Today was so gorgeous and warm! I mowed our front lawn which was a big lush Amazonion jungle (and killed the mower 4 times even on the highest setting) and the fresh cut lawn and warm air just made me sooo sleepy all day. Not sleeping due to our dogs barking like nutters all night also made me sooo sleepy all day. This whole week of the “harvest moon” the dogs have been on edge and barkier than barky. Its ridiculous with four dogs because if one starts even with an idle half-assed bark all four in their various locations take it up and its like COME ON you don’t even know what you’re barking at but you’re going bananas?! Well I guess I am less tolerant of barking than some. I was saying today though that it’s like The Boy Who Cried Wolf. The dogs bark at nothing SO often that eventually we stop checking what they’re barking at. And one of these days they are going to be barking at something important. So I am wishing they would preserve their barking for real security occasions rather than buzzards and phantasms only doggies see. Well that’s an idle wish but I share it just the same. Its pretty funny the whole selection of barks, actually. Our Catahoula hound mix does this crazy high pitched yodeling when he is messing with the cats or there is something to do with chasing prey. Wilbur the mini dachshund has an incredibly sharp ear splitting bark and isn’t shy with it, in fact he just barked out of nowhere in the quiet living room and startled the crap out of me!

Anyway another lovely fall day spent working around the place, only would have been better if I had been riding. Speaking of–big news! I’ve sent off the email initiating my order for a Specialized saddle through Desire’s previous owners at GETC in Utah. I’m going to do a trial on a Eurolight, and if it works out I totally want all the awesome options like fleece fenders (riding in shorts, yo!), interchangeable seats of fleece and leather, etc. I can’t believe the saddle is only 12 lbs. I rode in them in Utah a year ago but I have done so much riding since then I don’t remember the feel of the weight. I’m really excited, I’ve never bought a *new* saddle before, I know there are downsides to it but its still exciting.

The new winter blankets arrived in the mail yesterday. Sheza’s is a cute little navy blue waterproof turnout and Desire’s is a great bright purple! I will definitely have to take photos of them wearing them. And get Sheza used to having it on and off!

I’ve been grooming Sheza in her paddock every day and hanging out with her and playing with her Jolly Ball enticing her to play with it. She had a great time kicking around a red feed bucket in the big pasture this summer but I didn’t like the risk of the bucket and handle with her little legs so I threw a big white sealed jug and a Jolly Ball in her paddock instead. I really enjoy hanging out with her and our bond is getting pretty strong! She is so social, every when my husband pulls up she trots over to the fence and whinnies at him. Cars can come and go but she only whinnies at the truck and any time she sees or hears me. I am loving my filly! 

Let me start this post by saying @%(#^*@#$&!! I already wrote this post and edited it, and was pressing Publish when I had yet another mysterious gibberish error occurrence and said post disappeared into the black hole of computer error-land. I’m really tired and don’t feel like writing it again. But I’m going to. Call it a lesson in self discipline.

SO. My new barefoot trimmer came out this morning. We have Desire on a strict 4 week schedule so we can closely monitor her hoof growth and adjust it as needed. Her hooves were a hot mess this morning when I gave them a pre-trimmer clean out. I don’t know why I just feel like I should have my horses a little cleaned up for a farrier or vet. It doesn’t always happen, mind you, but I try to when I pull them early enough. Anyhoo Desire’s hooves were “shedding” for winter, as it were, and were a chalky nasty mess. Some low grade thrush happening again too as this sudden heavy ground moisture we got with the two brief storms of the last week.We had to get 6-8 inches of rain at least! The trimmer, D, said that the very good news was that Desire had grown a significant amount of new healthy hoof. In just 4 weeks she has grown enough hoof to give her a small jump start into concavity in her hooves again. Her fronts are scary flat. The move and pregnancy really wreaked havoc with her feet. But D keeps telling me all will be well. I am just mortified and frustrated to have my horse’s in any sort of bad state. But I have confidence in D and am really opening my eyes to hoof reality with Desire. She had little bruises along the wall of her fronts as well, internally caused we think. So yikes. Anyway, D helped all the shedding stuff slough off and the hooves looked much better. Desire has consistently grown hoof quite quickly since she has been here and D says that will be my saving grace in getting her back into healthy hooves more quickly. In the mean time we will continue to re revaluate her hooves every 4 weeks.

Now, to the big news! Sheza had her first farrier work today! Well technically hoof trimmer work but farrier just flows more in the sentence I think. I noticed a couple little chips in one of her front hooves and thought she must be due for some farrier attention (See, I’m sticking with it despite its slight incorrectness, oh well). Let me just say, my little junior redhead behaved SO WELL! I was really pleased with her today. I stood her on the black mats in the wash rack stall and stood at her head while D worked on all four hooves with her rasp. I have been picking up and cleaning/tapping on Sheza’s hooves since she was a couple of days old, but I have to say having a handler and then someone else working around her and rasping on the hooves no less! I was really proud. She stood quietly and was just very curious, snuffling all over D’s head when she could get it bust mostly the rear end of course because that’s what we see of our hoof trimmers and farriers, isn’t it? Sheza was also snuffling the ground for hay scraps even while her hooves were being done. Pretty relaxed I’d say. D is also an Arabian breeder and endurance rider and has a very nice quiet energy and Sheza reacted quite well to her. D corrected a couple of small things but pronounced the hooves sound and healthy. Sheza walked out with me so D could watch her stride quite nicely, despite being headed away from mom and the herd, and was a perfect lady for her halter to come off in her paddock. Very proud of my little redhead today!

The Tevis competitors are on the trail already and I am sending out good thoughts, wishes, and prayers for all horses and riders to get home safely after this unusual October Tevis with snowfall and trail changes galore! Hopefully many complete and have fun but ALL get back to their rigs safely.

Hoping for good results for Christoph, I see from the Tevis webcast that he is on the trail on Linnzell. How exciting, hope the day goes well for everyone!

 I’m sure everyone following already knows this but in case someone doesn’t, follow Tevis progress here: http://www.teviscup.org/webcast/index.php

After steady rain all last night and half of today, the sun finally emerged from behind the clouds this afternoon. It was intermittent but it was there and the forecast calls for more sun tomorrow and for the next few days. Temperatures in the 70s, 40s at night. Sounds mighty nice to me! I think I’ll try hand walking Sheza out through the neighborhood tomorrow or the next day. Desire still has a fairly full milk bag and I am letting that subside before I ride her more. I can’t imagine its comfortable. I’m not going to pony Sheza off Blaze riding him bareback, that’s for sure! So going for a nice walk or two and get some more exposure, more practice on ground manners. And get that practice going out and about without mom for the first time.

I ordered Desire a purple Viking II Turnout from Schneiders and a navy blue Expandable Foal Blanket from Schneiders for Sheza. She takes the size Large foal blanket! I noticed today that she is a little butt high, having another growth spurt for sure. It was funny how friendly she became again once the rain subsided, the sun was out, things were a little calmer. She was spooky and would hardly be touched during the 3 day storm but was nearly back to normal tonight. She was still silly and spooky when I brought her mash in but I made her stand quietly and let me touch her all over when she came to eat. I don’t appreciate the violent spooking around my person and I wasn’t going to let her just do that and then get to eat with no issue. Little brat!

 I’ve been paying bills the last few days and the outflow of money is just crazy. Bills, bills, bills. 

I grew up in a small, community conscious area so “Shop Local” has always been a relatively present concept in my mind. 90% of my shopping is about and for my animals, naturally. I now live much closer to more shopping opportunities, both local and in the “big city” (Sacramento) but the last four times I was actively searching for something for my horses I drove the hour up to the next town to shop at the locally owned tack store. Each and every time, including today, they haven’t had what I needed! Its hard to shop local when its..just not possible. I was really frustrated after driving all that way and not finding a THING I was looking for (if I can walk through a tack store and buy nothing, something is up!). Then I thought about it and realized that it was most likely related to their most common clientele. If I were an average trail rider, or weekend warrior, and/or particularly a western rider with a QH or other good sized animal I suppose that store would be just the ticket! All the leather and camo and western saddles would be exciting, no doubt. Since I’m working my way towards being a full fledged endurance rider, ride English, and have shrimpy Arabs, this store has nothing useful beyond absolute basics like brushes or wound spray that I don’t buy often. They don’t carry blankets small enough, small enough splint boots, much of any English tack, and certainly no endurance gear. Once I got that concept through my noggin I wasn’t so perturbed–its just the way it goes. To this day I have only ever been in one tack store that carries endurance gear in stock, and that’s Christensen’s in Loomis which is a good haul away from here. But a very cool store! Have gotten some beloved tack there and my favorite breeches, half chaps, and winter riding coat as well.

So here I am listening to a torrential downpour, credit card in hand, ready to order the horse things I need online. I tried!