2010: Instant Replay

So I saw this being done on a few other blogs (namely Pia's Parade) and I thought, my, what a great idea! So I decided to do a quick rundown of the last 12 months and kind of see what has and has not changed!:)

January saw not much action, I was riding Rudy and Lindsey was working through some minor stickiness with Tango's forward motion. I had lost my nerve completely, for no reason than because I am a wimp and Tango didn't have the forward button I am used to.

February was about the same. I had a few good lessons on Tango, and enjoyed some really great company with my friends for Saturday Lessons (we would all have lessons on Saturday and stay and encourage eachother) so much fun!

March saw me enjoying the Daffodil Arabian Horse Show as a volunteer. I had SO much fun with my friends Kat, Melissa, and Todd as well as Coral and Heather. Lindsey and Reese also came, but I sadly missed them! All of these people have been so instrumental in developing my relationship with Tango. Melissa has been that friend who has been there as a sounding board, and who has a horse freakishly similar in issues to Tango. Kat has been there most of the journey, she is beautiful, and always willing to help or encourage. Todd is my bobsy twin...we have the two sensitive redheads and we both can't seem to make up our minds what to do with our ponies:) Coral started Tango and did a great job with him--she loves him like me, despite his goofy personality. Heather helped school him for a short time, and has always been there for me to complain, or brag about my boy.

Melissa, Kat and I at the 2010 Daffodil Schooling Show and Clinics--SO FUN!(photo courtesy of Link Photography)

April-May I spent trying to find someone to lease Tango. I realized I wasn't going to be able to show him myself this year, and why pay the bills if someone else who can pay them could enjoy him. A few people inquired, but I endd up finding a great gal, Jessica, to lease him for 6 months. That would mean he was gone from June-November. I cuold enjoy a Summer free of horse bills and being able to enjoy riding Rudy:)

Jun-Nov were pretty much spent enjoying horse time with no money worries:) I effectively leased Rudy by making grain and handwalking horses on the weekends, and got to help groom at shows such as Region V Sporthorse where Lindsey's clients cleaned up, and where Quick Silver Bey++++// had his celebration for earning a Legion of Masters (one of only a handful of stallions to do so!) and also enjoying cheering on the same clients at Sporthorse Nationals where Lindsey handled Isabella Featherdance to a National Championship in SHIH mares, and the resident star Havilahs Cassanova (Cas) to a National Championship in the SHUS Jr Horse. What a show year!

In November Tango returned. I had to find a place for him, and ended up settling on taking him to my friend Jennifer's new private facility. He got his own 12x12 stall, a sand paddock, grass turnout, buddies and a great caretaker for a very reasonable price. The hauling home was an adventure, with the hauler being more than 8 hours late, and Tango ending up being hauled in at midnight. He settled in quickly though, and it seems he is really enjoying the break he has gotten. We would really love an indoor arena though-- I am ITCHING to ride my horse!:)

December was basically the same as November, only Tango gained a sister. He doesn't know though, because she is boarded at The Back Forte in Enumclaw. She is a rescue from the Enumclaw Sales Pavillion kill pen. I am hoping to find her a retirement home. So December has been pretty bittersweet.

Really it was not a super exciting year, but lots of great things happened. I enjoyed learning a new discipline (dressage), meeting new friends (Jessica, Lindsey, Carrie, Jodie and many many others) and learning how much I truly enjoy owning Tango, even if I never show him successfully myself, I don't think I can ever let him go completely:)

Happy(?) New Year

So today was COLD COLD COLD! I froze my butt off doing chores today. Yesterday was even worse! I've spent a lot of time using the shovel (to break the 3" of ice covering the trough which is the only source of water I have right now), my boot (to kick buckets, haha, to try to dislodge the ice stuck to the sides so that I can TRY to give the horses actual water instead of popcicles) and the garden spade (to chip away the ice and frozen dirt that froze the exterior stall doors closed...was worried I wasn't going to be able to get a couple of the horses out!

Tango's beet pulp has frozen in the bucket, so for now he'll have to settle for Strategy and Rice Bran. I'm sure he'll survive:) I also threw an extra blanket on him yesterday, but that doesn't stop him from sticking his nose to the fence and freezing to it, thus tearing skin off. Retard. The entire barn is made of metal, so is the fencing--so he has a lot of metallic surfaces on which to get stuck. Here is hoping he has learned his lesson.

So after doing all of that and being completely exhausted (both from the cold, and the extra work that the ice made for me) I was on my way home when I drove past a farm that I drive by every day. During the wind storm we had a few weeks ago a tree fell on their fence. The fence is down and hasn't been put back up. Anyhow, I drive past and see a nice chestnut horse in a brand new Weatherbeeta running the fence line in the frozen glittering snow...."Oh, pretty!" wait...did I see that right? Was there no fence along that fence line he was running? I drive a tiny bit further, turn around and go back. Sure enough, there is no fence and the horse has finally just realized the same thing. He is JUST getting ready to jump the ditch when I screech to a stop, jump out of my car (running, with a key in it, in the middle of the road mind you) and run across the street and shoo him back toward the pastures WITH fences. I get him sort of trapped and keep shooing him away from the downed fence line. Then I stand there thinking...Now what? I hear a faint voice beyond the treeline (where the arena is) and I yell out "Hey! Anyone down there?" wait a minute, and hear more chatter. "Hey, HELLO! You have a loose horse up here!". Finally someone yells "Hey -____ theres a horse loose up by the road." "Which one?" "Buddy (or whatever his name was), there used to be a fence up there but it's not there anymore." "Oh." (Really? Is right now a time for conversation? WHO CARES what horse--go get a dang halter!) Someone is walking around down by the barn taking their sweet time, goes in, gets a halter, waaaalks up the hill. Undoes both strands of hot tape, walks up to the horse and halters him. (way to take your time, jerk...I have places to be, and how do they know he isn't running around loose still about to get in the road...) So I say, uh, "Good thing he was smart enough not to run in the road" I get "Yeah, thanks." and all I can think is "Yeah...your welcome for saving your horse, and your farm from being sued by a driver who may have hit him". Jeez.

Anyway...so I thought that would be my excitement for the day. Nope no such luck. I begin my NYE celebration (about 9pm) and then get a text from the BO (and friend) to let me know that the horses hadn't been fed yet, because she had to take her baby girl in to urgent care because she was having trouble breathing. I text her and tell her not to worry, they'll be OK till she gets home. About 11:30pm I get another text, that is there any way I can head out to feed and water--the baby is not doing well and they were heading to Childrens because she was in respiratory distress. Turns out she has the Croup but also had a cyst in her throat nearly constricting her entire airway. Poor thing! So my awesome friend Melissa and I head out to Covington to feed and water horses in 15* weather at 12:30am NYE. FUN! Please pray for a fast recovery for little Laken--she had surgery to remove the cyst, but she is only 1 and has a lot of recovering to do, poor thing!

So that was my New Years--how was yours? (and of course, a few customary photos of the Lish for your viewing entertainment)

Tango and icky play through the fence--they love to bite/lick/gnaw/slime and otherwise deface eachother. Literally.

Tango playing kite horse on the longe line.

Me and Tang having some sort of discussion, isn't that always the case with us? LOL.