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.

Jumping!

Nina is jumping!
I haven't jumped her yet, but CJ has a few times. Trot in, canter out, more balanced than her canter on the flat. She loves it and for once she is thinking about what she is doing and not worrying about what is going on in the saddle.

She is not jumping like this:






More like this:







But is is farther than I ever thought she would go.