Month: March 2020

Well that was quick. Peyton foaled a little bit late, Daisy foaled a little bit early, so tada – we’ve got two babies only a week apart! Say hello to Oakley WTW.

She has the unique title of being the very first Usandro Tilia Derlenn foal born in the USA! I heard that her French papa is feeling proud. She’s super cute, definitely all spunky filly.

Daisy was sneaky about it, waiting until no one was looking and popping her out around 10am. The only color options were bay dun and grulla – obviously she looks buckskin, which isn’t possible, most likely she’s bay dun (which can end up looking similar) and not grulla. Michelle is sending off some hair to check for sure. Oakley’s got two hind socks, a big star, and a teeeeeny snip.

It will be interesting to see how she grows and develops, being a Paint (solid) x WB pony cross. In my head I’m imagining her being relatively Connemara-esque. Some hardiness/tractability from the Paint and some fancy/jump from the warmblood, plus Connemara-sized (small horse) as well. We shall see! She definitely looks pretty sporty and athletic so far. I have yet to see a Usandro that can’t jump or move, and Daisy is a great mover herself, so it’ll be fun to start seeing what she looks like as she matures.

In a few more weeks we’ll have another Usandro foal, this one out of the sportpony Stormie. That one should be born with springs in its legs for sure.

How are we already halfway through foaling season? Bring on the babies, I’m ready for more! (but really, they can wait until their due dates, we don’t need any of that preemie stuff happening please…)

Not having to spend 1.5hrs per day commuting really has it’s perks. I have more time to do things, and more flexibility in my day, And not being able to go anywhere on the weekends means there’s no choice but to stay home and finish some projects that perhaps aren’t my favorite but needed to get done. I finally got all my stupid jumps painted on Saturday, and on Sunday I spent a few hours doing some arena maintenance (ie pulling up all the stupid weeds that took root a couple months ago and I’ve been unsuccessful at trying to get rid of via dragging).

Rob came out on Friday so I took advantage of the presence of another human and put another ride on Presto. It was his fourth ride total, second ride off the lunge line. For these last two rides I’ve opted to stay up in the courtyard in front of the barn, since it’s a smaller fenced in area. I wanted to make sure we had enough steering before we went back to the dressage arena with it’s low walls. It’s not 100% yet but it’s much improved even just in the past 2 rides, so I think next time we can go to the arena.

We’re doing everything without a groundperson now too. I mount unassisted and we just move off and go to “work”. For, ya know…. all of maybe 15 minutes. Mostly we just walk/trot/halt a few times, make some circles and changes of direction, and then we’re done. That’s all I’m trying to do at this point, and I still want him to feel like this is fun and easy, so better to keep everything short and simple. I just want him to go forward and figure out his balance.

And for such a gawky looking creature, he does feel remarkably well balanced. The courtyard is on a bit of a slope so I thought between that and the circles in the small space he might struggle a bit given his size, but he handles it pretty well. I try to just maintain my own balance and let him figure out his own, which he’s been quick to do. He might not always turn when and where I want him to, but the balance isn’t a problem. We do need to work on his response time to the “go” aids… once he’s going he’s really nicely forward, but getting him going takes a little bit of effort. That’ll be the next thing we work on, once we’re back out in the bigger space. As is typical with him, the whoa works really well. Pretty much just think whoa and you’re stopped. So now we just need to tune it up the other way too. 

For four rides, I’m pretty pleased with where he’s at. I’m mostly happy that it’s all been really easy so far and he’s 0% worried or anxious about anything. He also feels really nice to ride, like… familiar somehow. I don’t know about everyone else, but sometimes I swing a leg over a horse and they just feel weird or foreign or like something doesn’t click right away, especially since I pretty much just ride one horse all the time. But with Presto he’s felt like home the second I swung a leg over, despite being very different from Henry. It feels like I belong there, nothing awkward or strange about it. 

After I was done I had Rob open the gate so I could walk Presto a little ways away out into the more open field area, then turn around and come back to the barn. His first little very mini hack out that was all of 2 minutes. 

He’s becoming more of a real boy by the day. 

I’m about to give up on keeping the damn fly boots on him though. Now he’s taken to tossing them over onto the neighbors property.

He figured out the duct tape, so now he just rips that off in about 10 seconds. This kid, I swear. I used to say that his mother sometimes used her exceptional smarts for evil instead of good, and the apple definitely isn’t falling far from the tree on this one. He is adamant that he does not wear fly boots. So ungrateful. Henry loves his, no more stomping. I think Presto just can’t handle having toys attached to his legs, the temptation is too great.  

Other than riding and doing chores around the farm, I also got a virtual horse-girl happy hour in on Zoom!

Well, horse girls plus Bobby. Except he was the meeting host and thus had the power to put me on mute, which he did every time I insulted him. So basically I spent a lot of time muted. That’s ok, I don’t need sound to let him know how I feel. It was nice to get some horse friend chatting time in, even though there was a dreadful lack of chips and queso at this happy hour compared to most. I did have Ben and Jerry’s though, so not all was lost.

There was also another new baby at WTW over the weekend, which we’ll talk about tomorrow! There’s still lots happening, despite the fact that it may seem like the world has come to a bit of standstill in other ways. Hope everyone else is still surviving okay and managed to fill up their weekend too! 

Yeah I know, two baby posts in one week but is anyone really complaining about foal pictures? Yeah I didn’t think so. I’m pretty psyched to be able to be able to roll back out with a new edition of Foal Friday, starring Remi!

His hobbies include galloping, napping, whinnying at Michelle, and stomping through mud. His greatest talent so far though? His ability to strike a pose. I mean… LOOK AT THIS KID.

He’s practicing for his winner’s photo at Badminton, obviously.

This kid is something else.

If you missed the video of him jumping over the pole the other day then I’m sad for you so here you go.

Happy Friday everyone, courtesy of Remi.

What’s today, Thursday (who can tell anymore)? Still haven’t seen another human since Saturday. If only I could get people from work to stop calling, texting, skyping, and emailing me, life would be complete. Really though, a) I’m glad that our business is considered essential therefore doesn’t have to shutter, b) I can work from home. But, ya know… they could email me less. Just saying.

So far this week aside from working I’ve been able to drag the arena a few times, pull up some weeds, move some jumps to the arena, paint a few more jumps (hey I’ve discovered I hate painting jumps), ride, and record a podcast. Far more productive when I don’t have to spend so much time driving. Quarantine has been… enjoyable.

Also I haven’t worn real pants in over a week. Breeches and leggings only. And by breeches I mean tights, because I’m firmly anti zipper and buttons right now. Might be losing weight, might just be stretching out the elastic, who can tell? I’ve been limiting myself to one Little Debbie a day (I have Star Crunch, Cosmic Brownies, and Swiss Cake Rolls. My only regret is not buying Fudge Rounds too. Can we have a side discussion/fight to the death about what the best Little Debbie is? It’s Fudge Rounds.) and I’ve got enough for at least a couple more weeks at that rate of consumption, so… that’s really all that matters.

While I’m doing pretty well in the snacks and no-pants department, I did make one teeny tiny little bitty slip up yesterday. Itty bitty. Teeny tiny.

See, I don’t know if it was the heat

or if all the people who think sacrificing millions of people to right the economy is ok

combined together just stressed me out to the max, or what.

But I uh… bought a bridle.

SHUT UP MICHELE.

See, what had happened was, I was scrolling innocently through Instagram, as one does. It’s been awesome for comic relief with all these things like the chip challenge and the see a pup share a pup. I’m 100% here for it and loving social media right now.

But ya know, anyway… doo dee doo… there I was scrolling Insta when BAM.

Me:

That is about 10,000 times prettier than the sidepull I ride Henry in. The one I have is too reddish-orange, which is not his color AT ALL. I originally bought it because I wasn’t sure how much I’d really ride him in it and didn’t want to spend much. That was… 6 years ago. And I ride him more in his sidepull than I do in anything else. You know what I’m tired of looking at? That cheap reddish orange bridle.

And then I found a coupon code that put the Dy’on at just over $100, which… um, ok, sure, give me a Dy’on bridle for basically nothing. Twist my arm why don’t ya? And in my defense, this one looks like it might have a little more whoa, so maybe I’ll be able to use it for jumping at home too. His current sidepull isn’t quite enough whoa, but his hackamore even on it’s loosest settings and a leather curb strap is a little bit too much.

In my defense I resisted for like… hours. I mean at least 5 or 6.

Let’s be honest, it was over with as soon as they posted it. A done deal. Fate sealed. Foregone conclusion.

But hey, at least I haven’t eaten all the Little Debbies?

The latest “trend” (or… re-trend?) going around Instagram is the Enneagram of Personality… another method of personality testing. As I’ve found myself with a little more time on my hands lately, it naturally piqued my interest. I’ve been seeing people posting memes with numbers in them and I just had to know wtf this enneagram stuff was about in order to get the memes. I mean, there’s a bunch of froo froo stuff about using the enneagram for self improvement and blah blah blah but really… just profile me and everyone else and help me understand memes. I’m living for memes. So, I took the test. And, well… I do indeed feel seriously profiled.

Defining Characteristics of the Enneagram Type 5:

Appears lost in thought or absentminded

Extremely difficult-to-crack inner world

In-depth knowledge on specific subjects of interest

Gives insightful, well thought-out responses

Thinks extensively before speaking

Has clear boundaries between family, friends and work

Withdrawn and extremely independent

 

Type 5, eh? Yup, that’s pretty accurate. It went on to give a detailed profile of Type 5, called The Investigator or The Observer or The Quiet Specialist. “Usually introverted and analytical, Investigators gather and process information to build with and synthesize patterns and ideas. ” Do I have a few dozen spreadsheets on my computer with detailed pedigree data of top level event horses? MAYBE. “Their work spaces are typically minimalist with the exception of a collection of items pertaining to their core interests.” Stop reading my blog. “With dreams of working and researching alone in a secluded area for the rest of their lives” I SAID STOP READING MY BLOG.

Ok, so… it’s a little accurate. And how does it relate to me as an equestrian? Look at this part:

They are energized by spending hours of time alone, tinkering with their personal projects and research. The path to mastery in a particular area is a journey each Investigator readily embarks on. They may appear calm and collected on the surface, but when topics of interest come up in conversation, they transform into a giddy and energetic version of themselves. This sudden gear-shift may surprise those who are unaware of the Investigator’s hidden passions.

Riding is a single-person sport, so it makes sense that I was drawn more to it. It’s also one that you can never truly master, there is SO MUCH knowledge to be had on such an endless variety of things. I definitely prefer a project horse/greenie. And yeah, please don’t try to talk to me about anything but horses. I am very awkward and have no idea what to say. They legit call me the Ice Queen at work because of my stoic detachment. Not my fault there aren’t any horses there. Just mention a horse and suddenly you can’t get me to shut up.

Investigators are offbeat, withdrawn and emotionally closed off. They may have a select few esoteric interests which they keep hidden from the public eye—and opt to present an aloof and distant aura. 

So yeah we’re weirdos that keep everything bottled up inside. Got it.

Fives are usually somewhat restrained when it comes to emotional expression, but they often have stronger feelings than they let on. Few people know what is going on beneath the surface, as Fives have an often exaggerated need for privacy and a deep seated fear of intrusion.

Yeah true. I do think that I’m more demonstrative when it comes to the horses though. They are probably the thing that draws me more toward normalcy and prevents me from getting lodged too deep within myself. My balance I guess.

They’re well-versed in topics of their interest and may be named the ‘bookworm’ from peers. 

Apparently we also really like to read, both to get information and as a form of escapism. That is 1000% true, as evidenced by the sheer volume of books I read every year. I’ve always been a voracious reader of both horse and non-horse books, fiction and non-fiction.

The most basic desire of the Enneagram Type 5 is to feel helpful and competent.

Enneagram Fives have the motivational need to know and understand. Fives value making sense of the world around them and, as a result, objectivity and knowledge are important to them.

So the more I’ve thought about all this (and I’ve thought about it a lot in the past week) the more I realize how true this is. I do feel most comfortable and secure when I feel competent, or at least informed. It’s probably why I feel such a compulsion to do a deep dive into anything that interests me, so I feel like I can fully understand it. Like… reading the rule book cover to cover to help ease my show anxiety. Or… spending 2 hours researching KIT genes to wrap my head around why Remi has so much white. There’s an endless number of examples, I do this all the time, but never really stepped back to think about why I’m like this. Totally completely absolutely has to do with my basic need to understand things and feel competent in order to feel comfortable. And I also do get a ton of satisfaction out of feeling helpful. 

“To create rapport: Approach them slowly and thoughtfully. Give them room to think things over.”

This makes me sound like a mustang fresh off the range. HAHAHAHA.

“Sensitive to sound, touch and intrusion“

Ok how tf does this thing know I hate loud noises (like, even the vacuum) and am generally uncomfortable being touched? Creepy. Also if you want to get punched, interrupt me while I’m reading.

“Fives tend to get stuck in their heads.”

Oh look, a summary of aaaaalllll of my riding problems.

“Fives need to balance their tendency to withdraw or withhold from people by reaching out to others, even if this involves discomfort or conflict.”

Now this is particularly interesting, because I think in my case “reaching out” kind of took on the format of this blog. It is a big source of my connection with people, and I say things here I wouldn’t have felt comfortable saying out loud before. It’s helped me come out of my shell a lot, I think.

Fives are very cerebral in their orientation and believe that knowledge is power. They have a hunger for knowledge and understanding that leads them to explore information in great depth. They may have a voracious appetite for information on certain topics and enjoy building real expertise and wisdom based on these.

Horses. Horseshorseshorseshorses. BREEDING.

So really this post could have just been titled “reasons why I am probably the most annoying person in the world”. Ta-da.

Has anyone else explored the enneagram stuff and thought about how it applies to both your regular life and your horse life/riding? What’s your enneagram number? Please tell me there are more 5’s…