I do have to give Wo credit; even though she wanted to continue napping, she picked up her head and nickered so I would be able to do turnout. The fact that she was snoring with her ears twitching (I'd have taped it had I had my phone or camera with me, it was adorable) by the time I was finished turning everyone else out made me leave her all snuggled up in her blanket.

She can work later today and twice tomorrow; the pony can sleep if she's tired.

He's such a good boy, for an Thoroughbred that used to do some higher level eventing and now packs around a kid a couple times a week. :)

Sully, still going strong at 20!

But Mom.... I'm still in my PJ's.....



Ellie actually doesn't mind her hood and blanket; she's already wearing a medium hood and a small sleezy. I'm not raising a stockhunter. Really

Both litas were living up to their namesake. (I even called Wo "Roy" then burst in to tears because 1.) she felt like her, and 2.) SHE FELT LIKE HER FROM THE FIRST STEP OF THE RIDE). Ellie has got the lunging thing down; she's w/t/c on it, and while better to the left than the right, she still works both directions without issue.

I know there are some of you out there that do not agree with young horses being worked, lunged, having anything done with them than brushing and petting.... and I'm going to agree to disagree with you and continue to keep doing what I'm doing. Any baby that we've allowed to play in to their 5-6 year old year may still end up normal by 11-12, but why not treat them like grown up horses (granted, you don't push them the same as adults, you just don't allow for play under saddle or on the line) when they're confident enough under saddle so you can have a 4-5-6 year old that is mentally capable of handling the things life throws at it because it learned from a young age that the rider is to be trusted and obeyed. And in my 27 years of watching QH's be started at 2, well, some of our old foal crops (that are in the 17 to 20+ year old range) aren't any more arthritic than horses started at older ages. So again, if you disagree with my lunging my foal, you can believe what you want, but you don't have to snark or criticize me for something I have seen work and believe in as a way of working with youngsters.

That said, here's another half-dressed Ellie pic.


Wo was also way too good today. I really felt like I was on an out of shape Lita (hence the earlier comment of calling her Roy when I got off and handed her sugar setting me off in to tears) We haven't done anything super challenging except the higher collection with the old WS when she was home the other day, and today was no exception to that rule. I want her so quiet and happy under saddle before we start thinking 3rd level and higher without the use of a ground person to get it.

I just hope that the progress continues. If it does, in 2 years, I probably won't care that I never got a new horse. :)

I received a call from my chief today.

I've been working there for three years.

It honestly doesn't feel like it's been that much time.

Wo came home today. She's a bit hot at the moment because of the super cold weather, but after a bit of lunging I was able to get on and just did some basic w/t/c things.

I plan on trying to ride every day until she goes to Kentucky, and I plan on trying to have fun while riding her.

Reason #1 I hope that my new horse is Dutch: paying membership renewals for AQHA, APHA, KWPN-NA, USDF, and USEF is just a little ridiculous. I already don't pay the AWS, AWR, PtHA, IBHA, and PHBA unless necessary....

Though if it were AWS/AWR I'd at least have a few horses under an active membership instead of just one if it's a Hanno or whatever else.

EDIT:

Do you know what one of the hardest things I've had to do in my life has been?

Taking Lita from "active" status to "deceased" for her USEF registration. I could use someone to chat with now. Badly.

I think I'm going to have the former GW horse vetted :)

I'll put a video of him online after work tonight, but we did everything from tempi changes to piaffe. He's horribly out of shape- he sat for 3 years in pasture after I started talking to the lady with him now, and then turned in to a low level schoolmaster.

He's dead to the world, does trails, and felt like a 17 hand horse when he piaffed.

So yes, I might end up with a 15.3 hand chestnut KWPN gelding if the vetting goes well. And the plus- he's already shown everywhere I show, so no surprises for me :)

Anyone have any dirt on Harmony Hill Equestrian Center in Kentucky and/or Johanna Consolver?

That's the trainer that wants to lease Wo. She owns Guardian, the NAWPN/RPSI stallion, but I see no good pics of her riding him on their site. I also see no info on her background anywhere.

The farm's site looks very amateur-ish, but some people find that cute. On the same note, we had a teenager as our farm's site's maintainer for a while, and she did the "omg kyoot" kind of pics instead of good pics.

She's coming to ride her Sunday. She mentioned things in the video of Wo that I posted here and sent to her on youtube that were things a judge's eye has noticed, and she's not put off by the lack of front end that Wo has when not being keyed up for a show, or her head flip when she gets tired. In fact, she mentioned it, but then looked up my scores with her, and said "there has to be a front end in there to go with that hind end, and I understand that it does affect their mind if they do it constantly".

But, if you all know anything, that'd be great to know the good and bad!

I am totally in love with this horse.

http://www.dailymotion.com/relevance/search/parelli+pollini/video/x3r0v1_parelli-pollini-movie-www1_animals

He's in Holland, and disregard the height listed on there. Their conversion from meters to hands was a little off. As in his rider is 6'5, and the horse is 18.2

Yeah..... Mewsy likes....

However, I will NOT show a horse named Parelli. That's a huge no. Name will be changed on his USDF papers if this one happens.

And somehow, he's totally in my price range, which is a huge plus.

Cleo FINALLY had her foal after carrying it more than a year. (Vet was going to induce on Tuesday if she still hadn't.)

It's a colt- Tuff's first boy- but at least it's a bay with no socks! :) He'll be a nice gelding as soon as we can go ahead with the gelding.

( Integraty )

Rode Sky & Lita today.

Lita was a bit blah. I don't think she's feeling well lately, which makes me worry. We've had her yearly bloodwork and xrays done and all say she's normal, but she's been lazy.

SKY GOT HER RIGHT LEAD!!!! EACH TIME I ASKED!!!! AND I HAD RACHEL AS A WITNESS!!!

What it really feels like, other than she's stiff as a board to the right, is that she also is nervous about falling when she lopes. I have a funny feeling, that while the people who had her previously tried to run her barrels, they pulled her over at the first barrel more than once.

She's a fun little horse. :)

I need to get some Chex & Ellie pics too, but I didn't have time to bathe all of the children (and I didn't do the greatest job on Butter's hind socks so disregard that comment really. :P )

( Butter )

Clara made the front page of the local paper today. :D

http://media.ohio.com/images/fair31cut_03.JPG

Of course, online it's not as impressive, since some kid washing her horse is the first picture. Courtney & Sidney (Pik & Monty) are also mentioned in the article, which was good publicity for the club, which in turn should be nice for the barn.

http://www.ohio.com/news/52149887.html

http://blue-mew.livejournal.com/384225.html

The short version:

Is anyone going to Dragon*Con or thinking of going? If so, I have a room with no one but me in it and would be very happy to split it if I can find a group going.

Because however much I want to try to take pics with Tom Felton, etc, I doubt I'll go if it's just me going. (which is sad, because D*C is the ONE con my parents have no issue with me going to and I won't endure months of bitching about the so-called lifestyle that means I lead)

Isn't she sweet? Yowling at her momma like that?



If I'm going off to law school in the near future, my mom made it clear that she wants to have two cats in the house, but I have to take Charlie because she doesn't like him because he's not Siamese.

And of course, when does she tell me thus but after we sold all of our barn Siamese kittens. *sigh* The sad thing is we have no prospect of getting another batch of Siamese kittens since the Siamese male died.

I did find a breeder that has these kittens, and I purchased the little yowler and get to bring her home in August when she's old enough.

She needs a name though. I don't want another female house cat named Blink. Every stupid female house cat we've ever had has been named Blink. Even the female that we had with Jingles started out at Krissy, but ended up "Blink". Suzi and Charlie are in the house already, so people names are just fine.

Ellie has decided that she wishes to be a full blown pinto.

As her baby fuzz is shedding, two new white spots have emerged. Another one near her girth on the left side, and a HUGE one on her right side barrel near her flank.

Photos to follow after another bath tomorrow; she had a fun day of playing in the creek.

(I did ask her, however, to put her white spot growing energies to work on growing a fourth sock :P )

I'd post this on Equestrian, but I just don't feel like reading the flame war that would likely come from my opinions on this subject.

While flipping through the July USDF Connection magazine, yet again there were letters to the editor stating that dressage needs to change its dress code in order to be more appealing. Arguments were made for the need of white polos and dark breeches and "lightening up on the mandatory dress at least for levels below Fourth".

To that I say "What????"

Maybe I am in the minority here, but how does changing the color of breeches or allowing polos make the sport more friendly to outsiders? Sure, the dress then becomes something anyone could have in their closet, but then again, football, hockey, and baseball uniforms are not something that the average person has hanging in their closet.

Polos and breeches are allowed in shows where the TD calls no jacket. In 2008 in Ohio there was only one show I was at- and it was in March- that did not call no jackets. And come on, it's OHIO. We're not known for our triple digit weather.

If you wish to show in polos and whatever colored breeches, there are schooling shows where that is the required dress. And take a wild guess what I wear to schooling shows when I happen to show at one? That's right; I use my slate/black breeches (which, as a sidenote, cost just as much as my white breeches because the slate/black are Golden Dress, and the white are Pikeur) and either a farm polo, or one of C's polos. The kids at the farm have similar tastes in fashion at schooling shows; except they actually wear white breeches (the cheap ebay variety that I think at the most cost them $40) and a black farm polo. Next show, I'll take a picture of it; it's quite sharp. And of course, why does everyone from the farm do the polo/breeches route at schooling shows? Because we'd be SO out of place if we wore regular clothing, and I'd look like the biggest tool in existance if I wore my police uniform there.

The difference is the culture and experience level of the show. The riders at our local schooling shows, for the most part, would get blown out of the water at a recognized show. Our recognized show riders would most likely not survive a CDI. But, should we "dumb down" the dress code, when there are places like Ebay, Consignment tack stores, and friends around the industry that can sell their old clothing? Not everyone needs a top hat from Holland, or an outfit that came custom from Germany. Back in the day, I showed in an all Devon Aire outfit and I was damned happy to do so- BECAUSE I WAS ABLE TO SHOW. The judge never said to me "eww, you have cheap clothing." In fact, because I presented myself well in a starter kit type outfit, braided my horse, and cleaned my tack I would actually get comments about "very nice turnout" in my test when I was a junior rider.

Proper dress can be done on a budget. It looks very nice to be in a clean, pressed black and white outfit, with a properly fitted helmet or top hat. Granted, on my head a top hat looks better than any of my other helmet or hat choices so it is my preference, but I have seen people look very professional in helmets.

(I will also not get in to the entire helmet requirement debaucle that is going through USDF now as well. I can see both sides; under 18 definately should be required to wear a helmet, but I cannot see the US being the only country to require helmets at CDI's... that would not get anywhere with the FEI)

I'm debating if I should save money this year by not taking Cell Biology and A&P since I raised my LSAT by 14 points, spending the time/gas on getting my transcripts, and then waiting to see what my law school applications do.

Hmm.

(The cool thing: I raised that score by 14 points. FOUR-FREAKIN'-TEEN. Every practice test I did online I kept scoring the same thing as I did before, and I was disheartened. I'm in a good percentile now!)