November, really?

Getting on to winter, the feel in the air has changed.

Had a good Halloween, went to a party as The Green Fairy, funnily enough the corset didn't fit three day later so my timing was good. The picture was taken at 1am, so I am more then a little faded but my makeup looked really good.

We are heading up to the bridge tomorrow to visit with family and friends who are driving down from the Upper Peninsula. Should be fun, going to be camping at a friend's cabin in the woods, I am so excited to see my mom and sister. Joe is heading out for work next week and it might be just me and the critters, which is ok but I will miss him. He will be missing the ultrasound as well which really bums me out.

Ponehs are getting fuzzy, Joy is pretty fat. I should take some recent pictures. I put Baby and Poppy on Triple Crown Lite which they seem to like, Joy is getting TC Senior since it lower in starch and I need to wait and see how she does on it. Just been trailriding lately, which is relaxing but I feel a little guilty since I am not working on anything special, but then I go "oh yeah, I'm pregnant and this is just fine"  I do need to improve her "dressage under distraction" before next show season though.

I need to go to bed, we are going to have an early start tomorrow.
So not the most exciting post ever.

There is a baby in there!

The baby has a heartbeat, which is pretty cool. Dr appointment went okay, got to have lots of poking around in my girly bits and so far everything is normal. Nurse midwives were nice but I felt slightly guilty about forgetting to use deodorant, I showered yesterday (and we have hot water again, yay!) but I rode yesterday afternoon and forgot to use deodorant this morning when I was rushing out the door, so I stank. Ultrasound in November, which I'm hoping Joe can come to,that would be sweet.

There are guys Joe knows from hockey picking up wood from the horse paddock, they really pissed me off when they first got here and while I am glad they are picking up wood, I wish they would go away. He gave me attitude when I pulled up and was told they were here for the wood and I said he would have to wait until I got the horses sorted out.

I really dislike riding gaited horses, does that make me weird? I took HiT out on the two mile loop yesterday, she was excellent. She is so out of shape though and really can't handle much, I would say she a good 100 pounds overweight, All cresty and bulgy. Other then a couple spooks and not standing still for mounting she did fine for her first time out in ages. She doesn't look like a Tennessee Walker,she looks like a Morgan or Quarter cross but her gait is comfy I guess. Gaited horses are weird, everyone like them since they are smooth but give me a regular horse any day, I know how to post. With a gaited horse I feel like the back and front halves are totally disjointed and crooked and like there is a hinge right at the girth, I also feel behind the motion in a weird chair seat.

I am going to head out again with her this afternoon,  Since her owner primarily trail rides I want to make sure she is really confident. I think I will take Joy out after as she needs to be fitted up a bit, I finally got the Chambon so I am excited to try it on her and see if it makes a difference with her neck position. Gonna have to punch holes in it though first, she is so teensy.

Gosh, I need to do pilates and take a bath, my back is tight. ok horses first.

I squeal at you now!

Listening to the sounds of horses yelling at each other over the fence, since I took a horse in for some training. She seems to be settling in well although Joy keeps charging the fence and sliding to a stop while threatening to bite new horse. New horse gets to go on lots of trail rides and Ruth gets some money.

We finally sold chickens! which is three different kinds of awesome. I put up the same ad on craiglist and suddenly everyone wanted them, we sold 22 in a weekend. So nice to have some money from them and we got to bring home the ones we are keeping from my FiL's coop.

Hot water heater is out and the guys are working on it, we have had the worst luck this summer with those things. Joe had to come save me when I went to pick up HiT (Horse in Training) since I am incapable of backing the trailer up, which is quite sad and embarrassing, I don't know what is wrong with me.

I need a nap.

My baby chicks are all growed up

I have learned I am very bad at taking pictures of chickens. Some of my chicken pictures turned out like this

Mob scene

And some turned out like this

awkward chicken foot

Only a few turned out like this

Pretty Black Australorp

We finally moved our birds out and can sell the surplus, I was hoping to have more Easter Eggers to sell but Joe loves them all. I got an ad posted and I guess we will see what happens. Had a hawk swoop down and snatch a hen, decapitated it and left it there, I am not happy about that, I dressed it out but there is hardly anything there so will probably let Sadie have it.

Took Miss Joy for a trail ride yesterday, she was a good girl but very forward and happy to be out. Her canter has improved so much this year, with all the trail riding up hills and jumping, I really feel like she is much more balanced now. But about halfway through I got really dizzy and was likely pushing it but I went home and took a nap so it balances out right? Still feeling not great and have been sick for over a week. Also got out to the feedstore yesterday and got to chat with a friend so that was nice.

Lots more to do today but seriously feeling the need to rest more now, so nap time happens.

idonotneedaprojecthorse

I found a cute mare online today, Arab/Saddlebred cross, registered half arab, 15hh and three years old. I like her :)

I have been thinking about adding another horse to the herd, primairly to have another riding horse so I could go on trail rides with people (since Dancer is still a bit off from that!) A friend of mine is talking to me about taking her arab/quarter mare on a lease, which would be great since I have worked with the mare and really enjoy her.

But getting a project horse right now might be a good move, I have time ot work with one and it would be excellent to have a nice horse to sell in the spring (as long as I sell and don't just keep everyone because I love them) Plus I am really good at retraining and starting horses.

I think I will crunch the numbers and figure out basic costs before I commit, plus I should wait until Joe gets home or he will never leave me alone again.

Red Mare


Cute!



Cranky red mare.



Good weekend

It is hot again! yesterday was a scorcher but we still got tons done, got my corner posts set for the arena and a lot of pasture weed whipped.We had a lot to do since it rained everyday last week! But pasture maintenance got me thinking about boarding I have friend who have had nightmare experiences with boarding, on both ends. Horse people tend to be absolutely great or crazy avoid like the plague. As much as I love having my horses home, There are advantages both ways. Biggest thing is when you have limited time you often have to sacrifice ride time for care time.

I was lucky enough to board with some really awesome people before I got my own place, the first place I had Joy was a boarding and lesson barn, some of my friends had issues getting the barn owner to do extra feedings and such but it worked out fine for us since I was working off my board and spent a lot of there, Joy was happy in the big fields. The next place I took her to was a friend's farm and that worked out awesome, this friend has a really nice, small setup, with a great barn and safe pasture. I was super happy to leave Joy in the hands of such a knowledgeable and capable horse person, I felt totally comfortable with everything even when I was several states away, in West Virginia.

In other news I went trail riding with eventing friends Sunday, It was super fun! I really had a great time and Joy was a good girl despite some minor teleporting.We rode to the river, it was super high from all the rain we have been having and felt so nice after a hot sweaty ride. I love riding with eventers (at least these ones) since they can ride and we can do all the things I love such as gallop up hills, they don't yell at me if my horse spooks and don't randomly tale off without saying anything. Eventing friend brought me a present, Joy boots! so we are basically set for a show if I can scrounge a vest. Very exciting!

I should have done my outside stuff this morning, when it wasn't crazy hot. I swear my brain has fallen out I keep going to do something, forgetting what I am doing in the middle and wandering around. It is supposed to be up to 90 today, blergh.

I should go get Popsicles :)

River pic from last year :)

Hurray for proper Spring type days!

Today was beautiful out and Joy and I had a nice trail ride. Did some trail blazing through the brush and a lot of hill work, she was slightly sweaty but not a lot. Felt good just to out and moving, I am super tight in the back though, cantering was painful so I am gonna beg a massage tonight :) I got a vine wrapped around the back of my neck when I was ducking through so brush, damn near ripped me off Joy and I have a lovely rope burn (vine burn?) scrape on the back of my neck. Other then that went well her canter is getting much more consistent and balanced, which is exciting.

Buns are doing super, eating solid food and nursing well. My friend came over a few nights ago to help feed and that was fun, last night my stepson got in on the feeding action. You can't help but gush on how cute they are. I freaked out this morning because half of my right thumb is numb so I called my mom, According to my mom I have a numb thumb from feeding baby bunnies, apparently a nursing related stress injury. I think it is very funny.
 

Little beasts are now cute enough to take over the world.

Looking forward to a nice weekend, plans include riding, getting boys eyes checked, cleaning up the pasture (seems never ending!) celebrating Beltane and hanging out :)

Despite a killer headache and a mild fever I still managed to get a ride in today. We did the two mile loop in the park, Joy was excellent, quick off my leg and responsive. I am lucky to have such nice trails so close, they are nicely rolling hills for most of it and not too rocky so great for getting a horse in shape. She stays fit fairly easy though and takes a lot to make her sweat, generally only happens if she is nervous so she might make a good endurance horse. Today she was hot hot hot but in her normal "lets go!" way and not in a pissy "I hate everything especially you because I am not doing what I want" way.

Dear Clinic Organizers,
You said on the application that you would be posting the clinic schedule and ride times on April 14th, It is now April 14th and I have checked your website more times then I care to admit for fear of looking obsessive and unbalanced. Please post the ride times soon or I might cry and/or spend the rest of the day checking your website and feeling sad.
Love, The Only Slightly Obsessive Person Who Will Hopefully Enjoy Your Clinic.

Both boys are napping and the pressure cooker is going, so dinner before eight, which is better then yesterday. I love my pressure cooker! I can forget all about making dinner all day and then throw some random hunk of frozen meat in it, dump in a few veggies and dinner happens. So cool.

Fall Riding.
We just got back from a great trail ride, nearly four hours. Mainly walking but we cantered up some good hills. I took Joy into the woods and popped over a couple logs while my friends waited, she is getting so bold over jumps (as long as they look like logs, painted stuff freaks her out, gotta work on that)

Also need to work on her not booking it when the horse in front of us takes off at a gallop, and better stopping in that situation.

So glad the weather is nice right now, I am not ready for winter to be upon us.