Not to Show, What to Do?

I'm itchy for spring, REAL spring, not teasing spring that we've gotten this February.  I'm itchy for Jose to lose his winter hair (it seems he's going to be the last to start sheading!) and to be able to get outside on dry ground and go ride during daylight hours. 


I'm itchy for show season except, wait now, I don't think I'll actually show this year!  Gasp!  Blasphemy!!  I agree completely!  It's so foreign.  Even just 2 or 3 shows a season is tolerable, but NONE?!?!?!  How will I go on?

I'm considering going to some rail-class shows, do some in-hand with "little" Chai.  It would be so good to get her out and have some experience in the bigger world.  But poor JJ just isn't a show horse.  I mean he's a wonderful performance horse in that he puts on a great show when we do trick demos, but he just isn't the most balanced, rhythmic or easy-to-ride horse!  I don't know that he'd enjoy being in a regular show.  If he's not having fun, I won't either.


But then, if we do decide to compete, if not in a rail class show, do we try baby eventers?  You know I don't jump, hells no, but we could school some small obstacles and we do enjoy venturing out to Beaumont.  I don't want to put him through my beloved dressage shows.  He'll ride into every corner and do his damndest on every line but the poor guy has no natural rhythm, his canter is lateral so he'll be crucified even though he tries so hard. Again, not fun. 


But we do have plenty of events.  Not like eventing events, but our calendar is filling up.  In addition to returning to Brooks this year, we intend to be participating in a friend's wedding for which medieval dresses are being constructed already. 


I've been booked to JUDGE shows!  Perhaps that's where I'll get my fix this year.  I've judged plenty of small dressage shows.  This year I've been invited back to Red Deer again to judge the 4H regional show in dressage.  That's always a lovely time.  And Valley View has contracted me to judge their local show as well.  I'll need to find a hat for that one! 


In any case, I'd love to have some suggestions for things we could do this year to fill our show bug. 


In the mean time, Happy Horseing! 

2017, here she goes!

Oh look at me, pulling a "Grain Before Groceries" and being absent from my blog-o-sphere for a long duration.  Just teasing, Ren. 
So what's new?  Well plenty actually. 

The first news is actually quite sad news. My darling Promise mare, while confirmed in foal in the fall, suddenly aborted twins a few weeks ago.  That was a crap way to start the new year, indeed!!!  But that's how it goes in breeding.  We had no indicators that she was carrying twins, but past day 16-18, apparently it's incredibly difficult to tell.  Either way, two tiny, naked fillies were born without a chance to live.  They were approximately 7-7.5 months along.  So unfortunately I won't have any new babies at all this year!  Just one Ritchie foal expected.  They don't live too far from me so I hope they realize that I'll be over to visit often! 

Good news, Jose is recovered and back outside living in the pasture with the rest of the posse.  He does have palpable scar tissue over the exterior tendon, something he will have always, but he is quite sound with no swelling on exercise.  We had a great ride out back in the fields at the garrison a couple of weeks ago, just the two of us!  It's -25C out right now, I don't think he'll be game to do that again for a while, and I can't say I disagree! 

I've become and Arbonne consultant!  I know, non-horsey!!  I've been familiar with the products for the last 10 years, give or take, and watched my friend Tiffany's success including her white Mercedes! I changed jobs 4 times last year, and I can not groom dogs forever, nor do I want to work in an office for the rest of my life.  There had to be something else out there for me to be able to support my family and enjoy my horses.  Arbonne has offered me a fantastic opportunity and it's made a BIG difference in my life already!  In December, I started on a couple of their nutritional products and started losing weight right away.  I ramped it up in January and have seen fantastic results (21 lbs off as of this morning!)  I FEEL amazing, I'm looking way better, I'm starting back on my exercise program from years and years ago and I couldn't be more thrilled!  January 31, I earned my District Manager title and plan to make Area Manager by spring. 

Most recently, we had an experience I hope to not repeat anytime soon.  Old Man Bucky suddenly decided he required some attention on his teeth.  Ok, no problem old man.  He'll be 28 this year, he deserves whatever he wants!  Had the vet come out and she had a heck of a time finding a good place to spike the vein for his IV.  Unfortunately her aim was apparently not too good as he literally dropped off the end of the IV (I've since learned that this was likely a carotid injection).  After a lot of walking and time, he's come around again.  But that's enough of a lesson to say that we're going to have to get teeth done sans sedative.  I've heard of it, but I haven't seen it before. 
Through the incredible world of facebook, I was connected with a lady by the name of Geneva.  She was able to come out the next day and work with Bucky and Promise both, wide-eyed and busy tailed, and get their teeth back to kosher.  Unfortunately I was at work for both events, so all you get is second-hand information here!  However, the rave reviews tell me that this is the way we're going to take care of our horses' teeth from now on.  Lesson learned. 

What's that?  Where's the pictures to break up all the verbiage?  Oh, ok.  I'm a find you something.

I bet Ritchie and Jess are both missing the sunshine and warm weather from the summer!  BC is currently under SNOW!!!  Jess sent me a picture of Ritchie up to his elbows in a drift.  As long as they stay safe, it too will pass.

In the mean time, stay warm and Happy Horseing!