some girls......

Nina is apparently having a PMS week. This is unusual for her, normally her seasons come and go with no notice other than some inappropriate flagging at a gelding or two. But this week has been hell week. Her ears have disappeared back under her mane. She is ouchy when being groomed (she had finally decided several months ago that grooming was actually a good thing), threatening when being tacked up. When I sat on her for a couple of trot strides a few days ago she told me to get off and generally she is just grouchy with people and flirty with the poor geldings around her.

Yesterday took the cake. I have a great farrier, he has been doing my horses for almost 15 years and patiently follows me around as we change barns. He is enormously patient with the horses and has been more patient with Nina than I would have been. She was a PITA for her first few shoeings but has slowly gotten better and better. Until yesterday.

Let me back up just a little. A BIG storm blew in here yesterday afternoon and is sticking around today, although not as violent as it was. All week leading up to it has been still, 95+ degrees and while most people had to check the weather forecast to know that it was coming, the horses have seemed to sense it. The entire barn was spooking and flighty all week, even in the heat.

So, yesterday Nina is getting new shoes as the storm approaches. She was OK for the fronts until it started raining just as he was finishing up and she backed away from him hard enough and suddenly enough to put him and all his tools on the ground. Nearly pulled me off my feet also.
Explained to her that this was unacceptable and finished her front feet. Then the hail started, just a little, but enough to make it unsafe to be crawling around under her, so we moved to the indoor arena. Just in time, the skies opened up and the rain came down so hard you could only see a few feet into it. This sort of deluge usually only lasts for a few minutes, but this went on and on, for over half an hour. The parking area and surrounding areas disappeared under running water and the noise inside the indoor was deafening. I found myself holding a frantic TB and just trying to keep her attention so she wouldn't run over me at every sound of thunder, which was even drowning out the roar of the rain and hail on the metal roof.

We waited this out and went back to shoeing. Nina had had enough and was a complete jerk, so the process took twice as long as it should have. At some point she turned, glared at the farrier and kicked him. Not hard enough to damage, just a nasty fast snap kick that barely connected. A great big F U from her to him.
I could have killed her. If she hadn't had him cornered I might have tried. What a nasty, bitchy thing to do. He just shrugged it off and even made some excuses for her. I don't know which was worse, having her behave so badly or hearing him excuse her bad behavior. *sigh*
Thank heaven for good, loyal relationships....we actually have an appointment for her next shoeing set.
On reflection, I have to admit that there are days that it might be nice to be 1200# and able to just lash out at someone who is annoying you.

getting adjusted

Adjusting to life at Bibber Creek. Nina (r) and buddy Tino in the small turnouts.

Another short ride

I taught a couple of lessons at a nearby barn this morning, went to lunch and then rode Nina for just a few minutes. She was better than yesterday. She is settling in. I really hate having her standing in a pen, so I am trying to walk her as much as possible. It doesn't make up for walking around a pasture, but it is better than nothing. She is only picking at her hay, cleaning up her beet pulp and oats. I think she is waiting for someone to come and turn her out on the grass. So the hay is not acceptable. But she is picking at it all day so it will be OK. I am going to continue the short daily rides, gradually extending them and working on her (unbalanced) canter. New pics soon.

short ride

Had a good, very short ride today. 94 degrees, hot little dust devils blowing. Nina took one look at the huge outdoor arena and considered a bucking/bolting spree, but then calmed down and was fine. You have to sit so quietly on her that she takes some strength to ride. Between the heat and my being out of shape, it was a short ride, but still fun.
I have a couple of lessons to teach tomorrow at a nearby barn, looking forward to doing more lessons too. There are benefits to being back at this barn.

done!

Nina is settled in, I am exhausted.

Got it all sorted out.

Late last night it occurred to me, and kept me awake all night, that on Friday night Nina would either be alone in the barn or alone in the pasture. Not a good thing for a high strung TB.
AND since I haven't heard a word from anybody about who is going to honor my contract and take care of my horse, at least until the end of the month, I would have to go buy hay and feed.
That was the final straw.
I check out a few barns that I am familiar with and decided to go back where I had Nina when I first got her. No turnout, but real pasture is very rare at a barn in Colorado and extremely rare within driving distance of Denver AND generally the barns are expensive and the domain of a successful show trainer only interested in show clients.
So if you can't have turnout, might as well go where you like the people.
I can teach lessons at my old barn, earn some money for the board and we will be fine. I want to move out before everyone else does, so I am planning on Thursday.

I feel just AWFUL taking her off of her pasture and away from her friends and I have to keep telling myself that I am not doing this, one way or another her life as she is currently enjoying it is over. Time to move on. We will be fine.

The barn imploded

So much for a nice quiet barn and pasture turnout.
The trainer, another trainer and the barn owner are involved in some sort of great drama. It is impossible to sort out what is going on because all parties involved are lying through their teeth, at least to me.
Bottom line is that the trainer is taking her clients and moving. I am not interested in going to the barn where they are going. No turnout. If I want a barn with no turnout there are lots for less money.

As of Saturday there is apparently no one to take care of the remaining horses. I plan to be at the barn at 6am and see if anyone shows up to feed and turn them out. If not, I will do it myself.
I am there everyday anyway so I will just take care of her myself until I decide where to move her. Any barn with real pasture turnout is so far from my house. This one is an hour away and the closest by far. I know there are a few small private barns in the area, not on any lists. I will check with them. I don't need or want a big show barn for her.
I am so sick of whackjob horse 'professionals' who apparently did not get enough of this sort of nonsense in junior high school and think they have the right to drag paying customers into it.

Another good ride

I rode indoors today. The footing outside sucks and except for the horse-eating starling in the corner it was nice indoors.
Drama at the barn, which I am just ignoring. Rode, left. I hate it when a barn implodes.

Good ride today

Outside, not too muddy, mostly dry. Hacked around the barn a little on the buckle. Never thought that would be possible. A little TOOO forward in the arena. One extreme to the other. I'll take this one. It was nice just to get back on her. Time to start riding everyday again. It's been too too long.

goofing off....oops...

I have to admit it, I have been goofing off. Not riding. Nina is spending a lot of time out on pasture. It certainly won't hurt her, she seems to be about 90% over being pissy about the rider and that is probably as good as it will ever get.
I have just been less than inspired to ride. Rain nearly everyday, I'm out of shape, trying to get a business off the ground.
The bad thing is that when I ride I feel energized....so I need to be doing MORE riding and not less. I got back to working out this week and adjusted the hours on my morning part time job to give me more time to ride. Next week....regular riding schedule.