It’s so lovely being green!

The rain this week has been outstanding.  Everything is green, so green and lovely.  And the smells outside….mmm, so nice…

The horses are all (‘cept William) doing great.  Fred has really grown up and and is working like a big girl every day.  Lance has found a new balance point in the Grand Prix work and is figuring out how to keep it in the movements.  William is still battling scratches (now on the right hind).  We had one great day of training last week with William, no scratches on both front legs; happy, soft and forward and then next morning…right hind with scratches….ugh.  Yesterday was his first day of antibiotics…here’s hoping…

Early start today, our equine therapist Maria is here today and there is a big list for her to get through.

Gonna be a busy morning!

V

A big day off today.

The week’s work has been really good but…

We have been battling scratches since we have gotten back from California.  Fred’s legs have had a mild reaction and William’s front legs have reacted to the extent that he has needed the week off.  We have now gotten them totally under control.  Fred is back to comfortable and William is his happy little self again and back to work.

All three horses are really working hard.  Lance is digging deep and thinking his way through the tough parts of the Grand Prix work (thinking is not his strong point, he’s more of a doing kinda guy).  Fred has stepped up and pulled on her big girl panties and is showing us what her Grand Prix work is going to look like shortly (no fuss, no muss just get it done…good girl!).  William is so happy his front fetlocks with scratches don’t hurt anymore he’s almost giggling as he trucks around the ring (we’ll put more of the tough work back on his schedule next week!).

It’s been a wonderful week of work; some tough bits, some fun bits but really, really rewarding everyday.

We had a dinner at the house last night to thank everyone here for all their support while we were away this winter.  So many friends and family help us sooo much.  Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ivars and I have the day off together today.  We’ll be heading to Calgary for our Nexus interview.  A lovely day together ahead!

V

Happy Mother’s Day!!!

Wishing you all a very happy day!!

V

Maria, Maria, Maria!!

Maria McDowell, our equine therapist, was here yesterday.  Yeah!!!  Lance, Fred and William haven’t had any massage work since we left in November.  There is always so much for Maria to do after the long truck ride back from California.  They all loved Maria’s work yesterday and are now enjoying a day off in the sunshine today.  Back to work on Saturday.

Our poor, overworked washer at the stable bit the dust yesterday.  (The extended warranty I bought for it was well used…more than paid for itself!!)  So off to Sears I went for a new washer.  New washer and of course, 5 yr extended warranty!

Today is office day around here.  A big day of catch up from being away for 5 months.  Organization is the word for the day.

The babies are here this afternoon.  Kirsten has gone back to work and I get to have fun with Mack and Cali for the afternoon…Yeah!!!!

Headed to my office…

V

Break is over. Everyone back to work.

Everyone had a well deserved week long break.  They all have come back to work with an “all business” attitude!  They are all doing great, working very hard and learning lots.  Lance is working on fine tuning a great piaffe, Fred is learning about engagement and forward and William is figuring out soft and focus.

As the sun rises so nice and early now, I’ve been getting them all turned out before 6am.  They all get a couple of hours out in their paddocks before their lesson times.  We start riding about 9am.

It’s a bit strange riding in the indoor again after a winter in the California sun.  The footing in the outdoor arenas should be ideal in a very soon and we’ll take the work outdoors.  Here’s hoping the mosquitoes are going to be light this year!

Another great work day today, off to feed the ponies…

V

 

A busy week!

The horses arrived home on Monday night, tired and happy.   The have settled into their new home routine perfectly and are now ready to get back to work.  All three have had the week off, grazing in the sun, sleeping in their warm, comfy stalls and recovering from the long trip home.

Today is back to work day.  Lindsey spent the weekend in Calgary at a Pilates update clinic.  I spent the week getting my house back to being a home after the renovations.

Looking forward to the week ahead…

V

We’re all home safe and sound.

Yesterday, their first day back at home, the horses got turned out in their paddocks.

It was pretty much a non-event.

Fred and Lance, after a big happy gallop, a long roll...now some serious grazing.

William, on the other hand, did this…

 

William

And this…

And of course, some of this…

And then he followed Lance and Fred lead and just ate!!!

Lance and Fred

Today is more of putting together my newly renovated house, unpacking the coach, unpacking the trailer and of course cleaning my barn!!!

V

 

 

 

Almost home…

Updates on the road…

We’re at a small RV park in Butte and we’ll be on the road very soon this at this very early o’clock!

Our focus for the last month of training with Shannon was on our long term goals for each horse.  We went back to the basics and upped the quality of the work.  We put test riding on the back burner for the time being.  So with this new level of expectation, we headed to the Del Mar show and put them to work in the warm up ring only.  Could they step up and work at the same level in a show enviroment?  The answer is YES!  The next step is to put it in the test ring and that will be at home.  We’ll do a test or two at a National show and then the CDI in June.

A couple of clips of the warm up ring on Friday…

The horses got on the van with Thompson Transport Sunday at 2am.  They should be home today mid afternoon.

Lindsey and Peter have the truck and trailer and are about 6 hours behind them.

As Lindsey and Peter loaded the horses on the van on Sunday, we left Saturday and spent a lovely evening in Las Vegas Saturday night.  After a 13 hour drive yesterday, we have now another 10 hours or so ahead of us so we should be home around the same time as the horses…time to hit the road!!!  (I’ll breathe alot easier once I see them safe and sound in their stalls at home!!!!)

V

Getting closer…

Here’s the day…

We have the coach hooked up at the Fairgrounds and our stalls are set up and ready for the horses.  We’ll head to Arroyo this morning and pick up the horses and tack boxes and bring everything to the Fairgrounds.  Lessons with Shannon at the Fairgrounds today.  This will be our last day at Arroyo for this season.  Yup…our last day.  Oh my.

Everything will be at the Fairgrounds today.  Everything for the coach, everything for the horses to be shipped home and everything for truck and trailer to make the long trip home.  Curtis and Barb will be here today (we have a date with them at Jakes’s for dinner tonight!).  Ivars and Peter will be here tomorrow (they have a date with their bikes and Hwy 101 tomorrow afternoon!).  Thompson’s Horse Transport will be here early Sunday morning to pick up the horses.  And then we all head north.  Here’s hoping for good weather for the drive home.

Off to another crazy busy day…

V

 

Started packing the trailer…

We’re getting ready to head home.

The trailer is mostly organized.  We’ll finish it off today (we can’t quite drop the ramps to get into the horse compartment…need to pull it out or wait till everyone heads to the show today).  We’ll take the horses to the show tomorrow but will set up our stalls and take the coach to the fairgounds today.

Wheww…it’s going to be a busy day!!!

Pretty much sums it up!

V