New Start

I had my first lesson with Meghan today.  I have my work cut out for me with Ink.  And I believe these lessons will continue every week.  She, Meghan, even told me to come out possibly Monday to take a lesson at the barn she bases her training at, to ride on of her school horses so I can feel what I am trying to get out of Ink.  Two lessons a week, yeeeehaw! 

Meghan is an honest type of instructor, an attribute I find relieving and challening. 

What is it that we worked on with Ink?  Well she says he needs to build muscle before attempting collection (I learned, common sense) and we need to encourage forward movement.  To make him work through his whole body.  Incase you haven’t read from previous entries, Ink isn’t the most forward ex-race horses.  We are going to switch his bit and get front shoes on him. 

Let’s not let Ink hog all the spotlight..  I did throw a leg over Errika today!  I’ve missed being on her back so much, and I enjoyed riding my little firecracker again.  Needless to say she is stiff and rusty a little bit, but hopefully with time she’ll be back to normal.  My project horse #2.  The neat thing is I get a little break from the night and day of each horse.  Ink that slooow one and Errika the hot, very forward one.  I do enjoy both, but differently.  I tend to like the more hot horses, but at the same time I like riding the big guy.  I have respect for both “types” and what each of them offer.  You could fry Errika’s brain so easy if you go too fast, but Ink is the opposite. 

Holidays with Horses

Hello everyone, sorry I have not updated in a while.  Thanksgiving was great, got to see the family and most importantly celebrate my grandpa’s birthday.  Was it the 91st or 92nd?  I made my Grandpa home-made fudge, peanut brittle and my personal favorite homemade milk chocolate truffles rolled in cocoa.  Yummy! 

 On Friday we came home, and Matt decided to buy me my birthday present early.  A new helmet =).  Unfortunately it’s hard to buy these types of gifts when you don’t know the person’s size.  I had been wanting a GPA since they came out two years ago, but they aren’t the cheapest thing to buy.  Both Matt and his parents pitched in for my present.  It just so happened that at the tack shop they only had one left.  It was the velvet Titium and it fit me perfect.  I was so excited but a little overwhelmed at the same time. 

On Saturday we went to our friend’s wedding.  We drove four hours there and four hours back the same day.  I had the cutest outfit to wear!  The next day however I was sick.  I had a tummy ache and spent the whole day in bed.  The next day I felt better, so I rode for a little bit.  Today both my mom and I still have a little bit of an upset stomach. 

To get up to date more so, I am feeding in exchange for lessons by the gal who came out to clip Ink.  =)  Still looking for a job though…  I reposted my ad, a little more flexible than the one before and we’ll see what happens with that.

Ink and Errika have both been great.  On Monday I lunged Errika between riding Ink.  She’s going to be ready for the beginning of light riding here soon! 

New Week

On Thursday, for Thanksgiving, we are going up to my Granpa’s.  Mostly the extended family, on my mothers side, is celebrating Grandpa’s birthday, more so than Thanksgiving.  We’ve done it like that for a few years now, mostly since Grandma passed away.  Matt is staying here to be with his parents on Thanksgiving.  Although I wish so much he could spend it with us.  But I do wish him a great time with his own family.  These decisions seem to get harder and harder as you grow older.  Where-as when you were younger, your parents would pile you in the car, along with the Pumpkin pie and off you went without a care.  Now that I’m entering adult-hood, and I am in a relationship with someone, I have to really think about things.  Such as Christmas coming up, how that day will be planned.  It’s not really a problem, I like planning occasions like this, but somehow I feel the real sight to this time is lost due to hectic chaos that surrounds.  It should be a pleasurable and enjoyable time you share with friends and family.  That initially is what stresses me out about it.  If I don’t do this, or that, or go here or there.  The drama, the frustration that happens afterwards or during is difficult to handle and still at the end of the day, have a true smile on your face.  I’m learning yes, so I guess I could take on each Holiday as a training camp?  But then again why?  I don’t want to be selfish, but I do have to admit I am yearning for Matt to come to my Grandpa’s for his birthday/Thanksgiving.  It’s his 91st Birthday and I want Matt to share this time with us.  Is this separation going to happen every year?  Is he ever going to have Thanksgiving with me?  :(  But then again he could be asking the same thing, and when am I going to spend Thanksgiving with his family?  If I felt comfortable being around them, I would.  But I don’t see my extended family that often, and my Grandpa isn’t going to live forever..  Oh golly. 

My mom is leaving Tuesday with her sister for Grandpa’s, and I was thinking of driving myself up there on Wednesday because I have class Tuesday night.  I have to find a “babysitter” for the horses until Thursday night.  Matt I’m sure would help..  Oh and then get this - on Saturday morning, we are driving all the way up to the snow for a wedding.  Matt and I weren’t planning on going, but in a few mixed events we decided to go ahead.  I will have a chance to take some photos… 

Life just dumped down on me all of a sudden.  I was doing fine, positive, and now I’m overwhelmed.  My bloody homework is due tomorrow for class, and I still haven’t got past that one part I was stuck on. 

My relationship with a certain person has been weird since that dramatic day.  I’m not social really, minding my own business, and throwing it behind me.  I don’t want to deal with this anymore, and I’m not going to deal with it later on (in the future) if it comes about, again.  Which I’m sure it will.  I deserve my dignity and respect.  I have most certainly been a VERY willing and respectful person, given the YEARS that this has come and gone.  But now I am just stepping out of whatever relationship there was, and this is now purely business if anything.  I will still remain respectful, and helpful while in contact, but by any means I reserve the right to plead the fifth and walk away at any time.  I am a human-being and everyone should be treated with respect, especially if they treat others like that.   

My 19th birthday is less than a month away.  Wow.  Not really enthused about it.  Birthdays don’t make things giddy suddenly.  So why get excited about it?  I don’t want any presents, honestly.  But when asked I said new boots (since my old ones were 25% sole-less), not show boots, just all-around boots.  Like the new Brittney ones from the Muck Company.   

Oh I just don’t know what to do.  I need a job, oh how many times I’ve said that, and haven’t found anything remotely interesting.  For $10 an hour I’d do all the horse-related chores at barns, but nothing.  My mom and I are now starting this new business venture; barn cleaning and organizing.  We’ll overhaul your barn =D.  A regular service for an hourly fee.  Then I’m going to pass out flyers for lessons/day camps for my family.  Adults and kids alike.  Errika will be ready to give beginner lessons in another month or so. 

Schooling Me

I sat in my equine nutrition class Tuesday and when the teacher started flying all this math out, needless to say, I was a little overwhelmed.  At times I stammered to prepare my notebook for the math notes, and alternating with the in-class worksheet that she was going over.  I can do the math, but it just jumped left and right (even though she was explaining it in steps) and I couldn’t grasp the concept enough.  I needed to get it quickly in-grained in my head, but there was just too many steps to remember, and too many steps within the steps to remember.  I swear I felt the anxiety welling up inside of me while I sat there, front row, listening to the teacher go over the problem..  I’m very proud of myself for taking on this class, enjoying it, and staying consistant.  Even taking home home-work to do is a delight, but now I’m a little overwhelmed with this math..  Equine Nutrition is probably the main Equine Science class which is focused generally on the math.  I’ve always struggled with that subject in school (I would love to be a genius..)  but somehow I really am doing well with it, up until Tuesday’s class. 

I did some of the home-work today.  But I got to one part of a larger part of the problem and stopped.  I’ve been working off the work-sheet that we did in class, and checking each step to know what was done and how, but this part had me stumped.  I can’t move on until I do this step, and I have a lot more to go.  I should ask my teacher for help, but I don’t want too (I’d rather not get into the complexities of that.)  Pride mostly, stupidity probably. 

Today I realized how much I have to learn in my riding.  I’ve developed habits since dropping lessons four years ago, and had no one to assist me in recognizing them, and correcting the problem.  I found a Dressage instructor and trainer nearby that rode on the Olympic team.  He has trained Dressage horses on site for lessons.  Money is an issue right now, and finding a paying horse-related job around here has been unsuccessful.  A gal did email me on Friday about a paying position at a nearby stable, but (and the one time I didn’t check my email over the weekend) by the time I got back to her, the position already filled.  I hadn’t checked my mail over the weekend because we were busy, and out of town on Saturday and with Ink all day Sunday.  The one time, I swear!  It would have been a perfect position for me too.  I have to think everything happens for a reason..

Conditioning

Today Ink and I worked on the canter, mostly.  We are in the beginning stages of collection at the canter.  It went well!  In the beginning of our ride I was a little tense and frustrated, which didn’t help Ink.  I’ve just been tired lately and I don’t have the patience I usually do.  I apologized to Ink and turned the whole ride around with relaxing and focusing on the canter work.  I had a lot of fun, and so did he.  We made a lot of progress, even since just yesterday when Tim was coaching me on riding Ink at the canter.  Not only that, but guiding him to go on a circle. 

Today was Errika’s first official day of exercise!  My mom did a little ground work with her while, after I was done with Ink, I took over and lunged her for 5 mins at the trot.  She was such a show off =D.  Doing her extended, impulsive trot. 

TEI - On Stand By…

PLEASE bare with me!  I am having a CSS melt down, and I am trying to upload a new theme for the blog, and it’s not working out.  So new look for now, just temporary.  I’m probably scaring you all away with this huge explosion of themes…

Clipped

Sorry I don’t have a picture!  Yet anyway.. =)

I kind of want to make this post as short as possible (but I doubt that will happen), because I am super tired.  Even typing is making me sleepy, and I’m doing it unusually slow deleting every few letters because my eye lids are ready to shut. 

I got up early yesterday morning, despite being up rather late the night before, and went to a bridal shower for our friend’s fiance’.  I actually won something!  We played this game where the hostess put these cards with famous peoples’ names on our backs and we had to ask people in the room three questions to find out who we were.  I was Rachel Ray =D.  I think I kind of cheated though, by accident!  Because I didn’t know you were only supposed to ask three questions.  Whoops!  I won hand sanitizer and lotion from Bath and Body Works, mmm. 

Then later on that day I planned on coming home, and hanging out with Ink.  It was raining and I wanted to bring him up to escape the rain as I often do.  Well all the boys (11 total) Matt, my dad, my mom, Klint (brother), Kirk (older brother), and some other people, including the friend who’s fiance’s wedding shower I went to, came.  We all drove up to this indoor karting track a few hours away.  My dad convinced me to go.  Because last time I totally kicked booty and beat some of the guys who actually race.  It was fun!  Although my chiropractor tells me to steer clear… =D

We left around late and got home around 1am…  I drove all the way there and back.  I was SOOO pooped!!  My back, arms, and hands are in pain.  Not to mention we still had to feed and I had to give grain (poor horses).  Ink was very ticked off that we got there so late.  Umm, we got home and went to bed around 3am.  We had to get up early for Ink’s clipping appointment.  Matt went over there around 7am to bring him up, sweep the barn, and give him his grain.  Seriously Matt is a life saver because my body would NOT get up this morning. 

Ink did really well for the clipping.  He looks so cute! 

I rode him after, and that went well. 

Ok pictures tomorrow and I’ll finish telling the clipping-drama-story……  Oh goody!

Fog..

I got up and it was so foggy out.  It even looked like it rained, even though it didn’t, because the fog was so heavy.  I put on my fuzzy boots to go give Ink and Errika grain.  I’ve been splitting up the grain feeding to twice a day after and before they get hay.  I’m kind of worried about Ink, he was sweaty right underneath his neck, and looked depressed, standing at the back gate with his head down and droopy.  Hopefully he was just playing around earlier.  As soon as I gave him the grain, he perked right up.  I’ll be over later to put Errika on the hot walker and give the grain again, so we’ll see how studly is doing.   

I’m tired and want to go back to sleep, but I know I shouldn’t. 

On Sunday or Saturday last weekend, I bought that book Eat, Pray, Loveby Elizabeth Gilbert.  I had to pick up Klint from school and he was a little late getting out so I had a chance to relax and read.  So far I am sunk into the book..  I saw Elizabeth on Oprah talking all about the book and I couldn’t wait to go out and pick it up after that. 

The New Blanket

 

It twas Christmas in November I tell you!  Ink’s blanket came early by UPS.  I was in the bathroom washing my face and I heard the truck..  Then the doorbell and there it was ready to be unwrapped like a present under a tree.  I know I am silly, but I just love getting new horsey things.  New or used, I love adding to my collection.  This is the first new blanket we bought for Ink.  His turn-out one we got used (but in new excellent condition) from a consignment tack shop around our area. 

Doesn’t Ink look handsome in that blanket??  Matt still doesn’t like it, but I think he looks sooo cute!  By the way, can you see how fuzzy the big guy is? 

The lady for clipping, is coming out to do a full body clip on Ink Sunday.  Yay, I’m excited for that too =).  He’s going to look sooo handsome, I can’t wait.  It will be my first clipped horse.  I’ve never seen anyone do it before, and never had my own horse clipped. 

After seeing this color blanket on Ink, I want to get Errika one.  She has a new cotton sheet (like Ink’s) but it’s not very well made.  Errika’s Christmas present perhaps?

My Equine Nutrition class was great last night.  We got into more of the math, and I was a little intimidated by it at first.  I’ve never been the math person..  But I really started to catch on.  I did the homework for the class this afternoon, and I think I did really well, but we’ll see.  It’s generally how to calculate the DM (dry matter) or the CP (crude protein) in a certain weight of a specific type of hay, that we were doing.  I actually enjoyed doing the homework.  I got only one wrong on the quiz at the beginning of the class.  The one I got wrong, was my silly mistake.   

 

Clipping the Beast

Ink is turning into a fuzz ball, to say the least!  I’ve tried to keep the fuzz down by keeping him on a blanketing routine, but it hasn’t worked.  He’ll be in continuous work throughout the winter, so I’ve decided to clip him.  I have to hire someone to do it for me because I don’t know how, and I don’t dare try =D, he’d come out looking shdjdhf if I did..  I already found someone in my area, and she charges $125.  Most places around here charge $150, so I guess we get a little break.  He’s out of shape that he sweats pretty good, all over, and I don’t want him to overheat and have to worry about him drying in the cold weather.  After some opinions, I’m going ahead with it.

I have decided on a hunter clip, but I just want the jaw to be clipped, not the whole head and I don’t want the full saddle shape area left, but a patch instead. 

Coming by UPS on November 8th is Ink’s new light sheet!  Since Matt accidentally destroyed his other one, he ordered me a new one.  It’s this one; http://www.smartpakequine.com/ProductClass.aspx?productclassid=1942&cmPreserveSource=true&cmPreserveCategory=true

I picked out the Chocolate Plaid one for the big guy, even though Matt suggested against it and wanted something a little more “manly” but the blue plaid was sold out in Ink’s size so I went to the Chocolate.  Kind of silly, but I can’t wait until it gets here!  It will feel like early Christmas.  =D