Blog – Page 14 – My Ex Racers

27Jan 2014 by myexracer

Roeckl Winter Chester Glove – Review

Review

I always ride with gloves. Hot or cold it doesn't matter. Since i broke my hand though last spring i've been investing in better gloves. I used to just by anything on sale see how i felt about it but once the hand snaps you start to realize that maybe investing in something better is a good idea. This winter i bought a pair of Roeckl Winter Chester gloves. I needed a pair to ride in the cold having no indoor to ride in this year. I also wanted gloves not just help me with warmth but that would give my hands some protection. I bought these from Dover in VA because i needed to try on everything to see what would fit. I know my glove size but manufacturers…

23Jan 2014 by myexracer

Old man winter

Barn tales, Life with Circe, Life with Jezebel

[caption id="attachment_844" align="alignleft" width="225"] That looks delicious[/caption] It snowed again the other day. About 6 inches at home stuck and about 8 inches at the barn. It has been very cold out, highs in the low 20's or teens and wind chill factors making it feel at times below zero. Which of course means that the ground's covered in snow, under the snow the ground is frozen, i can't ride, i cant have my trainer out to ride, I don't want to get out of bed, i cant get motivated to do anything, my broken hand hurts like a motherfucker, i'm a bitch to be around and i miss California.. blah, blah, blah. Yanno the usual winter complaining bullshit. I read somewhere that this is the worst winter in this…

21Jan 2014 by myexracer

The good one

Barn tales, Life with Circe, OTTB

[caption id="attachment_827" align="alignleft" width="225"] The Circe Effect[/caption] It was Circe's turn to get clipped. I had done Jezebel the day before and was really happy with how successful it was. Circe is a pretty fuzzy and furry horse. The plan was to give her a little relief when it came to getting too heated up and to shorten the time frame it took to cool her down since she is in actual work (weather permitting) over this winter. Circe is supposed to be the easy one out of my two OTTB mares. Shes the one that wasn't phased by moving to a new place, she walked right into the confined scary wash-stall for a bath and stood for it with no complaints straight away. Circe has been easy to handle…

20Jan 2014 by myexracer

Life lessons by Bess

Barn tales

[caption id="attachment_822" align="alignright" width="134"] My first barn.[/caption] I know how to barrel race... sorta. I was taught how when i was just barely a teenager. I can do a clover hitch pattern and i always knock my barrels down when entering a ring to just ride on the flat. Its a habit or rather a custom i was taught. I'm sure i suck and i haven't attempted to run barrels since those teen-aged days. Though i bet it never leaves you, i suppose id still remember a little about it if i gave it a shot for fun today. [caption id="attachment_820" align="alignleft" width="240"] Bess and Mamma[/caption] I was taught by my barn manager Bess Chaney a barrel racer with some notoriety in CA before I even owned a horse. When…

18Jan 2014 by myexracer

The Maryland Horse Expo

Off Farm

Its that time of year again, Horse Expo time! If you didn't think that Maryland had more horses per capita then any other state just trot on over to the Horse Expo and see them all at one place at one time. Whatever your disciple is you will find something you have to have at the expo... at a discount. I again found a trailer I wanted. Okay it was like 100,000 bucks and was basically a motor home with horse stalls you could drive around. My better half said he would just by me a plot of land and stick me there with my pones in the trailer and come visit me once a week. It was pretty much close to the size of my duplex in LA. I…

18Jan 2014 by myexracer

Heartbreak in the making

Rant

Losing something you love is painful, it can rip your heat out of your chest. I do not wish that kind of pain on anyone. Owning animals brings that pain because we out live them. Animals are heartbreaks in the making. They will break your heart. Thats why I do the best I can for them, I am their caretaker. My dogs, my horses, its my responsibility to care for them. When my almost 10 year old greyhound mix cam down with two torn ACL's I borrowed money to get him to a specialist and if the non surgical option didn't work, i was prepared to sell my car to pay for the 16-18K worth of surgery for him. I was lucky i didnt have to sell my car and…

17Jan 2014 by myexracer

Clippity

Life with Jezebel, OTTB

[caption id="attachment_802" align="alignleft" width="225"] Gettin' clipped![/caption] Jezebel gets fuzzy. Shes got no issues growing that winter coat. Since she back in full work and with her trainer 2 days a week she really gets a work out. The other days i ride, i take it a little easier on her. Basically i'm taking it a little easier on me but the result is the same. So Jez has been getting sweaty and cooling her out takes longer. Usually I have to toss a cooler on her, wait for her to dry, blanket her in whatever weight the weather dictates and then I get to leave the barn for the day. Wait, that's after i do that two number two lovely Circe as well. So I've been wanting to clip her.…

17Jan 2014 by myexracer

Show Me Your Barn Blog Hop

Barn tales

I got this from Lauren from She Moved to Texas. I loved the idea and I really love seeing everyones barns and horse living spaces! So here's mine... Number One: A view of the barn. [caption id="attachment_778" align="alignleft" width="300"] Pulling into the driveway[/caption] We actually have two barns the main barn and the upper barn. The main barn has 10 stalls, the wash stall, a tack room, feed room and a barn apartment. She upper barn is L shaped and has 13 stalls, a tack room and a feed room. There's another apartment attached to the upper barn. Both my horses are boarded in the upper barn. They live next to each other (which i love) and all the stalls have multiple fans in the summer and there's a automatic…

14Jan 2014 by myexracer

Lazy Days

Life with Jezebel, OTTB

[caption id="attachment_774" align="alignleft" width="200"] Oh Hai[/caption] My first day back at the barn and my first day out of the house in a week. It was a warm 55 degrees, It almost felt like spring. I headed on down to the barn to see the girls, happy to be out of the house, finally! Still congested but not contagious. The girls were in their mud field just hanging out. I slogged though inches deep mud to get Jez who was laying down on a round bail. "Hello Besos" I said as I walked up to her, she didn't move just squinted at me and gave me lovey face. I love when she lets me approach when shes laying down, it shows real trust. I slipped her halter on her and…

10Jan 2014 by myexracer

Bird Flu, Ebola and the Plague

Barn tales, Life with Circe, Life with Jezebel

[caption id="attachment_766" align="alignleft" width="171"] Damn It Jim, I have the flu[/caption] I did get sick, even though i willed myself not to, yeah that didn't work. I think its the plague or maybe the bird flu. I've been home in bed unable to see the girls for days and really unable to do much of anything but lay in bed in a stupor and read Facebook on my phone. Good times. I feel lucky though that i have a great farm owner and friends down at the barn to keep their eye balls on my girls. At least i don't have to worry about them while I suffer from Ebola, or rabies or whatever debilitating bug i'm suffering from is. I was laying in bed, under the covers, unable to…