First up: surprise surprise, it’s mid August and the mare has early signs of rainrot, again, ughhhh
i really thought we were past the worst of the season, but am determined to not be caught flat footed — so we did another chlorhex scrub-a-dub
lol, only did half the mare tho bc natch the *day* after our big show, the weather turned mild and cool. cross your fingers for us that we started treatment quickly enough!
ooh and Item #2, perhaps, in the grand scheme, a *slightly bigger deal, ymmv, my (un)trusty craigslist #redneckmobilestarted making HORRENDOUS noises on the way to Waredaca this weekend…. The drive home was, uh, stressful to say the least.
mechanic literally heard me pull into his lot and met me at the door with a quart of power steering fluid. all things considered, not as bad as I feared. hopefully we can keep the voracious beast quenched with topping off the fluids until we can get in for our scheduled repair appt!
That’s my drama for the week…. anybody else got any carnage going on?
Happy hump day, y’all. How about a nice selection of printed pro pics from Loch Moy, yes? Pictures chosen on the strength of just how damn happy I look, like I’m actually having fun competing — even if we aren’t exactly doing it ‘picture’ perfectly.
pictured: so proud of this little mare
absolutely cruisin’ around show jumping in 77 seconds omg haha
yes yes one day i’ll learn to put my hands down, but omg look at us lockin’ on and going to our fences!
wheeeee jompies!!!
what a mare <3 <3 already looking forward to the next time!
Ok… less “wordless” and more “word-lite” but you get the idea lol.
I *think* we are maybe finally (hopefully?) finished with arctic blasts for the year!! And with dusk pushing past 6pm, we’re finally transitioning to full-time outdoor riding again!! Woohoo!!
Doozy would like you to know that this pleases her very much. And sure, she still had a few moments of “airs above ground” in our most recent ride… But ya know, they were joyful airs, ahem.
And besides, she’d like to point out she wasn’t the *only* naughty one in the ring lol…
The ponies were having their first outdoor ride of the season too and were full of alllllll sorts of dance moves lol… These are some good riding kids tho so giggles were had by all!
And anyway. Who can blame the horses for feeling a little fresh when the air is literally perfumed with the earliest scents of growing grass??
It’s not spring *yet* but if you squint hard enough at the distant trees, you can almost imagine that lovely haze of pale green that will surely emerge in the coming weeks!
And actually — a barn mate just sent me a photo she took of us last summer and oh man… All that green, I *cannot wait* omg. Also lol…. When I say Doozy is a “busy” sort of horse, this is what I mean haha.
She’s a good girl, tho! Actually seeing the vet today for spring shots and coggins, and actually her first proper “holistic wellness check-in” — a full exam to include flexions etc. and any other baseline imaging the vet considers useful. Sorta like a post-(but like, really post)-purchase exam. It’s something I used to do for Charlie roughly twice a year just to stay on top of things and get ready for the season ahead. Wish us luck!
Y'all already know I'm a glutton for riding media, esp from horse shows! So in addition to everything I posted on Monday, there are also helmet cam videos from our jumping phases at Loch Moy :)
not a bad POV in my opinion lol!
Maybe it's just me, but I kinda like seeing the ride from both perspectives -- from the traditional ringside view, but also from the first person perspective.
While the helmet cam can smooth over little mistakes like funky distances and obvi doesn't show any rider position flaws etc, it does give more insight into some of the grittier ride details. Like line of travel, straightness, the relative forward momentum and flow from jump to jump...
Sometimes I can see things in these videos that I didn't notice in real time, but that maybe are kinda important or indicating underlying problems etc. Like that time with Charlie at Full Moon where he wasn't actually reading the string-line fencing around the sj ring that I treated as if it were an actual wall... So without even realizing it, I had to yank him around every corner at the last minute, completely disrupting our rhythm. And then, whoops!, I fell off. It wasn't until I watched that video that it was more clear what had happened, ya know?
So anyway. Yea I like studying the videos LOL! Tho again, Doozy was so perfect this last weekend, not much to pick apart here <3
I'm literally still kicking myself for forgetting the camera at home when we went to Jenny Camp earlier this summer haha.... But it's all good, this trip more than makes up for it!
It wasn't a long course -- only 9 fences over probably only like 700m if I had to guess... But it was perfect <3
Anyway. Happy hump day everybody! We're shifting gears around here to dive into all things Maryland 5*, starting with the Young Event Horse Championships tomorrow. Stay tuned for more soon!
It's been raining cats and dogs around here all week. Tho, obvi, not nearly to the same catastrophic degree as our friends in Western North Carolina and other hard-Helene-hit areas for sure. My thoughts are with everybody impacted from the storm.
We're mostly just soggy around here. And mostly confined to the indoor for our rides... Except when the sun came out and Doozy and I were able to escape for a little jaunt about the fields!
most of the barnyard pathways are maintained with mulch -- making for a quite reliable surface even when mushy!
doozy was feeling quite bold about the little bridle paths around paddocks <3
then back up the familiar hillside for some low impact conditioning. one day i swear we will jump these jumps!
it's so pretty out here -- the hills are no joke tho!
doozy enjoys hacking out regardless, but everything is better with snack breaks <3
it can't always be endless circles in the sandbox!
following the lanes back home to the barn
downside of rain tho -- more rain rot ugh!
ah well. it's still my favorite season! and the grass is grateful for a little moisture!
and hopefully the conditions hold up bc i'm finally hoping to take advantage of some volunteer credits before they expire!!
"how could you do this to me, tho??" -- charlie, definitely trying to hide how much he loves getting fussed over haha
still a handsome horse, tho, chuck!!
"i'll see myself out :( "
probably commiserating on the difficult life they lead LOL
unrelated. enjoy some gifs from volunteering at fair hill last weekend! here's a shot of the USEA Volunteer Program's first gold medal winner -- 2,000 recorded hours wow. (my thoughts on this program remain unchanged, for those curious)
Sally Cousins & Wizard sailing through the Intermediate coffin complex
Laine Ashker & Call Him Paddy make easy work of the Prelim coffin
why go all the way to Paris when the Olympians are right in your back yard??? here's Boyd Martin & Joey Fiddlesticks on the Modified track
Caroline Pamukcu & HSH Sebastion wrapped up our day in the Training division
I'm doing a lot less volunteering this year now that I actually have a riding horse, omg haha. Ya know. The whole "Keep the Main Thing, the Main Thing" deal. But it's still fun to get out to my favorite venues once a month!
Might actually be jussst enough to button up my bronze ranking (500 hours at recognized events) in the Volunteer Medal Program!! Gotta get that pin and certificate, yo.... lol....
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
