Spring has officially arrived in Texas. You know this because all the sudden the air turns to solid pollen and you start getting sunburned if you’re outside for more than 20 minutes. But it also means that the green grass is back, the weather is lovely (until Friday at least, when it’ll be 90 degrees), and the horses are shedding. I’m not sure which I love more, green grass or shedding.

With all of my crazy weekend plans lately, Henry’s schedule has been a little erratic. He’s had a little bit more time off than I’d prefer (I mean, he seems ok with it…) so I’ve amped up his conditioning days a bit. I was a little worried that he might not be very fit in time for Texas Rose in 2 1/2 weeks, but even after a long trot and some longer/faster canter sets last week he was totally cooled down by the time we’d walked back to the barn. Despite his tendency to be chunky, this horse actually gets fit easily and tends to keep it pretty well. He seems plenty primed to gallop around XC like his typical overexcited dolphin self.

He’s also now about halfway through his first round of Adequan, having gotten his 3rd shot yesterday. So far I don’t feel any difference, but then again he just got his SI done a month ago anyway. I’m not sure that I will notice anything, but hopefully it’s at least doing something useful on the inside because that 50ml bottle WAS NOT CHEAP.

You know what else wasn’t cheap? Putting new tires on my truck and getting some general maintenance done.

I was crying on the inside when I swiped my debit card that day, but she’s getting close to 100k and I definitely can’t afford to replace her anytime soon, so it needed to be done. She does pull Henny’s chariot, after all. I feel like I’m literally leaving a trail of money behind me everywhere I go lately though. And I still have to pay my taxes, which I haven’t actually been brave enough to do yet because do I really have to file all those 1099’s? I don’t wanna. I know this is finally gonna be the year that I owe, and I’m not looking forward to it.

Luckily, knock on wood, we’ve had no issues with minor gas colics since we did the round of Omeprazole. That wasn’t cheap either, but necessary apparently. It’s been 3 years since I treated him the first time, and he travels a lot, so it’s no big surprise that he needed to be treated again. I’ve got more tubes lying around for him and Presto for when they travel, but if I could go another 3 years without having to buy it in mass quantities again, that would be great. There’s pretty much just dust left in my wallet at this point.

So hopefully Henry feels fit, lubed up, and ready to go horse show. I wish I could squeeze in a few thousand stadium lessons in the next couple weeks, because that legit might be a shitshow and a half, but it kinda just is what it is at this point. My attention really has been more on Presto lately, and I’ve been preoccupied with the logistics of getting him home and getting everything ready for him. I am admittedly a wee bit distracted. But I can’t wait to see how Henry adapts to the role of baby-horse-sitter and “mentor” for Presto. I think he’ll be good at it. And hopefully not too mad. At least when Presto shows up Henry will be fresh off a cross country run… that typically leaves him in good spirits for the next couple weeks afterward. I think he will need those good spirits for the first week or two of his idiot baby brother.