There will be mud
It rained a lot which mean ponies were eager to get out after being stuck inside. It also meant mud. Oh how the ponies love the mud. Especially The Circe Effect she is a total pig pen
Raindrops
[caption id="attachment_1243" align="alignleft" width="300"] bucket heads before the storm[/caption] It's raining and its going to rain for days. Stupid. I was planning on washing and re-waterproofing my blankets and sheets this week. Yeah thats not happening how can i dry them in the sun with yanno no actual sun. Instead i will trot my happy ass back and forth to the barn every 4 hours so the girls have some turnout and don't get to drenched and i can keep an eye on them. This is a downside of self care thats a 30 min drive from your house. Last night when i brought the girls in because of the rain i noticed they were both extra mellow and though they ate their dinner neither was too interested in the…
This and that
[caption id="attachment_1237" align="alignleft" width="300"] Finally standing at the block[/caption] When the vet came out to chip the girls i had her to an evaluation on their body conditions, i spoke to her about the constant heat cycles, their separation anxiety and we discussed the spring grass and if i should be worried about it. Heat cycles: Circe is in almost constant heat. Jez isn't as bad she was in for 9 days went out no big deal, though 9 days is a little long for her. I'm keeping an eye on it for now as its spring and the first heat can be intense. If it doesn't even out by summer though i might have to re-address it. Circe is super cranky and though i haven't chalked up her tude…
Chip chip hooray!
[caption id="attachment_1231" align="alignleft" width="225"] Gettin' chipped[/caption] It was something I wanted to do before I moved but it didn't work out. My vet needed to get a new reader and it was going to have to be done after the big move. Yes, i'm talking about micro-chipping my horses. As animal owners we regularly chip our dogs and cats, its kinda a common practice but with horses not so much. It really should be for a few reasons but the most important is positive identification. If your horse is lost or stolen a microchip will almost always work as proof positive who the owner is. Nothing works better. Not a tattoo, registration papers or 100 photos of you smooching your horses face, nothing. A chip however can not be altered…
Indian love call
Just to give an idea of the scope and scale of the new ginormous ring. http://youtu.be/OiZWJUB5o4o Circe started off really good. Calm, relaxed ready to work when she walked across the street, into the ring and even on the lunge. That was until Jezebel started to call to her from across the street. Took Jez about 10-15 minutes to realize Circe was gone and then lost her mind. Eventually the calling back and forth came to a stop. Jez lost interest and Circe did some really nice trot work. Then we worked on the mounting block which she really didn't want to stand next to but eventually did. It was a successful training session but Circe did have her mare moments. Made me really happy i have Michelle on my…
No rest for the wicked
[caption id="attachment_1175" align="alignleft" width="279"] busy busy busy[/caption] Sundays tend to be a really busy day. Hardly a day off at all. Typically its ...Up early, drive to feed ponies, do barn chores, eat lunch/brunch, my better half has his riding lesson, drive to ponies to do more horse things/feeding/turnout/washing/chores, grocery shopping then i get to go home and make dinner before all the good Sunday cable shows are on. I'm usually pretty exhausted by the end of the day on Sunday. Today was no exception to the theres a lot of shit to get done on Sunday rule. [caption id="attachment_1176" align="alignright" width="300"] Dexter Wins![/caption] Besides there being a lot to do there was a horse show across the street today in the big ring and one of the girls from…
Paddock fail
[caption id="attachment_1163" align="alignleft" width="250"] I might change her name Cthulhu[/caption] Tried to ride Circe in the small paddock today. Id call it a fail from the moment i tried to mount and my foot slid out of the stirrup on a truly epic mounting fail until she baby reared at me when I was on the ground walking her back in to the barn. We only got around the paddock once then her antics made it too risky for me to keep on keeping on so i dismounted. I made her stand in the cross ties while i mucked stalls. There was no way in hell was going to reward her with going back to the herd, or standing in her stall eating after she was a total brat. In…
The big ring
[caption id="attachment_1156" align="alignleft" width="264"] Hello![/caption] Circe's first day in the ring. I was nervous of course i was. Its a big day. Circe would have to cross a big street, a ditch, a stream and be in a ring that is huge much bigger then anything shes experienced at least with me before. Plus available for general use in a public park. So theres a whole lot going on. Thats a lot for one day. I also had to separate her and Jezebel to get it done. Which was making me fret because last time Jezebel lots her horsey mind in the process. This kind of thing just crystallizes why I have Michelle on my team. Its not something i wanted to attempt to do alone. I'm lucky to have…
Busy busy busy
[caption id="attachment_1143" align="alignleft" width="300"] Grass![/caption] A lot has been going on as well as a lot of nothing. I've been letting the girls get settled in and not asking too much of them besides learning their new routine. My morning feed person started and thats been great! Going back and forth to the barn twice a day is tough. Nothing that I'm doing anything too hard just the time spent on the road back and forth was making me exhausted. So now Monday though Friday I only have to do the afternoon chores. Both girls have been behaving in the mornings, it always makes me happy when they get good report cards. [caption id="attachment_1144" align="alignright" width="300"] New herd[/caption] Yesterday we introduced Jez and Circe to the big field and their…
Separation anxiety
[caption id="attachment_1132" align="alignleft" width="300"] At the gate waiting on noms[/caption] The girls are settling in the new barn. I'm at the barn twice a day right now. My morning feeding and turn out person doesn't start until next week and though this barn is closer to the house making the trek twice a day can be rough. In other words I'm tired as all get out. Both mares are still in raging heat, in fact all three mares are (Sabrina too). I think that means its spring finally so i'm keeping them in the smaller turn out until everyones horsey hormones calm down no point making it harder then it has to be. Once they are all out of heat my new barn-mate and I will pick a time to…