Wednesday, October 29, 2008

October 29, 2008

All I've got is bummer news, unfortunately. I can't believe I didn't see before what an utter piece of sh*t the saddle they loaned me is. I know I should be grateful for being loaned tack int he first place, but I was practically crying in frustrating trying to tighten the girth because the stupid billet are like cheap plastic. Not to mention the girths were all too short for Blaze's belly. Not to mention I put my bridle together wrong. *^%)#^%)(*@&^)%&(! All that lovely daylight, wasted. I did lunge him in the saddle, despite it's being loose, and he was as calm as can be. I can't wait to ride him :(

I'm not looking around for my own saddle. My BO has an old one for sale for $75. If it's got fittings and is the right size, I'd be into that because I could buy it right away. A boarder at the barn has a 17.5 AP Wintec which would be perfect, but she's asking $200 and it's got no fittings. We shall see. I also found an old Wintec trail/AP saddle for $65, only short a girth, but it will total out at $92 to get it here. Better than dropping $200+ I guess. I'm waiting for $ from the publishing house (which reminds me, I should e-mail them) and my check from the media corp. I don't want to take away from any money Lucio and I might need, but I also need ride.

Blaze is doing an obnoxious "give me my food!" pawing which I'm trying to put a stop to. It was sweet, after I led him into the pasture and took off his halter, he just stood there. I walked away, he came and stood next to me. I patted him, and then he romped off to find his buddies.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

October 28, 2008

What a busy weekend. Jenny was here from CA so I only got out to see Blaze on Friday and Sunday. My full cheek snaffle came yesterday-YES! I'm going to haul booty home from work today, feed the dogs and go out and see him. If it isn't raining/snowing (wtf, it's October!), then I'm going to put his saddle on, lunge him, and if he's doing well, put on the bridle and ride! I won't have enough daylight to ride long but I can at least give him a little exercise. Plus, if I ride in the small arena I should have more light from both barns.

I'm totally stoked. I need to look up how to ensure a bridle fits before I put it on his head, because I wouldn't want it being too tight on his mouth right away. I really want to buy this old Wintec trail/AP saddle but can't until I get paid by the publishing house. That way I could ride rain/snow and not worry about ruining Karen's saddle.

A more detailed post to follow tomorrow!

Thursday, October 23, 2008

October 23, 2008

Going to give this a quick update so I don't fall off in posting regularly. My grooming supplies and bridle finally came-yay! I'm still waiting on my bit though, which is frustrating. I'm hoping it will come today or tomorrow and I can finally get on and RIDE. I think I've given Blaze a good time frame to settle in (about a week+) but I'm also not looking to ride him vigorously or anything. He's such a smart, willing boy for the most part, and I look forward to seeing how we do together under saddle.

He's much more respectful in his new rope halter, which is terrific. I'm going to get another lead rope soon, one that is softer and longer. I've been seriously fretting this week over him drinking water, because every time I bring him up from pasture he just dives into the nearest water bucket like he hasn't drank in days. I led him to the natural cistern, which he seemed wary of, and he's definitely scared of the water tank near the calves. We worked on going in there last night, but it was getting dark quickly and the calves were mooing a lot. He did come near it a few times, but not all the way. We worked on it again this morning (granted, the calves were gone) and he did wonderfully. He was definitely wary, but he trusted me enough to finally step up there and be led to the water. And then he drank! :) I just hope he's getting enough fluids, because that can really screw with a horse's system with all the roughage they eat. I pinched his skin and he doesn't seem dehydrated though.

I'll be taking Jenny out to meet him tomorrow-so excited! I wish I'd had more time to hang out with him before work this morning.

Monday, October 20, 2008

October 20, 2008

















Look at this guy! I feel so lucky to be working with him. granted I'm paying out the wazoo, but it's worth it :) I can't go out tonight since it's Lucio's only night in this week, and I'm bummed about not getting time with Blaze. I am tapping my fingers impatiently waiting for my new bit and bridle to arrive!! I guess I could try riding in the one they sent me with but I can tell he doesn't like it. We had a fun weekend-Saturday the barn was going on a trail ride so there were lots of people and horses and he took it all in stride. Sunday Lucio came out to meet him and we just lunged (tho he kept wanting to walk over to me) and groomed. Love love love.

Friday, October 17, 2008

October 17, 2008

Look at me, I'm doing a bangup job of keeping this blog updated! *pats self on back* Maybe it's because Blaze feel so much more like he's "mine" than Spree ever did, or just that I see so much potential in our relationship...who knows? I free lunged him a little bit yesterday, and by free lunge I mean just asked him to run around me. I embarassingly realized that my kissing to call him to me was probably very confusing to him-whoops. Next time I'll just turn and angle away from him and call his name.

Video from free lunging:


We definitely have stuff to work on. I got some good advice from http://www.horseforum.com/ and know that I need to start bringing a whip in wiht me when I feed him. He's just too pushy when it comes from food and he needs to know stepping all over me is NOT ok. I was also getting really frustrated because the minute I took him out of his small pasture he was mowing across the grass and it took all my effort to ger his head up before he'd ram it right back down again. In a way tho, I don't blame him-the grass where he was was very sparse.

I finally got paid for some overdue editing work, so with my $60 I bought a used grooming kit and complete bridle. I'm also about to order a rope halter-I think he'll be a lot more responsive in one. I need to send off $15 in cash this weekend to a girl for a full cheek snaffle. I'd eventually like to get some washless shampoo, as it's getting really cold here, and maybe a AP square quilted pad. Not yet tho, it's not necessary. Actually what I need next is cold weather boots-my rubber ones won't be cutting it much longer!

There's a party at the barn tonight. I'm jamming home, playing with my dogs, making some hummus and heading out there. I want to smooch my pony boy :) I totally kissed his face yesterday. I don't think I'll stay late, because I'm battling some kind of cold, and my couch and dogs beckon. Ok, a hot toddy too, I can't lie. Tomorrow will be a great day to go out and bond with Blaze (I want to ride so badly!); I love weekends.

A

Thursday, October 16, 2008

October 16, 2008

I ran around like a crazy woman last night. After biking 9 miles home in the rain and arriving home looking like a drowned rat, I played with the dogs, changed and headed to the nearest feed store. Because I'd never been there before, it was dark and it was raining, I drove right past it and had to double back. Ugh. I was able to easily find the feed I needed, plus wormer for the 20th and some aloe healing gel for the cuts on his forehead. I escaped for $38-not bad!

Obviously it was dark by the time I got to the stable. I checked on him, and when I got there he was standing at the far end of his small arena. He came trotting right over when I said his named and kissed at him. He sniffed me, and tried to nibble my fingers. I don't think I want to be giving him treats by hand anymore-he really goes for them and I'm afraid he could hurt someone. I threw some hay out to him and went to scoop the poop out of my BO's trailer from the other night. I couldn't see a damn thing, but I think I got it all. After he'd gotten to eat his hay for about 10 minutes (hay stimulates the salivatory glands which helps digestion of the grain/feed) I brought him out a mixture of 3/4 of his old sweet feed and 1/4 of the new feed (Purina Enrich 32). Now. My boy is a PIG. He loves to eat, like all the other boys in my life :) He wanted to come straight after that grain, but I wouldn't let him. Any time he came forward toward me without being asked, I tossed my arms at him and said BACK. After a few attempts he got it and stood still, but only for a minute. I poured the grain in the bucked and still asked him to stay away, only letting him eat when I was ready.

While he was eating both hay and grain, I just rubbed and scratched him. I need to find out where the BO is keeping the brushes I'm allowed to borrow. I'm hoping to pay for the grooming kit/bridle/bit I ordered within the next couple of days so they can get here ASAP. It's embarassing to borrow grooming tools for your own (ok, so not technically my OWN) horse. I guess they were planning to introduce im to the other geldings last night but the little colt Ben cut himself horrifically out in the field. Why they have equiptment out int he field with the horses is beyond me. :/

I'm headed back out tonight to hopefully walk him around and groom him, but those plans might get dashed if they're in the middle of introducing him to the other boys.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

October 15, 2008

Blaze ended up not being delivered on Sunday. I got out to the barn around quarter till 5, and at 5:30 they still hadn't shown up. I called Karen and they hadn't even been able to load him and had been trying since 4 pm. I was really bummed out, but at least I got to take my tack out, meet some of the other boarders and pet some baby calves.

I asked my BO if her offer still stood to help with trailering. She has a stock trailer, and readily agreed. We drove out there last night along with Brian, a nice teenager who rides at the barn, and it was a pretty comical hour. Blaze didn't seem that scared; more just confused on what Darlene was asking him to do. She was very patient with him, and the only times he got in troubles were when he would crowd her space. What eventually got him all the way up and into the trailer was apples, which I've learned are his absolute favorite. Once he was in we quickly shut the divider gate behind him and took off. He made the ride bumpy for a little while, but eventually settled down.

We were worried about a rushy unload, but he actually came out nice and calmly. I wrote Karen a check and told her I'd take excellent care of him. He's in a small arena for the time being until he can be properly introduced to the other geldings. He was funny to watch; trotting around with hay in his mouth, sniffing the air...they only sent me with 3 days of his sweet feed, which is a little frustrating, but I'll be picking up his new ration balancer feed (yay!) tonight, along with possibly some wormer (he's due Oct. 20). It's raining right now, and probably will be later, which will unfortunately hinder picture taking. But it will still be great to go out and check on him, start encorporating some of his new feed and just hang out with him a bit.

Yay new horse!

Saturday, October 11, 2008

October 11, 2008


Well, tomorrow's the big day! I feel kinda bad, but not really. Karen, Blaze's owner, called me this morning to let me know his Coggins results had arrived and they were going to haul tomorrow. This worked perfectly for me, because I'm making food for our dinner w/my co-worker Paula tonight and it's already 1:40 pm. Then she called back and said there was something wrong with the brake wires on her husband's truck and they wanted to haul today. Um, ok, but I have dinner plans and they wouldn't be hauling until dinner time today. I had to tell them that tomorrow still worked best for me. Oh well :/

I'm so excited! I have picked out the wormer to buy that he'll need on October 20, and have been doing research on different feeds. I think what I'll go with is a ration balancer, and get him off of all those high starches and sugars. I don't think he'll be as "hyper" a horse with the right diet and exercise. I have his tack all ready to take to the barn, but need to order a full-cheek snaffle. I also need to track down/put together a basic grooming kit. I forgot to ask if they're bringing his lunge line; if not, I need one of those as well. I'm going to spend the first week just working with him on the ground and loving on him so we can establish a relationship. I am pretty nervous, but I'm sure everything will work out well. I've got all my bases covered and am not responsible for vet bills, which is the biggest worry. The other stuff I know I can afford.

Whew. I don't have much else to say at this point, but I'm sure I will tomorrow after he gets there. I've watched him race around looking for his buddies so I hope this transition isn't too tough on him :(

Friday, October 3, 2008

October 3, 2008

Well, my visit to see Gelding #2 was kind of like how we discovered our apartment: I was happy with the 1st gelding so anything more would have been a bonus. It was! I could see how tenative this poor woman was with him-she had a bad fall of a mare a few years ago, and she's just so timid and non-authoratative with her horses. I was surprised at how beautiful he is-bay with a white blaze, one stocking and this magestic wavy mane and forelock. I could immediately tell how squirrely he was, but he did have good manners when she led him out to the pasture. He was very interested in what I was doing and kept wanting to nibble on my fingers. As she was lunging him, he was so full of it! Not in the "I want to straight up kick your face in" Spree-esque way, but more a wheeeeeeeeeeeee! type of way. Like a hyper kid on candy. He's sat for months and they've had him on a sweet feed, so no fricking wonder. He really wanted to trot and canter, and a few times he started galloping around and kicking out. I was laughing-he was obviously having a good time. I lunged him too, and he listened like a good boy. Still speedy :)

As we were tacking him up, he stood well, took the bit easily. I hopped on, and we did w/t and some side passing. He kept trying to sneakily chomp at hanging tree branches as we'd pass them, and it was hilarious. I just felt really good about it, like he was doing it all in fun because he felt like it. He said "no thanks" when I asked for a canter, but that's ok. I don't think he liked the bit he was in (I'm going to use a D-ring snaffle), but he backed up beautifully. He kind of struck me like Daegan did at first-a little silly and zoomy and playful but also curious and wanting to be loved.

I told the woman with gelding #1 that I had found someone else. I wrote a really nice e-mail and her response was "Alright thank you." *shrugs* The people who own Blaze are willing to give me the flexible lease terms I need as well. They're scheduling his Coggins test and will get the farrier out before he comes over, but I am so excited. I know I'm making the right choice because I have no desire to keep looking. With Spree and all throughout I've kept my eyes and ears open for other horses. Speaking of Spree, I have yet to receive a response from Jenn around the e-mail I sent her saying I was ending my lease there. I'm not really worried, as she's said multiple times I can cancel when I want, but I'd still like to firmly know its settled. Honestly, I won't feel completely at ease until all papers are signed and I'm watching Blaze graze in the pasture.

I now have a lot of homework to do on horse nutrition. I also have to figure out if I'm selling my car and if I want to buy a cheaper, used car for the winter so I can drive out to ride. Decisions decisions.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

October 1, 2008

Fall is here, and with it comes change. Jenn offered up awhile ago that I could get out of my lease with Spree, which I appreciated since at the time she was being (shocker) a total ass. We've had our bad and good days, mostly good, but I have to admit I completely stopped trying to lunge her. The one time I did she came at me like a rocket and not even throwing the lead rope at her chest deterred her. She's gotten better about her feet being handled, but is still a stinker to saddle, and really hates to be ridden in a bit. We've had some nice rides lately in a hackamore, which was definitely fun.

There was a minute there when I was full-force into thinking I was going to buy a horse, but it's not realistic right now. I'm keeping my car through the winter and will try and sell it again in the spring. I'm looking for another horse to lease, as it would make me so nervous to move Spree to the facility near my house because she has a hard time keeping weight on in the winter, she ruins her blanket and Jenn's still trying to sell her. I've ridden maybe 7 horses in the past month, which has been fun. I think I've decided on a gelding to lease, but since his owner can't move him for another 2 weeks and he would be a bit of a project (he's an utter gentleman on the ground, whew!) so I'm going to see another guy tonight. Who knows if she can offer me as sweet/flexible of lease terms as this first woman will, but it can't hurt to look.

I'll post about my thoughts on gelding #2 soon. #1 is a 6 yo. TB gelding, never raced, green broke. He's very shy and gentle, and just needs oodles of miles put on him under saddle. #2 is 12 yo. QH/Appy cross.

Here I go!