I always have the lamest titles for these things.
It's nice to actually be awake enough at 9:30pm to write a blog update! Wahoo!
So here I am, watching the new episode of Ghost Hunters, and writing on my blog.
Let's see...This Friday I'm working a semi-half day (I get off at 2pm, how charming...) so that I can (attempt to) put Bailey on a trailer and ship to Middleburg, VA for the night. My very good friend, and former college roomie, works for a Grand Prix dressage rider down that way, and I'm taking a lesson with her Friday and Saturday. I'm pretty excited to actually take a lesson for the first time in ages, even if it isn't jumping. I've never taken a full-fledged dressage lesson before (at least, not on a horse capable of doing anything more than walking *cough cough* Wilson College...) so I'm pretty excited to see what happens. Hopefully it goes smoothly. It's the furthest I've ever trailered, let alone by myself.
In bad news, I missed the show on Sunday. Bella pulled a shoe Thursday morning and my farrier didn't make it out in time to reset it. Somehow, I'm paying an exorbitant amount of money to stable her someplace with an indoor for the winter, yet they don't change blankets (she was drenched, standing around in 68 degree weather with her mid-weight on) and pulled her shoe because she was pacing the fenceline so dramatically that she twisted it right off and no one thought about bringing her inside. Wtf...I mean, I'm all for low maintenance horses, but I'm paying $575 a month here people...let's at least make sure the horse is happy. Not to mention, they feed the bottom of the barrel Pennfield feed. I like Pennfield, I do. It's great stuff...but that's a lot of money to be getting fed the low-end product line. Oh the joys of public boarding. I forgot how it all went. Yikes. I hope it's a mild winter...
I don't know if I mentioned that I'm riding a friend's horse for her. He's fantastic. I love him. If I thought she'd take the money I'm willing to offer, I'd buy him off of her as my A/O horse. However, she has a lot of money in him, and the person who takes him needs him to be a 'long term' horse, not a flip. I'll just have to enjoy him while I can! I do have to say though, if anyone is interested in Irish horses, she's really doing something special with the breed. I have more information if you're interested. She has a really nice stallion standing at stud this spring for his first season. All her horses swept up the ribbons at the annual Irish show this year;) So congrats to her!
My farrier did finally make it out at his scheduled time yesterday afternoon. He handcrafted her some pretty spectacular hind shoes. It took him nearly two hours to do her, and they are truly a work of art. It's a really great feeling. I know Bella will never do even a low A/O course, but the fact that Joe does everything he can to get me the most out of what she can give me is just phenomenal. He gave her these shoes that have a slightly outward curving trailer on the hind feet, so that she has more of a platform to push off of in front of a fence. Bella has always been nervous about jumping situations that test her hind end strength, so I can't wait to try jumping her with these shoes. Normally when a farrier asks if I felt any difference in my horse, I have to lie and say, "Yeah man! She felt amazing!". With Joe, there is no lying. My horse's dynamics have totally changed each of the three times he's shod her. I can't wait to see what time number 4 does!
Nathan met one of our neighbors today. Their wild, crazy horse went galumphing down our driveway, apparently. From what I understand, the father looks like Doc Brown with less hair, and the daughters totally love horses, but have one they can't ride. Somehow, they got the impression that they can come ride our horses when they get there. Umm. Right. Oh, neighbors. And here I thought that, by moving to the middle of practically nowhere, we wouldn't have weird neighbors. Clearly I have been mistaken.
Well, I think that's all for now.
Anybody have any great Turkey Day plans?
