2011 in review

January

I started a (short lived) working student position at a Hunter/Jumper barn. 

I got some new tack, including a sleazy for Bones, and my Stubben Wotan.

  

Kazi continued to be in a lease with Danielle, and I didn't ride him very often. He started having some back soreness issues that I began to investigate. 

Bones and I did a lot of trail riding and canter work.

February

February was an interesting month. Did a lot of riding, solo and with others. I took a spill off of Kazi when a friend's saddle came loose and she fell off. Bones and I were riding machines. I worked on feeling comfortable in an english saddle, and had my first lesson at the Hunter/Jumper barn. 

March 

I only posted once in March, and it was kind of a review post anyways.. so here is the link to that post. ;)

April

April brought more trail riding. Mai came to see Bones for the first time, and committed to lease him starting in June. I did some lungeing with both of the boys- Bones over barrels, and Kazi in side reins. I had a fun bridle-less ride on Kazi, which reminded me of how much I liked him. The boys got their first bath of the year, which was much needed!

May

 We moved back to MMS in May. Mai did her 2 week trial with Bonesy Face. I started to really focus on Kazi. I finally had a consistent schedule of lunging and riding him. We did a lot of lunging in side-reins and arena work. 

June and July

I didn't post anything in June or July, so nothing to review! Lol

August

August was the start of a lot of changes. I moved Kazi to a barn close to my work. And he left about a week after moving him, to go on a 2 week trial. The woman ended the trial after he passed his vet check, and sent the check for him that day. Although I was sad to see him go, I was excited to search for my new horse! I saw 7 Thoroughbreds in August. Luhukah, a 6 year old gelding, was my favorite, and I had planned on buying him until I lost my job. I had a contract with the barn Kazi was at, and had to fill the stall, so Bones was moved there. Before I moved Bones, he got a nasty little cut on his gaskin area, that was having trouble healing.

 September

September brought more change. This was the first time in a long time, that I only had one horse. So Bones got a lot of riding time. We did a fair amount of arena and trail riding. We went on our first offsite trail ride, worked on getting him consistent through the paces, framing up, and overall relaxed under-saddle. With radiographs, the vet found a foreign body in his leg from the cut on his gaskin. We decided to wait and see if it comes out on it's own (progressing well, currently).  Mai and I decided that she would do a full lease on Bones, and bring him back to MMS. With that decision, I had to fill the stall at Dyer Farm and Stables, so I started my search for a horse again. I found Rio, a beautiful Arabian gelding with an abuse past.

 

October

Rio and I were having a lot of fun together. Maybe too much fun, when Rio decided to go for a swim! We were really clicking, but I never felt quite comfortable with him under-saddle. I decided to find him a new him, and continue my search for a new horse. I found "Heart" aka Ginger, and took a chance on committing to her sight-unseen. A friend brought home an adorable cremello TN Walker filly. Mai had a second set of radiographs done on Bones's leg, which showed the foreign body to be making it's way out of the leg.

November

Donny and I made the long trip to Lisbon to pick up Ginger. I was pleasantly surprised when I first saw her. She loaded and hauled perfectly. We had a couple of uneventful ride, and she continued to please me with her quiet disposition.

December

I moved Ginger to a new farm at the beginning of December, soon after I found out I was getting Ollie back. After Ollie arrived, we were only at the new barn a couple of weeks before things started going downhill, fast. Ginger lost weight pretty quickly being at that barn, so we are now figuring out what works best to keep weight on her. I decided to move them to Sandy's farm, a place I have boarded before. Ginger is now on 5 quarts of a 14% protein, 7% fat pelleted feed, 12 ounces Equipride, and free choice grass hay a day. She is getting turned out everyday (they were only turned out ONCE at the other barn), and already looks like she is picking up weight. Ollie is doing really well under saddle, we have been working on really slow stuff to hopefully get her to relax a bit. 

I am looking forward to 2012. I haven't made any "horsey resolutions", but my goal for the winter is to trail ride the shit out of these mares, and start focusing more on ring work in the spring.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!