Finally getting some things done

Me - still happy before finding
out that another 150 bales were
on their way over!

In between riding and panicking about shows, I’ve been able to get some farm work done.

Last week I was able to get all of my hay for the year! I was having a bit of a hard time pinning anyone down to get hay, since we haven’t had the best year. It has been very wet, so most farmers just did their first cuts last week. In fact, my neighbours on both sides just started cutting yesterday!

My boarder and I got two loads of hay from one supplier and then I had another 150 bales delivered. It all arrived at the same time so I got that all taken care of in one day! My little barn is bursting to the seams with hay – but I’m resting easy now that I have enough for a year. The only downside is that there is now hay in my 3rd stall, so no other pony for me just yet! ;-)

And, after much waiting and calling and texting, my sand ring is finally done! I have had to harass my farmer/construction guy a bit to get it done (amazing how 234232 other jobs came up while working on mine!) but that seems to be the norm for this type of work. It is about 80’x 120’ and should give me lots of room to ride!

It is also now away from the road, so I won’t have that to worry about. I don’t have a fence around the ring for now, but I think at some point I’m going to move part of my white fence from the front and use it at the back. It will be nice to have my front lawn back and removing part of the fence will open it up nicely.

My boarder and I also reorganized the tack room – well, she did most of it – she is a very busy girl! I don’t mind that sort of work, since it helps keep things organized in the end. It also highlighted the fact that I have a bunch of tack I’m not using and probably won’t use again. I have two saddles I want to sell – 1 endurance and 1 western. I hate to part with this particular western saddle, but it just doesn’t fit Spencer that well. The Circle Y I have been riding in fits him much better.

Tomorrow I'm starting a few days of vacation, so I have even more work planned! I have to try and tame my gardens and fix my electric fence. It is shorting out in a few spots, so I need to get that sorted out.  I also need to go and buy some temporary electric fencing to divide off the new ring!  Not to mention packing and prepping for another show on Sunday!!  I might need a vacation from my vacation!  :-)

Show 2 down!

While this was technically my second show, it was my first show where I actually got to ride!

I haven’t ridden at a show since I was 14, so I was a bit nervous! My goals were to stay on Spencer, remember my patterns, get him ready on my own and have fun. I accomplished all of those goals, for the most part.

I did have helpers show up when I needed them most, which was kinda cool. One girl held Spencer while I finished his hoof black, another lady showed up just as I was trying to fix my hair/hat and another friend wandered by as I was tacking up, so he held Spencer for me. (Also need to work on tying Spencer in weird situations)

The weather was super hot and sunny, which was a huge change from the torrential downpour last month! I had planned ahead for the heat, or so I thought... I’m really susceptible to heat stroke/heat exhaustion, so I have to make sure to eat a bit and drink a ton of fluids. This show series also has stalls available in a big barn, so I booked a stall to keep both Spencer and I inside in the shade when we weren’t showing.

In hindsight, I need a couple more bottles of water, but I managed ok. I didn’t get a headache from the heat/sun, so that is good! Spencer was pretty beat by 3pm, but luckily we were done by then. I need to do a bit more research on electrolytes and see if that is something that might help him. He didn’t eat or drink as much in the afternoon as I would have liked. I also haven’t been riding that much over the past month due to a variety of factors. I do need to work on Spencer’s endurance, as well as my own fitness.

Nice ears, Spencer... 

We started out the day with halter and showmanship. The good news is that he stood still for both classes! We somehow got 2nd in halter again and a 3rd (out of 7) in showmanship, so I was off to a good start. We did blow our pivots – so not sure if it was just me being nervous or what - because we can do our pivots at home without much problem. That will definitely be something to work on in the two weeks before the next show!

I’m quite pleased with my tack and prep work. Aside from my coach banding Spencer’s mane, I did all of the clipping, bathing and polishing myself. I also packed the car the night before and I didn’t forget anything. I still do seem to have way too many bags of stuff, but I can’t see any way to reduce that.

The afternoon classes were double judged due to being rained out last time. We started the afternoon with trail and that was our best class! We got 5/10 under both judges and apparently the points in the top 6 were really close. I had walked through the trail class when I first got on and he ticked every pole possible. I was laughing that you should get bonus points for that! When it came time to actually ride the pattern, Spencer put on his performance hat and didn’t touch one pole! I was pretty pleased with that. I think he could do some of the obstacles in his sleep though – the bridge and the gate were a piece of cake for us - which was nice!



Crappy shot of borrowed show bridle while in the barn...



We then did a western pleasure class. It didn’t go as well – I was really nervous – I haven’t ridden in a large group like that in a long, long time. I had been told that Spencer was fine in a group, but sometimes with horses you need to experience something to start to believe it… at least I do!!! Spencer broke to the trot a few times (a problem we have at home too) and his head was up pretty high – mostly due to me, I’m sure. I placed 6/10 under one judge and not at all with the other judge.

Horsemanship was next – this is another pattern class. I am really happy with my pattern. I remembered everything and rode it fairly well. I placed second under one judge and not at all with the other! Funny how that works! I do need to work on my seat (which is also something we are working on at home) and I need to be a bit more precise with my pattern, but overall, it went well.



All in all, it was a successful day. I’m not at the point yet where I am super competitive, but that will come with time. Right now, I’m just trying to learn the ropes and work with Spencer to get through the day without any mishaps. I have a few more shiny ribbons for the fridge (they will need more space eventually!) and lots of things to keep working on in my riding.



The collection (and a random take-out menu!)  is growing...might need to find another way to display them!





Early morning workouts

Show update: The show went well - I'll write a full post this week...  I didn't fall, Spencer was well behaved and we even won a couple of ribbons!

---------------

I am a morning person – always have been. It amazes my husband that I get up at 5:15 every morning just to go do stuff in the barn and to leave for work early. I’ve just found over the years that this schedule works better for me. I have always had a bit of a commute to work, so leaving early allows me to beat the worst of the morning traffic and leave at a decent time in the afternoon.

Getting up early in the summer is the best – the sun is up early around here this time of year (full light at 5:15 right now!) and everything is quiet. There is often wispy fog floating around and dew on the grass. For the past 6 weeks or so, I have been working Spencer for 15-20 minutes every morning and then I try and ride in the evenings. I usually work on showmanship or do a few minutes of longing/groundwork on the stonedust laneway at the barn. My ring isn’t really safe in the mornings, since the grass is wet with dew (come on sand ring!!!). A few mornings we have even gone for a walk around the neighbourhood.

This schedule worked really well up until recently, since Spencer was in his stall all night and was all rested and ready to go.

I’ve noticed a bit of a change this week, since the boys are out almost all day and all night now. I bring them in around 5:20 for their few bites of grain. I putter around in the barn while they eat and every morning this week, just as I grab Spencer’s halter to take him out, I have found both of them lying down in their stalls having a big nap.

It makes me chuckle a bit that a nice nap is what they are both doing right after they eat. I’ve actually gone into Spencer’s stall with him for the past three mornings. He lets me pet him and sit there with him, which is just as fun as doing some lead line work. I like listening to him breathe and snuffle and sigh as he tries to get some sleep. I feel very fortunate that I have him at home to share these moments. For me, these moments are just as good as having a great ride!

Ramping up the lessons

Since Spencer has been home (about 8 weeks now) I have been continuing my weekly lessons. I have been riding in the grass ring at my house, but it just isn’t the same as having a sand ring. We are able to get some work done, but I haven’t been able to do the amount of cantering/loping that I really need to be doing to progress.

We have had a lot of rain this spring/summer, so the ground has been soft and slippery which isn’t the easiest to ride in – especially at the canter. Since I’m riding western pleasure type classes at the show, I wanted to school Spencer a lot and slow things down. There are a lot of divots in the ground now and the uneven footing makes it a bit harder to do that. The slow Western gaits require a flatter knee movement and the hooves just don’t get picked up as much as a regular trot/canter. Spencer has been tripping a bit and slipping here and there, so that has made me a bit nervous and frustrated.

I have my 2nd show coming up this Sunday (I’M NOT PANICKING AT ALL!!!!!!!???!!! LOL) and have resigned myself to knowing that my lope wouldn’t be as nice as it should be by this point. I think we’ll do ok in the horsemanship (pattern) and trail classes, since headset and speed aren’t as important as completing the pattern/obstacles in the proper way. (Disclaimer: Spencer isn’t built to be a super slow western pleasure horse and I don’t aim to have those crazy, slow, gimpy gaits that a lot of western horses do, but I do want to achieve a decent headset and nice consistency in the gaits…)

This week, my boarder – let’s call her W - made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. She has a truck and trailer and offered to trailer Spencer over to my coach’s place which is only 10kms away. Coach has a sand ring, so it seemed like a win-win situation! We did one lesson on Tuesday night and after about 30 minutes; Spencer and I really started working well together again. We got all of our lope leads in the practice patterns and while his headset wasn’t perfect, it was becoming more consistent. We were even getting the lope up to a cone and halt much better (have to do that in a pattern on Sunday) and he was really tuned in and listening.

Bush hogged and tilled...just need some sand and levelling!

We are going back tonight and I can’t wait!

W and I were laughing that we hadn’t thought of this before, but since I’m just showing at the club level, it isn’t such a big deal. My sand ring should be finished next week (if I can pin down the farmer/contractor guy doing the work!!) so it shouldn’t be as much of an issue for the next shows.

Spencer loads and trailers really well so far, so that makes these little jaunts fun and not stressful. It is also on the second time I have taken him off the property and the first time I’ve trailered him somewhere and just got on and rode. He handled it all really well, so these 2 lessons have really been little confidence boosters in disguise! I’m hoping that confidence carries over to the show grounds on Sunday!

PS - sorry there aren't any good pictures - I'm finding it hard to get pics as I'm doing all this stuff - I almost forgot my cell phone on the trailer bumper on Tuesday

Farewell to an old friend

I received a sad email last night from Rusty's (they called him Jesse) current owner. Her words sum things up:

Hi Laura,

I am emailing you with a heavy heart!

We had to put Jesse down today. Jesse sustained an injury this afternoon, he was in his paddock with our five ponies and he broke his leg. It looked to be a spiral break and it was severe. I am not sure how it happened but I feel his age was catching up to him.

My family and I are so terribly saddened as I expect you are as well. He was an awesome horse and was loved by so many here.

My condolences and thank you for sharing this great horse with us.

Yours truly,
J.

I was sad to hear that that he is gone. By my calculations, he was about 21 or 22, but he could have been a bit older. I am so glad I stayed in contact with the new owners, as I would have always worried about him. Old horses don't always fare that well - they can get dumped at auctions and end up in bad places.

In hindsight, he is the one horse I regret selling. Dolly wasn't a good fit for me which I had a hunch about, but ignored. Too bad I hadn't held on another year or two and I could have brought him to my new farm. However, he ended up in a good home and they took good care of him.

I was looking through my blog archives - I bought him in June 2008 and sold him in July 2011. Here is a post from when I went to visit him in the fall of 2011.

I was actually out near the farm where he lived a couple of months ago and thought about stopping in, but didn't take the time. I was trying to distance myself from him a bit and was trying not to worry anymore after hearing an update last year that they were happy with him...

Give your horses, pets and family a hug - we never know what life will bring...

A friend for Spencer...what?

So, I've been keeping a bit of a secret... No, I haven't found a pony or a mini for Spencer and no, I didn't buy another horse (at least not yet!...  ;-)

A couple of months ago, an acquaintance from the boarding barn down the road asked me if I would consider boarding her horse at my place.  I wasn't sure - I was told that Spencer was a bully and difficult with other horses, etc.  I thought about it for a couple of weeks and asked around if this girl was ok and in the end we decided to go ahead and try it for a few months.

Bailey arrived yesterday (we hand-walked him down the road) and things are going well so far. He and Spencer are almost  twins - similar size, colour, etc.  They were both a bit excited at first (in stalls across the aisle) but after that, they both settled down. We decided to try turning them out together right away.  There was some squealing and kicking, but within 2 minutes, they were side by side grazing in the paddock!

I'll let the pics do the talking.

The initial meeting....

There were some pinned ears and funny looks from Spencer. (on the left) Bailey justs wants to eat grass.

Friends?  They grazed together for a good hour without any fuss, so I left them alone...

I came back out to the barn a bit later and found them grooming each other.  It was quite the session. I don't think Spencer has been turned out with another horse in years...

Spencer enjoying the grooming

Day 2 is going well so far as well.  I expect there might be some excitement once the honeymoon wears off...  LOL So far it is much better than I had hoped.  I also took Spencer out front this morning to work on some showmanship.  I am slightly concerned about them getting too attached as well, but Spencer was happy to work and didn't call out once.  Bailey called a few times, but he is in a new place, so it is normal for him to be a bit unsettled at first.

Here's hoping it all works out well!

Liebster award!

I have to admit I was a bit surprised to be nominated for an award – my readers have dwindled over the years, since my blog is more journal-like these days. So, I would like to thank the lovely STB Excellence for nominating me!


The Liebster blog award is to recognize blogs that have less than 200 followers. The word Liebster is German for beloved and valued. There are rules to this award...

• Thank the person who nominated you and include a link back to their blog.
• List 11 random facts about yourself.
• Answer the 11 questions given to you.
• Create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate.
• Choose 11 bloggers with 200 or fewer followers to nominate and include links to their blogs.
• Go to each blogger's page and let them know you have nominated them!

Wow – this is going to be a looonnngggg post – just warning y’all now! Anyone that reads all the way to the end can consider themselves recipients of the Liebster award!! ;-)

11 Random facts

1. I was a super picky eater as a child. I’ve mostly grown out of it, but still don’t like tomatoes, eggs, mushrooms, fish and seafood!
2. I love foreign languages – My French is pretty good, as I use it a lot at work, but in high school/university, I also studied Spanish, Italian, Russian and Polish. All I can remember now in those languages are mostly swear words and the basic “How are you, my name is...” stuff.
3.  I’m left handed – which amuses me to no end. It cracks me up when people say “I don’t know how you can do that (eat/write, throw a ball, etc.) with your left hand!!!
4. I love cats. I like dogs and all other animals, but love my cats. There are many pictures of me as a kid mauling one of our cats. ;-)
5. I love zombies – tv shows, movies, books, etc. I really liked the Walking Dead graphic novels and the tv show.
6. I am a master procrastinator.
7. I’m a tomboy – haven’t worn a dress in years and don’t even own a dress/skirt anymore.
8. I’m obsessed with tall English riding boots. I have many pairs posted on Pinterest and daydream of ordering many, many pairs.
9. I spend a lot of time on Pinterest
10. I’ve only ever spent one night in a hospital so far (touch wood!). I was 15 and had a concussion from a riding fall. I even had my Mommy there, since she was a nurse at our local hospital. 
11. I like machinery more than my hubby. I daydream of buying snowmobiles, atvs, snowblowers, tractors, bush hogs and all kinds of things!

Questions from STB Excellence:

1. Describe your perfect house/farm.

I’m pretty happy with my little house and farm right now. I feel pretty lucky to have my horse at home, but that being said, there are a few things that would be nice to have.

In the house – a large mud room with room for a dog shower and lots of room for muddy coats and boots. And a nice laundry room and a library! Ok, while I’m daydreaming, a big country kitchen would be awesome too! My current house has enough room overall, but it is a bit lacking in the mud room department!

As for the perfect farm, I would love hundreds of acres to hack on, but that just isn’t realistic. I would like a large sand ring (which is coming next week!! woo-hoo!) and an indoor would be a dream.

2. Explain the significance of your blog name.

Oh, my blog name. It was based on a nickname from university. I’m really short, and was wearing someone’s hoodie. A friend flipped up the hood and because the sweater was way too big for me, they thought I looked like a keebler elf. The name stuck for years. I used it for the blog because I started it with the intent of using it as a private journal. I keep meaning to change the name to be more reflective of horses, but never get around to it.

3. Is the glass half empty or half full?

I tend to be a pessimist, so in the past, the glass was often half empty. My hubby is a positive guy, so I’ve been retraining myself to the half full camp and it is going well so far.

4. If you were given $1000 to spend in ONE store, which store would you choose?

Only ONE store? Gulp. I have enough tack right now and $1000 wouldn’t buy me the English saddle I want... Sooo, I might pick a department store, so I could get a variety of stuff. I would probably drive to the US and go to Macy’s, given the choice!

5. Who is your equine mentor? Past or current. Describe.

I didn’t really have an equine mentor until quite recently. My current coach is just totally awesome. She has helped us progress so much and just has boatloads of experience to draw from. I hope she never retires from coaching!

6. Do you check caller ID before you answer the phone? Do you sometimes let it go to voicemail because you just don't want to talk to someone?

I don’t have caller ID, but I almost always let calls go to voicemail! Bad, I know, but I hate talking on the phone!

7. What's under your bed?

Probably a lot of cat hair and dust bunnies... :-S

8. What are your best characteristics? (And I don't necessarily mean physical!)

Hmm – another tough question! I guess my honesty and my loyalty are my best qualities. I tend to be a bit blunt sometimes, but I prefer honesty and straightforwardness (is that a word?) over deceit and half-truths and drama. I’m a very loyal friend as well, until people start taking advantage of that.

9. Where did you grow up? How far away are you from your hometown? (You don't have to give your personal address here, a region is fine!! Stay safe online!!!)

I grew up on a 50 acre farm near a very small town about a 7-8 hour drive SW of where I currently live. I’m in the same province, but pretty far from home. I do miss home, but came to my current location for university and a cushy govt. job.

10. What are your nicknames and how did you get them/who gave them to you?

See question #2 for the first nickname... Currently, I get LC a lot from friends and co-workers (my initials) and my nephews often call me “Lo” or “Lo-Lo” because one of them couldn’t pronounce my name when they were young. Typically though, my name doesn’t lend itself to nicknames or shorter versions.

11. What is your favorite book? Why?

I honestly don’t know if I can answer this – I have a lot of favourite books! As a kid, the Black Stallion series was my all time favourite. I read and re-read those books many times. (Close second and third go to the James Herriot books and the Chronicles of Narnia). As an adult – maybe Water for Elephants? Should I have picked a classic here? I also liked Wuthering Heights and read lots of Shakespeare! I also hate to admit it, but the Walking Dead graphic novels are the most enjoyable thing I’ve read recently. Not sure what that says about me! lol

Questions from Funder:

1. Where are you from?

See #9 above

2. Where have you been?

Here and there – a couple of short trips to Europe, the US, Mexico and the Caribbean. Still lots of places to discover…

3. What scares you the most (and I don't mean "spiders")?

Oh, spiders are at the top of the list! But aside from that, getting injured while riding, losing my job and having to sell my house, something happening to my hubby…

4. What's your favorite food?

Do I have to pick just one? Steak, followed closely by thai food.

5. What's your biggest regret, or do you not believe in regrets?

Ack. Funder – these questions are hard! I think regrets and looking back can be a bit draining on the spirit. I regret not studying more in university and maybe letting other people’s problems control my life a bit.
6. Favorite band (with links!)

Ok – I’m not a cool music person. I like pop, rock and country, with a dash of alternative. I love Maroon 5, Blake Shelton, Bon Jovi (I know, I know…) 80s hairbands.  Mumford and Sons, Fun! and Of Monsters and Men.
7. What's the first name you ever gave? (I named my first cat Butterfly. I was three. I have no explanation.)

I named a big white cat Fluffy when I was 3. That cat wasn’t around long and I was sad, so I also named the next 2 cats we had Fluffy - even though they weren’t fluffy.

8. Is there a name you're saving? For a girl child, or a homebred horse, or a funny cat name?

No, not any more. I did have a few names when I was younger.
9. Biggest personal accomplishment, present or future?

Hmmm – is graduating university and holding down a job an accomplishment?

10. What's your favorite book? (reusing this, but I always love to hear the answers.)

See #11 above
11. What do you want for your epitaph?

No idea – can’t say I’ve ever thought of this!

First show down – well, sort of!

So we went to our first show on Sunday. Unfortunately the western riding section in the afternoon was rained out!

I was able to get halter and showmanship done in the light rain. I sadly didn’t get any pictures of Spencer in his nice show halter and all groomed up. He looked pretty darn good. A friend came over on Saturday night and helped me bath him and band his mane. He stood really, really well for the banding and all of the clipping and preening. It took us about 3 hours on Saturday evening to do all of that and he stood like a rock for most of it!

Spencer in his PJs

It took me until about 10:30pm to pack everything and load the car. I had a 6am pickup time, so I didn’t want to be running around looking for gear. I had my little SUV packed to the brim! One thing to work on for the next show is re-organizing my gear a bit and minimizing the number of bags of stuff!

Spencer jumped on the trailer no problem and I picked up the same friend that helped the night before. She volunteered to help me through the day and I was extremely grateful to have help! I’m sure after I have a few shows under my belt I’ll be ok to do more on my own, but I sure appreciated the help on this one!

Spencer was quite calm at the fairgrounds and wasn’t concerned about the speakers or the other horses. The rain was a bit of a problem though. That horse hates water touching him and running down his side, I’ve learned!

We went in to the halter class and I was using it to get the first class out of the way. Spencer wouldn’t stand still in the line up – every time I would set him up, he would turn his butt so he could have his butt to the rain. After a few circles, I let him stand at an angle and set him up that way. Luckily halter class isn’t as picky as others – you can touch your horse and move around. We ended up getting 2nd out of 6, so I was surprised. We then stayed in the ring for grand and reserve – well, we stood sideways compared to everyone else - we didn’t win anything there, which I was expecting, since there were some real halter horses there.


One of these things is not like the others...!

Getting that first class over with helped a lot. I wasn’t as nervous as I was expecting, even with Spencer’s antics. I was concerned that showmanship would be a problem, but decided not to think about it. I did a few practice patterns outside the ring while waiting and he was ok.

The first 2 ribbons - I think I'm hooked!

When it was our turn to go in, I just did the best I could. He started out great and we got through the pattern to the point where we were to set up for the judge. Since the judge was my coach, I felt 100% comfortable and not nervous. As we approached the judge and halted, Spencer swung his butt around in her direction. I just shook my head and apologized.

I then just set him up on an angle and we recovered the best we could. I knew that would blow our class, but at least I remembered the pattern and did all of the steps correctly. I ended up 6/6 or maybe 6/7 in that class, which was 100% to be expected. I was a bit disappointed, but it was sort of out of my control. Spencer was being a goof - maybe due to the rain or him just trying to get the best of me...who knows?

After that, we went back into the barn (we had a stall for the day – which turned out to be very smart!) Spencer got some hay and I was able to relax. The rest of the show was cancelled around 12 and we started packing up to go home. I was disappointed I didn’t get to ride, but it also gives me another month to practice before the next show.

All in all, I had fun and got that first show under my belt, even if it was really short. And I got two ribbons. I always thought I wanted to show as a way to challenge myself, but man is it nice to have a couple of ribbons! Who knew that I would be a ribbon ho??? lol

There are some things I had to borrow that I need to buy and I definitely need a bit better system for organizing all of the little bits and pieces of weird stuff you seem to need to show. I’ll write more about my ideas on that later, but for now, I’m happy to have it all done!

3 days and counting... :-S

I’m getting down to the wire for this first show. I’m feeling quite nervous and there are 3 reasons why:

1. It my first show in many, many years
2. It is my first time taking Spencer off the property for an event
3.  It has been harder to ride at home than I expected. More on that below…
   

I haven’t been riding as much as I should be, due to the conditions at my place. I just have a grass ring and it has been raining like crazy for the past month. I ride on dry days, but the soil is clay under the grass and stays wet for a couple of days after the rain. Spencer is also a bit spooky in the ring since it is close to the road. I think it is me that is spooky and he just reacts to me. It is a bit funny that I can hack him on the road without much problem, but in the ring where it is safer, I’m nervous. Strange!

To try and come up with some strategies to help my nerves, I’ve been reading “Inside your Ride: Mental Skills For Being Happy and Successful with Your Horse” by Tonya Johnston and it has a lot of great ideas and strategies. One big thing is preparation – not just of your equipment – but your riding and training as well.

I’ve got the tack preparation pretty well sorted out, but the riding part has been lacking. I’m a bit disappointed in myself, but I didn’t really have a clear idea of how my ring/nerves would hold up now that I have him back at home. It would have been ideal to keep him at the boarding stable until the first show, but that wasn’t really financially feasible at the time.

I’ve been thinking over my goals for the show and I’m feeling ok about things. The riding won’t be stellar, but I have lots more shows to improve on that. For now, my goals/focus are going to be on the following:

• preparing my tack, clothing and horse (banding, bathing, etc.) to the best of my ability – there is a learning curve here, but I feel fairly comfortable with 99% of it. A friend is coming over Sat. evening to help get Spencer ready
• focus on the in hand classes and use those to calm my nerves and get used to the environment
• create a good off-property experience for both of us as a team
• use the riding classes to get used to riding in a show environment with other people and distractions. Spencer has been shown for years, so he knows what to do. I need to work on trusting him and focusing on my riding.

And – as a result of all of this – Richard has agreed that I need a sand riding ring to progress with my riding goals!!! I have a couple of people coming out this week to give me quotes. I’m going to move the ring to the back pasture as it is away from the road and there is more room to make the ring bigger if needed. I’m working on another post on the fun stuff I hope to work on around my little farm!

Show Prep – I’m a mess!

This year I plan to do a series of 4 club shows. If those shows go well, then I’m going to try the rookie day at the bigger AQHA show in late July. Club shows don’t really require the same level of fancy show tack/clothing as the breed shows, but I still needed to get my tack sorted out. I'm a total gear junky, so this was a great opportunity excuse for me to acquire more stuff!

I had been planning on searching for a used show saddle and was able to find one that worked from another boarder at the barn down the road. The fenders were too long for me, so the saddle was sent off to our somewhat local western saddle guy to be modified. I think I’ll be able to borrow a show bridle from the same girl, so that is a bit of an expense saved.

I also wanted to have a separate set of brushes and grooming supplies to take to shows. It just seemed easier to have separate sets of stuff (and another excuse to buy more!).

I know a lot of people that show keep a set of tack/grooming supplies in their trailers, so you don’t have to worry as much about forgetting things. My short term plan is to buy a big tool box on wheels and use that as my show kit, but for now I'm just using a big tupperware bin. It should be fairly easy to put in my car/SUV along with the rest of my tack.

I also bought a snazzy saddle protector, hanging bridle/halter bag and a western hat protector. And they all match! I clearly have a problem – but I’m ok with that.

I spent a large amount of time googling horse show packing checklists and found lots of great examples. I took inspiration from those lists and created a list that I can print out before each show and check off as things are organized.

Here are a few samples:

• Checklist 1
• Checklist 2 (best for an eventer)
• Checklist 3

I am expecting to be a mess of nerves for the first couple of shows since I haven’t done this in a lonnnnng time and I haven’t taken Spencer off the property to a busy venue yet. I’m hoping that by having all of my gear organized as best I can it will take away one worry of not having something I need. I’m sure there will be a few things that I won’t think of to bring, but that is part of the learning experience, I guess!

I started writing this post a few weeks ago and in re-reading it today, I had to laugh that I wrote: “I am expecting to be a mess of nerves for the first couple of shows…”. I should have written that I will be (and currently am!) a mess of nerves for three weeks leading up to the shows as well as at the show itself!! lol


Now that I’m coming down the wire, I realized last night that I have to firm up trailering arrangements (done!), send in my show entry (done!), and finish sorting out my tack. I still need a couple of things, including chaps. I’ve ordered a couple of pairs, so hopefully I can squeeze into one pair!

We are going to band Spencer’s mane the night before the show and I will have to practice doing it myself over the coming weeks. My coach is judging the first show (in in 11 days!!!!), so I will be on my own! Hopefully some of the other people I know will be around if I have a meltdown and need some help. :-)

OK – I’m off to go check my stuff for the 100th time and get some things done so I can try (ha!) to relax.

An unexpected friend and a heartwarming story

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not very sappy or emotional. So, when something touching happens, it really surprises me.

Spencer’s previous owner trailered him to my place last fall. She told me after doing all the paperwork that she was prepared to leave him on the trailer and take him back home if my place wasn’t to her standards – she was pretty attached to him and only wanted him to go to a good home. As she prepared to leave, she was visibly upset – she had a new horse to ride - but was going to miss Spencer. Usually I say the wrong thing to people or make a joke to lighten the tension, but this time I knew what to ask. I asked her if she wanted to stay in touch and receive updates on Spencer. She smiled at me with watery eyes and said “yes, please…”. She then hopped in her truck and drove away.

I sent her a couple of short emails with pictures over the next couple of months. She responded politely and sent me pictures of her new horse. I figured that would be the end of the exchange. When I started having trouble with Spencer in the late fall, I sent her another email, begging for advice/help. She told me to call her and we would talk. I think I spent a couple of hours over the next few days on the phone with her and her husband. They were so supportive and encouraging and that gave me the motivation to keep working with him. They even offered to buy him back if I got really stuck…

Fast forward to this winter – I hadn’t heard from her in a few weeks. I got an email to let me know that she had been diagnosed with breast cancer and was having surgery soon. She then sent me updates on her progress and treatment. The treatments were going well, but it would affect her show season. She was able to make it to a AQHA show very close to my house this past weekend. A week before the show, she told me more details about how she was diagnosed.

It turns out that last summer she was on a trail ride with friends and the horses stepped on some ground wasps. Spencer was stung multiple times in the face, neck and legs. He didn’t freak out, but was dancing around. She had to do an emergency dismount, but hit her chest/stomach on the saddle on the way down. She had a massive bruise for a few weeks and when the bruise finally went away, she was left with a lump. She is a nurse, so at first she thought the lump was just damaged tissue, but by January realized it was something much worse.

She had some tests and was quickly scheduled for surgery. She feels that Spencer saved her life, because in Canada, most women don’t start going for mammograms until they are 50. In her case, (she’s 47) if she had waited that long, it would have been too late. Due to her injury that day, it brought the issue to her attention.

It is a nice story, but it isn’t really the horse that did anything, it was the situation…but that is just me being a bit of a cynic. She asked in her email if she could come over and give Spencer a hug. I agreed of course, and we decided to work out a time during the show to pop over to my place. I’m only 10 minutes away from the fairgrounds, so it was easy to work out the details.

I spent the day with her and her husband at the show. She introduced me to a bunch of people from her barn who all knew Spencer. They were really friendly and were happy to hear that he was doing well.

During the lunch break at the show, I took her and her husband over to my place. I sent her into the barn alone first, to give her a few minutes. She then called me in – I found her in Spencer’s stall, crying and hugging him. It was so sweet, that it cracked my cold heart a bit… ;-) She and her husband were so happy to see him and we spent about an hour in the barn talking and laughing. I took a few pictures of the two of them and it was such a nice moment. She told my husband and I her story in great detail and it was really touching and special.

Who knew when I bought this horse that I would make a new friend and have such an experience with him and his previous owners?

Her prognosis is good, since the cancer was caught so early, so she and her husband are very optimistic. She is so positive and encouraging to me in my riding and it is so nice to have made another real connection in the horse world, when so many horse people seem to be dishonest, critical and clique-y...

Filling in the blanks - How I got this far...

Editorial note: I'm trying to document my lessons from this winter and how I got to where I am now - so I'm going to be going back and forth in time for a bit until I get caught up!

****************************

Last summer/fall my goals were to buy a horse that I could show locally and ride around on the roads. I wasn’t looking for a fancy horse, just an all-rounder that could handle a bunch of different things. I found the horse, rode him around the neighbourhood a bit and was daydreaming about trying some shows.


I haven’t shown since I was a teenager and that was only a couple of years of 4-H and one or two dressage shows. Last fall I had no coach or no real plans on how to make all of this happen. I started saving some money so that I would be able to do a few things this spring.

In December, I went out for wings with the people from the boarding stable down the road. I was there early and was talking to the lady that judges local shows and does a bit of coaching. I told her what I wanted to do and asked her if she would be willing to coach me. I think she likes a challenge, so she said she would take me on as a client. I was a little nervous, but knew this was my best chance of reaching my goals.

It turns out that this has been the best horse-related decision I’ve made in awhile. Coach is a great lady and very experienced. She judges shows all over the region and has shown AQHA and APHA for many years herself. Having her on board has removed a lot of stress for me. Not only is she coaching my riding, but she is helping me with what to wear, what tack is appropriate and even helping get Spencer looking the part. And one of her best attributes is that she is very dedicated – she hasn’t missed a lesson, been late once or rescheduled on me. Sometimes horse people aren’t the best with dates and scheduling things.

I was nervous and excited for my first lesson in mid-March. I told her what I had been doing in my riding up to this point and told her what I was having trouble with. She wanted to get an idea of my skill level, so she started out asking me to do different things, getting more advanced as we went along. Halfway through that first lesson, she stopped me and said “You lied to me!” and then smiled…

I was a bit confused… Me – lying about something? Not likely! I’m known for being pretty honest.

I mumbled and said “What did I lie about? I wouldn’t lie to you!”

She laughed and said “You told me you were a beginner rider! That isn’t true! I’m moving you right to my advanced lesson plans!”

From that point on, we trucked right along improving every week. She worked me hard and I would be in a t-shirt by the end of the lesson, even though it would be cold in the arena/outside.

My last lesson at the boarding barn was 2 weeks ago – and it was a good one! We are finally getting the lope to be slower and more rhythmic. I’m getting glimpses of a proper headset from Spencer as well – I’m sure with a more experienced rider, he would be getting that more, but I’m confident I’ll get that soon too. I brought Spencer home after the lesson and while it is great to have him out back again, I’ll miss the nice sand riding ring at the barn!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

I have to wear a halter?  ugh!

I'll get back to summarizing my 8 weeks of horse boot camp in my next post... I just wanted to share what is going on right now. Having Spencer back at home is great, but I have a bit of a problem - too much grass!!!

I don't have a drylot area where I can turn him out and limit his grass intake.  So, that has meant that he has spent a fair amount of time in his stall. Luckily he is good in his stall, but I would prefer to have him outside as much as possible.

The whole grass situation caused a secondary problem - Spencer quickly figured out that he wasn't getting much time outside, so my easy-to-catch horse decided to become a runner!  What a brat.  It took me about 30 minutes
to catch him the first time and he's been turned out with a halter since then.
He doesn't run anymore though...I guess he thought he might as well give it a shot the first time...?  :-)

The view I was getting every time I tried to catch him...

I mowed the grass in his small paddock, so that has helped, but I still don't want him out on rich spring grass all the time.  He is in pretty good shape right now,  so I don't want to lose too much of that conditioning!

Trying to get a shot of his body condition

I did try a grazing muzzle on him - he is ok with it, but not great.  He paces around his paddock and paws a lot. He was also getting into things - kicking his water trough and pawing at the pile of old house beams in the middle of the paddock (which are going to be moved in a couple of weeks!)

I'm being tortured - call the SPCA!

I think I'm going to set aside some money over the summer to have someone come in and bulldoze the sod/grass from my little paddock.  I will have over 4 acres of pasture left, so that will be enough, I'm sure!

We have also had a ton of rain in the past week - I can barely keep up with mowing the lawn and paddock, let alone weeding and fixing up my gardens!  There is a lot of stuff to maintain at this place - I'm not 100% used to it yet, since last summer was really dry and I didn't have a lot of work to do...!

Getting Started Again

Hey! Is anyone around? Taking a break from writing was kind of nice, but I also missed it a bit. I’ve found lately that I’ve had a few things to say so I thought I would try writing again.


I had a great 8 weeks with Spencer at the boarding stable. There were a couple of glitches, but overall, the two of us did really well. In 8 weeks, my riding has improved so much that I’m still kind of shocked about it. Spencer’s fitness also came along really well – better than I expected, really. I’ve had two show people that I respect tell me that they are amazed at my improvement and my new coach has said the same thing.

As for the glitches – they were fairly minor. There were a few care issues at the barn, but all of the horses did ok in the end. The barn is going through a transition and the things were off for a couple of weeks. Regular boarders complained and the issues were resolved. I also had a bit of a hard time in the arena when riding alone. It is a coverall and Spencer was a bit goofy with the back door. It is canvas (or whatever material coveralls are made of) and if it was a sunny day, the door was translucent and you could sometimes see shadows through it. Almost every horse at the barn gives that door the stink eye. Since I have nerve issues, it took me a while to even get Spencer close to the door. As the weeks went on we did better, but I still have a hard time being in there alone. If I was being coached or another horse/person was around I felt better and the nerves would go away once I started focusing on my work. It was also a bit tricky in there in late March with snow sliding off the roof. Spencer was ok and only spooked a bit, but again my nerves got the best of me.

And as for the riding aspect? I think I fell in love with riding all over again. I was getting a bit frustrated with riding in general last fall – I didn’t feel like I was progressing at anything… My new instructor and I just seem to click and she has an agenda for us and a plan. I love plans. :-) Her lessons are quite structured and we do a lot of different exercises and when one thing works, we move on to the next right away. There isn’t a ton of repetition or just riding in circles. This coach is a trail/pattern expert, so I do a lot of pole work and riding parts of patterns. It sure gives both horse and rider something to think about, that is for sure!

The past 8 weeks also really helped me connect with Spencer. We did well together over the winter, but I knew the real test would be how we did while riding in a regular program. I did get some attitude from him here and there, but overall, he is very willing to work and is nice and responsive to cues and aids. I did start riding with a blunt spur, only because I have such short little legs and the spur just helps sharpen up the cues a bit. I also feel like a real western rider, now that I own spurs! lol

Taking another break



Spencer and Bonnie



I’m going to take another break from blogging…

I’ve been thinking about it for a few weeks and I think I’m ready for some time away. Work has been crazy busy and stressful and I just don’t want to spend much time on the computer when I get home at night.

I’ve started riding Spencer and we are gearing up for lessons and more regular training. We might even make it out to some shows this summer if all goes well.

I think Spencer is enjoying his time at the barn so far – he is turned out alone (as are a lot of the show horses…) but he is surrounded by about 8 horses that he can visit with over the fence. I think at least 6 of his neighbours (ha!) are mares and all are in heat! Here is a pic of Spencer visiting with his favourite lady – Bonnie the Clyde! Bonnie is about 19hh at the moment! (Spencer is 15hh)…

I’m looking forward to spring (we are still getting snow here!!!!) and doing some work around my little property.

Happy trails to everyone!

A successful day

So, yesterday Spencer went down to the boarding stable! I can't wait to start working with him again!

I took the day off work and had the farrier out in the morning.  My farrier was mentioning the fact that he trimmed the horses for both of the previous owners of my house and had been coming to my place for over 15 years - I thought that was kind of neat!

Spencer's feet held up really well over the winter.  I think I was up to almost 12 weeks between trims - which I would normally never do - but his hooves weren't long or chipped, so I think I did ok. 

Since I had the day off, I went out several times during the day to hang out with him. I was feeling a little teeny bit sad that I wouldn't have him at home, even though being able to ride is going to be great.  Every time I went out he was nickering and really friendly - so I'm wondering if he suspected something was up?  :-)  The trailer came around 5pm and he jumped right on.   He seemed pretty keen to be going somewhere! lol  I guess going somewhere in a trailer meant he would be seeing other horses?

After the 5 minute trailer trip, he hopped off the trailer and didn't even call.  I was a bit suprised. He nickered to a horse in another stall and settled in to eat his hay.  I have to remember that he is a show horse and was in a show barn for the last 5 years. 

I'm going to go down tonight after work and lunge him in the arena to see how he does.  He is used to arenas, but as we all know each arena seems to have monsters lurking in corners. 

I even got an email from my new coach last night - someone had told her that Spencer arrived before I had a chance to!  Funny how quickly you forget about the boarding barn gossip hotline when you aren't around for awhile!  The good news is that the coach is keen to get started and so am I.  I'm looking forward to lessons even though I have a feeeling we will get our butts kicked!!!  :-S

Random Ramblings – Vol. 2

So, not much to post about right now. Still snowy, but there is some hope. The temps are slowly rising and snow is melting. In fact, our road is nice and clear. I took Spencer out for two hand walks this week – covering about 4kms each time! We met a few neighbours, who were surprised to see me walking a horse. I said that I don’t have a dog, so why not walk this guy instead? ;-)

Spencer is still on track to go down to the barn this week – I just have to finalize transportation issues. I was going to handwalk him down, but I’m a bit nervous. The road to their place is hilly and cars drive fairly fast. There are also at least 2 farms with horses, so I’m not sure how he is going to react. I’m sure he would be fine, but I think for our first outing, I’ll go with the trailer!

I met with my new coach and some others from the barn last week. I was fun to start planning lessons and hearing about everyone’s show plans. My new coach – I’m just going to call her Coach from now on – was grilling me on my plans and expectations. I had her try to guess the last time I had been at a show. She said 10 years? Nope. 5 years? Nope. 2 years? At this point I was laughing very hard. The last time I was in a show ring was 24 years ago!! She almost fell off her chair when I told her. LOL

I look a bit younger than I am, so that always throws everyone off at first. I also told Coach that I expect her to be honest with me – I don’t want to hear that I’m doing great, when it reality there is no way I should be near a show ring. She promised she would be honest. She also told me she likes a challenge, so I’m guessing I’ll make it to a show one way or another! 

I was able to take Spencer’s blanket off two weeks ago when the temps were staying consistently above -10C (14F) , which was great. I hate horse blankets!!! He was sweaty under his mane one evening, so I decided to just ditch the blanket. His coat has fluffed back up nicely and he seems to be coping just fine without the blanket. That convinces me to try not blanketing him at all next winter!

He is also starting to shed! As messy as it is, it is the best sign of spring I’ve seen so far. He dislikes being groomed, so that may prove to be an issue when we are riding more, but he’ll just have to deal with it.

Another reason that I’m looking forward to having him away for 6 weeks or so is that it will give me time to clean up his paddock and make some repairs to my fence. I’ll need everything to be nice and solid once the grass starts growing – as he likes to lean on the fence. I have to add a few posts on the western side of the small paddock, as the wire is really sagging, not to mention being almost buried in snow! Then I can double check the connections and make sure there is a nice voltage in the fence…

That about covers things around here!

Oh, winter...

I'm sitting here listening to the wind howl outside.  *sigh* It is supposed to get warmer by the end of the week, so fingers crossed that actually happens!

To follow up on my big plan, I am going to come up with a smaller plan to work with Spencer 4-5 times per week to get us ready to start some real work. I don't want him at zero when we get down there. I had hoped to start tonight, but with 25mph+ wind gusts and snow squalls, I caved like a house of cards! lol  Spencer didn't mind, I'm sure...he was a little wild eyed and jumpy tonight.

So, I'll start my plan within a plan this weekend, when it is forecast to be a balmy 2C.

In the meantime, I'm just going to post some funny pictures of Spencer in the snow!  I took his blanket off last weekend to give him a break. He proceeded to run around in his paddock and then rolled a few times.

I love this one - he was rubbing his head in the snow!

Snorting at something in the distance...

I love it when a plan comes together

Instead of continuing to complain about winter, I decided to come up with a bit of a plan to have something to look forward to. I am hoping to try Spencer at a couple of local schooling shows this summer and I need to get riding soon to see if we can pull it off. I would love to start riding regularly in March and it is sometimes possible, (like last year) but some years our snow doesn’t melt until April. I can sort of work Spencer in his paddock or up and down the laneway, but due to footing, we can’t do any trotting or cantering. The snow is even too deep and crunchy/uneven to do showmanship practice.


I don’t have a ton of extra cash to pay board right now, but I was able to negotiate a bit of a deal with the stable down the road. I’m taking Spencer down there in mid-March and we’ll stay until the end of April. It will give me a chance to either ride indoors or in their outdoor sand ring while my place melts and dries up. It’ll also give me a chance to have someone come in April and clean up the manure pile in my paddock – if it is dry enough!

I’ve also got lessons planned with a local coach. She is also a judge, so I feel like I’m in good hands. She is quite blunt, so I’m expecting to get an honest assessment from her on whether I’m ready to show or not. I’m not too worried about Spencer as he has been shown for the past 5 years or so. I’m definitely the weaker link in the equation!

The stable is only 1 mile down the road from me, so I’m planning to walk down and back most nights, since the exercise will be really good for me. I’m pretty excited about this – it has a bit of a boot camp feel to it. This new coach is pretty hard core (in a nice friendly way) and I’m hoping she will help motivate me to ride a lot and make some progress. This is a great opportunity for me to work with a well-known judge and meet more horse people. This judge knows everyone in the AQHA and APHA worlds around here, so it might be fun to see who else I will meet.

I have a tendency to kind of stall on things and change my mind, but I’m hoping this is the right situation to give me a big push and get me more confident and get doing some interesting things with my horse! It will be interesting to see if Spencer gives me lots of attitude once we start working, since he is out of shape and has been enjoying his leisure time… Or will he respond well to more structure? I’m hoping the latter, since the two of us need to bond a bit more and trust each other under saddle. Here’s hoping it all works out!

Spencer finally gets some exercise!

We had more snow on Friday, so that actually helped improve the footing a bit around here.

I am quite sick with some sort of plague, so I haven't been feeling up to doing much. I couldn't resist the new fresh snow and sunny skies yesterday though.   I free lunged Spencer in his paddock to start and was getting a bit of attitude from him.  It made for some good pics!

Then, since the footing seemed decent, I decided to lunge him for a few minutes.  And man did I get attitude from that horse!  I know his attitude now when I see it, so all I did was laugh and make him work a bit harder every time he did something goofy.  I was getting lots of head snaking, squeals and little bucks.  He makes a funny squealing noise when he doesn't want to work.  To me,  it sort of sounds like something a horse might sound like if it was hurt or something - it isn't mean or agressive sounding, but more of a whiny sound.

I ended up longing him longer than anticipated, due to all of the attitude. I did lots of direction and gait changes and when he could walk/trot/lope without any attitude, I let him walk a few laps to cool down. Mr. Tubs was puffing and sweating from his 20 minute workout! lol

Today, the weather was even nicer. A few degrees warmer and lots of bright sun.  I was tired of being cooped up in the house, so thought I would do a repeat of yesterday, minus the free longing.  I tacked Spencer up, thinking that if he behaved on the longe I would get on and walk around the pasture a bit.

He was 90% better on the longe line today - no big outbursts of attitude, just a bit of ear pinning and tail swishing.   He quickly worked through most of that, so after a few minutes, I got on my horse!

It felt good to be on my horse for the first time since late December!  The footing was ok, but not great for riding. I just meandered around in his paddock for 20 minutes before calling it a day.

Hopefully the weather holds and I can do a bit of work of most nights after work.  I am sure getting impatient for spring!