Whew!  I can’t believe how time has slipped away from me, once again.  My poor, neglected blogs…  In one of my last posts I alluded to some exciting news that I had yet to reveal.  That news is one of the biggest reasons why I have been absent from the blog world recently (well, that and my job, which has been keeping me on my toes of late!) 

While I have been busy not posting  on my blogs, my news has morphed into three news-es;  two of which I’m so excited to share with you today!  The first (and arguably most exciting) news is that I am FINALLY going to be attending another App show next month!  It’s the first time in more than two years that Tiny and I will compete and I am over the moon excited!  This show is a memorial show for the late Doug Schembri, a legend in the Appaloosa world, and I am thrilled to be a part of it.  It’s going to be held in Tampa, which is super convenient, and I’m planning on running all the game classes (barrels, poles, figure 8, and keyhole) and maybe even saddle seat (if I can still fit into my pants!  I’m procrastinating on trying them on!)   There’s going to be a potluck dinner and some fun classes too, so I’m hoping I can get some company to come along and enjoy the fun with me.  Bear with me if  I’m nauseatingly horse happy over these next 4 weeks – I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for two years!

As if that excitement weren’t thrilling enough, I have even more happy horse news to share.  Several weeks ago, I decided to post an ad on Craigslist on a whim.  I could use some extra cash (especially with a horse show coming up!) and could use a few more doses of equine therapy each week, so I posted this nice little ad offering barn help.  To my surprise, within a day I had a call.  It was one of those meant to be type things, the hours are perfect, the location is perfect, and it’s just what I was looking for.  So 3 or 4 days a week, I get to end my normal workday by putting on some muck boots and heading to the barn to soak in all things horse.  It’s amazing how I always leave there at peace, no matter how stressful or tiring my day has been.  And as much as I love Tiny – to bits -  it is amazing to be surrounded by this new little barn of horses, with all their different personalities and quirks.  There are ten of them and I will be sharing more about them as time goes on.  Hopefully I get permission to take some photos to share with you here. 

So that’s my news (for now).  I’m sorry I have gotten a bit behind on visiting everyone, but I’m still trying to get used to this new schedule (which includes lots of working out to attempt to fit into above mentioned saddle suit!)   I hope everyone is well and I’ll be visiting you soon!

The other day I was at the grocery and I realized people were looking at me oddly.  I started thinking about it and I realized this wasn’t the first time I’d noticed that recently… Why on earth were people giving me strange looks?  It wasn’t until I got home and kicked off my boots that the pieces started to click together.  Dirt and hair mixed with a bit of M-T-G and smeared on my jeans?  Check.  Giant nuzzle/dirt mark on the front of my shirt?  Check.  Unusual horse-shaped sweat print on my butt?  Check.  Hair standing on end with a few shavings sprinkled in for good measure?  Check. 

Photo courtesy of Kathleen Tyler Conklin

At that moment, it struck me.  I am a Cowgirl.  I’ve always been a cowgirl, sure, but it used to be different.  I lived on the farm and so my barn attire and eau de horse were usually restricted to the home front as I had no need to go out and about dressed that way.  Now I live in the City and, practical girl that I am, I like to multi task.  Therefore you might find me in, say, the grocery dressed in filthy riding jeans with a 15 year old shirt on and spurs jingling as I walk down the aisle.  Needless to say, I stick out like a sore (and stinky) thumb.  As I continued pondering this topic, I began to realize all the ways in which I truly am a cowgirl… 

*I think nothing of shopping around after a long day at the barn, trudging around in my dirty boots with jeans that always seem to drop shavings out of the creases at the worst time.

*My favorite stores are Home Depot and the nearest tack shop. 

*For my birthday one year, my favorite gift was a one year wormer pack.

*Wish lists don’t come from Amazon or Macy’s – more like Schneiders or Horse.com

*I shop for “street clothes” at Tractor Supply Co and covet the new Wrangler flip flops

*I couldn’t change a baby diaper without gagging, but I regularly pick crap out of my horse’s feet and it doesn’t bother me (although I am going to make a case that horse poo is so much less nasty than baby poo)

*My car might be a depository for any of the following at any given time:  saddles, bales of hay, bagged shavings, feed, brushes, or buckets.  And it WILL be a depository at ALL times for dirt, shavings, and horse hair.  I recently got a few odd looks regarding the tail extension hanging from my rearview mirror.  Hey, it beats fuzzy dice, right?

I used to tell my friend, who teasingly called me Cowgirl for months, that I am actually a “horsewoman.”  But you know what?  I AM a Cowgirl.  And proud of it! 

Photo courtesy of Moosealope

Now that it’s been almost two weeks since Tiny and I have relocated our horsing operations, I thought it was time for an update on barn life.  I got permission from the new BO to talk about the happenings there and take photos (which I’ve yet to do, unfortunately).  Tiny is settling in great.  She’s got a nice end stall, closest to the feed room which is all that really matters to her (and the tack room which is all that really matters to me)!  Her next door neighbor is Jolene, a gorgeous buckskin Quarter Horse mare.  She’s such a sweet doll!  Tiny also has a new BFF – her first friend since Abby!  Her name is Raquel and she is this absolutely adorable freckle faced Paint mare that gets turned out in the pasture next to Tiny’s.  They spend their evenings hanging out over the fence and getting to know each other.  The hope is that once Tiny is completely settled in, they can be turnout buddies.  Yay! 

Tiny's neighbor JoJo

I’m happy too, because now there is life at the barn.  It reminds me of the old days, with the radio playing country tunes and the sounds of life in the barn.  This place is full, with about 12 horses plus a few minis and donkeys.  So there’s always something going on.  There’s almost always someone around to chat with and I even found a riding buddy for myself.  We haven’t hit the trails yet, but one of these days we’re going to check them out. 

Tiny's pre-ride meditation

Tiny is looking better already.  She’s on a higher quality feed than what she was getting, so between that and the grass, she’s picked up a bit of weight.  Her hair is shining up and she looks much prettier.  This week she has her first meeting with the new farrier, so we’ll see how that goes.  All in all, it’s working out very well.  Tiny is happier and I am much more trusting that my horse is being cared for properly.  The only downside is that despite the dogs loving farm life (and me loving the ease of just taking them with me versus doing an hour long walk before I can even go ride) I’m going to have to stop taking them over there, I think.  They are coming home INFESTED with fleas and the flea preventative is doing nothing to alleviate it.  These are two dogs that haven’t even been on flea preventative since last August, and I haven’t seen a single flea on them until now.  I hate to stop taking them, but I can’t handle a flea infestation in my own house/yard, especially with Grady’s propensity for skin conditions. 

Anyway, that’s all for now and I promise to get some photos up soon of all the residents at Tiny’s new home!

It’s so hard to believe that today my little pony is 17 years old!  She was such an unexpected gift to me in so many ways.  When she was born a month early, with twisty crooked legs, no one knew what would become of her.  She was so little and so awkward that she got lost in the foal crop.  It didn’t take long for us to realize how incredibly smart she is and when her leg surgeries were a success, it became my goal to one day compete with her.  And I did.  She is one of the kindest, smartest, biggest hearted, best horses I have ever ridden.  She’s true, and has been from day one.  I am more proud of Tiny and our accomplishments than anyone can imagine.  So here’s to Tiny – and to a year of great health and happiness at her new farm!

Yesterday was Tiny’s final night at her current barn.  The plan is to move her to a new place today.  I had gone over there last night to ride and pack my things, but I ended up not even getting on her.  We spent the evening just being together.  Yesterday I read a post over at Camera-Obscura that reminded me how important it is to soak in those moments of just being together.   I groomed her and clipped her so she didn’t enter her new home looking like a wild pony.  I grabbed my camera and took her into the neighbor’s field/front yard and let her wander around and graze while I snapped away at her.  It was an amazing night.  The colors of the sky were brilliant as the sun went down and Tiny’s coat shone in the warm evening light. 

Part of me feels sad about the move.  I don’t know why.  I knew from the first week at this barn that I didn’t belong there, nor did Tiny.  But I like the place – the stalls are large and clean, there are HUGE grandfather oaks littered throughout the property, the arena is huge and lighted with good footing, and best of all it’s close to me.  Although she’s not moving far (15-20 min drive vs 5-10 min drive now), it just feels far.  There is something about the security of knowing she’s just down the road from me that I’m going to miss.  I’m nervous, too, about the change.  I really thought THIS place was going to be great when I moved her there, so now I’m afraid to get too excited.  So keep your fingers crossed that our future will be filled with large, deeply bedded stalls and tons of fresh, sweet grass.  We’ll keep you posted!

Pray to What Earth

Pray to what earth does this sweet cold belong,
Which asks no duties and no conscience?
The moon goes up by leaps, her cheerful path
In some far summer stratum of the sky,
While stars with their cold shine bedot her way.
The fields gleam mildly back upon the sky,
And far and near upon the leafless shrubs
The snow dust still emits a silver light.
Under the hedge, where drift banks are their screen,
The titmice now pursue their downy dreams,
As often in the sweltering summer nights
The bee doth drop asleep in the flower cup,
When evening overtakes him with his load.
By the brooksides, in the still, genial night,
The more adventurous wanderer may hear
The crystals shoot and form, and winter slow
Increase his rule by gentlest summer means.

By Henry David Thoreau.

We hope each and every one of you has a peaceful, beautiful, Earth-loving day.  Please visit the Earth Day website for A Billion Acts of Green.  Try one!  You might like it!

The Achilles Heel.  This phrase often refers to something that leads to a downfall.  Over the past year, I’ve often questioned whether my horse affliction has become my Achilles Heel.   What?!  I know, I know… Let me explain.  As you know, I have been obsessed with horses from the time I could talk.  Many of the best times in my life have been those that involved horses.  In fact horses gave me my life, in a sense.  When I was young, I was invisible.  Shy, awkward…I had no particular talent and shied away from being seen.  When I first fell in love with Starfinder, my parents (wisely) decided her purchase would be conditional upon me entering the show arena with her.  My intoxication with that horse overcame my fears and that moment was when my life changed.  I learned so much about myself and I came out of my shell.  And I actually was GOOD at something, for the first time in my life.  Competing with horses defined ME for a long time. 

Fast forward 10 years.  I made a decision to give up showing to go back to school.  I had a great job that afforded me the luxury of owning a horse - I gave that up too.  I moved off of the farm and into the city.  I had a plan and a goal, and my goal was to become educated, self-sufficient, and able to return to the life that I loved on my own terms without being dependent on my family for financial support.  Thus far that dream hasn’t come to fruition.  The economy tanked and now I’m stuck in a job that does not afford me the luxury of owning a horse, let alone showing one.  I’m stuck in a house that is barely amenable to having active dogs, let alone fields of grass with munching horses.  And I’m still clinging desperately to the one horse that I’ve managed to keep in my life.  

I’ve been accused many times of not knowing when to quit.  I’ve watched countless people come and go from the horse world.  I’ve seen a few stick around – but those are the people that make a living at it or are incredibly wealthy.  Neither of those describe me.  I’m just a horse loving girl that has kept hanging on for all these years.  But at what expense?  I’m constantly running at a financial deficit and can’t plan for the future because of Tiny.  I look at her and I see her talent wasting away as she ages before my eyes.  And I’m not even “living the dream” – I’m living some B-rated version of it where Tiny lives miles away and can’t remember what grass looks like.  Is there a time when you raise the white flag and surrender?  Am I holding on to hope or holding on to the past?  I can’t tell, but I know it breaks my heart every time I look at her.  Because I know that she’s not getting any younger, and unless something dramatically changes, every day that passes is one day closer to the end of my dream. 

 I might sound spoiled and ungrateful (at least I HAVE a horse, right?) and that’s not how I mean to sound.  I don’t regret holding on to Tiny for a second.  But I wonder if it was the “right” thing to do.   Would I be closer to my dream if I had let her go 8 years ago?  Would she be winning National titles and being loved on by a little girl that gives her carrots every day?  Would I be freer to find a job if I weren’t so bogged down with responsibilities?  And would I be less stressed and happier if I weren’t under the constant strain of financial burden?  Maybe by holding on to the past, I have forfeited my future.  Over the past year of tumult, I have asked myself these questions over and over.  And as I contemplated them again recently, it hit me.  What if this is it?  What if I never have those things that I dream of?  It’s time for me to begin living the life I have NOW, not living for the future that might never come.  Because, after all, what I’ve got isn’t really so bad….

Hey! How about you stop the pity party and hit the trails with me?

Things on the horse front have been pretty quiet.  I opted to move Tiny from Emma’s place in December, for a number of reasons.  After I moved in August, it became a lot more inconvenient to go ride as she was now more than 30 minutes away from my house.  Plus, going to visit your horse that lives 3 houses down from the ex-boyfriend that you’re trying to get over isn’t very conducive to healing.  Combine all that with Emma’s new life – which doesn’t really involve a lot of horsing around – and you get a lonely Michelle that doesn’t see her horse enough.  Soooo… I opted to move her.  I’m lucky enough to live on the East side of Orlando, near where there is about as much green space as you can hope to find in a city.  I felt that I’d have lots of options to choose from that would put Tiny closer to me and allow us to resume the fun we used to have – plus maybe I could meet some new horse friends.  HA!  I learned lots of things during my barn hunting, among them:

• *Apparently barbed wire fencing is considered “horse safe fencing” in a number of facilities in Orlando.  Um…do these people even LOOK at their horses after bringing them in, or are they just the luckiest collection of horse managers in the world?  Don’t know, don’t want to find out.
• *Barrel horses (and apparently mares in general, at least according to one barn owner) are discriminated against here.  As in banned.  Actually, unless you have a hunter or a dressage horse, you pretty much experience some level of discrimination at many places.  Ok, I guess these barn owners must be independently wealthy if they can turn away any boarders in this economy.
• *The term “full board” doesn’t necessarily include lots of things.  Like supplements, or blanketing, or cleaning water buckets, or fly spraying, or even feeding/turnout at one ridiculous place that somehow managed to con people into thinking they were getting a great deal even though they were paying way more than most real full care barns. 
• *Speaking of full board, I had several quotes from barns that were greater than $750 for full board NOT including training.  And these were not Roberts Quarter Horses type barns.  They were acceptable, at best.  And yes, they had a number of clueless doofuses that happily shelled out the equivalent of a second mortgage to keep their horse in an overpriced, grassless desert.  Um, hello?  You can BUY a property for that price and keep your own horse, and hey, maybe even charge some OTHER doofus ridiculous fees to keep their horse there too.  See?  Win-win.  Maybe I should consult these morons and charge them exhorbitant fees for my services because they are apparently going home from the barn and rolling around in their boatloads of money.
• *Grass is at a premium.  Like, if you want grass you gotta sell your soul to get it.  And you pay.  Lots. 
• *And those people that HAVE grass in their turnouts?  Oh, they’ll do ANYTHING to keep it.  Including telling you that horses don’t need to be turned out every day.  Or that 2 or 3 hours is sufficient.  Ok, I had show horses for years.  I know a lot of people don’t believe in turnout or a lot of it.  I don’t agree with that philosophy, but AT LEAST those horses are on a strict riding and training regimen NOT standing in their stalls for the remaining 22 hours per day. 
• *I had one brilliant barn owner try to convince me that horses don’t even need grass.  Lady, I spent five years doing a Master’s degree in herbivore nutrition.  Uh, yes.  They do.  Or at the very least, lots and lots of high quality hay.  They are GRAZERS!!! …Sigh.

Consensus is that I was really lucky (no, make that REALLY lucky) to find Emma six years ago.

So after visiting all these charming little places, I finally settled on a place that was very close to my house (5 minutes drive!) and seemed relatively safe.  Nice barn, well kept, kind of in my price range, lots of activity.  The downside?  No grass.  Not even a blade of it.  They do provide high quality hay though, so that was the compromise I settled for.  I can take Tiny next door to a large field and hand graze her, which I often do.   She doesn’t like it though.  I can tell she doesn’t get the attention she got from Emma, even with all the kids around.  She looks for me and when I come to see her she is excited.  Gotta say that’s good for the ego, but it pains me.  She couldn’t have cared less about me when she was at Em’s place.  And she misses her friend Abby.  She’s gone through two buddies in her time there and they both beat her up.  She despises being put out alone and does nothing but pace the fence all day long, especially since there’s no grass to distract her. 

Soooo….we move again.  Sigh.   I’ll keep you posted.

I’m back in warm and sunny Florida, and Dad and I have survived the shopping, networking, and learning extravaganza that was Equine Affaire.  He did a fairly good job of restraining me, so my wallet is only a tiny bit lighter than it was when I left!  We had a blast, and really enjoyed our weekend of horsing around.  I can’t wait to share some of the great riding tips I got and try (and report back) on some of the new products I bought.

Now, for the important news!  I promised you all a celebration last week, in honor of my 100th (and some change) post!  It got delayed a bit, by a skinny little dollfaced mutt that Fate dropped in my path on Monday to welcome me back to Florida.  More on that as it develops, but suffice it to say that I am a sucker for a sorry dog.  Anyway, I want to thank everyone who commented on my celebration post, and the lucky winner selected by the random number generator is………

Paint Girl from Adventures of the Painted Creek Farm!!!!

Paint Girl, email me with your contact information and I’ll send out your horsey surprise!  Thanks so much for playing, I had fun doing it.

Liz posted this video today on her site, Equine Ink.  The horse actually FELL OUT of a moving trailer and somehow managed to survive.  A fellow driver caught the action and videotaped it.   It is heartbreaking to watch them try to load the horse back onto a trailer to get medical care.   It is like my worst nightmare come to life. 

Have any of you had a bad hauling experience?  Touch wood, I have been relatively fortunate given the amount of hauling that I’ve done.  We’ve had a couple of close calls, but nothing like this ever before.  I hope they do a follow up on this to determine exactly what caused this unfortunate incident. 

Thanks to Liz for posting on this story!