What We've Been Doing Photo Dump

What have we been up to in the past couple weeks?  Not a whole lot and some big changes at the same time. 

Not impressed with new bit, but look at that foam!

First up, I switched McKenna's bit.  She was in a French link D-ring but was quite heavy in my hand not at all prone to listening to half halts with us.  We were doing some trot poles and after the second time of blasting through both them and my hands I figured we needed something more.  She's got a cob sized head and wears a 4.75" bit.  I've had a hell of a time trying to find bits in that size that aren't plain/French link snaffles or big twisted/waterfords/gag type bits that I don't really want her in right now.  She's also very mouthy and I wanted something that would keep her entertained, as it were.

So I bought a 5" double jointed snaffle with a copper roller and those rubber bit guards to help prevent it from sliding around.  While she was very not happy with it for our first couple rides, she's gotten better and not only listens to my hands but doesn't seem as hard mouth as before.

She haz all the cute

We've also had some use of our Christmas presents, some more than others.  We had a week or so of cold temps and got to try out our new quarter sheet.  I was kinda worried that she's freak over being ridden and having it flap around, but she was fine.  Since then its been warm and we haven't had to use it.  I also got a Swanky Saddle script name plate for the back of my saddle but it didn't come till after Christmas.  I've never had a name plate before, and I'm not super into monogramming all the things (I know I know) but I loved these the first time I saw them.

As for our other big changes, my truck died yet again almost exactly a year since it died the first time.  Apparently my electrical system likes to break down.  I told my mom after last year's fiasco (it ended up taking almost 2 months to get my truck fixed) that I wasn't going through this again and she agreed that it's time to start looking for a new truck.  So hopefully I'll have a new to me 3/4 ton truck sitting in my car port soon.

RIP little Red. On the plus side I wasn't hysterically sobbing on the phone to my mom this time

The biggest change of them all (and I'm a bad bad blogger because I forgot to take pics) is that I've moved Phoenix out of the barn and into a new retirement home.  He's happy and fine hanging out in a stall at my barn, but it would be better for his arthritis to have turnout and be able to move around.  My BO is good friends with out dental vet (PO) and I've gotten to know her and her husband pretty well too.  They have her retired horses (3 of them) at their house, with a big run in barn and individual paddocks.  In the summer they can all go out together in the big field.  Unfortunately PO had to put one of her horses down and was looking for another companion because the other two are old and she wants to have another horse there in case one of them goes downhill.  She called my BO who suggested Phoenix.  We worked out boarding terms (small board payment, me paying for his hay and farm sitting if/when PO and hubby go on vacation) and moved Phoenix over on Saturday.  He walked off the trailer, spent about a minute trotting around the paddock, sniffed noses with one of the others and then started eating his hay.  He even let the other horse reach over the fence and steal hay without caring.  I haven't heard anything so I'm assuming all is still going well.

I am seriously going to miss seeing him everyday and being able to take adorably cute pics like this