Month: May 2018

Of all the things that equestrians are kind of “renowned” for, the one I’ve always been most guilty of is the messy car. On any given day there may or may not be a passenger seat available (usually not), and you may as well forget about the backseat entirely. If anyone ever peers into my windows they would probably assume that I’m homeless (and/or a serial killer), given that it usually contains a tent, a sleeping bag, a full set of linens/blanket/2 pillows, chairs, toilet paper, a wide variety of clothing, and a really weird assortment of tarps, tapes, rope, knives, scissors, and tack.

I’ve always felt relatively unapologetic about this. Like… I know that I technically should  be embarrassed by it, but I’m not. My vehicles are always a mess, much like me and my life. Kinda makes sense. Part of the package.

Plus it seems like every time I clean my truck out, I can’t find a damn thing. Or the one thing I needed, I took out. Like last time I went to a show, thinking I had my BOT dressage pad, but then I remembered that I took it out and stored it in the guest bedroom because I’m “supposed to”. I ended up having to go buy a new white pad at the show. So, ya know, being a walking disaster/hoarder sometimes has it’s benefits. I surrendered to my messiness a long time ago.

The only thing that’s changed about having a truck is that I now have another area to store crap… the kind of crap that I would never want to put inside of a car. The only problem is that the truck bed is kind of a black hole in my life, and I tend to completely forget it exists until I’m trying to set up my trunk tent. Then I’m like “geez, wtf is all this crap back here”? Because that’s typical.

Like those winter blankets that have been back there for a month. I should PROBABLY take those out and wash them. This post has actually prompted me to set a reminder on my phone for tonight so that I remember to go out and get them.

The rest of that crap is the spare tire for my trailer (which I usually keep IN the trailer when I’m not hauling, but forgot to put back in like 3 trips ago) and rubber mats. Don’t even ask. At least I took all of the broken jump standards and metal dressage letters out, finally, after like 6 months of toting them around. I’m telling you, I forget the bed of the truck is a thing that exists. Kinda like how I forget that the backseat isn’t technically supposed to be the backcloset.

I know I should be, but… I’m not sorry. And don’t even ask me to go through my purse right now. You think the truck is bad.

One of the most fun things about getting to witness Sadie’s broodmare career is being able to compare and contrast all of her foals. It’s hard to get an idea of what a mare really produces until she has several foals on the ground, so by the time the third one comes along, you finally start to see a real pattern.

Some mares consistently throw certain traits, like specific parts of their conformation or movement. Some mares, like Michelle’s other mare Laken, seem to just throw carbon copies of themselves no matter what stallion they’re bred to. And then some mares, like Sadie, seem to throw foals that look a whole lot like their sires, no matter how different they are.

I thought that her first foal Merlin, by Mezcalero, looked the most like her, but then again Sadie and Mezcalero had a lot of similar traits. They’re both big stout horses with relatively similar conformation. Over time, Merlin started looking more and more like Mezcalero, just with Sadie’s trademark giant floppy ears (one thing that she does seem intent on passing on). Presto, of course, looks a whole heck of lot like his sire, Mighty Magic. I see bits and pieces of Sadie in him, too, but overall his phenotype is much more similar to that of Mighty Magic.

And then this year’s colt, Manny (formerly known as Maddy) looks like a little carbon copy of his sire Diarado. The little pony-esque head, cresty neck, and more short-coupled frame… he’s about the polar opposite of long, rangy, TB-looking Presto. It’s kind of amazing that they came out of the same mare.

I’m ready to say, after foal #3 by 3 pretty different stallions, that Sadie is the type of mare who really allows the sire to shine through in her foals. As far as looks go, she lets the sire “stamp” them.

What she’s definitely given to all of them, though, is temperament. They’ve all been very people-oriented, friendly, bold, laid-back, and smart – right from birth. They aren’t the kind of foals that spook at anything, hide behind their mothers, or give people the hairy people. They’re lap ponies, pretty sure of themselves and plenty curious about what you’re doing. Really, they’re born amateur horses.

I hope that whoever the lucky person is that buys Manny will keep in touch as he grows up, so we can keep making these kinds of observations over time. It will be really interesting to see how they compare once they’re under saddle and in work. Will they take more after their sires under saddle, or will Sadie’s temperament have more influence over that side of things? Time will tell.

And yes, Sadie was bred back to Diarado so Michelle can try to get an actual filly this time. Sadie seems pretty hell bent on making colts, though, so we’ll see. Pregnancy check next week!

 

Yeah I know, I’ve been back from Tennessee for like 12 hours. This is unrelated, I swear. I was texting Trainer last night, asking about maybe doing a CT at a local show here in July, and she said “I’ll be at Chatt that weekend.”. First reaction:

Then, within all of 60 seconds…

I asked if she had room for one more in her trailer (because I’m definitely not hauling mine that far), and she said yes. So then I checked my calendar, and those two weeks/weekends are actually still free.  I went and looked at entry fees and stabling fees and all that. Between all the side gigs I’ve been picking up lately, I can actually swing it.

An idea was born.

To be honest, I’ve spent the last couple months kind of pining over the Coconino experience of summer 2016. That was the most fun I’ve ever had at horse shows, and it was really fun to just get away and totally immerse myself in showing. Going somewhere totally new, somewhere we’ve never been, showing 2 weeks back to back… I learned a lot, and it was so confidence-building and refreshing for both of us. Sometimes I just don’t get very excited about showing around here, because I don’t love going to the same venues over and over. Been there, seen that. Need new stimuli.

I checked out some of the past courses online, at My Course Walk and watching youtube helmet cam videos. It looks very fair, but not overly easy. Everyone that I asked had rave reviews about the footing and the stabling. The fees are a little on the more expensive side for an event, but nothing crazy.

My only real concern is the weather. I know it won’t be as hot there as it is here, but it will probably be more humid. Really, I’m betting that our mid-June show here is hotter than these two shows would be at Chatt. And if it’s too hot or he seems to be struggling with the heat, I can always just slow down and take the time faults. XC speeds are only listed at 450mpm though, which is generally right at his comfortable cruising speed.

The thought of having 2 weeks of showing in a totally new-to-us venue is the real draw. We rarely get that opportunity in eventing, to have another show right after the lessons of the first one are still very fresh and ready to be built upon. And, well, I’m rarely in the right place at the right time financially to afford to up and run off to another state for 2 weeks. So if everything falls into place with this, it’s hard to say no.

I’m checking PTO days at work today to make sure no one else has already taken those days off, but that’s really the last hurdle to clear. If we’re all good there, then… I can’t think of a reason NOT to go. Just the thought of it puts a lot of wind back into my sails, honestly. My enthusiasm has waned a bit lately, especially now with summer setting in.

Do you guys ever take a couple weeks to go show somewhere new? Should we go for it? Anyone been to Chatt?

After a long week/weekend in Tennessee, today Quinn and I are on the long road home.

Side note: he tried to leave with that kid when she bought some treats, because he has zero loyalty to his human, only loyalty to food. Snaks 5th Avenchew should hire him though, because every time someone so much as looked at the treats he was on his feet, ready to make a sale.

Brownland was a gorgeous show, and the whole area is really stunning. The vast landscape of green rolling hills, some wooded, some cleared for beautiful farms, is very very different from Texas. To be honest, it’s kind of sad to get in the car and leave. I have always much preferred this general area of the country to the one I’ve actually spent most of my life in.

The weather is way better too, despite the humidity. It’s not 100 degrees, with a sun so strong that it feels as though your skin is literally melting. Ah, Texas. So lovely. I’ll take Sticky over Oven any day.

But I am REALLY eager to get home to my boys. I miss Henry and Presto a lot, probably more than is normal considering it’s only been a week. Clearly I really do enjoy seeing and working with them every day. I guess sometimes it’s nice to take a step back so you can see that it isn’t just the routine that keeps you in the barn everyday, it’s the genuine love for the horses and what we’re doing.

I floated some cash at the main barn worker, asking him to hose them off and fly spray them and pick their feet, so hopefully they were still happy and well looked after while I was away. It’s about that time of year when Henry starts to broil, and the weather is definitely going to get worse before it gets better.

But even though I’m driving home to a place that feels like actual hell, I’m still ready to be there, and get back into the regular routine with the boys. A mere 12 hour drive is the only thing standing in the way.

I hope everyone else has a good Memorial Day… back to more typical blog content tomorrow! So long, Tennessee!

If you follow me on Instagram, some of you may have noticed that Quinn and I are in Tennessee this week at the Brownland horse show. No, not showing (hahaha funny)… I used a few of my abundant vacation days to come up here and fill in at the Luxe EQ trailer. Because you know you’re horse poor when you use the vacation days from one job to go work another. I’m not complaining, it works out well for me and my ever-withering bank account.

I picked up my rental car (because no one wants to drive a 16mpg truck all the way from TX to TN) on Tuesday after work, loading everything up, and my copilot and I were off. We made it to Texarkana by bedtime, then got up and drove the remaining 7 hours on Wednesday, putting us here shortly after lunch.

I’ve been to Tennessee a lot, but not this particular area. Brownland Farm is gorgeous and so is the entire area. Everything is so green and hilly. It is NOT Texas. I could definitely live here.

We got everything all set up and opened yesterday morning, so if you’re in the area, stop by and say hi. I already got to see and have dinner with friend and fellow blogger Hillary!

I don’t take pics of people as a general life rule so you’ll have to trust that Hillary is real, but can we talk about this Rose Gold set? Black and rose gold Duftler belt, black and rose gold Miss Shield. Someone please buy this so I can be cool vicariously.

I’ve also got a bunch of Motionlite jackets, approximately 9000 Cavalleria Toscana shirts, sunshirts, hats, and lots of lightweight breeches, which is good considering that it’s almost Texas-level hot and humid. (And yes, if you see anything you like in pics, I can ship it. Just saying…)

We’re here through Sunday, then Quinn and I will be back on the road and headed home. Pretty sure that if I had my horses I could just stay here forever. And the other dogs. And the cat. And I guess maybe the SO.

Don’t forget that Riding Warehouse is also having their 20% off Memorial Day sale this weekend! Time to stock up on fly spray, salt blocks, and dewormer…