I have still been riding Bridget of course, because she's just fine with a couple of days off then hacking down the road in the rain in the dark. I feel sometimes with the two of them the expectation is that S will eventually be like B, but they are two completely different beings. B pretty much came just as she is, the type you could probably pull out of a field 5 years from now and go for a jump school. But, as I learned, in a 5 day a week schedule she quickly becomes sour and unhappy - she really enjoys her down time.  That's why I went looking for something like S. So, again to the gossipers, I'm riding B because I'm lazy and it's easy to just pull her out of the field and go. S needs more time, because she's young. I haven't made the time, but I will once the days are a little longer - no conspiracy theories here.

Recent weekend outing with B

In other Bridget news, I've actually booked appointments! We are so far out at this point, but I've got an ultrasound booked with the traveling vet for mid May (along with teeth and vaccinations - I wouldn't have thought of it but doing teeth/sedatives after she's in foal isn't ideal and would have to wait for after baby). Anyway, the thinking is we will ultrasound, see where she's at, then either take her to Vancouver Island where the traveling vet works from, or she'll stay here and I'll have meds to short cycle her, then we'll take her over. This is all so new to me, so I was pretty happy when the vet mentioned having a package type deal that includes almost everything. I like having numbers to work with and being able to budget! 

I think B knows I'm planning something involving her

Another thing I of course hadn't thought of is that since we are doing AI from a stallion across the country she needs to be near-ish to a major airport. Luckily, she will be. I've got boarding arranged over there while the vet does her thing, then B will come back here and the vet will come to us for checkups, etc. I'm happy with this plan because it means B will just be away anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks and then she can come home until closer to foaling time. 

Final update: the neverending trailer saga. I just got a quote for a new one. Waiting to see when it will be in stock, tentative plan is to pick up in early April.