Thursday, February 22, 2018

fo' snizzabel

Aside from sitting around feeling slightly panicky bc my horse was out of commission again, I've actually mostly been chuggin right on along lately.

Mostly boring stuff, as I'm sure you've already figured out. Lots of soaking and wrapping Charlie's hoof, and lots of quality time spent grooming him in the meantime (not that he doesn't still look like a mud encrusted orphan for all my efforts....).

But I also got to do some fun stuff! Like going with my friends to Loch Moy! AND!! Going back to Isabel's barn to visit with her and get to know her new lease rider!!

had to order more vet wrap. got a sweet multi color pack. hopefully will never have to use any of it ever again ever, but if we do, at least charlie will look fabulous?
Her former lease rider M was such a great fit and did such a nice job with her (pretty sure Izzy loved M way more than she ever loved me), but ended up getting a horse of her very own last Christmas. This was great for M, but not so great for Izzy, who has been sitting idle ever since.

But she's got a new lease rider now - a college student new to the area. And naturally Isabel wanted to pull all the same tricks on this rider as she did with me during our early days all those years ago. Acting like she was feral, being a bear to bridle, and just generally giving off vibes of being a wild, spirited, untamed beast -- rather than the seasoned professional we all know her to be in reality.

also tho, seriously can not say enough of these syringes!! highly recommend!
So I got to go and visit and tell the new rider, O, all of Isabel's little secrets. Namely: if you visualize everything she does through the lens of her reclining on a chaise longue while servants fan her with palm fronds and feed her sweets and treats, all her behavior starts making a lot more sense. In other words, she's a princess.

Plus naturally there were many tips and tricks about getting the princess groomed and dressed in a manner that befits her royalty. New rider O found this very useful, having not yet been able to bridle Izamonster on her own without help. So we got that taken care of.

it's an Isabel!!!!!! with her new rider!!!
Then I also got to hop on for a little ride to see how Izzy's doing and give O some pointers. Squeeeeee Isabel!!!! 

The mare is honestly kinda a hot mess right now tho haha. Like, last lease rider M did a fabulous job with her, but hasn't ridden her in a couple months now. The mare's just been sitting. So she felt very rusty and weak. It was so cool to be on her again tho! To start moving her around, asking her to give this way and that way. To stretch and be soft, but not curl or get behind my leg.

It was tough bc we were in the small narrow (narrower than 20m) arena and the footing was really bad - deep and soupy all around the track and short ends of the arena, and Isabel protested this very much. But we couldn't really stay off the track bc then the turns all got too tight and Izzy really isn't strong enough to hold herself up in tight turns right now.

oh memories <3
We worked through it tho and I rode her for maybe 15-20min. Mostly at walk and trot, working on her straightness and pushing her out, from her natural tendency to fall in. We did a little canter tho and it was a hot mess haha. Oh Izzy. You a fancy mare, but your canter's got nothing on Charlie!!

It's funny tho -- last time I rode her, when helping M first get started, it felt like coming home again after green green Charlie. This time? She felt familiar and comfortable to me -- but no longer felt like *my* horse. Maybe bc she's so rusty, she's not really going the way I like right now? Or maybe bc Charlie has come so far in his training that now *he* is the horse who goes exactly to my liking?

Who knows, whatever the case it was fun to ride her. Fun to aim her at the little cavaletti that she jumped every time adorably even tho I only wanted her to trot it haha. But it was also just as fun to hop off and hand the reins to O, and give her a little mini lesson on Iz.

ooooh but there's my boy!! under saddle!!!!!! and out hacking too!!!!!
Bc.... as much as I love that horse, and as dear as she is to my heart, and as invested as I will probably always be in ensuring she's safe and successful with her riding partners..... She's really not my horse any more.

Ultimately, Charlie's my guy. And my feeling of "coming home again" was last night, getting to sit on him again finally after he got all his shoes put back on!! And he's basically sound!!! Yay!!!!

This was naturally so exciting to me that I hauled him filthy out of the barn, having just knocked the crusted mud off his back and picked his feet, and hopped on for our first real ride in two weeks!!! And in daylight too!! Yay!!

It was like 80* tho (weather, go home, you are drunk) so we just did a cursory w-t-c before wandering out to the xc fields to hack around in the setting sun, wading through the water and walking up and down some little banks just for shits and giggles. Yessss. Feels good, man.

32 comments:

  1. Isn't it strange when something you know because less and less familiar? It's good news that Charlie is starting to feel like home :)

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    1. yea i mean, isabel doesn't feel any less familiar - she still feels super familiar and super comfortable and i love riding her. she needs a lot of work right now tho haha, she's not tuned up the way i like a horse to be. vs charlie, who's already sorta in the zone. which is a nice change from the last time i rode the two back to back, when charlie was still so green!

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  2. Awww, so cool that you got to see/ride Isabel again! But glad that you have Charlie :)

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    1. definitely! i'm glad i still can have izzy in my life, but i'm also glad that charlie's the #1 now ;)

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  3. That feeling of it not being like home anymore.. kind of sad but also sort of right. I'm glad that Charlie is home now instead and that he's yours.

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    1. yea it definitely reaffirmed that the torch has been passed, one era ended and another has begun. overall tho it's a good thing, i think! ;)

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  4. Awww! So glad that you got to see Izzy and be able to hop on her again! And I absolutely know how you feel. I have been riding Whisper recently, but I finally hopped on Amber and "rode" her, and it was just like coming home. I think you and Charlie have been doing so well, and just like you said you'll always love Izzy, but yeah Charlie is your guy <3

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    1. it can be fun to switch around horses and try different things, and sometimes that variety is exactly what we need.... but then again nothing beats having our very own horses that ride like a favorite pair of comfy slippers!

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  5. Aww, I love that "coming home" feeling. So glad it is with Charlie for you, and that he is basically sound!!

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    1. i'm *so relieved* that charlie is getting better again finally. it figures that the problem hoof is attached to his overall problem leg, the same leg that always gonna be a little funky after some time off... so it's hard to say whether any issues from from residual soreness in the hoof or just that leg needing to be built back up again. but that's ok, we'll figure it out!

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  6. I know just what you mean by sitting in the saddle and feeling 'home'. :D

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  7. Awe, Izzy!!! Charlie has become your new horsie home. Izzy officially passed the torch so to speak.

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    1. yes she did indeed!! now i just wish i could get her set up in a more secure and permanent feeling partnership with a rider... i'll do my best tho!

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  8. I love that you can still be involved with her a little bit, even if it's just making sure she transitions to a new rider well. But in more important news, YAY CHARLIE RIDES!!

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    1. i'm so grateful that izzy's owner keeps me in the loop about what's going on with her. it helps too that my friend still runs the lesson program at that barn, and now izzy's new lease rider is taking lessons with her so i feel reassured that the horse and rider are in really good hands.

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  9. Ah yes Arabian mares (; Charlie is really one in a million though- so glad to hear he's sound now!

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    1. haha yup charlie's a special guy! and izzy too - it can take a certain amount of appreciation to understand what's going on in that mind of hers lol, but i think she and the new rider will work out just fine!

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  10. I feel ya on that "coming home" feeling... when I rode my old horse, Johnny, for the first time in 4 years it was like my butt sang opera and the muscle memory just clicked back... after not having ridden Chimi all fall b/c ya know Abscess of Doom, when I say on him for the first time my butt sang opera and I smiled b/c it felt like home :) So glad you got to ride Izzy and help out new person but even more exciting that Charlie makes you feel at home :)

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    1. ha if my butt sings opera i'm going to the doctor ;) lol seriously tho i know what you mean and am very happy to be back with charles again!!

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  11. From our many conversations about Isabel - I'm glad that you are still a part of her life even if she isn't 'your' horse or home anymore. You are an invaluable resource of all things Izzy for her lease riders and I am sure they are really thankful!

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    1. ha yea thanks, i definitely like to keep tabs on the mare. she's a very special critter and gave me so much, the least i can do is make sure things are good in her world to the best of my abilities!

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  12. So many feels in this post! *sniff*

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  13. I lost my previous horse before I got Cupid, but I still think about her a lot. The way I compare my relationships with them: Dee was my best friend growing up, and Cupid is my baby.

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    1. yea it's so wonderful how so many different horses can hold so many special places in our hearts!

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  14. Glad Izzy has a new person (Tho I m sorry her last one got a new horse, not really that is not what i mean LOL)...and glad you got to ride Charlie. I am sure O and Izzy will build a great partnership with help from you. How far is Izzy from you?

    This weather is DRUNK! You are correct LOL

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    1. yea i think O and Izzy will do just fine together - reports are that their first official lesson together was great! isabel lives about half way between me and charlie. her location was pretty perfect for getting out there often, and for hauling out to all our favorite trainers.

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  15. Aww what a really sweet feeling to have click into place about Charlie being your "home ". ❤ And I'm so so happy to hear about the shoes and soundness and riding!!! Yessssssssssss

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  16. I love that Isabel is still in your life. And also love the progression to Charlie being your horse. It's as it should be!

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