Still Kickin!!

I really have been  MIA for a long time. It just hit me not too long ago that the only reason I hadn't blogged was because I've been just THAT BUSY, with my horse life and with my personal life. I apologize to any of you who have been waiting with bated breath. (HA!)

I assure you, firstly, that CJ is doing incredibly well. Ever since we moved to the new place last October, he has really blossomed and flourished. He is seriously in the best physical condition that I've ever seen him. And he's still barefoot. ( Insert ridiculously goofy happy dance here) We have even hit the trails that are on the farm a few times, and it was wonderful!! It's fun to be reminded of just how sensible and fun he is outside of an arena setting. CJ has a bevy of students who lavish him with love and attention as he guides them on their path to horseback riding enjoyment.

Toi, however, never fully recovered from his mystery injury from last fall. It must have occurred in the trailer , when we were stopped by a train crossing in front of us en route to a horse show. It was really rocking back there, and when we unloaded, he had placed some pretty significant dents in the side of the steel trailer. We were informed that he had some type of stifle injury as a foal at the time of purchase, but he has always been fit as a fiddle and sound as could be. While showing that day last fall,  he just wasn't right. Not lame. But, definitely crabby. He would sull up a bit at the lope in his western classes, and was really throwing out his left hip. After vet-recommended hock injections didn't nip it, X-rays revealed a lesion on his stifle. Re-injured in the same exact area as when he was a foal. So, the vet injected his stifle, we rehabbed and tried to go back to work over the winter....no improvement. Ugh. Surgeon wouldn't touch him if we didn't nerve block to be certain, so that was done last Friday, July 1st and  he went for surgery on the 5th.

Doc cleaned and scraped the lesion, injected some bone marrow, and now he's back on stall rest. This horse is the most intense work-a-holic that I know....stall rest is torture. However, the wonderful BO is kind enough to offer a much larger stall, complete with rubber mats on the walls in case he kicks in frustration, two windows, and a lovely view of several pastures. We can hand-walk him 10 minutes each day. After 30 days, he can have a small paddock for 60 days, then back to light work. That puts us around October 5th before I can swing a leg over. Poor Toi. And, honestly, poor me. I enjoy working with him, training him, spending time with him. And, his owner is a pretty cool chick, too. We've become closer during all of this trial and tribulation with Toi, and I'm grateful for the chance to get to know her better. She's turned into a good friend over time, and who can have too many of those???

Remember Dancer? 1/2 Perchie mare? Well, she's at the same lovely huge barn as the rest of us crazies, and she's also been "off" for a while. I suspect an adjustment is in order (she's never had one, and she's a BIG girl) so her mom has lined up the chiro for her on Monday the 11th. I'll post an update. She's happy in her new home, though, and I love being able to love on her and ride her whenever I want to. She's so FUN! :) It goes without saying that we have a bond....I've known her, and have been her trainer, since she was 6 months old. She's 6 years old now. We have history, baby! :) I'm sure you're not shocked to hear that I consider her owner a close friend, as well. Our daughters even hang out together whenever they can. The horse world really is one huge, odd circle. I have a love-hate relationship with that danged circle. Maybe all of us psycho horse people do???

As far as other items of interest, I left my husband for a month and came back home.
My father passed away at the end of March.
My oldest daughter graduated high school.
Someone special (we'll refer to them as J) who had recently re-entered my life after being gone MANY years....well, let's just say that this person has become more important than I ever dreamed. And I'm happy about it.

That's all I have for now. Happy Trails and best wishes to anyone who is still a reader!