The captions to previous Pictures.

Too lazy to fight with the spacing and craziness on so many pictures of the previous post. So to make things short and sweet, since Im feeling too lazy to give nice, long descriptions of my goings-on.

It snowed. A lot. Well, not really a lot. But enough to make me happy and want to ride in it. But when I tried, it melted by the time I got outside. And then, the day there was enough snow to really ride in it, I didn't feel like riding. Go me.

Then I got bored and free lunged Gypsy over the most sad-looking pathetic version of a jump. Don't judge me, or my garden-hose-wrapped-around-chairs jump chute. Or my one pole that exists in my barn, using more chairs as standards. Or the random wood post I used as a ground rail. But Gypsy seemed very happy to go. I just stood there, clucked at her, and so she went and trotted herself calmly into the chute, jumped the MAYBE one foot jump, and then trotted right back up to me and stopped. It was really cute. The video was too long to be texted to my email. Sad day. Will one day figure out how to transfer without having to text it.

In other news. Rode Gypsy again tonight. She has been very very good the last few times I rode. Tonight I rode her over a teeny tiny jump that was short enough to be walked over. Nonetheless, she overreacted and tried to rush and jump it. A few times over and working to settle down, she did it okay. Okay, not well or great, but passable.

Mass of Pictures

Riding Gypsy

Rode Gypsy today....its been awhile I think. I've been lazy, I hate going out when it is so freezing and cold. But this morning I went and got her all prettied up and rode her outside in the "snow". It was melting and hardly there, and by the time I was done riding, the snow was 100% gone. But Gypsy was actually really good. I need to find a place to trail ride her or something, because its not too interesting just wandering around the small yard. Didn't take her down Beasley road because her feet were a little tender on the asphalt....she got trimmed a few days ago. But I did take her in the arena afterwards and trotted around- she was pretty good, suprisingly. I just gave her tons of rein and didn't pick on her at all about her face. It does wonders.

It felt pretty good to get out and ride a little, and do some work in the barn. I don't know why I don't do it more often. It is hard to get motivation to get off the couch and out of the warm house.

Also rode Paint last week, or whenever it was. He was his normal self. Nothing exciting or spectacular about him, but no terrible funny business either. The farrier also did his feet too. It was sad news, and made me feel bad for him. The farrier thinks Paint is getting ringbone. You can already see and feel hard growth all around his lower right front. His feet grow so funny, all toe and no heel. Farrier said there is really nothing you can do about it, all the good trimming in the world will only delay and slow it down, but the natural way his hoof grows will bring it on in time either way. All the years Paint had bad feet care only sped it along a little. Paint isn't lame at all at this point, but Farrier thinks it will only be time. Maybe in five years Paint will be so lame there won't be any helping it anymore. Ringbone isn't like old Sammy's navicular was, you can't trim and shoe and keep it at bay. There's no treatment or help for ringbone, only lots of bute...something I'm more than sure won't be an option for him once he returns back to eastern Oregon. Which, is now on the table. I don't know how long Paint will still be here, but I suppose I'll just ride him now and then and keep him exercised until he goes.

Sister Time

My sister and I rode the horses today! Just in case nobody knows, this is a major big deal. My sister is very non-horsey. So it was super cool for her to ride with me. :) We rode them down the road on a little mini-trail ride. Both horses were wonderfully well behaved and plodded along nicely. It was nice. I would very much like to go riding with my sister again. Maybe trailer out to a real trail.

A new year, a new beginning

Oh where to start, where to start. I will begin with my very recent breakup. Without going too in depth.... We decided we are unable to make each other happy anymore, and we are better off, sadly, to just call it quits after all these years. Well, three or four years. Having a semi-tough time of it, but I am trying to tell myself it was for the best, and it will give me opportunities that were previously closed. Um... Sure. Yeah.. So I have moved back in with my parents for good, while he stays in our -the- duplex. Things are still akward and largely unsolved still.
Lets attempt to get away from that. Still working at the barn on Wednesdays. As of late Charlotte, the baby, has been getting so very naughty. She has been increasingly difficult to walk out to her pasture with her mama. Last week she even tried to twist away from me while I led her and grazed me with a hind kick. Naughty booger. I guess her owner has been sick of her games too. There is now a stud chain on Charlottes halter. Rather much for a baby sure, but she was getting dangerous to handle. Not even joking..she is a huge girl, about six months old now, totally fearless of people. I will say that today when I led her and her mama to the pasture, they were wonderfully good. Walked nicely, all feet on the ground. Massive massive improvement. She got a little teeny bit goofy, we stopped and stood for a minute. Then walked calmly on. Yay.

And now that I am single and not entirely responsible for a duplex and stuff....opportunities have arose. My mom suggested returning to college. Hmm. I could go and get my Vet Tech degree, then I wouldn't have to rely on the Ridgefield clinic to hire me. I would be much more qualified to work at any equine clinic, which is truly what I want to do. I am tired of working at the feed store, feeling like I wasted two years of my life at school. But the entrance to the vet tech program at PCC sounds next to impossible. Do I dare even try? I am attempting to turn a corner in my life as far as my attitude goes. I am so tired of relying on others to make me happy, I want to be a happy and joyful person all on my own, and be content with my life. Something I have had many issues with the past years. Perhaps even a major reason why my recent breakup happened. I want to fix that. I am trying to take my first few baby steps at that. Is going back to school my first big step? A step towards my dream job.....but that would mean quitting the job I have now, having no income and just relying on the hope that I would be able to find work after I get a new degree. Something I'm not good at. I just need to investigate all my options.