Horses

are and up and down journey.

So Lilly has felt bleh lately. Not lame, just bleh. I figure maybe it's because I haven't been riding lately. Maybe she just needs to be shaped up a bit.

But when my student rode her, she didn't look normal. She wasn't lame, but my gut was saying something isn't right. But she's not lame.

So I went to my trainers anyways and when I got there. My trainer asked me to trot her. And then she felt more BLAH! I'm like hmmm.... This isn't my normal gal. My trainer was like, she doesn't look right. She looks sticky.

So we trotted on a loose rein and still she just didn't feel right.

My trainer was told me, If I never seen this horse move I would think it's just a sticky mover, but I know how your mare moves and this isn't her norm today. I said yes definitely. She doesn't feel right.

So I booked an appoitnment at the vets for Wed. We go and she scores a 1 on the lameness exam on the flexion. He said do you want to x-ray her or what? I said let's go and x-ray her, because why not. Let's see how good my insurance is. I've never had to use it.

So 1,200 later, she had clean x-rays. Her hocks are clean. Nothing sketchy going on. He sat me down and told me to put he on Adequan and a pain med (for 30 days) and see how she's doing. He also told me he wanted to test her for Lyme's disease. I was like okay. Whatever. Didn't really think anything of it.

He calls me Tuesday I think and said she tested negative on the first two parts of the Lymes test, but tested positive for the third thing they test for. He said the test isn't 100% reliable because all it can mean is that she's been exposed to Lymes and carries the antibodies.

I gave her a few days off like instructed and started riding on Sunday. She felt great. I wasn't able to ride Wed because the rain. So yesterday my student rode her. I figure it'd be good, she'll just walk-trot her, be an easy day for her.

She's lame. She's worse yesterday then she was on my Sunday ride. I noticed in the walk she wasn't really using her hocks that well. And then when my student trotted it was definitely noticeable. Even my student's mom saw it. I'm like fiddlesticks. Fiddle fing sticks.

I was seriously sad. I got home and was trying to eat something, stepped on the dog and I thought of Lilly being lame and hurting and I just hurt the damn dog. I just started crying.

It's tough when they hurt I hurt. So I'm calling the vet today. I can't sleep right now. I'll find out what he says to do.

2012 Show Season

This is going to be a crazy year. Of course as the year goes on, I'll have to tweek it and change things. Budi may have to take Lilly without me. But we'll see how everything works out.

Feb. 5th: Jumpers @Frying Pan Park
Mar 11th: Jumpers @Frying Pan Park
Mar 24th: Vada/Nova Schooling @Morven Park
April 7th+8th: Vada/Nova Licensed Show
April 18th-22nd: HITS Jumpers
or April 22nd: Sandstone Jumpers
May 5th-6th: Dressage at the Meadows Vada Central
May 20th: Moriah Jumpers
May 26th: Dressage @ Heavenly Waters
May 28th: THE Shows @Fox Whisper Farms (students)
June 3rd: Moriah Jumpers
June 9th: VADA/NOVA Dressage
June 10th: THE Shows @Fox Whisper Farms (students)
June 23rd-24th: PVDA Ride for Life
July 4th-8th: HITS (prob just do Wed-Thur)
July 7th: THE Shows @Fox Whisper Farms (students)
July 11-15th: HITS
July 13th-15th: Dressage At Lexington
(This is going to be a lets see how she's doing in jumpers and dressage. But I think I am going to try and do the VADA Fall Competition and she has never shown u/s at Lexington)
July 29th: Moriah Jumpers
Aug. 4th: THE Shows @Fox Whisper Farms (students)
Aug. 5th: Moriah Jumpers
Aug. 12th: Vada Schooling/Vada Breed Show
Aug. 15th-19th: HITS Culpeper
Aug. 22nd-26th: HITS Culpeper
Sept. 9th: Moriah Jumpers
Sept. 2nd: THE Shows @Fox Whisper Farms (students)
Sept. 15th-16th: VADAF @Rosemont Farm
Sept. 22nd: Moriah Jumpers
Sept. 25th-Sept. 30th: Dressage at Devon (prob just going not showing)
Oct. 6th: THE Shows @Fox Whisper Farms (students)
Oct. 18th-21st: Vada Fall Competition
Nov. 1st-4th: GAIGs

wow!

I've ignored the blogspot world. :(

Sooo here's another brief recap.

Budi and Lilly finished 13th (or so) in Low Jumpers in VHSA. Not bad for like 5 shows.

I have goals to start showing her again. I'll post my show schedule soon.

She was a little off. Very mildly lame. Took her to Piedmont and her x-rays are clean. She's started on Adequan.

2012 is going to be crazy awesome! I can feel it! :)

a blah year

This time last year I was gun ho! I wanted to move up to first level, do All-Breeds in Dressage, Budi was going to show Lilly in jumpers, and Mitchell Sport Horses (with one horse) was going to dominate.

Well my job was uncertain.

My body was revolting.

Mentally I was in a stink.

The body is almost fixed. But whatever it's going to be what it is and I've started to ride again. My brain I think has reconnected with my head. Unless I go postal I still have a job. Just still uncertain with what company.

Budi did do well with Lilly this year. Right now she sits at 15th in the VA in Low Jumpers. Which considering we've only did 3 schooling shows is not to shabby.

I need a lesson like nobody's business. Just my schedule has been retarted as heck.
Lilly has two more jumper shows with Budi. So Sandstone next Saturday and then Magnolia Jumper show on Oct. 22nd.

Then we close out the show season with a costume dressage show on Oct. 29th. Then the new show season starts Dec. 1st. I've done some pre-planning the rated shows, but the schooling shows won't release their dates until later.

Never Forget

Sometimes the media drives me crazy, but I have to remind myself it is a 10 year anniversary. But every year I remember. Every year I tend to not do anything on 9-11. I don't sit at home in terror but I do remember those who lost their lives. Working at a federal agency 9-11 always seems to be a light day. It seems that our area is still not over the attacks. More people seem to just stay at home. So while it is a ten year anniversary and the media is pumping it up more than usual, no one has forgotten and people are still in terror of this day.

I was seventeen years ago sitting in English class. Our long-term sub came in with a morbid look on her face. She said one of the Twin Towers had been hit with an airplane. I looked at her and said "That's a really morbid joke." She said it was no joke. She said the reason she was late is that all the teachers were briefed not to let us watch it. We were all in lock-down mode.

She defied the principal like many teachers did that day and we watched the horror that was taking place. We saw the second plane hit the tower. My classmates were crying, shouting in rage, or sitting quietly watching everything unfold. Then reports of a plane hitting the Pentagon had many of us worried. Many of us had family or friends who worked in D.C.

Living so close to D.C. we all knew someone who was involved. One of my favorite sushi customers actually worked in the Pentagon. She got up from her desk to get an orange juice. She lost so many of her friends and co-workers that day.

We will remember this day. We will remember those who lost their lives. We will never forget.

mini update

So lately it's been quiet. I found a lady who's half leasing Lilly.
I had plans to breed her next year, but the plan to buy my own property is growing stronger. So I'm trying to strap down the wallet some. Put more in savings. And maybe sometime next year I'll have my first mortgage.

Lilly is going to a show on Sunday at Fox Chase. So we'll see how she does.

I plan on showing in October and November. I want to do an abbreviate show season to try and qualify for All Breeds for 2012. So show in Nov-April-May and if I have my 8 scores be done with it.

HITS Recap

Week 1
We went to HITS in Culpeper, VA first week in July. The weather was steamy. This is my second recognized hunter/jumper show. So it’s a little mind boggling. Atmosphere of a big hunter/jumper show is totally different from a big dressage show. But I do like the jumper crowd a lot better.

So we got to the showgrounds early. But the class had over 40 horses I think at the end of the day I think the class had 50 horses. Budi and I pretty much just relaxed for a bit. He studied the course and we got our number at the show office. We got to watch some of the class. Then we got the super mare ready.

Of course with Upperville fresh in my mind I was a little worried. Is she going to be demon mare? Would she be a good girl? Just never know with this quirky Appaloosa. After tacking her up we went to the warm up arena. The whole procedure at securing a warm up jump is something new to me. You kind of have to be at the right place at the right time to grab a spot before someone else.

We warmed her up and she was fine. She seemed loose, happy, and relaxed. Then we waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally it was show time. I was so nervous. Budi was like what’s the jump off. I’m like you’re hopefully today.

She did very well. Jumped every single fence. There were a few she backed off from, but clear round. She proceeded to the jump off. Budi came out of the ring and was smiling and relieved. He told me that he was smacking her the whole trip. He didn’t want her to refuse a jump.

She pinned 7th. We were pleased. So we chilled and waited under the shade and let Lilly eat grass. Then we waited.

Our second class came. I told Budi about the Bronze studbook and he was like alright let’s go. At the time I thought she had to be 1st or 2nd. So Budi put a little more speed and she did well.
Super mare had come out today.

Level 0 Jumpers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uMWRq9v5Ok
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBgrHNCjPfk

Level 1 Jumpers
missed the first fence. *x* A lil unsteady with the camera as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r05VsvajupY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAfCOBKBPoU

HITS Week 2
Well this one will be brief. Demon mare came out to play today. Apparently the third and forth fence just did not sit well with her. She refused them in both classes. We were suppose to do Saturday as well, but Budi’s son got sick so he had to cancel.
One silver lining. I guess I over paid and had a $150 credit. I have no idea how I overpaid that much, but oh well. Pretty much have the next show paid for.
But I have a feeling she’s not feeling good. Not sure what, but she just looks blah. I gave her a whole week off. And I’ll start back riding soon.