snowsnowsnow

It is such a good thing I am preggo in the winter, I think if it were summer (or even a normal winter) I would be very frustrated with things I want to do but shouldn't.

I really miss riding, I don't want to ride because it is uncomfortable and I feel all discombobulated but I miss being able to ride. I am hoping we get an early spring, the plan is to start lunging Joy and building up her topline while I bond with Baby and adjust to new mamaness, then I want to start getting her on trailrides especially the hill work as that is so amazing for increasing fitness and getting her hind end strong. Joy really responds better to training when she is physically fit, I guess all horses do but with her low frustration tolerance it really pays off to have her body strong while we are working on new things, especially dressage.

So right now Joy is at a good weight, Baby Horse is a little ribby (just had a growth spurt) and Poppy is annoying me with her disinterest in eating a lot. If I just had one I could put more hay out but I am going to have to add in an extra midday hard feed, otherwise Joy will get fabulously pudgy and Poppy will waste away while going "maybe I'll eat in a minute", so going to pull Joy out of the paddock and toss her some hay or something while the others get a tasty mix of alfalfa pellets, oats, rice bran and a little beet pulp so it sticks together. I am also giving up on them ever eating the Grostrong Minerals, and will order another vitamin/mineral supplement soon. I am thinking of putting Joy on Glanzen Complete since she did well on it last summer but if I can find flax seed cheap somewhere I might do that with a vitamin/mineral supplement instead as it is more economical.

I realized yesterday we had very little baby clothes in the teensy sizes, so then I went to a second hand shop and got some really cute stuff. It was fun, but took some time since a lot of baby clothes are really horrible, I wonder why parents are so freaked out by someone thinking their kid is the opposite sex, like the baby cares.

Going to spend some time on house stuff, been slacking recently. I will have plenty of time to take a bath tonight since Friday is the day when horrible teenage boys come over and argue loudly while playing poker, hiding in the bath is my usual defense and it works very well.

goals and the upcoming year

Since it is January and I don't feel like folding clothes I thought I would post about goals. I am not the type of person who likes making New Year resolutions, I think if you are going to make a change it needs to come from within and be attainable, so I guess a resolution like "I am going to my body healthier" is more my style then the infamous "I am going to lose ten pounds" type resolution.

Looking back at this post I did in the summer (before I knew I was pregnant) I think my goals were pretty reasonable, taking lessons, trying to get to another show and improving my fitness and Joy's dressage. Of course shortly after that post I found out I was preggers, we had some financial restraints and our infamous "move in while looking for a house and stay for fucking ever" house guests happened. In short life happened and while I am not disappointed in myself I do wish finances were not an issue, I still rode and worked on Joy's fitness and training and feel we got a lot accomplished even if it wasn't quite how I pictured it.

So basically my goals for 2012
-I want the remainder of my pregnancy and labor to be uneventful
-I want to have a healthy and happy baby
-Get myself and Joy fit
-improve Baby horse's ground manners (not human Baby that would be silly)
-get Poppy started under saddle and make preparations to sell her
-improve Joy's dressage (biggies are balance and relaxation)
-Have some lessons to get experience and feedback on our training
-Make it to at least two horse trials
-continue improving pasture and fencing (love my husband)
-set up better arena space (see above)
-have fun!

On a poneh health front everyone is doing great, weight is good for all three. The weather has been freakish and we are back to mud mud mud so I haven't taken any recent pictures. I can't get them to touch the GroStrong minerals that I was trying to feed free choice, so have been mixing the appropriate amount in with the morning feed of beet pulp and rice bran. I don't think I will buy them again since the primary component is salt (which they already get free choice, they especially enjoy the Himalayan rock salt) and they have no interest in eating the stuff free choice and if they won't touch it then it defeats the purpose of offering it. Planning on putting Joy on some Glanzen Complete since she did well on it last year and looking into joint supplements, at least will try some msm.

On the Me health front Baby and I are doing good, still having a surprising amount of sleepiness, I feel kinda lame because I get so tired, I feel like all I do is eat and sleep right now. I think giving myself permission to be tired helped, I don't feel as guilty for "not getting as much done" and I am doing something, I'm growing a person! I found making a big list of the things that have to be done and doing one thing off the list everyday helps, makes me feel more accomplished and less overwhelmed.

I'm also doing a lot of research on hospital births and procedures although I am going with the nurse midwives at a birth center it is different then doing it at home and I want to be educated. My midwife says everything looks great and is really supportive which is so nice since I had to take a "parent education class" through the health center and it was all "of course you want an epidural, they are totally wonderful and safe!" Out of the 15 women there only three of us were going with midwives, I guess I didn't realize how pervasive the modern birth attitudes are, I really don't believe giving birth should be like an illness or trauma that has to be interfered with. I have time but I think it is best to figure out what I want now.

baby needs tasty noms and so do ponehs so I better go feed myself and critters :)

Since today I seem to be really accomplished at drinking coffee and reading blogs. I thought I would update my blog! amazing. Spring has sprung here (yay) cold night but no snow (yay) and the daytime temps are up, horses are now in the back part of the pasture so I can clean up Joy's amazing poop mountain and continue dejunking (part of horse paddock was in a previous life where the farm stuff went to die, so stuff like tyres occasionally surface) The pleasures of having horses at home, I also need more hay, grow! stupid grass grow.

Ponehs are shedding like mad, especially the baby, Joy has been shedding for like a month. Joy is looking good but baby is a little thinner then I like and has really dry skin so she is going to be getting some Glanzen Complete , I am thinking because she had such a big parasite load in the beginning that she can really benefit from the extra vitamins and minerals. Dani is also going to be getting some new feed since she is a picky beast and dislikes the Dumor Mare and Foal (it was on sale at work) I am trying her on Triple Crown Growth next I think. Joy is certain Dani's baby food is the tastiest thing ever and I have caught her laying down and stretching under the fence in order to steal some, Joy doesn't realize that sweet feed is like rocket fuel and I don't enjoy a bitchy mare who. spooks. at. absolutely. everything.

Took Joy out for a trail ride Saturday, she was good although I was less then amused by my human companions... I rode her bareback day before yesterday and after a little complaining she accepted contact and carried herself nicely, there might be some hope!

My dear, long suffering and understanding husband wants to put plants in my field, this is an issue. But he is going to build me proper jumps, wheeeeeeeeeeee........... so all is forgiven.

J: you can plant flowers here

Me: that would be nice

J: We used to have a garden there, on that flat spot, nice fertile soil.

Me: you mean my arena?

J: yeah.

Me: noooooooo, mine, my arena, mine.

J: we could just peel the fence back a bit and you would still have that part

Me: you mean the hilly part and the wood pile?

J: yeah

Me: no fucking way, mine mine mine mine

So instead maybe I will plant a garden next the fence, where Joy will reach under the fence like a ninja and eat everything.

Now I am going to get dressed, pretend to be an adult and get some shit done. Like brush the horses for the millionth time, and apparently have horse hair for lunch because the stuff is insidious.

I went to take pictures of Ninja Joy for hilarity purposes, to my disappointment she stood there and ate her alfalfa cubes sedately like a good girl instead of being a Sweet Feed Ninja. Bitch.