It’s been a busy month around my barn! We welcomed a new member into our herd. Well, Rich and I welcomed him. The other horses, not so much. Rich and Mel drove twelve hours to Montana, rode a bunch of horses, watched a bunch of roping and cow work, and then drove 12 hours home with the prize—Casper, a 6 y/o AQHA gelding, trained as a reiner but schooled in all phases of ranch work. He’s a lovely horse with a stellar temperament and Rich has already really bonded with him. I did have to lay down the law with Rich to say that Casper could not sleep in our bedroom.
We are letting Casper settle in slowly and get rested up after a long period of hard training and a long trip to his new home. But Casper has already starred in his first video! It was about reducing the static shock build-up in your blankets by using the right blanket wash and by spraying your horse with ShowSheen. Around my barn, horses have to be camera ready!
Pepper is recuperating from yet another injury, making me wonder, how big of a roll does bubble wrap come in? Honestly, I could be back to riding him now but I am taking some extra time to get him in better condition first. Between the green grass that’s lasted all summer, the lay-offs from injuries and my travel time, one of us has gotten a bit soft (and it isn’t me). I’ll spend about another week just doing conditioning groundwork, then I’ll start the same program under-saddle. Hopefully by this time next month, we’ll be back in full gear.
Meanwhile, my good horse Dually continues to rule the roost and look pretty—this is what he does best now, and we occasionally pull him out to model for the camera. Annie has become my #1 go-to horse rather reluctantly (it’s way more work than being #3). Although I like to joke about her marishness, I’m very happy to have such a lovely little mare who can do anything I ask and at a moment’s notice. She’s right-sized for me and a blast to ride, so what more can I ask? I can find something to love about any horse. Can you?
Ready to Get Started on Your Riding Goals?
Spring is almost upon us, and my team and I are getting ready to tackle our goals for this year in earnest! It’s easy to set the goal and promise yourself that you’re going to work with your horse X days a week, or practice really hard to get ready for a big ride or competition. But it can be really hard to actually START—whether it’s Day 1 or Day 25. Life happens—we get busy, things come up, and we excuse away making ourselves and our horses a priority.
If you need a little extra encouragement and support to meet your goals, join my new #HorseGoals Or Bust Facebook Group! This is a community where you can come to share your goals and updates, find support through frustrations and set-backs, be a cheerleaders for others, and celebrate accomplishments. See you there!
