Bonnie is going for the win!

Barn tales
[caption id="attachment_1000" align="alignleft" width="300"] Bonnie on Jayburger Her OTTB Gelding[/caption] When I first head what she was doing I was in awe. I mean it's rather amazing and its someone I know and respect doing it. Someone who changed my life with the simple act of approving me to adopt my horse(s). She kept it to herself  for a while until it was official but Bonnie Hutton was selected to ride in the Mongol Derby, the words toughest and longest horse race. Even better she was riding  for charity in hopes that she can raise some cash to support the 501c (3) she founded to find homes for OTTBs. You see Bonnie loves horses and especially thoroughbreds from off the track. She loves them so much she has dedicated her…
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Hanging out

Barn tales, Life with Jezebel
Even though i was bummed i dragged my ass to the barn. I walked down to the field and got baby Besos. It was sunny but very cold (i'll never get used to that) the wind was gusty and blustery. I brought her into the ring un-hooked the lead and just hung out with her. We did some stretches and she is super tight on the right.  I dragged the mounting block into the middle of the ring and Beso and i just spent some time together. Then Bootsy showed up. Bootsy is one of 4 barn cats.  She was asking for pets and i obliged her, then Jez came over and it looked like this. [caption id="attachment_985" align="aligncenter" width="225"] Hey pet me![/caption] [caption id="attachment_986" align="aligncenter" width="225"] I spy with…
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Baby Besos

Life with Jezebel, Training
I woke up with a start at 3am and was up almost all night. The weekend had been rough on me. It was predicted to be a sunny and warm 55 degrees on Sat and i was finally going to be able to ride both my horses. I was pretty excited about it. I got to the barn and both my horses sheets had been removed for unknown reasons and they were covered in the thick wet deep mud that covers their field right now. Other horses in their field had their sheets on which added to my utter and complete anger over the situation. My one day to ride in two weeks 20 days had turned into a day to give both my horses baths. I ended up being…
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Attack plan: Step one

Life with Jezebel, OTTB, Vet
[caption id="attachment_971" align="alignleft" width="225"] Derp[/caption] I have a multi pronged attack plan to figure out/deal with Jezebels acting out issues. Vet, Chiro, Saddle fitter, training. Yesterday I had the vet out. The plan was to give Jez the once over and see if there were any physical issues that could be the cause of her, kicking out, bucking, rearing and all around bad attitude when working. It was the first time the new vet was going to evaluate her. We went over her history with the right hind and what issues she  currently having so that Dr. L could get the full story. Then we went to the lunge. The ring was an icy, slushy, snowy mess but i was determined to get her out there on the lunge. Which…
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Last gasp?

Barn tales
[caption id="attachment_965" align="alignleft" width="300"] The sand ring in two feet plus of snow[/caption] Maryland at least in my part yanno the DC burbs doesn't get much snow. In theory and usually. This winter has been a little different from everything everyone is telling me who have lived here longer then the three years I have. Its unusual to get snow like this. I'm actually more annoyed with the frozen ground then the snow its self. Under all that pretty white fluffy stuff is really hard ground that often has been chewed up a bit leaving hard points and mounds that can bruise hooves, especially in the paddocks. Cie la vie, it is what it is and theres not a lot i can do about it. No indoor means less riding…
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The switch

Barn tales, Vet
[caption id="attachment_960" align="alignleft" width="300"] Horse Doctor?[/caption] When I first got Jezebel I used the vet at the barn i boarded her at. 3 days after bringing her home.. abscess. I liked the vet well enough and the BM really encouraged us to use the vet she wanted us to use. I had pretty much no resources so i used that vet. I liked him and his Jr. associate who's husband i later took lessons with. They eventually moved out of state and my vet brought in a new associate who I liked very much. A seasoned horse person as well as being a vet. She was young, enthusiastic and had a very keen eye for lameness which i found very helpful being as my horse was injured with a long…
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Time will tell

Life with Circe, Life with Jezebel, OTTB, Training
[caption id="attachment_943" align="alignleft" width="300"] Hi mom![/caption] It was finally unfrozen enough to ride! I had been going down and hanging out with the girls but riding was kinda not an option. I made arrangements for Michelle to come work with them both. Nobody had been on Jezebel since i got tossed though i had lunged her to make sure she was sound. The last time, she looked stiff in the right hind and left neck but not really off just stiff. When I got out to the field i was greeted by a happy Circe and Jez with her blanker half off making a fashion statement. Ha! I guess she didn't want to wear it. I brought them both in and they were amazingly good. Sometimes bringing in two horses…
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My latest obsession

Barn tales
My latest obsession has been buying and selling tack on Facebook. Yeah you heard me right Facebook. I dabbled with Ebay but honestly i put an item up and got pretty much zero views even though it was tagged properly and the right categories it just wasn't getting any eyeballs. Then i stumbled onto the tack buyers on Facebook. Huge groups of horse people all buying, selling, trading tack. Buy huge I mean thousands and thousands of people, totally a micro niche. I watched the groups for a while to see how they were run. Some are more of a free for all a "make me an offer environment" others are for specific kinds of tack like western or english only or just blankets. Some are heavily moderated with a…
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Cavalero Exercise Sheet by Moxie – Review

Review
Since this is the first year i don't have an indoor and its been the coldest winter on record for my area in 20 years, so i decided to get the ponies some quarter sheets for those really cold days. Im trying not to miss any riding days just because any one of us might be cold. I loved the colors of the Cavalero Exercise Sheet by Moxie so i splurged and by that i mean i bought it on sale, because i buy almost everything on sale. Its a sickness. I got the large which was rated to fit my 16+ hand OTTBs. Boredeaux and gray for Jezebel and i wanted the navy and camel for Circe but i couldn't find it in her size. So the girls were just…
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Ground work day

Life with Circe, Life with Jezebel, OTTB, Training
[caption id="attachment_918" align="alignleft" width="225"] Have you met my horse "spooks-a-lot" ?[/caption] It was ground work day and by that i mean lunging. I'm still a little sore so i didn't want to ride and well riding Jezebel is on the back burner for right now aways. When i went to pull the girls from the field all of the horses were on the cow side of the field. They share the field with two beef cattle (Suzy and Jenny) there are gates separating the two areas but they are open 24/7 and they all mingle. The cows have their own run in but not today, today they horses had taken it over. All 9 of them were on the cow side invading the cows space. As i walked up i…
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