I'm Baaack!

I know I've said that a few times before, but I think this time I mean it!

I am going to try to take things in a new direction though, which probably means you'll get a lot of my soap box gripes here soon. I've decided to blog about my experiences as an up and coming professional in the equine industry. That was sort of an underlying theme before, but I've (almost) officially renounced my amateur status and declared professional.

There are a number of reasons why. Some of which I can't discuss publicly because the wicked witch of the west that caused the decision may find out about this and stop paying me money. That would be bad. Very bad.

Anyways, for the last few weeks I've been getting things in order so that I can begin advertising my facility and hopefully acquire a few clients. I designed my own logo and business card (hooray for not being TOTALLY technologically illiterate!) and two nights ago I created an ad to run in the local equine monthly magazine. One thing I've learned so far that is a real hindrance, it takes money to make money. That causes a lot of problems. So I'm still working at the eventing barn as the figurehead manager, but I'm secretly hoping that I get some clients pretty quickly so that I can just work at my own place full time.

This is just a quickie "get you up to speed" entry. I need to get some pictures and whatnot of everything, because late this winter I acquired another sale horse project, fresh off Charlestown Racetrack:) She's turning into a real doll, so I'm super excited to get her going. She's a coming 7 year old 17.1hh redheaded mare, which sounds like a total beast, but she's a real sweetheart. I hope she makes a quick turnaround, but that all depends on how big she can jump. She has a shoulder the size of Maryland itself, so I'm hoping she might be at least a Low A/O prospect, not that I could compete her in it anymore...

If this weekend is nice, it'll be one of photo and video updates!

Lastly, I've reserved stalls for the April Culpeper show in roughly two weeks. I'm taking Bella and Bailey, mostly just to get out there and do something fun. Bailey really needs to get off the farm, and Bella is just fun:) Patrick was originally supposed to go with Amanda, but her and her mother decided that it wasn't worth the hassle of getting him there, much to my dismay. I really need to get him out doing something and get him SOLD! I thought about bringing him on his own, but it doesn't make sense for me to pay that kind of money to show him at something of that size. So instead, I'm going to campaign him in the local county circuit and see how he does. Oh, another change...he's now a hunter. So I've been practicing my 'hunter perch' again, and finding it significantly more difficult now that I know how to ride correctly. There really is a skill there that no one in the hunter/eq ring actually teaches. I think you have to ride the jumpers to learn how to ride the hunters correctly.

I think that's backwards from Mr. Morris' original intentions for the hunter ring...*cough cough* But then again, I've never liked him or his philosophies and I'm disgusted that college's base their equitation programs off of his cacamamey bullshit. That's a soap box right there. Sorry.

Anyways, look forward to hearing from me a little more frequently than never!

How IS everyone???

Grr. Argh.

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?

Boy oh Boy, what else can go wrong?

I just keep getting myself into messes...grrr.

On a totally off topic, I got a new phone! Despite the love I possess for my iPhone, I made the switch to the Blackberry Torch since it was $100 cheaper (and we all know how that goes...). So far, I really like it. Maybe more than my iPhone *gasp*!

Anyways, I had planned to ride Bella in my lunch break this afternoon in prep for Columbia this weekend. What happens when I get there? She's twisted a shoe and jammed the clip into her hoof. Fantastic. To top it off, it was nearly 65 degrees today and they left her heavy sheet on. She was drenched, and I mean lathered, in sweat. What. Retards. I'm sorry, I understand that operating a horse farm is tough, sucky, b.s. work...but I am NOT. I repeat, NOT paying $575 a month for that kind of crappy care. Especially when I cant ride my horse because she's too busy pacing the fenceline and pulling her shoes! Argh. I put a text into Joe, my miracle farrier. He hasn't gotten back to me yet, but I'm hoping that he can tack it back on in time for me to school up for Sunday. It's a 1.10-1.15m class...not something to just go into blind! Oh Bella...

The babies continue to have some time off. I guess it's no huge deal, but I do need to school Bailey up before next weekend. We're shipping off to Middleburg, VA for a night to take a lesson with Margot McAllister, a Grand Prix dressage rider that my very good friend Stephanie works and rides for. I'm super excited to hear what she has to say about Bailey, and learn some new techniques on the flat. Basically, I'm just excited to do something. Plus, she seems super nice and is giving me a super heavy discount, which is always a perk.

One of my boarders left today, so I think I'll be acquiring a new boarder horse soon. It's going to be another one that belongs to a girl that already has two here. She's trying to get her ISH breeding program off the ground, and I've mentioned her before. She's off to a great start. I really like the horses that she's producing. Anyways, I'm happy she's taking the stalls because that means that I can't fill them with some other project I can't handle right now.

Raleigh is this week and next week. I wish I was there:( It was such a fun show.

I'm so tired. I think I forget what it feels like to be awake. Is that what it's like in this industry? I hope it's something that goes away after a while. Once I'm 'established' and all. I think I just need to suck it up, throw out my amateur status, and rent a place. It seems like people would pay the money, and if Bella's current home is any clue as to what boarding facilities are like these days, it shouldn't be too hard to gain clientele.

Oh, life. Stop throwing curveballs, please?

Anyone have any big Turkey Day plans?

Life as an adult is exhausting

I'm not even sure where I left off last...

I've started riding one of my boarder's horses that she keeps at another facility. He's a 5 year old ISH named Cooper. I get to sit on him all this week to help her prepare to show him to a potential client on Sunday. He's pretty spectacular. As much as I hope he sells, for her sake, I'd almost love for him to stick around because she's offered to let me show him:)

On another note, Bella left for Pickwick Stables this past Saturday, where she will be dwelling until probably the end of February or March. It's tough not having her under my 24/7 scrutiny, but the indoor arena will be vastly helpful. We're headed to a schooling show at Columbia Horse Center this Sunday to do the 3'6" to 3'9" money classes (yes, money at a schooling show!). I'm a little nervous, but we need to step up to the plate at some time or another, and she's been doing really well. Though, she's probably a little perturbed with me right now because her left side is clipped, but only the outsides of her right legs are done on the other side. That's what happens when you don't have more than 20 minutes to a half hour to mess with your horse at any given time! Oh well. I've decided against showing Patrick this Saturday, so I'll hopefully have her cleaned up and ready.

I never heard back from the little girl that came to try Patrick. They weren't professional horse people, nor were they clued in on proper horse-trying etiquette, so I have a feeling I won't hear anything more from them, despite the fact that the girl specifically said, "I love him!" with a big, dopey smile. Selling horses is rough.

I've also signed up to be on a mailing list that will hopefully clue me in on some upcoming clinics, since I'm trainer-less and wandering.

So now I work from about 6:00 in the morning until 10:00 at night. It's exhausting, and it leaves little time to even pretend I'm human.

On a bright note, Nathan and I have started working on the house. We bought appliances last weekend (super deals at Sears!) and got them moved in this past Sunday. It should only be another two weeks or so until we can move in:)

Well, off to work again. It never ends.

So, uh, what's new??

I really should keep up with this thing. I really mean to, but things have just been so crazy and worthless in my life, that it's pointless to try talking about them. I really have very little time to myself anymore, unless I'm sleeping.

So I'll try to start somewhat from the beginning.

I now have three boarders at my farm. They're all pretty nice, and their horses are well-behaved, so I can't complain that they're helping pay some bills. They've also given my dad the incentive he needed to start working on the barn again. Since I last posted, he laid cobblestone pavers down as the aisleway and it looks beautiful. I'll have to grab some pictures when I get a chance.

My job has been alright. It's definitely not something that I want to be doing in five years, or even one year, but the paychecks have allowed me to buy a lot of the things I haven't been able to afford for quite some time. I feel pretty wasted, mostly because I think my boss believes I'm rather incompetent. I guess it's probably better that way, though. The less I appear to know, the less responsibility I'm trusted with. Since I have way too much going on at home, I don't mind that at all.

Because of all of this, I don't find a whole lot of time to work with my horses. They're all still staying in fairly consistent work, but it's more like 4 to 5 days a week instead of 5 or 6. Patrick is pretty much on hiatus, unfortunately. I flat him maybe twice a week and jump him once in a while, just to keep him going. He really doesn't need or want the steady training, so it works for us both. He's such a fantastic little horse. The last lesson I took on him, we jumped a solid 3'3" oxer that had a 4'0" spread. It was incredible. I wish I needed a horse like him, but I've always been told that the best time to sell a horse is when you really don't want to. Well, I've reached that point! There's an 11 year old girl coming to see him on Saturday with her grandfather. She's interested in leasing him, but I have very low expectations. She only jumps 2'0" in her 4H club, and I think she's used to kick-to-go kind of rides. Patrick is uncomplicated and quiet, but he's also been in training with an (unofficial) professional since he was broke. Cross your fingers that this doesn't lead to a lawsuit...

In other news, I've officially walked away from my trainer. It was probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make. It quite literally felt like I was walking away from my dreams, but the stress of dealing with his flaky attitude was really getting to me. I guess attaching myself to him like that is really taking the easy way out, and I want to make it because I'm good enough...not because I'm good at kissing ass. So, now that I need a hefty prescription of Xanax, I'm yet again on my own. It's not so bad, because I really don't have a horse right now that I need help with. It's just tough because I know I'm starting to develop bad habits, and I don't have anyone I trust to help me out.

Nicole, is Annette still teaching lessons? Could I trailer Bella in, do you think? I keep on meaning to get a hold of you to ask!

I'm stressed. I'm depressed. What else is new?

We close on our house tomorrow morning. By noon, Nathan and I will officially be homeowners. Yay! That is something I'm excited about. It'll be nice to have our own little place to play around with. Plus, it'll give Quinn, Fiesta, and Scooter a nice place to retire (at least until I try to breed Fifi again in the spring). We're camping out there tomorrow night, so I'll get some pictures to show you all the rough get-up we're acquiring!

So, now that I'm on my own, I've laid out some shows to go to with my horses this winter. Thankfully, this show facility 45 minutes from my house does a winter schooling series with jumpers. So Bella will be venturing up there once a month to do the 3'0" to 3'3" jumpers. It's not quite the height I would like to be working on, but it's enough to keep her going until the rated shows pick up again in April. I think Patrick is going to do the hunter divisions through the winter, just because they're on a different day, so I won't have to trailer two horses up and leave someone standing around. Plus, I think he'll like that a little more as he develops this winter. I'm taking Bella to a schooling show on the 14th of November that has some money classes. It's probably only $50 if you win, but hey, it's $50 more than I have now! Plus, it's 1.15m:)

Ah, did this post sound totally pessimistic? It felt that way. I feel that way. Sorry guys!

I'll try to update more often. I forgot how much I like venting out on this thing!

My life is a mess!

Oi vey.

I'm so not going into details. But my life is a wreck.

And unfortunately, I've discovered CANTER. I'm headed to the track on Sunday, and if this crazy old man agrees to let me give him some cash, I'll have a new horse =/ Still not sure that's good, haha. His name is Bushy. What a dreadful name for a handsome horse!

In the mean time, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eet-Vbg-YJ4

Holy cow, right? Stephanie tipped me onto that amazingness, and I couldn't not share it with everyone!

So tomorrow I think I'm bringing Bailey to Oatlands and my new found awesome horsey friends are going to help me do some flat exercises on her. I've realized that I'm quite good at teaching horses basic dressage, but I have no idea what I'm doing to get them there. So we're on an adventure to find out!

I'm off to Wal-Mart to print some pictures. Hopefully I'll have some more things to tell you all later!

Where does time go?

I feel like I never stop! Somehow the hours just keep ticking on by.

I recent news, my job has gotten better. I think maybe I'm reading into things, but it's only been a few weeks. I'm trying not to pass judgment too quickly, and just see how it goes. Today we went on a trail ride, which was super nice, especially since the horse I rode actually trail rides, instead of just bouncing along.

I have a boarder. Did I mention this last time? It's an 18hh Hano. He's a total dollface, and gives Patrick someone to rough around with, since Bailey doesn't much enjoy his play sessions anymore. She's turning into a bit of a diva princess. I also have two other girls that may be boarding horses at my house sometime in the near future. I don't know where all of this came from, but I like it! Now I just have to get the new place fixed up asap so I have room!

Also, I got a new farrier out yesterday to do the horses. I had known him a while back from my old barn, but I lost touch with him and wasn't sure if he was still doing farrier work. Thank my lucky stars, he is, and he did a GORGEOUS job. I'm seriously tickled with how Bella's feet look. I want to take pictures of them and frame them on my wall, that's how lovely they look. Finally! Now I just have to call and cancel the other guy...please go to voicemail, please go to voicemail, please go to voicemail...

My sister has been riding Patrick a lot lately, which has been good for everyone involved. It gives me less to worry about, her something to ride, and him a rider he doesn't totally hate (like me!). Bella is jumping around super fab. I'm thinking about taking her to do some eq stuff at the finale county show this weekend, just for the hell of it.

$1 Million Dollar HITS Grand Prix this weekend! My trainer will be there competing, and I'm going to be plastered in front of the computer watching!