Not a whole lot to update. Being unemployed is allowing me more time with my CJ (see above), and I'm not convinced that he's as grateful for it as I am. When I ride, he has to work properly....when students ride, he just has to behave. I love the dude, though. He's good for my soul. (See how short my hair is? And, that's a couple of months of growth...no kidding)
Sunshine, my beautiful old dog, had to go to the vet today for some eye trouble. I noticed yesterday afternoon that they were puffy and had some pus going on. Gave her a benadryl to see if that would knock it out. Well, it knocked HER out, and she slept good last night, but woke up this morning with even more swelling. So, off to the vet we went. $100 later, she has some eye drops for conjuctivitis. Goofy mutt must've stuck her nose in some weed that is pollenating or something. Always somethin..
I'm getting a new kitty today. We have one already, a small female that our upstairs neighbors didn't want when we moved here...last of her litter. She's a total brat, but we love her. My dog, Sunshine, thinks Takashi is HER kitty. Our new kitty is a Norwegian Forest, and is 6 years old already. I'm getting her from a friend who works at a vet clinic. Poor thing was dropped off to be euthed. A doctor and his wife had owned her since a kitten,. She had stopped using her litterbox and they were selling their home. They said she wouldn't be able to adjust to new owners so they wanted her put down. They wouldn't take her to a no-kill shelter, either. So, the clinic had less than two hours to find her a home. She'll be with me. :) As if I need more problems, huh?
Not a cloud in the sky today, though, and I'm blessed to have food in my fridge, a roof over my head, and some great friends. We'll see what tomorrow brings...
We meet again, my long-lost (and long-missed) cyber friends. A lot has changed in my life, and I thought I should post a short summary of happenings. I apologize for being quiet for so long, but I had to wait for the roller coaster to slow in order to hold my pen and write...
My divorce was final last Wednesday. We wrapped it up one week after our 15 year wedding anniversary. I have relocated to a nice quiet little town, where I can hear coyotes and crickets at night, instead of gangster rap and sirens and freeway traffic. I brought my good little dog, and even obtained a cat (good grief). My dog loves the 2 acre yard she has to run on, and the puppy who lives next door. She has found renewed youth here, and I hope to find it, too. After so much drama and court proceedings and restraining orders, I have placement of my youngest daughter, who I of course brought with me to Little Town, USA. She likes it here. She is discovering a lot of new things about herself.
I am hopelessly in love with my best friend, and have to most past that...somehow.
I quit my job to save my career (long story) and am currently un-employed officially, just getting by on the few bucks I earn with my riding lesson program. I still have CJ, but he couldn't tolerate being barefoot anymore...he was getting heel sore, and I had to shoe him. He's still adjusting, but is doing very well. He celebrated his 13th birthday in April. I took a good look at him, and wished for him to be able to get a break from the lesson horse gig. If I get the job I'm trying for, my wish for him may come true.
I cut all my hair off, and put a ton of blonde in it.
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!
I am truly sorry that I have been neglecting my blog. I want to assure you that I have NOT, however, been neglecting my horsie duties, or CJ, or my students and clients. I HAVE, however, been taking a little bit more time for ME. I, through a recent revelation, have discovered the joy and happiness of loving myself, letting myself be me with someone special, and really just letting life treat me better than it has in the past. It's a little scary, but mostly just refreshing to feel so alive again.
On the horsie front, I am moving good ole CJ (and my entire lesson program) to a new barn. I have trained out of the barn in the past, about 5 years ago, and this really does feel a lot like "going home". Toi is coming, as is one other client horse. I will share photos of our new home soon, and will update you on some of the recent happenings in our world.
CJ is sound, still barefoot, and we have a wonderful trimmer coming every 3 weeks to get him re-balanced. So far, so good!! We even went on a trail ride barefoot, twice, and he held up wonderfully! (Everyone give a little victory whoop, please!)
What a summer to fall...and I have fallen. Hopelessly. Happily. YAY for me! :)
Be back soon, folks. In the meantime, Happy Trails!!
I try so hard not to be a hater. I really do. But, having this man market his "program" to backyard novice horse owners, encouraging them to do their own training without the common sense to even advise them to don a helmet...well, let's just say it has been burnin my ass for quite some time.
You know how it is when you live your life, and on occasion, you may look over your shoulder at where you've been, but as time goes on and you walk farther, those things are fuzzy and out of focus? In other words, time forces us to forget. Sometimes it's only in small degrees, sometimes in large increments. Then, out of nowhere, a wall of recollection hits you. You're a victim of long-forgotten emotions, flashes of images that have been tucked safely away for decades...it's almost painful. No, it IS painful.
I am currently dealing with an emotional blast from the past, and I'm becoming almost obsessive in trying to "resolve" issues from 20 years ago. I need to get my head back on my shoulders and deal with TODAY.
Everyone is doing well, for the record. It's been very humid and miserable, the bugs are taking over the world, but other than that...summer is being good to me.
CJ has been on ulcer treatment supps for almost 2 weeks. I see a noticeable change in his behavior and attitude. Just plain perkier. I guess that's good AND bad. I will keep him on them for as long as I need to.
I'll fill you in next week, after Toi's next horse show on Sunday. I'll try to take some good photos for you.
Seriously. All y'all can't get the full effect just from pics. He is truly a cool dude. His looks are just icing on the cake, if you can believe it.
Have I mentioned that he is extremely smart and easy to train?
Super handsome and cleans up like a dream.
AND ADORABLE!!
CJ and I on a workout day. I'm ashamed how dirty his polos are. Don't look. :)
No one can tell me he's not a beefcake. Cuz he is.
Believe it or not, I've lost weight. Sad, huh? LOL!
I am truly sorry that I've been MIA. I will try to do better from here on out. It's tough when life is so hectic and there's barely even any time to sleep. This is my busy time of year, but I have no excuse for neglecting my blog.
I promise that I will be back soon with a detailed (photographs) update.
For now, all I can say is that Toi went to his first open show of the year last weekend, made his Western Pleasure debut, and blew everyone away. I couldn't be more proud. Pictures to come.
Dancer is doing better and better. She has been happy and positive, forward and full of impulsion.
Life is just crazy. I can't seem to get a breathe of air. I have made it a goal to drop some of my extra weight that I found after I stopped smoking. It's been 7 months, and I need to develop some healthier habits. Thankfully, this decision coincides with warmer weather so that I can get outside and walk the dog or whatever...of course, I wish I could ride every night, but that's not the case.
A favorite fellow boarder is moving to Indiana, and I will miss her a lot. You know how it is when you discover how REAL someone is, and wish you had met them earlier? Yep, it's one of those deals. I didn't get a chance to get to know her as well as I wanted to, and she is already moving. Damn.
CJ is doing great, as well. I am trying some ulcer treatment via SmartPak with his B-L Pellets, just to see if I observe even more improvement. He can still be cranky, and I've made all the other adjustments that I can think of. Cross your fingers, folks!
Be back soon with photos! Love y'all, and hope all is well!
I am still breathing and functioning. For the most part.
A little over a week or so ago, my brother in law died. He was 44. He would be 45 today. My sister lost the love of her life, and it gave me a pretty scary peek into the life of losing your spouse. What a wake up call. I may complain about my husband's lack of interest in my passions, the fact that we NEVER go out and do anything anymore, he has poor listening skills, he talks too much, he never listens to MY music, he moves the seat in my van and doesn't put it back, and the list goes ON AND ON. But, you know what? I'd be SO freakin lost without him. He is my soul mate, and he has helped me construct the last 15 years of my life, and it's a life that I'm very proud of. I couldn't have done it without him. So, although tomorrow is designed with me in mind, as a mother, you can bet your a$$ that I'll be showing him how much I appreciate him, as well. I spent some time watching him sleep last night. I watched his chest rise and fall, and wondered if I could survive finding him with his chest completely still, his skin cold, and no matter how hard I try to make him breathe, he won't do it. I don't know if I could go on.
On a happier note, today is Autumn's prom night! She had a bit of a scare with waking up to a sore throat and a cough yesterday, but she feels much better today. I am doing her hair and makeup, since we're on a limited budget. Wish me luck that I don't fail her!! Isn't she just gorgeous?
As I'm sure you've guessed, we're finally all moved in to our new house. We all really love, although I have to "bomb" it again for spiders. I let hubby do it before we moved in, and he only used half of the kit. We did see less spiders for a while, but lately, I've noticed that they're having little spider parties in my kitchen and dining area. Not cool. Yuck. Other than that, we're settling in and talking about new living room furniture, etc. It's fun to make plans...even if you can't see it through for a while.
CJ is doing fantastic. He had a day last week that he was stiff and a bit "broomstick like" for the first lesson of the day, but then he got much better. I suspect that we have arthritis issues at hand more than we have navicular issues. I did give him a little Bute that night, just in case, and he was fine the next day. Who knows....he may have just played too rough with Toi, too. Myah is riding again, too, which is good to see. She struggles with a fear of heights, so clambering up on our 16 hand horse is tough for her. Once she's up there, she does great, though!
Yes, I know his throatlatch is too tight. I need to punch holes. He survived, though.
I don't have much more to update you on. I want to wish you all a very happy and fun-filled Mother's Day weekend! I'll sign off with some photos of beautiful Dancer, just for fun. Don't look at the fat lady trainer on her back...seriously.
She has one BOUNCY trot, but is really a joy to work with. I think she's looking pretty good! She turned 5 on Friday. This ride is from Saturday morning.
I just wanted to wish Jen a very Happy 25th birthday today. I can't believe how fast the time goes. I do believe she was 17 when I started working with her and her aged Palo mare. She has come so far, and I'm so very proud of her. Happy Birthday, Jennifer!!
Jen happens to share her birthday with Dancer, who is 5 today!! WOW! It's amazing to remember how LITTLE she was when I met her, and now she's so HUGE. Happy Birthday, Dancer!!
Then
2 winters ago
Happy Birthday to two VERY special ladies!! Love you!!
Quick update, and hopefully things will slow down soon.
Yep, found a house!! It's still in the city, but it's a whole house (and a nice one) for only $50 more than we're paying per month for a lower flat in a duplex. The girls can stay in their current schools, and it's only a few minutes further from work. We will be moving on or around the 15th, so I'll be sure to share photos and information at that time.
I had jury duty this week. This was my first time being called. I had to report on Monday and Tuesday. Well, Monday afternoon, the first jury panel that I'm called for, and I'm selected. Here is the case I was on, and it took 4 days: Hernandez I can't begin to tell you how emotionally and mentally exhausted that I am. My fellow jurors and I were almost deadlocked. We had no concrete evidence, only testimony, and both sides made a weak case.
Came back to work yesterday and I have a ton of stuff to get caught up. Easter is tomorrow, and for the first year ever, I won't be coloring eggs with my daughters. I have lessons tonight, and won't get home until late. Tomorrow morning, we're striking off to go pick up the beater truck that my dad is giving us; we need it to get moved, anyway. Then, back home to make Easter dinner and hopefully get some much needed REST.
CJ is doing good. His fecal test came back all negative for worms, but he tested positive for sand again. So, he's back on the Metamucil and I'm trying to brainstorm a way for him to eat his hay outside like the rest of the horses, but not inconvenience the b.o. Ideally, I'd love to have a feeder in his paddock. I'd have to buy it, and I'd have to buy at least one more, for Toi, his pasture buddy. They alternate hay piles. Ugh. Ideas, guys? My brain is SHOT!!
I miss y'all. I'll try to check in more after the move, I promise...Hope all is well with everyone!! HUGS!
You know, there are some who despise her, and maybe for good reason (I've never met her that I know of, but she does originate from the same area that I do, so I MAY know her and not know it), but every now and then she sure hits the nail right on the friggin head.
Seriously, I try to make room for the NH'ers, too. It is a big world out here, after all. And many of the beginners and newbies who normally would let a trainer do EVERYTHING and not even bother to get to KNOW their horse....well the NH videos can help them play games and gain confidence. I want to be a fan of anyone who is spending quality time with their horse. But, then, like Fugs pointed out, sometimes one of them NH'ers comes along and just burns my a$$, and this is one of those times.
What a weekend! A refreshing whirlwind, and I truly feel ALIVE in a way that only horses can make me feel. This crap is in my blood; there is just no denying it. By the way, still no news on what's going on with our home...no one has contacted us.
CJ and I had a real big weekend with lessons. This would be my true test of his soundness, since we were booked full both days, other than the time slots set aside for Dancer's training session and Toi's training session. I had to work at my job on Saturday morning, then I headed straight out to the barn for my 1:00 session with Dancer and Kelli.
Dancer was quite good, considering her reluctancy to WORK lately. She is happy to run and buck and play with CJ, but if you tack her up and ask for more than a walk, she gives me that ugly face and swishes her tail, bogs completely down and sometimes even kicks out when I squeeze! She was better on Saturday, though. We worked almost solely on our upward transition to trot and she did very well. My 2:00 lesson was with a young man named David, age 9, I think. I decided to use Dancer for "follow the leader", a fun game that I play with my kids. Sorta like Red Light/Green Light, but more exciting because I don't announce what I'm doing as they follow me. I just do it. So, they develop the habit of looking UP and developing good feel for where their mount is at. CJ loves to follow Dancer, so this would be a breeze. We go about twice around the indoor arena, and as we're coming down the rail at a nice trot clip, I feel Dancer stumble. The area of the arena that we are in when this happens is a little valley, then a hill, then a valley. VERY slight, but has been this way for years. Anyway, ...stumble....wait for recovery....forever passes, and I realize that she is not recovering. I am sailing through the air, and my glance down only reveals the complete folding of Dancer's left front leg before I hit the dirt, about 3 feet in front of her; my head BOUNCES off the arena floor. I lay there a second, clean some of the dirt from my teeth and wipe it from my eyes, just in time to hear a fellow boarder come out to us, run right past me, and go to Dancer's head. Dancer is still on the ground, laying on her side, and making some weird hiccup-y noises. Poor girl knocked the wind out of herself!! Keep in mind, she's 17 hands and 1400 lbs. Boarder tries to encourage Dancer to get up. Dancer's not having it. My eyes slide down from Dancer's head, to the dressage saddle of Jennifer's that I borrowed that day, to the stirrup leathers, to the iron....with my left foot still in it. I almost had a heart attack. Yes, my head was pounding and I felt like a freight train had hit me, but my biggest horsie fear is that I'll be dragged. I couldn't get my foot out of there fast enough. Thank God Dancer was calm and not in a rush to get up, or hadn't panicked and run off. I'm sure I'd not be here to relay this story. Anywho...I have a black eye now.
Ouch. But, really, it didn't hurt. I didn't even notice it until after I got home many hours later, stepped out of the shower, peered in the mirror and said, "Why didn't my makeup come off?" and then tried using makeup remover. PSA of the day: Makeup remover WILL NOT remove a black eye. HA!
Anyway, Dancer was fine. No swelling, no heat. I linimented her twice that day; once right after it happened, around 2:15, and then again at around 7:00, right before I went home.
Oh, and folks, I wasn't wearing a helmet. Dumbass.
I got through the rest of my lessons for Saturday, and I was proud of that. My body hurt SO bad but I doped up on Advil, washed it down with a Miller Lite, and went to bed. Woke up yesterday (Sunday) morning, and my head felt fine. The rest of me DID NOT. I want to pad my clothes with Kleenex or something, but I just get dressed as normal, and drive out to the barn for another day of lessons.
Here is my navicular horse, riding in the outdoor arena for the first time this year. Forgive the Kimberwick (he hates it), but I wanted to be sure my lesson kids had the control they needed. We only used half the arena to keep him focused on his job and not distracted by his pals who were all sun-batheing and playing in the rear paddocks.
Hopefully, that 2nd vid will be done processing by the time I post this update. If not, hopefully this link will work?
See any signs of 4 years of navicular?
So, gang, what're your thoughts on Dancer's stumble and fall? We were fearing EPSM before this happened (reluctance to move forward due to muscle pain/fatigue was a huge red flag), but the vet ruled that out without testing her today. He advised we start her on a high intake of Vitamin E (no added selenium), though. I have heard of E for EPM, but not EPSM. Strange. I love my vet, and trust him a ton, but I also found it strange that he wasn't alarmed about our fall. I described the incident to him, and he didn't have much to say. He did mention that I shouldn't be surprised if Dancer is much more careful about the placement of her feet from here on out, though. Ha ha. Funny funny man.
CJ received a body score of 5, *** insert victory dance here *** and many comments about what great condition he was in. When the vet asks you what your secret is, you just HAVE to feel good, right? He got his teeth floated, Coggins pulled, spring shots, and doc collected a fecal. Same for Toi, minus the teeth float, which he received last fall. So, all in all, a good day.
Here are some shots of some of my favorite student moments yesterday.
CJ and Victoria, above. Victoria was TERRIFIED when she started riding with me 2 years ago. She's a lovely quiet rider, and really tunes in to CJ very well. He adores her, and tries his heart out to make her feel safe. When she says "trot" with that tremble in her voice, he just jogs. I love him.
Here is their "trot". HA! It's his jog, for sure. I sometimes feel sorry her as she posts to that, but hey...if it's her comfort zone, who am I to question?
Focus-faced Victoria and CJ. He has one ear on her and one on me since I'm crouching like a weirdo. I can tell he wants to stop and ask me WTH I'm doing on the ground, but he has a job to do. Jog on.
HA! Practice makes perfect. Victoria masters bending a horse at something faster than a walk! :)
I think this time the ear on Victoria is due to his concern; she's assuming fetal position, and he knows to stop trotting when that happens. Lovely scenery, yes? Complete with step stool/mounting block device!
And, I'm going to sign out and leave you with one of CJ's youngest riders, posing for their photo. They were so cute in all their blue!! I took a video of them, but it didn't come out right. Aren't they a lovely pair? :
I apologize for being quiet. The house we live in (and have for the last 10 years) is being auctioned today. My nerves are shot. I don't really have a Plan B. For that matter, Plan A is a flop, too. I'll be back when the dust settles, buds.
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