Be prepared

No words need but I must prepare you for cuteness overload! Nothing more on the lameness front. Started him on antibiotics just in case the abscess didnt all come out and is causing problems but there is high potential he got a nasty stone bruise jumping the fence (gravel on other side to prevent mud). I really hope he is 100 % again soon.

2014 Goals (if we ever make it there!)

I am so fed up with not having a horse to ride and watching my horse hobble around. Im holding on to hope that he just banged his leg jumping the gate and will be good as new with some rest. Then there is the little voice in the back on my head saying he probably fractured his leg and is going to need 6 months off work on stall rest, etc. If he isnt remarkably better, from what he was last night, by Sunday the vet will come back out for xrays. Pretty sure I cursed us as the week before this all started I was saying how sound he has stayed. Now im paying for it big time.

Since I have nothing better to do (although I do get to ride a horse at my barn while his mom is gone this week) I figured I could sit down and put our 2014 goals down and pray that we even get a chance to check them off!

-Solidify our 2nd level work and show at all 3 tests by end of year (even if its just at a league show) and hopefully earn some, or all, of our 1st + 2nd level scores for my bronze medal

-If we can get our act together compete at league championships at 2nd level

-Compete at Devonwood!!! (as many times as we can afford. If its just once I will be thrilled but more would be amazing)

-Compete at Inavale again, dont get lost,  and finish on our dressage score that will be in the 20s

-School XC more and maybe even move up to novice just at a derby/one day (in no rush to move up at a recognized)

-Have solid dressage pony changes

-Condition him better throughout the year

-Lesson, lesson, lesson! Shoot for 2 a month!

I am sure there is more I want to accomplish but these are the big ones. I am also sure we most likely will not get some done but that we will try :)

Merry Christmas!

Basically Pony and I both landed on Santas nice list this year, shocking I know, and man did we score! On top of the hundreds of dollars I had already spent on Pony for his body clippers, dressage bridle, 2 new saddle pads, new blanket, etc my mom got him a custom fancy browband for his dressage bridle! The coolest part about it is that the beaded strands are interchangeable so if we get tired of rocking the red I can change the the blue strand I also got or even order a new color! I also got that blanket that the brow band is on and it is seriously the best thing ever. I havent left it!

How adorable is he going to be in this?!

I had asked for a custom photo stall guard from Deco Pony but they take up to 6 weeks to deliver or something and my mom really wanted to have my presents by Christmas. So all on her own she came up with another idea and had a custom banner made that I can hang on his stall at shows. It is super adorable! She even did a great job picking out the pictures. I couldnt get a great picture due to lighting but cant wait to take it out and hang on his stall at shows!

Last night I hung out with Alanna for a little bit so we could exchange gifts and this is what she got me

Its a framed photo collage of all our 2013 adventures! Obviously it already has a spot on my wall and is hanging up :) I am so blessed to have people in my life that support me doing what I love! Merry Christmas everyone and I hope you and your ponies got some loot too :)

ETA: And Christmas is ruined just as it is ending. Pony is DEAD lame tonight. Yay for horses.. Not. Im so done with this.

Christmas Present to Me!

Surprise, surprise Pony is sound! I thought it might be too good to be true but I rode him very lightly today and he feels great. We just did basic training level frame and work but he felt awesome! I can totally tell a big difference and he is soooo heavy in the bridle. Luckily that all will be fixed and he will be going more like a 2nd level pony again in 2 weeks. Tomorrow he gets to go back outside in his pasture!

I thought I would be nice so I turned him out in the mares pasture this evening after I rode so I could clean his stall and he could get a little outside time.  Proof that stall rest will turn the sanest horse into a dumbass!

When I first turned him out he ran for a little bit but settled down before I went into the barn to clean his stall, or so I thought. As I was getting the wheel barrow I heard him ripping around and as I look around the corner to see what he was doing he goes cantering up to the gate and jumps it! I think he easily would have cleared it if it was not muddy and he wasnt slipping around (and had a bigger pace) but even still he landed just fine. Just hit the top rail with the lower part of his leg. I was in shock. What possessed my horse?!

I of course missed videoing the actual event but here are some of him being crazy (I realize this is totally tame compared to most horses but you rarely see this horse bucking or playing in the pasture unless being chased!).

Look at that cute pony trot!

Good news is he came out of it totally fine. Needless to say he got his privilege revoked for the night and will just have to wait to be stupid until tomorrow morning when he goes back out with the boys. It is safe to say he needs to be back in work! If its not one thing its another! We are doing some late Christmas pictures over the weekend that should be pretty adorable!

Stressed, frustrated, and broke!

November and December have been pretty crappy months for me (and my poor mother) and the light at the end of the tunnel is refusing to shine through just yet. It all started with my big dog having to go into the vet for X-rays last month that resulted in a $400 vet bill with no solution. From there we had to put down our oldest dog (he was 16 and a big dog, 70 lbs in his day, so although it was a blessing to have him for so long it also made it super hard), our furnace/dishwasher/sink all broke within 2 weeks of each other, said dog that already had a vet bill still isnt 100% better, Mystic went lame, thought we solved his problem, same dog as above is yet again not feeling well, car breaks down and costs me $1000 to repair, and Mystic is still lame after finding his abscess on Tuesday. Apparently my life did not get the memo that I am a horse poor college student with no money? I know that these problems are trivial to some people and we will of course live but it makes for a super stressful and frustrating time wondering how on earth this is all going to end up while still trying to hold onto any hope maybe for once it will go my way!

On the fun side.. Ponys black Micklem that I ordered pre ginormous unpredicted car bill came and he looks pretty freaking handsome in it! Also notice the new (to him but basically brand new) pink LamiCell dressage pad that I got a few weeks ago off a tack site on FB for 25 bucks! Basically my horse is having a pretty awesome Christmas, besides the fact that he is stuck in a stall all day ha! 

I feel so bad that he has been stall ridden for almost a month now and am at a loss as to what is going on. He is very mildly lame but it is still present when that leg is on the inside and especially around corners. Nothing major and pretty slight but still there none the less. I am SO frustrated and if it were not for wanting to keep my stall at the barn I would seriously consider turning him out for the winter. It is so hard for me to be 'wasting' our whole winter and feel like if we are not able to crack down soon there is no way early 2014 show season is going to happen. Basically I just need to stop throwing myself a pity party and move on :) SO ready for the new year and hoping that comes with some new luck because I could seriously use it!

Finally!

We are finally getting to the bottom of our lameness issues! He has been much better but we have only done bareback walks and a little jogging in the arena. Our farrier was out today and found an abscess and dug it out! It didnt take much as it was close but he found it and nasty black liquid was coming out. Yummy. Sadly that means he is stall bound until it gets better so it doesnt get infected. I am going to go out both morning and night to soak it and also get him out in the arena so he can still get out of his stall. The nice part about it is I can cross tie him, put his hoof int he bucket, and go do whatever I need to do and he will just stand there for 20 minutes without moving. SO helpful! Hopefully this will all be behind us come the new year. He has been out of real work all of December and its driving me crazy. Now not only are we further behind in our work towards 2nd level this spring but also his conditioning. At this point I am just thankful it ended up being an abscess but I am so ready to get back to our lessons! Our first 2014 show is going to come up fast!

Looking Back on 2013

I know its a little early but since we dont have anything planned for the rest of the year, and I have unexpected time today, I figured I would look back on what we have done in the last year. I definitely didnt get out as much as I hoped but thats what happens when you dont have a horse trailer any more :/ Thankfully I have a pretty freaking cool friend who has hauled our butts around (On a side note I cant wait to haul our adorable ponies out together!). Although we didnt get to any dressage shows (umm.. how did that happen?) I feel like we have still progressed really well and cant wait to get out next year. Heart of the Valley in the spring maybe?! Anyways here is a look back on 2013.

January-
I officially decided to enter Pony in the All Breed Challenge at the horse expo. It was something that I had never done and was totally out of our usual stuff and it would be an amazing experience for him! We began practicing our bridleless stuff more along with working on scary things such as tarps, pulling garbage bags, etc along with kicking his new ball!
We kept plugging along with our dressage work. This video was actually from December of 2012 but it gives you an idea of where we were at come the start of the new year! Both have a lot of walking in the beginning as I clearly hadnt figured out how to make a nice over view of my lesson instead of uploading the whole thing haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0VIkxWDupw  Trot work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QNtZBBNqAs Canter work

From January, my birthday ride :)

February-
Pony did his very first 2nd level test with his Teacher Mary! As you can tell from our December video it was a very green test as he hadnt learned everything yet, in fact im pretty sure he had only done the counter canter loops a few days before when we realized they were in the test! Even with being very new to it all he still scored a 63 %. Go Pony!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS5t_Ql1_iU (the test doesnt start till like 3:30)

March-

The All Breed Challenge! Pony was super good and we had a lot of fun. Although we didnt make it to do our fun freestyle (that would have kicked butt!) he did a lot of scary stuff that I didnt think he would do. We made it to the semi finals though and he did a lot of meet in greets throughout the day and was a huge hit!

I also got Tolo back this month!

First day home!

April-

Was a pretty chill month for us. Pony started jumping again, Tolo continued to hang out and look pretty :) Here are some pictures of both from April!

His mane has grown so much!

Roached mane!

May-

May was a fun month! We went both XC schooling and had our first jumper show :) Both went awesome! We came home with a 1st and a 3rd. Not bad for a speed class (and some crazy rides).

Jumper show:

June-
Was probably my favorite month of the year  for us! We started off the month with our very first one day at BN and despite a yucky feeling dressage test we still scored a 32 and ended up in 1st place. He then went and jumped stadium like a pro! For some weird reason we got time faults but I think they miss calculated it as majority of the people did get them. He was a tired pony by xc but tore up the course and went clear to win our division :)

Check that perfect farmers tan. Horse show + 100 degree weather = mad tan lines

Next up was Inavale, our very first recognized 3 day! We had a great dressage test earning us a 30 and were tied for 1st! It was super hot and not only had we done dressage in the morning but we also had to go out and do xc in the middle of the afternoon. He was AWESOME! Started off slow but after fence 4 you could tell he all the sudden figured out what we were doing and was spot on for the rest of the course. Sadly I took a wrong turn up in the woods and got us major time penalties. I hate focusing on ifs, ands, and buts, but we really would have won our first event if it wasnt for me! Even though I knew I screwed us over I couldnt stop smiling coming through the finish line. I was SO proud of him! Of course in true Pony form he also went double clear in stadium and was one of the few in our division to do so. Sadly our 30 some time faults put us in 7th. A pretty purple ribbon it is! Bottom line is we found out Pony is going to be a name people remember at the BN level :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FVggb6pUlyU

July-
Was kind of a more chill month. He got some time off after Inavale then had a super fun lesson!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KiLzsx-Ajs

He also gave a little pony ride to the cutest little girl around :)

August-
This was the State Fair month! Although im not much for breed shows it is always fun to meet up with people who love the same breed. Pony was quite the hit!

All these horses were bred by my aunt and uncle! Family reunion!

September-
Was yet another hang out month. I was gone in Nashville for a week, then school was starting up so we were transitioning our routines. Not much happened except our usual!

October-
Alanna, Alyssa, and I hit the beach with our boys! Alyssas mare was rehabbing so she rode Pony and I rode Tolo. Everyone was perfect and it was just what we all needed!

November-
Tolo went out on trial at the first of the month and they havent looked back since! I just got a text today saying how much she loves him and how lucky to feels to have met us. They also had their first ride with a trainer they clinic with and the trainer was super impressed with Tolo and said he is the nicest TB she has seen in a long time. I do miss the guy but am so happy he found a great home!

December-

Pony went lame and has been out of commission all month so far. I got the okay to do some light work and the farrier is scheduled for tomorrow morning! Hopefully it all resolves soon.

Sporting his new blanket :)

It has been a great year but I am so looking forward to what 2014 has to bring us! Now that I have checked winning a cooler off my bucketlist its time to get that victory lap and a neck ribbon :)

Good News?

The vet was out today! It was one visit that was way less expensive than I thought it would be and im hoping it stays that way. She was pretty convinced that he has an abscess still and found some sketchy parts in his hoof that we are going to have his farrier dig at. Should it not be resolved within a few days after his farrier appt then I will have her back out for X-rays. We discussed doing a Legend injection like we did last year, to help with any inflammation should there be more of an issue, but didnt do it today. Pony had his best ADD cookie begging face on and our vet and her assistant totally love him, I mean how could you not!

That face though... gets me every time!

Another thing we discussed was his diet. I asked her about potential metabolic issues since it is SO hard to get him to lose weight and she gave us some ideas to try to lower his calorie/sugar intake but also help keep him full. I am going to get him a slow hay feeder and soak his hay also. We also discussed his protein intake and how he probably isnt getting enough. She recommended I put him on Enrich 32 (or plus, whatever it is called now) due to its high protein content so I am going to go pick some of that up to try. I asked about the supplements for metabolic issues but she said that the best thing we could do is to change his diet and reduce the amount of calories he is getting while still keeping him full.

Anyways, he got the okay to be turned out but she doesnt want him out in the snow/ice because she is afraid of him getting ice packed in his hooves trying to overcompensate for the pain and hurting something else. But he can run and play in the arena! So he will be in his stall until the snow clears out but then can go back out to pasture! We also got the okay to do some light walk/trot under saddle work to get him out and keep him exercised but dont want to do too much until the abscess clears up. He REALLY needs his job back! He is so bored and getting super ADD just being stuck in his stall all day. After our appointment I left him in the arena to roll and play which he loved and will go back out tonight and will just walk him under saddle.

Should our farrier not find anything and the problem not resolve I will have her back out for some x-rays at the end of next week. She really believed that it is just an abscess and couldnt find anything else but like I told her you cannot see his leg because of all his hair! It was the best news I got all day (and hopefully it stays this way and it is resolved soon!) as my car all the sudden broke down after running just fine and had to be towed to the shop this morning. Praying it doesnt need a new transmission but its not looking too good for me. You know its not your day when they call you before they have even looked at it to say they broke your windshield wiper and it will be 16 bucks each to replace. Its a good thing I needed new ones anyways, I mean what is 32 more dollars at this point? Luckily the ponys bill wasn't what I was expecting.

ETA: Had a great relaxed bareback walk with pony tonight! Even did a little jog and he felt good. Definitely cant wait to get him going again! Lets just say he has enjoyed his vacation a little too much and needs a little gentle reminder about some thing haha!

It is still super cold so we walked with his blankie on :)

5 Day Challenge: Day 5!

Last day! It has been nice to have something to write about since Pony is currently out of commission. Vet is scheduled for Thursday morning. Lets all say a prayer that not leg shaving is involved because I will probably cry! I know it is minor stuff and hair grows back but to think his tail is still growing back from when Pants chewed it off over a year ago (and his tail grows fast!) makes me think my horse will look semi stupid for about 3 years before it could grow out again. Not to mention I would HATE to shave it all off and not find anything. The things you have to think about when you have a horse with hair! Im hoping we can block him and find out where the issue is at least and go from there.

21. Favorite classes to watch
For sure it would be upper level cross country and FEI musical freestyles! Both are SO much fun to watch!

22. What's in your cooler at shows
I am really bad about packing food. Normally its just some Snapple or Gatorade and goldfish or something. I dont eat before I ride because I get a side ache.

23. One thing about showing you would change 
More so now that I have a horse that isnt 'the norm' I would change how much tunnel vision the big people of both eventing and dressage have. They think only TBs can compete/win in eventing and only Warmbloods can do dressage, etc. Then there is the hunter world. Dont even get me started there! I think it would be fun to show Pony at some hunter shows but wouldn't pay that money just to have the judge mark us down strictly because of my horses look.

24. My ringside crew
I pretty much has the best ringside crew out there if I do say so myself! Both my mom and Alanna are a HUGE help at shows and I really dont know what I would do without them! I could do small dressage shows or hunter/jumper schooling shows alone if I had to (not as much fun though!) but there is literally no way I could have done Inavale without them! It was so hot and they were all over it once I finished xc and stadium. They had water ready for me, untacked Pony and started walking him, etc. Seriously, they are amazing!

25. Best prizes won
Pony has won a cooler (high % score at a dressage show at first level!), a trophy, a saddle pad, and a glass plate along with a lot of blue ribbons :)

His cooler and ribbons from 2012!

Fancy Champion 1st Level ribbon :)