Dance Floor Metaphor

Teachers Part 3 - Delaney

2012-02-12T09:27:00.000-05:00

Delaney was in training at Steph's when I arrived to be a working student. He was an adorable 14.2 hand Connemara pony with some of the worst ground manners I'd ever seen, but for as obnoxious as he was on the ground, I very quickly grew to love him under saddle. Delaney and I taught each other. I taught him about cross-country fences, big gymnastic grids, and not being a crazy, spooky jerk on the flat. He taught me that a grown person on a pony had better never anticipate the fences, because there isn't really any neck to jump up, and you're probably going to throw that pony's balance off. He also taught me that ponies are incredibly fun, and that even when that jump at the end of the grid is over said pony's head, the two of you will be just fine if you just keep coming.
Delaney was one of those horses who is brave as can be over fences, but thinks everything he walks/trots/canters by is going to eat him. And it's going to eat him every time he goes by it. I probably don't have to tell you that sometimes this made me want to kill him. I distinctly remember one lesson where Steph had me cantering for a solid 10-15 minutes straight because we weren't allowed to stop until Delaney stopped shying at the barrels when we cantered past. Eventually he did stop, but I think he was just tired. What all of that excessive spooking taught me, however, was how to "ride the spook". I tend to do this with Dee, too, who is a bit of a boredom spooker. To "ride the spook", I would simply engage Delaney in some other activity. These were usually lateral in nature. For instance, when he was engaged in a shoulder-in while passing the barrels, he couldn't simply drop to the inside and shy away from them. Instead, he had to focus, focus, focus. These made our rides pretty interesting, because we were hardly ever just "trotting around".
Above, I mentioned Delaney's atrocious ground manners, but saying they were bad doesn't do it justice. I was one of the only people in the barn who liked him, because I knew how cool he was to ride. The girls who just handled him on the ground? Well... his nickname was "Looney". This was because ~~occasionally~~ at least once a week, when you least expected it, he would just... leave. And when he decided to do this, no force on earth could stop him (except once, when he tried to leave a stall and one of the girls somehow managed to react quickly enough to slam all of her weight against him while he was leaving and essentially pin him in the stall door). One day, I was getting him ready to show to a potential buyer. As I was grooming him (in his stall), he suddenly decided it was time to leave. He bowled straight past me, out of the stall, around the corner, down the aisle, and into the paddock attached to the barn. I was not happy. I caught him, yelled at him, and had no sooner gotten him into his stall when he wheeled around and left again, ripping the lead rope out of my hand and hitting the cement aisle in such a frenzy that as he tried to two-wheel it around the corner to gallop down the aisle, he slipped and fell over, got back up and went careening out into the paddock. He was fine, and after that he stood nicely to be tacked up. The bad part? The potential buyers walked in just as he took his second little romp. Needless to say, Delaney also taught me hyper-vigilence.
I would like to throw in (to show you how awesome this pony was to ride) that the clients who watched him being such a fool on the ground were the ones who bought him. They're still together. Actually, I saw him at Riga Meadow a few years back, which you can read about here.

Teachers Part 2 - Sprinkles

2012-02-06T19:16:00.000-05:00

(My mom and I were taking christmas photos that day, and of course he was black with mud. How he found a mud puddle in all that snow is beyond me, but I think the photo came out ok.)

I was probably 9 when I met Sprinkles. He was a naughty fleabitten gray pony, and his owner didn't ride him very often. As it turned out, they were looking for someone to lease him. Naughty or not, I leapt at the chance to have a horse of my "own". Surprisingly, Sprink and I got along pretty well. He was super fun on the flat, and while he was a little devious over fences, he taught me a whole lot about sheer determination, and when he was good, he was very good.
I don't think I've ever fallen off of a horse as much as I fell off of Sprink at the beginning. He was a dirty stopper over fences, and I was woefully unprepared. He also had a very nasty little trick where he would stop, drop his shoulder as if he was going to spin, then change his mind and jump. Actually, strike that. I don't think he changed his mind. I think his plan was to jump all along, but he had to be naughty about it. That little trick caught me out constantly when we first partnered up. Eventually, though, I learned my lesson and started really riding to the fence, and not leaning up his neck when I thought he should take off. This allowed me to sit down and ride to the base of the fence. Of course, even this didn't always work.
I'll never forget the day that I was doing a jump school, and I was cantering up to the barrels, which were set up right next to the hay bales. That naughty pony cantered up to the barrels, and instead of taking off, he ducked to the right and leapt over the hay bales instead. He was quick, he was clever, and he was apparently pretty lazy. I mean, that was a pretty dirty trick just to be able to jump a little lower. However, I stayed with him that time. The next time we cantered up to the barrels, I closed the right door hard and gave him a thump with my whip before the jump. Over we went. Take that, pony.
Sprinkles also taught me to sit quietly. Well, I shouldn't say that. I guess he didn't teach me to sit quietly as much as he forced me not to STOP sitting quietly. One of the reasons that Sprink and I got along was because I could sit on him without bouncing around, or being too handsy. He HATED people bouncing in their seat or hands, and he retaliated against that sort of bad rider behavior. He had been going really well for me, so when I went on vacation, I asked if maybe Bon could use him once or twice just to keep him working while I was away. Well, when I got back, I found out he had been used once, and had caused some problems. Apparently, the girl who rode him bounced a little, and Sprink took off. Of course, when he took off, she bounced more, at which point he said "enough is enough" and bucked her off. Bad Poneh. But, you gotta hand it to him, he was a very strict teacher who wanted you to practice perfect. I still think that he was a good stepping-stone into my life of riding and loving the "hot" Thoroughbreds. (I don't really think most of them are hot-heads... sensitive? sure, but for the most part, I think that rather than being hot-headed, most of them are sensible and smart with a propensity for being hyper-sentitive and/or easily bored - at which point, they get "creative")
I will add that he never outgrew that pet peeve. After I got Sierra, Sprinkles' owner sold him to Bon as a lesson horse. I think she figured that he had gotten over the bad behavior, because he and I were doing really well together (I just outgrew him, he was probably only 14 hands). He went on to break one of my friends' arms. Pony don't play the bouncing game.
In sum, Sprinkles was yet another horse that I met towards the end of his life, but he was a great teacher and a better friend. He was the first horse that I could kind of call my own, and I will always love him as if he were truly my first pony.

Amazing...

2012-02-04T21:37:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to quickly comment on how wonderful people can be...

I am friends with CANTER KY on facebook, and tonight I saw a shared post from a CA rescue. It was a chestnut TB gelding named Scat Thief who was in a sad state and sitting in an auction lot in CA. Over the next few hours, I watched people rally and raise enough money for the rescue to purchase and support this horse for a year, just to make sure he was safe. I will admit that I even chipped in what little bit I could to help him. He is safe and sound now. I just wanted to post this because it warms my heart that so many people who had never met this horse would jump in and help just to keep him from meeting a potentially terrible end.

Teachers Part 1 - Jasmine

2012-02-01T07:15:00.000-05:00

I've spoken a lot on here about my old horses. About Sierra, Dusty, Kess, and [obviously] this blog's namesake, Tango. However, they are not the only horses who have taught me over the years. So, for the next few weeks, I plan on spotlighting the other important horses that I've encountered over the years. To do that, I'm going back. ALLLLLL the way back. First up, we have Jasmine.

(Jasmine is the black pony - with little me on board)

She was a big pony [and let's face it, at 7, I just flat out thought she was big], probably somewhere around 14.2 and built pretty solidly. She was also a lazy pony, and a lot of people didn't like her all that much, because unless you let her know, quite clearly, that "WE ARE GOING FORWARD TODAY", she would barely budge. She also farted ALLL the time. We all used to get a kick out of that. But, despite the laziness and the gassiness, I grew to love that pony. I learned very quickly that the first time she protested going forward in a lesson, one authoritative thwack with the whip cured the problem for the rest of the day. She was a smart pony that way - ridden in several lessons a day, she saved energy wherever possible. You had to mean business if you wanted her all.
Once I learned her trick, she was a blast to ride. She was the first horse that I ever had a lot of confidence jumping with, and while everyone else wanted to ride Pierre, the little fleabitten gray Arab who was known around the barn as the "best pony jumper", I wanted Jasmine. This was because once Jas and I came to an understanding about the forwardness, she was a pretty impressive jumper. While Pierre went like a hunter - long and rhythmical - Jasmine was more like a jumper - a bit rounder, a bit more up and down in her canter - and I LOVED that. I still love that. In anything I ride. Maybe she's why.
Jasmine was also the first horse that I "went cross-country" with. I put that in quotes because in fact, I just cantered her around a hilly field, jumped a little log in the woods and a ditch at the reservoir. But it was a start! And we did it a lot!
Jasmine and I were also pretty darn good at gymkhana games. Sit-a-buck? No problem, she was round and super easy to sit. Slow-canter? She LOVED to slow-canter! We even rocked the jumper derby. The funny part was that everyone thought I was crazy picking jasmine for a speed jumping class, but we put in a valiant showing. I couldn't tell you if we won or not, but we didn't come in last [time-wise], and we kept all the jumps in the cups.
That pony taught a lot of people to ride over the course of her long life, and I'm glad to say that she taught me, too. I wish I had gotten the chance to see that pony in her prime, because I'll bet she was amazing. As it was, I found her in the twilight of her life. I was around for her retirement, and for her death. For that pony, though, death wasn't something we needed to mourn. She was probably 25 or 30, and she had been with the same person for almost her whole life. I think that she even had a foal at some point. To say that she lived a full life would be an understatement. To say that she lived a good life would be accurate.

Shopping

2012-01-16T10:03:00.002-05:00

Why is it that even though Dee is approximately 800 miles away from me, I still find myself browsing through smartpak and bit of britain for things I'd like to buy her?

This Rambo newmarket fleece is GORGEOUS in the gray. I've always liked the red/yellow/black version, but I LOVE the gray. That will have to go on my list for future purchases.

Just Like Your Favorite Spot on the Sofa

2012-01-05T14:17:00.002-05:00

Your own horse. The horse you've spent hour after hour sitting on. The horse you've poured blood, sweat, tears, and yes, let's face it, dollars, into. That horse's back is the most comfortable back in the world. I went up to ride Dee right before the New Year. She hadn't been ridden in a few weeks, and maybe just jumping on without lounging was't the most intelligent thing to do, but it was great to be on her again. She was, after all was said and done, not terrible. We had some airs above the ground, but she's grown up a lot. Two years ago, she would have probably been a rodeo star, but now she was just a little bit of a snot a couple times. Maybe now I understand her better, too, though. When she sucked back and started doing her weird head shake, lip-smack thing, I booted her in the ribs. When she shot forward and did her best impression of a capriole, I laughed, brought her back to a walk, composed her, and off we went again. I think we're both more comfortable these days. After I rode her, I got on one of the other horses. He was an adorable, pudgy, kind of short, warmblood looking thing. I had a total blast on him, but it's amazing to me how foreign it feels when you get up on another horse. Especially when that other horse has been trained by someone who's got a slightly different style. For instance, when I get up on one of Steph's horses, I can usually find the right buttons pretty quickly, and it's not quite as foreign because I'm at least used to how the horses she trains go. It took me a little longer to find Scooter's buttons, and I'm not entirely sure that I pushed them all correctly. BUT, he was sweet and fun anyway. Getting on Dee, on the other hand, was like settling into my favorite spot on the sofa. It was familiar, comfortable and predictable. I guess after a certain amount of time, even if you don't realize it, you start to learn the little "tells" before a spook or some other naughty gesture.

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-31T08:33:00.003-05:00

A Mare-y Christmas and a Horsey New Year to everyone!

Happy Anniversary!

2011-12-17T09:47:00.002-05:00

Two years ago today, I was driving up to Salt Point, NY to pick up a big, green 3 year old filly. Two years ago today, this whole adventure got under way. There has been laughter and tears, disciplinary issues and flashes of brilliance. But most importantly, there has been bonding. I wasn't always sure I liked Dee, but I guess I always knew that I loved her, and now all I want for her is a cushy life. I'm not sure I have big goals anymore. Maybe that will change once I'm settled after school and can get back into riding more full time, but I would probably be happy with focusing on dressage and doing little jump schools occasionally, with lots of hacking thrown in for good measure. I'm not sure I care if her and I never make big splash on the show scene, or win lots of ribbons. I want to hang out with my mare and enjoy her. I want her to be happy and healthy until the end of her days. I've grown to seriously love my big brown beasty. Just a quick look back... here is the progression of Miss Dee over the past two years:

December 17, 2009:Dee comes home on a FREEZING day. I find out that she HATES things on her hind legs, including shipping boots and leg straps. She meets some new friends and is pretty relaxed about the whole "new person, new barn, new everything" situation.

January 2010:Dee and I work on strengthening, and I find out that Mare has a SERIOUS buck in her. The ring is usually frozen, so we can't do too much.

February 2010:Dee learns how to share a ring with other horses at Nancy's. She pretty much takes it all in stride. We have a natural horsemanship lesson. She kicks at the stick a lot, but ends up relaxing a little about it. I pull Dee's shoes off for the remainder of winter, since she finally had enough foot to be comfortable without shoes. My trailer gets snowed in and we're basically stuck doing a whole lot of not much in the snowy ring.

March 2010:Dee could care less about horses coming and going from the ring at Nancy's. She then starts dropping weight and goes on a powerpac for worms. She also gets a much-needed face shave...

April 2010:I discover that my pony has tons and tons of gray hair. She gets her first bath because she is a filthy mess and is pretty well-behaved for it. We do some free jumping and she is ridiculously adorable about it... super relaxed but SUPER awkward. Dee learns how much fun a stretchy trot can be. The first signs of crazy hormonal behavior surface as she begins to lean all over the curry comb towards the end of the month.

May 2010:Dee's canter starts coming along a little. She got her teeth done, and we had a couple of nice rides. At the end of the month, we have what I now know was a hormone surge. Grouchy, awful behavior under saddle and on the ground. Tense and angry, peeing everywhere. BAD BAD BABY. But then we jumped some at Nancy's and she was out of this world fantastic. I was apparently a bad mother and didn't take pictures that month.

June 2010:Dee starts the month off by being absolutely amazing. She is jumping and being brilliant. Towards the end of the month, we hit an even harder cycle and she is a monster. We go on her first ever trail ride and she is very well behaved, taking everything in stride, but she pretty much refuses to be good about anything else under saddle. She is stiff, grouchy and all around horrible.

July 2010:A bad month. Dee is a little lymey so I stick her on Doxy. She spends most of the month being a total wench.

August 2010:She has a decent month! But then again, I am also on vacation at the end of the month, so I miss the heat cycle. No pictures.

September 2010:My trailer breaks down. Sigh. With no way to get her off the property, we don't have a very good month. She is a herdbound cow, and a hormonal mess.

October 2010:I had pretty much just thrown my hands in the air about her. I was super busy getting ready for LSATS and didn't really have the time or energy to fight with her, so we did a lot of lunge work instead. Still no trailer.

November 2010:She's pretty bad. Nikki comes up to sit on her, because I'm convinced it's just me. It's not. She is mare-ish and angry ALL the time. I make arrangements for her to go to the cowboys and get some lessons in life as a riding horse.

December 2010:Dee moves to Southbury for training. I throw my back out somewhere around Christmas.

January 2011:Dee is doing pretty well in her cowboy training program.

February 2011:I bring Dee to Windhorse. I am basically a cripple with my back, so we do lots of groundwork. The weather is horrific. B helps us on the ground, and manners are dealt with.

March 2011:Dee moves to Steph's for jump lessons and for me to recoup. Steph hates her at first.

April 2011:I visit Dee at Steph's. Steph still doesn't really like her. I have my back surgery.

May 2011:Regumate! And with that, suddenly steph really likes Dee because she's no longer an angry ball of hormones! Dee also comes back to CT! We move to an awesome barn in Woodbury and Dee takes great care of her recovering mommy.

June 2011:The weather is hot hot hot, but Dee is an ANGEL. I work hard on her canter and she takes care of me over jumps.

July 2011:Dee is being wonderful, but it's almost time for me to leave for TN and I am sad. We look for a place for her to stay while I am gone. We find L and H through B, and Dee is set to move on the last day of the month.

August - December 2011:I am in TN, Dee is in NY. We are both doing well.I get to see her in 3 days and I CANNOT WAIT!

Winter Break!

2011-12-14T18:45:00.000-05:00

I couldn't have asked for a cuter welcoming committee!

I got home on Saturday night. It was SO nice to see my babies again!

My mother and I are going to pay Dee a visit on the 19th or 20th, and I can't wait to see her! On the 17th, it will be 2 years since she came into my life. Time really does fly! She and I have had kind of a weird journey together, but she is happy and healthy, and I suppose that's what matters at the end of the day.

Halfway there!

2011-12-05T16:08:00.001-05:00

2 down, 2 to go...Wednesday is Contracts. My most dreaded of exams....Here are some cute contract kitties, because that's pretty much the extent to which my brain is working after my 3.5 hour civ pro exam.

This Kitty is not wrong...

Eye on the ball? What ball?

2011-12-04T14:26:00.000-05:00

The trick is to keep your eye on the ball... which is kind of hard when you never really saw the ball in the first place. Ugh... well, tomorrow is judgment day. Let's go!At least the kitty feels my pain.

Which Intentional Tort?

2011-11-29T16:41:00.001-05:00

take the WHAT INTENTIONAL TORT ARE YOU test.
and go to mewing.net. because law school made laura do this.

Dogs

2011-11-08T06:53:00.001-05:00

I don't often post puppy pics, and I'm too buried in work to make a real post [I'm quite sure no one wants to see posts about how I sit around all day reading/outlining/writing my memo, it's not exciting] BUT... here are a couple of cute pictures of my girls...

this is my favorite picture of Belle... I caught her mid-yawn :)

Honey-bear sporting her Tennessee Orange!

Lazy puppies

demon-dog reunion! Their cousin Jake came for a visit... All of their eyes glowed a different color.

Library Living

2011-11-02T08:28:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I found a bright orange flyer in my mailbox at school.

"The Law Library is now open 24 hours a day!"

The sad part? I'm excited about this.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

2011-10-31T06:41:00.002-04:00

...to those of you in the Northeast, it probably looks like you're living through Tim Burton's Nightmare before Christmas, but hopefully you'll enjoy yourselves and have a MERRY Halloween!

Chilla

2011-10-28T14:13:00.000-04:00

Chilla is an annual law school halloween party. There was so much hype about it, that I was a little worried it wouldn't live up to expectations.
Cut to this morning, when I woke up looking and feeling like a crime scene. Yeah. It was a good night.
I wish that I had pictures of my costume (Zombie Alice in Wonderland). I'm hoping maybe a picture might surface at some point, at which point I will upload it immediately.

Riverboat Ride

2011-10-23T18:25:00.002-04:00

My dad came for a visit this weekend! It was great to see him, and great to spend a day not worrying about law school. We took a riverboat ride and enjoyed the beautiful fall weather...

Huge Carp in the river.

Bundled up and ready for the ride!

Basketball Stadium

Neyland

A not-very-good shot of the sunsphere in the background...

Doing Well

2011-10-20T07:09:00.001-04:00

Dee is doing really well. I got a quick update from L, and apparently she and H are getting along splendidly and plan to start jump lessons together soon. Apparently, H went along with L for her jump lesson, watched the whole thing and said "Dee can do this!" Of COURSE she can! I think the two of them will have a blast together, because if there's one thing maresy-poo is great at, it's jumping.

I'm not sure where October's gone, but before I know it, I'll be home for the holidays, and will hopefully get to visit Dee!

ps. I just so happen to be watching Good Morning America right now. Did anyone else hear about what happened in Ohio? With all of the animals escaping from the preserve? I am so disturbed that they killed all of those poor animals who were just terrified and acting on instincts. Eighteen Bengal tigers were murdered. That kind of carnage just seems excessive. So sad.

Mercury

2011-10-14T13:20:00.000-04:00

I got a chance to talk with Steph yesterday. Her ponies are doing really well, and she's planning on taking Merc Intermediate at the VA Horse Trials, which is super exciting! I know that she is a little nervous about it, so I'll be keeping my fingers crossed, but Merc is so fantastic, I'm sure that they'll do well!
How much fun does she look!?

October is Murder Month

2011-10-08T09:26:00.002-04:00

It's "Murder Month" because we're studying Homicide all month in Crim Law, not because I'm advocating murdering people all month! Just a few quick things for update.First, since this weekend is Boekelo, here is a funny video of a streaker running through the XC course:Second, I have taken up pole dancing classes [you know, in case the law school thing doesn't work out, haha]. Actually, there was an awesome groupon special of 8 classes for $25, and it just seemed like too good a deal to pass up. There are three of us doing it, and two classes in, it is already really fun!! However, it is also incredibly bruise-tastic! Just a few of my battle scars:

The first bruise I got: A softball sized monster on my thigh. This was taken a week after daily arnica application.

Knee bruise... I'd like to know how this happened.

Arm bruise.Now, I suppose I need to stop procrastinating and get reading for next week. Sigh.

Fall Break

2011-09-30T08:30:00.000-04:00

I've been super lazy about posting lately. However, my excuse is that I don't have much to write about. I'm sure that none of you want to hear about how I spent all day sitting around the library reading for torts or contracts or crim law. I'm sure you also don't want to hear about my week-long memo writing battle. It just doesn't make for interesting topics. It's certainly a hell of a lot less interesting than taking the beast out on a hack, having a fantastic jump lesson, or having to wrestle a wild Taz into the barn from the far paddock. Anyway, I'm on fall break right now. This sounds like it would be a nice, relaxing time where I could lounge around all day not worrying about law school. Unfortunately, that's not the case. It's certainly more relaxing than being in class, but I'm using the time to read and start outlining a bit, so it's not exactly a break. HOWEVER, I have decided to cut myself a little slack, and I plan on going to the movies today after I read for civ pro. I haven't just cut out and gone to the movies since I got down here, and I really want to see that new Joseph Gordon-Leavitt film. So, that's my [super boring] fall break. I went a little wild yesterday and read crim law in market square. The weather is finally not quite so oppressively hot, and I decided I should enjoy it...

not a bad place to study...

This isn't market square... it's at World's fair park, which I pass on my way back to my apartment.

I Miss Your Face, Mare.

2011-09-24T19:44:00.001-04:00

"Aime-moi moins, mais aime-moi longtemps."

2011-09-21T15:18:00.002-04:00

Roughly... "Love me less, but love me a long time"

It's the last line from Les Chansons D'Amour... a fantastic movie that you should see if you get the chance.

(well, only if you like French musicals)

Knoxville Life

2011-09-18T07:37:00.006-04:00

The Vols may have gone down in the Swamp yesterday, but I'm still proud to be a Tennessee Vol!

The fountain/pond in front of the stage at World's Fair Park

To the best of my knowledge, that is also part of World's Fair Park. I could be wrong, but it's a pretty little area nonetheless.

Under the bridge at World's Fair Park, there are mosaics from a few different "National Cancer Survivor Days".

"We're going to Be Friends"

2011-09-15T07:25:00.002-04:00

Dee has a new buddy. No, I don't mean a four-legs-and-fur variety buddy.

I got an e-mail from B on Tuesday, which was all well and good (the boys are doing fabulously and so is B) until the last line of the e-mail, which said "I hear your mare needs a new person".

WHAT!?

I picked up the phone immediately and dialed L to figure out the deal there. Did they hate her? Was she naughty?

Thankfully, it turned out to be a case of "girl starts college and decides she doesn't want to ride that much or work at the barn". Even more thankfully? Apparently H has taken a liking to miss Dee and jumped on the chance to take over the ride on her. He wants to do some dressage, but also some little jumper/hunter shows with her, which is exciting. As L put it to me, "H has a new little buddy and he loves it".
I can't even tell you how good it makes me feel that someone is enjoying her so much. I mean, this summer I kept talking about how much fun she is now, but to hear that someone else thinks so too makes me very happy!

Quick Update

2011-09-05T15:02:00.002-04:00

So, while Dee's squealy, hormone-raging behavior had subsided when she was put on Regumate again, she apparently kept presenting with a slight lameness behind. The vet came out to look at the foot, and determined that there was some inflammation in the foot. I guess they figured it was probably from when she pulled a shoe, thinking maybe the shoe twisted and caused some irritation. They immediately began soaking and packing the foot (which I hear went over REALLY well. She refused to walk for awhile after they wrapped the foot... diva mare.)
According to the e-mail I got today, it turned out to be an abscess, which has since blown out. She is now perfectly sound again. THANK GOD.
I found these pictures on my phone today... I think I took them about a week before she moved to NY.

It could be worse...

2011-08-30T06:06:00.002-04:00

...I could be on fire.

That's what I tell myself when ever I start getting stressed out or things get tough. It kinda puts things into perspective, because hey... I may be swamped with reading, but at least I'm not on fire. That's something, at least!

Hormone Hysteria

2011-08-24T15:32:00.002-04:00

Last night I got a phone call that EVERY horse owner who is leasing out their beast doesn't want to get. Or so I thought.
It started out with something along the lines of "Dee is a bit off behind." ...Quoi!?
It then went into some detail about said weird lameness, at which point my heart was sneaking down to my feet.
But then... she added that they took her off Regumate. AHA! This is probably not a disaster after all.

They put her back on the Regumate just to be sure, but I think it's safe to say that the mystery slight lameness was caused by the mega-heat that she came into after coming off her hormone-juice. Here's how they presented said minor lameness to me:
No heat
No swelling
No hoof sensitivity
Squealy and touchy in the lumbar area
Reluctant to back up
Doesn't want to stand square behind
Tight through back under saddle

Sounds like classic Dee-heat behavior to me. I will be incredibly surprised if it turns out to be something else, but we will see!

Penguins and Polar Bears

2011-08-21T18:22:00.003-04:00

If horses were my heroin, then I suppose that law school is acting as my methadone... the shittier alternative to an addictive substance and the thing quelling my withdrawal symptoms.
I'm busy enough at the moment that I don't REALLY have time to freak out about not being around horses 24/7, but I will admit that I've been checking Eventing Nation a lot more frequently than usual... It makes me feel connected in an abstract way.

Knoxville has been a joy, though! It's a small city, but it's absolutely jam-packed with fun things to do. Here are a few photos from "around town" taken both since I've been here and on my 1st visit down here in March.

I know, I know... they don't give you much of a sense of the city, but what can I say? I don't pick great things to take photos of, I guess!

Horse Shopping over the years...

2011-08-13T18:49:00.000-04:00

SIERRA
When you are 10 years old and have spent the last 4 or so years begging for your very own horse, it is very hard to be objective when the opportunity to get one finally arises. I think my instructor wanted me to get him because he was owned by a friend of hers… He had been bought at auction, hadn’t really worked under saddle for years, and was lame due to recurring abcesses. Quite a catch, right? But, I was 10 and desperate. To me, he was perfect. You’d never seen a horse with a kinder eye, a richer coat. He was a gentle giant and I fell in love immediately. I don’t know why anyone thought it was a good idea to le me buy a lame horse, but I’m forever grateful that they did.

DUSTY
Great Barrington was the last stop before the slaughter house for a lot of unfortunate racehorses. Of course, I didn’t know that then. My friend was picking up a horse that day, and I tagged along with her and my instructor. I still had Sierra at the time, but my eye had begun to wander.
My instructor was the first to see her. Pressed up against the back of her temporary stall, she looked small and defeated, ready to accept her fate. Thankfully, my instructor had a soft spot for unwanted animals, and convinced the trainer to let her take the small bay mare off his hands. When we got back to the barn, I was the one who led her to her new stall, gave her food and water, and told her everything would be ok.
Over the next few months, I got to assist in her transition from racetrack reject to riding horse. She turned out to be a little firecracker, and while I thoroughly enjoyed her, my instructor apparently didn’t feel the same. One day, she wasn’t there when I showed up at the barn. She had been traded. For a paint colt. The people who took her planned to breed her and use her as a hunter horse.
Around a year later, I was in the market for another horse. I had just decided against a young Appy cross when my instructor informed me that the little bay mare she had offloaded a year ago was for sale. She hadn’t thrown a paint foal and she was too hot for the hunter ring, so the people needed to get rid of her. I went to try her, but I had already decided that she would be mine. From the first day I had met her, I knew she was special, and I still believe that her and I were meant to be together.

KESTRAL
The end of my partnership with Dusty was gut-wrenching. We had soared so high, only to come crashing down because of a silly little cataract. I didn’t do much in the process of purchasing the next horse. I was in Ohio, and my dad and I asked my trainer to do the bulk of the shopping for us.
Once she had narrowed the list down to about 4 horses, I flew home and tried them out. He was actually from Rochester, NY, but he was in town for an event, and his owners brought him over to my trainer’s place for me to try. I had tried 3 horses the day before, and had rejected 2 of them already. The 3rd horse I had been quite smitten with, but as soon as I got on Kes, I knew he was the one. Every once in awhile, you get on something that you feel like you’ve known for ages, and Kes was that horse for me.

TANGO
When I first saw Tango, I thought he was kind of goofy looking. He was all legs and ribs, with a scruffy mane and no topline. I couldn’t imagine he was going to be very nice, but I watched him go anyway.
Under saddle, he was obviously green, but seemed like a good guy, so I popped on and gave it a go. I hadn’t really ridden in awhile, so I was a little rusty and a little nervous, but he made me feel right at home. He tried hard and didn’t get flustered when we couldn’t understand each other, but I was truly sold when I completely screwed up a jump approach – we were so crooked that almost any other horse probably would have just run by the fence thinking that I didn’t want to go over it – and he self-adjusted and quietly jumped the fence. With his heart of gold and incredible athletecism over fences, I figured we’d be unbeatable. Too bad we all know how that ended…

DEE!!
Now, I’ve got Miss Dee. My great big baby mare, who looks like a yak in the winter and has a serious attitude. She and I have had some issues, there’s no doubt about that, but I honestly believe that she is kind of perfect for me. We’re quite similar in a lot of ways. One of my friends once said to me, (something along the lines of) “You come across as such a prickly person when someone first meets you.. But once someone gets to know you, you’re more like a week old gummy bear – kinda hard, but sweet.”
And that’s why Miss Dee and I get along now. I think we’ve realized that we’re both week old gummy bears who have to stick together.

The Big Move!

2011-08-08T19:42:00.002-04:00

I am officially moved in to my new apartment in Knoxville! I can't even tell you how much I'm missing miss Dee already, though! At least I know she's in good hands... that makes it a bit better.
I also forgot to post the picture I snapped of Dee right before she took her trip to her new home...

Baby looks bored with all this travel nonsense...

New Chapter

2011-08-01T08:13:00.002-04:00

Dee is now living in Germantown, NY. She is living with friends of B's, and will be mostly ridden by one of their students and H's daughter. Yesterday, H's daughter got on her after L schooled her a bit and all went really well. L thinks Dee has three lovely gaits (I think so, too!) and an ESPECIALLY wonderful walk. I think that's because walking is her favorite thing to do under saddle.
I have to say, I miss my pretty pony already, but it helps to know that she'll be in good hands while I'm away. B sends them horses for care/training sometimes, so I know that they take great care of the animals. I also have to admit that I'm kind of excited to have her learning to be a super dressage mare! Jumping comes so naturally to her that if I want to pick it back up and go eventing later on, it shouldn't be a problem. My biggest worry was that she would be ruined on the flat, because she's still very impressionable and it's a little tough for her. Plus, she gets really tense and heady with certain people sometimes, so she needs the right type of rider to flourish.
All that said, it looks like I've come to the end of the first book in our series, so to speak. I'll update on Dee occasionally as I get feedback from H and L, but things are probably going to slow way down. I'll also probably sporadically update on non-horsey life in Knoxville (NON-horsey life!? What horrors are these!?).
Until then, I bid you adieu!

To Some Wonderful Women...

2011-07-20T11:28:00.000-04:00

In the past 7 years, I have had the opportunity to spend time with and work with some truly incredible horsewomen. They have offered me guidance, encouragement, a sympathetic ear and a supportive shoulder. They have quelled my fears, boosted my confidence and improved my horsemanship skills. They have invited me into their homes and allowed me into their lives.
Together, we have risen high and fallen hard. We have taken the horses countless trips and covered thousands of miles. We have laughed and cried, cursed and joked. We have seen each other at our best and at our worst. We have battled through exhaustion, illness and injury. We have done it with a smile.
We have chased down loose horses together. We’ve whined and sighed about 3AM wake-up calls and 16-hour workdays. We’ve kept each other company in the emergency room and the horse-hospital. We’ve seen each other bleed – physically and emotionally – and we’ve seen each other sweat. We’ve slogged through snow, mud and humidity to get the barn chores done. We’ve poulticed, wrapped, given shots, crushed up pills, dressed wounds and iced legs. We’ve come home from shows with ribbons, and we’ve come home from shows with heartache.
I can’t explain how privileged I have been to work with these brilliant, talented, kind-hearted women. These women have made me exponentially stronger, but they have also made me kinder, more humble. They have taught me that hard work is still valued and rewarded. Most importantly, they have given me the confidence to follow my dreams.

Keep Calm and Carry On.

2011-07-17T09:26:00.003-04:00

It's funny. I don't think of Dee as being a particularly difficult horse to ride. I mean, yes, she is forward to the jumps, but she doesn't ever make me nervous... maybe because I've ridden some horses who can be truly scary over the fences when they "make a bid" (Elvis, Roo, Dusty...even Tango at the clinic...). I may try to push myself this week... put the fences up a bit and see how she does over a course. I only hesitate because even after little fences I have some trouble with my back, but I kind of want to see what she's like.
I had someone try her out yesterday, and was really surprised at Dee's behavior over fences. She was WILD. As soon as she saw the fences, she would stick her head in the air, throw her weight off to one side and start doing that hollow-backed canter that no one ever wants their horse to do because you feel out of control when they do it. The she would leap over the fence like a jack-rabbit and take-off. She even threw a buck after a few of the fences, which is VERY uncharacteristic. I mean, I love jumping her now because I feel safe with her... I would never expect her to act like such a wild beast. And who knows, maybe she doesn't act like a wild beast with me because I expect her not to and don't ride her like a runaway. Maybe it's just because from my experience with Dusty, I learned that the more you clamp down on a hot horse while you're jumping, the bigger the mess ends up being. Hell, I made Dusty a crazy mess for awhile there until Jen got me to stop riding backwards.
Tango also helped me with riding a runaway when I took him to the Jon Holling clinic. With him, it was a little different, because he wasn't running because I was riding backwards... he was just being as ass. Jon helped me realize that if you keep a cool head and just quietly deal with whatever the horse is doing, it will eventually get better. The key was not making it a big deal... just make little corrections so the horse knows what is happening is unacceptable, but other than that, keep yourself calm and carry on.

A Case of the Itchies

2011-07-15T22:11:00.002-04:00

Ok, so, the title has nothing to do with miss Dee. Whether i have endless bug bites or what, I am itchy ALL THE TIME lately. It's pretty terrible. It is a completely random thing to write about, but I figured I'd mention it since I'm sitting here itching away as I write this post. Wtf?

Dee's been going really well the past few days. We had a few days of super hot weather, so I did easy schools - about 20 minutes each day. I also did a few mini jump schools with her... for me more than her. I wish I could wrap my head around the fact that ever since Abbie dumped me at Rocking Horse, I've never really gotten my confidence back over fences. It's frustrating, because I don't have any real reason to fret... Tango was a fabulous, honest jumper, and Dee has been carting my semi-healed self around over fences for the past few weeks like a top class lady. But, despite all that, I still have a feeling of dread in the pit of my stomach even when I look at a cross-rail. Am I worried about getting hurt again? Maybe... Who knows. Maybe one day I'll get over myself. In the meantime, once I get past that initial dread, I have a blast on maresy-poo.
It's funny, because while she's been my most difficult project, I think she's quickly becoming a favorite. Dusty is still top-mare, but I have a feeling Dee will get there one day. All I know is that I'm glad I didn't let her hormones get the best of me, because now I have a fantastic little girl, and I sincerely hope that I can keep her forever... She deserves it.
I realize that I'm just sort of prattling on and on about my girl and not actually saying much. Sorry about that.. sometimes you just have to prattle.

What Won't Kill You Eats Gas

2011-07-08T18:24:00.002-04:00

It's been super hot and humid these past few days, so I've been taking it easy on maresy-poo. Wednesday, she was sweating just standing around in her stall, so I just took her out for a relaxing hack down the road. Of course, it turned into a not-so-relaxing hack when we got attacked by a swarm of deer flies on the way back to the barn, but thankfully miss mare is pretty laid back and just dealt with it through lots of head tossing and twitching. Poor baby. I think we both came back with lots and lots of bites. I had at least 6 little welts from those damn bugs.
Yesterday was another scorcher (it doesn't help that I can't get up to the barn until the hottest part of the day). We had the easiest flat school ever. Most of it was lateral work at the walk.
Today was a bit cooler, so we did a bit more. We did LOTS of transitions from walk to trot today. Why? Whether from the heat outside or from her being in heat, she has been the tiniest been snarky in her walk to trot transitions. She hits the walk and then says "ok, we're done!". When I ask for trot again, she responds by snarking at me for awhile before complying.
Now, I don't usually ride with a whip, because she doesn't usually need one. Today, I decided to carry the dressage whip so that if she snarked, I could very firmly tell her that wasn't acceptable. Our first walk to trot transition, I put my leg on and she said "I don't want to!" So I followed that up with a little tap of the whip. The response? "Mo-om! I REALLY don't want to!" So she got a nice firm swat, which got the answer I was looking for.
The second and third transition required on tap with the whip, and after that, she was suddenly perfectly compliant. We had lots of very nice walk trot transitions and some very nice halt trot transitions. The trot halt transitions were ugly and a half, but I'll blame myself for those. B is going to come up to give us some much needed help within the next few weeks... Can't wait for that!!

The Flying Dee

2011-07-05T15:02:00.002-04:00

Miss Dee did flying changes today. Very nice, clean, unexplosive flying changes.

We started with a few simple changes, which she did very well. Then we set up a pole at the end of each diagonal to encourage a flying change. All I had to do was shift my weight and put my leg on, and she very quietly did a beautifully clean change. Ever making progress!

Counting Down

2011-07-03T08:59:00.002-04:00

I only have about 4 weeks until I leave for Tennessee, and I'm starting to panic because no one seems interested in either leasing or buying Dee baby. I don't actually want to sell her, so I guess I'm glad no one wants to buy her, but I desperately need to find someone interested in a free lease. I mean, she's such a good girl now! Who wouldn't want to play with her for 3 years!? Anyway, I'm not sure who reads this blog, but if anyone reading happens to know anyone who might be interested, please please please pass the info along! My e-mail is amy.bergamo@gmail.com, and I'd be happy to address specific details through that (where exactly she's living, my cell # to discuss her further, etc) To be vague, she's currently in Woodbury, CT.

Anyway. We had a fabulous jump school yesterday. We did lots of different gymnastic-esque exercises. One strides galore, a double bounce to a one stride, etc etc. The first time she did the bounce to one stride, we had the out set up as a little cross rail. Well, that's not very challenging, mom! So I'm just going to flatten out and skid over the top of it, dragging my toes and not even bothering to acknowledge that it's there. Solution? Crank up the height. With the bigger vertical, she actually bothered to look and balance and jump nicely. I have to say, when the fences get higher, she's got a big, fun jump to her. It sort of reminds me of Tango, but a little less of the back-cracking, jump you totally out of the tack style that he did so well. With her, you can feel the power, and it is a big effort, but I don't feel like I need to hang on for dear life like I did a lot of the time with Tango. She's a bit more comfortable in that department. The only downer of the day was that by the end of the school, my back was so exhausted that over the last combination, the most I could do was bury my hands in her mane to keep myself propped up. I mean, we did do a lot of jumping, but it was still frustrating.

On the flat work front, she's been doing fairly well. The canter work has been especially promising. These days, she's actually been coming up in front and carrying herself a bit instead of trying to pile drive her withers into the dirt. Can she hold it for long? No. She can make one trip around the whole arena, and maybe a circle afterward before she starts falling forward. But it's progress! I can only assume as she gets stronger that will get easier.

On the not-my-horse front, we got two new stallions in at B's this week. They are drop-dead gorgeous. I also had my first solo baby handling yesterday, and he was a very good little guy. I was especially impressed since as I was moving him from one pasture to another, I had Rascal screaming and freaking out that I was taking his baby friend away and I had the new stallions inside sqwaking about who knows what. He didn't even bat a little eyelash at the commotion... just ambled along to the other paddock. Very cute.

Ok, now that it's raining, I suppose I should get away from the computer and go ride before it starts really pouring.

Baby G

2011-06-21T16:18:00.002-04:00

The newest resident at B's is a recently weaned Lusitano colt - Baby G. He is ridiculously cute. I mean, all foals are cute, but with his fluffy mane and forelock, and the gray starting to shine through on his face (it sort of looks like someone blew flour in his face), he is definitely one of the cutest little guys I've seen. He also seems to have a great temperment. Friday I'm having a baby handling lesson, so should be good!

After a leisurely weekend, I was kind of expecting a wild ride yesterday. Much to my surprise, however, miss Dee was a perfect lady. We trotted over many many many trot poles and jumped a few little jumps with no funny business to speak of. Today was not quite as good, as she came out tense and tight.
The left lead was especially horrific today. I really had to work hard to rev her engines, and she was so tense through her back at the beginning that I felt like I was sitting on a 2x4. It did get a bit better after a few minutes, but it wasn't one of her better days. Conversely, the right lead felt pretty nice. She was forward, balanced and not fussy. Go figure.

Jump Jump

2011-06-20T08:23:00.002-04:00

I finally jumped Dee a little bit on Friday! The jumps were little, but Dee was lovely and took care of her momma's bad back. There was no leaping and no scooting off or landing in a heap. I don't know if I'll get her to any events this summer, but you know what? I'm not sure I care at this point. I'm enjoying my girl, and that's enough. I WOULD like to find a dressage show to take her to, though. I'll have to talk to B and see if she has any nearby suggestions.
In other news, I took a self defense class on Saturday. It was super fun and good stuff to know. The company is called East Coast Training Systems, and they pair with Jane Doe No More to put on an Escape Alive program. I think all women should take a class like this at some point.
Considering that the class took all day, I didn't get a chance to ride my girl, and yesterday I was BEYOND sore. To the point of not being able to swallow without the muscles in my mouth hurting. Needless to say, yesterday was spent hobbling around the house. Well worth it, though!

Practice all day for Accuracy

2011-06-13T09:15:00.002-04:00

Dee's been a bit of a cranky lady lately! Luckily, she's only been cranky on the ground. Under saddle, she's been lovely. We had a break from the heat (thank goodness!), and she's positively LIT UP with the cooler weather. Once upon a time, this would have meant explosive spooking and gross misbehavior at the canter. These days she sneaks in one or two spooks, but they aren't a big deal. Instead, she uses all her energy to actually go forward. Yesterday, she came out breathing a little fire, but after a tight warm-up, she really settled in and put her excess energy to good use. The best part? I actually felt like I could still push at her to create a really positive, forward gait. She was wanting to get a bit crooked on the long sides in the canter work, so we did a few steps of leg yield. This worked wonders in getting her to say "Oops! Got to travel in a straight line to stay balanced!" I've never done that sort of stuff with her before, but it did a lot to help Sitka's canter, so I figure it will probably help Dee, too. It also helped to keep her up in front a little more, because she likes to get on her head a little.
Quick post, but she's doing very well!

Catch a Hot One

2011-06-09T09:16:00.002-04:00

Today's magic word is "HOT". Dee is getting a well deserved day of rest and lounging in her nice, cool stall. Yesterday she did quite a bit. I got on and did a little flat work... I can't tell you how much I've missed having someone on the ground to yell at me about my bad habits! I get too rigid through the arms and I have terrible posture, so actually being reminded to "Lift your hand!" "Relax the arm!" "SIT UP STRAIGHT!!!" is wonderful and MUCH MUCH MUCH needed! Funny how something as simple as lifting my hand gets her off her head at the canter.
Anyway. After I rode, one of the girls agreed to get on and do a bit of jumping with her. I think I'll be able to try next week... fingers crossed. I'm looking forward to taking jump lessons at this barn, because I like the way that N operates. It seems to be all about making the horse jump naturally and quietly, without too much interference from up top. For instance: Dee is a good jumper, but she hasn't learned how to handle the landing side of a fence. She jumps, lands in a heap, and then just kind of scrambles away. To help that, N set up a little grid. Trot pole to x-rail, one stride to small vertical, one stride to pole, one stride to pole. She was doing ok over the first pole, but then ignoring and scrambling over the second, with no thought of balance or poise. So N made it a tiny vertical to force Dee to THINK and BALANCE. It worked wonders! She was actually forced to land and BALANCE for the raised pole at the end. Good girl! I enjoyed watching the girl ride her. She did a very good job of convincing Dee to be a bit quieter about the approaches, because her first inclination is to rush. She's been like that since I first started her over fences last year. She just gets in a hurry. I think we're at the perfect place to sort that out, because hunters don't hurry. They approach the jumps quietly (and then look fabulous in the air). Wouldn't it be fun to get there!?

Summer is Here

2011-06-08T08:01:00.002-04:00

...for the moment, anyway. Right now, we're in the midst of a heat wave. It's supposed to reach 93 today, and get up to 95 tomorrow... and let's not forget the HUMIDITY that connecticut loves so much. I'm not sure what it reached yesterday, but I know it was HOT. Of course, the way my schedule runs, I don't get up to the barn until the afternoon, which makes for some miserably hot riding conditions. Yesterday I promised Dee a 25 minute ride if she behaved. She did, and I kept my promise. Interestingly, she was a bit spooky, which surprised me (she's been a little rock lately). We had one little scoot forward (I think it was an animal in the woods, because I did here something behind us), but she just cantered forward a few times and went straight back to work. She also sucked back a little bit heading towards the woods during her right lead canter, but a little kick fixed that. All in all, she was a good girl. Today she's going to do a little jump school and tomorrow she'll get to just chill out.

Tada!

2011-06-05T15:24:00.003-04:00

Image is nothing, Lobsters are everything.

2011-06-05T09:52:00.002-04:00

Dee is looking like a new woman! I've yet to snap a photo of her sexy new 'do, but soon!
She's been lovely, lovely, LOVELY these past few days. I can't get over how well she moves off the leg both ways now. The left lead still needs work, but that's me and my crooked hips. I've never been able to "go with the flow" as well to the left, because my right side is significantly higher than the left, and so the left hip doesn't move forward as readily. Of course, the fact that I haven't been riding just exacerbates the problem. I have to work harder to get that side looser.
Of course, given how well we've been doing, something HAD to go wrong, right? Well, yesterday while at B's, I was - very routinely - dragging the hose into the barn. NOT so routinely, I apparently managed to screw my shoulder up. My right shoulder is extremely sore and my range of motion is currently severely limited. It's much better this morning... now I can lift and lower it a bit easier, but it's still pretty painful, and I'm praying I didn't somehow screw myself up. Hopefully it won't feel too bad when I ride today!

Spa Day

2011-06-02T08:45:00.004-04:00

Today, Dee will have a MUCH needed spa day. She looks like a shaggy mess these days, because she hates having her mane pulled so much that I finally stopped trying. So I'm going to take advantage of the fact that she's getting tranqs from the dentist today to fix her terrible mane.

Yeah... I know. Long, unkempt mane.

She loves having just a stall chain!

Merveilleuse Journée

2011-05-25T08:06:00.002-04:00

I've been a bit frustrated lately. I kind of expected to just get on again and be able to jump right in, pain free. That's not been the case. I guess it's getting better by the day, but I'm still feeling pretty limited.
On a happier note, Miss Dee has been absolutely fantastic! It took her two days before she settled. Sunday, she was very tense and looky, and only settled at the very end. Monday, she was a little better, but still took a good long while before she settled. She was also off her feed, and just stalking around the paddock. Yesterday, however, she was fabulous. She went out and got right to work. She was stretching and relaxed, and even though one of the horses in the barn kept screaming to her, she was totally focused. Her canter work was pretty good, too. I can't do too much canter work right now, so we just did two short canters in each direction, but she's really come a long way in that department. Now I feel like I can put my leg on and half-halt, and actually have her ACCEPT the half-halt. All in all, it was a great ride, and for the past few days, I've actually gotten off with a big smile, because she's actually quite fun now! Hopefully we'll continue in the right direction, and my back will be strong enough to do more soon.

Dee comes home

2011-05-22T18:09:00.002-04:00

From Problem Child to Lesson Horse!?

2011-05-18T09:07:00.002-04:00

Dee is coming home on Saturday!! I am SO excited to have my little girl back with me again. Stephie seems to think that the regumate has helped, and told me that lately Dee has been trying super hard all the time, never saying no or being a crab. Let's hope that continues! Also, Steph has a student that comes up on weekends, and her horse has been injured, so Steph has been giving her lessons on Dee. Apparently, the woman even considered wanting to BUY Dee because she likes her so much, but then realized that she doesn't have time to deal with an injured horse, a full time job AND something she needs to ride. However, I'm really excited to hear that someone has been thoroughly enjoying my horse! I love that Steph puts other people up on the horses in training, because let's face it: those of us sending horses to her are NOT professional riders. We make mistakes. By throwing fellow amateurs up on the training horses, it makes them even more rideable. Steph is there on the ground, guiding, so obviously there's no terrible mistakes being made, but the horse is learning to deal with little mistakes here and there, which is what Dee needs.
Saturday is going to be a long day: drive to Litchfield to pick up the truck, then on to Chase Farm, then a lesson with Steph, then to Dee's new house in Woodbury, then back to Litchfield to drop the truck off. WHEW! Lucky my back is finally feeling better, because that's a LOT of driving!

Summer Plans

2011-05-11T18:39:00.000-04:00

So, I've finally started thinking about what my summer plan for Dee might be. Of course, this is all extremely tentative. It will depend on me and how my back holds up. It will also depend on Dee and how she progresses.
So, summer schedule (maybe):

May 19: Take Dee back to CT!
June 12: Larkin Hill Horse Trials - Intro division

June 18: Rebecca Howard Clinic at Frazier Farm
OR
June 19: Great Vista Farm Horse Trials - Beginner Novice

July 9-10: Old Chatham Horse Trials - Beginner Novice
July 17: Riga Meadow Horse Trials - Novice

I would also like to take her to a few local jumper shows. I sort of feel like I should do the Rebecca Howard clinic instead of Great Vista, since not only would it be AWESOME to clinic with her, but Frazier is also literally down the road from where Dee will be living. We'll see!

Graduation!

2011-05-09T09:00:00.002-04:00

Saturday marked my graduation from Post! It's great to be finished, and even nicer to know that I finished in the top 4% of my class. I'll probably post some pictures when I get around to actually uploading them.
Sunday I took a trip to King Oak, to drop off Dee's regumate. It was great to see everyone! Steph had an awesome day with Merc, who looked pretty great on cross-country, and I even caught a glimpse of miss Sitka, who looks wonderful as always.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 30

2011-05-07T06:41:00.001-04:00

Day 30: Favorite coffee table book
The Finger: A Comprehensive Guide to Flipping Off

30 day Book Challenge: Day 29

2011-05-06T20:39:00.002-04:00

Day 29: Book you’re currently reading
I'm Off Then: Losing and Finding Myself on the Camino de Santiago - Hape Kerkeling
" Overweight, overworked, and disenchanted, Kerkeling was an unlikely candidate to make the arduous pilgrimage across the Pyrenees to the Spanish shrine of St. James, a 1,200-year-old journey undertaken by nearly 100,000 people every year. But he decided to get off the couch and do it anyway. Lonely and searching for meaning along the way, he began the journal that turned into this utterly frank, engaging book. Filled with unforgettable characters, historic landscapes, and Kerkeling's self-deprecating humor, I'm Off Then is an inspiring travelogue, a publishing phenomenon, and a spiritual journey unlike any other."
A 500 mile walk through northern Spain? It sounds fantastic!
Kerkeling is absolutely hilarious, and while there are a few translation mishaps (it was originally written in German), it is an absolutely WONDERFUL book!

30 day Book Challenge: Day 28

2011-05-05T07:08:00.001-04:00

Day 28: Last book you read

Eating the Dinosaur - Chuck Klosterman
Decription from amazon:
" Q: What is this book about?

A: Well, that's difficult to say. I haven't read it yet - I've just clicked on it and casually glanced at this webpage. There clearly isn't a plot. I've heard there's a lot of stuff about time travel in this book, and quite a bit about violence and Garth Brooks and why Germans don't laugh when they're inside grocery stores. Ralph Nader and Ralph Sampson play significant roles. I think there are several pages about Rear Window and football and Mad Men and why Rivers Cuomo prefers having sex with Asian women. Supposedly there's a chapter outlining all the things the Unabomber was right about, but perhaps I'm misinformed.

Q: Is there a larger theme?

A: Oh, something about reality. "What is reality," maybe? No, that's not it. Not exactly. I get the sense that most of the core questions dwell on the way media perception constructs a fake reality that ends up becoming more meaningful than whatever actually happened.

Q: Should I read this book?

A: Probably. Do you see a clear relationship between the Branch Davidian disaster and the recording of Nirvana's In Utero? Does Barack Obama make you want to drink Pepsi? Does ABBA remind you of AC/DC? If so, you probably don't need to read this book. You probably wrote this book. But I suspect everybody else will totally love it, except for the ones who absolutely hate it."

Regumate

2011-05-04T17:46:00.002-04:00

I hemmed and hawed about whether or not to put Dee on Regumate. After talking to the vet and stephie, and knowing that Bettina has suggested it for mares, I decided that it is worth a try. Mostly, I think it's worth a try because I think that she is genuinely uncomfortable when she's in heat, and I don't want her to be uncomfortable. If I can find something that makes her feel better physically when she's in heat, then I'm willing to give it a go. I've never had or ridden a mare that has such strong heats before. I never knew when Dusty or Sitka were in heat because they never acted any different. Dusty was always a little bit hot and crazy, and Sitka was always cranky if I rode her before breakfast (the ONLY times she was cranky, in fact! She loved her breakfast!)
Dr. S said that she should be able to get me the regumate by friday, so the plan is to pick it up on Friday and then drive it to King Oak (where Steph will be) on Sunday.
More exciting than all of this? I'm GRADUATING ON SATURDAY! FINALLY!!

30 day Book Challenge: Day 27

2011-05-04T17:13:00.002-04:00

Day 27: Favorite fiction book
Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas

Not too much more to say, since I already posted this book!

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 26

2011-05-03T18:38:00.003-04:00

Day 26: Favorite nonfiction book
Sex Lives of Cannibals and Getting Stoned with Savages - J. Maarten Troost
I feel fine putting both because they sort of go together.

Sex Lives of Cannibals: " The Sex Lives of Cannibals tells the hilarious story of what happens when Troost discovers that Tarawa is not the island paradise he dreamed of. Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles through relentless, stifling heat, a variety of deadly bacteria, polluted seas, toxic fish—all in a country where the only music to be heard for miles around is “La Macarena.” He and his stalwart girlfriend Sylvia spend the next two years battling incompetent government officials, alarmingly large critters, erratic electricity, and a paucity of food options (including the Great Beer Crisis); and contending with a bizarre cast of local characters, including “Half-Dead Fred” and the self-proclaimed Poet Laureate of Tarawa (a British drunkard who’s never written a poem in his life)."

Getting Stoned With Savages: " Getting Stoned with Savages tells the hilarious story of Troost’s time on Vanuatu—a rugged cluster of islands where the natives gorge themselves on kava and are still known to “eat the man.” Falling into one amusing misadventure after another, Troost struggles against typhoons, earthquakes, and giant centipedes and soon finds himself swept up in the laid-back, clothing-optional lifestyle of the islanders. When Sylvia gets pregnant, they decamp for slightly-more-civilized Fiji, a
fallen paradise where the local chiefs can be found watching rugby in the house next door. And as they contend with new parenthood in a country rife with prostitutes and government coups, their son begins to take quite naturally to island living—in complete contrast to his dad."

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 25

2011-05-02T15:45:00.002-04:00

Day 25: Favorite book you read in school

The Great Gatsby
Jay Gatsby had once loved beautiful, spoiled Daisy Buchanan, then lost her to a rich boy. Now, mysteriously wealthy, he is ready to risk everything to woo her back.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 24

2011-05-01T17:48:00.001-04:00

Day 24: Book that contains your favorite scene

Lost on Planet China - J. Maarten Troost
" The bestselling author of The Sex Lives of Cannibals returns with a sharply observed, hilarious account of his adventures in China—a complex, fascinating country with enough dangers and delicacies to keep him, and readers, endlessly entertained"
My favorite scene is the last of the book.

Mares on top!

2011-04-30T16:58:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited to see two absolutely LOVELY bay mares in the top 3 at Rolex. I'm so in love with both mares, and feel like I should gather up tapes of them and play them on repeat in Dee's stall.
Dee's apparently been pretty good, but Steph is frustrated with how she swings so unpredictably from nice and enjoyable to cranky and tense. On Monday morning, I'm going to give Dr. S a call and ask her about possibly getting Dee onto Regumate. I've been putting it off, and putting it off, but this is the third professional to suggest that Regumate might be the answer to our woes. She just gets SO mean and SO tight in her back at certain points of her cycle that I think she may be genuinely uncomfortable. In that case, I suppose I could forgive the bad behavior. I don't think I would want someone riding me around if I were sore and crampy.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 23

2011-04-30T16:55:00.001-04:00

Day 23: Book you tell people you’ve read, but haven’t (or haven’t actually finished)

The Awakening - Kate Chopin. It was one of those books we were supposed to read in school. I don't know if I read any of it.
" Set in New Orleans and the Southern Louisiana coast at the end of the nineteenth century, the plot centers around Edna Pontellier and her struggle to reconcile her increasingly unorthodox views on femininity and motherhood with the prevailing social attitudes of the turn-of-the-century South. It is one of the earliest American novels that focuses on women's issues without condescension. It is also widely seen as a landmark work of early feminism."

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 22

2011-04-29T14:18:00.002-04:00

Day 22: Book you plan to read next
A Rotten Person Travels the Caribbean: A Grump in Paradise Discovers that Anyplace it's Legal to Carry a Machete is Comedy Just Waiting to Happen - Gary Buslik

" Each chapter of this often hilarious and sometimes poignant travelogue recounts another island-hopping, culture-clashing crisis that pits the homesick author against falling coconuts, hospitals that remove wrong organs, insects as big and dangerous as stealth bombers, ticket agents that put him on hold for hours, mysteriously calculated currency exchanges, over-proofed rum, livestock, singing Rastafarians, garbage-bin sex, peanut-crazed children, Idi Amin, flesh-eating monkeys, dentists, cricket, steel drum bands, and the French. Fortunately, even when making fun of his West Indian hosts, the curmudgeonly author's essential good nature and devotion to his wife twinkle through, and in the end his stubborn geocentricity gives way to a heartfelt appreciation of his island hosts."

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 21

2011-04-28T14:22:00.002-04:00

Day 21: Favorite picture book from childhood

Goodnight Moon

On a horsey note, I've been watching the live feed of Rolex dressage all day, which is wonderful. My heart absolutely broke for 1 rider, who was excused when her horse shut off and refused to continue. I can't imagine how horrible it must feel to work that hard and be forced to retire almost before you've begun. Hopefully she'll be back next year, with some better luck. I'm excited that I was able to find a live, FREE video feed so that I can enjoy all of the Rolex goodness!

30 day Book Challenge: Day 20

2011-04-27T09:06:00.002-04:00

Day 20: Book you’ve read the most number of times

The Vampire Armand - Anne Rice
" In this installment of The Vampire Chronicles, Anne Rice summons up dazzling worlds to bring us the story of Armand -- eternally young, with the face of a Botticelli angel."

I think that I've read this book something like 3 or 4 times. I can't say why I ended up reading this one more times than the others in the Chronicles, but I do love it.

30 day Book Challenge: Day 19

2011-04-26T08:52:00.002-04:00

Day 19: Book that turned you on: I'm going to take this as "turned you on to something new".

That said, it's Do Travel Writers Go To Hell? By Thomas Kohnstamm. Totally turned me on to travel writing.
" Invoking Hunter S. Thompson is a risky proposition for young writers, who can be gulled into thinking that chemical intake and sketchy reporting are substitutes for the gonzo great’s keen insight and lacerating wit. Fortunately, although Kohnstamm plays the Thompson card on his first hand, documenting a monumental pub crawl with a coke buddy called “the Doctor,” he soon finds his own voice. Scratching a bite from the travel bug, Kohnstamm walks away from a Wall Street cubicle to accept a poorly paid, impossibly deadlined job updating the Lonely Planet guide to Brazil. Sharp writing and self-deprecating wit add spice to a chronicle of the sometimes absurd world of guidebook writing. (In one memorable scene, he gets thrown out of a hotel he is researching because he looks—accurately—too poor to stay there.) There’s food for thought, too, about Lonely Planet’s journey from backpacker tip sheet to faux-hobo itinerary and the aftereffects of the travel it promotes. Kohnstamm’s hedonism is heroic, but it’s his willingness to think about hedonism’s consequences that makes this worth reading."

I ADORE travel writing. I love that it's an adventure, and it's often hilarious, and it ACTUALLY HAPPENED to someone. I love exploring different places through someone else's eyes. It's just a good time.

The Pitter Patter of Tiny Hooves?

2011-04-26T08:17:00.002-04:00

As of right now, I've had exactly ZERO inquiries on miss Dee. I can't claim that I'm upset, because part of me REALLY truly wants to hang onto her. I mean, we'll see if I'm still singing the same tune when I'm back on her and trying to get her out to competitions, but I have a good feeling about this season. I think she's growing up. Finally.
Yesterday, I drove up to Washington to see Bettina and the boys, which was great. I've been in such a state of horse-withdrawal that it was nice to give all the boys a scratch. Plus, Kiko is leaving today to start a career as a breeding stallion, so I likely won't see him again. The plan is to teach him to breed, get a few covers under his belt, and then sell him on, so chances are he won't be back to the farm. I'm sad to see him go, because I really like him (I especially like hanging out in his stall with him and picking all of the sticks out of his mane... he seems to collect them). While I was up there, I got to watch Ilyad work. I've only ever seen him toodle around his paddock, and while he's cute in his paddock, I NEVER imagined how gorgeous he is under saddle. First of all, he's got a beautiful, BIG canter that is SO balanced... breathtaking. He is also quick as a cat and can go from 60 to spinning at the drop of a dime. No wonder these horses are used for bull fighting. The other thing I was amazed at is how Bettina was able to actually get him to stop a leg in mid-air, or by just shifting, could have him crouching down on his haunches, suspended in mid-step. It was beautiful. She is such an amazing horse woman, and to watch her on such a stunning stallion was a treat.
Anyway, we got to talking about the youngsters that will be coming to town soon. One of them is an Ilyad baby that is out of Taz's mother. I'm excited to meet this one! The other? Baby Gee! Mimi's latest wonderful creation! Baby Gee has been living down in Florida, but it's finally time for him to come up to CT. I've seen many photos, and can't wait to meet the little guy.
Well. I've said all that to say this:
We got talking about miss Dee and how she's coming along. Bettina mentioned something about how well she would pair with a Lusitano (with great hocks) down the road. In reply, I said something to the effect of needing to find a way to hold onto her through school if that's to happen. Bettina might have an interesting solution for me. She may (possibly) be looking for a well put together TB mare to use as a broodmare. I guess she has had this black Hanoverian stallion in mind for a long time. I can't remember his name for the life of me, but she's looking for a TB match for him. It certainly wouldn't be the worst thing for her to spend some time being a mommy. So... who knows? There may be the pitter patter of baby hooves in Dee's future...

30 day Book Challenge: Day 18

2011-04-25T16:17:00.002-04:00

Day 18: Book you’re most embarrassed to say you like
Books on the history of the english language... I've read 2 so far (both by Bill Bryson) and I find them fascinating! Too bad they peg me as a total nerd...

The Mother Tongue: " Who would have thought that a book about English would be so entertaining? Certainly not this grammar-allergic reviewer, but The Mother Tongue pulls it off admirably. Bill Bryson--a zealot--is the right man for the job. Who else could rhapsodize about "the colorless murmur of the schwa" with a straight face? It is his unflagging enthusiasm, seeping from between every sentence, that carries the book."

Made in America: " Readers from Toad Suck, Arkansas, to Idiotsville, Oregon--and everywhere in between--will love Made in America, Bill Bryson's Informal History of the English Language in the United States. It is, in a word, fascinating. After reading this tour de force, it's clear that a nation's language speaks volumes about its true character: you are what you speak. Bryson traces America's history through the language of the time, then goes on to discuss words culled from everyday activities: immigration, eating, shopping, advertising, going to the movies, and others."

30 day Book Challenge: Day 17

2011-04-24T08:07:00.004-04:00

Day 17: Shortest book you’ve read

B is for Beer - Tom Robbins. It's only 125 pages and the type is huge.
" A Children's Book About Beer?
Yes, believe it or not--but B Is for Beer is also a book for adults, and bear in mind that it's the work of maverick bestselling novelist Tom Robbins, internationally known for his ability to both seriously illuminate and comically entertain.
Once upon a time (right about now) there was a planet (how about this one?) whose inhabitants consumed thirty-six billion gallons of beer each year (it's a fact, you can Google it). Among those affected, each in his or her own way, by all the bubbles, burps, and foam, was a smart, wide-eyed, adventurous kindergartner named Gracie; her distracted mommy; her insensitive dad; her non-conformist uncle; and a magical, butt-kicking intruder from a world within our world.
Populated by the aforementioned characters--and as charming as it may be subversive--B Is for Beer involves readers, young and old, in a surprising, far-reaching investigation into the limits of reality, the transformative powers of children, and, of course, the ultimate meaning of a tall, cold brewski."

Only Tom Robbins would make a "Children's Book" that features a kindergartner getting wasted and a beer fairy.

A Walk in the Woods

2011-04-23T08:14:00.002-04:00

I've been steadily building up my walking distance since the surgery. It started with laps around the dining room table, which is pretty unimpressive, but wiped me out nonetheless. Well, I am very excited to say that yesterday I did a 4 mile hike! I'd been keeping to the roads before, but I felt that I was ready to hit the trail again yesterday. Actually, it was only supposed to be a 3.6 mile hike, but I'm an idiot and took what amounted to about mile long detour. I ended up cutting out part of my original planned route, and kept the hike to 4 miles. It was SO wonderful to be out trapsing through mud and muck, surrounded by trees and sunshine. And best of all? I felt fine when I finished! I went up to the Camp Columbia State Forest, in Morris/Bethlehem. It is a neat little trail, with a creepy, cool old tower and abandoned building that stem from the days when the area was used as a college.
Some photos:

30 day Book Challenge: Day 16

2011-04-23T08:06:00.003-04:00

Day 16: Longest book you’ve read

Probably Dreamcatcher by Stephen King 879pg... It seems to be the longest on my bookshelf, at any rate.
" For all its nicely described mayhem, Dreamcatcher is mostly a psychological drama. Typically, body snatchers turn humans into zombies, but these aliens must share their host's mind, fighting for control. Jonesy is especially vulnerable to invasion, thanks to his hospital bed near-death transformation, but he's also great at messing with the alien's head. While his invading alien, Mr. Gray, is distracted by puppeteering Jonesy's body as he's driving an Arctic Cat through a Maine snowstorm, Jonesy constructs a mental warehouse along the lines of The Memory Palace of Matteo Ricci. Jonesy physically feels as if he's inside a warehouse, locked behind a door with the alien rattling the doorknob and trying to trick him into letting him in. It's creepy from the alien's view, too. As he infiltrates Jonesy, experiencing sugar buzz, endorphins, and emotions for the first time, Jonesy's influence is seeping into the alien: "A terrible thought occurred to Mr. Gray: what if it was his concepts that had no meaning?" King renders the mental fight marvelously, and telepathy is a handy way to make cutting back and forth between the campers' various alien battlefronts crisp and cinematic. The physical naturalism of the Maine setting is matched by the psychological realism of the interior struggle. Deftly, King incorporates the real-life mental horrors of his own near-fatal accident and dramatizes the way drugs tug at your consciousness. Like the Tommyknockers, the aliens are partly symbols of King's (vanquished) cocaine and alcohol addiction. Mainly, though, they're just plain scary."

I don't read too much in the way of Stephen King... I've read this, Desperation, Misery, Pet Cemetary, and The Stand. I do like his books, so I'm not sure why I never read more. Probably because I've sort of shifted away from most fiction books (I mostly do travel writing these days). Lately, when I do grab a fiction, it's usually a Tom Robbins or a Chuck Palahnuik, because they're usually quick romps into the wonderfully weird.

30 day Book Challenge: Day 15

2011-04-22T07:48:00.002-04:00

Day 15: First “chapter book” you can remember reading as a child

It was probably Meet Felicity: An American Girl
" Meet Felicity Merriman, a spunky, spritely nine-year-old girl who lives in Williamsburg, Virginia, in 1774, just before the Revolutionary War. Felicity is excited to hear abut a new horse in town. But the horse is owned by Jiggy Nye, the cruel tanner."

I LOVED the Felicity books! I remember wanting nothing more than to play dress up in Felicity's clothes, to make apple butter with my mom... I think that I even considered taking up needlepoint. I think it probably helped that there was a horse involved in the first book.

30 day Book Challenge: Day 14

2011-04-21T11:56:00.002-04:00

Day 14: Book whose main character you want to marry

Well, I'm not too interested in marrying a fictional character, but I guess if I HAD to choose...
Tarquin Blackwood of Blackwood Farm by Anne Rice

" Blackwood Farm introduces Quinn Blackwood, the sexy, eccentric young gentleman who becomes both a vampire and the heir to the Blackwood estate. All his life, Quinn has been haunted by Goblin, a doppelgänger no one else can see--or believe in. But Goblin is real, and he is becoming maliciously tangible, strengthened by the blood that Quinn unwillingly drinks. Quinn's only hope of liberation from his increasingly dangerous doppelgänger is to find the legendary vampire Lestat. But Lestat has vowed to destroy any vampire who sets foot in New Orleans.... "

30 day Book Challenge: Day 13

2011-04-20T07:18:00.002-04:00

Day 13: Book whose main character is most like you

Probably Hermione in Harry Potter.
"She is very studious, and can be a bit bossy and fussy... excessive studying and determination to be the best at everything often reflects Hermione's deep seated insecurity, a fear of failure that can give way to irrational panic and anxiety. Given that she receives top grades in all of her O.W.L. exams in her fifth year (except for Defense Against the Dark Arts, where she received the second-highest grade) this panic would appear to be misplaced."

This is... exactly like me. I don't think that I'm quite as much of a bossy know it all, but the rest is 100% true.

30 day Book Challenge: Day 12

2011-04-19T07:00:00.002-04:00

Day 12: Book that is most like your life

Jitterbug Perfume - Tom Robbins.
Mostly because the main message in the book is "Lighten up!" and that is something I'm constantly trying to tell myself. Unfortunately, I haven't found the secret to eternal life through jitterbugging and beets, nor do I hang out with Pan. I am also not a perfume expert. However, I think the MESSAGE of the book (its essence, like a fine perfume) suits me perfectly.

" Jitterbug Perfume is an epic. which is to say, it begins in the forests of ancient Bohemia and doesn't conclude until nine o'clock tonight [Paris time]. It is a saga, as well. A saga must have a hero, and the hero of this one is a janitor with a missing bottle. The bottle is blue, very, very old, and embossed with the image of a goat-horned god. If the liquid in the bottle actually is the secret essence of the universe, as some folks seem to think, it had better be discovered soon because it is leaking and there is only a drop of two left."

30 day Book Challenge: Day 11

2011-04-18T08:58:00.002-04:00

Day 11: Book from your favorite author

The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde
" Oscar Wilde's story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is one of his most popular works. Written in Wilde's characteristically dazzling manner, full of stinging epigrams and shrewd observations, the tale of Dorian Gray's moral disintegration caused something of a scandal when it first appeared in 1890. Wilde was attacked for his decadence and corrupting influence, and a few years later the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde's homosexual liaisons, trials that resulted in his imprisonment. Of the book's value as autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be—in other ages, perhaps."

This is Wilde's only novel (sadly), but it is beautiful and wonderful every time I read it.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 10

2011-04-17T09:35:00.001-04:00

Day 10: Book that changed your life

Emergency Sex - Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait, Andrew Thompson
" At the beginning of the 1990s, the authors, who did not know each other, came together in, of all places, Phnom Penh, Cambodia. There was the Harvard Law graduate who didn't want to be just another corporate lawyer; the New York social worker who saw her chance to make a difference slipping away; the missionary doctor looking for the best way to use his skills to help the people who need him most. They all came to Cambodia as part of the UN peacekeeping mission, and there they became friends, colleagues, and much more. The book is about people who went somewhere for all the right reasons and wound up facing challenges they never knew existed. The story is vividly told, almost tactile in its details. Many of the book's images--of poverty, desolation, abuse--are difficult to forget. For the authors, it was an experience that enriched them beyond measure. This is a unique and rewarding book, a mix of memoir, history, travel, and personal analysis."
It really makes you stop and ask yourself what YOU'RE doing to make a difference in the world.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 9

2011-04-16T07:09:00.001-04:00

Day 9: Book that makes you sick

We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families - Philip Gourevitch
" The stories are unrelentingly horrifying and filled with "the idiocy, the waste, the sheer wrongness" of one group of Rwandans (Hutus) methodically exterminating another (Tutsis). With 800,000 people killed in 100 days, Gourevitch found many numbed Rwandans who had lost whole families to the machete. He discovered a few admirable characters, including hotelier Paul Rusesabagina, who, "armed with nothing but a liquor cabinet, a phone line, an internationally famous address, and his spirit of resistance," managed to save refugees in his Hotel des Milles Collines in Kigali. General Paul Kagame, one of Gourevitch's main sources in the new government, offers another bleak and consistent voice of truth. But failure is everywhere. Gourevitch excoriates the French for supporting the Hutus for essentially racist reasons; the international relief agencies, which he characterizes as largely devoid of moral courage; and the surrounding countries that preyed on the millions of refugees, many fleeing the consequences of their part in the killings. As the Rwandans try to rebuild their lives while awaiting the slow-moving justice system, the careful yet passionate advocacy of reporters like Gourevitch serves to remind both Rwandans and others that genocide occurred in this decade while the world looked on."

This book was hard to read, because it so vividly details the atrocities that happened in Rwanda. It's sickening because it's true, and knowing that something that horrible happened so recently is hard to stomach.

"I feel marooned in this body..."

2011-04-15T12:54:00.002-04:00

I'm going a bit stir crazy. It hasn't even been 2 weeks, but it seems like years.

Anyway, I talked to Steph today. Dee is no longer at the bottom of her riding list! Yay! I guess she's been pretty good lately... her long and low work is very nice and she's much less crazy when she jumps. Apparently the left lead is still a bit of a problem, but she just has trouble with it because she's still weak, not because she's being bad. Steph was impressed with how clever she is to the fences, because she's quick to put herself where she needs to be, and can stuff in a short one before the fence without getting off balance or launch from the long one and only be sort of off balance on landing. She also thinks that she has a lot of jump and said that she has a pretty impressive kick behind over the jumps, which is interesting, because Bettina has also mentioned how big of a jump she has behind just in her gallop. Who knows... maybe this summer we'll focus on jumper shows. Steph seems to think that might be her niche.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 8

2011-04-15T12:13:00.003-04:00

Day 8: Book that scares you

House of Leaves - Mark Danielewski

" A blind old man, a young apprentice working in a tattoo shop, and a mad woman haunting an Ohio institute narrate this story of a family that encounters an endlessly shifting series of hallways in their new home, eventually coming face to face with the awful darkness lying at its heart."

A book within a book about a house within a house. It's creepy. When you read it at night, you don't want to walk down the dark hallway to your room.

Danielewski also makes the book as hard to navigate as the endless black labyrinth inside the house. Here are some examples:

What you can't see in the photos is that some of that text is upside down, some is sideways, and some of it can only be read in a mirror.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 7

2011-04-14T06:48:00.001-04:00

Day 7: Book that you can quote/recite

Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
" Standing on the fringes of life...offers a unique perspective. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.This haunting novel about the dilemma of passivity vs. passion marks the stunning debut of a provocative new voice in contemporary fiction: The Perks of Being a Wallflower.This is the story of what it's like to grow up in high school. More intimate than a diary, Charlie's letters are singular and unique, hilarious and devastating. We may not know where he lives. We may not know to whom he is writing. All we know is the world he shares. "

This was another one of my favorite young adult books. It's very much in the vein of Catcher in the Rye. My favorite part of this book was definitely a poem:
Once on a yellow peice of paper with green lines
he wrote a poem
and he called it "chops"
because that was the name of his dog
and that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and a gold star
and his mother hung it on the kitchen door
and read it to his aunts.
that was the year Father Tracy
took all the kids to the zoo
and he let them sing on the bus
and his little sister was born
with tiny toenails and no hair
and his mother and father kissed a lot
and the girl around the corner sent him a
Valentine signed with a row of X's
and he had to ask his father what the X's meant
and his father always tucked him in bed at night
and was always there to do it

once on a piece of white paper with blue lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Autumn"
because that was the name of the season
and that's what it was all about
and his teacher gave him an A
and asked him to write more clearly
and his mother never hung it on the kithcen door
beause of the new paint
and the kids told him
that Father Tracy smoked cigars
and left butts on the pews
and sometime they would burn holes
that was the year his sister got glasses
with thick lenses and black frames
and the girl around the corner laughed
when he asked her to go see santa claus
and the kids told him why
his mother and father kissed alot
and his father never tucked him in bed at night
and his father got mad
when he cried for him to do it

once on a paper torn from his notebook
he wrote a poem
and he called it "Innocence: A Question"
because that was the question about his girl
and thats what it was all about
and his professor gave him an A
and a strange steady look
and his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because he never showed her
that was the year Father Tracy died
and he forgot how the end
of the Apostles's Creed went
and he caught his sister
making out on the back porch
and his mother and father never kissed
or even talked
and the girl around the corner
wore too much make up
that made him cough when he kissed her
but he kissed her anyway
becuase it was the thing to do
and at 3 am he tucked himself into bed
his father snoring soundly

that's why on the back of a brown paper bag
he tried another poem
and he called it "Absolutely Nothing"
because that's what it was really all about
and he gave himself an A
and a slash on each damned wrist
and he hung it on the bathroom door
because this time he didnt think
he could reach the kitchen.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 6

2011-04-13T07:00:00.001-04:00

Day 6: Favorite young adult book

Catcher in the Rye - J.D. Salinger
" The influential and widely acclaimed story details the two days in the life of 16-year-old Holden Caulfield after he has been expelled from prep school. Confused and disillusioned, he searches for truth and rails against the "phoniness" of the adult world. He ends up exhausted and emotionally ill, in a psychiatrist's office. After he recovers from his breakdown, Holden relates his experiences to the reader."
It's probably a cliché, but I adored that book.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 5

2011-04-12T11:11:00.002-04:00

Day 5: Book you wish you could live in

Harry Potter! Yes, I know I'm a dork! I would just love to live in a world where magic exists. Of course, I'd like to live there post-Voldemort. I figure it would be a bit more pleasant in the wizarding world at that point!

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 4

2011-04-11T10:03:00.002-04:00

Day 4: Book That Makes You Cry

" One of the best loved animal stories ever written, the dramatic and heartwarming Black Beauty is told by the magnificent horse himself, from his idyllic days on a country squire's estate to his harsh fate as a London cab horse. No one can ever forget the gallant Black Beauty, a horse with a white star on his forehead and a heart of unyielding courage."

Book, live-action movie, cartoon movie... They ALL make me cry.

Skinny Legs and All

2011-04-11T07:38:00.002-04:00

You've probably noticed that my last few posts have had absolutely nothing to do with horses. I decided to do a 30-day book challenge (roughly the length of my supposed recovery) instead. That's because I'm sitting at home, up to my eyeballs in pain-pills, trying to occupy my time. I also have no real updates on my girl, other than she's happy and healthy up at Steph's. Steph did tell me that she had a pleasant ride on her the other day, which was nice to hear. She also told me that she thinks Dee's getting a bit too ribby for her taste (not surprising, she's back in hard-ish work and probably feeling a little stressed). She asked if I'd ever fed her Ultimate Finish. T be honest, I can't remember if it was Dee that had that, or Tango. One of them had it and hated it. However, if it was Dee who hated it, she would have had it when I first got her, and she was a lot pickier then. Now, she'll munch down doxy pills whole, eat her gross powder supplements, and pretty much fish through the pockets of anyone she thinks might have cookies for her.
Somehow, my horses always turn into treat-hounds (Kess excluded) even though they don't get fed treats very often! Sierra once stole a cup of hot chocolate out of my hands (thankfully it was cooled off) and indulged himself in that. Dusty once rummaged through some woman's bag because she smelled carrots. We were at a show and it was pouring rain... I was holding Dusty under the overhang outside of the indoor waiting to go in, and there were a bunch of spectators standing with us. I was turned around, talking to someone, and when I turned back, Dusty was ears deep in some lady's bag. She didn't earn the nickname "Pig" for nothing.

30 day Book Challenge: Day 3

2011-04-10T13:24:00.003-04:00

Day 3: Book that makes you laugh out loud

Magical Thinking - Augusten Burroughs
"True stories that give voice to the thoughts we all have but dare not mention"

I just love Augusten Burroughs. He's my go-to when I'm looking for a good laugh in a book.

30 Day Book Challenge: Day 2

2011-04-09T11:43:00.002-04:00

Day 2: Least Favorite Book

Hands down, least favorite book. I had to read this in my Junior year of high school, which may have contributed to my hate for it, but I just remember feeling like giving us that book to read was some sort of punishment. To be honest, I don't think I even bothered to finish it. If I read it again today, I might enjoy it, but it left such a sour taste in my mouth, that I will never be inclined to pick it up again.

30 day Book Challenge

2011-04-08T08:52:00.002-04:00

Day 1: Favorite Book

Right this moment, it's Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas by Tom Robbins.
"a baffling disappearance of a 300-pound psychic, the fall from grace of a born-again monkey, the intrusion in your life of a tattooed stranger intent on blowing your mind and most of your fuses, mysterious African rituals, legendary amphibians, tarot-card bombshells, street violence, your own sexuality and outer space."

This was a fabulous book. It was a bit of a different style than Tom Robbins' usual books, being that it was written in the second person. It adds something very interesting to the book, especially since you're being asked to identify with the heroine, who is kind of horrible. However, you end up taking a journey with this horrible person, and watch her slowly (SLOWLY) evolve. Then, there is all the other wonderous stuff.

Back

2011-04-06T19:44:00.001-04:00

Went in for surgery on my back this morning. I am now home, safe and sound (though in some pain).

Count Down

2011-04-05T10:19:00.001-04:00

Well, in less than 24 hours, I will finally be getting my back fixed.
I'm terrified. Hopefully all will go well!

Dusty and Dee

2011-04-01T07:38:00.003-04:00

FINALLY, some proper video of Dee! She's not being very respectful of the little jump (she seemed more concerned with playing around before and after. The jump was just something to get out of the way of). Steph agrees that she probably needs to be challenged a bit more in that department.
That said, I've got some hard decisions to make. After talking to Steph, my parents, and even some of my friends, it seems that the general consensus is that I would be stupid to keep her through school. I'm not sure that I disagree. My main trepidation with leasing her is that someone will take her on lease and then decide that they don't want to keep leasing her. At that point, I'll be stuck trying to take care of a horse when a) I have no time, because law school is pretty all-consuming and b) I have no money, because at least for my first semester, I will have no job. Then what do I do? I don't want to end up in a situation where her well-being is compromised. I desperately want to keep her, but maybe I'm just being selfish. My other worry is that the job market out of law school isn't great, and I'm going to be in debt up to my ears. Can I really be sure that I'll be able to support a horse and myself on top of paying off loans? If anyone reading would like to weigh in, I would GREATLY appreciate it.

Now, with all that weighing on my mind yesterday, I headed over to Stoneleigh-Burnham School to visit the best mare ever - Dusty! I was so excited to see her. When I got there, I stopped someone who was bringing horses in and asked if he knew Dusty. He said no, the name didn't ring a bell. Then he checked the stall-listing, and there was no horse named Dusty on it. Hmm. Ok, well... maybe they changed her name. I went to the office to speak with the head of the program.
Before I go on, I would like to add that Jen sent her an e-mail the day before telling her I would be stopping by, and to call or e-mail if that was a problem.
Well, apparently it WAS a problem, but the woman just didn't bother to tell Jen. The problem? They SOLD Dusty. SOLD HER. They never even sent Jen a message or gave her a heads up. The worst part of that is that Jen had specifically told them that if Dusty didn't work out for their program, that she would take her back. She didn't want her to just be sold on. To add insult to injury, when I asked the woman who they sold Dusty to, she told me she didn't know! Now, between Jen and the people who used to lease her, there were plenty of people who could have worked together to find a nice home for Dusty, and it was specifically requested that they be notified if Dusty wasn't good for the program. I am appalled that Stoneleigh just sold her on without ever contacting Jen.
Jen is going to try to get more information about what happened to Dusty and why she wasn't contacted, and I will update as I find out.
The moral of this story? Don't send your horse to Stoneleigh.

Dusty, I hope you're ok, wherever you are!

"Hey, Lionel Richie, ya ain't gettin' paid to dance"

2011-03-28T08:55:00.002-04:00

Oh Reggie and the Full Effect, I do love you so!

Some quick news on the Dee front:
She jumped twice last week (just little cross-rails). Apparently, there was much over jumping and celebratory bucking and charging after the fences the first day, but she was better the second time. Steph is thinking that she will try to pop her over something small just about every time she gets on so that jumps aren't something to get all hyped up about. Also, I was told "She feels like she has a ton of jump in there." That's my girl!

She went out for a hack on the road BY HERSELF. She was fabulous.

I was also told "She is a very cranky mare". I know... it's part of her charm, I guess!

I'll be visiting on Thursday and plan on getting MUCH video!

Mogwai or Gremlin?

2011-03-22T19:17:00.004-04:00

Spring is definitely in the air. The boys have been a bit full of themselves lately, though Taz's "happy juice" (ECP Matrix) seems to be kicking in, because he was incredibly polite on Sunday. I got the latest news from Steph on Sunday, too. Dee has been pretty good. There have been a few tantrums, mostly over the right leg, but I was assured that they weren't big crazy tantrums, just cow kicking or backing up... all of which Steph was able to cure with a quick spanking. Sunday she was planning to do a little jump school, and I think yesterday she was going to go hacking. Steph teaches away Monday night - Tuesday morning, so I haven't called to harass her about how all that went yet, since I'm sure she's busy. I suppose if it went terribly wrong, I would have gotten a call.
I miss my girl! I'm actually thinking I'll go up there next weekend, if Steph is around. I want to take some video of her jumping and flatting.
Here she is at Windhorse... looking very grown-up!

I can't even believe how much she's grown-up this year... both in body and in personality. HOWEVER, that witchiness is still bubbling underneath the surface and probably always will. Bettina likened her to one of the Mogwai in the movie Gremlins. She looks VERY sweet. This horse has the NICEST eye... no one ever believes that she could be nasty sometimes. The Mogwai would transform into the Gremlin if it was fed after midnight. Dee seems to turn into a Gremlin when you do something like tell her she MUST do something. "Move my feet? I'll show you!"

In non-horsey news, I've just signed the lease for an apartment, moving into it in the fall! I don't think I mentioned it on here, but I will be moving to Knoxville, TN in the fall to attend the University of Tennessee College of Law. I'm excited about it, but unfortunately, it's going to be three horseless years. I just won't have time to give her the attention she deserves. I'm hoping to find a lease situation for her while I'm down there, because I want to pick back up with her when I'm finished with school.

Orange

2011-03-18T07:01:00.002-04:00

My baby is currently living two and a half hours away from me at Stephie's. Of course, I'm happy about it, because I can't ride and she needs to learn how to be an event horse, but I miss her! We had to drive up there in a driving rain storm, which was a nightmare. By the time I got up past Springfield, it was raining so hard that I could barely see the road. I ended up just getting off the highway and taking rt. 202 all the way in. It tacked on another half hour to the trip, but it was much safer. Steph offered to get on her when we got there, so I got to see her go.
There were two or three bitchy moments, but overall she was a good girl, and I must say... She's a PRETTY mare. She's gotten much more steady in the bridle, and WOW... when she's soft and round, she's quite fancy! The canter needs a ton of work, but even that got better as she went. What would REALLY help our canter is if her withers grew a bit more so that she stops being a bit downhill.
The day before we left, Bettina had a free lunge session with us. As Dee was galloping around, Bettina just said to me "If you can't make the time on this thing, then you're a chicken shit." It's true. Her stride is MASSIVE, and her gallop looks like SO much fun. I can't wait to try it out this spring!
In other news, Dusty has moved up to Stonleigh Burnham. Jen told me that if I let her know when I'm heading up to visit Dee, she'll call into Stonleigh and tell them I'm coming for a visit so that I can see Dusty, too. I'm excited to see the old girl... she was, quite possibly, the most amazing horse I ever had. She came into my life at the exact right time, and we complimented each other perfectly. Will Dee be the next Dusty? I hope so... Dusty may be small, but she left some huge shoes to fill.

Tricks!

2011-03-03T08:19:00.003-05:00

Dee has picked up a new "trick". Really, she's just stretching, but the ladies at the barn get a kick out of it, because it looks like she's bowing and showing off. It's very cute! One of these times I'll try to get some video or photo documentation of her new skill.
I'm currently looking into affordable summertime housing solutions for her. Ideally, I want board I can afford AND someone I can take lessons with all in one place. This is because while I would still like to ship out to nancy and stephie, realistically, I can't do that as often as I'd like, and I need someone on-site for support.

She's been just lovely lately to work with. She's 100 times more respectful, and she's really started using herself under saddle. Now I just need to get myself fixed so I can RIDE! I'm itching to get on, but I know that curling up into the fetal position in the saddle because of back pain will not be conducive to a good ride! She leaves for Steph's in about 10 days, so she'll be getting lots of work with a person on her, but for now, I'm pleased with the ground work. She very happily goes forward, backward and sideways now!

Neck!

2011-02-26T07:03:00.003-05:00

Over the summer, in full work:

Yesterday. From groundwork:

She's finally getting SHAPE in her neck. GOOD shape. We're making slow progress, but it IS progress!

100th post!

2011-02-23T17:52:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that I've now posted 100 times, but there you have it. To commemorate it, here's the quote of the week:

"I'll eat you for lunch if you don't get moving! I trained in France, where they eat horses who don't make themselves useful!"

Dude Looks Like a Lady

2011-02-21T12:27:00.002-05:00

Apparently, my little lady has some... ahem... gender issues. Yesterday, as Bettina was putting the cavesson on her, Dee began hardening the left side of her jaw and leaning into us. I had always just thought it was annoying, but apparently it's a bit more than that. For some reason, my mare is displaying teasing behavior normally seen in stallions. It's a bit strange, but there you have it. Now, instead of just pushing her away, she gets reprimanded for that sort of behavior. We don't need her getting any bright ideas and deciding to mount someone!
Other than that, she's been doing pretty well. We've been doing lots and lots of lunging and groundwork with Bettina, getting her to find her own balance, stay out of our space, and cease being a wild thing while working. It's going well. Unfortunately, I've not been faring so well. I'm dying to get on her, but have had one set back after another. 1st, I found out that the terrible back pain and leg pain I've been having will likely only be fixed by surgery. Next, I spent the past few days sidelined with a kidney stone. Thankfully, she's still been working on the lunge and has been getting some serious learning in. Her aggressiveness in hand has been greatly diminished due to dealing with it head-on in the ground work, and she's finally learned that her stall only belongs to her when a person is not present. When we go in, it's ours.
Another good thing about her groundwork? Her back is starting to come up! She's becoming rounder! A cute by-product of this? When I curry her belly, she takes the opportunity to stretch her back out. On the cross-ties, she doesn't get a great stretch in, so yesterday I groomed her in her stall. She walked her little front feet out so far that her knees were only an inch or two above the ground. It was very cute.

No more snow!

2011-02-08T07:37:00.003-05:00

I am SUPER sick of all of this frozen precipitation! Dee moved last Sunday and I've only been able to work her TWICE. Yesterday, I threw her on a lunge line, because she needed to blow off some steam and get a little more settled in the new indoor. Bettina came in while I was finishing up and watched her trot and canter a bit. I am happy to say that she thinks she's very cute! Within two or three strides of trot, she was able to tell me that she's a bit weak in the LH (BINGO!), needs to learn how to elevate her shoulder, and could use some remodeling in her neck (OH YES, it's a bit upside down), but overall, she thought she was well put together and probably well suited to eventing. She also told me that if she didn't turn out to be brave enough or scopey enough to be a great eventer, she would probably make very nice babies, which is kind of nice to hear coming from someone who breeds horses.
In other news, my girl somehow snagged the penthouse suite at the new barn. It's done wonders for her piggishness in the stall, because now she doesn't tromp around in her poop quite so much! Yay!
We have our first lesson with Bettina tomorrow, which I'm stoked about.
Dee in her Suite:

And, at least SOME of us are enjoying this nasty weather...
Amado having a roll during last week's ice storm:

A New Plan

2011-01-20T09:54:00.002-05:00

Dee is rapidly approaching the end of her stay in the correctional facility, and while I had initially wanted to send her to Florida, I've decided on a different course of action. Stephie leaves for Florida sooner than I'd anticipated (the 30th), and I just don't think I can get all of our affairs in order by then (ie - a health certificate, all of the packing, shipping arranged, etc). PLUS, it's just a lot of money to spend. Enter our alternative: Steph suggested that I wait until she gets back from Florida, and then send Dee to Massachusetts to learn the jumping ropes. It's certainly the cheaper option, and she's still getting taught by Steph! PLUS, it will be MUCH easier to visit! The problem? Steph doesn't get back until around March 16 or 17, and Dee finishes her current training on Feb 1st. That means that I had to scramble around to find an indoor (She CANNOT have 6 weeks off because of bad footing after I just spent all that money getting her into a program!) that we could stay until she leaves for Florida.
Thankfully, B knew of someone who could use some help, and that woman is willing to trade work for money off of board! The best part? The facility is BEAUTIFUL. The indoor is huge, there is a heated wash stall, the tack room is to die for, and the bathroom is nicer than the one i my house. Plus, I know Dee will be happy to get back to turn-out again!

I'm going up to see her today. When scheduling with Garry yesterday, he told me that he got on her (he was in FL for 2 weeks) Tuesday, and thought she felt awesome! Nice to hear!

Dee Trotting

2011-01-11T12:46:00.002-05:00

I'm not a very good videographer, and I took it on my iPhone, so I don't know how good the quality is.