The sand is finally here and the arena will be ready in a day or so! Is it Christmas already?
P~
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Stutter Steps
Well, I did not get the start that I had anticipated in my last blog posting. The rain came in, and boy did it ever rain. I was out in the downpour with the tractor digging out the drains off of our driveway to the barn, and laying railroad ties with my super-patient husband to divert the rainwater from the arena. It sure was stressful trying to save the forward progress that we were making on the arena. Sand is due to arrive on Monday (although we have more reports of impending rain!!!!).
Needless to say, I did not get the start with Tokaj that I had hoped either. The grass became wet and slick, and with no sand on the arena... I had to quit working with her. So she is back to burning hay, and rolling in the mud. She's quite happy with that.
You will notice a new photo on my blog. The photo is of Savannah. She is my three year old half Thoroughbred Paint. I caught her up last weekend to trim her feet and groom her. I realized that the horses are growing their winter coats, and I decided to get photos before they do. I did not get Tokaj that day though. I hope to start Savannah under saddle this Fall.
One sad piece of news. I made the very difficult decision to have Bailey put to sleep. Bailey developed cataracts a year or so ago, and also had that lump which was strongly suspected to be bone cancer which was growing larger and in an inoperable location. Bailey started behaving strangely and I don't know whether it was his eyesight or other physical issues, but he was becoming so fearful that he would shy and bolt at anything, even people like me who he has known for years. The last deciding factor was my attempt to get Bailey into the barn before the storm hit. He shied while being haltered, as he has been a million times before, and he reared up and came down hitting me on the head and knocking me down. I thought he had broken my neck or at least compressed my vetrebra after I heard my neck pop. Thankfully, I only suffered some whiplash-like effects. If it had not been wet and slick out, and my feet had not come out from under me immediately... I think worse would have happened. It seemed in the best interest of everyone to make the decision. I felt sorry for Bailey having to live in such fear all the time. I have said it before; Horse ownership can be so heartbreaking.
P~
Needless to say, I did not get the start with Tokaj that I had hoped either. The grass became wet and slick, and with no sand on the arena... I had to quit working with her. So she is back to burning hay, and rolling in the mud. She's quite happy with that.
You will notice a new photo on my blog. The photo is of Savannah. She is my three year old half Thoroughbred Paint. I caught her up last weekend to trim her feet and groom her. I realized that the horses are growing their winter coats, and I decided to get photos before they do. I did not get Tokaj that day though. I hope to start Savannah under saddle this Fall.
One sad piece of news. I made the very difficult decision to have Bailey put to sleep. Bailey developed cataracts a year or so ago, and also had that lump which was strongly suspected to be bone cancer which was growing larger and in an inoperable location. Bailey started behaving strangely and I don't know whether it was his eyesight or other physical issues, but he was becoming so fearful that he would shy and bolt at anything, even people like me who he has known for years. The last deciding factor was my attempt to get Bailey into the barn before the storm hit. He shied while being haltered, as he has been a million times before, and he reared up and came down hitting me on the head and knocking me down. I thought he had broken my neck or at least compressed my vetrebra after I heard my neck pop. Thankfully, I only suffered some whiplash-like effects. If it had not been wet and slick out, and my feet had not come out from under me immediately... I think worse would have happened. It seemed in the best interest of everyone to make the decision. I felt sorry for Bailey having to live in such fear all the time. I have said it before; Horse ownership can be so heartbreaking.
P~
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
The Starting Line
Finally, I am starting the horses back into work. Tokaj has just finished her second day of Lunging for Fitness... which basically means that I am working her from the ground on a long line to get her muscles and cardio system more fit before I heft myself onto her unsuspecting back. :)
Tokaj came back into work with gusto. She bucked and played on the lunge and made me afraid that she would slip and fall on the dewy grass... but she is very agile and didn't have a mishap. She got herself all worked into a sweat before we really even got down to business and worked on communication, obedience, and transitions. By the time we were finished, she was ready for a treat and a bath.
This morning was Tokaj's second morning back, and it was rather like watching a weekend athlete get out for the second day after a day of playing weekend warrior. This morning Tokaj did exactly what was asked of her and no more! I think she was a bit stiff and sore. Kind of like me starting to work out. Tokaj looks pregnant. It is all the good food she gets, and no competition for it. I envisioned going to a clinic and having the clinician say..."Ummm...YOU recently had a baby... and Tokaj is GOING to have a baby right?" Sigh.
So, for those of you wondering... here is how the schedule is playing out: 5am... I get out of bed to feed the baby. 5:30am... out to the barn to work Tokaj and then feed horses since my husband can watch the baby until he has to go to work. 7:00am... back to being a mommy. 6pm or 7pm... out to the barn to work either Bailey or Savannah and feed for the evening. Dedication you say? Absolutely.
And no, the arena is not finished. I am guesstimating that it is about three weeks out, and so I am lunging the horses on the grass until then, so that by the time the arena is ready, the horses and I will be ready for under saddle work... in other words: RIDING!! YEAH!!
So the other area of work is my fitness level. If you've ever had to put on a pair of english riding breeches... you understand my pain. They are little better than spandex tights. They don't look so good on pregnant ladies or post partum ladies either (or really ANYONE except 12 year old girls... but I am trying to minimize the shock impact). So... during the afternoon when baby is napping, I get in a workout in our small gym. I have never been so sore. I used to be the Ab Queen (yes that is a self-designation!), but after the baby... I was apalled to find that I could not even do ONE full sit up. It was as if someone removed my abdominal muscle. Yikes. Dressage (the first phase of the Three Day Event competition) necessitates the use of your core muscles. I definitely need to find mine again. So I am embarking on a fitness regime that I used during my law enforcement days. It will kick my considerable assets into shape in no time. If you are curious you can check it out at http://www.crossfit.com/. However, if you embark on the challenge of completing the "Workout of the Day"... don't blame me if you are very sore or get injured. The workout is very hardcore, and although I love the results, you have to leave your ego at the door and go very VERY slowly at first.
Another great thing has happened that I have to share. I have been asked a few times lately about being a riding instructor again. (For those of you who don't know, a long long time ago, I used to teach riding and really liked it... but I wasn't making enough $ to support my other habits like horse collecting). So, rather than hang out a shingle here where no one knows me, I got in touch with the United States Eventing Association to discuss their Instructor Certification Program, and it turns out, that despite my long absence from teaching and competing, they still would welcome me into their workshops and later the assessments for certification. I am very excited to get back into teaching and to get closer to the USEA.
So I am busy. Happy busy. Hope you are too.
P~
Tokaj came back into work with gusto. She bucked and played on the lunge and made me afraid that she would slip and fall on the dewy grass... but she is very agile and didn't have a mishap. She got herself all worked into a sweat before we really even got down to business and worked on communication, obedience, and transitions. By the time we were finished, she was ready for a treat and a bath.
This morning was Tokaj's second morning back, and it was rather like watching a weekend athlete get out for the second day after a day of playing weekend warrior. This morning Tokaj did exactly what was asked of her and no more! I think she was a bit stiff and sore. Kind of like me starting to work out. Tokaj looks pregnant. It is all the good food she gets, and no competition for it. I envisioned going to a clinic and having the clinician say..."Ummm...YOU recently had a baby... and Tokaj is GOING to have a baby right?" Sigh.
So, for those of you wondering... here is how the schedule is playing out: 5am... I get out of bed to feed the baby. 5:30am... out to the barn to work Tokaj and then feed horses since my husband can watch the baby until he has to go to work. 7:00am... back to being a mommy. 6pm or 7pm... out to the barn to work either Bailey or Savannah and feed for the evening. Dedication you say? Absolutely.
And no, the arena is not finished. I am guesstimating that it is about three weeks out, and so I am lunging the horses on the grass until then, so that by the time the arena is ready, the horses and I will be ready for under saddle work... in other words: RIDING!! YEAH!!
So the other area of work is my fitness level. If you've ever had to put on a pair of english riding breeches... you understand my pain. They are little better than spandex tights. They don't look so good on pregnant ladies or post partum ladies either (or really ANYONE except 12 year old girls... but I am trying to minimize the shock impact). So... during the afternoon when baby is napping, I get in a workout in our small gym. I have never been so sore. I used to be the Ab Queen (yes that is a self-designation!), but after the baby... I was apalled to find that I could not even do ONE full sit up. It was as if someone removed my abdominal muscle. Yikes. Dressage (the first phase of the Three Day Event competition) necessitates the use of your core muscles. I definitely need to find mine again. So I am embarking on a fitness regime that I used during my law enforcement days. It will kick my considerable assets into shape in no time. If you are curious you can check it out at http://www.crossfit.com/. However, if you embark on the challenge of completing the "Workout of the Day"... don't blame me if you are very sore or get injured. The workout is very hardcore, and although I love the results, you have to leave your ego at the door and go very VERY slowly at first.
Another great thing has happened that I have to share. I have been asked a few times lately about being a riding instructor again. (For those of you who don't know, a long long time ago, I used to teach riding and really liked it... but I wasn't making enough $ to support my other habits like horse collecting). So, rather than hang out a shingle here where no one knows me, I got in touch with the United States Eventing Association to discuss their Instructor Certification Program, and it turns out, that despite my long absence from teaching and competing, they still would welcome me into their workshops and later the assessments for certification. I am very excited to get back into teaching and to get closer to the USEA.
So I am busy. Happy busy. Hope you are too.
P~
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