Oops

I have missed the blogging world in the 5 months since I've posted! I've been trying to keep up but I'm not always successful.

I've got tons of news but the CliffNotes version is:
I got laid off and took the summer to go be a working student
Dee came sound and we went to Rebecca Farm

Dee told me loud and clear that she doesn't want to do Training anymore
I rode Sullivan for the first time

William schooled XC like a freaking boss

Dee and an 11 year old girl feel in love and now she's living the good life

I'm still unemployed, which is frustrating and kinda fun all at the same time

And the big news: I just picked up two new project horses! I went looking for one and somehow came home with two.

My mom and have been looking to pick up an OTTB sale project and we had a pretty simple list; 4+, 15.3+, sound and ideally a gelding (since everything else at my place is a gelding).

I did manage to get one that met most of the criteria. Meet JP Barley.

She's a 7yo, 16hh mare with 54 starts. She's very similar in type to William, delicate, fine boned and pretty sweet.

Bonus horse does not for the criteria. Meet the Vicar is a 16.2, 3yo gelding who is coming off an injury. We were looking at a horse in the paddock next to him and I asked about Vicar because I really liked the look of him. She hadn't planned on selling him but when I committed to the mare she said I should take the gelding and give him some more time off. She said if he comes riding sound to send her $500.

So I came home with 2 new horses. Oops 😀

Broken Pony

Dee has apparently decided that I cannot go on vacation. I got home at 3 am after a week away and ran out to put rain sheets on the hooligans due to an incoming storm. Everyone was happy and undamaged.

Not the text you want to get

My SO texted me the above photo later the same day while I was at work. Thankfully he's awesome and cold hosed it for me and let me know that there was heat but no swelling and it didn't look like a puncture, just a missing chunk.

I figured it's a long ways from her heart, and finished up my work day. By the time I got home it was super fat so I cold hosed, scrubbed and wrapped, wit a plan to reassess in the morning.

Still puffy after being wrapped all night

Unfortunately, it was fat and super hot in the morning so I set up an appointment with the vet later in the day. Because my SO really is awesome he took her in for me so I could still get a full day of work in. 

I figured it wouldn't be an issue for me not to be there. I was counting on them scrubbing it up and sending her home with SMZ's.

Turns out it's a bit more involved than that. She's quite reactive to palpating the area so X-rays were taken and turns out she broke her splint bone. Thankfully it's not displaced and should heal cleanly. But the question is now if she's damaged her suspensory or if she's just reacting due to the cellulitis. 

So now it's a waiting game. Once the swelling is gone she needs to go back so we can ultrasound the leg. Fingers crossed that it's just cellulitis and the broken splint bone (never ever did I think I'd be hoping my horse just has a broken bone).

Now if you will excuse me, I need to go pull myself out of the dreaded spiral of Oh-my-god-my-horse-is-broken-and-will-have-to-be-put-down-and-I'm-a-terrible-owner by drinking all the wine in my house.

11 Weeks In One Photo Dump

Break out the champagne! I wrote my last final for my degree last night. This semester has kicked my ass, hard, so blogging (and horses) took a back seat. I've been riding, but sporadically. Thankfully my creatures are all honest souls so there has been very little antics. And they live in the backyard so I still get my pony-fix.

This is exactly how I felt last night

Little asshole is enjoying living with my mom and is the first to the gate, every time.

We hacked out in January

And in February

My previous barn once again hosted two Sandra Donnelly clinics. I rode both horses in the first one. I was super impressed with William he hadn't done a grid or a course prior to this clinic but he took both in stride.  He also had never seen an oxer before this clinic and he just couldn't brain. Even when we disassembled it it took him quite a while to figure out that he had to jump/walk over both rails. The clinic was a great success though. Sandra told me I'd be crazy to sell him, but if I did decide to sell him I should sell him to her. It's always great when someone you truly respect thinks highly of your horse, even when he's being a sassy, green 5 year-old.

Jumper or reiner, you decide

Seriously, the cutest face ever.

And sometimes he forget that he has 4 legs.

Dee was her usual rockstar self and packed me around the 3'3" group. I missed her and I"m so glad she's back to her usual self. I've seen no back soreness at all since we started back jumping.

For my birthday we tormented the dogs

My kitchen window view never gets old

William was foot perfect for his first time in water, with a rider he'd never met
Also, she tried to steal him :)

When both the dogs and the pony need some exercise and there are only so many daylight hours

 It's been pretty low-key around here and I'm quite excited to get back into a regular schedule, with both the horses and the blog.

Two Years

Two years ago I stole a horse.

The day I brought her home. I need new photos, she looks so different!

Ok, I did pay for her, but I paid so little I might as well have stolen her. Seriously, who sells a rock solid Pre-Training (Novice) packer with plenty of Training miles for less than I paid for my used Amerigo?

Our first show (that resulted in our first cooler)

Two years ago trying to jump an oxer would almost certainly send my anxiety through the roof. I was having panic attacks almost every time I jumped (even if the jumps were under 2'6").

First XC School

I was casually looking for a new partner. I had a pretty short wish list:

1) Jump All the Jumps

2) Preferably no greys

3) Jump ALL the Jumps

4) Everything else is negotiable

All the jumps. even the crazy ones!

Dee checked all the boxes, and some of the ones I didn't even think about (Next time I will make it no greys and no pintos though. I'm so sick of purple shampoo).

Who knew I needed a horse that would let me "pony" my dog?

Or would take me to my first Endurance ride?

Or do a dressage test aside, after only 2 other sidesaddle rides

Or learn silly tricks, just to appease my inner child

Slowly but surely my little, overlooked, rockstar has helped me find my confidence again. We recently went XC schooling and we did the Prelim water line like it was no big deal!

I can check Rebecca Farm off my life list

Oxers (and triple bars) no longer have me quaking in my boots. I know we can successfully jump around a 1.0-1.10m stadium course. Dressage is still a major challenge but I have faith that we can get around any course thrown at us.

Still one of the best moments

I can't find the right words to explain what this horse means to me. All I can really do is leave this reminder: Life is too short to ride a horse you aren't enjoying. Find the one that matches you and the world opens up in ways you wouldn't believe.

She sure doesn't look (or act) 19

NQR

Dee's hocks were injected in May. After the injections I noticed that the stopping problem we had picked up improved, but that was the only difference. Every other experience I've had with joint injections has resulted in a dramatic difference.

After XC at Buster Creek she was really insistent that I not lift her hind legs too high while removing her corks. I started noticing that after work she's not quite right about her back end. She's also been struggling extra hard with roundness and relaxation and occasionally take some NQR steps in the back (no one else notices, but I sure do).

I booked her another appointment at the vet to coincide with Chase's next set of alcohol injections (which, once he's done the full set will get a post of their own because holy-moly, what an improvement).

Her hocks are solid so the vet moved up. And now her SI joint is presenting as sore, as is her lower back. 

After an extensive discussion we ultimately decided to shockwave her back and SI area. The other option was SI injections but we decided to go the less invasive route.

Dee was a rockstar for the shockwave and then the vet and her tech geeked out and put K-Tape on her, with instructions to leave it on as long as it stuck (or take it off on Sunday before my show, which ever came first).

This was 2 weeks ago and they told me I would see an improvement with 72 hours.

Unfortunately, Dee is still sore in her back and there's been no change really. After a bunch of research and conversations I've decided that SI injections are my line in the sand. I'm not going to take that step at this time.

Instead, I  have decided to try giving her some time off jumping to see if there is any improvement.

So our eventing season is over (I've got one more recap though) and I'm ok with it. I'm hoping to bring her back into full work to go to the Gorsline jumper show where we won so much money last year, but time will see. 

I adore this horse. She's done so much for me in the two years I've had her and she owes me nothing.

If her body can't handle the stress of jumping and eventing at this level then we will move onto Plan B but for now I'm crossing my fingers.

Beaumont Horse Trials - Day 2

On Sunday morning I was at the grounds super early to do a quick trial ride in a dressage saddle (Spoiler: I bought it!). I managed to watch a few Prelim rides before I had to go get ready.

By the time I was on, I was so nervous I was pretty sure I was going to vomit all over the timers at the startbox. Sandra told me that we had a solid plan, to stick to the plan and to talk out loud. She didn't want a repeat of Saturday's inability to breathe.

And then it was my favourite part of an event "5...4...3...2...1..Have a great ride!"

Fence 1 was a small inviting log

We got a crappy distance to fence 1 and Dee popped over it and I was loose in the tack so it sure wasn't pretty.

You can just see fence 3 in the background on the far right

Fence 2 rode pretty nice and then we had to gallop around the alternate startbox, by the finish line and turn towards fence 3.
 

A decent sized ramp.

Dee was distracted by everyone cooling out at the finish line and never really locked onto fence 3. I didn't do anything about it, I rode backwards to it and when Dee decided that "Nope, not doing it" I just sat there.

I took a deep breath, gave her a quick pat and turned to re-present. I utilized the confidence stick behind my leg and we sailed over it like it was no big deal.

4AB was a 6 stride bending line to the cabin

We jumped into 4AB really nice and the line and distance were just there for B. But Dee made me work for it. She wasn't going to babysit me like she did in SJ. I growled, tapped her with the confidence stick and she decided that jumping it was a good idea.

We planned for the right side as if we have a run out it's always to the left

The multi-functional airplane, the right wing is T, the left wing is P and the body is E/PT (or BN/N)

I've been working really hard to not pull as we come to fences, especially big galloping fences, like the airplane. I still pulled a little but we got over it without chipping.

6 was compulsory flags through the pothole water. The entrance and exit are quite steep

Dee launched herself into the first water. I landed a bit heap-like but thankfully we had a long gallop to get ourselves sorted out.

Pallisade bending to the bench on the left

About 2/3 of the way to 7AB I started asking Dee to come back. Our game plan was to do a circle out in the field if she didn't come back as 7A was super upright. It took a little longer than I'd like but Dee did come back to me and this rode really nice.

Photo by Crystal Hobbs

We even took B at a bit of a left to right angle (which is a big win considering last year a bench caused me to have major anxiety, and angles also stressed me out)

8 was this picnic table

Up and over the hill to the picnic table. We jumped this right out of stride and Dee was towing me to the water.

Off the bank, 3 strides to the log

We jumped off the bank perfectly! It walked as a 3 stride to the log, we planned that the water and the atmosphere here would back them off a little and it would require a bit of leg. Turns out the plan was solid for the rest of our group (one even got 4 strides). Dee did not slow down at all, so our 3 strides had us right at the very base of the log. Thankfully it was small and she's handy.

Too bad I can't seem to remember to look up

Big square train car 

Fence 10 was the fence I was most stressed over. It has no real ground line and it's super upright and quite wide. The original plan was to make sure I kept Dee's wither up and balance her but keep moving towards it. After stressing out over it and being so nervous Sandra and I modified the plan here. I picked a spot on the horizon, didn't take me eyes off of it, grabbed my neck strap and kicked on. Sandra figured I was better off staying out of Dee's way and letting her figure it out, rather than letting my nerves trick me into pulling the whole way there. 

And it worked! We jumped it like it was NBD.

Coffin in the grave yard (set as a 2 to a 2)

 I wasn't too worried about the coffin as we've schooled it a bunch and Dee is not ditchy at all. And true to form we popped through it handily.

 

This picture doesn't show that this a big bank to a small bank

Next up was the bank to bank. I'e never schooled it here and I've only ever done one with a small gap. Thankfully Dee doesn't care. We galloped up the ramp and then jumped down from the big bank to the small bank, and straight on to the chevron. Sandra stressed that we needed to ride this like the banks weren't there. Just get straight to the chevron and ride to it.

The space is almost 4' wide and the big bank is 3'3" the small is 2'6"

It was a good plan. Dee tried to duck out on the chevron but I was prepared and made sure that door was closed. We jumped it crooked, but we did jump it!

The big trakehner

Another good gallop to the trakehner. I didn't fuss with her at all, I just sat up, added leg and let her do her thing. She will always pat the ground in front of a trakehner. I've made my peace with it. It keeps us safe.

A frame, bending to the truck on the right.

 15AB was set up as a galloping combination. A first for me.A nice inviting A frame with a sharp (but long) bend to the truck. The truck was another fence I was worried about. It had a good ground line to make it a good galloping fence, but I've never schooled it and we all know I struggle with the galloping fences.

The dreaded truck

I didn't need to be worried. I committed to the gallop coming into the combo, sat up, looked and kicked on and Dee was foot perfect. I may or may not have actually shouted "Kick Harder, Think Less" coming at the truck :)

Big galloping oxer to finish

The final fence ended up being my favourite fence of the whole course.It's a big wide table and we actually jumped it out of a gallop stride, without any pulling, hesitation or even use of my neck strap.

We came in 13 seconds under Optimum Time even with the stop! I couldn't have been prouder of us! We got through my first Training without a panic attack, even with some intense nerves. I'm super excited for our next event (which isn't for 5 weeks).

The pro photos haven't been posted yet so I'm super happy that I had so many friends with cameras there. I'm super pumped that Suzi got a photo of us over 10, seeing as it was the reason I was shitting my pants over this move up.

Dee definitely retains her title of BestPony!