And then I was horseless

I sold Dancer a few Saturdays ago.  To a wonderful women who is a little quirky but

THE perfect match for him!

And its the second hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my lifetime.

He was my first horse

My pony that took me to my first event and took great care of me.

And had the goofiest personality that could always make you smile.

But then he got hurt..

And we walked all those months…

And I just never got that nice pony back….

He was still sweet and cuddly but his attitude had changed in a way I didn’t like.

I tried and tried but in the end it was better for us to part ways..

He’s still going to be an eventer so I will see him at shows…..

And I may have driven over 1,ooo miles with some very good friends to check out something new this weekend.

Cross your fingers!

And check out lifethroughthebunnyears.wordpress.com to continue to follow my(our) adventures

Taglines

So you know at the top of the page my blog says “Going Rouge Dancer” and then “some things are worth the wait”?

When I first wrote that I had no idea what kind of waiting I was going to be doing.

First it was my confidence.

Then when I’d conquered that just a little and was riding a lot (even went to a horse trial)!

He tore his suspensory and we waited for him to get better.

I rode him for about 6 months after that.

Then he tore open his back before we mo

This was like 3 weeks later

ved…..

 

We though it was ulcers.  (He did) So treat them we did. And I got four awesome days of riding.

And then he told me his back hurt…. A Lot….

Maybe I should change it to some things are worth the wait…..on the ground?

Anyway….

The vet came out of last Tuesday (April 25th?) and he’s so sore that when the vet was flexing his hock and he tried to steady himself on Dancer’s back and Dancer just about flew through the roof.

He’s a little off but not bad. But the back and hock x-rays are clean. So its some sort of soft tissue. And we are pretty sure the root of it is his back. As of yesterday I think he’s responding to the roboxin (muscle relaxer) and Equinox (pain killer)

Where’s that cookie Mom? I don’t care if there is a pill hiding on it!

And he’s allowed to do anything but be ridden. SO LOTS of exercise is being had. No crazy killer ponies this time!

Who did he pay to get a prescription of turnout and hand grazing?

And I’m hopeful!

Vet comes back on Tuesday….

Fingers crossed I get my pony back soon!

From the last time I rode him!

 

Ulcer Gard saves the day

So we moved to the new barn on the 26 of Feb…..

We moved into a box stall for the time being because our stall was not yet available….

And so the story goes…

.

First thing that happens of course is he gets an owie that panics me because it blows up his let…. better in a few days….crisis averted…

He’d also cut his back the day before we left so I hadn’t ridden him in a while. When I tried to get on him, after lunging, for my lesson…..I got bucking and rearing….awesome…

The next day I had a lesson with the jump trainer and we could only go sideways….double awesome…

Oh and we broke our halter that day being anxious….

I talked to the head trainer that day and we decided to change his grain back to the original grain I had him on for 5 days and see what  would happen…..

During that time he moved to his room with a view….Still an ass….

On Monday he reared, struck out at me and bolted while staring at the Eurociser…after I’d lounged him in the round pen…..Obviously the grain fix wasn’t working….

Next step….

Started him on this stuff on Tuesday and Wednesday night I had this…..

Yes that’s Dancer with the Eurociser in the background, just eating grass…. happy and relaxed….

So 30 days of Ulcer Guard and then he’ll go on a preventative. Not the cheapest solution (not the most expensive by far either though!!!). but if it gets me my pony back I’ll take it.

❤

You know those artsy eye photos people take?

So last Wednesday I came out to the barn all ready to ride my pony and I found this…..

And I panicked because that’s who I am. Immediately I took a photo and texted my vet friend. She said, take a better photo. Haha!

So I did.  And because of the hangy flap thing she told me to call my vet. I sent my vet the photo and he told me that faces can be sutured up to a few days later and he would come out tomorrow morning and see him (it was 8:30) Fine.

When the vet saw him the next day he cleaned it really well and cut the flappy part off.  He said his actual eye was fine (Thank GOD) and that we could put a stitch in the big part but we didn’t have to. I chose not to and to see what would happen.

It’s healing really well. I think my biggest irritation about the whole situation is that no one saw it and called me. I don’t expect my horse to be watched 24/7 but the cut was at least a few hours old when I found it… and he’s been fed and blanketed during that period.

What if I hadn’t come out to the barn that night?

Breaking up… In and email

So remember how in my last post I was making big decisions…..

Turns out its not that much of a decision.

I don’t even  get the chance to figure out how not burn bridges…

As of January 26….my trainer broke up with me, IN AN E-MAIL

Simply because I’d asked, due to our  conflicting schedules (I didn’t even mention her lack of showing up) that I be given leeway on lessons for a few months until work got back to normal. (Someone quit so I’m currently covering two departments…Joy!) Not, not take them. But rather pay as I go instead of for the month.

So many things about the break up  e-mail were bull-shit….

-First of all it started out “‘m sorry to hear about your crazy schedule and resulting stress”. (Bull-shit and you are about to add to it. And yes she forgot the I in I’m)

-Then it said that she’s confirming my 30 day notice…..(what? I never said anything about wanting to leave…. )

-The owner(who is not the trainer in question) doesn’t want to run a boarding barn (pretty sure as long as board is paid he could care less who’s there)

-Boarding is contingent on being in her lesson program at least one lesson a week (tell that to the ten + “boarders” I know that don’t take lessons)

-The fact that she’s not the owner and felt she had the right to throw me out (there’s quite a few “boarders” at the barn that aren’t part of her program)

But I guess the worst part of the whole thing was that I realized the only language she spoke was money.

I get that its a business …

But I’ve done so many “extras” (like medicating her horse on Christmas, building a tack room…)

Without thanks…. and obviously they were worth nothing… Even the fact that I’ve known her 8 years in all her barns (talk about barn hopping) AND  she invited me to her wedding apparently were not important facts in the decision.

More than that it meant she never believed in me. That everything was a lie.

She’d just been looking for a way to get rid of me because I wasn’t in full training.  Didn’t spill $$$ as I got out of the car.

And she couldn’t even say it to my face… (In fact she’s been avoiding me since)

BUT the silver lining is that the e-mail made my decision crystal clear.

I mean I could fight the “eviction” because really, she can’t kick me out. It’s not her barn.

The owner would let me stay.

But there’s no point in staying in that type of situation. Somewhere you aren’t wanted or valued.

She served her purpose.

Fixed Dancer’s “problem”….now its time to move on.

Dancer will be happily in his new home at the end of the month.

And even better. It seems I will have a barn family again. Everyone at this new barn is really nice.  Someone once told me barn families are important. I agree.

Everything happens for a reason….right?

Decisions

So I feel like I’m sort of at a cross roads….

Almost a year ago I moved to my new barn because I felt that I had no other options. I wasn’t getting the help I needed at my old barn and I knew this new trainer. I’d known her for a long time and I knew she could fix the crazy horse problem I was having.

So we went into full training for a few months and she did exactly that. She fixed looney toon Dancer and made him sane again. And I owe her a debt of gratitude for that. But I think that was in the ginormous  checks I wrote every month.

She has also helped me build my confidence and my riding has definitely improved over the last year. Both Dancer and I have improved.

I dropped full training and kept lessons and that’s when it seemed to cycle down. No longer did we work with my schedule at all but instead I was expected to leave work early and miss things for lessons. I started to feel like I had before when I ridden with her (the reason I’d stopped before). And I started to get really stressed about being able to make lessons I’d already payed for. (and if I can’t do lessons…)

Other things bothered me too. My husband built a tack room for the “client boarders” and we were never repayed. In lessons or money. Barely thanked.

When we went somewhere, such as the Fresno clinic. She was always late but once she got there we had to HURRY UP! Not how I do things.

Traveling with her anywhere is also SUPER EXPENSIVE!

And sort of the final thing. I had a mini “Dancer Meltdown” after the Fresno Clinic. He was so naughty I just “wanted to sell him”.  And I had expected her to calm me down and help me think of ways to help him and me become a better team. Instead she jumped on the sale wagon and started giving me prices on what he’s worth now but I should send him to a show and he’d be worth more…etc.

(Don’t worry I got over it….love my pony)

I mostly love the barn. It would be nice if there was more than one arena. John had talked about making cross country jumps for the hills. And he’s basically turned out all the time.

And you can’t beat the board….

And I mostly knew some of these things going in. I knew there weren’t many people and I’d be by myself a lot at night. I wasn’t aware of the lesson problem. I knew she was expensive (not how much though because I was a working student before) But like I said, I didn’t want to lose Dancer and I felt I had no where else to go.

But….

A stall is opening up in March at a barn down the road. I met with the trainer and the barn manager and they seem awesome (super sarcastic so they speak my language) They call the barn their second family which is what I miss about my old barn.

Three arenas, a round pen, a eurosizer, galloping track and turn outs. (and maybe a field to set up cross country a bit) Stalls with big paddocks and 4 meals a day. Blanketing that is done by how hot the horse is rather than just on off…..Dressage trainer and a traveling eventing trainer I could show with. And a bunch of eventing girls to hang out with that have jobs so ride when I do!

But….

It’s more expensive AND I don’t want to be a barnhopper!

Thoughts?

Update…. decision was “made” but I’d still love to hear your thoughts!

Fresno Stormy? Clinic

The first weekend in January I went to a fundraising clinic at Fresno County Horse Park. It was supposed to be a bunch of top trainers giving lessons as a fundraiser for the park.

Insert forecast of horrible storm….. (and a few family emergencies)

Some of the trainers didn’t come so I ended up schooling with mine.  (although we didn’t drive up until Saturday so  we didn’t get a full weekend)

Storm didn’t arrive until we were pulling out on Sunday so it was super fun to school and their footing was awesome!

My horse was a bit of a rodeo horse. He did better the first day when we started in the arena and then moved to cross country… Which was probably good because I’d invited my sister in law and niece (who loves horses) to come watch that day.

On Sunday, when I got on he leaped in the air, bucked and took off for home. FUN. But eventually it was worked out. And we even got this fancy trot in the water…haha

This is one of our few still moments that my friend (who decided to brave the rain to hang with ponies) got on camera. We look pensive. I wonder if we are pondering the future?

Bring it 2017!

So I’ve been reading everyone’s look back and I decided to do a quick one…

If you remember last year at this time….. Dancer and I were walking. And not having much fun. Stud chains and ACE.  But it was ultimately all worth it

And I’ve discovered this is a good philosophy…..

Because on Thursday I finally got the guts to turn Dancer out in the BIG grass pasture.

I held my breath the whole time but he was so happy!!!!

He even looked like he was floating a few times!!!

And today we jumped. Like it was no big deal. And I can feel us becoming a team.

We are going to a big clinic down in Fresno next weekend with lots of big trainers….

And I actually feel confident that between the two of us, at least one of us will have our shit together at all time!

 2016 was a pretty shitty year in more ways than I can count.

But Dancer has become a bright spot (finally) of the year.

And  I’m starting to truly believe that

Together we are going to kick 2017’s ASS!!!

Crossing our fingers of course…..he is a horse! 🙂

5K’s, Bareback and Puppies

On Sunday I ran the Golden Arches 5k…. Cause you know one of my goals is to do some other physical activity other than riding…. For some reason I chose running. This was 3rd of the 5 races I’m running in the Tour De Fit. Sigh….what is wrong with me….

 

Any way that meant my legs were kind of beat for riding on Sunday. So I decided I’d just jump on him bareback and toddle around. I’d never done it with him before…. (Yes I’ve owned him two years but half of that was spend mental and the other in rehab….)

 

Hi Mom! What are we doing today??

What could go wrong?

He sort of melted down when I threw my leg over (I landed on my feet)

So we went back to baby horse stuff….

And had a little chat….

And ultimately were successful….

Look who has their big boy polos on today!

Mission Accomplished!

(Not the mission we started out with but a mission none the less)

And of course Dancer had to meet the new puppy!

Her name is Fashion!

Pony Treats and Champagne

A friend of mine visited this weekend to run a 5K. She’s a rider so I took her to the barn to meet Dancer. We rode and we even jumped a couple small things. It was super fun to have her around to ride with. I wish she lived closer!

Even better than that though, after we rode, we washed the pony and had to wait a bit while he dried….. BREAK OUT THE REFRESHMENTS! (Just a little champagne to celebrate our fun ride….classy cups right?)

Even Dancer joined in!

He might be regretting his decisions in the am! 🙂

(no ponies were harmed that day….He’s underage anyway!)

I think pony treats were preferred over champagne by all ponies involved

We of course visited the Zonie before we left. He’s pretty cool.

Super fun day! I’ve got to convince her to visit more often….. Guess that means I’ll be running more 5K’s