Taking for Granted

I’ve been kind of unmotivated and negative about horse things recently. I don’t know how much of it has crept into the blog but between some of the things outside of my control, like weather and work travel, I’ve just figured that I’m feeling less motivated than normal.

 However, during a random work meeting (we weren’t talking about anything like this I was just apparently day dreaming) I realized that I’ve been really ungrateful recently.

The 11 year old me would have been so completely and absolutely happy to just have a horse to groom, pet, talk to, and very much to ride.

The 15 year old me would have killed to have any sort of arena space to ride and to be able to take regular dressage lessons. Plus the things above.

The 19 year old me would have thought that I’d died and gone to heaven to be able to have my horse on stall board and have the opportunity (even if it’s infrequent) to show. Plus all of the things above.

The 24 year old me would have been insanely excited to have the perfect pony with talent for dressage (instead of a horse) at all much less one that I’ve trained myself (Katai). Plus all of the things above.

But, for some reason the 30 year old me is just frustrated that I can’t get my perfect pony on a trailer and that I haven’t been able to show more this season. Of course that’s not all I’m thinking.

I’m grateful every day to have the opportunity to board at such nice places, I’m really thankful that I’ll be saving some more money next month (and I think that some of these more negative feelings are still partially from feeling stressed about money) and of course, I’m insanely grateful that I have Katai in my life. It’s just time for me to take stock of what I really have and get back to a place where I feel like the 11 year old me when I’m driving to the barn to groom MY pony, and ride MY pony, and pet MY pony, and feed MY pony treats. That’s one of my main goals for the rest of the year so here goes, time to stop taking everything I have for granted.

New Barn Decision

This decision has been tough all around. I’m going to miss the people that I board with now so much and over the past couple of weeks as they’ve been finding out that I’m moving it’s been really tough saying goodbyes. I’m sure I’m going to be an emotional wreck at the end of August when I actually move. I’m also going to miss the amazing care that the BM gives Katai and the incredible amenities.

Paddocks to the right, pasture straight out

It’s also been tough to choose between the other two barn options. I’ve even gone so far as to look at a few other barns to make sure that I’m making the best decision but those two barns that I previously listed are still the two clear winners. I was having a really tough time picking one, up until I recently went to that temporary barn because that barn is actually option 2 and is going to be my new barn.

Indoor, heated arena taken in one of the arena mirrors

I can’t quite describe how I felt when I was going on a barn tour with the owner except to say that I felt like I’d come home. It’s not something I’ve ever felt at any other barn but whether it’s the fact that it feels a little like the barn that we kept our horses in when I was growing up or if it’s something entirely unrelated it was an amazing feeling.

Main barn isle, additional stalls behind me and tack room is to my right and behind me

As mentioned previously at this barn I will be able to take weekly lessons from L’s instructor and will be boarding with only one other person who also takes regular weekly lessons and is riding at 3^rd level (just scored over 60% at her first ever show at 3^rd level!!). Although the owner has two other horses there that she owns and there is one horse that’s there temporarily for training. It’s heated and has a heated indoor arena with really nice footing. The arena is only heated when it’s busy or if it drops to colder temps but really all I care about is a heated area to groom, once I’m moving it’s easy to stay warm.

Wash stall to the left (with the front of a tractor) and isle to the bathroom to the right

The whole place has been a horse farm for a long time and you can tell, everything is just where you need it and it’s small enough that you don’t have to go on an adventure to find the things you might need. It’s small with lower ceilings and smaller isles but so is Katai so in some ways it almost feels more comfortable. It’s a really simple set up in an L shape with the stalls along both sides of the small part of the L and the indoor as the long part of the L.

Hallway to the bathroom and small add on in the barn

It’s the smallest barn that I’ve boarded at for quite some time, I think the last time that I had this few people that I boarded with was when Katai was at our first boarding barn together with the one aged gelding where she was just on grass. I’m excited about being at such a small barn that still has active riders and yet I don’t think I’ll be competing for arena space much. The fact that the other boarder shows (very successfully) with her little Arab mare just makes it even better.

Katai in her temporary stall

The only thing that I think I’ll really miss that the other barn had is all of the amazing outdoor spaces to ride. At this barn there is a dead end gravel road but it sounds like even that can be kind of busy. I do think, however, that I’m going to make saving up for a trailer a priority especially since I’ll be saving even more money than I thought I would be. Then I’ll be able to trailer to some of the local trail systems when I want to so that will negate the lack of outdoor space here.

At the end of the main hallway with the arena gate to the left and door out to the paddocks to the right

The Move

Went very well :-)

I got to the barn early so that I could get everything packed in my car and spend some time with my pony before her world changed again. She was sleepy because it was so much warmer than it has been and she had been standing in the sun.

J, the barn owner, got there soon after and I got Katai out of the pasture after having to track down the property owner to unlock the gate. She oddly enough marched straight to the trailer and climbed halfway on before I had myself organized. Then she caught herself, heard the trailer making clanking noises and jumped back out. She was a little wound up then and it took another 20 minutes or so to get her on but she still did well and was listening and not getting too wound up.

I followed the trailer back to the barn and she rode very well, not bouncing around at all, and J said that she couldn't even feel her back there. She was quite sweaty and stressed when we got there and I pulled her off and turned her out into the round pen to bounce around for a little and work off some of that stress. I stayed with her for awhile and then went to unload my tack and get settled in.

I realized as I was unloading and finding places for my tack that she has never been at a normal boarding barn before. In fact, the largest herd of horses that I think she has ever been in was with 3 others. She was calling and basically pretty wound up. It didn't take her too long to calm down considerably though and after a couple good rolls she was relaxed and walking instead of running.

She was really a perfect lady despite all of the big changes and walked right over to her isolation pen nicely even past some scary things like tarp covered hay bales and a dog that is almost as large as she is. I walked her around the pasture to show her where the fence was and left her to call to the other horses and make friends.

Last night Gordan and I had been given free tickets to the Minnesota Roller Girls roller derby. It was my first time watching roller derby and it was awesome! The ending was extremely close and I almost lost my voice yelling for our friend's favorite team.

Then this morning I went to a Dressage Clinic with Amy Larson. A whole bunch of D's student's rode including Lisa and I was there mainly to help groom for Lisa and keep her nerves to a minimum. Everyone rode very well and I really enjoyed Amy's teaching style. D told me that there will be another clinic in March and I'm going to make it my goal to get Katai ready for that clinic. Amy concentrated a lot on getting things right at the walk including rider position and the getting horses moving well and using the correct muscles. She had people trot very little which was a big change compared to the other clinics I've been to where the clinician can't get the rider and horse into the trot fast enough.

 Unfortunately this is the only picture I took that turned out at all but this rider was the most advanced I saw and her horse was excellent. They were both very fun to watch!

This evening I went out to the barn to see how things were going and to start to acclimate Katai to the coverall arena. Another thing I had realized is that my little pony has never been in an indoor arena so I knew it would take a little getting used to.

When I got there I noticed that her halter and lead rope were missing and when I went out towards the pen I had left her in she wasn't there. I saw J in the distance and walked over to see what was going on. As I walked I was looking around and finally did see her out in a large pasture and guessed, correctly it turned out, that she had escaped her isolation pen. Mostly Katai isn't much of an escape artist but the huge change in her routine and all of the new horses had her pretty worked up. J told me where to find my halter and I went to catch her and check on her.

She actually walked right up to me, which is a huge change from how she used to react, and let me catch her easily. She also walked calmly with me back to the arena and even walked in pretty well. As we walked I noticed that she was pretty gouged up. I have no idea where she went or what she ran into but she has deep scrapes on both sides of her barrel up towards her back and a very deep nasty looking scratch right in her flank. I tied her and then went to get medicine to put on them and she lost it a bit. Luckily J has some of the Blocker Tie Rings and she just pulled back a ways and then stopped. I got her sorted out and got her lunging to work off some of the stress. She was obviously sore, tired and stressy and I'm sure the fact that she is in raging heat isn't helping her feel any better. Moving around a little wasn't going to hurt her at any rate and I walked around the whole arena lunging her close to all of the trail obstacles that had been set up. She didn't bat an eye at anything, not even the bridge covered in tarps. Once she started to drop her head and blow I tied her again, cleaned out her feet (which continue to look better and better) and got her all doctored up. She danced a little whenever I left her but was really a lady all things considered. By the time I had her all set she was getting herself a little worked up again so I got her out and moving again. More stress release and then she got her grain.

Finally, as it was getting dark, I put her rain sheet on since the weather is taking a turn for the worse again and put her back out in her pen. J had pulled in the herd that she is going to be a part of (and the herd she got loose to try to join) so they are right along her fence. Hopefully she will stay where she is supposed to and not be any worse for the wear tomorrow.

Pony is at Home

Yesterday I went to work with Katai for the first time since I moved her to the new barn. I knew she would be adjusting still but it is still always hard to see them backslide and she had been so good at home that it was tough.

I kept things simple and made it impossible for her not to do well. I made her stand tied in the new barn but left the top of the door open so she could see her new friend, who's name is actually spelled Sevy, oops! I also lunged and then tied her in the barn again and fed her her grain.

She was jumpy, bouncy and naughty the whole time. The thing I really was worried about was how long it would take her to return to normal and I got my answer tonight.

I went out again tonight and planned on tacking up and longeing for a little longer and otherwise keeping it just as simple and positive as yesterday.

I could tell as soon as I caught her that she was much calmer and more relaxed and she proved to be almost back to normal. She stood calmly in the barn and was mostly well behaved when I tacked up.

I pushed her more when I was lunging and made her walk, trot and canter nicely but just for a short time. Then we walked back and she got groomed and had her grain.

I was so happy that she returned to her normal behavior so quickly! I think the plan for tomorrow, if the boy is sick like he thinks he will be and I can't go see him, is to go out and work on her hooves.

Hopefully I can start riding again this weekend but starting Thursday I'll be moving into my new apartment and working full days at work so I don't know how much time I'll have.