Ugh

Ugh pretty much sums up the last month or so.  Work was incredibly busy and stressful, but *fingers crossed* we should finally be back to normal (or at least fully staffed). Life with ponies at two different barns has me feeling like I'm being torn in two different directions, but that's going to change this weekend. And last but not least, winter sucks. 

When everything sucks, just hop on for a bareback toodle

Peebs and I started December off pretty well.  We had been focusing on our flat work and I felt like we were making progress.  Until I took my bridle apart to clean and condition and then screwed up putting it back together again.  I somehow swapped the cheek piece and noseband attachment on one side, causing the the top of the full cheek bit to dig into his face and didn't notice it at first. We had two really, really bad rides where Peebs just felt MAD. He was flat pissed at something and I couldn't figure out what and actually texted my trainer on the verge of tears to see if she would be willing to ride him instead of me doing a lesson. Then I thought about what happened in the space of two days between our last good ride and the bad ride and took a good look at my bridle and figured out my mistake.  Sorry Peebers!!

Cinder modeling her new big girl halter

In our first, and so far only, lesson this year Peebs took great exception to the puddles in TCF's arena and at one point ran my leg into a standard rather than trot through the puddle. I then got off and put my spurs on and we had a slight CTJ about moving off my leg. He then had a meltdown about my spurs and our lesson was spent almost entirely at the trot, but our rides since then have been good. He's more responsive and attentive, and I've been able to put the spurs away for now. We haven't been consistent in our schooling at all in the past couple of weeks, but hopefully that will change.  Peebs is moving back to TCF this weekend. One of the boarded horses at TCF had to be put down and Peebs is taking that stall. It will be so nice to have the ponies back together again.

Princess pony loves the new hog fuel footing at the pasture entrances

Temperature wise, it's been a fairly mild winter. But we've gotten a lot of rain, and a fair amount of wind. Cinder's feet have had a hard time coping with the moisture. Last winter she didn't have turnout in the pasture, just the arena, and this year she's out 6-10 hours a day. She's also growing out some not so great hoof from when she had her big allergy attack last spring and we were switching up her diet trying to figure out what she could/would eat. All that combined has lead to her chipping off chunks of hoof, sore feet, and her first abscess. Luckily my farrier was able to come out the day after I suspected she had an abscess and dig it out. Cin was not a fan of having her hoof soaked, but surprisingly didn't chew off her hoof wrap. I've started painting her feet with Keratex as she's still a little tender footed. Next winter I'll start that sooner and hopefully she'll have better feet all around.