We get the verdict tomorrow...

Tomorrow is Duke's ultrasound to determine if he's ready to go back to work after six months off. Wish us luck!

I know it's a day early, but:

Snow and Pictures!

We had snow yesterday, and I let the kids out today - just two at a time in our little front field because I was worried about them slipping an falling because it was pretty slick in spots. Pictures are poor quality because I forgot my camera and had to use my phone, but we are suppossed to get more snow this week and I'm planning on taking more pictures then.

Ramora had never seen snow before! She was so cute: she wouldn't go out without Boo, but once he went out she had fun.



Duke and Skinny were next. Duke likes snow, but I was shocked by Skinny's reaction! He's from Minnesotta, and boy oh boy does he love snow! The first thing he did was roll a few times, and then he started running like I've never seen before. Poor boy wiped out once, but he got right back up and kept going!



Apologies for Duke's dirty blanket - it's his spare while I fix his good one.

Back in the Saddle!

Well, my knee is back to normal, and I've been riding again when the weather permits. Skinny is getting stronger (almost to the point where I feel like I'll be able to start pushing him for motion and such), and Adam and I had a good spin around the ring (he even trotted!).

Duke has been sound, thank goodness, and he's got plates on now to keep him on the right angles. His six months of rest are up in January, so everybody cross your fingers for me that his ultrasound will result in good news!

Ramora is out of quarantine and in the main barn now. She lives at the end of the row next to Boo and across from Skinny, and she's made a friend in Boo. Skinny is still on the fence about her, but he's never too mean to her. Duke likes her, Toby alternates between hating her and treating her like she's one of his Harem, and Nut and Belle are still in the "OMG, what are you?" stages. Everyone else either runs her off or ignores her.

I've been searching for tack for Skinny, since I don't have a hunt saddle. I've got a snaffle bit that lets me have double reins(the English version of this - http://www.statelinetack.com/item/tom-thumb-classic-training-snaffle-bit/SLT732120/ ), but I'm not sure if it's legal-for-show. Fortunately a show bridle is easy enough to get, I just have to decide which brand I want. My problem has been finding used hunt saddles that are flat enough for my tastes that don't cost a lot (thank you Ebay - I almost had one but lost the bid by $2 in the last second of the bidding. Have another I'm eyeing now). I ride in a very flat Barnsby now and I don't like deep seats at all, which is making my search harder.

My quest for hunt saddles have left me feeling very negative about H/J riders abilities to even stay in the saddle if they have to have all these super-deep-seats and padded knee rolls that all-but have velcro on them. And what's up with the blocks on dressage saddles? Maybe I'm old school (a scary thought since I'm only 23), but whatever happened to maintaining proper leg position by actually using your legs?

Ok, ending my mini-rant now... kinda - it's still going on in my head ("world class" dressage riders that can't sit a sitting trot and flop their legs like rag dolls, dressage horses that have their heads dragging the ground like QH's, Eventing riders who look like they're staying in the saddle by sheer luck and jack their horses mouths for no apparent reason...)

ok ok, I'll stop now, I promise!

If there are any CP Hunt people still reading that I haven't mortally offended, any help you could give me would be wonderful!

what a week it has been...

Last Wednesday I had the brilliant idea that I was going to hop on Adam and ride up and down the barn aisle without stirrups to improve my leg strength. Long story short is that just as soon as I stood up in the stirrup to get on, Big guy took off! I sprained my right knee and ankle when I had to do an emergency-dismount - Stupid me didn't bother putting on a bridle, just some reins on the halter. Plus a handful of our bunch have the sniffles, so on top of not being able to ride for a few more days, I get slimed multiple times a day!

I'm planning on hopping on Skinny on Weds, so I'll let you know how it goes!

9.14.09 - Sad today

Winsdown Hi Octane, or Popcorn as he was fondly known, passed away due to heart failure at 3AM. Popcorn was the father of both my beloved horse Duke, and my new filly Ramora. My heart goes out to the Winsdown Farm family for their loss of such a magnificent horse.

Winsdown Hi Octane
1/21/1992- 11/14/2009

11.05.09 - Lots of Changes!

Once again I apologize for the lack of posts: I could have sworn I had updated things around here, but apparently I'm good at fooling myself! There have been quite a few changes in Saddlebredland, most of which revolve around the new additions to our barn.

Duke has been doing better. Poor boy lives wrapped and keeps getting all sorts of stuff painted onto his legs, but he's dealing with it like a champ! He still snorts at his wraps when I'm rolling them up like they're a poisonous snake at least once a week, which never gets old: Have you ever seen a 17 hand horse trying to hide in the corner of a 10x10 stall? It's hilarious!

On top of Boo, the road pony Julie bought in September, the yearlings are back in the barn to start their training. Nut, Ann's filly out of Fantasy, is huuuuuuuuuuge! She's already 15.2, and Ann has been on her back once or twice already. Belle, the girl I work with, is smaller than Nut, but she's also almost 3 months younger. I'm taking things slow with her, and she seems to be learning her lessons.

I bought a weanling filly at Tattersalls last weekend! Winsdown The Heights, better known around here as Ramora, is a six month old chestnut filly by Hi Octane. That's her getting sniffed by Duke. She's going to be fun to work with for next years futurity classes at Springfield!

Another new addition is our rescue, Memories Majesty. Apparently his barn name was Champ, but I started calling him Skinny, and it just stuck and will probably continue to stick even when he is hog fat. He came to us in August, weighing just 760 pounds. I'm proud to say that he has gained almost 200 pounds and is much stronger, but I'd like to see at least another 150 on him. He's such a sweetheart, and he lets me use him as a guinea-pig without complaint - I was trying to figure out/practice braiding mane and tail hunt-style, and he never twitched his tail once. I think he's going to be a hunt horse, so that will be a new experience for me!

I apologize for the bad-quality pictures, I took them with my cell-phone.