Wifi...

Hello my faithful readers... both of you ;-) 
It's been far too long without regular internet connection and I am behind on my blogging!  Today, I sit in a Tim Horton's Restaurant because free wifi is a god send when you need to update and the data on your phone is already through the roof on your shared plan (thanks hunny.) 

Now then, what's news? 
In September I took a vacation.  A much-needed vacation, to CUBA!!!  One of my favorite places on the planet (that I've encountered thus far) to go.  The big part of this is that I did it without Anthony. 
The salon I'm now working part-time at actually shut down for a full week and we all took off to the Caribbean!  I booked my trip to Cuba, the owner booked to Jamaica and our other coworker said she was going to Mexico with her family.  However, after spending about 4 days working together, she decided it would likely be far more fun to head to Cuba with me!  So we did. 
It was a blast. So relaxing, so fun.  I met so many wonderful people.  Many English peoples and French-Canadians down there as well.  I swam with a dolphin, I rode the double-decker bus throughout Cayo Coco and Cayo Guillermo, I swam in the ocean off one of the world's top 10 beaches (it was seriously incredible!!!)  Best part, I saw many of the wonderful faces I'd met at the Tryp resort two years previously and napped every single day! 
Coming home to real life was kind of depressing, except for the smiling face of my Ali girl! 

That's me in the hat!

Jose and I recently did another trip to Beaumont to play on the cross country grounds.  It was so much fun.  As soon as I unloaded him, he knew where he was and was absolutely fantastic to ride.  We schooled some obstacles, small logs, the ditches, up and down banks and through the water.  We had such a great time and, this time, I wasn't the one needing the babysitter!  Definitely something to do again next season.

Last year's picture...

Belle has been bred to Arab stallion Akadamy for a 2017 foal.  Fingers crossed that she caught as it's Akadamy's last year standing open to the public. 

Ritchie is doing splendidly.  Unfortunately Jessica suffered a significant setback as soon as she and Ritchie started off together!!!!  A kick to the temple (not by my horses!!!) has rendered her unable to ride for the last 6+ weeks.  Fortunately she had no fractures, but has had some "shifts" intracranially causing vision, speech and auditory issues.  That being said, she is being managed by a concussion specialist and is seeing rapid and regular improvement! Yay!!!  She tells me that she's been working with Ritchie regularly on the ground, long lining and lunging, and has begun the process of teaching piaffe!  No doubt all the trick training has come in handy as apparently he's picked up the basic concept right away!  What a superstar!!  So, happy thoughts for continued headlining and a speedy return to the tack for Jessica. 

Boy they look good together!

I had a wonderful trick-clinic last weekend at HighThorn.  One of the smaller groups I've had, but all very successful.  I met one gelding, a little Paint, who did literally everything.  I've never met one so game to do it all!  Lay down, no problem, bow, play dead, smile, stand on the box, heck mounting block!  No problem!  It was so much fun to work with him and his owner.  Interesting part of their story is that he is 5 years old.  She is his 4th owner and has only had him for the last year!  Although an incredibly engaging horse, no doubt if he was in a home without clear focus and direction, he would quickly become challenging and dangerous!  There is such a fine line...  Fortunately he's got a very capable home and a bright future!! 

So that's it in a nut shell.  Ponies, happy things, ponies... yay! 

It's been such a cool year of so many new experiences, I just can't wait to see what 2017 has in store! 

In the mean time, happy horseing!