Update: Animals...

Flash: Is legging up nicely and will be ready for a 30 mile endurance ride on the 20th. So far, he is noncommittal as far as the move to the new place goes. He'll give it a week or so until the new fencing is up and then give his grand pronouncement as to the fitness of the place.

Goodwin: Is getting an education in ponying and will be started under saddle soon. He'll be coming with Flash to Grizzly to check out the sights and sounds of an endurance race. He thinks the new place is fine just as long as the big bale/food all the time routine continues. He thinks that burying himself up to his eyeballs in hay is awesome. Especially when he can do it at 2:30 in the morning or 2:30 in the afternoon.

Seven: Went out on trial to Hanna's niece LT. He had a few rides put on him before he went off, but his 13.2HH frame just isn't enough for my 5' 7" frame. It looks like they have a connection so she will be taking him to Washington to continue to work with him and try to get him ready for a life of endurance. He thinks that life is grand no matter where he is as long as there's someone there to scritch his face and tell him what a good boy he is.

Daisy: Is wondering why she had to do yet another move *deep sigh*.  The fenced backyard is nice when the sun is shining and having her very own doggie room is pretty awesome... if she didn't have to share it with the Marshmallow, that is. She thinks the new digs are pretty nice and is enjoying the beef flavored joint supplement and an occasional waffle.

Noelle: Is wondering why she has a fenced yard. After all, she's not prone to wander... in fact, she eagerly sits by the back door just waiting for someone to let her in already. Also, the new place is fine as long as it's equipped with a Chuck-It and someone to operate said Chuck-It. Other than that, the rest are just details.

Stay tuned. Next installment is Update: Work...

And trust me when I say you don't want to miss that one.

Hang in there...

I know, I know. It's been a while. And I have a lot of things to tell you...

The first of which is: we're moving next weekend. Followed by: I'll have internet at my house again on April 5th.

Exciting, yes?

So... with internet at my whim, I'll be able to start posting with regularity again.

You are excited. I know you are.

See you in 2 weeks!!

If I'm going to attract things, why can't it be money?

HillBill has always said that I attract the crazy. And it's true. I do...

Last time HillBill and I went for a brewsky it was only a matter of 20 minutes before 2 completely drunk-off-their-ass types sat next to us trying to chat us up. And it was a couple... not even 2 guys (or 2 girls, for that matter). A couple. She could barely string a sentence together. He was trying to take a nap on the bar.

Somehow with Rebel I got lucky. He's fairly normal (most of the time). And most of my friends are normal. Actually, check that. We're all horse owners which make us (by default) not normal in the least. My animals are definitely not normal. Flash is gay. Goodwin is a diva. Seven is, well, Seven. Daisy just ignores us. And the Marshmallow is a molting pile of fur.

Our last landlords were a bit on the weird side, as well. Not straight up crazy, but just a tad controlling... about things that really didn't matter. But, oh well... we all parted on good terms.

Now, I'm dealing with another set of crazy landlords. Ones who don't do what they said they would. Ones that are now trying to tell me that I agreed to move my horses off property so they could seed the pasture. News flash: I didn't say that. I didn't even hint that. I'm paying for horse property so I can *gasp* have horses on the property. What I did say last fall was that we weren't in a complete rush to get the fences done by mid-October because I had a pasture they could hang in. They said they were going to fence in the lower portion of the property to move the horses to when they wanted to seed. Why is that so hard to remember now? Oh yeah. I know why. They are lazy fucks who don't want to get off their asses and do any of the things they said they would. The only reason I have a place to actually live in is because Rebel actually did all the work to get it finished (and they bitched about paying him once he had done it).

*sigh*

We do need a new place anyway. Now that Rebel is here full-time we need something bigger. 500 square feet just isn't enough for 2 grown peeps and a couple of mutts.

I hate moving, but it looks like it'll be happening sooner rather than later...

*sigh*

Full time...

So, Rebel has decided that "retirement" is boring and that he wants to work again... just not for himself this time. He also decided that he wants to be here full time.

*happy dance*

So, he's moving in...

*slightly less enthusiastic happy dance... until I think about finances... then VERY happy dance*

I'm excited. Those weeks when he was down south at his Sis's ranch were kind of sucky. Plus, this will be a good test before we pack up and move South together.

I'm sure there will be a learning curve. My place is small and there's nowhere to go to get away if things are tense. In the past, I've been able to ignore certain behavior because he was leaving in a few days and I could get over it without him being around. That won't be the case anymore. "Compromise" is going to have to happen. But I'm sure it'll be fine.

*famous last words*

And when it's not, I have you all to vent to. Which is a stress reliever for me and entertainment for you. Win/win, right? What could possibly go wrong?

*famous last words*

Goals for the ponies...

So, I've decided that I'm going to concentrate on getting Seven going (so he can be sold to a Junior rider) and do an easy year of LD's with Flash as well. To that end, I'm going to be trying to stick to rides that are multi-days.

The first one coming up will be Grizzly in April. Flash won't be a problem getting legged up for a 30. The real test will be getting Seven ready to do the 12 mile trail ride on Sunday (after I've done the 30 with Flash on Saturday).

That's the goal for Flash and Seven.

As for Goodwin, just getting him to not be quite so aloof (and reactionary) will be a start. To that end, he has to get messed with every night before I'll let him approach his hay. I'm hoping with consistent work, he'll start to see that people aren't so bad after all...

Someone needs to pay for my 15 kids...

 

I seriously have no words.

Except to say: pay for your own fucking kids. That shouldn't be my job just because I have a job.

Sometimes the little guy just needs a little help...

As you know, I have 4 horses... or maybe you don't know. But you do now.

Anyway, the state of the horses are such: Flash (arab, 15 years old) is home with me. Nice and fat. Needs to be in work, but the weather is not very cooperative. Storm (mustang, 13 years old) is at a friend's place enjoying retirement. Since losing a few pounds is doing well on her stifle that has been giving her a lot of trouble this past year. Goodwin (NSHxTB, 6/7 years old) is home with me. In good weight. Still a freak about everything. Working on it. Seven (arab, 7 years old) is home with me. After taking off blankets the other day was found to be too thin. Time to start segregating at meal time.

I discussed the situation with Rebel and how best to let Seven eat in peace without the chow hounds constantly pushing him off the feed. We decided to set up the corral panels just outside of the pasture and put Seven in there at night so we can get him some grain and constant access to hay all night. During the day he'll be out in the pasture with the boys.

Last night was our first night giving this new system a try. We gave Seven alfalfa pellets, some Ultium grain and around 4 flakes of hay. This morning when I went to check on him he was just hoovering up the last of the hay. Seriously... I cannot believe he ate that amount of food. He's maybe 13.2HH and weighs around 800 pounds. It's like watching a teenage boy go at the fridge. And at this rate he'll be back up to optimum weight in no time.

I love a horse that loves to eat. Plus, since he has a blanket on he's not burning precious calories trying to stay warm. Win/win.

I think we'll leave this system in place until the landlords take their horses back home and free up the other side of the pasture...