First ride of the season!

First of all...Sugar is a SUPERSTAR!! And remember that she'll only be four this year, so this is her first ride after a break!!

So yesterday Bryan & I went over to the barn to ride. We gave Sugar & Rally a complete groom job, but no bath because it is STILL too cold :(
But anyways, it was very sunny so Sugar decided she would fall asleep while I brushed her, which is fine with me! She has already matured and learned so much because she stands still now when she is tied...which is a huge improvement over when I first got her.
Anyways, we took them down to the round pen together and "released" them. They enjoyed that! They took off and around and around they went, snorting and blowing all the way. Then they would go opposite ways and spook each other when they got too close...beautiful to watch! I took video footage, but I've lost my camera cord somehow.
So after they were done kicking their heels up, we took them back to the barn and tacked up. I've tacked Sugar up several times this past month and lunged her, but hadn't gotten on her yet. So then we walked back to the round pen, Sugar was a little bit spirited on the walk, but calmed down then. Bryan got on Rally the SuperGelding, and of course he was great. He didn't even try to trot/canter/gallop off at all! So I walked Sugar around and patted all around the saddle and such. She was great. So I walked her on over to the mounting block, and climbed on. She stood still and waited...YAY!!! We walked both directions, did two large half circles, and trotted one lap in both directions. She did all of it amazingly!!! She did not want to come up into the bridle at all, but I got a little bit of it towards the end, which was all I wanted. I underestimate her all the time, but it is great to be reminded of how awesome she is. I also got to actually sit in my new (to me) western saddle!!!!

18 :(

Pride would have been eighteen this month if he were still around. He was the best horse anyone could ever ask for and it's so hard to form a bond with Sugar after the extraordinary relationship Pride and I had.

I miss you handsome, and I hope and pray that when the time is right, you and I will ride together again.

Shedding!!!

Sugar is shedding!!!! That's about all the news I have but YAY!!! If it gets warm enough this weekend I want to wash her lower legs they're all grimy.

Have a good day!!

Busy, Busy!!!

I got a new (to me) western saddle!! Please excuse all stains on my previously white spotted horse!!! Note the angry ears because I was trying to take a picture instead of giving her the full amount of attention royalty like Sugar deserves!!



I'm so busy lately!
Patty Lynch came out and did Sugar & Rally's feet. I learned so much and I feel like a much better horseperson after learning from her.
That said, I needed to learn a lot about hoofcare. Sugar had an abcess that I was totally unaware of. It may seem odd to be unaware of an abcess but I thought she had a stone bruise and please remember they live in a come and go as you please stall type situation. I now clean out her feet at least every other day no matter what. Patty thinks Sugar will be a great barefoot horse and that she can continue to be barefoot. She didn't like the slow growth of Sugar's feet, so she talked to me about changing around the feed we use (more on that later).
Rally has a bit of a type of thrush that I (nor Bryan) were aware of. Apparently, that's what has given the bottoms of his feet a bit of a concave look/structure and we are now all over that!!! We are using Tomorrow (normally used to treat mastitis in cows) and it seems to be working, however it is so hard to obtain. Tractor Supply no longer carries it, so I have to order it online.
I don't know enough about it, but it seems like Sugar may be developing it as well, I think I may take photos and send them to Patty. She will be back out on April 6th, but I won't be able to be there. Bryan will be in charge on that day but you know how men are...he won't get all the little details.

Anyways...they are now switched successfully to Triple Crown 30% Supplement. It is called a supplement, but it is fed as a feed. The 30% is for the protein amount, and though it does seem high, and some worry that it will make them hot, after EXTENSIVE research on it I have come to the conclusion that sugars and starches are what make horses hot...which this is low in. I think Sugar still needs extra calories, which I will adjust shortly if she does not gain a little bit of weight. Rally is fine on it, and he actually looks less like a pillow and more like a horse :) (sarcasm here, Rally is not in any danger of foundering so don't worry!!)

There's drama at the barn with the trainer that's been coming out and it's leaving a bad taste in my mouth. I used that trainer for about 8-10 lessons last year but I'm considering switching and looking around now. Perhaps I will just ride for the summer and enjoy my horse as my job situation is doubtful at best.

Sugar is bored and I'm dreaming up (CHEAP!!) toys to get/create for her. She has ripped down rain spouting outside of the barn, knocked the stall doors off their hinges and is getting destructive inside. I know she's bored but turning out to pasture at this point in time is not do-able and I can only get out there once a day during the week to get her out of the paddock. She is so smart that I know she gets bored with herself. I think I might see how she feels about squeaky dog toys. It could be fun to watch!!

I got a new (to me) western saddle!! Please excuse all stains on my previously white spotted horse!!!

The great debate- Barefoot

Five days til a highly recommended barefoot trimmer - comes to visit Sugar & Rally.
Rally, the SuperGelding is of course super when it comes to his feet. They are wonderful barefoot hooves!!
Sugar on the other hand has those tiny halter-bred hooves and had shoes on for about a year before I bought her. I had them pulled by the barn farrier in early January and he gave her a trim, but I wanted someone that would help me get Sugar's best "hoof" forward. I want to give her every opportunity to be barefoot and from what I hear, this is the lady that can do it!!

How did you know that you wanted to ride English or Western?

Sugar is a western type breed, and she is a halter horse. She's also only three years old...four in two months!! But at this age, she could go either way.
I started western, bought Pride, went english, and now I have Sugar. I can't decide what to do!!!

Macho Horse Rally is back at the keyboard-
I tried to make the annoying spotted thing look dumb again the other day, but dude's girlfriend wouldn't stop laughing long enough to realize how dumb the annoying spotted thing is. It's weird that they call her Sugar, she's annoying, not sweet. The annoying spotted thing eats my hay, she follows me around, she DOES EVERYTHING I DO!!! The only good thing spotted thing ever did was let us out to eat all the hay all night, but even then she cut herself and whined about it all night.
Anyways, back to my story,I told spotted thing there were treats in the bottom of the sawdust box on wheels. They bring it around after they scoop up my droppings. The annoying spotted thing went in while they were putting more sawdust down, took a deep breath, and stuck her nose the whole way to the bottom of the box. She dug, and fluffed, and wiggled her weird spotted head back and forth, and she still couldn't find the treats (hehehe). The weird spotted thing was in all the way up to her eyes. Therefore, to get out she blew all the sawdust out of the box, and all over the inside of the barn. Dude's girlfriend just laughed, and laughed. HELLO, annoying spotted thing just made a huge so-called mess all over the barn???