Heeeeeey there, long time no type. I’ll spare you the excuses, they’d just be a formality at this point. We are, in fact, all here and alive and mostly well, and while I don’t have a ton of time for a super lengthy and in-depth update (the Patreon people have to listen to all that 😅), I’ll give you my best TLDR version of where we’re at and what we’ve been up to.

Basically, after having a really super and confident and happy run at Ocala in August, Presto went to Bouckaert and had a bit of an emotional meltdown. Then he went to Tryon and had an even bigger emotional meltdown that involved trying to jump out of the trailer and slicing his legs up (yes, again) and his mental state didn’t really get any better for several days after he got home. We’ve decided to give him a little bit of a break, regroup, make things fun for him again, and probably abandon the idea of taking to him horse shows that require long hauls and overnight stays. He seems to have a lot of major attachment issues and come-aparts in those situations, and he really caved under the pressure.

So, given all that, Presto obviously did not go on the previously planned east coast horse show tour with Trainer. Instead we had a couple of fun and easy lessons before she left, and since she’s been gone we’ve been doing lots of hacking and basic work that he’s good at, just trying to make him happy with himself again. It seems to be working, knock on wood, and he’s been really good. We’ll experiment with some local shows and get back into the swing of lessons when Trainer gets back, and then see where we’re really at. We have to regroup and change some of the goals and plans for Presto, given what we’ve learned in the past couple months. As of right now, the future is a little bit uncertain, but he’s sound and enjoying his work.

Henry has been mostly good, although we had a really scary moment cross country schooling a couple weeks ago where he twisted his shoe and stepped on his clip, going instantly 3-legged lame while cantering to a jump. That was not a fun experience. He bled like crazy, another XC schooler on course nearly ran us over while I was on the ground holding his leg up waiting for help… just not the best. THANK GOODNESS once we got the shoe off he was totally fine, and it’s healed up with no issues. Moral of this story though: make sure you have extra farrier tools in your trailer. Mine were at home.

As for Rubes, you’ve probably noticed that we’re not at the RRP Makeover this week. I’ve still not been able to get shoes back on him yet after he ripped a chunk of hoof off in late July. It’s been so wet here (I literally cannot accurately express to anyone how wet it is here during the summer months, between rain and heavy dew) that I just reaaaaaally struggle with his feet. Right now he’s wearing casts on the fronts, because he had ALMOST enough wall last week but we were worried that it wasn’t quite enough. He’s sound, and he wants to work, but I’m gonna be honest – I’ve given up on him being compatible with Florida. At least for me, with my situation, where I have no access to a dry turnout and don’t have the set-up or manpower to keep him inside.

He’s great during the dry season, no problem, but standing in moisture 24/7 just does terrible things to his feet and then they fall apart and he can’t be ridden and he gets sad and I get sad and it’s become a cycle I’ve not been able to break. His feet seem to be able to withstand the first 6 weeks of wet season, and then the trouble starts. Truth be told, he’d be much happier in a less tropical climate… he’s not a fan of our dog-sized mosquitoes either.

I’ve waffled back and forth on this for months, but I finally talked to his breeder about re-homing him. I love Rubes, he’s so sweet and tries so hard, but I don’t think Florida is the place for him. Plus, he really wants to be a showjumper type, IMO. He absolutely loves routine, predictability, doing the same thing all the time, etc. I think the chaos and constant change of eventing isn’t his jam. He’d be absolutely perfect as a jumper for a bold junior or ammy that lives in literally any climate but this one. If you know of someone that might make a good match for him, send them my way! Perfect home is of the utmost importance.

Basically we’re in a bit of a period of upheaval and rebooting in a lot of ways. But what is life with horses if it’s not constantly changing?