A New Beginning

Kaylee

We gave Dixie (the bay mare) back to Josh. She had compressed heels and it was going to take her awhile to recover. So now we are going to look into getting an Arab cross. He is 29 but he acts like a young horse. Erin is going to take him to her house first and after we see if he is good or not he will come to my house. I am very excited to give another horse a chance but will miss Dixie dearly.

First Day of Summer

Erin

Hey everyone!! It's the first day of summer and I figured our blog needed a new template.

I have some very exciting news. We have been granted permission to use the barn apartments at the farm I work at down the street. This means we will be able to watch movies while eating popcorn and drinking cold soda, and having a nice porch to sit on at night to watch the stars and listen to the sound of horses eating their dinner. The apartments are nice and cozy, with two beds in one room and two more in the other. We are aloud to move around mattresses and beds as we like, so we can all be in the same room. Now all we need is a sleepover party!!!

Also, I wanted to write about how nice it is to go for a fun gallop through the fields on my favorite pony, just like in years before. The only thing that has changed is I am taller, and Maybelle has stayed the same size. I am dreading the day when I truly outgrow her, but hopefully that wont be for a while. It's so fun and exhilarating to run into the paddock, through a bridle on your pony's head, and jump on, barefoot and bareback. Then all I need to do is jump the stone wall, and we're off, whizzing around the edge of the fields. There's this one spot where I used to race my friend (she rode her four wheeler) and every time we hit it Maybelle picks up even more speed and we fly up the hill with me whooping and putting my arms out like a bird. There's nothing like going for a run on your pony. :)

Some disappointing news

Indra writes about Coach again

Today our vet came out to do Coach's teeth and I also had her look at his inflamed ankle that was particularly large and swollen today. She had me trot him up and down the driveway and then checked out his ankle. It turned out to be a fused joint. Not good. At all. She tried to flex it but couldn't and then had be trot him up and down again. The lameness was even worse! He was hobbling down the driveway like his ankle was throbbing. It probably was. Amy concluded that I couldn't do any more jumping and had to ride him at least four times a week six or seven would be better. I can only do light work with him meaning walk trot. A ten minute walk more up followed my five to ten minute walk and trot session. Bad news comes with the good. He has been an angel and I am so happy that this isn't worse.

Same but Different

Indra writes about Coach

I have been working with Coach for a little while now. I started with groundwork and have moved up to riding him. A few days ago I had a pretty good ride consisting of walk trot and jump in both directions. He wouldn't canter. I was still very pleased with the way he had changed. Over the winter he turned into the grouchy old man, but is now breaking out of that and is the super fun pre-teen.

Today I decided to ride him again and had the same sort of ride but even better! We started out walking and then worked up to a trot. Unlike his companion Allegro Coach has one of the smoothest trots I have ever ridden. After trotting in both directions I cantered to the left. Like his trot his canter is also wonderful. I cantered to the left and to the right before jumping. We did some jumping over the 12" vertical cantering over it to the right and trotting it to the left. After about 20 minutes my mom came out and started to film some of my ride. The black flies started to get really bad and he wasn't fly sprayed so he was pretty agitated(that included bucking and head shaking, not to get me off but to get the bugs off.) After about another 10 minutes I headed in and realized how happy I was that I didn't give up on him. He is amazing. Maybe he will come to some shows or gymkhanas this summer. I don't know. It depends on what happens. We may end up being champions.