Looking Forward 2016

My main goal of 2016: Buy a new pony!! Everything else, shows, clinics, lessons, my life, is going to be on hold till that happens.

Only current source of horsepower 

McKenna left on Sunday and for the first time in almost 16yrs I don't have a horse. It's very weird to not have to go to the barn every day, to not think about who is going to take care of her when I'm on vacation (currently visiting family in NorCal), and not trying to plan lessons or what our riding schedule will be for the week. 

I had planned to look at a horse while down visiting my family but the seller never emailed me back. But there is a gelding about an hour from home that looks promising so when I get back trainer and I will try to coordinate schedules to go look at him. Another girl in the barn has been horse shopping for a few months now and she and trainer have weeded out a few I was potentially interested in. A is looking for her first horse so she needs more of a packer while I don't but we'll probably be looking at a few of the same ponies. But pony shopping for others is just as much fun as pony shopping for yourself. 

It's a Christmas Miracle!

McKenna's vet check didn't go so well. Their vet said she tested positive with the hoof testers on her front feet. And in his report the vet said it was possible navicular and he recommended X-rays. They didn't want to put that money into her and backed out.

 I was a little pissed that he went right to a possible worst case scenario when it could be a dozen different things. I know her feet are super soft right now from all the rain, and my farrier said almost all the horses he's done lately have been that way and some have been tender footed because of it. She doesn't look lame when I lunge her and feels fine under saddle. I'm also not super fond of this vet as I used him years ago and he butchered Phoenix's teeth so I'm trying not to hold that against him.

I dropped her price because I WANT HER GONE and even posted to Instagram and FB that I was willing to give her away. My mom, who has offered to help finance my next pony, told me to give her away and not worry about the money.  They saw the post, and thought it over, and said they'd take her home if I was serious about giving her away. I thought it over and I know they're a good home and considering I got her for free I thought it was fitting that I pass her on for free. So they'll call me tomorrow and we'll work the finer point out.

I'm just so happy to have her gone. As much as I like her on the ground and her personality and her talent but I absolutely dislike riding her. I don't have to dread riding her or feel guilty for not riding her anymore.

What We've Been Up To

So I haven't blogged in over 7 months.  Oops.  Last winter was way overwhelming, between work, managing the barn while my BOs were gone, seasonal depression, trying to work my horses, and just life in general. I just had to shut down for a while.  The barn situation has vastly improved; my BO stopped the lesson/college program we had so now I don't have to run herd on 10 immature college girls.  My trainer is still coming out and doing lessons, but just for boarders and very select leasees. Work is slowly getting better, as of Oct 1st I got a promotion and the coworker I can't stand is leaving at the end of the month. 

But they make everything better

The biggest thing to happen during our hiatus was I sold Buddy.  We had been schooling 3' at home, and even showed in the .95m jumpers at one show in the spring, but it was too much for him.  Between the college girls riding him and me, he was working 5-6 days a week, but was getting tired and cranky at the bigger heights.  Discussing my long term goals with my trainer (show at 3', start doing some rated shows again, maybe the 3' jumper classic they added to the last A show of the season here in Oregon) we  both thought it would just be too much for Bud. He's 18, but has lots of life left in the lower divisions.  And I have McKenna, who is young and should be more than capable of doing the 3' jumpers.

Bud and his leasee won their first eventing derby at intro.

I had listed Bud on a local FB page and DreamHorse, and had some hits.  We were going to a show, hauling up and schooling Friday and showing Saturday and I had two people lined up to try him at schooling.  Two other people came up to me at schooling asking about him.  Both women trying him were looking for lesson horses, one for her friend outside Seattle and one in Portland.  Both loved him.  The Portland one asked for a trial, and mentioned that I was going to have a bidding war over him since everyone seemed to love him.  Then the Seattle lady came to me with a checkbook out and asked how much I wanted for a deposit.  She had loved him and called her friend and they wanted to buy him on the spot.  I was completely surprised and shocked.  They wrote up a contract, and after our classes on Saturday I dropped him off at the friend's farm where he stayed for a few days before going up to Seattle.  They also payed me more than what I was asking.  It was very surreal, and considering it was my first time selling a horse it went way faster and easier than I ever thought.  I've done some FB/Instagram/YouTube stalking and Buddy has been leased to a young teenager who adores him and is showing him in the 2'6" jumpers. 

Morning I sold him, my last pic of him.

As far as the other ponies, Phoenix has been officially retired.  His side bone on his right front started making itself know again and despite injecting it he was still off. My vet was out a few weeks after we injected and asked about him and flat told me it was time to retire him.  So he's been hanging out all summer getting fat and sassy.  I took him to a friend's who has five acres and a run in to live with a couple of my BO's retired horses but Phoenix bullied them too much and had to come back to the barn.  Which was a good thing; two weeks after coming back he developed cellulitis in his left hind.  He was lamer than I've ever seen, his leg swelled up at least twice it's normal size, couldn't move his hock at all, and almost fell down multiple times.  I was convinced he wasn't going to make it. But five days of twice daily penicillin shots and bute and he was back to normal. 

Day 2 of cellulitis

McKenna has continued her progress, but it still squarley in the baby stage.  She's matured and isn't nearly as ADD as she once was. She's trotting very nicely (most of the time) but our canter still leaves a lot to be desired.  We have started jumping some small crossrails and verticals, just trotting, and she's loving it.  Hasn't looked or cared at anything I've put in front of her, including a brick wall plank and the flower boxes.  Our biggest issue is that she's very smart and tend to get bored and naughty so I have to keep switching things up and changing our ride every time so she doesn't get used to a routine.

I'm going to try and get back into the swing of blogging.  I've started a blog for McKenna but haven't decided if I'll use it or use this one.