There is so much various drama and stress going on right now and I don't feel like hashing any of it out. I keep meaning to take more photos of the apartment. We've done more with it since this last batch was taken, but... lazy.

Living room, complete with Herbie.

I moved Ozzy and JR today. I now have them at the barn with Booger and Lilly (and Snazzy, Moo, and Rosie... and the sheep).

The downside is that I gave up my indoor, but I didn't use it much with them to begin with.

The upside seems to be endless. I am paying less board per horse. I am working off a good chunk of that already discounted board, so my board bill will be less than it has been in years. The horses are less than ten minutes from the apartment. In fact, I could probably ride them home if I felt so inclined. I will still be the only boarder. I will still have access to a great outdoor (and a round pen, woohoo!) Best of all, I am back on the Amwell Valley trails... my favorite place to ride. Ozzy and I can go back to gallivanting together for hours on end.

Ashley from SAS shipped them for me this morning.

Despite the awful snow and ice, the move went simply and quietly. We had to walk them down the street and to the back of the property to get them into their new paddock, but they handled it with decorum. Good boys. They walked around their new pasture (which they have all to themselves), and settled down to munch hay. They made for boring photos, but I was grateful. JR touched noses with the girls over the fence, and they were quite enamored with him. Ozzy says he has no interest in dating and won't even humor them.

They have two stalls that they can come and go from on their own, and I have my own tack room between them. They share a hay hut with a round bale in it, so they will literally always have access to hay. Plus they're getting a bale of timothy per day, and the option to eat alfalfa if I decide to spoil them (sorry Fat!Pony, but that's not likely). And, there's electric run to the water trough so I can get a heater at last!!!

I feel like a weight has been lifted, and am looking forward to this next chapter in our lives.

My Team Unruly post about renting with dogs.

Short clip of me flatting Dancer at SAS today. The guy who was training him before me had a nasty habit of sawing on his face, which was a really hard thing to overcome. Lots of work in side reins helped him with his disdain of contact. His walk has been golden for a while and I've spent a lot of time riding on a loopy rein. He is finally starting to get nice and consistent in the bridle at the trot. Mike took some cell phone video during our ride today. We got some nice jumping in later in the ride, but this was the highlight of my day. Good boy, Dancer. Good boy.

The view out our window yesterday. The horses were locked up because there were hunters in the woods out back.

We tried a new type of dog treat this week. With the move, we've been doing a lot of treating lately. Treats to help Julio get comfortable with staying home alone in a new place (he has abandonment issues since his last owner dumped him). Treats to help Herbie pee and poo promptly on the leash (Princess Herbie has always had a yard that she could use as she pleased. She doesn't think it's ladylike to 'go' on a leash like some Common Dog.) And treats to help teach the dogs the boundaries of the new-to-them property.

I ordered the treats through chewy.com. As you probably know, this is a site I've used several times over the years. As usual, the ordering process was easy and the treats arrived quickly with zero drama. Chewy.com has great prices on the best brands.



The treats we bought were Sojo Treats... the bacon cheddar variety.

I did some research before going with this brand. There were lots of things I liked on the label. No corn or wheat. No GMO's or artificial flavors. Human grade, made in the US. They were also low calorie. Calories were never a concern with Herbie since she's a lean mean adventuring machine. Julio, on the other hand, is a bit of a chunk. He's still learning a lot, so he gets treats frequently, but I was happy for a low calorie option.

I also went through the comments and ratings on the chewy.com page. It seemed everyone was very happy with the ingredients. Many people claimed that the big treats were awesome for their big dogs (I was excited, since Julio is huge and often swallows food whole, leaving me to ask, "Did you even taste that?") The reviews seemed torn right down the middle as to whether dogs liked the treats. Some reviewers claimed that their dogs loved them and that they were the only treats in the house, with five star ratings. Others claimed their dogs wouldn't eat them. Many of the dogs who wouldn't eat them were admittedly picky eaters.

I opened the treats and immediately had a pair of curious noses under my elbow. They must have smelled good right through the adorable packaging! I will say that I loved the boxes. Easy to open, easy to re-close, and... did I mention adorable?


Off to the kitchen we went, where both dogs sat eagerly at my feet, tails wagging. The treats themselves were biscuit textured. They had a faint scent, but nothing over powering. They're definitely not a high reward stinky treat, but I didn't expect them to be. I was disappointed at the size of the treats. They are definitely more what I consider small to medium sized dog treats.

I gave the dogs one treat each to start. Julio gobbled his with gusto. To my surprise, he did actually slow down and chew, which is unlike him. Then he smacked his lips and asked for another. Herbie just sort of sniffed the treat, then stared at me as if to say, "Do you expect me to eat this?"  She looked disappointed. After Julio gladly snacked on a second treat, Herbie reluctantly took one. She spit it out on the floor, sniffed it again, then gingerly ate it... more out of jealousy than anything else, I think.  Herbie is not a picky eater so I suspect these treats aren't going to be popular with everyone. With that said, she has never been a huge fan of the dried biscuit texture. She prefers moist treats.

I think these treats will be fine for rewarding Julio for going to his crate, and for rewarding him for various indoor behaviors. I don't think they'll be enough for off leash training outside, and I think Herbie will be offended if I try to use them to reward her for anything. The upside is that they were cheap ($6.49 for a ten oz. box) and they are mess-free. The crunchy texture is also great for cleaning teeth.

Over all, I give them three out of five stars.

We take the dogs to the barn to let them blow off some steam.

Graphic photos of Arrow's stifle after the cut.

Right after I posted the video of Kristin doing her 'homework' with Arrow in November, Arrow took a tumble in his paddock and gave himself a nasty stifle injury. Blood everywhere, tons of swelling, the whole nine. He could barely walk and was completely non weight bearing. Kristin had the vet out immediately. The wound was deep, but not in a place where it could be sutured. Arrow was put on stall rest for weeks and Kristin carefully flushed the wound every day. Our lessons came to a grinding halt.

Trying to keep my feet sort of warm.

Thankfully, Kristin is an attentive horse owner and follows instructions to a T. With a carefully monitored rehab, Arrow eventually made a full recovery. Once he was cleared to ride, we tried to set lessons back up. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't being particularly cooperative. Between the snow that trapped us on the mountain and the ice that made the footing too dangerous to ride on, we missed several sessions.

We had a lesson a couple weeks ago. Arrow was sound at the walk and trot, but still a little off at the canter. Despite the long break from riding, he retained everything he'd learned up to that point, and Kristin was able to pick up where she left off, minus a bit of fitness.

They're making such a great pair these days.

Yesterday, I finally went back for Arrow's second lesson since his injury. Mike tagged along with the camera in tow. Arrow's walk is awesome these days, a far cry from the horse who would bolt around like a giraffe the second you gave him a loose rein. His jog is getting slower and smoother with every ride, and his 'cruise control' is getting more and more consistent. We've been working on backing, obstacle grids, and turns on the forehand and haunches. Kristin also had her first canter back since Arrow's accident. The smile on her face reminds me why I do this every time.

As for Kristin... she gets more confident, relaxed, and balanced every time I see her. She has gone from a horse-owning novice to one of my favorite students. And, as always, we have a ton of fun during our lessons.

Pink glove twins!

Without further blathering, here are Mike's photos of our lesson yesterday. I think both Kristin and Arrow look great despite the rust.

I have the new place all to myself for the first time. (Mike and Bryce are out having boy time.) We finally have internet that is not dependent on a diesel generator. It is one year since I broke my leg and I am staying away from horses as much as possible until tomorrow. I guess it's time to share the apartment saga at last.

Mike and I started hunting for a place of our own at the end of 2012. We loved living with Bryce, but we're all getting too old to play roommates any more, and Mike and I were definitely ready for a space to call ours. The perfect place fell through at the beginning of 2013, but it turned out to be for the best. I broke my leg two weeks later, and our funds went to my medical expenses and other bills that kept coming while I was out of work.

In May, Bryce cautiously asked how the apartment hunt was going. He wasn't kicking us out, but he was ready to have his house back, and with potential job changes in his near future, he worried what would become of us if he had to sell the house. Bryce assured us that he was in no hurry for us to leave. He had a vague timeline in mind, and it was more than generous. "You know, maybe by the end of the year. March at the latest. Does that sound reasonable?" We laughed and thanked him. Ten months to find a place? Easy! Right?

Ha.

I mentioned that the horses are moving along with us (but not to the farm we live on). Ozzy and JR will get their own entry after March 1st (when they are set to move). Dancer moved last Saturday (the same day we did) to SAS.

It was a move that made sense from a lot of different angles. For starters, he is for sale. He was not getting a whole lot of exposure to anything at Carolyn's. This was great for getting his brain re-wired and putting a solid foundation on him, but he's past all that now. I want him at a barn where he can be ridden by different people and with other horses. There's the potential that someone could lease him so I could make back some of the money I've pumped back into him. There's also the possibility that he could sell to another boarder (or lesson student). That way, I could still see him and even maybe be involved in his future training. By being at a hunter barn, he could also hitch rides to shows, etc.

Mike and Dancer snuggling before he shipped.

The property is also  a step in the right direction for us. I have an indoor at Carolyn's, but it's too small and crowded to set up more than one or two jumps. This means that Dancer has been out of jump training for most of the winter. At SAS, there's an indoor with jumps in it, plus an outdoor ring and a grass 'jump field'. There is also direct access to some trails, which means I can get Dancer braver out of the ring (and potentially XC school him in the spring).

When I found out I could barter lessons for Lisa and Alcatraz for board, Dancer's fate was sealed. A bigger property, someone else to do hay and water, and less board? Sold!

Dancer moved in on Saturday morning, before my first lesson. Ashley (the other instructor at SAS, who I haven't talked about yet) shipped him for me. He loaded well into the trailer despite the fact that he hasn't been on one since I picked him up a year ago. In fact, he loaded better than he did when I got him. Good boy.

Dancer lived at SAS back when it was SHS, right after he came off the track. From what I understand, it wasn't a very pleasant experience. We opened the trailer to find him sweating and huffing, despite frigid temperatures. He was a nervous wreck, but when he saw me, he seemed to relax. Maybe I wasn't sending him back after all? I put a chain shank on him just to be safe, but I didn't need it. Dancer walked calmly alongside me all the way up to the top pasture, over the driveway and past all the stall-board horses. He was wide-eyed, but behaved like the gentleman he is.

I have Dancer on field board. He lives in an eleven acre pasture with five other horses. They have a shed the size of a barn, with two stalls inside that I use to feed him.

I turned Dancer loose and he trotted around, making friends with all the horses. Dillon, the buckskin TWH who is in charge of the herd, was obsessed with Dancer, and kept making the 'this is my thoroughbred' face at everyone else. And then Dancer buddied up with Hooper, the older TB. Apparently Hooper has never had a friend out there. All the other horses either bully him or ignore him. Dancer and Hoop have been inseparable all week. When I bring Dancer in to eat, Hooper stands next to his stall and waits for me to turn him back out.

BFF's

I am pleased to report that Dancer is not the only fat, fuzzy, naked, barefoot TB on the property. Tyler, a 15 year old chestnut with a wide blaze, moved into the pasture later the same day. The two of them are happy as clams.

The first night that I went out to feed Dancer, it was well after dark. I drove up to the pasture, feed bucket in tow. I opened the gate and there was no sign of my horse. He and the rest of the herd were over the hill, at the far end of the pasture. I whistled sharply and called, "DANCER!!!" I waited for a second, then heard Dancer's infamous 'smoker's whinny', followed by the staccato beat of hooves. My dark horse appeared over the snow covered hill crest, and slid to a stop in front of me. It melted my icy little heart.
Mike came to visit Dancer as well, with a bag of carrots to share. Of course he gave some to all the horses in the field. Pickles, the gray gelding, has decided that Mike is his best friend.

On Thursday, one of my lesson students was running late. Dancer was all over me in the field, eager for attention. I took the opportunity to bring him down and lunge him in the indoor. It shouldn't have surprised me, but Dancer was a total saint, barely batting an eye when a truck backfired on the road behind the far wall. He seems to be totally at home there already, and I'm sure it won't be long before I'm riding him in company, jumping courses again, and letting some of the other boarders ride him.

I think this is going to be a good, good thing for this horse.

We finally got internet on the mountain (sort of, long story). I am going to be spamming you guys relentlessly over the next few days. I'll start with something easy to digest: photos of Ozzy from the other day, when it snowed. Snow has always put Ozzy in a good mood. He's happy as a clam this year. And fuzzy. Very fuzzy.

Handsome man. Serious face.

What horse even DOES this?

We moved. The world promptly dumped half a foot of snow on us. Life on the mountain is beautiful, peaceful, and remote. So remote. It's like a different world. We still don't have internet (or propane, or TV, or a microwave... what year is it?) Here are some photos of the sunrise this morning. I could get used to this.

I could get used to this.