Lost a friend today.

I'm sad to report that we had to put my beloved horse Adam to sleep today. Adam had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat, and even with medication wouldn't have had much time left.

Adam was a grand show horse, a five-gaited horse who was a fireball in the show ring and a lap-dog in the stall. In his retirement the same go-forward attitude that made him such a good show horse made him wonderful trail horse: there was no obstacle he wouldn't bounce over with his ears up and politely chomping at the bit for more - fallen logs, creeks, bridges, steep hills, he did them all without backing an ear. People we met on the trails didn't know what to make of him, racking along with his head and tail up, lifting his legs like he was in the show ring. He lived up to his registered name, Havin' Fun, every time we went out.

I know I made the right decision to let him go before his health failed more, and that he'd had a grand long and pampered life with my family, but I'll still miss him more than words can express.

I'm an Atheist and don't believe in an afterlife, but part of me really hopes that there's a heaven for horses, and that its full of carrots and geraniums for Adam to munch on.

First show of the year

Yep, my first show of the year starts tomorrow. I don't have high hopes for my first class Friday night, since competition will be stiff and Duke is pretty consistently a bit squirrely during the first class, but I'm hoping to do well in my class on Saturday.

I'm both nervous as hell, and oddly calm and centered all at once. The multitude of personal things I have to schlep to a show are all ready to go (or they will be, just as soon as I pack my new riding gloves into my makeup case... ok, done) - my riding suit has been cleaned and is in it's bag, I have a brand spanking new derby hat that I'm a little afraid to take out of the box given the hell I put my last one through, and My saddle and bridle are already at the barn ready to be packed.

All I have to do tomorrow is pack the rest of the essentials (hay, pony cart, extra buckets), and then load up the boys to make the 35 minute drive to Springfield. I'm going to give Duke his bath there, since they have heated barns and hot water, just in case it's colder than expected.

Yep, getting a bit nervous, but after 25 years of doing this I'll get over it pretty quickly!

I'll let you guys know how it goes!

Finally warm enough to ride, but...

Well, it's finally warm enough to ride and Duke just got his feet done yesterday, but the skies refuse to stop dumping water on us! I don't really mind riding in the amount of rain we have, but I really don't want to deal with drying out the woolly mammoth Duke turns into over the winter! Sadly, our body-clippers haven't been fixed yet either, so that's not an option at the moment.

Blah, the end of winter is obnoxious when all you want to do is ride!

It's that time of year again

I know, I know, it's been a while!

But, it's that time of year again! When it's time to dust off the jog-cart I haven't touched in six months, hunt down the inevitable missing piece of harness, and break out those body clippers, because show season is three short months away.

The end of April. It always seems like it's still ages away in January, but once February rolls around that little voice in the back of my head starts nagging at me that it's time to start training again. Nag nag nagnagnag.

Soooo, Duke's winter vacation ends this week: I'll start him back bitting, and long lining up and down the aisle until the weather improves. Also, I need to go get my body-clippers repaired, because Duke is hairy like a bear!

Finally hitting the trails!

In the time since I've last updated Duke and I ended our show season on high notes, and back under-saddle! It felt fantastic to really ride again, although I'd completely forgotten just how hot and heavy that wool riding suit is! Sadly no show-ring pictures, but we placed well and had a blast!

Finally got Duke's winter plates put on last week, and hit the trails on what turned out to be one of the last warm days of the year. I of course rode Du', and my friend took out my retired gaited horse Adam, and we had a great time. I brought along my camera, and my friend and I passed it back and forth, but dummy here forgot photography 101 and didn't check or adjust the light settings from my previous photography outing so 90% of the photos were blown out beyond the salvaging point. We did end up with a few decent ones though (some are a touch blurry, because Adam didn't like to stand when my friend was holding the camera), and plan to go back out again soon!

Duke decided to move just as my friend took the picture - oh well!

Duke walking, and refusing to put his ears up. I swear he knows when the camera is pointed at him, because he backs an ear every time - his ears were up the rest of the time!


My friend and Adam (he will be turning 20), in the tall weeds - this is one of the pictures I tried to save from being too light.

Six down, just two to go! And some help please?

Part of me is sad to have just two horse shows left in our season, the rest of me (which has been basking in the absolutely wonderful crisp weather we have been having) would like for October third to be done and gone so that I can pull Duke's show shoes and hit the trails! Actually, the lazy part of me is tempted to have our farrier put Duke's winter plates on when he comes out this week, just so that I don't have to worry about it in a month!

Now that the end of the season is here (and it's no longer hotter than Hades), I get to really spend time working with Skinny. I've been lunging/lining him about 15 minutes a day, with the plan to work him up to 30 minutes before I try jogging him. Sometimes I put chains on him all-around (he's barefoot) to get him to work his legs more and build up the muscle he needs, but he still seems to be weaker in his front-end .

Does anyone out there have any tips for me on building up a rescue horse? I know slow and steady work is the way to go, and I am planning to start using ground-poles to help work on his coordination, but is there anything more I could be doing? He gets fed a good solid grain that is high in protein (14-16%)and fat (8-10%), plus lots and lots of good timothy hay, and a mineral block. We have added corn oil to his feed in the past, but now that he is no longer ribby I've stopped adding it.

Ideas people, I need ideas please!

It's Louisville week!

I'm not showing, but I'm driving down Thursday and staying through stake night. I plan on having a blast :)

Duke has been doing really well - After two shows that I had to skip the championships because of his leg (he just can't stay on hard ground overnight after working - he never went lame, but he swelled up enough that I wouldn't risk it) we had a good qualifier at State Fair, but a not-so-good championship - Big Boy was too wound up to really set his head. We have another show the week after Louisville, but I'm not sure what to show in - part of me likes showing him in driving, but the rest of me craves riding like a junkie craves a fix. Got a good picture though!


Skinny is finally up to a good weight, so now it's time to really build up his muscles. I worry about pushing him too hard, because I've heard stories about horses that were starved having weak hearts for the rest of their lives, but he's too young to not be put back to work. I think he could make a first-class hunt horse, although I'm waiting until his front end is built up before we start doing more than ground-poles on our road to jump training!

Ramora is a bit of a pest. She wears her surcingle beautifully, and is getting better about taking the bit, but she refuses to lunge in the clockwise direction! I've tried teaching her the same way I taught Belle (small circles within arm length, gradually enlarging the circle as she gets more comfortable), but she doesn't get it! Every time I move to her right side and try to give her direction, she just looks at me like "no no stupid human, you're on the wrong side!" And until she's lunging well and is set firmly with her voice commands, I can't start long-lining her. I'm trying to be patient, but it's hard.

Everything else has been the same as ever. Now it's time for me to stop being lazy and get the kids working every day for the last three shows of the year!