The One with the First Jumping Lesson with Will Faudree

So we had our VERY first jumping lessons!! After coming to a mutual agreement that jumping isn’t so terribly and completely AWFUL for us, we actually had quite a bit of fun.

To begin, I’ve learned two very important things:
1. I am COMPLETELY out of shape for jumping and have been assigned 50 squats a day (I hope to get up over a 100 too). I’ve also assigned myself some pilates as well.
2. Sudi is a BUGGER and needs to trust me more.

On the first topic – yes, I am not anywhere near in the shape I feel I need to be. Having never really ridden in a good close contact saddle before, I’m realizing that it feels completely different than my all-too-comfy all purpose, and thus requires a good deal more leg strength than I’m used to exerting.

So, I do 50 squats a day - and then-some if I can take it. (Today, for instance, I’ve done a total of 70) It’s more out of fear – I can’t handle not being able to ride. My heart rate really jumps up when I do them too, and thus my inability to breath (which is directly correlated). So I’ve been working hard to rectify this.

When jumping, it’s important to note that breathing IS COMPLETELY essential. I’ve been diagnosed with “exercise induced asthma,” but I really think that’s a PC way of saying that “Dude – you suck – GET IN SHAPE.” So hence, I’m getting my butt in gear.

Secondly – Sudi absolutely and without hesitation has GOT to stay in front of my leg and TRUST me. Trust, for some reason, has always been an issue with him and a challenge. (Just ask the mares in his field that try to push him around. He’s completely OBLIVIOUS to them!) When I’m on the ground, he trusts me a bit better, but unfortunately it’s not transferring to the saddle. Again, something we’re trying to work on.

Will insisted that we have got to repeat our exercises as often as possible. One x to a simple bounce or one stride combination. Basically, it’s stuff that we should be able to canter over without any real thought going into it. Also cavaletti work never hurt us either. *grin*

I never made any excuses for Sudi to Will over the weekend (and I, in fact and on purpose, did NOT mention that we’d just started our canter work). This scared me a bit, but wouldn’t you know we pulled through anyway? We were even getting our leads!! This ALONE excited me. Sudi got over his desire to buck, but it took a while and some strong leg to convince him otherwise. Will also gave me some good tools to handle the head shaking/bucking issues – for which I’m very thankful!

On top of all this learning, I had 4-5 near death…er…close to falling off experiences. J For the first time in my life, I was THRILLED that Sudi has the huge neck he does and could support me continually being thrown up it when he did his “baby” leaps over the crossbars we were schooling.

Well here are some videos from the weekend! (Oh and I’ve been told that I gotta be a “better alcoholic” next time too…don’t really have any ambitions to work on that one though – hehe).

The One with a Year in Review

What a year 2008 has been. I started this blog as a reminder to me for the end of the year of all the wonderful experiences I knew I would have. And I have be so amazingly fortunate!

This time of the year always and unreservedly gets me down for some reason. And in retrospect, a lot of things have gone wrong. Too many accidents, too many horses lost, too many vet bills. However, I am a firm believer that the good we’ve had consistently outweighs the bad. (If this were not so, we wouldn’t be in the horse world now would we?)

Recently, I feel like I’ve had a solid dose of reality. I’m a dreamer – always have been. I always have the highest of hopes for both my horses and myself. It’s something I have to cling to. But recently, with reality striking ever so fiercly, I’m doubting my riding abilities, my pony’s abilities (which also makes me a BAD BAD BAD mom), and the notion that I’ll ever be able to ride the way I want. I haven’t fallen off, but my confidence has been shaken as if I had. You’d think I’d get more confidence from lessons, but I feel right now that they’re only pointing out how well I DON’T ride. Or how well we don’t do something. Or how I’m daily letting my horse down in one form or another. I want to work harder and ride better, but I’m also full of constraints and excuses. In all, it’s a lot to overcome really. Bluntly put: It’s HARD.

But, as they say, if it WASN’T hard, it wouldn’t be as worthwhile, would it? So – one of the way God helps me make it through the frustration and disappointment, is reminding me of EVERYTHING He has given me. And it’s also MY job to remember all the Good he has given me.

To start:
He’s given me two fantastic boys. Even though I feel our relationships are still growing, I’m loving every minute that they are in my life.
He’s put me at a barn with horsey friends and people with similar goals. He’s also put them above my riding level to keep me humble. In all honestly, I’d rather be here than have an issue with pride. But pride would definitely be the easier route. :-D I have a hard time not always being the best!
He gave me lessons with ThREE big name trainers this year: Jon Holling, Will Faudree and Hokan Thorne. What memories and lessons I will cherish from these guys.
He gave me the opportunity to ride a full sibling to Theodore O’Connor – an experience I will NEVER ever forgot.
He gave me several great shows to attend where we did remarkably well considering!

My list could continue to grow, but these are some of the highlights. I’ve felt VERY fortunate to have the experiences I had.

As this next year grows closer, I’m placing my goals, life and more importantly – my horse, in God’s hands. I’ve found that my future without God’s control is not much of a future. I’m sure He has great things planned for us, and I can’t wait to find them out!

PS - I will blog about the Will Faudree lessons soon!! - We had a blast!

The One with the Winter Update

After Fall, Christmas is my favorite time of the year. The weather here around this time never really gets unbearable. In fact, Sudi got a bath last night, and I didn’t even have to blanket him as the barn temp was a very comfortable 70 degrees!

The barn is getting semi-decorated for Christmas. All the stalls have stockings hanging from the doors – and some even have presents! (I wonder what yummy treats Santa is bringing this year?)

Sudi has decided that candy cane is a definite favorite of his, although Kehbir has decidedly different opinions. Despite my efforts to actually KEEP the candy in his mouth, Kehbir ALWAYS finds a way to adamantly SPIT IT OUT. Which is sad. Not even the goats like it then. So – I gave his candy canes to Sudi. No point in wasting!

Today we’re getting ready to start our Winter holiday by heading up to Southern Pines, NC. We’re going to be spending a, hopefully non-rainy, weekend with Will Faudree! I’m not entirely sure what to expect yet – but I hope he can give me some good ideas to get Sudi’s jumping career off the ground. (yippee!)

Last week, we had a dressage lesson with Susan Selvey, and she gave me some VERY good ideas of how to get Sudi using his core/abdomen muscles better so that he lifts his back more correctly. What a DIFFERENCE this has made! I feel like all the past work I’ve done has simply been band-aids to getting a headset rather than having him really powering through from behind. He’s moving SO much better, and I think he’s understanding as this type of movement comes so much more naturally (and WILLINGLY!) to him.

I’ve figured out that he’s quite a bit weaker on his left hind end than his right – and you can even see this some in his muscle development. I’ve had Amelia (my Horsey Chiro/Massage Therapist) out too check him out, and she thinks he must have damaged his SI joint as some point in his childhood. However, as he’s not in any pain right now, we’re simply trying to help him develop more correctly by forcing him to use that side of his haunches and working him correctly. When I finally get some light to use (I am relegating to riding in the dark for now), I’ll be working him over more trot poles and cavalettis. Interestingly enough, my farrier ALSO noticed yesterday that he wasn’t using his left end as much as his frog is not centered in the hoof. I find this all terribly fascinating and helpful as I structure his work plans and try to better his learning.

Well I’m packed and ready to fly out the door for our trip. Hopefully I’ll have some good videos and pics to load from our trip up north! Happy Holidays!

The One with All the Cold

The problem with cold is…well mainly that it’s cold, and I get this overwhelming urge to hibernate. This is why I live near the beach. Unfortunately, the weatherman has yet to realize this. He keeps forecasting all this really nasty, windy, rainy weather in the 30’s. Yeek. Even Sudi says “No way man – where’s my hay and blanket???”

Despite the crazy weather, however, I’m STILL attempting to figure out some sort of riding schedule. (Wow, my inner thoughts are even mocking me!!!) Due to daylight savings time, I now get the privilege of riding during the week in the arena under minimal lighting (But hey – when the moon is out, it’s like an extra spot light!!). Sudi, however, is definitely not a fan. There are ghosts and goblins in the ring at night. In fact, regardless of my most valiant of efforts, the cold seems to also zap his memory of ANY recollection of forward thinking and getting “through.” *sigh* (Three year olds! Ya just can’t do anything with them sometimes! Hehe ;-))

Weekends I do try to spice up some. Sud is just now figuring out some jumping work, so I’ve been making him some “baby” sized grids to work over free jumping so that he can get some of the basics out of the way without ME to interfere with him. And on top of those, I try to just take him out to hack some and get him used to doing a little hand galloping and trot sets. I think these times are his absolute favorite – I think sometimes he wishes he were a race horse.

I’m also attempting to get in some dressage type lessons over this winter, but I keep getting rained out. I’ve scheduled twice now on consecutive weekends to only get bummed out. Will Faudree, however, is still an option over the holidays, so that may be my Christmas present to myself. ;-D

So for right now, I’m just going to arm myself with a hot coffee/tea/chocolate, and “kick on” as they say. Hope you're having a fabulous Holiday season!

The One for Thanksgiving

I can’t believe it’s almost Thanksgiving. While the weather definitely warrants this festive holiday, the time getting here seems to have flown. Both of my boys came to me on Thanksgiving of 2006, so this holiday is very special to me in many ways. With the economy in a constant state of flux, many are having a hard time to find just about anything for which to be thankful. I am however feeling blessed over and over again.

Something which I’ve been reflecting on lately is hardship and disappointment. I believe the general response is a rather bitter one. However, God has commanded us: “In Everything – give thanks.” Something that was recently brought to my attention is that the command is not “to be thankful FOR everything” but rather “IN everything.” This means hardship or not. Disappointment or not. Whatever you are going through: Give Thanks.

Everyone says it’s easy to be thankful for the Good in our lives, and yes, I would have to agree with this statement to a point. However, if it’s so easy – why don’t we do it enough? Why then is thankfulness for everything that we have so been blessed with not seeping out of us at every seam? Why is it we seem less thankful the more we have? While thankfulness is easier when life is going well rather than badly, actually being thankful on a constant basis is NOT easy. It’s a habit learned – a spiritual discipline. And it’s a discipline many of us are sorely lacking.

I have so many blessing to give thanks for, that I feel compelled to write them all down lest I forget them and miss thanking my Lord for blessing my life. But, as this blog is mainly about my horses, I will begin to explain my thankfulness for them.

First – I love their personalities. They surely light up my life. Their enthusiasm and joy in almost every aspect of their life is heart warming. I cannot count that laughs they have given me. They are also truly forgiving (especially if you have treats!) – and even forgiving of the vet! They don’t hold grudges, and they try so very hard to please.

For Sudi – While I’m not quite sure yet where exactly Sudi’s athletic talents lie, there is something deeper about him. He draws you towards him and surrounds you with peace. I really don’t know how to explain it any more than that. I can only say that it’s a gift God has given him. While he is ALL boy, he is incredibly sweet – towards everyone/everything. I’ve seen him interact with children, other horses, adults, cats, pig, goats – and he treats them all the same. Never mean or aggressive, but curious and will share whatever he has with them. And this is a HORSE that does this. The other day I stood back in amazement as one of the barn goats, Bailey, barged into his stall, moved Sudi away from his feed bucket, and dove right in to a mouthful of sweet feed. Sudi stepped back momentarily, and then very calmly stuck his nose back into his feed buck and continued eating – right next to the goat. If only more humans were so forgiving and willing to keep giving! Everything God has given us is not meant for us to hoard and store up for ourselves alone. Like Sudi, we should give freely what God has so graciously given us!

For Kehbir – He is so very unlike any horse I have ever owned. Such athleticism locked up in that coiled spring! I also really love the innocence about Kehbir. He is like a child that has been untouched by anything bad in life. He loves his life – he loves running – he loves his mom – he loves his feed – he loves playing with other horses – he loves Malibu (my friend Amber’s horse). Everything in life is something WONDERFUL to be exuberant over. Again – why can’t we as humans be so amazed and in love with the blessing we have?

Absolutely nothing about bringing along these boys has been easy. There have been so many points, setbacks and vet bills where I’ve stood back and asked, “Is this really worth it?” I have been disappointed by what others have pointed to as limitations in both my “children”, but I can only sit back and rely in confidence on the fact that God appointed me to have these horses. Specifically these horses. And most importantly, God alone knows the most intimate desires of my heart, and he also knows what great things are ahead in my future. He brings trials into our lives for a reason – and that reason is to bring us through them to make us shine as the stars. If it weren’t hard, the result would not be nearly as marvelous. So I give thanks to God for and IN everything. My life is in his hands – and HE is faithful -and he will do it.

I hope you enjoy your upcoming holiday season! Remember to reflect on everything good God is doing in and through your life! (Feel free to share some in the comments section below!)

The One with Our Weekend with the Hollings!

I have taken MANY, MANY, MANY countless private lessons in my lifetime. Granted, the majority come from the musical point of view (I used to be an avid clarinet player in my high school and college years), but I still feel like I’ve reached a point in my “lesson taking” where I can spell out the type of teacher I need.

If you talk to any teacher who’s been teaching a certain amount of time, they are sure to mention different types of “learners” they’ve encountered and various ways they’ve figured out to teach them.

I, however, have figured out the TYPE of teaching style I need to be the most effective type of learner. Here are my six *basic* requirements:

1.) The teacher needs to have a experience bringing up green horses through their current level successfully and healthfully – mentally and physically
2.) The teacher needs a sense of humor
3.) The teacher needs to be open to ANY horse if that particular horse has talent in their field
4.) The teacher needs to be open and HONEST (first and foremost), and give CONSTRUCTIVE criticism
5.) The teacher needs to push me beyond my comfort level
6.) The teacher needs to be able to give positive reinforcement and hope

I’m sure I’ll amend this with more lessons I have in my lifetime, but this is it as it stands.

All of this to say: I LOVED Jon Holling. Never have I been so humorously insulted and encouraged at the same time. If my riding was lacking in an area, he was not ashamed to say it. BUT, he also told me how to fix it and made absolutely SURE I got it right, and then he would follow up with the encouragement (Like a horse – go figure *grin*).

The weekend I spent in Ocala at the Holling’s farm was simply delightful. In fact, I can barely remember the horrific weather we drove through to get there, or the annoying agriculture inspection at the Florida borders. I came off the weekend flying HIGH (basically as if I were smoking something. hehe)

Tammy, Jazzy and I left Charleston moderately early on Friday morning and made the six hour drive to Ocala. Despite the torrential rain we experienced at first, we made GREAT time, and the weather was fantastic once we got there. Everyone on the farm was simply delightful to work with (Jenn Holling is incredibly nice as well!!) and made sure to afford us every comfort available on the farm.

Sudi and Willa were neighbors in their barn, and Indy was stationed across the aisle from Willa. Sudi, however, was not at ALL thrilled with being thrown in a stall upon arrival (what three year old is though, right?). We unloaded all our gear and then decided to take the horses on a tour of the property.

Indy started out quite stiff from her trip down, so Jazzy took her for a quick lounge in the round pen to work out some kinks, but Sudi, Willa, Tammy and I set out for the XC course!

Wow. That’s about all I can say for their property. It was perfect. Gentle hills, inviting jumps, ponds with fountains, LOTS of old oaks scattered everywhere, trails, galloping tracks, large covered dressage arena, beautiful stadium jumps – and the list just goes on. Sudi thought the cross country fields were absolutely fantastic play grounds and proceeded to drag me around for his investigation.

After a lengthy graze period, we put the horses up for the night with dinner and hay (Sudi still VERY indignant about this), and left to go find some dinner. Jenn sent us to this fantastic little pub around the corner. The whole dining experience was great – they had a pub menu as well as really NICE food…I bet you can’t guess what Tammy and I went for. :-D Jazzy was content with a burger though (I told her it’s times like that that her Teenager-ness makes itself very apparent hehe).

Our hotel was not terribly far, and we all collapsed early and exhausted, but REALLY excited about the clinic the next day.

Jazzy and Tammy were in the first group to go (at 8 am!!!), so we had to be at the farm by 6:30 (that even still sounds horrific for vacation!) We fed the horses by flashlight, as no one really seemed up at that unearthly hour, but eventually the sun came up, warm and inviting. Only to be followed by clouds and drizzles. I was a bit bummed. However, as it never really downpoured, everything ended up turning out ok in the end.

I was on camera duty for Jazzy and Tammy’s group. Jon started them out warming up on a large circle as a group to get a handle on their basic skills. Once that wrapped up, he proceeded to work them through grids of trot poles, cavalettis and cross bars.

This was lots of fun for me to watch and just soak in as much information as I could handle. Jazzy and Tammy looked like they were having a blast the entire way through.

After the gridwork was done, all the horses were introduced to a *new* type of XC jump made strictly of Styrofoam – pretty cool! The horses thought this was, at first, very scary, but all ended up accepting it in the end, despite quite a few OVER jumps. There were three of these types of jumps laid out, and Jon made all the group members do a small course over them in the end.

Next was working on going up and down banks. Willa and Indy were absolute PRO’s!! I was so proud of them!! The banks were such non-issues for them.

After the bank work, the group proceeded to working over a ditch! Wow. This was no baby ditch either. Everyone had a tad bit of trouble with the ditch, but everyone made it over! Again – SO proud!!

Jon ended their session very positively giving them lots of feedback.

My group was next, and my pony (a Teddy sister!!) had just arrived, so I had to rush to make my start time! I helped Dr Norman unload all of her gear and tack up Cliché. Cliché is a fiery red head mare with lots of .. “mare-ish tendencies.” She was quite the ride, and I have to say – taught me a LOT.

As we were running late (and Jon ever so adamantly reminded me that we would have been disqualified if we were late to dressage), I didn’t really have a good warm up. I did however, find that Cliché, while EXTREMELY atheletic, has a tendency to buck on the right lead. Hmm. ;-)

Our clinic was very similar to the first groups except for the fact that we did not really end with the ditch. Cliché gave me a few problems going over the Styrofoam, but Jon was able to talk me through them and I got her over them!! Jon told me I had to learn how to turn on my inner Witch with a “B!”

To end our day, we had a mini-course to tackle that included the Styrofoam jumps, banks, logs, a mini-ditch and traveling through the water complex. Cliché and I had a BLAST. I was whipped from not being in shape (tsk tsk!), but it was a GREAT whipped feeling. I couldn’t have been happier.

The following day, Tammy, Jazzy, and I all had private lessons (this is what I took Sudi for!). I opted to ride first thing since I hadn’t had to ride super early for my clinic. Sudi was VERY excited to be out and about riding through the farm property. Our lesson, however, was dressage, and we had to go to the VERY scary indoor arena. I made sure we had adequate time to walk around and get him used to the idea before Jon got there. (I wasn’t about to be yelled at again!)

Sudi was a bit of a handful to start with (most likely from not having any time to just run around his pasture) but overall I could tell he was trying to try (if that makes sense?). Jon couldn’t believe how well behaved he was for a 3 year old Arabian *HUGE grin*. He worked with us on our sitting trot and canter work on the 20meter circle (tough for a baby!) and I was told repeatedly that I need to be a bit tougher on him. Jenn told me I’m not allowed to just be “his mommy” any more (sadness). He has a job to do and he needs very consistent FOCUSED work.

Overall though, Jon said that although he was prepared NOT to like him, he actually did and thought Sudi had quite a bit of potential and could take me to my goal “Training level” and possibly higher – depending on his jump. YAY :-D Jenn even said she thought he was quite a nice horse. I was elated.

So that was basically our trip. I am a bit sad now that I don’t have the clinic to look forward to anymore, but I keep reliving it in my head and trying to remember everything I was taught over the weekend.

Coming up: Me trying to save money L (what’s THAT mean?!?!)
We’re also going trail riding at Mullet Hall with some friends this weekend, and then Sudi and I are off to Southern Pines to train with Will Faudree for a weekend! Yay :-)

The One where Sudi Goes to a Clinic

So on the spur of the moment, I got an invite to a dressage clinic held at One Tempi Farm – basically around the corner. Susan Selvey runs that farm, and I’ve always enjoyed taking lessons from time to time with her. I usually get worked really hard, but I feel like so much progress is made during them!

This trip was Sudi’s first trailering experience by himself! I have to say, I was pretty afraid he’d be a handful and worried, but he was completely laid back!! He stood tied to the trailer with his nose buried in alfalfa like he’d done it a million times before. ????? (Although bewildered, secretly I was really pleased!!) Apparently I was the only one concerned about nerves.

Due to some rain (yet again!) the clinic was about 45 minutes behind schedule, so I had plenty of warm up time. Hokan Thorne was older than I’d pictured, but I really liked his teaching style. He was very upfront with me on our current issues: he’s still young and untrained, and we desperately need to help him with his developing underneck. During our lesson he really helped me work with Sudi by teaching me how to hold him together when he starts to become so wiggly. Also, we worked on helping him keep the contact when he starts falling apart and getting distracted. Sudi, although acting his age at first, finally got into the groove of things. He started reaching for my hands (for more than a stride! Yippee!) and he also started bending through the rib cage! Going forward was still an issue, but he’s getting much more responsive.

I was given LOTS of homework – mainly side rein work, and getting Sudi to move immediately off my leg without sluggishness.

Overall though – I felt the clinic very worthwhile and hopefully we’ll make enough progress so I feel safe in going back to him! Hehe.

Next on the plate is the Intro to Eventing Clinic in Ocala. I have the unique opportunity to catch a ride on Dr Norman’s pony “Cat,” who she’s very graciously offered to let me ride. Needless to say, I’m very excited. Sudi is going down for the experience and also to take a dressage lesson with Jon Holling Sunday morning. Hopefully all will go well, and we won’t get any rain!! Wish us luck… :-D

The One with Cracker’s Glimpses of Insanity

Once upon a time, in the happy land of Traveler's Crossing, there was a particular duck. No one ever knew exactly what made him just…different. It was a quality that no one could quite place their finger on.

This duck’s name was Cracker. Cracker had a bit of a traumatic childhood, and we attribute that to his somewhat deviant behavior.

The first Glimpse:
Cracker’s first glimps of ..er..insanity…came one evening at feeding time. He took his temper out on Em, “Jazzy,” who was walking back to the barn from feeding some horses in one of the lower pastures. Out of nowhere, he was pecking her relentlessly. Jazzy tried, without avail, to kick him back, but the duck apparently was seeing red and was convinced not to let her go. Jazzy finally picked him up by the neck and flung him. This, however, only gave her a running start to the barn as he quickly got up and began a vigilant pursuit. Jazzy made it to the barn, and by the time Cracker got there, he was out of steam and was over his rant.

The Second Glimpse:
Tammy’s husband David often hires help to work with him on various construction site projects. This morning was no different. Brandon had been helping David for a while now and this was a scheduled “help day”. David was on his way to his tool shed behind the barn when something caught his eye. There standing in the back of his truck was Brandon. David cocked his head in wonder. “Well what are you doing up there?” called David.
Brandon looked over nervously. “That duck! It was attacking me so I had to get up here to escape it!”
David laughed. “A duck? You’re running from a duck?”
From the bed of the truck Brandon just glared.

The Third Glimpse:
It was a weekend, and I was feeling particularly resourceful. The weather was so nice I was content to spend as much of my day at the barn as possible. I decided that I would clean Sudi’s stall since I had some extra time. I was walking out the side of the barn when I first saw him. The second he’d caught sight of me, he began charging. I stared at him for a moment in disbelief. How could he be charging me from such a long distance away? My mom, catching sight of this and having previously caught sight of one of Crackers “charges,” advised me to quickly start running.

Part of me wanted to grab the pitchfork as a weapon, but I hesitated too long. Back into the barn I shreaked and ran. Unfortunately, once in the barn, Cracker caught sight of an easier target: Annie – a very old and blind dachshund. Annie squealed in terror as the “Duck on Crack” went straight for her jugular. My mom and I wrestled the two apart, and my mom flung Cracker outside the barn again. Again, not to be undone, the crazy duck caught sight of Ella – a young Chihuahua. Ella took off like a rocket with the duck trailing perilously close behind. Up to the house they ran, around the ring they continued, and finally ended back to the barn. Ella was breathless as I ushered her into the tack room. The duck apparently was, by this time, exhausted and no longer in hot pursuit of any moving object.

The End:
Sadly, Cracker had to leave Traveler’s Crossing. He is now an only child and doing much better on a farm without other small animals. We have no idea what triggered these “Glimpses,” but all seems to be fairing well for Cracker…so far………

The One with yet Another Savannah Trip!

So we had yet another successful trip to Savannah! I realize that I get more and more attached to my boys each day. Their delightfulness has far surpassed any expectations I may have ever begun to dream.

On top of a fabulous weekend, my bestest friend (and college roommate) Suzanne, came to help us at the show. Knowing full well of her creative resourcefulness, I had BIG plans of her helping us that weekend. :) She ended up being a REAL trooper too! On top of doing a fantastic job with braids for Sudi, she also took him into a Sport Horse in Hand class as well as a presentation class – taking top honors in both!

Kehbir had a bit of a rough trip, unfortunately. We think on top of going through a growing phase, he’s also having issues with incoming teeth. He tends to be on a bit of the dramatic side when it comes to pain. Usually I freak out about his abnormal behavior, and then I remember that he might just be in pain from…(whatever growth spurt he’s going through). Such was this weekend. Kehbir was a complete worry nut! He went completely off his feed, only eating a few select treats. He was also really un-submissive in his dressage test! (most likely from being tired and grumpy and rained on by that point in time as well as possibly having tooth pain). We’ve hopefully got him worked out for the moment, but he is under daily training now and seems to be making remarkable progress!

Sudi’s weekend went a little better. Although a bit nervous, he competed in his first CT without any problems! We unfortunately had our jump class (five simple cross bars) first, and he was such a champ!!! I kept him as forward as possible and he made the BEST effort – with only one iffy-stop that didn’t count. The dressage judge was a bit tough on us this weekend, but I enjoyed speaking with her about our scores. We had horrible center lines as Sudi pulled the “baby card” attempting to itch his nose band during EVERY single center line we did (???). We’re working on this at home, but I think I may need to get him a more “comfy” nose band (*rolling eyes* - pampered PONY!). I’m beginning to think that it might be more of an issue than I’m giving him credit for.

At any rate, the judge, Chris Derr, was great in the ride-n-review. She worked with us for about fifteen minutes on getting Sudi more supple and reaching/maintaining the contact. He was such a good sport, and he’s learning so well! I was super proud. At any rate, he again took top honors in his CT and dressage test!

Next: The Hokan Thorne lesson.
Also … Ocala is coming up! And the lesson with Jon Holling!! Yipee! :-D

The One with the Light Bulb about Jumping

So, this is a video of a light bulb moment for Sudi. (Yay!) He's finally figuring out the whole jumping concept. (Jumping up and down!) It's amazing what a month or so off from jumping can do for a "baby!"

PS - this is us in Savannah, GA. We'd just gotten to Silverthorne for the GSEA schooling show.

The One with Hunter Paces and Trail Rides

Ah – hunter paces and trail rides – two vital components to the Fall season. While I still love the shows held in Fall (mainly due to the lack of humidity we experience for a few short weeks), the leisurely atmosphere of camping and trail riding wins my affections by far. The smell of campfires, and cold, clean air invigorates me to my core.

The boys competed at the Low Country Hunt’s hunter pace out at Huspah Plantation two weeks ago, but I don’t think we placed (at least I didn’t hear if we did!). Overall though – it was a fun time anyway. The members of that hunt are so VERY friendly and inviting. Sudi even got a hoof trim by a farrier there for free when I realized he had a split (nothing major) in one of his hooves upon our return. There were, however, two ditches where we were forced to get off and let the boys hop across by themselves (I wasn’t about to get dumped into pluff mud!). The boys also feel in love with the grass out there! (See pics hehe)

The following week we took both boys out to Mullet Hall for their “Extreme Trail Ride Weekend” and had a blast out there as well just exploring the different trails ourselves. The boys are getting more confident in their cantering skills, and I can’t possibly think of a better place for them to work on it! My saddle is breaking in wonderfully – It’s so comfy for me – even on trail rides. I’m hoping Sudi agrees.

Sudi, unfortunately, is still experiencing intense moments of ADD, so I’m hoping I’ve found some vitamins to help him focus a little better. (I’ll try to update on that later!)

This week we’re lined up for lessons with Amelia, and I’m looking at possibly going cubbing on Ellie Mae this Saturday (depending on my current health state – from fighting a cold).

On the horizon is the Fall Savannah (Silverthorne Run) Show – Yay! I’m really excited to be taking both boys down there with me. Sadly, Tammy and Jazzy wont’ be coming to this one. However, my bestest friend Suzanne has offered to come down and be a groom for a day! Yay! (Hopefully it won’t scare her from horses too badly! Hehe). Both boys are looking at dressage classes, although Kehbir is doing a Sport Horse in Hand as well as a Tack Review class. Sudi is also doing a CT as well as hunter under saddle. We’ll be terribly busy – but it should be lots of fun! (Suzanne should be taking pics so hopefully I’ll have some good ones too!)

Well until then – happy riding!

The One with My Favorite Time of the Year!

FALL is UPON us! Our temperatures have dropped from scorchingly hot summer temps of very humid upper 90’s (the humidity adds at least another 10 degrees to that too!) all the way down to the lower 80’s and minimal humidity!!

I love fall. It is my absolute favorite time of the year. Nothing beats the smells, foods, colors, clothes and energy that ripples through me when I’m outside. It’s truly a euphoric symphony for my senses!

This weekend is the last of the Low Country Hunt’s hunter pace series. It’s to be held during the Grand Opening of Huspah Plantation’s Equestrian Center! (We can ALWAYS use more of those! *grin*) On top of the hunter pace, there’s also a free jumping clinic, dressage clinic and then jumping contest with monetary prizes! Of course, as this is put on by a Hunt, we’re totally guaranteed to have plenty of scrumptious food as well!

The best part for me is going to be able to slightly bundle up to ride my horse along the newly developed trails (that are cob web free! Yay!) and see the trees changing, and feel the breeze, and NOT have buckets of sweet dripping off of me. I can feel the adrenaline rush JUST thinking about it!

And to top it off, I’m going to start my day off with a donut and some of my favorite pumpkin spice coffee…yumm!

Also, our barn is humming with sparkly (albeit slightly nervous) Trakehners (and their owners!) this weekend as Tammy is hosting an ATA Inspection at the farm as well as a branding school! I’m so sad I’m going to miss most of it, but it should be a real blast. I hope to get at least a few pictures in of some of the horses! (And I’m holding myself firm in TAKING my camera onto the hunter pace this time!!)

Until next time – go grab a slice of pumpkin pie with a steaming cup of coffee, wrap yourself in the beautiful oranges, yellows and browns of this season, and of course take your horse on a trail ride to take in the change of leaves! I just LOVE fall!

The One Right Before My Birthday

So, besides the fact that I’m horribly remiss at blogging (not to mention that we’re almost halfway through September and no blog yet!) lots of nice things have been going on lately.

So – here’s some recapping for your perusal:

The Cross Country Extravaganza:

A few weekends back Tammy, Jazzy, Haley and I took our “kids” up to Gibbes Farm for some FUN times playing around the cross country course. This was, of course, only the second time my baby has stepped hoof onto a cross country course. He always amazes me when we get on one. He’s constantly taking in everything, and he’s learning more and more how to trust me (and vice versa).

We started out on the longe line with me just warming him up on some gentle slopes. He was SO bold and curious! At times he would forget he was on the longe line and want to go off at a nice lope to investigate something in the far field. This would last until he reached the end of his rope, and I brought him back to the harsh reality of his little circle. Very cute though.

We managed to hop over some decaying logs as our first jump. Well almost. When I tried to send him over it all by himself, he decided to paw at it first. This doesn’t go over well with decaying wood by the way. After frantically piecing back together the log, I hopped over it myself and then he followed. After this, he was much better at being sent over the jumps by himself. I was able to send him over several logs – one was even about 2’6” I’d say! He, however, was much more interested in sniffing and grazing than really working.

I also was able to get Sudi to jump down off a bank (I was not on him of course hehe). He was really cute trying to figure it out. He would literally leap of the edge instead of just dropping down off of it. Going up, however, was a tad more difficult, and he assured me he didn’t think he could do it. I really had no desire to push him on it (esp since none of the other horses were really giving him a good example of how to do it). I figured we always have a next time.

The most FUN part was the water complex. Sudi, being the water baby, lead the whole group into the water. He LOVED it. Once in he pawed some and then was as happy as a fish trotting in and out of it at every which angle. I couldn’t have had more fun! His already lofty trot was just that much more accentuated as we frolicked through the water. After we’d had our fill of playing, I took him up to a bank beside Tammy so that we could watch the other two guys experiment in the water.

To our surprise, we noticed that Sudi looked like he wanted to jump off the bank into the water. He would stand on the side and just start letting his hooves inch over the side of the bank. I decided to let him attempt, since he seemed to be pretty curious and cautious about it. Seemed was the operative word. Out of no where, Sudi took a giant leap forward into the air. Sadly, I don’t recall much after that. I do remember being rocketed OUT of my saddle, hitting his neck and then splashing into the water. I think I landed about ten feet behind Sudi.

I have to say that that was the nicest fall I think I’ve ever taken. The temperature of the water was perfect, and it was a deep enough cushion that I felt no pain when I hit the bottom. Sudi, was so proud of himself though and so startled that I’d fallen off. I wish I had had a picture for that though. According to Tammy, he took a “Teddy size” jump, tucking up all four legs underneath himself, and that I was soaring a steady two feet above him after his launch.

Since I was completely soaked (and trust me, my boots are STILL recovering!), I decided to pat my horse for his valiant effort and call it a day. Next time we’re doing that one on the longe line! We all went home happy, healthy and completely exhausted.

The NEW saddle!!!:

So when we were schooling cross country, I noticed that Sudi’s saddle was fitting a bit more snug than I was comfortable with. *huge sigh* He’s definitely turning into an Arabian. Arab’s are NOTORIOUSLY known for being difficult in the saddle fitting department. This comes from the fact that many have very unpronounced withers – such as Sudi’s (although they’re not as bad as they were!) as well as almost FLAT backs. Flat means that it has no angle going down the rib cage, and almost ALL saddles are angled at some point. *BIGGER SIGH*

I loved my saddle. Really loved it. I’d always wanted a Stubben – not sure why. But that brand has always called to me, and I’ve always felt a sort of affection for their products. And this particular saddle had been a complete steal when I found it on Ebay. It was the perfect color for him too – Havana and London. Lovely really. I even had the corresponding Stubben bridle too. He always looked SO fancy!

So – I had my work cut out for me. I sincerely did NOT have money to purchase a new saddle. However, I did have in my possession a very nice Stubben Siegfried Saddle as well as a non-fitting Stubben dressage saddle. And then I found the perfect site! I found http://www.usedsaddles.com/! They would allow me to send my trade-in’s and get 70% of their value immediately to apply towards any saddle – new or used! So, I spoke with their saddle rep and she ended up sending me two saddles to try: the Pessoa Gen-X-XCH as well as an XW Stubben Edelweiss CS. Both saddles were the same price and I was praying desperately that my two trade-ins would cover most of the cost.

It was a sad day when I mailed my saddles off. I couldn’t believe how attached I had become to that saddle. Although I had this nagging thought in my mind that God would take care of me – just like he did with that saddle originally. And that was that.

Well as it turns out, both of the saddles I received fit Sudi VERY nicely. I really did not care for the quality of the Pessoa (esp. as it was obviously not as nice a quality as some of the other Pessoa’s in my barn) and for the same money, the Stubben was a very, very nice saddle – even exceeding my expectations. The only unfortunate thing about the Stubben was that it was in the ebony color, and it doesn’t match any of my fittings or bridles! (darn the bad luck right? Hehe).

Well as it turned out, I got over $1000 I could apply towards my new saddle, which left me some room to buy fittings!!!! WOOHOO. I couldn’t believe I got this new (well almost – it got ridden in once) saddle for a little over $200 bucks! (albeit, I didn’t have my other two saddles, but one can always move on..eventually ;-))

Anyway – I’ll have pics of Sud in his new garb soon. But for now – here is at least a pic of what my NEW saddle looks like! Yippee!

The Lesson:

I find that training has it’s up’s and down’s. And they do come right after each other. For most of the times, each high is a little higher than the previous, and each low is not as low as the prior. The low’s however, can be discouraging at times when you feel like you’re actually moving backwards. Sitting still is fair, but moving backwards is hard to swallow.

I’m not sure if it was Sudi’s brief hiatus or dealing with the heat, but I actually felt like I wasn’t even at the place we were before the show in Savannah. Riding was a constant battle of me vs. him and how he didn’t want to go where I wanted, and even lunging was a battle of moving forward vs. stopping.

So when I was already late for my lesson yesterday, I felt even more discouraged. To my surprise, Sudi had already finished a small appetizer before I got there, and Tammy had him cross-tied and was grooming him (she’s so sweet). He seemed happy for all the attention and didn’t even seem to mind being tacked up. Who was this cheerful horse??

Well, during the start of the lesson, he was full of his normal evasive shenanigans, but Amelia was able to help me work through them. It was encouraging to make progress and better yet – for her to feel like he’d make progress. By the end, I could tell that he was really trying his little pony heart out. He made his mom proud! The chestnut Arab baby actually can do it! J

Well tomorrow is the farrier. To my dismay, both boys need to be trimmed every FOUR weeks instead of six. *sigh* I’m at least thankful they don’t need shoes yet though.

The weekend after next, we have another hunter pace – yay! And of course my birthday is this Saturday (There’s a super-duper massage coming my way!). My mom’s birthday is the 30th, and I’m planning on giving her private lessons for her b-day (shh! Don’t tell her ;-D).
Coming up – we have a potential show in Savannah mid October, and then an intro to eventing clinic in Florida (Hint: I’m riding a FULL sister to Teddy!!! Yeek! :-D) and Sudi is going down for a private lesson with Jonathan Holling. Tons to look forward to. Can’t wait! I’ll do my best to keep the blog better updated this time...

The One with the Full Moon: Part 2

Ah – it’s only taken me a week and a half to recover from this escapade. But alas, I’m finally back to wrap it up!

Saturday morning is rather a blur to me. I remember coffee. Feeding the horses. More coffee. Checking out the broken gate. More coffee. You get the idea.

Thankfully, being the ever-on-top-of-things person that I am, I only had to load up Ellie Mae to be ready to go. I think when I grow up, I should be a professional groom. Organization and preparations for shows or events is just one of my skills, and I like to think I’m pretty darn good at it! :-D

The trip to Ravenwood Plantation was pretty easy. Tammy’s husband David, I found, absolutely loves Celine Dion. A tad strange, but OK really. In fact, I got to listen to the “Best of” (or whatever) at concert volume both over and back. A blast really.

I have to give it to the fox hunters down here though. Wow – do they pick some absolutely beautiful plantations to ride on! The trails are just completely lined with aged oaks and Spanish moss and swamp grass. White herons and sandpipers are found in the water or atop trees scantily clad in bright green leaves which just add a special touch to the landscape. It’s really lovely and so very typically Southern! I love my home. How lucky I am!!

Ellie Mae was a good girl, albeit a bit tired towards the end. She was a very nice ride, however, and even took me over a couple logs to help boost my confidence in jumping again. She is SO largely barreled (thanks to the draught in her!) that I felt like I had impeccable leg position after riding my bean pole Arab! Hehe.

The hunt had lots of atmosphere and absolutely everyone was friendly! After the ride concluded there were hors d’oeuvres and champagne or memosa’s. Yumm!! I’m totally a fan! Apparently on real hunts they have a full blown out breakfast! These people have found IT!

Tammy is trying to get me to join the hunt, but I don’t feel like it’s where I’m supposed to be just yet. I have quite a few obligations right now, and while this is fun – it’s quite demanding! Perhaps in a few years I’ll be able to take Sudi to expand his “education.” For now, I’m content to go on a few trips as a “guest” and soak up every bit of the southern charm!

The One with the Full Moon: Part 1

There’s something about a full moon that just throws everything out of whack, and this past weekend was no exception.

My plan was to go Roading on Saturday with Tammy, David and Jazzy. Roading is summer practice for Fox Hunting. None of the formal attire is required, and it’s a good opportunity for young horses and hounds to get back into shape before the rigors of Fall’s foxhunting season hit. I am glad I opted to ride Tammy’s husband, David’s, horse Ellie May – an easy going pinto draught cross. I believe the atmosphere would have been a bit much for Sudi!

Since we needed to leave early, I opted to stay the night in the apartment above the barn Friday night to save on gas and let me sleep in a little. So, after work on Friday, I went to the barn to start my preparations.

Upon getting to the barn, Tammy told me that Jazzy had gotten into a "tiff" with her mother and was in trouble - no longer going on the trip. I was bummed.

However, I still needed to work Sudi some and clean out his incision, so that was my first priority. He is doing so much better these days, and I think he will be glad to get out and do a cross-country school next weekend. I may have to opt out of using a nose band, however, as his nose is still a bit tender from the surgery and the subsequent draining which is congealing, crusting and wreaking havoc on the skin under his chin. After his medicinal work, we did a bit of lunge work, although we had a bit of a disagreement there. He thought it was time to graze, and I, of course, had other ideas.

I’ve found this very gentle hill that I like to do trot work on to help him build some muscle through his back. There’s a VERY tiny jump that one of the young girls at the barn is training on at the bottom of the hill, so I like having him go over that so that he learns (or is rather forced) to slow and collect somewhat as he’s running down the hill. After his somewhat short workout, I gave him a couple carrots and turned him happily out with the mares for the evening.

My next project was to clean up Miss Ellie-May. David is always calling the poor mare a “cow,” and I hate to admit it, but I can see the resemblance. She’s a BIG girl, rather out of shape at the moment, but also very stubborn and bossy when she wants to be. I ended up having to walk the entire length of her field, and then pretty much DRAG/TOW her back to the barn. (What a brat!)

Once back to the barn, I cross-tied her in the wash stall and proceeded to do a major scrub job on her. I was VERY proud of myself in the end. I had never seen her so clean! (I credit Sudi for my major grooming “Skillz” hehe – he gives me LOTS of practice).

After seeing how beautifully clean she was, I thought I might try clipping her whiskers to finish off the job. She however, was definitely NOT a fan of the clippers and despite Tammy’s and my best efforts, she bested us by rearing repeatedly until her halter finally gave way. At the first glimpse of freedom, she took off to run and play outside the barn. My heart sunk. All my hard cleaning was about to go to waste if she rolled!

Tammy and I attempted to follow her on foot, and I almost caught her, but she rammed me into the ring (smart BIG horse) and got a way. As I persistently followed, Tammy grabbed the John Deer Gator and picked me up and we took off after her. This was much easier and a LOT more fun! Tammy figured if she was going to run away from us, it might as well be OUR idea. So we chased her in the gator for about ten minutes around the farm until she finally gave up and ran back to the barn, trapping herself in a stall. To my relief, she really was no worse for the wear, except for a black streak across her butt where Tammy had smacked her with the lead rope.

After I cleaned up all my bathing supplies, Tammy and I both headed for bed – thoroughly spent and wanting a decent night’s rest before our ride in the morning. Sunshine, the yellow lab belonging to Tammy’s father, and I both headed up to the loft, watched a bit of tv, read some and then hopped in bed.

I unfortunately don’t sleep well when I’m not in my bed, so I found myself in and out of consciousness for the first couple hours. Around 11:30, I heard some hoof beats in the barn. This wasn’t anything unusual as Halara and T-Rex are allowed to roam the property freely at night. I tried to block out the noise and was desperately wishing I had opted to sleep in Tammy’s guest room rather than above the barn!

Then, around midnight, I heard cantering hoof beats through the barn – very loudly, and some of the horses were starting to whinny. This definitely woke me up, and I ran to one of the windows wondering if a bad storm was approaching that might explain their raucous behavior. However, there was no wind or rain. That was definitely VERY odd.

I walked towards the other end of the apartment, to the door where, thanks to the full moon, I could see SEVEN horses running the grounds freely. Sudi’s mare field was completely free, and they were joined up with Halara and T-Rex in galloping around the property.

Clad in pajamas, I threw on my boots, grabbed the first halter I found (a LARGE one – which made me say a quick prayer of thanks for that relief!) and nabbed my first victim – Chip – a Mogan gelding, who technically should have been in a stall that night – not sure why he was even out. Chip heaved a hugh sigh of relief to be caught as he clearly didn’t understand what on earth was going on! I quickly threw him in his stall and ran out the front of the barn.

I wanted to get Sudi next as I knew he would be fairly easy for me to grab, being my horse and also looking very confused. I spotted him almost immediately under one of the lights by the ring. His tail was flagged, and he was passaging (a big Dressage movement – one day we’ll do it under saddle! Hehe) beautifully, but looking around not sure why he was even out of his field. When he spotted me, he immediately walked up to me and let me halter him to take him to his stall. Unfortunately Fiona, the barn pot-bellied pig, was sound asleep in his stall, and was not at ALL thrilled to have Sudi there. “Oh well,” I thought. “They’ll have to make due for now!”

The mares were next. I found Onyx, the sixteen hand yearling (who, by the way, I KNOW was responsible for everyone’s escape), easily in the bright moonlight. I could tell she was a bit wary of me, so I approached her slowly. She shoved her nose quickly in the grass, so I lightly tossed the lead rope over her neck to make sure I had an anchor before attempting to halter her. She immediately was aware of my plan and attempted to walk off. I hung on to the rope has hard as I could, well aware that I would completely lose this fight if she were to get free. I gave a couple really hard tugs to get her attention and try to convince her to stop. (My back is still mad at me for that!) But – it worked!! She turned around, faced me, and let me halter her! YAY!

I ended up having to drag her back to her field – she was a VERY unwilling victim. But I got her in, and this time tightly secured the gate with a lead rope to make sure she couldn’t push her way out again. Bunny, and Willa were the only two others that I needed to put up for the night. I was desperately wanting to just throw them in stalls, but after a quick review, there weren’t enough since Ellie-May and Atticus were both in for the night to be ready for the Roading in the morning. At that moment, Halara came pounding through the barn, and I was able to corner her, toss a rope around her neck and force her into her stall. She screamed at me in defiance after she realized she was locked in. I rolled my eyes and just thought “bad MARE!”

Bunny and Willa still appeared to be enjoying their freedom, however. Both were trotting along happily to Tammy’s front yard. I really didn’t want to have to wake up Tammy and David, but neither Bunny nor Willa would let me anywhere near them. So, I resigned myself to attempting to wake them up. Their front door was locked and there was no door bell, so I knocked on the door as much as I forcibly could. Much to my dismay, NONE of the dogs barked. I couldn’t believe the silence! These are the dogs that bark at NOTHING, and now when I actually needed them – SILENCE. I knocked again, but realized that I probably wasn’t going to be able to wake them up. I sighed and left the house trying desperately to come up with a plan to catch Bunny and Willa. Maybe feed?

At that moment, Tammy walked out the front door asking me if something was wrong. I tried, as quickly as possible, to explain what happened. It took her a few moments to finally awake from sleep, but she started running across the lawn with me to grab the final two. Thankfully we were able to corner the mares in the “chute” created between their field and the arena. We were then able to just herd both mares back into their field.

Relief overcame me. All my worries of the large herd of horses running through the woods to the road were dismissed. Tammy thanked me for my help, and we both dragged ourselves back to bed. However, as I was about to ascend the stairs back to the apartment, I heard Fiona screaming at Sudi, so I had to go do something. When I approached the stall, Sudi turned back to look at me like “I really don’t know what her problem is, but she won’t shut up!” I attempted to move Fiona, but she was viscously bound and determined NOT to move from her corner. I chose the lesser of to evils and decided to just put Sudi in Kehbir’s stall for the night – it would at least be something different.

Once back up in the apartment, it was hard not to notice the complete mess that I was. I was covered in sweat, my pajamas were completely wet and sandy from the dew on the ground and I had dirt all up and down my legs. I felt gross and desperately needed a shower. I figured since I was now completely wide awake, I would shower and then throw a small load of clothes in the laundry so I could at least have something to sleep in. I kicked myself for under-packing. I ALWAYS over pack, but I was trying to break that habit this time. Oh well – that just figures.

After my shower, I started a small load of clothes, went back to my bed to stay warm and watch some TV, and thank the Lord that I heard the horses escape, and that nothing bad happened to them. Who knew if they would have been there in the morning?

After about fifteen minutes of flipping channels between watching Friends and the Olympics, I went back to the laundry room figuring that my clothes should be about ready to throw in the dryer. To my COMPLETE and ultimate HORROR, there was a huge puddle creeping across the kitchen floor originating from the laundry room. “You’ve got to be KIDDING me!” I thought in a panic. The washer was over flowing and warm water was seeping everywhere. I ran to the bathroom and found a VERY limited supply of towels. Upon dropping them on the floor, they became completely drenched and useless. I sighed. I put the washer on the rinse cycle immediately, and to much of my relief, the water started draining out of it. That still left me with the gallons of water all over the floor. I decided to go downstairs to raid the barn for towels.

When I got down to the barn, everything seemed nice and peaceful. As I headed towards the tack room, however, I could hear what sounded like water going everywhere. My first reaction was that one of the horses had pulled out the hose to their automatic waterer. But then I saw it. It was raining in the barn. Right underneath where the washer was upstairs, massive amounts of water were falling through some cracks in the ceiling.

All of a sudden I was VERY tired. I felt a knot sitting in the bottom of my stomach. I was going to have to go tell Tammy and David. I found myself reluctantly walking to their front door again. I knocked and then heard the dogs barking. I felt so tired – How could this have happened? The washer LOOKED like it had been previously used. There was plenty of laundry soap and softener. Why now? Tammy made it to the door, looking tired as ever, and I gushed out, (most likely incoherently) that the washer had overflowed. She laughed and said not to worry about it. It had happened before. She said just to clean up the water as much as I could, and David would take a look at it later. Again, relief flooded over me as I walked back to the barn.

I grabbed towels out of the tack room and headed upstairs. When I got there, much of the water had receded (most likely by going down to the barn), and I was able to easily clean everything up. I threw my still unclean clothes, and the many sopping towels in the dryer and figured I would just go to bed. Unfortunately, the drier decided it didn’t want to work anymore, and after a couple failed attempts to start, just stopped. I didn’t even care anymore. The time I finally made it back into the bed was 3:30. Ugh.

The rest of the night I didn’t sleep a bit. Every noise I heard was cause for me to jump up and wonder if I needed to go downstairs to check on the horses. I restrained myself to only going downstairs twice, however. Six thirty, when I needed to wake up, was coming all to fast, and I was wondering if I’d even be able to ride the next day. Sleep finally overtook me around 5 am, and I easily gave in to it...

The One with the Sunny Weekend

What a nice break this weekend was! I actually even made it to the Beach for TWO WHOLE HOURS – my first time this summer. The weather, which has been too unbearably humid and rainy and buggy for me to stand riding (eating bugs isn’t high on my list of things to do, mind you), finally gave in a little and dropped to about 89. *hugh sigh of relief*

Sudi’s incision is doing well, although there is quite a bit of swelling. He looks about on par for having his wisdom teeth recently removed. Poor little guy. I feel so badly for him as he was not able to be on any pain meds due to their blood thinning properties. As the weekend progressed, I started noticing that he was much “ouchier” than normal – even in regards to pressure at the bottom of his nose. So, of course – being the worried mother that I am, I called Dr Miller first thing to see if we could give him something – anything – for the pain. I was given the go-ahead for some Bute twice a day, so hopefully that will kick in soon for him. I’ll also be cold hosing some of the swelling for him to try to give it a little more relief.

On the bright side, Sudi is in a fantastic mood. I hopped on him for a short ride on Saturday, and he was very “UP.” By “UP” I mean that he felt more on par with a 16 hand Thoroughbred ready for the Kentucky Derby. The heightened energy and general “feeling good-ness” really boosted my relief that he is healing. We rode on a couple trails, hopped over a tiny cross country jump, and played around the pond with the Canadian Geese. While his energy was high, I was thankful that his mind seemed calm and even a little bold. Gives me hope in him and a little ounce of developing trust.

In the weeks ahead, we’ll slowly start our work again. Sadly, I’ve had to drop the horse trials at Tryon that I was very much looking forward to. Neither Sudi nor I are prepared mentally, physically or monetarily. It’s alright though – we will be doing some XC schooling at Gibbes Farm in two weeks – I hope to get MANY photos and some videos from that!!!

Kehbir’s progress is still slow. I’m still not 100% sure that he’s ready to handle much other than trails under saddle. My mom and I are planning on taking the boys trail riding at Mullet Hall again soon as well – so more pics there. My boys are so grown up these days; I can’t wait to show them off!

On a side note – VERY disappointing rides from the US on the XC portion of the Olympics. I know they have got to be frustrated – I can’t begin to imagine. Best of luck though to Gina and McKinlaigh and Phillip and Connaught in the running for individual medals!! And of course, best of luck to our dressage and show jumping teams to come!!

The One with Another Sudi Update and Some Olympic News!

Well, after 7 days of injecting antibiotics, and a very irritated chestnut Arabian who has resorted to trying to cram the entirety of his body in the far corner of his stall when he see’s me coming with the syringe, I thought the abscess was finally making some progress. It had reduced to about a nickel size, but was still rather round and hard like a gumball. So, the vet came out today to see what steps we should now take.

Unfortunately, he did not feel as if the abscess was shrinking at a fast enough rate on the very pricey antibiotics, and we definitely needed to have it cut out. So, Sudi went under the anesthesia and the vet, Dr Miller – or “Dr Hottie” as he’s known around our barn (sorry friend – he’s taken!) – proceeded to cut out the infection.

Well, the infection turned out to be about a golf sized mass of granular, gray and black infection. Very gross and very badly needed to get out of there! Poor Sudi is now stall bound for at least twenty-four hours, and I was told to treat this as a castration. He doesn’t have stitches or any more nasty antibiotics as the wound needs to stay open to drain and heal. We’ll be flushing it out with scarlet oil.

I thought seriously hard about taking some pictures of “the wound” last night, but it was SO gross and bloody – figured I’d spare you that pain. Sudi is SUCH a good sport! I’m just very thankful that he is most likely on the road to recovery!!

So – as these days are lacking in the riding department (the weather is also playing a factor as it’s VERY rainy and MUGGY), here are some links to some good blogs from our Olympic Equestrians!! (I almost feel like I’m there!!!) Now they’re not all American, but ALL are fantastic athletes and worth rooting for!

Beezie Madden (US Show Jumping Team): http://teamusa.usatoday.com/bmadden/
Emma Ford (Groom to US Eventing Team member Phillip Dutton): http://www.chronicleemmaford.blogspot.com/
Samantha Taylor (Canadian Eventing Team member): http://chroniclesamanthataylor.blogspot.com/
Max Corcoran (Groom for US Eventing Team member Karen O’Connor): http://special.equisearch.com/blog/maxcorcoran/
Kerri McGregor (Assistant Team Manager for the Canadian Olympic Teams): http://kerrimcgregor.wordpress.com/
Becky Holder (US Eventing Team Member): www.holdereventteam.com
Amy Tryon (US Eventing Team Member – written by husband Greg): http://teamtryon.blogspot.com/
Debbie McDonald (US Dressage Team Member): http://special.equisearch.com/blog/debbiemcdonald
Gina Miles (US Eventing Team Member): http://www.mileseventing.com/GinasJournalOlympics!/FLASH%20FILES/index.html
Mike Gallagher (Team Leader for Canadian Olympic Teams): http://www.ewbnewswire.com/feed/wired/mikesblog/

The One with the Sudi Update

So Sudi is now on antibiotics for four-six (most likely six) days. We had another “Wham-ing” episode last evening though. Apparently the drug he’s on curdled or went bad or something, but I don’t think we caught it in time for his morning shot. It had obviously curdled by the afternoon though and changed to a gross milky color.

When I brought him inside the barn yesterday evening, he was markedly lethargic and his eyes looked completely downcast. It was at this time that I noticed his antibiotics had gone bad. We ended up giving him a dose of good antibiotics as well as Banamine, and a bran-mash to help him keep hydrated.

His neck had a HUGE lump on the left side (most likely from the bad dosage), and it was obvious that it was painful. I took his temp, and he was running a slight fever too. I tried to put in him outside in the ring so that he could keep moving and help his neck recover. Unfortunately, he couldn’t stand the pain to even put his head down to graze. I stood in the rain watching as he would reach down, pull his head back up, and then paw in frustration. I know that about him; he paws when he is indignant, saying no or just plain frustrated. He ended up just standing there, head hanging.

Due to the cool temps with the rain and his fever on top of that, I decided to leave him in his stall over night. I’m not sure whether he was just ok with coming in or the banamine was kicking in, but when we fixed him a hay net that he could actually reach, his eyes lit up, and I saw a brief sparkle of the Sudi I know.

It’s so heartbreaking to see the “light” gone from my baby. He is SUCH a good patient and stands so amazingly well for his shots. His attitude is also so great and forgiving – even after these many weeks. I feel like he will still do anything I ask. I just hope he returns to his normal self after all this is over…whenever that may be. *huge sigh*

The One with My Musings

When it comes down to it, there are just no guarantees in the horse world. I read a quote the other day that exemplifies this thought: “Horses are just a form of white collar gambling.” How true!! We spend our time, physical energy, emotions, and money on these creatures, and we’re not even guaranteed that our hearts won’t be broken along the way. In fact, we are pretty much guaranteed that our lives will be filled with turmoil, disappointment, discouragement, heartbreak, and misfortune.

As we are only days away from the ’08 Olympics in Hong Kong, I cannot help but feel the disappointment of those that have come so close to the end of their goal, but not entirely made it. Perhaps the most emotionally charged story for me is the loss of the super pony Theodore O’Connor (ironically ridden by Karen O’Connor – no relation of course!). Lost not because he didn’t qualify, or didn’t win over the hearts of every horseman (eventer and non), but because of a freak accident at home. An accident that could have happened to any horse – but of all horses (!), it happened to him. I know I am not alone in saying that Karen’s loss is incredibly palpable; I feel it almost as my own. (Perhaps it’s because I see so much of Teddy in my own three year old – Sudi.)

But Karen’s story doesn’t end there. She’s working on her own happy ending, albeit slightly altered. She has made it to her fourth Olympic Team. Perhaps not on the horse she first dreamed, but she made it on a horse very special in his own right: Mandiba. Karen and her fantastic groom Max have worked with Mandiba from the very beginning, and in the span of three - four years of riding, he has made it to the Olympics - and safely. WOW! – How utterly amazing! These victories and moments are, what I believe, what we LIVE for in the horse world.

Not all victories and moments are the type of the colossal achievement of being named to an Olympic Team though. Some moments come from the joy gleaned by your horse galloping up to you in sheer excitement to see you. Others come from the first time you get on a horse, or the first time you canter, to completing your first horse show, your first jump, your first cross country course, your first dressage test, your first hunter course, your first hunt, watching your child ride for the first time, or your green horse finally grasp a concept, or a foal being born. I, personally, find watching my horse happily graze or go on walks brings me much joy and is a great stress relief at the end of a long day.

This is why we’re here in the horse world: because horses have an intrinsic magnetic quality that refuses to let us go. These moments, and most likely the small ones which sustain us, are worth EVERY bit of heartache and pain that may come along the way.

I am SO blessed to have the horses in my life that I do. It is by God’s grace that these remarkable animals grace me with their presence. They are God’s gifts – that He gave, and He can, of course, take away. While I may never know His reasons for allowing disappointment, I can rest assured in the knowledge that He allows EVERYTHING for a reason. There was a reason He decided to take Teddy, there is a reason we don’t achieve the goals for which we’re striving, there is a reason my horse got his abscess. No matter what, though, God is in control, and He is working everything out for the good of those that love Him (and their horses, of course *grin*).

The Exciting One about Karen and Mandiba, but SAD News for Heidi and Northern Spy

NEWS FLASH: Karen and Mandiba are now on the 2008 Olympic Eventing Team!!!! What a fantastic accomplishment for Mandiba and Karen. I am just super happy for Karen. Go Team USA!!!

Click here for a current list of the US Eventing Team for '08!

http://www.useventing.com/competitions.php?section=fei&id=1605

(I would like to express my sympathies to Heidi White on losing her spot on the team due to a minor injury that Northern Spy sustained. I cannot begin to imagine her dissapointment.)

The One Where I'm Sick and Tired of being Sick and Tired

So I suppose you may be wondering why it's been about a MONTH since my last posting. Well. Where do I begin? (First off, everyone is alive and kicking still...although healthy is another question).

So, it all started pretty much a month ago. I was coming off my great spring show season, a great lesson, a great Parelli Clinic and then WHAM: Sudi rolled into a fence and chopped up all four of his legs. His legs pretty much looked like they'd been attacked by a werewolf with long scratches from stifle to fetlock. *sigh* Thankfully he didn't break or sprain anything though, so there was no need to call then vet. He seemed a little stiff, so I gave him some time off and Horsey - Aspirin "Bute" in the hopes that he'd get over this in a few days to a week.

Then WHAM: I come out to the barn and Sudi's hooves are crumbling to pieces. All of a sudden too. No warning - nothing. I opened his stall door, and there he stood: hooves with huge chunks missing. So Sud became a captive (and not a happy one, let me say) in his stall for a few days. I made many (probably too many) frantic calls to my farrier - who by the way was sick and dying. I think he thought I was totally over-reacting until he came out and saw how atrocious Sudi's hooves looked. He said they got so bad because they grew at an amazing rate. He said he'd never seen that type of hoof growth in an Arabian. (Maybe too much Fish Oil? That's one supplement I can cut back on then hehe :) ) At any rate, he trimmed Sudi's hooves way back to avoid any further cracking damage, and guess what? He was short/halfway lame. *sigh* More time off.

Then Wham: Sudi runs into a fence. He had just gotten back into work, and I was lunging him at liberty when he felt a bit too frisky and took off. Well he came up to a corner and was in a full out gallop. I saw the look in his eye like he thought about jumping it, but then got too close. Brakes were slammed on, his body careened into the corner, and boards were snapping and popping. Thankfully his shoulder landed on a post that held most of his weight and only the top board of the fence popped off. He was able to regain his balance, and of course then took off at a gallop again, tail flagging from his scare. So again, Sudi was all scratched up and stiff and had way too much energy. So now, more rest and a LOT less Fish Oil. *another HUGH sigh*

Then, just when I'd had a terrific ride bareback, I bring him in the following night and WHAM: he has a HUGE, hard, lump under his jaw and has a fever. Well, an emergency call was put into the vet on call, and it was determined that the vet needed to come out to test for a bacterial infection and the S word - Strangles. Well, the vet came out and said he was fairly certain it was Strangles. Sudi needed to be quarantined and watched very closely for any changing signs. He also took about $400 worth of lab tests to verify that it was/was not Strangles. Well then the waiting began. We had three days before we would know ANYTHING. Sudi's situation never changed, but he seemed content in his round pen (except for a thunderstorm I saved him from) and his attitude and appetite seemed OK. Finally we heard back from the vet - and we actually had GOOD news. Sudi did NOT have Strangles! YAY!!! Well my jubilation quickly ended. If he didn't have Strangles, what did he have??? All I know is that he has an abscess in his left lymph node. We've been giving him hot compresses and bute to try to reduce the abscess or get it to soften enough to either drain on it's own or be lanced. Jump to a week later.

I get a call from Tammy, my BO, and WHAM: Sudi has hives all over his body and seems to feel miserable. I rush out to the barn and verify that he does indeed have HUGE hives, so I dose him up with some Dex and Bute and then come to realize he has a fever again. ANOTHER emergency call to the vet. Well the vet didn't think it was necessary to come out, but said to watch him and keep giving him dex and bute. Well we think he might have gotten into some old/possibly moldy hay which caused the hives which caused the fever.

On a good note, Sudi is his same happy self, and is seeming to enjoy the hot compresses. This weekend will be lots more compresses and still no work. We're hoping with the intensive compresses, we can have something resolved by Monday. That's our prayer anyway. And, hopefully we'll be able to get back into the swing of riding.

In other news: My mom is riding Kehbir bareback! Yay! He is coming along so well. He's still such a child, but his gates are becoming way more consistent and the amount of bucking while be lunged is decreasing. YAY!!!

If all goes well, we'll be able to do some XC Schooling up in Aiken and head for a schooling HT up in Tryon the end of August.

Until then, hopefully you're getting in more riding than I am!