Lazy morning

Odd

It is always so weird to go the barn when something is different. Today I will be going to the barn and the oldest horse won’t be there anymore. You know what I just realized…Gen is now the 2nd oldest horse! Crazy. Anyway, you always get so used how things are. With a small barn like Gen’s (6 horses) you feel like a family.

Going to the barn and to be missing a horse…it just doesn’t feel right. Seeing his stall empty…that just isn’t how it should be. I am not crazy about change. Even when a horse leaves it is hard. I have a routine when I drive up the barn driveway. I look, in a very specific order, at every horse to make sure they are okay. Now that routine has to change.

Whenever things like this happen it makes me cling on to my horse a little bit harder. Gen will be getting extra hugs, extra kisses tonight. I am sure that he will be upset about his buddy. I know that while tonight will be odd, it will be okay. I can’t imagine what my barnmate must feel when she comes up the driveway (she has a 2nd horse at the barn).

He didn’t make it :(

He lived 33 wonderful years. My poor barn mate’s heart is broken right now. She had him for 21 years. Gen is going to miss his halter tag playmate. I am going to miss a very sweet little horse.

Good Vibes

I am at the barn right now. The oldest horse at Gen’s barn coliced this morning. He still isn’t feeling very well. At 33 I am worried about him.

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!

So ponies…what do you think of the snow?

If you are a local reader…

And you are going to the awards banquet next Sunday please bid on my candy. I made it for the silent auction. I know it is not my best packaging ever, but I promise, it will taste good!!!

This is what…

My lesson budget looks like when Lucky is on vacation for 6 weeks

Wordless Wednesday

New Bit

So it might not have been the best idea to get on Lucky after a 6 week vacation with a brand new bit, but lucky for me, it worked out. When I first started with her I tried a normal loosing ring snaffle with a key. She hated it. So I tried just a loose ring. She hated that to. I tried three more bits before settling on a normal D ring snaffle. Gen was a 5 1/4 size bit, and Phoenix was fine with that to, but I could tell that the bits were not just right for Lucky.

For Christmas I asked for a new bit. I saw this oval mouth loose ring and thought it might do a better job. Lucky is so stiff everywhere normally that it wasn’t until the end of fall that I really noticed that her jaw was locked and tense for about half of all of our rides. Since she had just had her teeth checked I new it was the bit and that it was time for a change. It was a gamble buying this bit because she really hasn’t seemed to like loose rings, but I had hoped that with the bigger size and how fat it was she would take to it.

Since this is such a mild bit I wasn’t thinking when I just went ahead and got on her with it, but right away she loved it. I know that we are only walking, and not much at that, but she is now consistently getting a little slobber with it. How great is that! She is still locking her jaw at the start of the ride, but now she is relaxing it after a little bit! I wonder if she has ever really liked a bit before. Hopefully she will continue to like this one.