Friday 15 January 2021

I'm Fine, She's Fine, We're All Fine

 I haven't ridden Sophie since mid December and that's proving to be a bit of gossip fodder. Since bloggers and blog followers are the best, you all understand that sometimes life just happens and there's no drama to report. We're cool like that.


B doing her part to add a little interest to this post

S really, really needed a regular schedule (ideally 5 days a week or more) this winter, which I was struggling to provide given extra Christmas work hours and the lack of daylight/indoor arena to use. Then I fell (not her fault) and needed 3 weeks off. Finally, last week I was mucking out by flashlight at 5:00 in the latest monsoon, dodging falling tree branches, and I kind of just lost the will to live. 

OK, that's a bit dramatic :), but I've decided to let things sit for another couple of weeks until daylight is a bit more of our friend again and I can get out often enough to be fair to her. I have friend R lined up to ride her a couple of days a week as well, which should be very helpful.


That time before Christmas the sun came out a little

Anyway, I've been feeling kind of guilty because I had hoped to keep working hard this winter and put lots of miles on, but S is still quite green and silly due to lack of work. I know it's not cool to compare yourself or your horse's progress to others, but I'm human and I do look around and feel a little behind the norm (whatever that is!)  Add in a bit of gossip and pushiness and I get a bit frustrated. I'm an adult! Why do I still sometimes feel like I'm in high school?


Like an adorable, excitable puppy, this one.

I have still been riding Bridget of course, because she's just fine with a couple of days off then hacking down the road in the rain in the dark. I feel sometimes with the two of them the expectation is that S will eventually be like B, but they are two completely different beings. B pretty much came just as she is, the type you could probably pull out of a field 5 years from now and go for a jump school. But, as I learned, in a 5 day a week schedule she quickly becomes sour and unhappy - she really enjoys her down time.  That's why I went looking for something like S. So, again to the gossipers, I'm riding B because I'm lazy and it's easy to just pull her out of the field and go. S needs more time, because she's young. I haven't made the time, but I will once the days are a little longer - no conspiracy theories here.


Recent weekend outing with B

In other Bridget news, I've actually booked appointments! We are so far out at this point, but I've got an ultrasound booked with the traveling vet for mid May (along with teeth and vaccinations - I wouldn't have thought of it but doing teeth/sedatives after she's in foal isn't ideal and would have to wait for after baby). Anyway, the thinking is we will ultrasound, see where she's at, then either take her to Vancouver Island where the traveling vet works from, or she'll stay here and I'll have meds to short cycle her, then we'll take her over. This is all so new to me, so I was pretty happy when the vet mentioned having a package type deal that includes almost everything. I like having numbers to work with and being able to budget! 

I think B knows I'm planning something involving her

Another thing I of course hadn't thought of is that since we are doing AI from a stallion across the country she needs to be near-ish to a major airport. Luckily, she will be. I've got boarding arranged over there while the vet does her thing, then B will come back here and the vet will come to us for checkups, etc. I'm happy with this plan because it means B will just be away anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks and then she can come home until closer to foaling time. 

Final update: the neverending trailer saga. I just got a quote for a new one. Waiting to see when it will be in stock, tentative plan is to pick up in early April.









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17 comments

  1. Oh my goodness, a young horse getting a few weeks off in the coldest, darkest months of the year? THE SCANDAL!!!!

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    1. Right? There has to be a more exciting reason than that! There just has to be! ;)

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  2. Gavin is now 14 and in training, but he didn't even get started until he was 4 years old and he really didn't go to work until he was 5 and that was spotty at best until just a few years ago. Don't even stress about it - the horses surely aren't!

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    1. I end up feeling guilty because she's got SO much energy and wants to be involved in everything. But you're absolutely right, time off, especially being just 4, isn't a bad thing.

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  3. There's something about this time of year and not having much motivation to ride. Dark, cold, getting over the stress and busyness of the holidays - pick any of the above and it means an easy excuse to stay on the couch for the evening. The horses don't care - as long as they've got food in front of them, they're happy.

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    1. I watch training videos and FEI TV on the couch so it's almost like I'm riding LOL

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  4. I'm so excited for a Bridget baby!

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    1. I couldn't even sleep for a couple of nights after we booked the appointments. All the 'what if's' and unknowns and potential disasters combined with 'what color will it be and what will I name it?' :)

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  5. Some horses(especially young ones!) need that 5 days a week in the beginning and you might actually progress faster in the long run by giving her a break and then getting in months of steady work this spring and summer. Just my thoughts...

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    1. I think with the time and tools I have available to me, you are absolutely right. She's mentally still very immature and pulling her out 5 days a week you'd probably get 2 days of insanity, one of starting to focus, one of progress and one of 'no thanks, tired now' :) That's not even factoring in my own ups and downs and other commitments messing with that. I'm holding out hope she'll come back a little more mentally ready in the spring. I'm also looking for alternate boarding next winter as a back up plan. Somewhere she can be in a herd and roughhouse and burn off steam. She's more like a young gelding than a mare.

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  6. Honestly, I believe in giving young horses the winter off. It gives them time to rest and mature and prevents burn out. There's no point in putting miles on just for the sake of being able to say you did it, especially if your heart isn't in it.

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    1. I think I succumbed to peer pressure. You're right, of course. She's 4, there's no great need for her to be working full time quite yet.

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  7. Such a scandal ;) I agree about giving a youngster the time off. I believe it’s more common practice in Europe to start them and then turn them out for the winter without doing anything with them. Also YAY on the trailer!! Super happy for you :)

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    1. I think so! So many of the european riders and trainers I follow seem to turn them out for the winter. It's funny it's not really a thing here. Here we're in quarter horse land and they're mostly all in full work by 2 or 3!

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  8. Honestly, people need to not worry about what others are doing with their lives. I can’t ride right now and,to be honest, I’m okay with it.

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    1. I took it a little too much to heart because the horses matter a lot to me. My husband had a point - these are the same people who gossip and try to undermine the little things all the time. I quite capably ignore and filter it out as garbage any time they talk about anyone else or their horses.

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  9. Gurrrllll * snaps fingers * get out of my head! The guilt and comparisons are reaaaaal! Chin up, and remember you'll more than make up for it once the weather and daylight improves!

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