Back in the saddle

It's been a week since I've ridden. I've been fighting knee pain and finally broke down and made an appointment with an orthopaedic specialist. Definitely looking for non-surgical solutions, that's for sure!!!

I've been at the barn twice a day for the last couple of days - in the morning working with Daniel and again in the evening to help feed and bring in horses (Margaux usually helps but has out of town guests).

I took two Aleve and went out to ride today :-) I only rode about 45 minutes, at a walk, in the indoor, but it felt OK. I needed ice when I got home but I wasn't dying :-)

Daniel's doing great with just the snaffle. We did some turns on the haunches, because we need the on the trails, on occasion! But really just focused on leg yields, staying on the rail and he took good care of me, as always!!

Running back out tonight to help feed - I have to try to get some video of the 8 geldings cantering up the hill to get their dinner :-) Yesterday, Daniel led the charge!! Yes, a Percheron led a herd of OTTBs and a Hanovarian!!

Graduating to skipping a month!

Dawn's letting me graduate, and she's not coming back until mid-January!! I'm a little scared, but happy at the same time :-).

I am still having knee problems, so much so that I buckled down and made an appointment with an Orthopaedic Dr. I see him on Friday. Because of the knee, I didn't ride today. I just brought Daniel in, Dawn checked my work, and I put his rainsheet on him and turned him back out.

I came back about 4 to help bring the horses in. They were all unsettled because deer season (rifle) started and the gunshots had the horses a little worried. But, Jill and I got them all in. All except for Charlie. Jill calls him "Dumb Dumb" so he's not the brightest bulb there! We left Charlie out. I went out to him and tried to lead him in, but he was a bit wigged out and didn't want to follow me up to the barn.

I'm meeting my Masters Capstone advisor tomorrow, so I'm not sure I'll get back out tomorrow... But I'm hoping to ride a little on Sunday :-)

OMG the GEESE!

They were everywhere today!! Such stupid animals, I was on top of them before they sounded the alrm and flew off. - could have taken out 5 or 6 of them if I wanted to!!

He must have been rolling in the mud because one side of him was dirty. I groomed him and picked out his hooves, and then Lourdes and Brendan stopped out. I was glad they finally got to meet the big guy!

They both had a quick ride (of course, Daniel just wanted to follow me), then I had a quick ride on him, and we went to grab lunch. He still is in his snaffle!! What a good boy!

Quick trip afterwork

Made a quick trip to the barn after picking up the dogs after work. They ran in the barn aisle with the Rover Labs. :-)

Of course, I had a couple carrots for Daniel and he was mugging right through the opening in the bars for more!

I topped off his two water buckets and mucked his stall before I headed to a friend's house to look at new puppies!! I'll be back to ride him on Saturday!

Gorgeous November Day!

Mid-November and it was a GORGEOUS day!! Yesterday, I just trimmed D's hooves. I had to run out so Margaux and Sue rode him :-)

Today, after meeting Eileen and Linda for lunch, I told Eileen that I was going to ride after and she said that her daughter would love to see Daniel. So, I gave her directions and told them to meet me there.

I got there and picked hooves, brushed him and tacked him up. We rode in the outdoor. I've been having lots of trouble with my knee, so I took it easy, just walking and a little bit of trotting, until Eileen and Maddy arrived. Maddy and her friend Hailey got pony rides on Daniel, then helped groom him before I turned him out.

With all of the rain lately, I MTG'd his feathers and sprayed tea tree oil on his hooves to work on anything tht may be brewing in there.

I told the girls that all the TV shows where people show up at the barn, then leave all without a speck of dirt on them is a lie :-) that horses are a LOT of work. Eileen said that they wanted to do horse camp this summer and was telling them how much work it was. I told them that it might be good for them: if they still like horses after seeing how much work it is, then great!!! If they decided it wasn't for them, then they only invested a week to find out... They didn't go buy all the gear, or worse, buy them a horse! And decide it's not for them.

Did a trail ride with a snaffle

Didn't get a chance to post over the weekend, but I was at the barn on Saturday and didn't ride. I had to go late, so I took the dogs, helped feed, and the dogs played with Margaux's dogs while we worked with the horses. All of the horses, except mine, ran up to the gate for their food. So, I stood there. I called him and waved his grain bag in the air. And called him again. After a minute or so of this, he walked across the pasture to me. Hell, I know it was for the food, but still! It was progress! Margaux had me cracking up - she said Daniel must have been thinking, "Hey! Give the grain bag to the little one!! She walks it over to me!! She brings me my food!" I'm not there that often to feed, but I'm going to make him come to me if he wants to eat.

Sunday was a GREAT day! I met Carol at the barn, and we took Daniel and Cayuga for a trail ride. I was trying to put Daniel's pelham back on his bridle, so I'd have more brakes out on the trail, but I had problems with it. So, I left the snaffle on. He's been awful with the snaffle outdoors, and I've been working with him because I'd rather ride with just a snaffle instead of a curb.

He was being bratty when I tried to mount up - there were cars parked all over in the area where we mount up, plus there were leaf blowers running all over the place, so he was dancing all over the place. I ended up getting on him from the wagons by the outdoor.

We set off across the field by the outdoor, then up Mark and Ann's driveway to the neighboring field. We trotted the field, and circled back along the field. Carol asked if I wanted to go back the same way, or cut through the trails, and we opted to go to the trails. As we walked along behind Mark and Ann's, the horses there galloped, snorted and charged the fence. Daniel and Cayuga were both really well behaved!!! And my boy only had a snaffle!!

He crossed the creek off the trails (which were pretty steep in places), and crossed the creek again at the base of the geldings' field. We walked back up to the barn. All in a snaffle! Yay Daniel!!

He was SOAKED and luckily, it was 70 degrees, so I hosed him off, scraped him, and trimmed his hooves while he dried. We waited for Robin and her some Jacob to come for a visit. Jake is 3 and visits a horse in their neighborhood. He got a kick out of a tour of the farm, the barn, and petting Daniel. We went to take Daniel back out to the field, and the boys put on a show for him - running, bucking, snorting and stomping. They mugged for carrots at the fence too. Donnie bit Daniel in the rear and he even tried to do a little buck, too!

This week, I'm so swamped with work and school that I won't be back out to the barn until Saturday morning. I'm bummed!!! I wish I were able to get there a couple nights this week!

Saturday isn't coming fast enough!!!!