Love.

I very nearly cried today.

I am not a very expressive person.  I don't relate well to most other people on an emotional level.  I don't read people well.  Sometimes I feel like a robot going through the motions of "sympathizing" or "commiserating."

Dee is not the friendliest of mares.  She hates to be cuddled.  She is often grumpy and trying to kick/bite/you name it.  Ears pinned.  Tail swishing.  She is also not so kind to other horses.  Sure, she goes out with other horses, but she doesn't seem to "make friends."  She generally ignores the horses she is out with currently.

And yet...

I love this horse with all my heart.  The time I spend with her makes my heart lighter.

Today, she showed me that she loved me too.

When I got to the barn, she had JUST been turned out (into an enormous grass field with other mares).  I figured I'd have to spend an hour trying to catch her.  In fact, she met me at the gate.

When I turned her back out after our work was finished, she got straight to eating.  It took me a minute to get the gate latched, at which point she was a good 20 or 30 feet away.  I told her to have a good night, and instead of continuing to eat, she marched over to the gate and said goodbye to me.

She still doesn't like to be cuddled, but that little gesture made me realize that my little lady might just love me, too.

Photo Blast

Pretty Lady - it took me awhile to get this pose.

Not really cooperating... she was mad that I didn't want her right up in my face.

Cooling down

Asleep while walking?

Southern Comfort

It's been so fantastic to spend the last 4 days with my beastie.  She is her usual non-cuddly self, but she has been letting me love on her a little more than usual.
Considering that she hasn't worked in who-knows-how-long, I've been going slow with in-hand work. She is incredibly settled already, and her in-hand work has been fantastic.  She is working beautifully on the lounge in a relaxed, stretching, swinging trot, and the canter is weak, but she is still super relaxed and really willing to stretch over her back.  What a good girl!  I can't wait until she's legged up enough to get on again.
Of course, her first order of business upon arrival was apparently to scrape up her hind leg.  It looked pretty gross at first, but she's completely sound and it now looks like just a flesh wound.  Leave it to Dee to try to kill herself as soon as she got to Tennessee.
To her credit, everyone at the barn seems to like her.  Everyone keeps telling me how absolutely gorgeous she is, and (at least for me) she has been a complete angel on the ground.  Since the moment she stepped off the trailer she has been polite and relaxed.  Sure, she's still a little bit of a witch when it comes to being loved on, but that's just Dee and that's part of the reason I love her!

Dee in Tennessee

I don't feel like doing a proper post but...

She's Here!!

The Journey Begins

I just got word that Dee is safely aboard a big rig, heading to Kentucky.  She will lay over there for a few hours and then set off for Knoxville!  She should be here tomorrow afternoon.  CANNOT WAIT to see my baby!

Good News, Ladies and Jellyspoons!

Miss Dee and I will be reunited soon!  Once I can orchestrate shipping, Dee will be moving down to Tennessee to live with her mama, where she belongs!

That's Not Vodka, That's Moonshine with a Chicken on it.

I am officially back in Knoxville, TN.  Did I really just spend a whole month in China?

For our last night in the city, Alice, Toni, Lauren, Courtney and I treated ourselves to a beautiful dinner at M on the Bund.  The food was absolutely delicious and well worth the prices.  Courtney and Toni had bought a bottle of vodka before we went to dinner, and after dinner, they brought it along to the Peninsula, opting not to spend money on the expensive cocktails.  Of course, I use the term vodka loosely.  I think Lauren put it best when she turned to Courtney and said "that's not vodka.  That's moonshine with a chicken on it."

Following a delicious mangotini at the Peninsula, we headed over to Bar Rouge, which is another rooftop bar on the bund.  Alice bought a Wasabi Martini, which sounds weird but was actually really nice.  It had real wasabi in it and everything!  After a little while at Bar Rouge, we hopped in a cab and went to No.88 Club.

All in all, it was a fantastic final night in Shanghai.  I will miss the city, but boy, it's good to be home!