Trying to catch up - 2021 goals, etc.

I have been going through the hundreds of pictures I've taken this winter as I'm trying to get my blog caught up.   So far I am noticing a theme to my pictures/videos:

• pictures of Rip
• pictures/videos of the cats
• pictures/videos of the cats sleeping with the dog
• random attempts at artsy snow pics
• memes

I found this silly video I took of Archie having a bath. Turn up the volume if you can for his big purr.  Lol.  Clearly I need to get out more!  I am still working from home full-time, with no end to that in sight. 

Vaccination rollouts are going super slow here, so who knows when I'll be able to get my vaccine.  I haven't seen my family since August, which kind of sucks.  I've been trying to figure out some goals for this year, but well, that is proving a bit difficult. Then I get sidetracked by the cats and memes.

So cute.  

In other news, in 2 weeks, my friend is moving back "home" to the farm where she grew up. It is really exciting for her to be going back there.  Her gelding will leave here mid-May once she has her stalls and paddocks set up.    I think Ivy will also be going to live there (reminder: this friend and I co-own Ivy) and Rip's Mom Lucy will also go once the little man is weaned (late May?).

It's tiring being little!

My friend's sister also just bought a horse and that mare will be at my place until sometime in May when she will go to the "farm".  :-).  I'll be helping ride this horse a bit as well, as my friend's sister is a bit rusty and nervous.  I'm really hoping I can trailer Fred over there this summer and the two of us can go for a hack or something.

So, all of this leads me to my 2021 goals. Thanks to anyone that has read this far down. lol

I'm keeping things simple this year, until we see if there will be any shows.

• Ride Fred and try and keep him sound
• Keep Copper sound and happy
• Breed Ivy (first attempt was done mid-April - fingers crossed it worked!)
• Learn about training a foal (yikes! lol)
• Help my friend find another broodmare (I think this is done already - more to follow)
• Help my friend's sister with her new mare
• Have fun

And that is about the extent of it. Me being me, I have a more detailed document going with goals and accomplishments by quarter, but I'll share that another time.  For now, I'm just going with the flow and we'll see what we can get done!  

Are you guys going for any big goals this year?  Or being like me and taking it easy and rolling with things due to the pandemic?  Is anyone back to normal post-pandemic?

An update on Fred

 Well, this update is long overdue! I meant to write it in January, but here we are.  Lol.  

Fred went to live with an acquaintance of mine that was looking for a horse to work with over the winter. She just bought a little farm with a nice indoor, so it seemed like a good fit.  I took him there Dec 1 and he is due to come home on May 1. I'll be happy to have him him home- I miss the big red goofball!

The goal of sending him was to get him going under saddle.  He wouldn't be getting formal training rides 5-6x a week like you might expect, but just 2-3 sessions.  This lady isn't a trainer per se, but has started a few horses in the past.

I sat on Fred a couple of times this fall and he was having a hard time figuring out the whole "forward" part of working under saddle.  This was resolved pretty quickly at the new barn.  I went to see him in early January to see how he was going.  

Side note: We've been in and out of lockdowns pretty much since Christmas, so I've really limited any trips to do anything. Fred's barn is over an hour away, so not a quick trip.

He was even doing a bit of trot under saddle at my first visit!

Trotting Fred!

By all accounts, he has been super quiet and hasn't offered to buck or spook, even when the snow came zippering off the coverall roof!  The only thing that got him a bit upset was being nipped at and followed by the lady's two heelers.  Lol. 

He tends to just meander along at the trot so far - the lady says that she has been working on adjusting the trot speed a bit, but that he is still pretty green.  Here is a video from Jan 2, so only a month under saddle at this place.  We noticed that he is just a bit NQR in the front and it would get better as she worked him and it wasn't as obvious some days vs others.  

My next visit was in March and he was starting to canter a bit under saddle! Woohoo Fred.  He is a bit clumsy with those long legs of his, so the lady was just working the canter when he felt steady.  

At then end of March/early April, Fred blew two abscesses - one in each back foot... D'oh!

He needed antibiotics for the swelling and both blew out the heel bulb, so they were not pleasant for the poor guy!  He has been starting back with doing a bit of walk work now, so hopefully he is ok moving forward.  He did the abscess thing to me this time last year as well.  

Moving forward, the vet and farrier recommended shoes for him or possibly hoof boots. I'll be measuring him for hoof boots to start, as I would prefer that over shoes to try first.  He seems to get bruised soles in the transition seasons when there is lumpy frozen mud out in the paddock.  He could also stay in more during those times...there are a few options to check.  I also had him tested for PSSM (negative thankfully!) just to rule some things out.    

He enjoyed his bodywork session.  Lol at the pally mare getting in the photo...

I found a great bodyworker and she has worked on him for two sessions so far. I think he'll need more maintenance than an average 6yo horse due to his wacky conformation and his size.  He is at least 16.3hh now, maybe even 17hh!  (Note to self: buy a proper stick!).   I'm really looking forward to having him home and having eyeballs on him more regularly.  The lady did a good job with him, but he isn't her horse, so some things just don't get done the same way I would have.  That is ok - part of the risk/considerations when sending a horse out for training.  

I'm a little apprehensive about riding Fred, since he is so huge.  I'm really short, so I've never really looked at or ridden tall horses. Spencer was 15hh on a good day!  I'm sure I'll get used to it though, as he is really the only rideable horse I have.  (Note to self: buy a new helmet)

And now I'm all caught up with Fred.  More updates on the rest of the herd/life to follow!  

I'm still here!

I think I'm currently the world's worst blogger!!! Lol  I didn't meant to take a break, since I've been busy with horse stuff!   Work was super busy over the winter and is just starting to ease up now, so I feel like I can breathe a bit and do some other things!

A few quick updates:

Spring is coming - woohoo!

Rip is fine and growing like a weed! Mom is doing well too.  I have a lot of pictures and video, so will try and get myself organized and post some chronological updates.  I really want to have a record of things with this first (adorable but a bit bitey) foal. 

Mom was enjoying some cookies and Rip can now see over the door!

Fred is fine (mostly) and learning to work under saddle. He has some minor-ish hoof issues that I'll talk about later, once I get myself organized and gets some updates sorted out!  I also have some video of him working under saddle so that is a first that I have some actual media! Lol

Fred is doing well and is cantering under saddle a bit now!

Where does the time go?

So, somehow a month and a half has slipped by since my last post!  Oops!  I keep meaning to write something here, but time just gets away from me.  Which is weird, since I'm actually at home 99% of the time.  I've been moving computers around to accommodate WFH (which has no signs of ending anytime soon) and my personal computer is on the verge of death, so maybe that is part of it?  Who knows?

Since my last post, a few things have happened.  I got a delivery of 10 big square bales to get me through the next few months.  The hay isn't the greatest, but it extremely hard to find this year and it is only October. That is kind of scary for late winter/early spring.  I think I have a source for some round bales too, so fingers crossed I am ok for hay.

In exciting news, my good friend sold her house and was able to buy back the farm she grew up on.  How exciting is that?  I think it is amazing.  Even more exciting is that she will only be about 20 mins away from me.  :-)  That is especially important, since we co-own Ivy and the foal that is due in 2.5 months!

She can't move until May 1 2021, so I have her horses here.  The mare, Lucy, on the left in the pic below is our broodmare.  She was here for two weeks and then she moved to the barn where she will have her foal.  The horse on the right is Spunky, a 10yr old QH gelding. I showed Spunky back in 2016.

They settled in pretty well, considering the hooligans that were outside staring in their windows all the time! LOL  Fred and Ivy were pretty excited with the new guests and spent a lot of time at the windows until everyone settled in.  I ended up keeping Fred and Ivy outside for the 2 weeks Lucy was here, since a) I only have 3 stalls and 5 horses and b) I didn't want anything to happen to Lucy, since is very preggers.  

After Lucy left for the maternity barn, I worked on integrating the other horses with Spunky.   I have been keeping Copper in with Spunky and Fred and Ivy have been staying outside, except for their am/pm grain.   Spunky stays in a lot because, well, he has issues.  lol  He had a horrific tendon injury a couple of years ago and my friend rehabbed him, got him barefoot and on limited turnout in a round pen.  She is aiming to have him on more turnout when she moves to her new (old) farm in the spring.  So, we aren't rocking the boat here and just doing what he is capable of. 

Spunky - so handsome!

Spunky has been going out for 2-3 hours a day in his round pen (lent to me by my friend!). My goal is to get him up to 5-6 hours outside during the winter. Apparently he loves the cold weather, so this is the perfect time to have him here.  Fred and Ivy seem to be fine with all of this and there is a lot of time spent biting each other's faces over the round pen and maybe some squealing from Ivy (she is in love).

Ivy and Spunky are BFFs.  Fred feels slightly left out. 

All in all, things are going well.  The horses are settling and I'm getting ready for winter.  Working from home has been so nice, since I can get out to the barn in daylight and do the bulk of my chores without a flashlight/headlamp!

My name is Fred, they call me Fred

I've been meaning to write updates for all of the horses, cause this is a horse blog after all... I figured there should be some horse content occasionally.

Before I get into recapping Fred's impromptu training session, I'd like to add that I've made a late Q3 addition to my goals list: get more f*@*ing pictures for the blog.  LOL  But seriously, I could use some current media.  

 Last Sunday the Cowboy was here for Ivy.  He worked with her for about and hour or so and decided she was good and needed a break.  I had told him about Fred, so we decided with the 45 mins left of my time, we'd assess Fred and see what he thought about breaking him out for me.

A pic from last fall with the other trainer

We threw the saddle and bridle on Fred and he was worked on the lunge for a bit.  If you remember, I had someone sit on him a few times last fall, but we never had her off the lead line.  The cowboy quickly ran Fred through some basics to test where he was at: leaning on him, mounting/dismounting stirrups flapping, etc.   I really need to get a video of this for you guys, but this trainer can jump on from the ground - with a western saddle, no less - with just a couple of bounces and Fred is close to 17hh!

Actual footage from that day: Trainer bouncing and chubby me looking perplexed!

Anyway, once he saw that Fred was good with a rider pretty much climbing all over him, he got on and tested out the controls.  This is where Fred got confused - he was fine to back under saddle and even turn on the forehand.   Moving forward was very hard for him, for some reason.  Often if that is a problem, the rider uses an open rein and encourages the horse to take a step to the side to start, then they get some forward momentum.  This sort of worked with Fred, but he didn't really catch on to what was being asked. 

Now, this was his first session under saddle since the fall, so I wasn't expecting any miracles.   Fred was super good in that he never offered to kick or buck or rear when he got a bit confused by the trainer asking him to do stuff.  He has a very quiet temperament and is just maybe a bit less smart than others (lol poor Fred) and a bit stubborn. 

Cute, but confused? 

Without pics to show you, there isn't much more to add.  The trainer kept trying different techniques to get a few steps forward and it would work one time, then not the next. We gave Fred short breaks every few minutes to ensure he wasn't completely overwhelmed, but I think maybe he had had enough.  He is 5, so I was hoping he could work in larger chunks of time, but maybe not.  Anyway, I'm officially considering this ride 1 on Fred and I'm hoping to do more with him over the coming months as the temps have started to cool down.  

I don't have any experience starting a young horse, but since I know Fred is so quiet, I feel it should be safe for me to do some work with him in between pro sessions.  I don't have the budget to send him and Ivy this year (Ivy goes tomorrow for her bootcamp) so I'll have to do a bit of work on my own.  

Right now my plan is to show him a bit next year (if we ever have shows here again???) and get him started under saddle w/t at least, so I can find him a new home or keep him and trail ride him or something.  I have the foal coming (fingers crossed) in Feb, so I'll be busy with that little creature as well.  It seems weird to even attempt to talk about plans for next winter/spring, since we have no idea where the pandemic will take us at this point!  

Vet and chiro visits

I normally try to do my routine horse maintenance - vaccinations, coggins (if needed) and dentals in late March, so I'm ready for the upcoming year of shows, riding or whatever might be going on.

This year, covid changed that a bit, which worked out ok in the end.  I had the vet out in April for Copper and Fred's vaccines and check up, but she wasn't doing dental work at that time.

Waiting for the vet

When Ivy came here last month, she needed some TLC. She hadn't had her feet done professionally in a while and hadn't seen the vet for anything maintenance related in quite some time.  No vaccines/dental work is pretty common in broodmares, as there is a small window during a pregnancy where it is thought to be safe to sedate.  Some people won't sedate a broodmare at all, but my vet said it is possible at certain times mid-pregnancy to do it safely.  All that being said, Ivy was long overdue for a dental check and her vaccines. 

Teefs done? Check.

All three horses were booked in for dentals last week, so it is great to have that done and all set until next year.  In the end, splitting up the bill helped my finances a bit as well.  Fred and Ivy were good patients and both had some dental issues that needed to be addressed. 

The mare still manages side-eye while sedated.  lol

Copper also needs routine dental and I feel like I've been pretty lucky with the vets that I deal with - all are more than willing to sit on the floor and do Copper's teeth.   With Ivy's arrival, Copper got booted from his stall.  I tied him up in the aisle and he waited patiently for his turn with the vet.

Waiting. And waiting

Minis have such small mouths and often have major dental issues.  Copper's teeth aren't bad overall, but he has two teeth way in the back that are rotated inwards and can get sharp.  I ended up hanging in the barn answering some work emails as the horses came out of sedation.  Copper was super cute (as usual) and wanted to rest his head in my lap while the meds wore off. 

I feel woozy and need snuggles. Copper, probably.

Fred got to see the chiro as well last week. We all love this chiro - she is super friendly and super knowledgeable.  I haven't been working Fred much lately, as it has been disgustingly hot and well, with no shows, he can just hang out and be a horse...  I had been noticing though, that he was stepping a bit short on his front left, so after the farrier confirmed his hoof was fine, I thought I'd try the chiro before the vet was due to come out. 

Hitting some good spots?

She didn't feel there were any soft tissue injuries, but since he has been growing non-stop, his muscles, especially in the shoulders were extremely tight.  She gave me a few rehab/massage exercises and I do those a few time a week to help relieve the muscle tension.  Luckily Fred loves any and all attention, so he is good for his stretches and massage.  :-)

Happy Fred

She didn't think Fred needed to be seen regularly, as long as I was able to keep up the exercises and see some improvement (I have!).  She also thinks he will maybe start filling out width wise instead of up now, so that would be nice!  I'm still hoping to show him one more year (come on 2021!) so more bulk would be great and the upward growth can stop!  I haven't sticked him lately, but he was close to 16.3hh last time! 

Q2 Wrap-up

Things have certainly being challenging thus far in 2020!  I went back to re-read my Q1 goals post and I had a chuckle at my optimism that things would pick up for shows and things around here.

Note: I’m having internet and blogger issues so I can’t seem to add any more photos. Sigh. #firstworldproblems

Needless to say, I've bit the bullet and totally scrapped most of my horse goals for this year and made some modifications.  I have done ok on the barn/pasture stuff, but need to really focus on the house in Q3 before things totally get away from me.

I think Charlie Mackesy summed up how I feel with this post on Instagram:

I'm also sad that attending QH Congress in Columbus is 95% out - who knows what the travel restrictions will be like by then (the border is closed until late July at least), the US dollar exchange rate is horrendous and I honestly don't know if I want to be around large amounts of people for a few more months. 

My plan B for a big horse show/shopping event was the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto in November, but it was canceled on June 25th, so that plan is toast as well.  I guess I should really just focus on saving money so next year can be a good one (fingers crossed!).

Horses:

• earn Fred's ROM (AQHA register of merit - each time a horse hits 10 points in a discipline/level, you get a certificate) in halter - we need 1.5 points in open and I think 3.5 points in amateur  - shelved until 2021 due to covid-19
• show at a different venue/different club (I've shown at the same 2 places for 98% of past shows) - shelved until 2021 due to covid-19
• ride again - might still pull this off
• attend a clinic of some sort - shelved until 2021 due to covid-19
• find a mare for my friend to ride and maybe breed (added Q1) - COMPLETED! W00t!

Fred

• work as weather permits 
• continue under saddle work - leaving this on in case I'm inspired to try him under saddle again
• work on showmanship and in hand trail - maybe show at a schooling show? shelved until 2021 due to covid-19
• find a bridle that fits his big head - COMPLETED for now with the world's ugliest bridle, found in a heap of old tack at the volunteer place
• get him more used to the bit and/or try a hackamore

Copper

• stay healthy! - Q1 - check! Q2 - check!

Lucy (my friend's mare)

• get her confirmed in foal - Check! 45 day u/s done on 04/01 and all good!  Q2 - all good!

Personal

• read 45 books - Q1 was great, Q2 not so much.  There is still time to save this goal!
• back up and organize photos (my computer is dying, so this is urgent!) COMPLETED!
• volunteer somewhere horse-y  - COMPLETED-ish early this year.  The therapeutic riding centre is still closed to outsiders due to covid-19 so nothing further for this year.
• save $$ for foal hopefully coming in 2021- this is going well, thanks to covid-19
• exercise program of some sort - ahhahaha!
• stick to a budget - doing ok here in Q2, thanks to covid-19
• read/listen to some horse training material - podcasts, youtube, books etc - Q1 - I read lots, Q2, not so much
• continue to declutter and sell unused tack - ongoing - more work to be done here!
• attend QH Congress (as a spectator) in October (I've missed the past 2 years!) - sadly, I think this will have to be scratched.  
• use up products that are already in the house/barn (added Q2) - Ongoing - I'm on a mission here to use up as much stuff and not buy anything new unless urgent - like fly spray or something.

House/property

• complete some minor house renos/décor updates - nothing in Q2
• stay on top of yard/flowerbeds/fenceline - fencline yes, flowerbeds, uh hells no.  LOL
• keep barn tidy
• clean and organize my hay storage area - DONE Q2
• fix and bury fence ground wires - DONE! Q1
• check pasture fence and come up with a plan to have fence fixed by mid-May DONE Q2
• source some 2nd cut hay - DONE Q2
• clean and organize tack - ongoing, with more motivation now that there is a riding horse here!
• repaint jump poles 
• organize electric fence supplies/spare parts - added and DONE Q2
• clean and put away winter blankets DONE Q2
• put away the trough heater and extension cord DONE Q2
• clean the tack room DONE Q2
• daydream about tack room renos/updates DONE - LOL
• clean cobwebs/windows/shelves DONE Q2
• look into and start a plan/budget for some barn renos - eavestrough, upgrade lighting/wiring and maybe refinish the tack room - Q2 - made a spreadsheet with materials list, pricing

JFC, 2020 can just staaahhhp

What else is in store for us this year?  I was doing ok with all of this stay-at-home stuff and the new way things work up until recently.

The last 10 days have just sucked. No other way to put it.   I'm aware that many people are in far worse situations than I am.  It seems tho, feelings are just a bit raw and it doesn't take much to weigh you down with anxiety and sadness.  Don't worry - I'm ok now, but sheesh...2020 can take a break and maybe we could just coast through the rest of the year?

Coping mechanisms

To start, my hubby got laid off from his job.  Now, this isn't a shock as I have been expecting it since the work from home order started.  We were just hoping maybe his company would hold on a bit longer and ride out the storm.  We have plans and options during this time, but it just sucks.

And then.  On top of all the shit the world is going through, on April 18/19, Nova Scotia had the highest casualty mass shooting that we have ever seen in Canada.   There 22 deaths, including one of our police officers.  The police force I work for is across the country and everyone is connected - I didn't know her personally, but coworkers did - and it sucks.  This fucking situation is just brutal.  The poor families can't even have funerals right now for their loved ones.  The towns where these crimes took place are all very small and community-focused and it must be very hard for them. 

Here is a link to a work-related photo - the officer that died was on the Musical Ride earlier in her career and they did a tribute to her: https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10158189310303917&set=a.390936358916

Phew. Sorry for the heavy post. But wait, there's more!

Friday morning when I went out to the barn, Fred was lame.  There wasn't an obvious injury, so assumed abscess.  I soaked and poulticed and crossed my fingers that would drain soon, or I'd need the vet or farrier to come check it.

Update:  I didn't get this post finished the other day so I'm tacking more on here.  I had the vet out for Fred today, since his leg was all swollen yesterday when I went to remove the poultice.  The soaking and poulticing didn't get the abscess to drain, so I was worried there was a soft tissue injury. 

Sausage leg.  Ignore the dings - those are old.  

The vet found a super soft spot on his heel bulb (why there? sigh) and dug around in his hoof, but couldn't get it to drain.  I have to soak, poultice and give antibiotics and see if the farrier can find something on Thursday when he is here.   In the end, I'm glad it is an abscess and not something more serious (although this is Fred we're talking about here - 2 vet visits in a month! lol). 

pink unicorn duct tape? Yessir.  

How are you guys doing?  I hope everyone is hanging in there in these times. 

Q1 Wrap-up and goals moving forward

Well, everyone's goals for 2020 have sure taken a hit, haven't they?  It is still to early to tell if there will be a show season here, but it isn't looking great and that is ok, since it is soooo out of my control.  With our weather, outdoor shows past September are pretty tough, as there aren't a lot of facilities with big indoor arenas set up for shows.   In fact, I don't think there is one in my region at all.

I've already had to pivot on my goals a bit and I added a couple of thing to the list.  Who knows what else will happen this year?  I'm not going to give up on my horse showing goals jussst yet.  We'll wait a bit and see where we end up.

So cute. Might not show this year. If ever...? lol

Q1 is usually quite slow around here anyway due to winter.  No shows, no real training, etc. happens, etc.  

I can't believe my 2020 horse goals didn't have the foal on there?  Sheesh.  That is one thing that (fingers crossed) is going well!And I have new horses goals to add for Q2 and onward.

Q1 Personal:

• read 45 books - I'm at 12 so far
• back up and organize photos (my computer is dying, so this is urgent!) - meh - this is ongoing. Does anyone have any tips on fun ideas with digital photos? I don't want stacks of prints lying around!
• volunteer somewhere horse-y - on hold due to coronavirus
• save $$ for foal hopefully coming in 2021 - this is going well, since I'm at home and not spending any money!
• exercise program of some sort  - started walking 3-4 times / week
• stick to a budget - this is one silver lining of the pandemic/SIP - spending is almost down to zero!

Q1 - Horses:  

• start working Fred in hand, where possible - I was able to start this in March
• Copper - stay healthy - CHECK!
• get Lucy in foal - CHECK!!  We had the 45 day ultrasound a couple of weeks ago and all looks good!
• New! find a second mare for my friend to breed and potentially ride 
• New! find a bridle that fits Fred properly
• New! get Fred more comfortable in a bit, if not try a hackamore
• read/listen to some horse training material - podcasts, youtube, books etc - hard to quantify, but I read a bunch of interesting horse books back in January
• clean and oil tack - um, no progress in Q1 - I have high hopes for Q2
• continue to declutter and sell unused tack - um, no progress in Q1 - I have high hopes for Q2 and the rest of the year

work on selfies should maybe be a goal?  lolz

I don't have much going on right now, but I do have my horses at home, so having some extra time at the barn has been a real important thing for me.  I have lots I can do out there and this type of stuff is what I normally try and get done over the course of the year, as I have time.  Now though, having a bit more time in one chunk had me starting an updated to do/goals list for the barn for Q2:

• clean and organize my hay storage area
• fix and bury fence ground wires - DONE!
• check pasture fence and come up with a plan to have fence fixed by mid-May
• source some 2nd cut hay
• clean and organize tack
• try and figure out a bridle/hackamore option that fits Fred
• repaint jump poles (note: not sure I can get any paint, so this might have to wait)
• clean and put away winter blankets
• put away the trough heater and extension cord
• clean the tack room 
• daydream about tack room renos/updates
• clean cobwebs/windows/shelves

Random Archie photo, cause why not?

I'm sure this list will evolve the longer I'm at home, but this is my starting point.  Nothing is urgent, but all these nice-to-haves will make the barn tidier and more organized.

What about you guys? Are you still hoping for some 2020 goals to work out? Have you made some changes?  

Insert witty title here

Man, I'm having a hard time with posting and well, with life in general these days.  I know everyone else is too.    I am back and forth on posting vs not posting, but to heck with it... I want to keep writing as a bit of a record of things that are happening and keep in touch with other horse bloggers where possible.

So cute

Fred's face is almost all healed up so I turned him out and crossed my fingers he wouldn't hurt himself again. I never did find the source of his injury - I think it might have been the steel roof of the shelter - but I'm not sure.  I thought I had the paddock pretty safe - it's not like there are rusty old farm tools and spools of barbed wire out there, lol - but, well, horses...amiright?

Fred proceeded to play around with Bailey, roll in the sand and then did a couple of laps around the paddock before he settled.

zoom zoom

Running makes you thirsty!

He and Bailey then settled into a rousing game of bitey-face.  *sigh*  These two spend a lot of time goofing around.  I guess it is good for them, but Fred always has chomp marks on his face and neck from this.  Anyone know where I can order enough bubble wrap for a 16.3hh horse?

Still here...

I've been having a hard time sitting down to put together even a simple post.  I'm fine, my family is fine, my job is fine.  But the world as a whole - not so fine.  And man it is hard/scary/stressful/ etc etc watching things unfold. 

I'm trying to see this time at home as a gift and while I'm not up to any major DIY projects or anything, I've been spending a lot of time at the barn.  Which is at my house - don't worry - I'm not travelling to see my horse.  I'm torn up that so many people can't see their horses right now and I'm super grateful that I can.  I feel guilty and lucky all all at the same time. 

I've been doing a lot of stuff with Fred and even Copper has some news to share with you guys (he always tells me to not forget him on the blog! lol).

So, seeing as how this one won't have a lot of substance, I'm just going to do a list with a few pictures and notes here and there.

1. My friend was able to have the vet out for the 45 day ultrasound on our mare.  The vet confirmed everything with the foal is looking good!  Woot.  300 more days to go? 

2.  Fred managed to hurt himself and got a big cut/puncture wound on his jaw. I tried cleaning it thoroughly, but it still got infected.  *sigh*  He was due for his vaccines right at the same time, so at least the vet call was 2 birds with one stone.     It is fine now and all scabbed over and almost healed up.

**  warning - gross photo **

ewww...it was about the size of my thumb

2.  With spring arriving in these parts, we also get a lot of birds. Geese move in to the back pasture and we can hear wild turkeys all over the place, but rarely see one at my house.  Well, I can now scratch that off my list! A lone turkey wandered in to the horse's paddock and Copper ran it out of town!  lol  I was scrambling to get my camera, but didn't make it in time. 

The turkey came back the next day, but all it took was a glare from Copper and the turkey gave him a wide berth and kept moving on to greener pastures. 

That's right buster, keep moving. Copper, probably.

3. I went to Costco for supplies and they had a lot of cheese balls.  I took this picture for Stacie!

tasty pandemic snacks!

4. I took some time to get copies made of memberships, registration papers etc and put it all in a binder so I could find it.  I also cleaned up a lot of random papers and finally finished my taxes.

2020 calendar with shows...hahahaha...sob

5. I've been working Fred almost every day since I've been working at home.  We started with handwalking up and down the laneway and some lunging now that my ring is allllmmmmooooossst dry. 

Checking out the hood

The fun adventure has been taking Fred for walks in our neighbourhood.  I was a little worried he would be spooky, but since there is almost no traffic, he has been great.  We do 3-4 kms a few times a week.  

6. Cat pictures. Cause I got nothin' else! lol

A boy and his cat nip stuffed corn chip...

toe floof maintenance

I hope everyone is staying sane during this tough time!

Weekly round up: SS2020 and viruses

Well, I started this post last week, when we were just monitoring COVID-19 in my region.  It's amazing how quickly things can change in a week....  Amanda at the900facebookpony.com posted about the virus on Thursday am and I glibly commented that things here in Canada weren't too bad.

Ha!

Things sure went sideways over the course of the day Thursday and by Friday noon, all schools in the province were to be closed until April, the Prime Minister's wife tested positive for the virus and the PM was "working from home" as a precautionary measure.  Our parliament has also closed until April, so that is kind of a big deal (I live near and work in the capital city so the machinations of government affect us a lot).  Since I work for our national police force, I have had a pretty busy week and Friday was the busiest day of all. I work in public affairs tho, so its not like I'm on the front lines or anything, but it still was a hectic day.

We haven't found out yet what our work plan will be moving forward - we all have to come to work on Monday unless we hear otherwise.  My job can be done from home, so that would be ideal.  It is just such a weird situation - I remember SARS and H1N1 and it was never this bad.  I hope we can work from home as that would be the best case scenario, but you never know with our office.

I am trying not to give in to the hype and anxiety over this illness outbreak - but I can't help but worry a bit about the vulnerable population and people that may lose income because their work has been shut down.  Our government is pretty good at helping people in need and they've already announced measures to help, so that is a start.

Anyhoo - enough of the plague-talk.  I meant to do a mini-review on another book, but I didn't get around to it.  In order to help de-stress, I spent an inordinate amount of time window shopping for horse gear that I don't need!

The lure of online shopping has been strong this week, with more and more collections releasing their spring/summer colours.  I normally can resist this stuff no problem, but for some reason, I'm having a hard time this year.

It doesn't make sense for me to be tempted, really, when you look at it.  Let's look at the facts:

• I haven't sat on a horse in over a year
• I don't currently own a horse that is broke to ride
• If I were to ride, I ride western
• I'm trying to save money for shows and a foal coming next year

Yet, here I sit, clicking through the Hufglocken collection, drooling over the silver-grey and the black/whiskey and the charcoal/blue combo.  Maybe Fred needs some metallic bronze boots or chestnut snakeskin boots? OMG.  lol  What is wrong with me?  Luckily I have been able to resist, but I can't guarantee I will hold out forever!

The other thing I'm obsessed with searching for is denim breeches.  Why?  Who knows? lol  I mean likely because when I ride western, I tend to wear any normal jeans.   I don't really like or need breeches, but when I do, I want a denim pair as they are more like normal jeans??  Lol  Again, I would need to be riding to justify buying breeches, so for now I'll just keep window shopping and resist the little "add to cart" buttons everywhere.

Animo

PS of Sweden

 I hope everyone stays healthy and has no issues with work or anything!  Fingers crossed that this virus gets under control and we can all get back to normal...