Last Hurrah before the Rain--and a Saddle!!

This is how my Android rolls, how bout yours?

After false starts Monday and Tuesday (due to freezing pipes, bursting pipes, guests, etc) Desire and I finally made it to the lake today to squeeze in a ride before this big rain storm (finally) hits us. We rode with C today for the first time in a few months and it was also the first time riding Desire with C's big gelding. I always felt like  I was on the verge of getting left in the dust by C when I was riding Blaze but Desire and her gelding rate pretty darn well together. We did the short loop around horse camp since it was cold and gray and C's guy hadn't been out in a while but it was a perfect length for leg stretching, some trotting fun, and not getting the horses too sweaty for the chilly day and rainy night to come. Desire rode really nicely in the trailer again, the husband reported no tap dancing when we pulled out and I didn't hear any coming home. I had to stop at the feed store for shavings and she was dancing around a little bit and nickering at me when I was loading the shavings but she still came out of the trailer at home mostly dry and much calmer than previously. I looked at the divider itself and it's actually easily removable, just pull two big bolts and it's out, so I think after the rain I may just take the whole darn divider out.

Ready to Go

The shavings I stopped for were for bedding down the stalls in the barn. We've got 100% rain in the forecast for the next 4-5 days and with Sheza's latest blanket already not fitting I decided I'll put up the herd in the stalls for at least a day or two, depending on the severity of the storm. Our stalls are so ridiculously large, I still laugh in disbelief every time I walk into one. I've literally seen paddocks smaller than our stalls! We bought the place with all the fencing, stalls, horse stuff already installed and we really lucked out. The gal we bought it from was a breeder and trainer so all six stalls are large, stallion-secure, and ready to go. It's a mare motel style barn so the stalls aren't fully enclosed but still, pretty luxurious. I realized when I was getting water buckets ready that I haven't used the barn at all since Sheza was born 9 months ago! Wonder if Desire will have any weird birthing flashbacks ;-)  I don't think she had a clue what was happening or happened when Sheza was born so probably not, Lol. I still remember the evident bewilderment after we helped deliver Sheza and Desire just stood in the corner with her back to us like "Woah, okay, woah, I need a breather, what the hell just happened." Then we showed Sheza to her and she kept the filly in front of her at all times in good eye shot and didn't want to let her go around to nurse, Lol. Got to keep an eye on that thing that just came out of her! I only had to halter her the first few nursings and she got the point though. Silly mare. She was a great mom, kind and tolerant of baby but not over zealous and always ready to leave the nutty baby and go be a REAL horse again.

This evening was herd round-up, which was pretty entertaining. We had the usual fracas trying to get El Bandito into his stall--picture Bandito running circles around the barn snatching mouthfuls of grass w/ people and dogs hot on his heels. Blaze was at his arch necked, snorting, stallionwannabe best when we took his girlfriends away first. Sheza was convinced she had NEVER been in the barn EVER before (Despite being born there and staying nights there for weeks after). Desire had eyes only for her mash bucket. They all have their priorities, Lol. 


Once the herd was settled the husband arrived home with Chinese food for dinner--and a very exciting box!

 OoOooo

Whoop there it is!

The seat is Sooooo cushy, it feels like it's made with memory foam! Can't wait to cruise down the trail in this puppy. Won't happen til next week at the earliest if the forecast holds, but we'll see. In the meantime I can do a refresher course on fitting with the DVD and my notes from the demo etc. I also got a forest green pad for riding Blaze--and coz I don't own any other saddle pads and thought 1 might not be enough for competition.