What a dumbasp I am for forgetting to take a camera out this morning when I went to ride Megan! She looks MAH-velous, simply marvelous. Equally important, she also behaved marvelously. My Wintec wonder saddle has given up any semblance of fitting her and was prone to slipping so we only walked and trotted, but Megan didn't put a step wrong. I am so PUMPED to be riding her again. I'll still be holding my breath for the next 6 weeks or so that she stays sound and happy, but today was just nice.
More about how she looks! Her mane is pulled really short and sporty. Ahh chemistry is our friend; no way to do that without drugs. She is a dappled pewter color that is stunning and she looks surprisingly buff for not doing any work for the last several months. She went from shaggy pony to elegant athlete with a few (a lot actually) strokes of the clipper blades.
Next week I have a new saddle coming in to try on her and I'm also going to watch her go under Mary Bess. Fun times, fun times.
Lily didn't get left out today either. She had a beautification treatment and tried her new bit and bridle for the first time. She wasn't in love with either, but she was in love with the cookies and scritches in all her itchy places. She's finally starting to even out a little and is looking less yak-like. Can't wait for spring and her metamorphasis to slick almost grown up horse. She's still very immature looking for her age, but it will come.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
I Love Her Again
Word from boarding school is that Megan is being a star. The bar isn't particulary high yet - walk, trot, canter and get used to cows, but M.B. says she feels great -- 100% sound front and back and is being a doll. Yay, gotta love it when your kid makes you proud.
Today she got body clipped and I can't wait to see her all cleaned up and looking like a big horse. Field board was definitely the best choice for her rehab, but it hurt my inner groom diva heart to see her so shaggy and unkempt. It's wrong that I'm almost as excited about her getting clipped as I am about her being ridden, but recognizing your issues is the first step to healing... or not.
Today she got body clipped and I can't wait to see her all cleaned up and looking like a big horse. Field board was definitely the best choice for her rehab, but it hurt my inner groom diva heart to see her so shaggy and unkempt. It's wrong that I'm almost as excited about her getting clipped as I am about her being ridden, but recognizing your issues is the first step to healing... or not.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
Stubborn as a Damn Mule
I took the day off work today to drop Megan off at the trainer. It was not the best day to take a field trip. The trailer had icicles hanging off of it and a steady drizzle was making the low 30 degree day even more miserable. So we hook up the trailer and grab Miss Megan blissfully unaware that we were entering into battle.
Megan DID NOT WANT TO GET ON THE DAMN TRAILER. And for the next hour Katherine and I used every trick in our collective book to convince her otherwise. We backed up, we circled, we tapped, we beat, we tied a rope around her middle and pulled. It was a pitched battle with equal amounts of stubborness face to face. Megan was just flat saying no, but we knew we couldn't accept that or she would be emboldened. Finally a lip chain and a horse who was just as tuckered out as we were and the battle was over. I was kind of happy to drop her stubborn ass off and leave her for awhile.
I think being in a program of work will fix this little issue, but damned if it wasn't miserable today. Lily stood under the shelter (the only one of us out of the rain) and watched. I sure hope she wasn't taking notes on how to resist loading!
Mary Bess, the trainer, assured me that Megan would be traveling lots in the coming weeks going out to school and such. Glad I'm not the one who has to load her next time.
Now that the day is done and I'm not quite as frustrated and angry, I'm excited that this show is getting on the road. I can't wait to see her going again. Pictures and tales from "boarding school" are forthcoming...
Megan DID NOT WANT TO GET ON THE DAMN TRAILER. And for the next hour Katherine and I used every trick in our collective book to convince her otherwise. We backed up, we circled, we tapped, we beat, we tied a rope around her middle and pulled. It was a pitched battle with equal amounts of stubborness face to face. Megan was just flat saying no, but we knew we couldn't accept that or she would be emboldened. Finally a lip chain and a horse who was just as tuckered out as we were and the battle was over. I was kind of happy to drop her stubborn ass off and leave her for awhile.
I think being in a program of work will fix this little issue, but damned if it wasn't miserable today. Lily stood under the shelter (the only one of us out of the rain) and watched. I sure hope she wasn't taking notes on how to resist loading!
Mary Bess, the trainer, assured me that Megan would be traveling lots in the coming weeks going out to school and such. Glad I'm not the one who has to load her next time.
Now that the day is done and I'm not quite as frustrated and angry, I'm excited that this show is getting on the road. I can't wait to see her going again. Pictures and tales from "boarding school" are forthcoming...
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Today Guest Starring the Royal Lippizans
My friend Kim is learning about the joys (and expense) of horse obsessions from her daughter Anna Katherine. Recently they attended a performance of the Royal Lippizans and snapped an explanatory photo of pas de deux for Katiebod. I always think these shows are magical to watch.
Here's a shot of an "airs above the ground" movement as well. Amazing stuff that once had a practical application on the battlefield, but now is just lovely to watch the display of strength, obedience and athleticism.
I kind of feel a bit sorry for the parents of children with horse obsessions. It's an expensive, time-consuming, life long addiction with no 12-step program, but it's also rewarding, empowering and soul filling, so I guess there are far worse things to have a yen for than horses.
When is AK getting a pony?
Monday, January 01, 2007
Baby Got New Shoes
Megan didn't get her shoes until last Friday, so she's still living the live of leisure. Hopefully next weekend, I'll get to work her again and see about getting on. Shortly after that, she'll be entering full training and resuming the plan we had scheduled back in August.
Lily is driving my crazy in her refusal to gain weight. Between it being winter -- so no grass --and that she's growing again, she just looks skinny. We've upped her feed some and on Saturday we packed in some very nice timothy hay that we'll try to keep in front of the girls all the time. Hopefully she'll start bulking up soon!
The New Year's Resolution for both girls is to get them in age- and health-appropriate programs and start their progress toward becoming event horses. Here's hoping that this time next year, we'll be on our own farm with both girls under saddle and going well.
Lily is driving my crazy in her refusal to gain weight. Between it being winter -- so no grass --and that she's growing again, she just looks skinny. We've upped her feed some and on Saturday we packed in some very nice timothy hay that we'll try to keep in front of the girls all the time. Hopefully she'll start bulking up soon!
The New Year's Resolution for both girls is to get them in age- and health-appropriate programs and start their progress toward becoming event horses. Here's hoping that this time next year, we'll be on our own farm with both girls under saddle and going well.
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