Happy Thanksgiving

Yesterday, I got to spend the day with every single one of the animals that I care about. It doesn't really get any better than that.

Making the Move

December 1st, Dee and I will be moving! Granted, it's about half an hour down the road, but still, it's a big deal! She'll be learning the western ropes with a world champion quarter horse trainer, and I can't wait to watch her transform from a cheeky baby to an educated adult. I've seen this trainer work miracles, and while I don't think Dee needs a miracle, I do think she needs a firmer, more educated hand than my own, and he's the best in town.
Anyway, life on the Dee front has been uneventful. On the other hand, life with the horses in washington has been CRAZY. We've got one with mud fever that keeps on flaring up despite keeping his legs as dry and clean as possible and smz's. Banamine and smz's seem to be keeping it in check for now. Then we have another who blew an abscess a few weeks ago and went suddenly lame on the other front foot yesterday morning. However, last night and this morning, he looked 100% sound and could care less about getting the feet handled. No heat, no sensitivity... I guess there goes our theory about him blowing another abscess? Who knows. Maybe the banamine helped.

Winter, here we come.

Dee and I have had an interesting year, full of ups and downs. On one hand, I'm very pleased with what we accomplished this summer... she started over fences and the canter work improved markedly. On the other hand, I'm incredibly disappointed and feel like we've slid back quite a bit in the last few months. She's just SO incredibly herdbound and nappy at home. I kept thinking it must just be me, so I finally had Nikki come sit on her. Let's just say it's not me. I haven't actually been on her in weeks - she's just been lunging (and being fantastic on the lunge), so part of me expected Dee to behave with Nikki. I mean, if it's me, she hasn't had me up in weeks, she's just been going forward nicely on the lunge line. As soon as Nikki got on, she sucked back and got defensive, and that was without Nikki even having any real contact. The whole ride was a disaster - exactly what I've been experiencing with her lately.
The thought of getting through the winter with her behaving so poorly is not at all appealing. Upon some thought, I've decided it might be in both out best interests for her to spend some time getting drilled on the basics 6 days a week. I'm going to send her to Garry Mcallister for two months (starting the 1st of December), and hopefully he can work out the kinks. He's a world champion quarter horse trainer who I've seen make huge progress in horses with all sorts of issues. I just think that she'll think twice about trying some of her antics with a tough cowboy, and being in a solid program with someone who won't take her crap for two months is just what she needs. Garry isn't too far from me, so I'll definitely be visiting her and updating about her progress.