Trying to look ahead, not back

Holy cow. What a crappy week I had last week. I'm trying not to dwell on what happened, but move forward and have a better time of things this week.

Stress just plain stinks. I'm sure everyone knows what I mean.

Rusty and I had a bad week too. We did 3 rides and he was used in a lesson on Thursday. Sounds good right? Well, we have been battling each other this week. I find it frustrating because I know alot of the problems are in my riding. I keep hoping to have made more progress by this point in my riding. Oh well....keep keeping on, right?

Rusty is also having eye problems again. It seems to flare up this time of year for some reason. He is on bute and it helps, but you can still sort of tell he isn't quite himself.

We don't need the vet out, since it is the same deal as last year. Although, I'm tempted to ask our friend some questions. I actually have a veterinary ophthalmologist in my living room right now! He is a friend of my hubby's and they are working in their bicycles together. I really don't like to bother him when he is here for a fun visit, so I'll save my questions in case things get worse and I really need his help.

Goals for this week:

• Evaluate Rusty's eye and talk with the barn owner to see if riding is a good idea right now, or if we should give him a bit of a break until his eye clears up a bit. If she thinks it is ok to keep riding (she's a vet), then we'll keep plugging along and working on our issues!
• Try and think positive!!!! It is so easy to dwell on the negative things and miss the good things...

What is everyone up to this week? Lots of big plans for Thanksgiving for you gals down south?

Random update

I really don't have alot to say for once! I've been riding and going to work and grumbling about the darkness and the mud.

The mud. Holy cow guys, the mud at the barn is just brutal. And it isn't going away. For the first time probably ever, I'm wishing for the ground to freeze and a good layer of snow to hit. Every time I've been at the barn over the past three weeks, I've been faced with this:

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

Look at that tail! I actually had to leave it, because it was only just above freezing. My hands couldn't take the cold water and I didn't want Rusty to get cold... It rained the day after I took these pictures, so it rinsed out his tail enough that it doesn't look like that any more.

One more picture to share - I bought Rusty a cute black and green cooler. He doesn't work super hard in our lessons, but now that he is pretty fuzzy, I wanted to have something to put on him just in case. I got it on sale from Dover and it is a smidge small for him - we can just barely get the belly straps done up (ahem - Mr. Porkchop!), but it will work to cool him out in.

Happy trails!

A girl can dream, can't she?

So, not much going on up here. We've had great weather for November, so I've been out riding as much as possible. I have the afternoon off from work today, so I'll be heading out to the barn as soon as I get home so I can ride outside in the daylight! That is quite a novelty this time of year!

Since I don't have alot going on, I have been up to no good on the internet. I have been doing some online shopping (for horse stuff, of course!) which I'll show you guys when it all arrives.

I've also been looking at horses online. Most of the time I do this just to try and keep current about what is for sale. Lately though, I have been daydreaming. Daydreaming about two of my favourite breeds and wondering what I will be able to afford or want to buy for my next horse.

Two of my favourite non-QH breeds are thoroughbreds and Canadien horses. There are alot of Canadien breeders in my area, so there is lots to look at. Although, I've noticed a huge decline in the number of horses available over the past couple of years. I also have tried to avoid looking up these types of horses as most of them are just too big for me. The average Canadien is about 15.3hh these days and most of them are well over 16hh. Since I'm so short, a horse that big just doesn't work. I would end up looking like I was in a kid's lead-line class! I know this for a fact, since the first horse I started riding as an adult was my friend's 16.3hh OTTB mare. She was extremely safe and easy to ride, but I just couldn't get comfortable or feel like I had any leg on her at all.

Yesterday I was looking up some horse web sites and came across a link to a breeder's web site. The first horse in their "for sale" list had me gasping!

Isn't he gorgeous??? Sigh...

A Canadien/TB cross (Bold Ruler and War Admiral back in his pedigree) - beautiful chestnut colour and expected to mature to 15.1/15.2hh! Wow. His barn name is Rusty, which I thought to be a nice little coincidence! :-)

I started to get a little excited and then I realized that there was no price listed AND the horse was located in British Columbia - the other side of the country. Whew! There is no way that I could buy a horse from that far away, so I didn't have to worry about that.

I can't stop looking at his pictures. I was back on the web site today, drooling over his pictures. I'm not sure why this horse has caught my attention so much, considering I tend to prefer coloured, old, broke horses! Even if he was located in the same province, I really have no busines owning a 3yr old horse of any breed. I just don't have the experience to train/ride well enough right now. So I have to keep telling myself not to worry, when the time comes to own my next horse, I will find something I like just as much.

Someone please tell me he is ugly and he has bad confirmation or something! lol

It's so hard not to dream though!!! :-)

Wordless Wednesday