Busting at the seams...

Wow two posts in one day, after no posts for 2 months!

So this will be about the ponies. I have started Pickles on the Succeed program because she is a cribber and I want to make sure that it doesn’t adversely affect her health and I also want to eliminate any possibility of gastric upset or stress due to the cribbing. It is really expensive but I am already starting to see small signs of improvement so I can’t wait to see after 60 days because it has only been 2 weeks! I actually really rode Pickles for the first time on Sunday in probably the past year! She was fantastic. I got her tacked up and she looked at me like I was smoking crack. I don’t think she has had a saddle on since September. We worked on getting in a frame and some lateral work at the walk and trot and she was great.

Lily was another story. Boy was she full of piss and vinegar. Granted there was a lot going on and I have really ridden her in a couple of months but she acted a darn fool. There was a kid jumping on a trampoline that scared her, and then there were a couple two stroke motocross bikes going around and a horse loading on a trailer but this is stuff that goes on at the farm every day, so it shouldn’t be a huge deal. Well she thought it was and came up once. I got off and scolder her and sent her to the round pen. She cut flips and bucked and reared and acted like a rodeo bronc for about 5 minutes. Then she realized how out of shape she was stopped and looked at me like okay I’m done I will be good now. I hopped back on and she was amazing. Got nice and soft and round and did some great work!

Monday comes around and Keith and I head to the barn. He is getting more comfortable with the big girls so I handed him Pickles halter and said figure it out she is yours for the night. He watched me put Lily’s on and Pickles stood quiet as she could while he carefully out her nose into it and then cautiously slipped it over her ears. We groomed for about 20 minutes and then I got on Lily and he hand walked Pickles in the indoor. I got done with Lily and he cooled her off while I did some ground work with Miss Picks. Girls were both superstars especially Pickles. She is so patient and calm with Keith as he learns everything from picking feet to lunging. It also doesn’t hurt that he is always armed with plenty of cookies J

All in all, day by day, the future is looking bright. Not just for me but for my friends and family. Every day is a new start and a chance to learn from the days before. Mending fences and overcoming obstacles are to be seen as positives and I am going to try and live by that from this point forward!

Life not ponies....

So I was using this as a blog for my ponies but I think I need it more for an outlet for my life. There comes a point when you take a look back at the bridges you have burned and you sit back and wonder why. Well in my case I realize the bridges I burned never had a single thing to do with the people I burned them with. I am SUPER passive aggressive and take my problems out on people that have nothing to do with what is really going on. And there lies the problem….

Yes I am almost 30 years old but I still have trouble with conflict and bad news. I don’t know why I can’t suck it up and just be a grown up sometimes but I try to sugar coat everything or avoid the situation all together. Well it has bitten me in the butt so many times there are teeth marks everywhere.

I realized the past 4 years of my life have been a whirlwind of emotions, failures, successes and a lot of bs. I pushed the people that were closest to me away because I was unhappy with my life but I refused to change anything. So I ruined the parts that were good because I was trying to fix the part that was always going to be broken. I took my anger and frustration out on wonderful, kind people who genuinely care about me and broke friendships to the point that they will never be the same.

I still am frustrated because there are two sides to every story and to hear about the other person’s side trashing you and telling outright lies hurts even though you have physically moved on.  I guess I always wanted people to still like me after I sorted through my personal relationship but I am so bad at holding grudges for no reason I don’t think they will ever recover. I am at the point of trying to reach out and mend fences but then part of me just says move forward and on and leave the past in the past. Because with one of my burned bridges my past is still there….

I wish I could start with a clean slate and just pretend everything is hunky dory. I am realizing I have great opportunities and healthier relationships but there is still a tiny bit of guilt or sadness that keeps my stomach in knots. That I have lost friends because of something that had nothing to do with them. So as each day passes maybe things will get a little easier, maybe the tension will lift a little more and one day I can look back and see it as a learning experience rather than a bad mistake.

Therapy for my Soul

For some reason life flies by and we often take for granted the little things in life. I have to say this is the case for most things in my life except for my girls (both big and little). No matter what kind of day I am having or what other issues I am having, they seem to fall to the wayside as soon as I see my girls. After being on the fence on whether I made the right move for me I have decided to make the best of every situation. Everything can't be perfect all the time and we have to roll with the punches and realize there is good in everything and attitude is what drives alot.

I rode Lily on Saturday in the field and she was great. A little slow to start off with but after jumping a couple tiny jumps I found the gas pedal and we toodled around an outside field up and down hills through lush green grass. When I was done with her I grabbed Picks and lunged her in the same field while Lily munched happily on the grass. Well that didn't make the pony happy at all. I swear I got more of a workout chasing her around and yelling at her not to eat grass.  After 20  minutes of running around (me not Picks) I decided to call it quits and let her graze for a while. As I sat there I enjoyed the warm sun on my back and the fact that I was content just to be. Happy to sit and have the company of my horses and a beautiful day with wonderful weather.

Sunday was very unproductive as it was apparent our hill exercises had worn the girls out. I mean couldn't trot in a circle the entire way around. I did ground work with each for MAYBE 10 minutes, stuffed cookies in their face and set them free :) I took Ramona, Daphne and Stuart around the property two times and then sat in the arena and had the same moment with my pups as I did with the big girls the day before. It got me thinking about how I can have no worries or problems with my 4 legged kids but seem to have so many with people. Why can't i enjoy people as much as my animals. Maybe it is because I have no expectations from them and all I ask for is love and companionship. They don't disappointment me by not paying bills, or taking out the trash. Every time I see them it just washes every stress out of my life....

After not being about to go out Monday because I had doggy duty I was pretty stoked to get to the barn with daylight. I slapped some tack on Lily and toodled in the pasture again. We worked on tuning some steering issues that I have let get away from us and had a really good ride.It was pretty muggy out so I hosed her off and my barn friends had arrived to ride their ponies. For some reason I have become anti saddle on Pickles. Not sure why but it takes me back to riding as a kid and just toodling around. The other girls worked on stuff and me and my pony trotted and cantered around a dark field dodging goats, dogs and trees :) It was a blast! So the little things are good for my soul or maybe I should say four legged things are good for my soul <3

Is it Friday yet?

So I am happy to say that the girls have settled in nicely after a wreck of a first weekend at the new barn. Everyone seems to know their role in the herd and both girls are trying to make friends with the others. I had Open enrollment at work all last week and put in 12 hour days for most of the week so I finally get out there Friday night to spend some time with the girls and just see that they are okay. Josh had picked up some beet pulp for Picks and had cleaned stalls and made the barn fabulous :) I tuck the kids in bed knowing that I would get to spend some time with them over the weekend.

Satuday morning I am  up early to go play with the ponies and do chorse. I get everyone out and stalls cleaned and toodles with the little girls for a bit. I wait until later in the afternoon to lunge and ride as it has been wet and the arena was squishy. I lunged Lily for abut 20 minutes and then hopped on Pickles to take a stroll around the property. I was tempted to try and trail ride but the girls are still kind of attached at the hip so  I decided not. Tucked the ponies in and went home!

Sunday was a lost cause....I went out to feed and Penelope the goat had pooped everywhere! I dont even know how she produced that much poop! I should have done something productive but I seriously just sat and watched the ponies eat and was perfectly happy with that. I like that there are people at the barn but I also love the quiet mornings where i can sit and watch them munch on hay and watch the little girls run around :) I am finding it is the simple things in life that make me happy!

So hopefully today I will get out of here at 4 and get to the barn in time to ride! I would love to take Lily to the Ark for the CHSC show and toodle. We will see how the week of riding goes :)

15 Minutes of Fabulous?

The barn last night was packed full of well packing for the move Friday and getting the girls out and still making them move their feet even though I am not riding them. I got most of my things together and in the trailer, minus some hay and heavier stuff that I didnt want to carry all the way over to the trailer.

I went and caught both of the girls and stuck Pickles in the stall to eat and cross tied Lily and got to grooming on her and then realized Pickles had some crud and I needed to give her a bath in Microtek. So after she finished eating I grabbed her real quick and hosed and scrubbed the crud while Lily waited and then threw her back in the stall.

Okay so the good part....I took Lily out to do some ground work and lunge and after streching for a bit we get to work. I have always teetered on the theory that if they are being good you shouldnt push it too far. So after about 15 minutes of her being FABULOUS I debate working her more or ending. I decided to end on the fact that she did her ground work and streches great, trotted over the cavelettis and really used herself and then we worked on a bit of cantering over a raised pole. Pickles apparently got the memo and was just as wonderful!

So here comes to the question " Do we stop fifteen minutes of fabulous or settle for an hour of okay?" I have always been one to end on good notes but sometimes I find my horses not being fit enough. So I have begun trying to formulate a way to keep them fit but no push their button excessively. I know there are things to work one but I have always had success with baby steps and one day at a time. I read about my friends who push and push but it seems they always backfire becaues they strive for too much and are not happy with the moment of perfection.

Food for thought....

Oh Ramona Quimby....

Last night I was bound and determined to get both the girls worked. I got off at 4:30 and sped down 74 (haha yeah right) to get home, change and loaded the little girls up in the car and headed out to the barn. Got there around 6:15 which I knew would give me a chance to get both of them worked but maybe not ridden. So I opted for groundwork/lunging and that way each of them could get groomed and loved on equally. I am not sure why I make it such a point to spend equal time with the girls because they don't know the difference but I honestly feel guilty if one gets more than the other....

We (me,Daphne and Ramona)wander up to the girls pastures and both Pickles and Lily come trotting up to the gates nickering and happy to see me :) I grab them both and head to the barn where I stick Ms Picks in Lily's stall to eat dinner and put Lily in the grooming area, get her spotless and then head out with a pocketful of treats and lunge line. We do our basic stretches and ground work and then get to doing out Pilate's. I had a chiropractor come out and she informed me that raised pole cavalettis are awesome for strengthening their hind end equally. So I have 3 set up on the end of the ring that have 3 settings. I worked Lily over them for about 15 minutes raising the height and adjusting the stride to really make her reach and use herself. She did wonderful.

Everything was perfect with the exception of Ramona. She is such a little turd who stays right on the edge of my circle and moves when I move. I don't think either of the big girls would step on her but it still makes me nervous. I would stop and chase her and then she would come right back. So once we start cantering I keep having to stop to get Mo out of the way. So aggravating!!!!! I look to find Daphne and of course her perfect self is quietly sitting by the barrel jump out of the way watching. So I scold Mo one more time and canter Lily for a little more and retreat to the barn.

I switcharoo the girls and begin grooming on Picks. Ever since she has lived out her hair coat has gone to crap even being on rice bran. Not quiet sure what is going on but yesterday I discovered some fungus! I groomed and picked and got as much off as I could and I could tell she was sore in her back but wanted to get her out anyways. Took her out to the ring and she was super lazy....couldn't tell if she was sore or just off so I went through some exercises and she was off but not lame.  Mo again was always in the way. I popped her butt with the lunge line once and really hurt her feelings. I stopped what I was doing to regroup everyone and move the Frenchie herd out of harms way. I noticed Daph was limping and walked over to her and she had a sticker in her foot, and it was a good one. SO I dig my fingers in and get it attached to me and pull it out. She was such a good girl and jumped on me showering me with kisses. I get back to Pickles and try to canter a little but she just isn't feeling it. I think I am going to have the acupuncture vet come and do a session and see if it helps.

So if anyone wonders why I am always at the barn so long it is because my 30 minute lunge sessions turn into an hour chasing Mo, removing briar's and all sorts of other things. Looking forward to having company at the new barn :) and maybe investing in some training for Ramona....

New Beginnings

So after reading Becca's blog I decided maybe this is the blowing off steam that I need in life, because I have been so stressed lately that everyone hears the same story over and over so I won't make people listen but get it out there.

For the past 7 months I have bounced from barn to barn for one reason or another. First it was because I was part of a team that built a barn up from scratch and there were discrepancies on how it should be run (horse person vs. business person), the moved to a facility that was not quite big enough with zero turnout and a not so great riding arena, then I separated the girls and tried the two barns and I felt as though I was neglecting Pickles all the time and now I am moving yet again because the backyard barn I thought I loved is going to be run like business per the "barn manager". So after moving the girls countless times I begin to think its not the barns but me....

Am I that hard to deal with, and that unreasonable? I don't think so but maybe I'm wrong.

So here goes nothing! I am moving them farther than any other barn in one last ditch effort to find them a good fit. I know they will be taken care of regardless if I am there or not. And hopefully I won't be alone all the time as I have been with my last 3 barns. I just hope that these negative past experiences keep me expecting the worst and looking for something to go wrong. That hopefully this will be a new beginning and I can once again look forward to the barn and the people out there. I am drinking a big glass of optimism and pushing forward in hopes of success!