Double Entendre

I'm going to try something new. I'm going to try to do two separate posts per week. 

Sincere is not really a side note anymore, and letting him be a side note isn't really correct. He's doing just as much as Sinari in regards to training. It's hard enough trying to fit everything into one post so it's coherent, it's time for the split.

Plus he's really filling into his role as a dressage candidate.
 
After I settled Sinari in to her local digs, I was able to concentrate on Sincere and May, who were in desperate need of grooming and attention.

When I travel on the road to see my horses, certain bits of attention fall by the wayside to accomplish the overall goal of getting things done. May and Sincere, more often than not, find themselves with stretches of just hanging out. Finally I can spend a solid two or three hours grooming and training.

After I finished with May, including picking out burrs, trimming bridle paths and cutting witch's knots out, I started on Sincere who is going through an ADD phase.

Grooming is no issue for the young man, who is going to be fairly metro when it comes to his looks. Minus his socks, which were mud encrusted. I greased him down with liquid show sheen to keep the burrs out and began his leading lesson.

Sincere, for his age, leads and trots in hand pretty well. He ground ties and, for being young, isn't pushy. However stopping and turning not so much. Then there's the issue of the scary barn, or the scary trailer or the pile of wood.Teaching him to be brave is another thing that, while he's good at, could always be improved. I've learned over the months, never take for granted what the child gives you. What may apply one day, may not apply the next.

The problem isn't him, it's me. I want to do and show him so much. He's usually very game for it, and I want to push all the time. Have to keep the sessions short and sweet, sometimes they are and sometimes they are not.

Today we went through most of it, got him to touch the trailer, go around the wood and walk up to the barn. Stopping wasn't an issue today where he did the plant and stare fairly well, but he was easily started up again with a couple of taps from behind.

Tomorrow I'll Endo tap him. Down the road I want to introduce him to the small clippers, get him loaded in the stock trailer and get him towards working on the trailer.

Home Again

Life has officially returned to normal. After an extra two weeks, some rain, transportation bingo and a few other things, Sinari is home.

I was greeted by a dirty, disorganized barn and a loose horse.

The dirt was my fault the loose horse picked his way out of the stall.

I board in a tobacco barn with a dirt floor.

I actually like this place. Aside from the dirt, it's huge and airy. It feels like home. Normally the good fight against dirt, dust and various other things isn't an issue. You keep up with the work and it stays a bay.

But since I wasn't there, it overran itself. Not only that, what I thought I had organized, was messy.

I came home to my clean stall, dusty buckets, dusty trunk, dusty feed bags and dirt-encrusted fan and SmartPak bin. I had dirty pads collecting dirt and mold (how did that happen?), white rags that are brown and my wash kit upside down in the lower barn.

Then came Sinari. Who not only made a Thelwell pony look more turned out, but probably garnered a few WTF looks from fellow boarders whose sleek reining Quarters were just coming back from their futurity runs and mine was coming back from the all-you-can eat buffet.

To make matters worse even the vet said something.

Cue embarrassment.

To tell the truth, she went from a smooth lower 900, to chunk-tastic 1000. The pony is now sporting Jenny Craig as her sponsor and is putting on one hell of a guilt trip.

So I went on a mission. First, I spent the first two days seriously cleaning the barn.

I bought the gallon of bleach and anti bacterial dish soap to prove it.

I took down the summer gear, cleaned and stowed it for the winter. I gathered up the pads, raked, swept and wiped down. I still have to tackle my tack. Earlier I sent out all my blankets (ten plus of them) to the launder and they came back in neat plastic bags for this season and summer.

There's something soulful about an organized barn.

Then I broke out the clippers, the tranquilizers and my mandarin collar jacket and got down to business.

Thirty minutes later, with dirt and hair covering me, I have a fully clipped naked horse with skin funk. Tomorrow she'll get a full bath after going back to work. Promise to post naked pony photos.

I still need to hit up the Home Depot for a number of supplies.

Also- if anyone is in the Lexington area and needs clipping done, I'm game. As my motto goes:

they grow, I mow.

Song sung blue

Nearly three years ago, a bay Arabian mare stumbled off of Chronicle of the Horse Forums and in my life.  A product of too much time on my hands and having sucker written all over me.

She was skinny and malnourished, despite not having a foal at her side for several months. She was skittish, nearly running everyone including me over in her new place. She was injured, with pickling salt in her wounds, and scars across her croup from god knows what. She was proud, opinionated, stubborn and smart.

She went by the name Wench when she stepped off on the clear, humid August morning during Pony Finals, but she became known as May to those who loved her.

I didn't know what I wanted to do with her. Originally, I wanted a young, somewhat broke mare that I could turn around, instead I had received May, career broodmare.

Her old owner thought she wasn't worth the time or effort to feed after she weaned, or, judging from the depth of the wire wounds, not worth even some antiseptic. When I talked to her, she made no qualms about why she didn't like the mare, and quickly made excuses as why there were why scars over her croup.

Truthfully, I was a bit crestfallen when she hopped off that trailer.  

But the mood quickly subsided when she nosed my pockets for sweets.

On that August morning, my first order was to get her to a farrier, clean out the wounds and put antiseptic in them, get her up to date on vaccinations and put some feed in her. Since she didn't fit even my smallest halter (and had shipped in nylon), I went to KBC and purchased a basic leather that would fit her fine-boned features.

I turned her out with a mixed herd on grass, and she gained weight immediately. She was smart to handle and picked up on ground manners quickly enough.

At first, it was a tumultuous relationship between the two of us. If she didn't like what was going on, she would leave the scene. If she didn't like me, she would find a way not to be caught or touched. She lived in her halter 24-7 and was extremely trailer, needle, wormer phobic.

Eventually she moved to Deer Haven, where she became chief babysitter and blossomed into something awesome. The more I handled her, the more I showed her new things, the more she opened up. Eventually she shared all her fun scratchy spots (loves having her tail scratched and will back up to you), learned some tricks and, what was the highlight of time with her, loaded on the trailer. Needles and wormers are another matter.

The same year May arrived, I saw Savant, Sincere's sire, go at Young Horse Nationals. I thought he was a gelding with his fabulous temperament, until I saw his advert in a stallion service auction benefiting Holly Bergay. Eventually, I bid on, and won that breeding for May.

A year later, she was in foal and when the Preakness Stakes were a few hours into the books, a bouncing baby boy was in the world.

I made the decision to breed for a lot of reasons, which were discussed around here and other places, but I doubt I couldn't have had a nicer foal if it weren't for her.

But, after all was said and done, something was nagging me. After a lot of soul searching, I came to understand that May needed someone who can bring her further along and do her a greater service.

You see, my barn right now isn't a breeding and training operation, it's just a training operation. All my horses are in training in one form or another, with the idea that one day, they will go to upper level dressage. May is a great horse and deserves a great home that will take her to the next step, whether it be having another baby, starting and going under saddle or just being nifty out in a paddock with a bunch of babies.

I searched a long time. In my head, I could still do it all, but eventually, a literal forever home came that would offer her a chance to do something worthwhile. Most importantly, it's a home that offers security. After her ordeal, it's vital that she always remain safe, loved and taken care for. The minute that those obligations are not being met, she stays with me.

I wish I could say, she'll live out the rest of her life in my backyard, playing babysitter or surrogate to the various horses, but I can't. She'll be up north, living a good life under fantastic care.

So, a few weeks after Sincere bids his goodbye to his mom, she'll be loaded on a trailer and shipped out with two others from her herd.

I miss her already.

Smart buy 2.0: Taming of the pussy cat

This is Ossie.

Ossie, short for Osmosis, is a domestic long hair cat. And judging from the fur piles, she's a gray domestic long hair cat.

Ossie enjoys many things. Catnip, milk, chasing the occasional fly in the bay windows, swimming in a full bathtub of water and being just a-freaking-dorable are on the definite top list.

The problem with Ossie, aside occasionally using her cuteness for evil and occupying every empty box with her form, is that she's furry. Furry to the point of you pet and you look like you committed a personal sin kind of furry.

But despite brushing regularly, she still develops nasty weekly mats. Which I promptly had to cut out otherwise they would turn into large clumpy mats. She also clogged the bathtub a few times.

I was literally at my end, I was prepared to take a pair of clippers to her and give her the jungle clip. That is, until a last ditch tryout of a new brush and system for taming the long hair.

So, I plunked down forty bucks for the Furminator, and another twenty for a bottle for Cowboy Magic.

I've heard the claims that it will reduce shedding, furballs, hairy couches, speeds up shedding, healthier coat, does the hokey pokey and everything else under the sun.

Hefty investment that was partially underwritten by the boy's family who gave me a gift certificate to SmartPak for my 25th.


After it arrived I went to work on Ossie. No less than ten minutes later, I had a small pile of gray fur that was the size of a chinchilla on the coffee table. Twenty minutes later, alongside a very pissy cat, the pile was half her size. I rubbed her down with Cowboy Magic to help prevent more mats in case the product didn't deliver.

A week later, her coat looked less fluffy (in the good way), had more bloom and... zero mats where I brushed. She was also more active, and when you petted her, your hands were clean from the attempt.

This week's session concentrated on her tail and her hind legs, the worse of her areas. Again, ten minutes later, I had a Latino-rodent sized pile of fur and a pissy cat who was again doused in Cowboy Magic. 

Needless to say, come spring time, I'll be ordering a bigger brush for the ponies.The Furminator delivers.

I get around

I drove up to Pittsburgh last weekend to pick up the new truck with Vicky.

The drive was long, the drive home was even longer, but it was worth it. Will post photos soon- if you haven't noticed, the south east has been under water for the past couple of days. Taking photos is hard when you can't see much in front of you.

But the truck is sweet, and having transportation is even sweeter.

With the wheels, I've pretty much sated my thirst for doing errands and other regular things. I even had an eight week, what the hell did you do to yourself at PT the other day. Hell, getting coffee is a continual highlight. Friday, I get to hear Anthony Bourdain chat in Louisville and Saturday, I'm heading on out to Sport Horse Nationals to get a taste for what we'll be going for in two years. I still need to drop off blankets at the cleaners as well as my own show coat, shirts and other things.

End of the year wrap up stuff.

I've been playing catch up with the ponies who are still out with Vicky's herd. Not complaining, I've been doing plenty of conditioning over the hills there and watching baby be his lovely self.

Sinari is almost black liver chestnut with her incoming winter coat. The Glanzen really made the difference. She's not as fuzzy this time of the year either, I hope it bodes well for what kind of winter we have in store. She is dappled, fat and sassy. She is my most prized, and she knows it, but tolerates the colt. I've been slow to start her back to work, kind of savoring the easy going nature of the situation and bringing her mind and her body back all at once.

Sincere is having a ball with the mud, much to my unamused expression. You know how hard it is to keep whites clean? Let alone on a horse that enjoys his mud baths? Hard.

At the same time, I don't mind if he keeps up the easy going personality. In the world of horses, he really is one of those who is self-assured. He'd be the good-looking popular jock in the crowd whose mamma taught him to be nice to everyone. He enjoys his sugar cubes and treats.

To try the point, I did something that I probably shouldn't have, in an area that I probably shouldn't have. Because my arena time is limited, and because both mare and foal are still attached at the hip, I work out in the field, with the rest of the herd.

Normally these sessions are short, working on leading, some ground tying, yielding front quarters and hindquarters. This time he presented new opportunity. Already rolling in the mud, I entered the paddock, he stayed down, as he usually does and I began playing. I laid him in a recumbent position, handled him till he fell asleep. Then I flipped him on his back and started to handle his legs in different ways. I expected him to be more resistant, but he just took everything in stride never putting in a peep of protest.

I also have good news on the horizon as well, I'm officially starting up a business in three months and can't wait. It doesn't mean the end of Amazon, but it's a step forward.

Keep on Truckin' Part 6: Rollin' on 45s, Saga Ends.

I finally did it, I finally achieved truck status.

It's not exactly what I wanted, but it will do. A friend and myself are going to do the pickup on Saturday in... Pittsburgh. The truck is in New Jersey, and dear ole da and I are meeting half way at Steel City to exchange. I wish I could fly up, but

Not what I call the highlight of the weekend, but you know... transportation comes with the horses and I'm really tired of bumming rides.

People have been beyond excessively nice and kind to me (especially the boy). Last week, Vicky picked me up and I spent the entire day with her just going around. It felt awesome to get out of the house and break what has become Cabin Swine Flu.

I got to pet on my horses and see how they were doing. Hugging on Sinari (also got to ride- who was fantastic), I marveled how dark she was and how her winter coat was coming in quickly. Also reminded me to order my own set of ultra-large body clippers this year.

I noted how Sincere is now way bigger with his Marilyn Monroe/Rockette legs that just go on forever, that his foal coat is shedding out in clumps and how soon he'll be weaned from May. He reminded me to order blankets. But aside from the third (!) halter he's on (chewed the second), I did manage to get him his own brush box.

I guess when you don't see family for so long, you marvel at the changes.

But with truck comes the natural follow up of trailer. Which I'm hoping for in about a year to have the credit and down payment ready. I've already been in contact with a bunch of dealers to find a brand I would thoroughly enjoy, that would be lightweight, but strong enough and versatile to handle my and my horse's needs.  The one that truly fits that bill is Brenderup.

I've hauled with a lot of things in a lot of composites, Corn-Pro, Merhow, Sundowner, Jamco, Kiefer, Featherlite, Equi-Spirit, Hawk... but really unless it was a gooseneck, the bumper pulls never really shouted at me to run out and spend 13 on them. In fact, hauling with a few of them scared me about to death.

Until I hauled with a Brenderup a couple winters ago.

It was a friend's Baron two horse, and I was skeptical right down to body materials. Don't get me wrong, it was a clean, new-er trailer. Roomy with a practical layout. I hauled it with her F250, it was more truck than what was needed, but even fully loaded down with equipment, horses and various other things, it towed like there was nothing back there, above speed limit.

It was that, and not wrenching my back out at the ramp and having everything work in the bitter cold that was ultra comforting and impressive. I was still skeptical about the tack space (wee tiny), until I saw the models could be converted for space.

It's seriously the IKEA of trailers, and I'm fairly bound and determined to have one. Maybe by Rolex or WEG, they'll be able to make me a deal.

I know it puts a hamper on my plans for '10 (still have to beg and plead for a ride). But the year off could do us good, it would solidify the team, allow for some growing pains to sort out and more importantly, would be great not to be on a show-driven schedule.

I'm still open for debate on that, but for now, I have October and November to finish out and a few options to discuss with people.

Cars no go

I've become a bored house frau without transport. I've taken up Martha Stewart arts and crafts and re-reading the entire Harry Potter series.

Due to the long spell of no riding, much of my to do list that I've put off for about a year, is being completed.

On the to do list, was the blog.

I became tired of my gray on black look, the strict CSS styling that wasn't adaptable and left too much negative space. In addition to the right handed-ness of the entire layout, it just became a bore. I threw out the original color and font scheme and gave it a more "leftist" look with expandable layout.

New additions have been added to the sidebar menus. Being a hard core You Tube addict, and general media hound, I love all things news. As much as it pains for me to say it, I think it's vitally important for the equestrian community to go beyond the out dated mode of print media. Especially as the world becomes more digitally connected.

I love getting magazines in the mail, I have for a very long time. I'm a subscriber to no less than three industry rags, and with membership to the various organizations I get another three in various formats. But, the problem is this: the news is about a month old, giving away to the meat of the magazine itself- the features to stand alone. Which is risky because some issues, it's a rerun.

News media outlets that are free and promote video usage, like Horse Girl TV, Horse Hero, Dressage Daily and Horse and Country, are starting to spread news on a viral basis and even provided a more diverse content that what magazines are limited to.

The news of Totilas and his shattering kur would have reached the US in about two months time, and, if stuck with VHS, would have came out a year later. With web, I watched it a day later. In the same breath, the recent US Young Horse Championships would be pushed into the October edition and we wouldn't see the winning rides at all if it weren't for Dressage Daily.

It's not to say that print based media hasn't tried, Prime Media (owners of Practical, Equisearch and Dressage Today), Bowtie Press and Chronicle of the Horse are being somewhat successful in their crossover tactics. But it's not totally free, nor are they really covering current information- leaving it to the print editions and giving the archived coverage for free months down the road. Don't blame them, they have to keep a people going to the print to keep their number in order.

So, to have these gems to help get new blood out, they should be patronized with hits and views. In the end, you'll benefit and see something new.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I'm waiting on a loan. Hence no regular transport to and from the farms. Sinari is enjoying extended vacation and Sincere being himself.

I'm getting impatient with the matter and my surrogate rides are as well.Hopefu

May has found herself a new home and will be moving, post-weaning to Michigan to be a pony for a friend. I already miss her, but as I've said before, my mares need to go on and be career mothers. Since she threw Sincere though, the breeder in me has been wanting to breed again, and in the contract she'll be embryo transferred at a later date as to the daddy... I don't know yet. Quaterback seems to be speaking volumes lately.