Did you say "horse show"?

That's right! I said the magic words, HORSE SHOW!!

I'm beside myself ecstatic! For the first time in 2 1/2 years, I get to go ride, yes you hear me right, RIDE in a horse show!!!

WEEEEE!!!!!

Granted, it's only a schooling show, but, it's a horse show and by george, I'm riding in it.

I've been sitting watching on the sidelines since I completed the CO Horse Park Horse Trails back in 2009, been grooming and braiding, and prepping horses for shows, but not getting to ride at all. And it's been pure torture!

Recently though, I learned of a small dressage schooling show happening just a few miles down the road at a neighboring barn. I conferred with Baby's owner, who was also very excited at the possibility of going to a show (this will be her first show!!), and we decided to give it a shot. So, depending on weather and if the show receives enough entries we are going to a show!! I'll do Training Level test 2, Baby's owner will be doing Intro tests B & C.

Waaaahooo!!!! :D

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I want my own horse....

Like, wickedly bad :(

I've got two horses I can ride, sure.

The one mare, Magic, is used as a lesson horse several days of the week, so my times to ride her are fairly limited, she also has a bit of a mechanical lameness due to a club foot, so we are careful how much work she does do. But she's a fun ride, and considering I've only been riding her 1-2 times a week, has improved in LEAPS and BOUNDS!! She's gone from not knowing how to move off the leg resistant to the bit/bridle, rushing, nonrhythmic.... to being able to bend both directions and easily change the bend, to yeilding to the bit and carrying herself in a nice, relaxed manner, to keeping a steady rhythmic walk and trot, her turns on the forehand are dang near perfect, and she is learning what a leg-yeild is now. Fast learner she is, just a little stubborn now and then lol.

The other mare is a GEM, a 22yr old TB called Baby, just a wonderful wonderful horse. She's super solid in her training, sound, LOVES to be ridden, and just knows it all through Third level in dressage, and I hopped her over a little 2'6" ish jump (was probably a hair under) and she just flew over it without so much as blinking. Her only flaw is she's rather herd bound... mares! Me and her owner are tag teaming to get her in shape to try and do some dressage schooling shows with her. I'm giving lessons to her owner and teaching her how to ride a dressage test. I really enjoy riding Baby, and pretty much had her to myself for awhile... but now her owner is discovering too how much Baby really knows, and is riding her more and more, which I think is GREAT! But, unfortunately, that leaves less opportunity for me to ride her. Darn it. LOL

So yeah, I'm really really REALLY missing having my own horse, to ride when I want, how I want, doing what I want, without having to always clear it with someone beforehand :-/

I am thankful, don't get me wrong, to have the opportunities I do to ride two sweet mares. But yeah, I've always had MY horse for years, and now I'm without and it's gnawing at me big time. At the barn I clean stalls at a new mare has arrived, she's a redhead with chrome (I'd prefer bay... but the chrome!!), beautifully put together, long clean legs with good bone, a streamline body, she screams TBxWB cross, emphasis on the TB without the ridiculous withers lol. In short, she's gorgeous, with an AMAZING trot, and I bet she could really gallop out. In short, I think she'd be a superb eventer. I'm sure she's for sale... but I know her owner probably wants and arm & a leg for her *rolls eyes* I'm sooooo tempted though to say "hey, tell the owner if she ever wants her horses evented... lemme know!"

So, that's where I'm at horsey wise. Though, cross your fingers, baby plans for a 2012 foal maaaaaaaaaay work out. Once I am able to contact the stallion owner I'll know more :) So, we shall see. We shall see.

I still want a horse of my own to ride right now though!!!!

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I would rather horse shop anyday

So I sold my truck last Monday. And now I can go purchase a new vehicle!!!

Easy as pie right?

HA!!

Finding the right vehicle, with the right price, with the right mileage, with the right options, with the right owner history, with the right maintenance record, with the right 4x4 option, with the right deal is IMPOSSIBLE

At least it feels like it after today! AUUUGGGHHH Can I have one of those big blow up punching bag things to take out all my frustrations upon??

I've also learned that there are two types of car salesman. There are of course the blood thirsty, money driven, sell sell sell work you into a corner and make you live outside of your means sales men that give the entire industry the bad rep. They want to shove whatever vehicle you are even remotely interested in down your throat, make you buy it at a ridiculous price, or even if they can bring down the price, they are still gonna make you buy it... ooooor walk you over to a vehicle you know you can't afford, and try and talk you into buying it. In short, they are not looking out for the needs of their customer, instead they just want the sale.

The other type of car sales man is a rare breed. They are friendly, courteous, knowledgeable, and genuinely want to make you feel welcome. They listen to your needs and wants, and will go out of their way to find the right vehicle for you. And, if they don't have that vehicle, they will be honest and say so. We ran into one person like that today, and I soooo wish I could have bought a car from him, right off the bat I felt comfortable around him, didn't feel like he was going to try and offer us something outside our means. Great chap, he was actually english in nationality (though I would've pegged him as a kiwi at first), we could all learn to take a lesson in hospitality and customer service from them.

Overall, we just didn't seem to have one streak of luck all day. The first vehicle was immaculate, perfect, everything I could've wanted. But it was overpriced by an easy $1500 and the dealer wouldn't budge from his price. Ok, see ya! I was very bummed about that. Next one was very worn and smelled like puke..... pass. The next ones were sold by the time we got there, and the last two, the one was perfect in everything, price, model, options, etc. expect that it had a rear valve gasket or something that needed replacing as it was a little leaky (leave it to my husband to be super picky about leaky oil seals), it's a $30 part... but $300 in labor to get it done. It wasn't enough for the dealer to warrant getting it done, but enough that my husband would fuss over it. So we passed, the other vehicle was awesome as well, expect it didn't have a factory tow package, and while we could mount a hitch, it wouldn't have the correct suspension or wiring. Granted all we are towing is a fishing boat, but still, it's nice to have that extra suspension for when we pack up and move out for a camping trip!

So... that's that. Ugh

Another week without a vehicle, and school starts on monday. This will be fun. Hope it doesn't rain cuz dear hubby will be going everywhere on his motorcycle until further notice as we cannot go look at vehicles again until Thursday at the earliest.

Gah, this is seriously gonna give me a hemoroid or something from all this stress.

So yep, would much rather be horse shopping right about now.

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Coming up for a breath of air!

Oh my, crazy crazy life it is here.

Sold my pickup truck, so hustling now to try and find a new vehicle. Think I've found "the one" and will go look at it, depending on it's mechanical soundness we may come home with it. I'm trying hard NOT to have a huge loan on a new vehicle to pay off.

Cuz I wants to still have monies for ponies.

I'm trying my darnest hardest right now to talk Brent into leasing a horse. I've found a mare that I want to trial on lease for a couple months. She's a 1/4 Dutch warmblood (Rampal granddaughter) and 3/4 Thoroughbred. She's super cute, super adorable, a good look in her eye, and a gorgeous sooty bay. Owner has had a family crisis and is selling her horses dirt cheap, needs to get rid of the expense soon of this mare, and is open to just about anything.

So we'll see! Another plus is that I got the promotion at work I was hoping really really REALLY badly for. It's not a huge pay increase, but it's decent, it'll make the paychecks a little bigger, hurray!

The last piece of the puzzle is going to be board for said mare. My boarding barn I found is has filled the open spot (that used to be my spot) so they are full, poooop. So, I'm gonna see if maybe, by some small chance, I could possibly keep a horse over at the private place where I clean stalls. I think they'd be ok with it, we shall see. I'm crossing my fingers!!

Oh yeah, in the mean time, school is starting soon, gotta buy books. Uuuuuggggh

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I thought of a great blog topic last night

And now I can't remember it!!

I haven't been posting much, partly due to the fact I don't have my own horse at the moment :( partly due to how dang busy I've been, and partly due to my lack of motivation to write LOL

My project ponies are coming along great. Magic, the QH mare is doing fantastic, she's got those turns on the forehand just about down pat, as well as reinback. Working on confirming the turns on the haunches now. Then we get to tackle the leg yeild, and eventually the sidepass.

The last two are going to be rather tricky, she just doesn't GET the fact that yes, she can indeed go sideways aaaannnd go forward at the same time. She mostly just takes inside leg pressure as "go faster!!!" sooo... we are having to re-wire that button big time, and it's going to be a slow process. I'm riding her twice a week right now, and even with that, she's really been picking up on things fairly quickly. I enjoy working with her, she's super sensitive and responsive. She really needs improvement in rhythm big time in the trot and canter. She's rather out of shape and unbalanced, but it's coming along :)

The other mare, Baby, the 21 year old TB, finally got shoes on, and she feels sooooo much better! Poor girl was just footsore from the rockhard ground we get in the summertime. I just love riding her, she's SO solid in her training, just needs a lot of suppling and fitness work, she is so stiff in her neck and hindend. I almost wonder if a chiro would help her.

In the meantime, I'm hunting for in utero foals for sale :D Pending signing a couple car titles tonight, I will no longer have my little pickup, so our car issue is resolved, and if we aren't going to be buying a house for another year... maaaaybe I can talk my hubby into letting my buy my dream baby! *crossses fingers hard*

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Poking my nose places it shouldn't be

I can't afford a horse... I don't have time for a horse... I can't afford a horse... I already have a horse I can ride....

Yet I'm still looking for one!!!

I have the pony bug, bad...

Ack.

Found this super duper cute paint pony, 13.2hh, sturdy as a tank, 12 years old, basic training, for dirt cheap. Want. Want. Want. He would be an awesome project, retrain, start in harness maybe, sell for 10x what I paid in a year....

But I really really don't have time for a horse of my own, with school, work, the kids, my second job cleaning stalls, I barely have the time to ride the one horse I'm retraining as is. How in the world could I fit in my own project?

I still want him though!!

I'm hopeless, lol

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Puppy meets ponies

This past week little miss Maggie bear got to take her first car ride down the street to visit the barn. Along with fearless Fiona as her mentor, she was able to tackle all the strange and exciting sights and smells of the equine world! She learned some really valuable things that she'd like to pass along.

1. Horses are actually NOT puppy eating monsters
But they are still big and scary and should be avoided at all costs. However, they are much less scary when mommy is standing right next to them to make sure they don't trample me. They are much less scary too when they are on the ground, when they leap up though, I don't really like that.

2. Horse poop is good
Really really good. Especially when it's fresh.

3. So is grain
Fiona and I love to sniff around and pick all those good little tidbits off the ground that the horses drop. Only problem is I get wood shavings all over my nose and it makes me sneeze.

4. Big, strange dogs that bark a lot are scary
But their owners are super sweet and I really like them, once I sniffed noses with the big strange dog though, he wasn't so bad. He just barked a lot at first and I thought I was gonna get eatted so I ran away as fast I could to mommy and she told me that it was OK. Phew.

5. But, getting to ride on mommy's lap in the truck with my nose out the window is best of all!

Until next time, I'll be keeping a close eye on those ponies, they might step on me ya know.

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