Keeping it real, Part 2

So, part 1 of this little tale found me all nervous, anxious and uncomfortable all at the same time. I was questioning horse ownership and all of that nonsense. I was angry that I wasn’t a better horseperson; angry that I have confidence issues; and just angry at the whole situation in general, worried that I had bought the wrong horse YET again...etc. etc.

Every night for a couple of weeks, I would come home from work, toss Spencer some hay, give him a pat on the head and go back in the house and worry about these issues. I was driving myself crazy, so I decided to write out a list of some options and hope that a solution would present itself.

My thought process went something like this:

How could I give up on this face?

• Give up horses completely – why did we buy this farm, blah blah blah
• See if Spencer’s old owner would buy him back
• Try and sell Spencer
• Send him to a trainer
•  Move him to a boarding barn
• Become magically more confident
• Ignore things for the winter and deal with it in the spring
•  Get some lessons at home, but who/how with darkness, weather etc.

After lots of pondering, I realized that the majority of the issue was me – a lack of confidence, a lack of leadership and probably some handling issues (where I was trying to get him to go forward, but my body was saying stop etc.) I figured that I had a good chance of working things out if I could get a bit of guidance. I thought through all of the horse trainers/coaches that I knew of and just had a hunch that none of them would really be able to help me. They might be able to work with Spencer without any problems, but would they be able to teach me?

I should note that I’ve been really trying to get to the root of my confidence issues this fall, because I’m tired of saying that “I’m not confident about xyz”, or “xyz makes me nervous”. I have been reading three books that I was hoping would give me some insight:

1. Jane Savoie – It’s Not Just about the Ribbons
2. Mark Rashid – Horses Never Lie
3. Monty Roberts – The Man who talks to Horses (a re-read. I initially read this one a long time ago)

The Mark Rashid book really had me thinking about horse behaviour and leadership, while the Monty Roberts book reminded me about kindness and patience. I thought that some sort of natural horsemanship type person would be the best to help me, but I’m not typically a huge follower of that sort of stuff. I find some of it hokey and only angled to sell you more gear and training videos.

All of this thinking and planning and pondering gets tiring after awhile. I tend to worry about a problem for a few days, then try and forget about it for a few days. On a whim a few days later I decided that I would browse through our local horse classified site - which I hadn’t looked at in weeks - to see if I could find a cute companion for Spencer. (Not sure how adding a second horse would help my issues at this point, but it was a welcome distraction!). The first ad I saw was for a natural horsemanship trainer... The ad was brief and it said the person would travel to your farm to help you. I thought it was kind of strange that is what I thought I needed a few days before, but hadn’t known where to look.

I did a bit of research and this young girl seemed like the real deal. She had a legit web site and had been giving clinics for a couple of years. She had references and the thing that really caught my eye was that she was not a student of any one famous horse trainer. She had worked with several, but was developing her own style.

I decided to throw caution to the wind and set up a lesson with her at my place. I figured one lesson couldn’t hurt.

To be continued...

Keeping it real - Part 1

*Note: These events happened back in October and I started writing this post a few weeks ago... I have been tempted to just post cute horse and cat pictures and not talk about the not-so-good things that have been going on...

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I haven’t been posting as much lately because I’ve been in a bit of slump. I find I really have a hard time when it gets dark so early – I have about 45 minutes of “daylight” left by the time I get home. Also, Spencer and I are having some minor issues. I’ve been trying to figure out how to write about it, but haven’t had much luck. Today I just decided to try typing it out and see what happens...

When I bought Spencer, the only negative thing the owner and coach had to say about him was that he sometimes had a bit of attitude with new people. They said that with new people he would get a bit bossy and sometimes do a little cow kick, but if you nipped it in the bud it wouldn’t be a problem. I didn’t really think anything of it, as he was really good for my rides and the following six weeks after I got him home.

Our first six weeks were great – he was easy to handle and I felt very comfortable riding him. He didn’t seem outwardly stressed about being turned out alone at all. After the six week mark, I noticed one day he was tense and a little difficult to handle. He cow-kicked a couple of times in the cross ties, but I gave him a little smack and he stopped. I continued on with my day/week and didn’t think much else of it.

A couple of weeks later, I was longing him instead of riding since it was really windy. After about 10 minutes on the longe line, he started cow-kicking and stopping to face me. He wasn’t acting dangerous or anything, you could just tell he was frustrated and didn’t want to work. I was able to get him going again, but then stopped the longe session because it just didn’t seem to be worth it to push him, as I was getting angry and frustrated with the whole situation.

I have kept in contact with his previous owner and emailed her once the behaviour started showing up. She was really helpful and said that it was just him being a bit dominant and grumpy and he would work through it. She explained that she was a bit nervous as well when she first bought Spencer and he really helped her become a confident leader. She told me that he had never been aggressive or dangerous in his behaviour. She mentioned that she thought he might have had ulcer issues in the past, but never had a vet confirm it. He wasn’t acting like a horse with ulcers to me and I had a chiro check him over, so I was fairly certain there weren’t any obvious pain issues.

At this point, I was able to see that there were several small problems brewing:

• Spencer was alone and to me seemed a tiny bit anxious all the time
• I was spending less time out at the barn since it was getting dark so early and I was nervous
• I was becoming more and more nervous of his behaviour and didn’t want to do something to make it worse
• Since I struggle with confidence issues, I was sure that I was a big part of the problem – I didn’t have the confidence to be a good or consistent leader, so Spencer was trying to take control

To be completely honest, there were a few weeks where I was really questioning horse ownership. I felt that I was ruining a good horse and that I didn’t deserve to have horses. I had this nice little property and would only be able to have a quiet old horse that wouldn’t be as much fun to ride, etc. etc. I even contemplated asking Spencer’s previous owner if they wanted him back. The only thing that stopped me was that I was sure that if I just had the right knowledge, I could turn things around, as I really like Spencer.

To be continued...

Naughty, naughty horse!

I've decided to try and make an effort to write more on this poor neglected blog. I was sitting at my desk pondering what I could write about, when I saw something interesting from my office window.

Exhibit A:

Can you see the problem?

I decided to keep an eye on the situation and a few hours later I was rewarded with more evidence:

Naughty!

 I yelled at him from the deck and he popped his head up to look over at me and then proceeded to go right back to trying to eat grass over the fence.

I wasn't doing anything...

Now, it is important to note that he had hay in not one, but two locations, one being inside his nice dry shelter. He chose to stand out in the rain and try to get grass (which is admittedly greener and more plentiful on the other side of the fence).  I am also aware that he is on the chubby side, so that is why I started restricting him to his smaller paddock.  He was not impressed.

Up until yesterday, my fence still wasn't fixed. I had asked my friend John to help out, but being an old farmer (his words, not mine!) he had forgot about the repair. I called him yesterday, begging for him to come over.  He made it out about an hour before we lost all daylight and made the repairs and he got the fence working.  I feel fairly confident that I could do repairs on my own now, after bugging John with lots of questions!

John working on repairing the cut wire...

After I'd asked my questions, I left John to finish his work. An amazing sunset was lighting up the sky, so I took a few pictures.

Spencer enjoying the last evening in the big field

We are getting some amazing sunsets this time of year...

I gave Spencer one last night and morning in the big field before shutting the gate until the ground freezes up. I may let him out there when the snow hits, just to give him more space to wander around.

I plugged the fence in this morning and did a few tests with my tester and it looked like the current was good and strong.  I was a bit surprised that the cats touched the fence a couple of times and didn't get a shock. I decided to just wait and see if Spencer would test it for me.

Sure enough, after a couple of hours, he decided to try for some grass. He bumped the top wire with his  chest and must've got a little jolt. He then stuck his muzzle right onto the top wire and got a really big zap!  He took off bucking and snorting. I cheered with delight, as that means that the fence is working well.

He spent the next couple of hours eyeing the fence suspiciously, but hasn't tested it again.  Success!!  :-)

Finally, a post!

Man, it has been over 6 weeks since I posted anything here.  Oops!  :-S  I always feel like I should write more but never get around to finishing any posts.  I'm going to try and get caught up on the past few weeks. Nothing exciting has happened, but why not document it for posterity?

I was able to fit in two riding lessons at my place in October. My old instructor came over to have a look at Spencer and put us through our paces. She just lives one road over from me now, so it is nice to have her close by. (She is also a vet...)  

After two lessons,  I have long list of things to work on:

• Keeping my lower leg steady (not too far forward or backward)
• Asking for him to move off my leg with pulsing pressure instead of a solid leg-on squeeze (we found this worked better with him)
• Keeping my hands steady (sometimes my hands are all over the place trying to steer)
• Keeping my head up and looking where I’m going. I have a tendency to look down and to the left
• Riding one handed – keep my shoulders straight

In addition to all of the above, she had me work on transitions and steering with lots of poles and cones. These exercises often frustrate me as we start working on them and then they click later on.

I even made a little graphic of the tricky one we worked on.  I was working on walk-canter transitions and after the first two or three upward transitions, Spencer was anticipating and was trying to canter all the time.  So, we would do one transition, then go around the pattern so he couldn't anticipate as much.  I worked on steering and speed control (maintaining the jog) as I weaved through the cones instead of cantering.  (see lovely drawing below!)  The poles are just there to define the riding area (my ring is 170+ feet long, so we just shortened it up a bit) and work on square corners at the walk and jog.

Nice graphic...lol

I was to enter the cones at the top right corner, weave down and back up, then continue on to the right.

The first time through the cones I went the wrong way at the end.  I was gently corrected and told to try it again. The second time through, I went the wrong way yet again.  After a few mumbled bad words, I smiled and reminded the instructor that I was really bad at geometry. The third time through I still went the wrong way!  I may have said a really bad word out loud...  My instructor chuckled and said that she often found that adult riders often have a hard time working on more complex patterns after spending the day at work. I was able to get it by the 4^th time through!  Lol  

I rode again a few days later and practiced the exercise again.  I was able to get it a bit easier the second time!  

I don’t have a ton of riding time left at my place, seeing as how my ring is grass and it has been raining a fair bit.  And it gets dark super early.  *sigh* Late fall and early winter here are tough to take sometimes!  I’m planning on continuing lessons with this instructor at her place over the winter. I think it will help me to keep that going. Spencer will get a nice holiday once the deep snow and crappy weather hit us full on.

A long rambling update, of sorts

I haven't been great about posting lately - you'd think with a new horse, I would be posting all kinds of stuff!   I guess I just have little tidbits of stuff that don't really amount to a whole post. So, today, since I'm up early on a Sunday morning, you guys will get the whole rambling mess!

Spencer is doing well - I had to mow (and rake!) 3/4 of his paddock with my lawn tractor, since I'm a bit concerned that he is gaining too much weight.  My vet friend came over last night and assured me his weight was ok.  His weight is on the high side of normal, so I do need to monitor that and not let it go any higher.  Oh the fun of an easy keeper!    I had also bought a grazing muzzle, but it looks like I won't have to use it after all.   I have also not been feeding him any grain, with the exception of a small amount of a vitamin/mineral supplement. I have used a grand total of two bales of hay in the past month!

 Mowing my pasture? That is just crazy!?!!

I never suspected I would be cursing the fact that I have too much pasture!  I guess I need a few more 4-legged bodies out there to help eat it all.  I'm considering donkeys and maybe next year I might consider adopting a standardbred or TB from adoption agencies here. We'll see how the budget looks.

I have been having fun taking pictures of my cats outside. They follow us around like dogs a lot of the time. They will even come for "walks" out back if we call them.  We do have to be careful that if we go for a walk on the road that they don't follow us. We usually have to round them up and put them in the house if we leave the property!

(The Hubby would also like it known that he does not like cats (or any other animals for that matter! lol)

The fence is not hot, in case you were wondering...

I have been working on a budget for the house - since we've moved our mortgage is a bit bigger, so it eats up more of my disposable income that I used to blow spend on tack and things.  Being on a budget is not much fun, but it gives me a good idea of what we are spending where and how we can make it work for us.  Mostly the budgeting exercise is a way to save up extra money to afford more horses - who am I kidding? lol

I've also started planning for doing a few club shows next year! Hopefully that happens, as it has been on my bucket list for a long time.  I definitely have a horse that can do those shows, I just need to get myself tuned up!  I also want to plan ahead for the cost, so that a lack of funds is not an obstacle.  The local shows are pretty cheap for the day, but I have to add in trailering and probably some tack purchases. I've been told by that I can probably borrow tack for next year, but I don't want to assume that will be the case.

I have also decided that I'm going to take lessons over the winter at the place I where I used to board Rusty. She is really close and has lots of different horses to ride.  I was going to just not ride over the winter, but I figured that if I want to try showing, I need to keep my riding going. Too bad it won't be on my horse, but I think riding different horses and keeping my legs in shape will be well worth it.

I told you this post was going to be long and rambling!

Tentative Steps Outside the Comfort Zone

I'm having a great weekend so far - we are getting stuff done around the house and barn, as well, I've worked with my horse a fair bit.

Last night I took a few minutes to try and get some nice photos of the new guy...  I then dragged out some poles and cones and did about 45 minutes of showmanship type stuff with Spencer.  Most of that was for my benefit - he is apparently a showmanship pro.  I'm ok on the the basics, but need to work on my turns...those are tricky for me for some reason.

This morning, the hubby and I cleaned and organized another section of the barn. He installed some brackets for shelves to store some lumber and my jump poles.  It is nice to have all of the spare lumber and tools organized so that there is more room for our stuff.

After all our work was done, the hubby went into the house for a break.  I decided that I would ride while I was still outside. I had a hunch that if I went inside and sat down, I wouldn't be as motivated to go back out!

I got Spencer ready and tacked up and headed out to the riding ring.  I couldn't find my mounting block anywhere! (I can get on from the ground, but it isn't a pretty sight right now.)  I looked all over the place for something to use to help me get on, but had no luck.

 I decided that the easiest thing would be to just go out and hand walk Spencer around the neigbourhood side streets. I have been meaning to do this for a week, but kept chickening out.

Today was as good of a day as any, I figured.  We headed out on to the road and within minutes, 2 cars passed us. I was nervous, but Spencer didn't care.  Phew! Good to have that over with!  I walked around the more quiet side streets for another 15 minutes or so and waved at some neighbours.  After walking for a while, I started hunting around for a way to get on my horse and ride!

I managed to find a big rock and used that to jump on. I was still a bit nervous, but decided I was close enough to home that I should be fine.  I rode Spencer back home!!!  I was so happy, that we were out there alone and doing ok!  We were even passed by 2 cars on the way back and Spencer didn't seem to care at all.  I was finally starting to relax as I got home. I think in a few more rides, I'll be fine out on the road with him.

He didn't seem to react to my nerves at all, which is what I was hoping for in a horse.  He was looking around a fair bit at the houses and people, but aside from some minor steering issues, he was really, really good.  Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of our adventure, so that will have to wait until next time.

One week down

So, I’ve had a horse at home for exactly one week...and I’ve been worrying and being my anxious self all week.  Lol 

The first four days he was here, I was out in the pasture every 15 minutes checking on him.  I think after the first few visits, he was getting a little annoyed.  I’ve noticed that he has a “what do you want now?” look that often results in a big sigh when he realizes I just want to pet him or put on more fly spray.

what now?

I’ve also decided that I’m going to give him another barn name.  Spinner just isn’t working out for me – it reminds me of the thing I disliked the most about Dolly – her spinning and balking out on the trail. It would be a great name for a reiner maybe, but I’m just not liking it. The previous owner told me she renamed him Spinner, because his original name is Scooter – which is almost as bad!  I think I’m going to go with Spencer for now, as it sounds similar enough to his other names.  I call him Buddy most of the time when I’m chattering away, so I don’t think it matters too much in the end!

I’ve been out for 4 rides so far and he has been pretty good.  He is a bit looky, but doesn’t put a foot wrong, so I can’t fault that. I’m also having some minor saddle fit issues, since he is a bit high-withered.  I’ll have to post more about that later, as I’m just getting started on searching out my options for something that will work.

I’m also slightly concerned that he will founder on all my nice grass – which is a problem I’m not used to. No boarding stable I have been at in 5 years has had enough grass to be concerned about.  He had been out on pasture for 2 weeks before I bought him, so that helps, but the previous owners felt that my grass was better than theirs.  The first 4 days he was here, I would rotate him between the pasture, his stall and the riding ring every 4 hours or so. The riding ring has grass, but I’ve kept it mowed really short, so there isn’t much there.  Now that I’m at work, he is out in his pasture all day and in the riding ring/stall in the evening and overnight.  That seems to be working out ok. In another few days, I’ll probably leave him out at night, as he prefers to be out. I’m guessing that grass this late in the summer doesn’t have the high sugar content that it does in the spring.

All in all, I think I made a good purchase this time around!  I’m looking forward to riding as much as possible this fall and getting my legs back in riding shape! I’ve been limping around with sore not-used-to-riding-again muscles this week...lol

Finally - the search is over!!! :-D

So, I've kind of been holding out on you guys this past week.  I went to see a horse on Monday and I had a hunch he would be the one, but I decided not to say anything in case it didn't work out...

I found this horse online and emailed the owner within minutes of seeing the ad.  I have a list of standard questions I ask, as well as mentioning that I get a bit nervous in certain situations.  Her responses back were all positive and encouraging.  We exchanged a few emails and once I had enough information, I sent a big email with photos and videos to my two pseudo-coaches/advisors.

They liked him and one coach recognized the horse from some shows this summer. She also knew the owner's trainer very well and told me the lady was very well respected.  My coach called the owner's coach and they had a chat about the situation and I was given the green light to go try the horse.

I think I knew the minute I got on him that he was exactly what I was looking for.  Gelding, reg'd AQHA, 11yrs old, lots of western training, show experience, lots of trail experience, etc. etc. and the list keeps going.  He is just shy of 15.1hh and not a wide build. I was able to put my short legs to good use and we rode for about an hour, with some coaching.

I had a big smile on my face and knew this horse would be a good fit.  He was delivered to my house (yes, my house, not a boarding barn!!!!) this morning and I keep looking out the windows to see if it is real!  :-D

Spinner and his old owner at a show...

And here are a few photos from his first hour here. He is calm and just checking out his paddock. He is calling a bit, but he isn't nervous or panicked at all.  I'm not sure about a companion for him yet, I'm going to give it a couple of months and see how he does.  

not my trailer in the bg, sadly...

More posts to follow, as I get to know this new guy!

2012 goals and plans for the rest of the year

I can’t believe we are well into August already! This year is just flying by...probably thanks to all of the stuff I have been busy with this year.

I had a look at the goals for 2012 that I wrote and posted back in January. At first, I had a flash of disappointment, as I realized that very few of those goals were attainable now. That feeling passed quickly as I realized that maybe those goals weren’t what I wanted after all. Usually goals and talk of goals gets me all anxious – I like checking off boxes and “getting things done”, but that hasn’t really been working for me where horses are concerned. Horses and riding just don’t really do well with tight schedules and expectations, it seems. I think this year has taught me to take a step back and enjoy the process a bit more, instead of just panicking or getting depressed when a goal is unattainable. Does that make any sense?
I had big plans to do some endurance rides and volunteer at others, but that isn’t in the cards at all now – and, funny enough – I’m ok with that. I have taken a step back and have had to sort of start over in my horse plans.

My revised and very simple plan for the rest of 2012 is to find a suitable horse for day-to-day riding.

That in itself is a challenge! I was initially looking for the perfect horse – one that could show local club shows and maybe at the bigger QH shows down the road, as well as be the perfect trail horse. I haven’t had much luck finding something that versatile, so I’ve realized that maybe the show horse will have to wait. I also acknowledged that I don’t have the skills and finances right now to head into the show world. And I’m ok with that too. I seem to get caught up in the excitement of what other people are doing with their horses and want to do the same things without thinking about all of the details.

I have two more decent prospects lined up to visit this weekend. Hopefully one of them works out. I’m finding that I’ve lost some of my leg strength, so getting back in the saddle soon is important! If I can’t find a suitable horse, then I might try and lease one from the people down the road or at least take some lessons. I have lots of options and I’ll just go with whatever seems like the best idea at the time.

Officially horseless...and doing ok

So, Dolly sold this past week.  I'm happy about it overall, as the people seem to really like her.   It does feel really weird to not have a horse to take care of, let me tell you!

At first, I was trying to tell myself that maybe I would give up horses completely.  The past year or so has been tough on the ego and on the wallet, so I thought that I now had the chance to do something different.  The first night Dolly was gone, I cleaned my house top to bottom and still had a couple of hours of the evening to kill.

The second day, I cleaned and oiled all of my tack. The third day, I went down the road to the boarding stable to hang out with everyone and talk horses.  By day 4, I knew I couldn't be without a horse in my life in some way, as I just didn't know how to fill the gap that being horse-less had left in my days.

I've been searching horse ads for a few months now, trying to take my time and find something that is a good fit for my needs. I've been to see a few and rejected many more just by their ads and a few emails or phone calls with the owners.  I was all prepared to be patient and let something come along.

I had told myself I could also find a retired horse and take care of it - to have something to see in the pasture when I look out my windows.  That way there would be no pressure of riding/training and dealing with my confidence issues.  I thought it was a good plan and is still my back up if I can't find a suitable horse.  I have my eye on a few Standardbreds that I would like to give a home...

I've also been to two local horse shows with my new acquaintances from the barn down the road.  I enjoy seeing everyone all dressed up in their nice show tack.  My new coach was judging at one local show, so it was fun to talk to him and see what his thinking was for placing certain horses the way he did.

Coach D watches the halter folks get set up...

 We also took a day to drive to Vermont to have a little break. We went to Burlington, which is on Lake Champlain.  It is about a 5 hr drive from our place.

 The next day, on the way home, I went to see two AQHA horses in Quebec.  The bay is an older mare with lots of western pleasure training.  She was nice, but a bit tough to move off the leg.  She is a good prospect though, so I'm thinking about her...

And the second is a 7yr old mare that is broke, but would need a training refresher for the western pleasure type stuff. I really enjoyed this mare - she was sweet and willing to work.  Not too sensitive, but not too dead either.  I may go back and ride her again, just to see if my first instinct was right or not.  

So, I feel good about finding two decent prospects.  I'm hoping to take Coach D out to see the grey mare, but not sure if that will work out or not.  I find it a bit funny that I found two mares that I actually like, since I was dead-set on buying a gelding this time around!  I haven't found any decent geldings for sale - I guess people hold on to the quiet, well-trained ones???  Who knows, maybe by the end of the month I'll have a horse in my barn...!?!

Drought and little outside tour

I thought I was due for an update here... Dolly is one week into her trial and I haven't had any updates yet, so I'm assuming things are going ok so far. I'm still looking for another horse, but haven't really found anything worth getting really excited over.  I won't be able to do anything until Dolly sells, so I'm mostly just  window shopping at this point.

We are in a bit of a drought here - I don't think my area has had any rain in over a month. Things are very dry and crispy. The local farmers were able to get a decent first cut of hay, but unless it rains soon, that is all they will get. I won't be at all surprised to hear of hay shortages here over the winter months.

dry, hard soil

My lawn is completely dead, except for a few hardy weeds.  My riding ring has dead grass, which is actually ok. lol  I mowed it really short a few weeks ago, hoping it would die.  I don't want to spray weed/grass killer on it, since my cats are outside now.  I'm hoping to have the ring disced sometime in the coming weeks, or just start riding on the dead grass and hope that the sand starts to come back (assuming I get a horse sometime this summer!)

riding ring - will it get used this year????

 This is a shot of my front pasture - I had it bushogged in early June and the grass hasn't grown one bit. Which is ok, really, since there are no horses to eat it! I also need to do more major fence repairs here, but that will probably wait until the spring.

I took a short walk around the outside of the pastures - there is a bit of open space where I would like to make some trails over the coming months.  I think I can do a fair bit with the whipper snipper to get the really long grass down and then probably drive the lawn tractor through on a high setting.  There is some exposed rock back there though, so I'll have to be careful.  I was also thinking a scythe (who knew that there are several sites to buy scythes!) would come in handy! lol

wondering if I can hack out some trails...

 I have a few minor repairs to make to the electric fence in my main paddock. The braid is a bit loose in the picture below, but it won't be a big problem to sort that out. I also have to get rid of the pallets in there - that is just an accident waiting to happen! It has been so hot here that I haven't done much around the barn.

The previous owners also left me a large manure pile that they also started filling with branches and yard waste.  It is totally overgrown now and will be a bit of work to get it all sorted out.  I'm thinking it sounds like a good project for the fall and cooler temps.   If a horse comes home in the near future, I will probably just put up a bit of temporary electric fence to keep it away from that mess. Some of the grass in that area is over 5ft tall!

 That's about it for the outside at my place right now. When I finish cleaning and organizing the barn, I'll get some pics there.  Keep your fingers crossed that we get some rain soon!

My decision

See the brown bum on the right side?

I decided to let Dolly go - she is on a two week trial with the potential new owners. I talked to a bunch of people about trials and got lots of good advice.  I had the new people sign a contract, I checked a reference and received part of the payment in cash.  I get the feeling that they are good people, so hopefully I'm not wrong there!

It feels a bit strange to have her gone - even if only temporarily.  She may come back to me, but I also got the hunch that the husband realllly liked her already.

Last night I wandered around the house, at a loss for something to do... (There is lots to do, just would've preferred being at the barn!)  My new coach told me he found a horse for me to look at, so I'll be trying to arrange that sometime in the next few days.  I don't like being horse-less, it just doesn't feel right!

In which I find myself in a bit of a pickle...

*warning - long post - skip down to the end for the important stuff! *

You guys are all to familiar with my dilemma with Dolly. She is a nice little mare - pretty, mostly easy to deal with on the ground, good size for me, good age, etc. etc., but I have been having confidence issues with her on the trail. That is pretty much the status quo for her and I. 

2 weeks ago I went on trail ride with some other people from the barn. There were 9 horse/rider combos in total. I rode a pretty buckskin paint mare and a teenage girl rode Dolly.  Dolly was wound up and acting a bit loony for the first 30 minutes of the ride and then slowly started to settle down. She had worked herself into a lather, doing all kinds of fancy dressage moves back and forth down the trail. Her rider just sat it out and didn't mind her antics at all. I was nervous just watching! lol  After that ride, I was determined to sell her, as I knew I didn't have the seat or the nerves to sit out 30 minutes of antics when riding in a group.

Last week I finally had one response to her sale ad and the people found her on a recommendation from a local endurance rider.  The guy came out to have a look at Dolly, who would maybe be his wife's horse to ride in local rides.  I was very up front about why I was selling the horse and he wasn't concerned. 

In the mean time, the barn owners had set me up with a trainer/coach that they thought could help Dolly and I, or at the least, tell me straight up whether he thought Dolly and I were a good match or not.  I had him out on Saturday and we had a great chat about goals and my issues (nerves!!!!!!).  He is also a sports coach, so he had lots of thoughts on mental training for the rider as well, which is more my issue than an actual problem with the horse.

He rode Dolly for about 45 minutes and he actually really liked her.  She is super senstive in the bridle, which is a good thing, he thought. He started working on flexing and bending as he felt that she was very stiff and unbalanced (which RuckusButt thought as well when she visited).  I got on for a few minutes after he rode and could feel a bit of a difference in her mental state - if that makes any sense.

Coach Dan come out again on Sunday and we worked with Dolly for almost two hours (not all in the saddle). In that time, he had her doing a quiet western jog with her head all down and relaxed!  I couldn't quite believe it, since she normally gets all excited at the trot - even in the ring - and has her head up in the air...

I got on for 15-20 minutes and we worked on some exercises at the walk so I could get a feel for how he was doing things. It felt like I was riding a totally different horse! I didn't try the trot or jog yet, since that will probably take some time for me to get...but I felt that maybe with some coaching we had a good chance to get over our issues.

And then, Sunday night, I got a call from the potential buyer and he wanted to come back with his wife this time!  (Kudos to any readers that made it down this far to discover the actual "pickle" from the title! lol)  I actually wavered a bit on whether or not to tell them that she is no longer for sale.  I think we made some good progress in two sessions and could do a lot more over the summer, with regular coaching.  On the other hand, I could still sell her and start fresh with another horse (which I have yet to find...).

Now, there is no guarantee that these people will buy her, but they are interested.  I slept on the problem and when I woke up this morning, I still didn't have a clear idea of what to do.  So, I called the potential buyer and told him that my price was firm and I wasn't negotiating and if he was still interested, he could come out and try her again.  If they love her and are willing to pay my asking price, I'll probably let her go and chalk it up to experience and learning...maybe she will be "the one that got away" or something...

I never thought I would be in a spot with Dolly where I wouldn't want to sell her if the opportunity came up...  Up until yesterday, I was ready to trade her or sell her to the first interested party! So, we'll see how things go tonight and maybe I'll have to make a tough decision...

Time flies...

I can’t believe that we are officially half-way through 2012! This year is just flying by for me – probably because of all of the stress and excitement I have had this year!

I don’t know that I have enough brain power to do a proper post, so I think I’ll just do a bulleted list for now.

• I have paid for board for the month of July for Dolly at the place down the road – they are ok with me trying Dolly at home for a day or two and then brining her back if she can’t handle being alone...
• ...and if she can’t handle being alone, my new barn owners have offered me a loaner horse to keep Dolly company. All I would have to do is feed the mare and maybe pay for her farrier work – not a bad deal.
• I have been given the name of someone who might be able to help coach me and put a few rides on Dolly. I’ve given him a call and have my first lesson tomorrow morning
• I bought and stored 95 bales of hay yesterday! Woo-hoo! I know 95 isn’t much, but I can’t store more than 120-150 anyway and this will get me started. It only cost me $3.00/bale as well!
• We have my father-in-law’s truck this week, so I’m going to be getting the last few supplies I need to get my barn set up – I’m very excited about this! I need a couple small water troughs and a few bits and pieces for my tack room. Pictures to follow in the near future...
• I'm still deep in my horse search and haven't really come up with much. I'm not in any rush, since I have some options with Dolly, so that is good.  I was told about a little QH gelding at my barn that might be available in the next few months, so we'll see if that goes anywhere...
• I was contemplating getting a goat, but the hubby is totally against it at this point! I'm hoping a little stray goat makes its way to my place and then we won't be able to turn it away... lol

Ok - that about sums up the big stuff for today...  More to come if I can find the patience to sit and write about stuff! 

Horse shopping – not as fun as I’d envisioned

I’ve been out to see two horses in the past 10 days or so. Not a huge number I know, but I’ve been able to rule out a lot either by the ad alone, or by exchanging a couple of emails with the sellers.

I put myself under a lot of pressure to find something suitable by the end of June, as that was when I’d planned to bring Dolly home. I figured that she absolutely had to have a companion and I wanted that companion horse to be one that I could ride everywhere. I’ve been fretting over horse stuff since the beginning of June when I moved! Just this week, I think I have some options sorted out, so I can take a bit longer to search for a riding horse. I do have 1 or 2 prospects, but I am unsure which to choose, or to wait it out for another one to come along.

My plan as of this minute (subject to change and flip-flop multiple times) is to try bringing Dolly home on June 29, as it is a long weekend and I’ll be around to keep an eye on her. I’ll try having her alone and if it doesn’t go well, I can take her back down the road. I have a spot secured at the barn down the road for July and the barn owners were fine with me trying her at home for a few days and going back and forth as required.

I have also listed Dolly for sale, but I don’t expect too much to come of it, since the market is really down for selling right now. I have been noticing this trend on our local sales web sites. This should bode well for me as a buyer, but it hasn’t yet!

I’m interested in two horses, but one is a bit too big for me – I wasn’t able to give correct leg aids while riding him – and the other is ranch broke and quiet, but doesn’t have a lot of finesse. I think both could work, but I’m a little hesitant to buy without trying the horses a second time. I also feel better now that I don’t have to rush.

The one gelding is a trained reiner, but he has done a bunch of other stuff. The visit to that barn provided me with something that I didn’t know I had been looking for... a potential new coach! I’ll have to write more about him when I get a chance. That is a separate post on its own.

So, at least I have a plan now and some options. I feel a bit better about the whole situation. Here’s hoping that a good horse comes along soon!

Tractor Envy

Now that the house is mostly settled (still a few stray things to organize), I have started working on my barn and pastures. I didn’t think I would have much use of a small tractor on this property, since it is fairly small, but boy was I wrong!!!

Right side of small paddock and shelter 

I have about 5 acres of pasture and the grass is really tall. It looks like hay, but it is not good enough quality in my opinion to be baled (there are some weeds too...). I didn’t want to just turn Dolly loose on grass, as she hasn’t been on any pasture in over a year! I needed to get someone in to do some bush hogging and after a couple of false starts, I found 2 neighbours willing to do the work for a reasonable fee.

Middle of small paddock

One neighbour has an ancient Kubota that he brought in to do the small paddock – which will be my winter paddock – and it took him about an hour. I now just have to clean up the mowed grass and do some trimming under the fence line. I’m leaving my back paddock long and will just let Dolly graze it down. Once it is grazed a bit, I should be able to get my big lawn tractor in and clean up the weeds. I’ll also fertilize and re-seed it in the fall. I am slightly giddy at the prospect of managing my own small fields.

The previous owners let this property go quite a bit – they let all of the fields just grow, even though they had a brand new tractor and bush hog. Not much to be done about it but get things set right again. It will cost me a bit and will take some time and elbow grease, but I want to do the work so I can enjoy the place more.

I have a nice fenced riding ring and based on reports from neighbours, it used to be sand. The original owners had sand trucked in and the people we bought from just let it grow over. It is being mowed today, so I’ll see what is left of the sand, if anything. I’m hoping that if I can ride on it a bit, the grass will get turned up/worn down. If not, I’ll maybe have someone help out by ploughing/discing it and see what happens.

The riding ring after being mowed

I also have 8 or so acres in the back that could be used for riding, but it needs some trails bush hogged as well. There are some mature trees and the rest is basically a meadow. It is pretty to look at, but I would love to be able to get back there and know that the footing was good for a horse.

I’ve been daydreaming about little tractors and all the stuff I could do with one! I’ll have to save up and see if I can maybe find a used one for next year. I’d love to be able to do my own work – and let’s face it – having a small tractor would be so fun! 

(Side note to tractor companies - you might want to add some photos of women driving tractors! Sheesh.)

And the horse search continues

I'm still trying to decide what to do about a second horse or a companion for Dolly. Just when I think I know what I want, I change my mind! I had a lot of time to think last week while I was digging and weeding my garden! lol

I decided to pass up that little arab gelding that I looked at a few weeks ago. He was ok, but very English trained and my western saddle wouldn't fit him. It just didn't feel like the right fit at the time.

I'm also torn between maybe trying to sell Dolly and find a horse that is more suited to my needs and keeping her and giving her a chance. Every time I think I want to sell, I have a good ride on her. I guess there is no harm in keeping her another year and deciding what to do later.

I have also decided that endurance/competitive trail isn't what I want to aim for right now. I just don't have easy access to trailering to these events, since they tend to be further away. It would cost alot to even get to the event, let alone participate. I'm also missing some skills and confidence in my riding that I need to fill in before I venture out in a competitive situation. Once I thought all that out, I felt better about the direction I was heading.

I also want to improve my western riding skills and riding in general - so, since I'm close to my old instructor, I'll be heading back there in the fall to work with her. The goal of that is to improve enough to try some club shows next summer. She has a few APHA horses that she takes to local shows, so I could easily ride one of those (and share trailering fees).

That still leaves me wanting a horse that is good on the roads and trails. I like ring work and lessons, but there is nothing like going for a good hack. I have a lead on a quarter horse and I'm going to go see her tomorrow.


8yr old mare, ranch trained, kinda cute!

I was also looking at another AQHA gelding, but he has extensive reining and cowhorse training and I wonder if that would be wasted on what I want to do. Apparently he is extremely broke and has done all kinds of things and would be suited to a more novice rider. He will be my wildcard if things with my other leads don't work out.

We'll see how things go tomorrow - I may be back at square one if this mare isn't what I'm looking for! 

A long overdue update

Well, we are all moved into our new house! The packing and moving went as well as can be expected. It was alot of work, but well worth it in the end!  We love the house and since it is about 500-600 sq ft bigger, we feel like we have so much extra space.

My Mom has been here visiting this week and we tackled the yard and gardens together.  She is an avid gardener, so I just followed along and did what I was told! lol  The gardens (and pretty much everything else) were pretty overgrown, so we had a lot of work to do.

I got a new toy as well - a John Deere lawn tractor and utility cart! I've been having fun with that, although a real tractor with a bush hog would come in very handy right now...maybe next year we'll look into something bigger.

Dolly moved to the new barn last week and seems to be settling in ok.  This place has most of the horses in smaller, single turnouts, with lots of neighbours on all sides to visit with.  Dolly seems to have gained a bit of weight, since the hay is good, she gets grain 2x/day and doesn't have to fight for food any more.

I made it down the road to ride about 4 times in the past week. I've just been refreshing both of us in walk/trot and getting used to things. This barn is a lot busier, with vehicles and horses moving around all the time. I think any opportunity for horse and handler to see more "stuff" is always good.  Dolly also had her first two visits in an indoor arena and did ok with that.  It has been too nice to ride inside though, so I've been sticking to the sand ring outside.

Rainbow after a big storm with hail.  The old barn is on the neighbour's property...

The weather has been pretty decent during the day, so I've been enjoying the new pool as well! I feel very fortunate to be here and still can't believe that this is our house!  I have to go back to work tomorrow (boo!!!) but I am also looking forward to getting back into my routine.

More posts to follow this week as things settle down and get back to normal.