A Filly's Best Friend

Nuthin' But A Dirty ol' Snowman Happening

2015-03-26T22:54:00.001-04:00

You can see from the pictures...not much happening here. It snowed today...and it stayed on the ground. It's still cold. The snow is melting in the slowest possible way. I might be going a little insane if I can't get riding more soon.

Nicoles brother took the opportunity to build a snowman here. After Dirk had a little grooming, we went over to investigate.

that is Canadian sexy horse gear right there...you can't find that shit at Dover..Kentucky Wildcats reppin'

you wanna piece of me?

such a suck now!

what, no nose??

That was actually snowman #2, Ozzy saw the first one, darted out of the barn and destroyed him in about 2 seconds flat.

Winter, you can get the hell out anytime now. Anyone down South want to get married so I can move? Hanging on by a thread...signed frozen and alone in Canada.

Free Isn't Free

2015-03-24T14:20:00.001-04:00

But you already knew that. Let's do a quick tally of the total cost of my 4th "free" horse;

Diesel for the trip to pick him up $140
Meals for the trip up $30
New halter $24 (Turquoise with zebra stripes - hell ya!)
New rain sheet (that it's too cold to wear) $59 - tax free sale - score!
4 rolls of vet wrap, Epsom salts, wormer $30
Hoof heal - free borrowed from my mom - thanks mom!
Poultice - Nicole bought this for me - thanks Nicole and Dawn ;)
Emergency hoof trim - $40
Two bags of shavings added to the stall for extra comfort - $11

Grand total: $334.00

Not too bad so far! I wish I could say the same for Indy's feet. They are a disaster. It looks like it was a while since his last trim, and they are full of thrush and the soles are extremely weak. I was lucky to have my parents neighbor come over and do an emergency trim on him. He has a really bad abscess in his right hind and is on three legs at the moment. I was able to pierce it last night and some puss and blood came pouring out.

day 2 before trim

ignore the poultice...see the shelf at the toe??

wtf is going on here

We did a 20 minute soak and poultice last night. Now it's wrapped and he's out with Miss Pen for the day. His feet look miles better already since his trim and daily washing. We won't be doing any riding any time soon...which is fine because my ring is still covered in snow (I'm not bitter), and I think this horse has earned a vacation.

His manners are impeccable, him and Penny love each other to pieces already, and I mean really...his face is too cute for words. So while a free horse may never truly be free, they may be worth the extra effort and cost if you give them a shot.

I Know What You're Thinkin'

2015-03-19T16:23:00.002-04:00

Yepp, I know what you're thinking. This woman right here needs another horse like a hole in her head.

How can she afford it? How can she have time for it? What about her other horses? Why does she need so many? She already has horses to ride, why does she need more? How will she have time to ride and show them all? And on and on and on.

These are the things said to me, to my face, and behind my back. But you know what's great about being an adult? I can make decisions for myself, with ALL the knowledge required, to make a good decision. It kind of makes me laugh when I hear these things, because in my life I have made some really poor choices, but not lately. Not in the last 6 or 7 years. I'm an adult now, I think things through. I know what I want in life, have a plan, and am sticking to it. If I do make a stupid decision, guess whose shoulder it falls on? Mine. I am the one that has to deal with the poor choices I make in life. I am the one who knows the whole story, and if you want to know, just ask. No need to go around making assumptions about my life, what I can or can't afford, what I do or don't have time for, and what I may or may not need.

I'm sure you can see, I am ranting. Mostly because people seem extra judgy these days. Maybe it's the winter that will never end. Maybe it's something else...all that really matters in this story - is Indy.

Guys, this is Indy. He's my new horse. He's 9 years old this April, he is 16.2, and he is a built like a Sherman Tank. He could be Pennys twin. Indy is a Thoroughbred, retired racehorse type. He raced his last race November 30th 2014 where he finished 3rd. His racing career spans 6 years and 70 starts, winning a quarter of a Million dollars. Indy retired sound, and was never lame once, in his entire career. Indy was treated like a King, but when his racing days were over...there wasn't really a place for him to go.

Indy's groom contacted me in December to see if I would take him. She was the one who I got Parker from. She knew I would offer a forever home full of pampering, but I just didn't feel I had the room with the rough winter we were having. A friend of mine had plans to go and see him, but his owner/groom changed her mind last minute, and decided she was going to try her best and keep him. Although she had the best intentions, she just couldn't afford the cost of a horse, and she listed him for sale a few weeks ago. I messaged her and let her know if she couldn't find him a suitable home, I would be happy to have him here. I could make it work. I know how special this guy is to her, and he is truly a war horse. I couldn't really bear the thought of him going just anywhere. My first event horse raced till he was 9, stayed sound, and was the most amazing event horse ever. I felt a connection.

not downhill...just my wash area is on a slope

here he is where I picked him up

such a hunkster at the track!

She messaged me back right away and said I could have him. She didn't want the money from a sale, she just wanted a good home. He needed to move pretty quick, so on Sunday, Jessica and I road tripped it up to the big city to pick him up. As promised, he was stunning. He was a pure gentleman to get on the trailer and take home. I don't think he moved the entire trip. He is extremely quiet and well mannered. He is so polite and such a big suck, I'm afraid I've fallen in love with him already. We have some work to do with his feet before I can try him out under saddle. He can enjoy a nice holiday and get accustomed to his new life. After racing around 11 races a year since he was two, I think he's earned it.

So that's the story of how I became the owner of another beautiful OTTB. Hate it or love it, it's their world, I just clean the stalls.

Dressage Clinic Fundraiser Success

2015-03-18T13:48:00.002-04:00

On March 8th our Weenie Eventers Team hosted our first clinic together - as a fundraiser for our trip to Hagyard Midsouth Three Day Team Challenge. It was a dressage clinic with up and coming rider and trainer Duncan Wood. I've known Duncan for some time, from Pony Club way back, and also through eventing. He recently stepped out on his own and trains out of Porcupine Hill Farm. My mom has her new young guy in training with Duncan and he is coming along superbly. We filled the clinic within a week or so - and were very excited with all the interest we had. My mom generously donated us her arena and stalls for the day also, so thank you mom!

Jessica and I both signed up, her in a private and myself in a semi-private with Dana. Since Penny has been out of work for most of the winter, I just planned a 1/2 hour of walk and trot only. We trailered Ellie and Penny over to my moms place and they both settled into their stalls well. We had a yummy canteen set up for spectators and participants, as well as collecting bottles for a bottle drive, and goods to donate to the local animal rescue. We were very pleased that lots of people brought us their donations, and empty bottles. We figured if we are trying to fund our trip by donations, we should also do something to give back to the community. It will be a great day when we can drop off all the animal goodies to the rescue.

Penny was quite up when we entered the arena so I opted to let her go for a rip on the lunge. She zoomed around a few times each direction and then settled and was stretching down nice and freely. This was a surprise to me since she has never done that on the lunge. A good sign for sure! Onto the lesson, we worked mostly at the walk. The biggest hurdle with Penny is her unsteadiness in the contact. After having the tooth issue, I have been waiting to see if there is a difference now that the tooth is gone. At first she was worried and flipping her head a bit. Duncan had me concentrate on rhythm and relaxation, before thinking about the contact. We worked at the walk, trying to establish rhythm, then added in leg yields from the quarter line to the wall. This helped Penny settled into a nice rhythm and she then dropped into the bridle nicely.

We continued with this exercise, then added a trot transition at the wall, trot around to the opposite end, circle and walk again. Penny was quickly relaxing more and keeping a nice steady contact into my hand. From here we practiced trot walk transitions on a 20m circle. Slowly and quietly asking her to walk staying steady until she accepted the walk. At first Penny would evade the bit and raise her head but keeping with the steady rhythm in mind, she started to stay in the contact through the transition and then relaxed right away in both the upward and downward transitions.

Some cool footage from our clinic today :) thanks @missbooxo for filming! #ottb #thoroughbred #dressage #eventing #equestrian #fillysbestfriend
A video posted by jealoushe (@jealoushe) on Mar 8, 2015 at 3:58pm PDT

We finished with some trot large around the arena and adding leg yields down the quarter line and shallow loops. For the first time since I have owned Penny, she was steady and consistent in the bridle throughout our exercise. I am confident she is feeling like a different horse since having her tooth removed. I am really excited to see where our dressage goes this year. Coupled up with Duncans quiet and methodical teaching, I really enjoyed the clinic, and Penny went fabulously. Duncan commented that he thought she was a really nice mare, with very nice movement for a Thoroughbred. It is great to work with a dressage instructor who understands eventing. He asked if we wanted to work on the canter but I decided to end it there on a good note. No need to push her, especially since she was such a good girl.

We surpassed our fundraising goal for the day, and had great feedback from the clinic. It was such a success that we are hosting another one on April 18th, and it is pretty much full already! Looking forward to a fun summer with lots happening for the Weenie Eventers.

Happy Birthday Pan Am Penny!

2015-03-13T10:34:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was Penny's 9th Birthday! She is such a young girl to have accomplished so much. To celebrate, Nicole and I went for a little ride around the property. We had a few warm days and some good melting, but then it froze over night. It warmed up a bit again but the footing in the ring was a little hard still so we ventured off for a ride down the driveway.

Penny has been absolutely fabulous since she is back into work. She feels so much happier and like a whole new horse. I think removing that tooth has made a world of difference. She is happily accepting the bridle and relaxing - which was basically mission impossible before. Maybe she just likes her fancy new bridle from Perfect Sit of Sweden. Who can blame her, they are just that nice!

I see grass... :)

Oliver continues to be the easiest horse I have ever started. Meaning, I have ridden him once, and Nicole has ridden him a few times. He just trucks along like he has been doing it his whole life. He is starting to understand the concept of leg and doing walk-halt transitions. Nicole does such a great job just staying quiet and letting him figure things out. She is a really talented young rider.

So Happy Birthday Penny, I love you SO much! Looking forward to many more Birthdays together. Also a Happy Birthday to my husband Jesse. Still makes me laugh they share a Birthday.

Come for a stroll with us :) #ottb #thoroughbred #chestnut #mare #equestrian #eventing #love
A video posted by jealoushe (@jealoushe) on Mar 12, 2015 at 6:20pm PDT

Weighing My Options

2015-03-10T14:07:00.000-04:00

Thank you everyone who read and commented on my last post about William, both on and off the blog. Really interesting to hear others opinions on what it may be, or what route you may take if you were in my shoes. William isn't going anywhere, so it's not exactly a huge pressing thing to me - just more of a concern for his happiness and comfort. The reason I find it a tough choice is because of having multiple horses - I have to choose where I spend my time and money wisely. Obviously I love all my horses and none are more important than the other - but I just don't think William would care that much if he became a pasture puff. He is comfortable when he is not being ridden at the very least, that I am sure of. I am trying to get one horse to the upper levels, and have to be sure not too waste my resources and time on something that won't transpire. I at least have the luxury of keeping my horses pampered, even if they don't have a job.

From here, my course of action will be;

Put him into light work once the snow flies. See if there is an improvement from last year.
Do another treatment of Ugard (or equal ulcer meds)
Chiro and acupuncture in early April.
Full vet evaluation in May (what can be done on the farm) - asses how he is going under saddle and decide on whether to pursue further options - like scintigraphy or back x rays.

Another option may be sending him to my friend Danas for the summer. Since she sold her mare Quartz, she now has 2 horses at home. As she will be competing Archie quite a bit this summer, she doesn't want to leave her old guy Bud, home alone all day. This situation could benefit us both, and give William some more time off if he needs it. For now, I am going to take it one day at a time and see where we are at in May.

Thank you again for your thoughts and kind wishes. It's so nice to have the blogging community to lean on when you need it.

WWYD - Opinions Please

2015-03-06T15:22:00.000-05:00

This post is going to be hard for me to write, mostly because I have been spending a lot of time thinking and trying to figure things out. You can't always trust your own mind though, and I really appreciate the knowledge and opinions of fellow bloggers. I am trying to decide what is best for my horse at this point. This is not about me, but about him.

I am struggling with whether or not I should continue to pursue a riding relationship with William. Those who have read my blog for some years will know the long road and struggles that have come with breaking and starting him. He is still a very difficult horse, but also, an extremely talented and sweet horse. I want to lay everything I know about him out there for a completely unbiased opinion from readers. Regardless of the decision he will always be my horse. He isn't going anywhere.

I got William fall of 2011. I re-started him as he had a bad start with his previous owners. This includes flipping over and falling down on her. It also includes him broncing throughout the barn a few times while being saddled. When I got him he was not in great condition. He was wormy and his feet were shit. He was malnourished and ugly. I spent the next 6 months doing basic ground work and long lining, spending a lot of time using the John Lyons method of sacking out. He would hardly allow you to touch him at first, and gradually got better.

When I started him under saddle he did this thing I called the "scoot". He would scoot forward and attempt to buck, but nothing serious. Eventually we worked up to walk, trot, canter consistently. He would still scoot in our rides but it never bothered me. After the first year, we started doing more challenging work including jumping. The spring of 2012 I moved to my farm and when I brought William back into work he was extremely sucked back. When I would mount he would refuse to move for 10-15 minutes. This would gradually get better when ridden every day. By the third day he would be completely normal. If he had one or two days off it was back to square one. When he was really defiant, he would stop mid stride and buck from a standstill.

This behavior improved but never went away completely. He had the chiro multiple times and was always in good shape and would get complimented on his topline and muscling. The vet saw no reason for his behavior. Fast forward to last year. Same issues with sucking back and bucking but much improved - until I went to his first event. There, he refused to move and I almost missed my dressage test. It took me half an hour to get him to move forward. Once he got going he was fabulous and won the event.

His next events he did the same thing but not as severely. He was second and first at those events. He is difficult to get going but once going he is phenomenal. He was 1st, 1st, and 2nd in his three events last year. He was jumper champ at his first jumper show and won his dressage classes in the one dressage show I was able to get to with him last year. After his third event he was sidelined with his leg injury and that was that. Now I am planing on bringing him back to work for this season, but I have been wondering if it is the right thing for him.

When I would go to catch him to ride him last year he would always run away from me. Once caught, he would refuse to leave the field. It would take me 20 minutes to get him out. He would just plant his feet and refuse to move. I have never seen a horse do that. After a few days of work he would even refuse to leave his stall. Obviously the horse is not wanting to be ridden. Is it obvious? I can't figure out if he is just lazy or in pain. He is certainly not a lazy horse in general. Overall his demeanor is very gentle and sweet. He aims to please when he is going under saddle. He is VERY fun to ride, even when he is being difficult. He is sound under saddle, and has the movement of an upper level dressage horse. I don't think there is anything in his legs.

He is tense when girthed and often scoots when he walks out after first being saddled. He is resistant to take the bit into the mouth when bridling. He has a parrot mouth, low palet, and small lips. He has seen the chiro, vet, and done acupressure. Nothing has changed. He is on a regular foot, vet, worming and tooth care cycle. He is an easy keeper. He is fat and shiny. He is healthy and retained all his muscle and fitness from last summer even though he had 8 months off.

My head tells me he is in pain. Kissing spine maybe? Maybe something going on in the mouth? My heart wishes it were an attitude problem because he truly is a fabulous horse. I could send him for a body scan but in reality I have three other horses. Is it worth the cost if he does have kissing spine in the end? He seems quite content in his day to day life otherwise. Have you ever experienced anything similar? Do you have any other suggestions of what it might be, or things to try to find out what might be the cause?

This isn't a case of not being fun for me, because he is still my favorite horse to ride. I just feel sick thinking of pushing him to be ridden this year if there is something in there causing him major discomfort. I am curious to know what you would do if you were in my shoes.

The Horses are Hayless Again

2015-03-04T10:42:00.001-05:00

On my way to work yesterday I saw the horses down the road were out of hay. They still didn't have hay last night. Again, on my way to work this morning I checked them and they still had no hay. They aren't thin...but they certainly aren't healthy or cared for.

That's two days with no hay, and we had a crazy blizzard last night. Ughhh. Time to call the SPCA again. :( This picture in no way shows the state of this property....the barbed wire fences and junk everywhere is to the left. I hate these people.

Finally Went For A Rip

2015-03-03T12:23:00.000-05:00

It happened last weekend and last weekend only. It was finally nice enough, and my leg was feeling up to snuff to take Penny for a spin! Jess came over and we gave the girls a good grooming. Penny was thoroughly enjoying the attention and back scratches from the long winter of wearing heavy blankets.

I put on her new Perfect Sit Flying Change bridle and her new tiny 4" Mylar and she seemed happy to be bridled. Her past issues with this are completely gone since her stray tooth was removed. We headed out the ring which is knee deep in snow. Good thing because that snow was an energy container for Penny. Having nearly two months off she certainly had a fire under ass. She had a good fire though, just speedy gonzoles style fire.

Miss Pen and Miss Ellie

love this girl...love this browband :)

I tried to give her a good warm up to loosen her tight muscles but she wasn't having any of this walking business. We trucked around in the deep snow at a brisk trot for a few laps then I let her open up into a canter.

She behaved herself and we took a nice rip around the ring several times to let off some steam. Not long after I forced her to walk and we cooled out. We don't need to strain ourselves our first day back!

the craziest OTTB. Text and ride tisk tisk lol

view of a lifetime

It was amazing, fun, and just like I remembered. I need the weather to give already so I can get back to doing what I love!

Run Home Perchies - You're Free

2015-02-26T10:25:00.000-05:00

It was a bitterly cold Friday afternoon. I was heading home from work, pumped that the weekend was here. Not pumped to go home and do the barn in -30...but at least it was the weekend so I could get good and wine drunk during the process to keep my spirits up. I was cruising down the highway, about halfway home when I spotted a big black Percheron running through the snow in the ditch up ahead. There was another one following close behind. The snow was up past their knees but they were trucking along at a good pace despite.

I pulled over and threw my four way flashers on. I jumped out of the car and started calling the horses. They slowed down a bit and looked back but kept heading west. They soon ventured onto the road and were full blown cantering down the middle of the highway. Traffic had stopped both ways thankfully and people were being very smart and keeping their cars parked on the road. I realized no amount of running was going to catch me up so I jumped back into my car and sped down the highway, carefully past the horses and pulled over ahead of them, once again parking my car on the shoulder with my four ways on.

This time I stood in the middle of the road calling the horses..and one came right to me. They had halters on, thank God. They were around 17 hands, and I was in my work clothes, and heels. I managed to hold onto the one and start leading him back in the direction we came. It was absolutely freezing. There was no doubt my hand was going to get frost bitten. The horse I had was well behaved but the loose horse was being a total twit. Galloping off in the other direction, jumping the guard rails and falling into the ditch, and screaming his head off trying to get the horse I had to go with him. It was only a matter of time before the horse I had turned and bolted off to meet up with his friend. I just let go, I wasn't going to die in this process.

Defeat. I headed in their direction but they went full tilt this time. A very nice lady pulled her car up to me and she gave me the gloves off her hand to warm up. I will never forget that truly kind gesture! A few other people pulled up asking if there was anything they could do. I said they aren't my horses and I have no idea where they are from, not much we can do but try and keep them off the road at this point.

I got back to my car and called 911. The officer said they already had a call and were headed out this way. I didn't even see which direction the horses went at this point but I have a feeling they headed North. I sat in my car for a few minutes trying to regain feeling in my face and hands. I drove off in the direction I suspected and saw the tracks along the road. I pulled into the first farm on the roads driveway and saw this;

They managed to coral themselves up nicely. There was a herd of cattle behind them with a big round bale and I suspect they were very interested in that. They were licking their lips for water and were drenched in sweat. Not long after the OPP showed (Ontario Provincial Police) and helped me keep them blocked in until the owner showed up.

He just lived down the road from where I first saw them and didn't even realize they had gotten out. He said he just bought them today as a driving pair, he likes to fatten them up, put training on them and then re sell them. He was genuinely concerned for the drivers on the road and was very thankful to me that I was trying to catch them. They just had another 10 minute to wait for their ride to get there and they would be home safe - locked in the barn no doubt!

Bad Perchies.

Feed Your Damn Animals

2015-02-19T14:49:00.000-05:00

UGH. So annoyed right now. There is a farm about 5 kms from me. It's on the road my parents live on, and in between my house and theirs. It's on my way to and from work. This farm is a disgusting dump. It can't even be classified as a farm. It has a decrepit condemned house, barbed wire fencing around the property complete with rusted out farm gate blocking the driveway. The house is missing siding and is just a disaster. From what I have heard the owners live in an old RV behind the house. There is garbage everywhere.

There are 8 horses on this property. They had a foal last summer. They are all Quarter Horse or Paint types. These horses do nothing, although the owners do have some poles and barrels strewn around their yard. I can't even express the mess this place is. The safety hazard for the horses is enough to drive you mental but that isn't even where the problem begins. The yard where the horses are is completely visible from the road.

On New Years Eve I drove home from work and noticed it was the third day the horses had no hay. They usually get fed moldy roundbales with the strings still attached. It was set to be -30c that night. I went home and brought my horses in and attended to their needs, then threw 3 square bales into my truck. Jesse and headed over to the farm and the horses still had no hay. They also have no shelter, except this wall with tarp blowing that a neighbour put up himself for the horses after being sick of watching them with no shade or wind break.

I threw the three bales over the fence and called the horses over. It was freezing, and I'm sure they were glad to see some hay after going without for three days. It wasn't until two days later the horses finally got some round bales put out. Disgusting, moldy, black round bales. Of course, these neglected horses eat this with no issue - yet our horses who are doted on hand and food would probably die after one bite. Go figure.

A few weeks later the horses had 5 round bales. Wow...I was ecstatic. Maybe the owners were getting the idea and preparing themselves. They threw all the bales into the field and they last until last week. On Monday, Dana came over for some day drinking (family day holiday lol). She told me the horses had no hay again. Back to work Tuesday, the horses have no hay. Yesterday - same deal. No hay. I mean 0. Not some round bale leftovers on the ground. Zip. Zero. It has been absolutely freezing here. Snowing, cold, just nasty. These horses have no hay, no shelter, and probably no water. I pretty much cry every time I think about them. I threw them some squares but my hay is at a premium this time of year, and I can't be feeding 8 other horses!

So, the Humane Society was called. They already had a call that morning about the same farm. On my way home I saw their SUV was out with a trailer - probably going to get a round bale. This morning they had a black round bale and it was pretty much almost gone already. No doubt with 8 starving horses. I will be watching this place with eagle eyes and calling the Humane Society again if they have no hay. I just don't understand the point to this horse ownership. Obviously these people are uneducated. Obviously they have no money - or they choose to spend it on something other than their shithole property. Why do these horses have to suffer at the hands of these morons.

If you want to have animals, make sure you know and have the means to take care of them. There are 7 horses on my property and it is tough to keep them fed properly, but it is doable. I work hard and make sure we always are ahead of the game. Running out of hay or grain is not an option. Running out of hay for a few hours? Sure..running out for 4 days - completely unacceptable. This saga will surely continue, and I will keep you all posted. In the meantime, send jingles this way for those poor ponies.

A Frosty Weekend to Celebrate Parker's Birthday

2015-02-17T12:39:00.000-05:00

So - everyone is in agreement that winter sucks and this one, although not nearly as bad as last for us here, still stinks the big one. We have had steady snow for a week and the temps this weekend were down right frigid. The sun was out though, and there was little wind so the horses were still happy to be outside during the day.

It was Parkers birthday on Saturday and the big handsome dude is now 7 years old! Time for him to put his big boy pants on show the world what a hunk of OTTB he really is. Really looking forward to more serious work with him this summer.

The horses were only looking forward to their weekly round bale delivery. I'm still not riding so I'm trying to use the time to organize the house and barn for the summer ahead. Hopefully I can be back in the saddle early next week.

The Birthday Boy!

two total troublemakers

the cutest goldenbaby

Penny is all "me first!"

Parker is all "I don't think so Red"

William is all....too tired to move at the moment

the rare moment when Penny grants you affection!

Sunbathing in -30

A Day In the Life - A FOO Blog Hop

2015-02-11T23:17:00.001-05:00

A day in the life of this working amateur event rider - courtesy of the Fly On Over blog hop!

I'm going to share the average day in my life - the spring/summer/fall version. The winter version is all over the place and lacks riding so its not all that accurate for most of the year.

5:30am - WAKE UP. After hitting snooze 5 times at least. Grab pack of dogs and head to the barn. Bring in and work one horse (Probably Penny)

6:00am - 7:00am - Ride Horse #1

7:00am - Turn in and feed. This includes removing fly sheets, making grain, filling water, turning on fans. Checking over for cuts/injuries.

7:30am - Gather up pack of dogs, head the house. Shower, dress for work. Grab something to eat.

8:25am - Head to work. With our without coffee...need coffee at some point!!

9:00am - 5:00 pm - work. Boo. Make money for horses. Yay! Check emails, dream about showing, read CoTH...etc.

5:30pm - Home, feed the horses if not fed already [sometimes if my hubby gets home first, he feeds them for me :)] I change in the barn. Put on fly sheets, turn out, and pick stalls.

6:00pm - tack up and ride Horse #2, fully clean his stall after.

7:30pm - Tack up and ride Horse #3, fully clean his stall after.

8:30pm - clean the rest of the stalls if not done.

9:00pm - bring the horses back in for bug hour. Cuddle with them for way too long. Get yelled at to hurry up and no more pony time. Finish tidying the barn. Clean tack. Drink beer, play with the dogs.

10:00pm - Turn the horses out, tidy their stalls, set the hay for the AM.

Rest of the night...unwind, grab something to eat, blog...sleep...

This is my life...and I absolutely love it. On days I do just 30 minute works for the horses, I add in lawn care, like grass cutting and weed whacking. I try to take one day a week for no riding. Obviously, this doesn't leave much time for hanging out with my man, but we are usually outside together on and off all night, and we agree that the winter when my horses have time off is the time for us to hang out more. I don't really watch TV. If I have time to sit it's usually on the computer reading or writing. I realize a lot of people would not enjoy this lifestyle, but this is what works for me, and I honestly wouldn't have it any other way.

An InLinkz Link-up

Equestrian Scavenger Hunt - from SMTT

2015-02-08T21:08:00.000-05:00

What's up everyone? It's February, I'm injured, and I'm sick. Oh yeah, and this ridiculous blizzard blew in and the weather is so crap that the horses won't even leave their shelter when they are out for the day. Even for their new delicious round bale. It's just sitting out in the field all frozen over waiting for some company. This month sucks so far...but on a positive note the shitty ass weather has allowed me to sit on my butt for a few hours a day which is much needed. My leg was feeling pretty rough all week but it is finally feeling like we are turning a corner and I can actually walk now. YAY! No one will be calling me Limps A'Hoy at work anymore! True Story.

Moving on...I share my version of the Equestrian Scavanger Hunt presented originally by She Moved to Texas. Nothing like some cute pony pics to end your Sunday night and keep you smiling into Monday.

1. The most magical Friesian of all the Friesians

saw this handsome fella at Rolex

2. A 10+ Jumper

it has to be Miss Pen :)

3. A horse we can all call Shenanigans! on

uh oh Ozzy!

4. The (best) worst clip job you’ve ever seen

I just love this!

5. The cutest miniature horse on the planet

well she was a Shetland...but she was so tiny! Suggie of course!

6. Bitchiest. Mare. Ever.

Miss Ruby!

7. Funniest horse meme/cartoon

HA!

8. The most matchy McMatcherson outfit

It's a way of life :)

9. A most saintly creature

WFP..hehe

10. The Black Stallion Returns… 2015 style

ahh the good old days of warmth and fun. Back into my hole...

Dressage and Hunt Coat For Sale

2015-02-03T10:33:00.000-05:00

I have two gorgeous high end show jackets for sale so I thought I would spread the word here also in case you know anyone looking!

First is my Diana Pikeur Dressage coat. Black. Size 8L - (Ladies small, long). Very nice fit, classy, breathable. I love this jacket! Only selling because I am going to with my Navy ensemble. Retails over $400 new. Asking $175 Cnd. Can ship for $15.

Second is my Grand Prix Hunt Coat. Size 10 (Ladies small). !00% lightweight wool. Steel grey with baby blue piping. This jacket is a must for "A" show competitors. Retails over $400 new. Asking $150 Cnd. Can ship for $15. Love this coat to death but sadly (?) my boobs grew and it's just a bit tight through the chest!

Make an offer on either, they are just sitting around being wasted.

William Won Something

2015-01-29T13:43:00.000-05:00

In the drama of injuring myself and laughing about it for a few days, now wallowing in the painful bed I made myself, I forgot to blog about the awards banquet my man and I attended on Saturday night. It was the annual National Capitol Horse Trials Association awards dinner and ceremony. The NCHTA is an association who offers series of awards for events in the Eastern Ontario and Quebec region. Since eventing is relatively small on this side of the province, they are making an effort to expand interest and reward those who are out competing and might not be able to make it to the events on the other side of the province. They do an excellent job.

I try to go every year to support but I didn't make it last year. This year I was definitely going because William won an award! Although we only completed two events in this region (3 total in Ontario), we placed 1st and 2nd in a large classes so we had enough points to tie us for second place in the Pre Entry Open division. I won a nice plaque with our names and winning on it - except they mistakenly ordered mine showing Third place (which they emailed me about prior) so I left it with them to have corrected and mailed out to me.

This might seem like peanuts to some riders but this is a huge deal to me and William. Three years ago when I took him home I wasn't sure if I would even be able to take this horse out and ride him. For two years I really questioned my skill and sanity in whether this horse would ever amount to anything. I wrote his "giveaway" ad in my head more times than I can count. He was barely touchable without jumping out of skin. He wouldn't get on a trailer and once on wouldn't stay in. You couldn't get him to even move under saddle and when he did he spent the entire time trying to buck you off. We made progress and then we took 5 steps back, several times.

Through those years though, I never gave up. I don't know why. I probably should have. When I dreaded getting on him, I pushed myself through it. When I was terrified to trailer him, I trailered him every few days with help to get through it. When I hit the dirt, I got back on, every time and rode him until my nerves were gone. I don't know what it is, but I love this horse so much. His deep red face and his kind personality kept drawing me back to him. Not letting me quit. There is something about William that I just can't explain. He is a special soul and I am so glad I never gave up through these last few years, although they were tough.

This award is not for me, but for William. He is worth all the hard work, and now he has truly earned his place here on the farm. So congrats to William, and here's to many more in our future!

Leg update - Not Dead Yet

2015-01-26T21:41:00.000-05:00

Ok! I'm not broken, but this meme rules.

Thank you all for the kind wishes. The results are in and I'm not broken - yay! Except, my muscle tore off my bone...and as you can guess...it's pretty effin' painful! I have a severely high tolerance for pain. I have the crazy piercings to prove it. Ripping your muscle off your bone HURTS. A LOT.

Enough whining. I learned my lesson. I'm not the horse whisperer. I'm not 13 anymore...but the plus side of that is I am legal and able to drown my sorrows with some delicious Sauvignon Blanc. So I took the day off work to rest my leg. I hobbled around a bit, and am now relaxing by the fire with some wine.

I should be good in about 3 weeks time...if I rest and allow it heal. Icing and keeping it up as much as I can. A bonus of my hospital visit was this awesome hospital grade ice bag they gave me...I was admiring it's qualities and how perfect it would be for the barn. They let me take it home with my crutches - so now I have the absolute best ice bandage for my first aid kit!

Only another month until I can ride outside at home again...so I can sit out the rest of the cold and then before we know it's time to start legging up the horses. Until then I'll let my leg heal and dream of green grass and cross country fences.

Don't try this at home folks.

2015 - 2, Tori - 0

2015-01-26T15:10:00.002-05:00

Last week it was my missing omeprezole, this week it's my broken leg. Well I don't actually know if it's broken yet, but that's what I'm referring to it as since I can't walk, sit, put on underwear, or my boots. I'm currently in emerge waiting to be seen by a doctor. Then it will probably be another hour before I even get an x-Ray. Boo.

I have no one to blame but myself. You see this morning I woke up and was scrolling through FB in bed and I watched Elise Wallace's ride at the Mustang Makeover challenge. Can I jut say I love the horse she picked this year! Wow! I'm not sure if it was this inspiration that gave me my brilliant idea later in the day but I'm going to have to assume it was at least part of it.

Picture this. A cold, sunny January day. You have just finished cleaning the barn and say goodbye to your friend. You see your horse waiting for you by the gate and decide to go give them some scratches and hugs. Your horse enjoys this very much. You pull your horse closer and remember the days when you were 13, and you used to ride your Appaloosa pony Snapple bareback and bridless across hundreds of acres. It was second nature, jumping on, being one with the horse.

I grab my horses hood and swing a leg over. Ahh, the feeling of a warm blanket and your favorite ride. In my head I imagine a nice stroll around the field, alas, horse had other ideas. Horse turns and bolts immediately galloping across the frozen ground. Knowing this is not going to end well I try to pull the horse up by the hood with no luck, I would have to bail.

At this point we are already full gallop and I go flying off the side, eating ice and failing to bounce off the hard crunchie snow. I lay there as my horse gallops off and I can't help but burst out laughing. I laughed and laughed and tried to drag myself out of the field before getting run over. Horse came gleefully trotting back to me at the gate. Ha, hilarious.

7 hours later I still can't walk, or do much of anything, so here I am, waiting. Fingers crossed it's not broken. Some things you just have to leave with your youth.

Horse shall remain nameless.

Lady in Waiting (for Omeprazole)

2015-01-20T21:54:00.000-05:00

After spending hundreds of dollars on prescription U Gard last year for Penny, I decided to bite the bullet and order what I have heard as the ulcer "good stuff" from HorsePreRace.com. From what I have read on CoTH and relayed between other bloggers and friends, this is the good stuff that will "cure" ulcers. With the Canadian U Gard, I found Penny did improve dramatically but would slowly go back to showing signs of discomfort over time after she had been taken off. The U Gard wasn't curing it, but helping with the symptoms.

I placed my order last week and it I received confirmation it was shipped out right away. The package was scheduled to arrive 2 days later, on Thursday at 5:00pm. But it never came. Friday came and went, then Monday, then today. My Fed Ex tracking changed and was showing this for the last 5 days;

Hmmmmm. Ok then. I called Fed Ex who told me the package has left the building and gone to customs, where they have seized it. She gave me a number to call and said to speak with them to find what's going on with my package and where it is.

So I called customs. The guy on the other end of the line told me he couldn't find any information on my package. He said it wouldn't be seized because I would be arrested by now. He said if it was drug or medication related it might be in the area where Health Canada checks packages every Wednesday. He told me it is either being examined now or will be examined shortly, or it is being sent to Ottawa for further investigation. I asked him what that meant. He said if it goes to Ottawa, they take the objects apart and do testing at the molecular level. I laughed - "to see if there are hidden drugs"....he laughed, "you can probably figure it out". So I asked him what happens if it goes to Ottawa. Will I ever see the package again or be notified of the find? He said not likely. Great.

The guy was really nice and helpful, he said to call back tomorrow and he will head down to the Health Canada research office and see what he can find if he doesn't have any other answers. Hopefully we can find the package and he can explain what the contents are - otherwise I'm out 300 bucks and Penny is still waiting for some higher grade ulcer meds.

To be continued.

BALLS OF STEEL Product Review - How to Cool Your Drink Without Watering it Down

2015-01-16T00:29:00.000-05:00

If you read Eventing Nations blog you might remember right before the World Equestrian Games someone had joked on the CoTH forum that the company "Balls of Steel" should sponsor the US Event Team because let's face it, you need those to compete at the 4* level. The company somehow got ahold of this post and offered their sponsorship for WEG, something truly remarkable. Here was a company with no ties to the equestrian world offering up product support thanks to social media. So what are "Balls of Steel" you ask?

Balls of Steel are the whiskey and wine chillers that don't dilute your drink! It's no secret that the writer at A Fillys Best Friend likes her wine and whiskey (me), and I especially like it served chilled. There is a dilemma with wine especially, that adding ice to your drink not only dilutes it but totally ruins the flavour. When I saw the post on Eventing Nation, they were offering 15% off to any eventer who purchased the Original BOS. So, to thank the company for supporting fellow eventers and in search of having warm wine no more, I ordered a set online.

The total after discount and shipping to Canada was around $30 which may seem a bit steep. But when you realize this company shares some of the profits with testicular and prostate cancer research, it's nothing to turn your back to ;). With it's Article Core technology, which I won't pretend to be an expert in, they claim to keep your drink at a desirable level without compromising the flavour with dilution from ice cubes. They are made of stainless and should last a lifetime. For more specs visit their website linked above.

The balls arrived a few days after purchase and were presented in a lovely clear box for storage. A note was sent outling the support your purchase provided, along with a thank you which was a nice personal touch. I stuck them in the fridge and when I next had a drink, put them to trial. This was several months ago but I was reminded tonight of what a great product they are. The hubs and I went out to get beer and wine, and the wine sat on the floor of the car by the heater. The bottle was warmer than room temperature when I poured myself a glass. I grabbed the BOS and dropped them into my poured wine glass and let it sit for 10 minutes.

When I went back to my drink it was completely chilled, more so than the bottle itself in the fridge. I was able to have my wine at perfect temperature with no effort and no ice! I highly recommend this product to anyone who is regular drinker of wine or whiskey, or wants an interesting and original gift for a family member. They also have a variety of related products that would make any whiskey lover smile. It also happens to have a sweet name and let's face it, this product should really be the face (?) of eventing. Let's hear it for Balls of Steel!

Cheers!

Sinew X 30 Day Trial for Eventing Nation

2015-01-14T23:17:00.004-05:00

Something fun has come along for Penny and I. A while back Eventing Nation requested bloggers to do a 30 day trial of Omega Alpha's product Sinew X. As a satisfied customer of Omega Alpha in the past I was eager to get a chance at this. I submitted an application and about a month later was advised that we were chosen to participate in the blogger product trial review! Woot!

Tonight my 30 day supply came, along with a a sweet new syringe (you can never have too many of these!) and a cute Omega Alpha hat. Wow, I'm really impressed already with the customer service!

Sinew X is a joint, ligament, and muscle supplement. I won't pretend to know the scientific details but here are the active ingredients;

Looking forward to this trial and to see if this product helps Pan Am Penny feel her best. This cold, stiffening winter is just the time I would like to see some results. Follow along on Eventing Nation if you want to learn more, I will keep you posted once our updates are up!

Horsey Blogger Christmas Gift Exchange!

2015-01-13T23:14:00.000-05:00

Christmas may have come and gone but it's been like Christmas all week at my homestead. Some goodies I ordered during Boxing Week sales have arrived, but today - something special came!

My secret Santa gift from Fly On Over's Horse Blogger Gift Exchange! My secret Santa was Julie from Red Riding, if you don't follow her already you should definitely stop by her blog and check it out. I was so excited when I opened my gift - covered in goodies..underneath it was a nicely wrapped beautiful bright blue bonnet from OTTB Designs! This was super exciting because I received the sky blue OTTB saddle pad for Christmas from Nicole and her family earlier last month. Of course, with our colours being royal blue and white, this will look super bad ass on Penny and Parker when they are out eventing this year! This sky blue was a new colour just released by OTTB Designs and I am sooo glad they finally did.

love!

Thank you so much Julie and thank you for hosting Tracy! Now if it would just warm up enough to put this to use...

Snow Fun Photo Dump

2015-01-10T21:37:00.000-05:00

So, it's still freezing. I'm not complaining though because a week of cold is nothing compared to the three months of solid deep freeze we had last year. No riding happening, but we took the dogs for a rip and I went out and played with the ponies. Certainly the not the worst day in January :)

2015's First Snowfall

2015-01-09T23:04:00.002-05:00

We finally have some snow on the ground. No more frozen mud holes. Normally when it snows for the first time the horses go nuts rolling and playing. I went out with my phone to get some pics of the shenanigans but I think the cold weather killed their celebrations. They just went over and started eating hay. Boo.

Still, so cute. All decked out in their Horseware gear. Warm, happy ponies.

A Chilly Christmas Surprise

2015-01-06T22:12:00.002-05:00

A few weeks before Christmas I adopted three Guinea Pigs that needed a home ASAP. I love Guinea Pigs. I have blogged about them a lot in the past, but at the time I only had one - Louis, whom I've had for about 4 years now. These three included 2 girls and a boy, complete with cage and all accessories. The boy was separated from the girls and they were very friendly. The friendliest I have owned, which is a really nice treat.

They are very talkative, come over and want pets, take food right from you and don't scurry off. Just the cutest things. On Boxing Day I went out to the garage where they live (it's heated) to feed them and have a little cuddle, and noticed something strange in the girls cage.

Upon closer observation, I noticed this not so tiny, adorable, cutest ever little baby Guinea pig!!! Casper (the flat haired white one) must have been pregnant and thus why they wanted to re home them so quickly :( Ugh, people. At the very least they were already separated so I guess that was good of them. The other fluffy white one, Major Bed Head is the sister I think. They both take turns taking care of the baby. The cutest little surprise Christmas baby there ever was!

Chilly.

Look at this baby. 2 days old, and so big and cute already!!

And just for kicks...Mojo update pic :)