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!

Things are moving along!

Things are finally picking up around here!  Even though the weather people are dubbing this month as "Jun-uary" (it was 4C/39F this am) I'm getting stuff done and feeling a bit more excited about horses and riding in general.

This week is "get r done" week:

• Monday - sheath cleaning by a professional (I can do it, but sometimes like a professional to get in there and do a 100% top notch job!)
• Tuesday - mobile sharpening lady is coming to sharpen all the clipper blades. How convenient is that? 
• Wednesday - vet day!  Teeth and shots and then the boys will be ready to go.
• Thursday or Friday - harrow the riding ring!

I think I might even try and ride this weekend!! Holy cow!  My ankle is better and with a brace it doesn't hurt much. I finally feel like swinging a leg over - Spencer, not Fred, lol I don't have a death wish!

And we have been getting a lot done around the house/property.  I love having my horses at home.  I had horses at home as a kid, boarded for years and now we have been at our little farm (15 acres) for 7 years now!  We fixed the front pasture fence and even mowed under the fence line.

So the boys have been out on the front pasture for a couple of weeks now - yeah for grass! - so they are very happy.  I usually don't have to electrify that section of fence since they are too busy eating. However, I didn't take into account a certain 4yo giraffe who wants the grass on the other side!  Needless to say, we'll be running some juice to that fence this weekend!

And, I got all excited about spring/summer jobs around the farm and wrote up a list of stuff I want to do.  I love to-do lists and crossing stuff off!

Getting my ring harrowed is the next thing I NEED to get done before it goes wild on me.   This is where an ATV or gator would be super helpful, as I can't get my truck back there until it is dried up a bit.  Putting the ring way in the back seemed like a good idea at the time, but it is a bit hard to get to with a truck when we have a wet spring.

First harrow with my truck last year. 

I'm also weirdly excited to do an inventory of all my tack and "products" and get everything cleaned up and organized.  I feel like I have a ton of grooming and tack cleaning products that I never finish. I have half full bottles of all kinds of stuff laying around.  One of my goals this year is to use up as much as possible before I buy anything new, unless it is essential - like fly spray or something.

Realistically, by the time I get some/all/a few (LOL) of these little jobs done, it will be fall or winter or 2020.   I don't mind though, since maintenance and upkeep is important to keep the horses safe and the property looking presentable.

Fred - in a saddle!

I was bound and determined to do more than just groom Fred this weekend!  I really want to start working with him as the weather is now more spring-like.


I wasn't sure how much my ankle could tolerate, so I thought handwalking on the laneway was my best bet.  I also decided Fred was going to try out a saddle too!  Whew! Can you handle the excitement?  lol


I've saddled Fred a few times in the barn this winter, but never had him walk around with it girthed up.  Spoiler alert: he was fine.  ;-)  It is hard to take pics of this horse - he wants to be in your pocket the whole time!

I need scritches pleez.  Fred, probably


I threw an English saddle on him - we aren't ready for the big western saddle just yet.  Not to mention the fact that I can't lift and carry that sucker right now. I'd probably trip and break my ankle! lol  (Going slightly crazy since my ankle is not better yet!)   He didn't even react when I tightened the girth slowly.  He is so calm 99% of the time. I really hope that carries over when someone gets on him for the first time.

I managed to get one decent-ish picture. 

We hobbled up and down the laneway a couple of times and Fred was great.  I just didn't feel comfortable leading a huge animal that could jump/spook at any time.  I don't think I could react quick enough if something happened. 


This ankle business is seriously cramping my spring plans!

At the end of the walk, I even let down one stirrup and flapped it around.  Fred really didn't care. He might feel differently moving a bit faster on the longe line - maybe next month I can try that?  *Sigh*

I really need a green saddle pad! Sheesh!

All in all, it was fun to do something else with Fred, even for a few minutes!

Finally! Some time at the barn!

Finally - my ankle is improved enough that I can get out to the barn and get a few things done.  I still have some pain, but the whole ankle/foot feels more stable, so that is good news!

My big focus this weekend was to start really grooming my hairy beasts. They've been a bit neglected the past three-four weeks, so it was time to get some work done! Saturday Fred and Copper got a good first pass with the shedding blade.  No pictures, but trust me when I say a LOT of hair was set free.  And on Sunday, all three got major grooming and shedding.

Copper got his mane trimmed - he looks silly, but his mane was down to his shoulders and is very heavy.  So, first step is to hack off a few inches, then I'll thin and condition it a bit.  I leave his forelock because 1) it is hilarious, 2) I think it helps keep the bugs out of his eyes and 3) he looks like a kid with a bowl cut when I trim it.  lol  He gets a little snack of vitamins/minerals and teeny bit of hemp oil while the big guys have their grain.  It is always a struggle to keep his weight down when he is out with the big guys.

Spencer was up next.  He would rather not be groomed, if he had the choice.  He is such a grump sometimes...lol  I took a few pounds (it seemed!) of hair off him, so it has to feel better.  Next grooming session will involve a mane trim and maybe a bridle path if I'm feeling fancy.  I've been trying a bunch of different shedding tools over the years and I can't say that I find a huge difference with any of them.

He is very interested in my hubby and the dog just outside of the barn...

Fred was up next and he has a thinner coat than Spencer.  I did one round on him with the regular shedding blade and then tried the StripHair on him - it worked well on his coat, pulling out dandruff (eww!) and more hair than the blade was getting.  I finished Fred off with a brush and checked a few spots he has - he was shark bait for the black mini (who is now gone! woohoo!) and it looks like most of the bites have hair growing in.  He still looks a bit moth-eaten though, poor guy!

I then turned them back out and they rolled in the mud.  lol  Of course they did. Fred and Copper then decided to play bitey-face, but saw me watching so stopped.

I'm lucky that Fred is so good with Copper, since he is 3x the size!