It's definitely hard to give myself down time. I got the best break so far this spring at last weekend's show in Vancouver. The weather was fantastic, and I only had to ride one test per day and coach 3 people. I had a great hotel, good restaurant, and time to sit down with friends and enjoy them! We do, I think, have to sit back and evaluate our work experiences from time to time, to ensure that we are not being consumed by them. I have a real tendency to become a workaholic, and I have to guard against that. My plan for today is to ride my two mares, and not do much of anything else!
I think I've heard most weird excuses for not following through on horse purchases. I guess it would depend on the purchase price, the degree of the deviation, and the intended job for the horse, along with a clean flexion test for the horse. I've seen many horses with strange gait abnormalities, and/or mechanics, who performed well and stayed sound, and I've certainly seen horses with pretty much perfect conformation and mechanics and good training become unsound, so I mostly go with my own gut instinct now. This situation wounds more like an uneducated and unsophisticated buyer who's read too many books and not yet ridden enough horses...
I'm off to have another cup of coffee, and enjoy the morning sun! What's your plan?
It sounds like you're doing great! But I think we are both right. It is like an addiction. With horses I am obsessive,driven, goal oriented, I never just ride for fun,( I still haven't had him out on that trail ride). The saddest part of this is that I'm an amateur, I supposedly ride for fun... I guess we each have our own definition of fun.
Is it hard for you to give yourself down time when your profession is also the thing that you love?
By the way have you ever heard of some one choosing not to purchase a horse because, "the left hind leg has a crooked swing phase"??? I guess if I really thought about it I could imagine what that might look like. What would it take to see something like this, slow motion film? Is this a legitimate issue or is the potential buyer simply having cold feet.
There's no doubt that it's a serious addiction - just ask my husband!
I'm so glad to hear such good things about Dee! Lots of good horses are tough at the beginning, but when they decide to really give themselves to you it's a wholehearted and incredibly amazing experience. Someone once asked me why I find riding so addictive, and after some thought I told him that I think it's the closest thing to telepathic communication we get, and that is such an altering experience that you just have to have it again and again.
Our show season started this past weekend. It was a good show, about 2 hours' drive from home. The weather was tough, but hte horses were good: V pulled a 69+ and a 72+ in her Fourth Level tests (with an FEI judge) and Christa and Nuke got a 66 in the Inter II and a 62 in the GP, so we were very happy. We both rode the clinic yesterday with the FEI judge, and had a ball. I'm home until Friday, when I fly to Calgary to teach a clinic, then KC flies into Calgary Sunday night to join me as the Chancellor of the University there has invited us to an awards reception in order to deliver KC's monster scholarship. We'll get home about noon on Tuesday, which gives me time to do laundry and pack the trailer so we can leave at 6 a.m. on Thursday for Southlands (6 hour haul each way) for a 3 day show there. Last weekend I had 21 clients to coach, as well as my own mare to ride, but at Southlands I'll only have 2 riders to coach, so that will be a treat!
I can't tell you what a thrill it is to hear about Dee, and how he's developing. I am SO happy for you, and for him!
Great to hear from you, and such good news about Dee! He will learn to accept your hand - the older and more confirmed they are when you introduce it the harder it is, but remember that he also has the option of answering your seat before you use your hand...he will figure it out, and you will use your hand less and less.
Your experience at the dressage barn is awful. That is very unprofessional behaviour, and your response is reasonable, rational, and quite normal! This woman clearly has some personal issues, and they will get in the way of her conducting a successful business, not to mention causing difficulties with forming quality interpersonal relationships! Just as in your professional we in the equine industry need to encourage clients to take th lead, particularly with disclosures. It is not our place to force our personal opinions on the clients of other professional. I am stunned that this person thinks her behaviour is in any way appropriate!
Francois Rabelais said "nature abhors a vacuum", and in my experience he's been proven right. He's also credited with having said "all things come to those who wait", among other insightful things...
Horses are like children and dogs - they do best with very clear and reasonably enforced limits, so a "vacuum" in training or approach is a frightening state for them. They don't like having to guess right answers, they much prefer the right answer to be clear.
I know what you mean about time! I'm heading out to longe V and Mercedes, and other than that I'm trying to catch up from the weekend's absence. The clinic was really fun - some wonderful new people and horses, and some old favourites. Gorgeous facility!
I'm glad you found the information helpful! Try highlighting it and copying the texts to a Word document, and printing from there. I sometimes do that in order to share a blog or part of a discussion, as my e-mail editor won't let me export addresses to Barnmice.
I'll keep the horse is mind - are there pictures or video on YouTube? I might have a client for whom the horse would be the right thing...Thanks!
Second part: Don't worry if at first he's slightly offended by your hand. Make sure it's not jerky, but make it very clear. Reward him with your voice as soon as he gets the idea that he's to answer your seat quickly and responsively. Bear in mind that if he refused to answer your leg you'd probably feel comfortable spanking him with a stick, and resolve to be as clear with your hand to back up your seat (make your hand a consequence, NOT the aid itself). In order for half-halts to work the horse must equally respect your forward aids (seat and leg) and your restraining aids (seat and hand). Most of us are very concerned about our horses going forward, but we're very reluctant to give them consequences for not respecting our restraining aids. Think about it in terms of parenting - kids (and horses) are much more comfortable and feel safer with clear limits, and that's what you're giving Dee. If you are really CLEAR, he'll start to answer your seat very quickly, and you won't need to back it up with your hand as a consequence. Most riders don't ride nearly enough transitions (think at lest 2 per 20m circle), so we don't actually teach our horses the meaning of the half-halt and the correct response. Please do let me know how you get on with it!
I'm home again, at least until Friday afternoon! I had a great ride with V today, and there are people from Edmonton flying in tomorrow to look at her. It would be a great home, and I'd feel good about her going there. My 5 y.o. Trakehner mare needs me to start working on her, so this is probably for the best.
With regard to Ph.D.'s, I couldn't agree more! My husband has 3 Honours degrees, and no common sense at all....I suspect that KC will end up with a Ph.D., and do research the rest of her days, but she might surprise me, just as you surprised your Dad!
With respect to Dee: bear in mind that good hands are not no hands. First he needs tp accept contact, and that does mean that there will be weight in your hands. Without accepting the drive of his hind legs in your hands effective half-halts are impossible. Next, ensure that he's going well forward in working trot. Half-halts don't work well in a vacuum. Then, when you're ready, initiate a transition to walk by sitting down in the saddle with your seat, stretching up in your ribcage, and sucking your belly button towards your spine. Try not to change the weight in your hands at all. If he makes an immediate transition to walk, praise him, push your belly button back out towards his ears (without hollowing your back), and trot on again. Repeat. When he's reacting immediately to those clear transitions between gaits, start to make only small transitions TOWARDS the walk, but open your belly and send him on again as soon as you feel the hind legs hesitate. That's a half-halt which is going through your horse. Howeve,r all of this pre-supposes taht he reacts immediately to your seat. Lots of horses don't. When that happens, you need to stablize your inside elbow, and ride quick and sharp half-halts on your outside rein until he steps down into walk. The half-halts on the rein should only be one stride long, and then must release and be repeated if necessary.
It is frenetic right now, that's for sure. I leave again at 7:30 tomorrow a.m. to teach for 4 days, then I'm home for 3.5 and then gone again for 2. Then I'm home for 2 weeks! It's busier right now than I would like, but I feel so fortunate to have so much business when so many people are struggling.
While riders in need of assistance are not (although they might beg to differ) as desperate as depressed people who are considering suicide they put the same kind of pressure on my schedule, so I understand what happens to your good intentions! At least I have an arena, so I can ride whenever it fits in the day, regardless of weather or light. I'm glad you're sorting out a truck, so you can haul. That will help a lot, and dropping your worries and the stresses of your day at the barn door is always good practice. The experience will be good for Dee, too.
I'm re-organizing my workload, so that at least the para-equestrian athlete management doesn't take so much time, and at least having made that decision I'm out from under the pressure of the 3* this spring and WEG this fall. I have a rider competing in Belgium next month, but one of my personal coaches is managing her, so I won't have any concerns.
The great news is that my daughter won a $57,000 scholarship to engineering school, starting in September, so at least I don't have to ante up for her undergrad degree! That takes some pressure off the workload situation!
Dee looks gorgeous in your pictures, and the warmth and sunshine glinting off his coat makes me yearn for summer!
What a wonderful way to wind down after a ride! I love sitting in a chair in the sun beside the pastures, watching the horses graze, and sipping a wine spritzer or cider (it's not quite warm enough here for that yet), with my dogs sitting around me.
I'm just about over the bronchitis and laryngitis, the company left yesterday, the sport psychologist left yesterday, and this morning I teach a lesson and then the saddler arrives from Victoria to check/fix 14 saddles. It's going to be a busy day...right now it's -1, but it's clear and sunny, so it will warm up, and we have the radiant heaters in the tacking stall. It'll be a fun and social day, and we'll all feel better about our saddle fit when Kevin's done. I leave early Friday morning for the Coast, to teach another 4 days there, then I'm home Monday night, and go again the following Friday to teach another clinic on the other side of the Fraser River. That will give me the chance to have a good visit with my friend and mentor, who'e got terminal brain cancer, and then I can relax at home with my horses for 2 weeks before the next clinic and the start of competition season!
How are things going with managing the practice so that you have time with Dee?
Great news about Dee! Isn't it wonderful when you can recognize the fruit of your labours?
I got back late last night from judging for two LONG days at Thunderbird. The format was wonderful, warm, inviting, and really a great learning opportunity for riders and horses. Poor V was sore-footed from her trim last week (and walking on gravel through the weekend) so I was lucky enough to get my farrier on the phone at 7:15 this morning and he was here to shoe her by 8:15. She's much more comfortable now, and galloped up the pasture this afternoon, so back to work tomorrow for the two of us!
It was warm and sunny today, and Glen worked on the pastures all day, harrowing and clearing brush etc. The place looks wonderful, now we just need things to start to green up a little.
You've got it, girl! Keep Dee in the shade until he's dry, and then turn him out again.
I'm so glad you've discovered a steadier and more schooled Dee this spring! Age and training does pay off, it's just that sometimes the day to day progress seems pretty slow. Often horses come back after a break better than we left them, which is a good thing given how often I'm away in a month. My sponsor calls it "pasture training", and she loves it. We have a lot of space, and our horses are turned out in small groups, so they keep themselves legged up and reasonably fit physically, and they are also pretty relaxed mentally, with the grass and turnout time. Howver, when I'm hauling hay and it's -25 boarding out seems like a welcome idea.
Whimsey's home from the surgical clinic, with lots of shaved bits and some super-glue still stuck on the angio-cath site, but she looks great in ever other respect, so we're feeling very fortunate!
My husband's been busy fixing fences and harrowing pastures, so he's high on my "star" list this week!
Wow - you hit the nail on the head. He LOVES his tractor, and all its accoutrements!
I have some suggestions for you with regard to Dee and the bleaching issue: (1) Keep him in the barn during the day and turn him out at night; (2) Put a Shedrow plaid shoulder-darted bug sheet on him, which will keep his body from bleaching but not his neck. You can help to stop the bleaching of his neck by never putting him in the sun to dry after a work - dry him in the shade. If you turn him out with a grazing muzzle on he can only eat about 25% of his usual intake, and yes, he can eat hay through it. I use grazing muzzles to ensure that easy keepers get lots of pasture time but don't get too fat or risk foundering.
I completely agree with you about men and their mothers. My mother-in-law was a cold, controlling person, and my husband still finds (after 25 years) the idea of unconditional love pretty unbelievable. He tests me in various and creative ways, always wondering when I'll dump the "if you really loved me" stuff on him...
I'm hoping your weather's improving - ours is currently gorgeous, which is a good thing as I spent Thursday night driving a horse 5 hours through the mountains to the nearest surgical facility for colic surgery. We loaded at 10 p.m. and got to the clinic at 2:30 a.m., stablilized and worked up the situation, did the surgical prep and then left for home. At 6 a.m. the vet called us in the truck so say that the mare had made a 180 degree turnaround within 30 minutes of our departure, just as they were setting up the anaesthesia, and that they were holding off on the surgery (suspected displacement of the caecum) and monitoring her. She's continued to improve, so Monday Christa will drive back down to get her. We got home yesterday at 9:30 a.m., having driving all night, and I had lessons to teach. Last night, after having been up for 40 hours, I lapsed into total unconsciousness when I got into bed. Today's been tough, but better than yesterday, so I'm just putting one foot in front of the other until next weekend's done (judging assignment 5 hours' drive away). I love where I live, but sometimes the commute's really hard!
I think men just have ahard time with anything which takes our focus away from them. We clearly really love our horses, and they find that depth of emotion scary. My vet told me he'd figured it out (his wife rides); he thinks women feel about horses the way men feel about sex, and men can't imagine feeling that way about anything else! I'm not sure he's right, but it was an interesting insight!
Hi Jan,
Well I went to the barn yesterday and took Dee out and put him on cross ties, groomed him, the whole business. The usual spring drama is; first couple of times he is on x-ties he breaks out of them. Thankfully he spared me that routine. I took him into the ring and chased him around a bit. I thought all that deep snow made for good footing and even better exercise for that fatty. He was good, no major spooks, he lunged himself very nicely, remembering to stop for treats when he thought he was especially brilliant. With the exception of a little anxiety about entering the barn( residual issues left over from a visiting stallion) he was relaxed about everything. Barring any major red flags that may pop up between now and then, if the weather holds I'll lunge him and hop on. Is it possible he's finally growing up?Laura
At 4:50pm on February 28, 2010, Laura Coffey said…
Why are men so insecure? My husband is at the retirement end of an accomplished career; as a classical musician. You would think his ego would be on high. But no, me "spending time" with my horse (instead of him) makes him fret? I love him, he's great, my life has never been better then since I met him. However, disconnecting the flesh that joins us at the hip is a painful venture.
The financial piece is a whole nother story. Currently Bill earns the bulk of the income, although I pay my own bills he can get snitty when I spend money. So like you say, they never see what gets shipped to the barn. Laura
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Pls. get me a video. He sounds interesting!
It's definitely hard to give myself down time. I got the best break so far this spring at last weekend's show in Vancouver. The weather was fantastic, and I only had to ride one test per day and coach 3 people. I had a great hotel, good restaurant, and time to sit down with friends and enjoy them! We do, I think, have to sit back and evaluate our work experiences from time to time, to ensure that we are not being consumed by them. I have a real tendency to become a workaholic, and I have to guard against that. My plan for today is to ride my two mares, and not do much of anything else!
I think I've heard most weird excuses for not following through on horse purchases. I guess it would depend on the purchase price, the degree of the deviation, and the intended job for the horse, along with a clean flexion test for the horse. I've seen many horses with strange gait abnormalities, and/or mechanics, who performed well and stayed sound, and I've certainly seen horses with pretty much perfect conformation and mechanics and good training become unsound, so I mostly go with my own gut instinct now. This situation wounds more like an uneducated and unsophisticated buyer who's read too many books and not yet ridden enough horses...
I'm off to have another cup of coffee, and enjoy the morning sun! What's your plan?
Is it hard for you to give yourself down time when your profession is also the thing that you love?
By the way have you ever heard of some one choosing not to purchase a horse because, "the left hind leg has a crooked swing phase"??? I guess if I really thought about it I could imagine what that might look like. What would it take to see something like this, slow motion film? Is this a legitimate issue or is the potential buyer simply having cold feet.
There's no doubt that it's a serious addiction - just ask my husband!
I'm so glad to hear such good things about Dee! Lots of good horses are tough at the beginning, but when they decide to really give themselves to you it's a wholehearted and incredibly amazing experience. Someone once asked me why I find riding so addictive, and after some thought I told him that I think it's the closest thing to telepathic communication we get, and that is such an altering experience that you just have to have it again and again.
Our show season started this past weekend. It was a good show, about 2 hours' drive from home. The weather was tough, but hte horses were good: V pulled a 69+ and a 72+ in her Fourth Level tests (with an FEI judge) and Christa and Nuke got a 66 in the Inter II and a 62 in the GP, so we were very happy. We both rode the clinic yesterday with the FEI judge, and had a ball. I'm home until Friday, when I fly to Calgary to teach a clinic, then KC flies into Calgary Sunday night to join me as the Chancellor of the University there has invited us to an awards reception in order to deliver KC's monster scholarship. We'll get home about noon on Tuesday, which gives me time to do laundry and pack the trailer so we can leave at 6 a.m. on Thursday for Southlands (6 hour haul each way) for a 3 day show there. Last weekend I had 21 clients to coach, as well as my own mare to ride, but at Southlands I'll only have 2 riders to coach, so that will be a treat!
I can't tell you what a thrill it is to hear about Dee, and how he's developing. I am SO happy for you, and for him!
Great to hear from you, and such good news about Dee! He will learn to accept your hand - the older and more confirmed they are when you introduce it the harder it is, but remember that he also has the option of answering your seat before you use your hand...he will figure it out, and you will use your hand less and less.
Your experience at the dressage barn is awful. That is very unprofessional behaviour, and your response is reasonable, rational, and quite normal! This woman clearly has some personal issues, and they will get in the way of her conducting a successful business, not to mention causing difficulties with forming quality interpersonal relationships! Just as in your professional we in the equine industry need to encourage clients to take th lead, particularly with disclosures. It is not our place to force our personal opinions on the clients of other professional. I am stunned that this person thinks her behaviour is in any way appropriate!
Francois Rabelais said "nature abhors a vacuum", and in my experience he's been proven right. He's also credited with having said "all things come to those who wait", among other insightful things...
Horses are like children and dogs - they do best with very clear and reasonably enforced limits, so a "vacuum" in training or approach is a frightening state for them. They don't like having to guess right answers, they much prefer the right answer to be clear.
I hope this helps!
I know what you mean about time! I'm heading out to longe V and Mercedes, and other than that I'm trying to catch up from the weekend's absence. The clinic was really fun - some wonderful new people and horses, and some old favourites. Gorgeous facility!
I'm glad you found the information helpful! Try highlighting it and copying the texts to a Word document, and printing from there. I sometimes do that in order to share a blog or part of a discussion, as my e-mail editor won't let me export addresses to Barnmice.
I'll keep the horse is mind - are there pictures or video on YouTube? I might have a client for whom the horse would be the right thing...Thanks!
I'm home again, at least until Friday afternoon! I had a great ride with V today, and there are people from Edmonton flying in tomorrow to look at her. It would be a great home, and I'd feel good about her going there. My 5 y.o. Trakehner mare needs me to start working on her, so this is probably for the best.
With regard to Ph.D.'s, I couldn't agree more! My husband has 3 Honours degrees, and no common sense at all....I suspect that KC will end up with a Ph.D., and do research the rest of her days, but she might surprise me, just as you surprised your Dad!
With respect to Dee: bear in mind that good hands are not no hands. First he needs tp accept contact, and that does mean that there will be weight in your hands. Without accepting the drive of his hind legs in your hands effective half-halts are impossible. Next, ensure that he's going well forward in working trot. Half-halts don't work well in a vacuum. Then, when you're ready, initiate a transition to walk by sitting down in the saddle with your seat, stretching up in your ribcage, and sucking your belly button towards your spine. Try not to change the weight in your hands at all. If he makes an immediate transition to walk, praise him, push your belly button back out towards his ears (without hollowing your back), and trot on again. Repeat. When he's reacting immediately to those clear transitions between gaits, start to make only small transitions TOWARDS the walk, but open your belly and send him on again as soon as you feel the hind legs hesitate. That's a half-halt which is going through your horse. Howeve,r all of this pre-supposes taht he reacts immediately to your seat. Lots of horses don't. When that happens, you need to stablize your inside elbow, and ride quick and sharp half-halts on your outside rein until he steps down into walk. The half-halts on the rein should only be one stride long, and then must release and be repeated if necessary.
It is frenetic right now, that's for sure. I leave again at 7:30 tomorrow a.m. to teach for 4 days, then I'm home for 3.5 and then gone again for 2. Then I'm home for 2 weeks! It's busier right now than I would like, but I feel so fortunate to have so much business when so many people are struggling.
While riders in need of assistance are not (although they might beg to differ) as desperate as depressed people who are considering suicide they put the same kind of pressure on my schedule, so I understand what happens to your good intentions! At least I have an arena, so I can ride whenever it fits in the day, regardless of weather or light. I'm glad you're sorting out a truck, so you can haul. That will help a lot, and dropping your worries and the stresses of your day at the barn door is always good practice. The experience will be good for Dee, too.
I'm re-organizing my workload, so that at least the para-equestrian athlete management doesn't take so much time, and at least having made that decision I'm out from under the pressure of the 3* this spring and WEG this fall. I have a rider competing in Belgium next month, but one of my personal coaches is managing her, so I won't have any concerns.
The great news is that my daughter won a $57,000 scholarship to engineering school, starting in September, so at least I don't have to ante up for her undergrad degree! That takes some pressure off the workload situation!
Dee looks gorgeous in your pictures, and the warmth and sunshine glinting off his coat makes me yearn for summer!
I'm just about over the bronchitis and laryngitis, the company left yesterday, the sport psychologist left yesterday, and this morning I teach a lesson and then the saddler arrives from Victoria to check/fix 14 saddles. It's going to be a busy day...right now it's -1, but it's clear and sunny, so it will warm up, and we have the radiant heaters in the tacking stall. It'll be a fun and social day, and we'll all feel better about our saddle fit when Kevin's done. I leave early Friday morning for the Coast, to teach another 4 days there, then I'm home Monday night, and go again the following Friday to teach another clinic on the other side of the Fraser River. That will give me the chance to have a good visit with my friend and mentor, who'e got terminal brain cancer, and then I can relax at home with my horses for 2 weeks before the next clinic and the start of competition season!
How are things going with managing the practice so that you have time with Dee?
I got back late last night from judging for two LONG days at Thunderbird. The format was wonderful, warm, inviting, and really a great learning opportunity for riders and horses. Poor V was sore-footed from her trim last week (and walking on gravel through the weekend) so I was lucky enough to get my farrier on the phone at 7:15 this morning and he was here to shoe her by 8:15. She's much more comfortable now, and galloped up the pasture this afternoon, so back to work tomorrow for the two of us!
It was warm and sunny today, and Glen worked on the pastures all day, harrowing and clearing brush etc. The place looks wonderful, now we just need things to start to green up a little.
I'm so glad you've discovered a steadier and more schooled Dee this spring! Age and training does pay off, it's just that sometimes the day to day progress seems pretty slow. Often horses come back after a break better than we left them, which is a good thing given how often I'm away in a month. My sponsor calls it "pasture training", and she loves it. We have a lot of space, and our horses are turned out in small groups, so they keep themselves legged up and reasonably fit physically, and they are also pretty relaxed mentally, with the grass and turnout time. Howver, when I'm hauling hay and it's -25 boarding out seems like a welcome idea.
Whimsey's home from the surgical clinic, with lots of shaved bits and some super-glue still stuck on the angio-cath site, but she looks great in ever other respect, so we're feeling very fortunate!
My husband's been busy fixing fences and harrowing pastures, so he's high on my "star" list this week!
I have some suggestions for you with regard to Dee and the bleaching issue: (1) Keep him in the barn during the day and turn him out at night; (2) Put a Shedrow plaid shoulder-darted bug sheet on him, which will keep his body from bleaching but not his neck. You can help to stop the bleaching of his neck by never putting him in the sun to dry after a work - dry him in the shade. If you turn him out with a grazing muzzle on he can only eat about 25% of his usual intake, and yes, he can eat hay through it. I use grazing muzzles to ensure that easy keepers get lots of pasture time but don't get too fat or risk foundering.
I completely agree with you about men and their mothers. My mother-in-law was a cold, controlling person, and my husband still finds (after 25 years) the idea of unconditional love pretty unbelievable. He tests me in various and creative ways, always wondering when I'll dump the "if you really loved me" stuff on him...
I'm hoping your weather's improving - ours is currently gorgeous, which is a good thing as I spent Thursday night driving a horse 5 hours through the mountains to the nearest surgical facility for colic surgery. We loaded at 10 p.m. and got to the clinic at 2:30 a.m., stablilized and worked up the situation, did the surgical prep and then left for home. At 6 a.m. the vet called us in the truck so say that the mare had made a 180 degree turnaround within 30 minutes of our departure, just as they were setting up the anaesthesia, and that they were holding off on the surgery (suspected displacement of the caecum) and monitoring her. She's continued to improve, so Monday Christa will drive back down to get her. We got home yesterday at 9:30 a.m., having driving all night, and I had lessons to teach. Last night, after having been up for 40 hours, I lapsed into total unconsciousness when I got into bed. Today's been tough, but better than yesterday, so I'm just putting one foot in front of the other until next weekend's done (judging assignment 5 hours' drive away). I love where I live, but sometimes the commute's really hard!
I think men just have ahard time with anything which takes our focus away from them. We clearly really love our horses, and they find that depth of emotion scary. My vet told me he'd figured it out (his wife rides); he thinks women feel about horses the way men feel about sex, and men can't imagine feeling that way about anything else! I'm not sure he's right, but it was an interesting insight!
www.MaggiesAngels.com
Well I went to the barn yesterday and took Dee out and put him on cross ties, groomed him, the whole business. The usual spring drama is; first couple of times he is on x-ties he breaks out of them. Thankfully he spared me that routine. I took him into the ring and chased him around a bit. I thought all that deep snow made for good footing and even better exercise for that fatty. He was good, no major spooks, he lunged himself very nicely, remembering to stop for treats when he thought he was especially brilliant. With the exception of a little anxiety about entering the barn( residual issues left over from a visiting stallion) he was relaxed about everything. Barring any major red flags that may pop up between now and then, if the weather holds I'll lunge him and hop on. Is it possible he's finally growing up?Laura
The financial piece is a whole nother story. Currently Bill earns the bulk of the income, although I pay my own bills he can get snitty when I spend money. So like you say, they never see what gets shipped to the barn. Laura
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