Not gonna lie, the last few weeks have been just a touch intense around here. Between a few important projects at work, setting up the competition xc courses at Shawan Downs (and then actually competing there for Doozy's 2nd proper 3-phase HT, omg), plus hosting a friend in town for that same weekend... And then, obvi, moving the horses to entirely new barns...
quarantine life is what it is, but the promise of so much grass to come is very real!!!
It's been a lot. At times, even a little bit overwhelming, truth be told.
lot of redundant photos today bc our first few days followed similar patterns: LOTS of hand grazing!
But it's also been very very good. My courses at Shawan rode fine, and I learned a lot along the way -- with really useful feedback from people who, uh, actually know things.
new patterns, too, tho! doozy moved on tuesday, and by thursday was under saddle again!
And the horse moves have been legitimately GREAT! It's so hard to know what to expect, to transition into entirely new environments after years in one place.
"selfie" lol
Tho, one thing is for sure --- I've ridden at a LOT of different barns, and drawn paychecks from quite a few too, and it is a proven fact that there are many good ways to keep horses. Everybody does it a little differently, everybody has their preferences. But... Ya know, mostly it all works out!
i feel SO GUILTY about her dry little quarantine paddock surrounded by grass, so we graze a LOT
Safe shelter / turnouts, clean water, good food and forage... Not to mention maybe a few nice amenities for the intrepid rider (whether that be nice arenas or extensive trails!)... And ya know. You've got yourself a good horsey life!
the neighbors are nice and visit often
We've been extra lucky too in feeling extremely welcomed. Doozy, for her part, settled in basically immediately. She kinda just looked around and was like, "Yep ok, I live here now!" lol...
we graze all over the farm, tho! note -- that topmost background field to the left, if you look closely it's dotted with little logs and xc jumps!! our future awaits us!
For real, it's so funny... Charlie is my best boy. Always and forever. But.... welllll... He can be more than a little neurotic at times, LOL.
for now, tho, hand walkies and grazies!
At first I was grateful that he moved first, bc it took him a little time to settle in. And I felt it was a good reminder for me to be prepared for anything with Doozy. But Doozy was just like, "Meh, nbd!" and has since literally gotten right back to work again haha.
second ride on the farm was another success!
Nothing against Charlie, obvi, he's the best. But he just always needs a little hand holding, he feels everything at an 11 (out of 10)... Sometimes the vapors get to him, ya know? Poor soul!
she's getting used to the grooming bays!
Doozy has been great, tho. And it's been good to get back into a normal routine. We both benefit from that, I think.
please note: there are kitties <3
So we've kinda eased back into a daily riding routine. I wasn't entirely sure what to expect, given that Doozy's last ride was running xc at Jenny Camp, lol, but go figure, she was a professional.
another day, another few grassy mouthfuls before being consigned to the Q paddock
We kept it to just walk-trot the first ride anyway, tho. Rome wasn't built in a day, and all that. Or something haha. I just figured we could familiarize without a ton of pressure.
ooooooh but there are also friends!!!
But by the second ride, she was clicking on all cylinders and we did a proper school. And then for the third ride, we actually got to enjoy some company, when friend Sandra stuck around after a ride to hang out with us and get to know Doozy!
shoutout to Sandra, who snagged some footage from our third ride!!
Doozy apparently appreciated the audience bc she was legit foot perfect for this ride! Like, who knew, but this mare **can** actually trot, omg!
can't wait for more lessons with someone who will remind me to sit up, chin up!
She just went through all her paces in an orderly polite fashion, including some nice canters and even a couple little jompies omg!
ok sometimes i remember to sit up myself. the neck staring tho, oof LOL
And obvi I was tickled to get some footage too --- Doozy's always been so interesting bc she doesn't always look how she feels. And it's anybody's guess what I might be doing with my position in any given moment haha...
ok for real, tho, doozy was legit low key strutting in this ride, so so good, i think she was showing off for Sandra!
It's all good, tho. Maybe even better than good -- considering we might finally be getting the opportunity for more consistent coaching and oversight.
So it's all good around here. Business as usual. Well. Almost haha.
oooh and in big news: a new neighbor in quarantine! cute little 3yo Morgan mare, and they'll likely buddy up for eventual herd introductions <3
The next big milestone will be getting Doozy integrated into her new herd, hopefully in about another week or so. I've already met some of the other mares, tho, and they're lovely.
so much happier with her new neighbor! onward!!
It won't be a day too soon, tho, either haha --- Doozy's one and only complaint is having to cope with the little dry lot paddock they use for quarantine. She is, in fact, coping tho. Just a few more days, princess, and you'll get there!
In the meantime, we're looking toward a bit of a heat wave this week so it'll probably be pretty quiet, all things considered. Hope you all had a nice weekend too, and are staying cool!
A few of you who have coped with keeping horses at different barns shared how, in some ways, it made the time with the retired horse more special and intentional.
picturesque -- looking across from charlie's paddock #3, over to #2 and #1 in the far distance
I can officially confirm --- that's definitely the case with Charlie these days!
look at all that grass tho!
I've been diligent about keeping the same high frequency visit schedule he's accustomed to... Bc we all know how needy he can be LOL. For years now I've been hypersensitive to his needs, keeping him groomed religiously lest he try sticking yet another limb through another fence...
chart not to scale, obvi, and paddocks rotate often. charlie and avi have since moved in with Dom in #5, yay friends!
Go figure, tho. At this new farm, with a higher degree of land management, and a turnout schedule in sync with weather conditions... The horse is suddenly... Just having a better time of things. He's less crusty and grimy from sweat. And wayyyyy less bug eaten. We likey!
stalls are quite large with lots of ventilation and fans
He's easing into the routine, too. Change is hard. Horses fucking hate change. And in a weird way, I'm glad that I had to move Charlie first, and get that reminder with my best boy that... Actually, there's an adjustment period and the horse will be stressed.
it's a traditional rustic style barn, a lot of horses have lived here over the years
Charlie and Avi were a bit co-dependent and attached for the first week or so, as can be expected. But I kept up with the daily visits, including pulling Charlie out for grooming sessions, despite their mutual protests at separation.
cute grooming bay!
And ya know. They get better. Routine is a helluva drug, even if it's just for low key grooming sessions. Plus, the boys have since graduated to having a third in their group! All the better, as far as I'm concerned, esp since Avi is still a working riding horse and needs to be able to come and go without causing mayhem.
charlie likes being able to spy on the paddocks out the doorway
The paddocks at this farm are so communal, tho, they're all nestled right up against each other, with really clear lines of sight in almost every direction. So it's almost like two bigger herds on either side of the barn, just with fence lines in between them all.
outdoor ring comes with a view!
The people have been wonderful so far, too. Really great vibes, really friendly energy. It's hard to know what to expect coming into a smaller barn --- I've honestly only ever really done big barns. But this just seems like a cool place with people who just love their horses.
attached indoor is modest in scale, but has a lot of natural light and modern fiber footing
Riding remains off the table for Charlie at present, as he's been a little unsound. Tho, mercifully, there appears to be a direct and simple explanation for his current woes --- a touch of thrush under one of his leather pads.
three's company!! out in #5 here
It's been a weird spring, with strange swings from wet conditions to very very dry conditions, then a torrent, then dry again... I imagine the bacteria in the dirt is doing all sorts of funny things. It's apparently the year of La Niña? Sorta strange weather patterns.
avi is a little co-dependent still, but charlie is a lot more zen with the extra friend. also look at this nice stone dust footing in high traffic gate areas!
A bunch of horses I know all came up with hoof complaints right around the same time, so I'm chalking it up to that.
even the halters get a nice house <3
I've been treating with Thrush Buster since that's.... what I already had lol. But I'm never sure if it's particularly strong medicine, tbh. Most folks I know who have dealt with significant thrush seem to gravitate toward Tomorrow, the mastitis treatment. I have some on order so will switch to that when it arrives, and might also ask my farrier about ditching Charlie's leather pads at his upcoming appt.
meanwhile, bc charlie will be charlie, our latest little 'ding' is a touch of thrush....
I never love soaking a hoof with the pads anyway, so hopefully we'll just have more options overall. Lmk if you have any go-to remedies for thrush too!
homeboy is looking handsome, tho!
He also possibly has another weird little summer sore on his LH pastern too... Sorry I didn't grab a pic of it. It's another weird sorta crusty / weepy / circular wound that just isn't behaving totally normally, and the flies were going nuts over it.
i'm enjoying the extra time dedicated just to him <3 <3
Tho, I'm not entirely sure since it went 24hrs without weeping after a betadine scrub and treatment with Swat... But I went ahead and ordered two tubes of moxidectin anyway, one for an oral dose and the other for topical treatment. Probably won't hurt, right?
and he's enjoying his well kept grassy paddocks and tidy automatic waterers! this view is looking across from #5 back to #3 (see the shed), past the attached indoor visible middle left
So yea, that's basically the state of things with Charlie right now. I'm feeling pretty positive about his arrangements, and more hopeful than ever that maybe we can get in some toodling if at all possible.
somehow managed to pack all my remaining junk... once both horses are settled in and i have a feel for each of the boarding barns, i'll get serious about thoroughly reviewing inventory to split between locations. for now, it's all in the truck and trailer....
managed to fit in a last-minute dentist appt too!! gotta keep checkin off all them boxes, amirite? much better to get this done in the comfort of 'home' and not need to think about it for another 10months...
morning appts ran early so doozy spent her last 45min at this farm in a paddock with a pony friend
flash forward to a little bit later and --- we've arrived!
settled in with a little hand grazing! mare will spend a week or two in solo quarantine, so she'll need a lot of attention in the meantime
those nostrils omg haha
the farm is enormous with hacking everywhere --- see the little lane going up over the hill?
stalls are nice!
have window, will peep
two main barn aisles are connected by grooming bays in the middle and end
middle bay also fitted for washing
yep, looks like a barn!
tack room cubbies come complete with little box. this will be an adjustment after years in a full locker lol
pretty sure all my stuff can fit nicely, will just need to be a little creative! ideas welcome!
onto the riding facilities --- it's a short walk to the first indoor!
and slightly longer short walk to the second indoor
outdoor ring is cute too!! sorry just snapped a shot on my way out the driveway, but obvi we'll see more of this soon! there are also little logs and xc jumps in a back field <3 <3
