Grrr!!!

Grrr!! I can't wait to feel better! It's so annoying! I need to go to the doctor. I went to the barn today to work with Denali and I am just too weak to do much more than groom her. It sucks. I lounged her, and she is doing really well at her transitions. Her trainer rode her and showed me how they've been working on bending. She is looking like a proper dressage pony now.

I bought a new helmet today. That's another thing bothering me!! I tried on one size and the lady told me that it was too big (i.e, moved around on my head more than she'd like.) So I tried the size smaller on and it fit like a glove, but was a little tight. She said that was good and that it's better to have it tight than loose. I get that, but I wore it today at the barn and it just seems to tight!! One stupid muscle in my head pushes into the helmet, or the other way around, but you get the point. I am really hoping that it ends up working out, because it is an expensive helmet to not want to wear! I just keep thinking that I should have bought the other one and added padding instead of getting the one that fit at the time. Does anyone else have that problem? I am just wondering if I did the right thing!

Goal for tomorrow: be able to lounge Denali for more than five minutes without feeling like I'm about to pass out!

Wednesday Night is the Show! I'm pretty excited!

Guess who's going to be a show horse?

I got to the barn today after stopping off to buy a fly sheet for Ophelia. I thought it was only fair for me to buy her fly sheet since Denali thinks that she can take a bit out of Ophie anytime she wants, and she'll be the one to destroy the sheet, not Ophie.

Denali's trainer asked if she could take Denali to a show this week for the 4-H kids to learn how to judge confirmation. I was pretty excited that someone called and asked her if she had any "warmblood, hunter type horses" that she could bring so the kids could practice judging confirmation, and she said Denali (after okaying it with me.) It's only a "practice" for the kidlets to learn, but Denali won't know that and I have never seen her in an environment outside of a barn (aside from the auction I bought her at, but she was drugged.) I think it will be a good experience and I'm pretty excited to go and watch.

I also lost my temper today with one of the little girls who rides at the barn. It was the first time, and right in front of her mother. I was talking to Denali, like the dork I am, and I hear the little girl tell me how soft Denali's tail is. I about died! I know I haven't explained it very well in here, but my horse is a killing (or attempted) machine. She has taken out more walls and doors than any other horse I know, and it was always when something surpised her. She also once ran the barn owners daughter down in the arena and tried to pounce on her...not good... ANYWAY, back to the main story, I freaked out on her about touching Denali when she's not looking. The mom looked taken back, but it's either A. you don't touch horses that you don't know, or b. you die. The thing that would suck the most is that Denali would be labled the bad horse because she kicked, not the kid for not listening. I guess Denali is deciving because she is so sweet and so calm now, but the point is I know she can do it, I've seen her do it, and it's better safe than sorry. I think I've officially scared all the girls from ever touching my horse again.... Oh well. The mom wanted me to explain why to her kid, simple: she's not yours, and you don't know her.

I did thin her mane today!! It looks so much better! It also helps that her fly sheet had a neck cover on it so that helps keep her hair down. Thanks for the advice! I'm going to attempt to braid it Tuesday night for Wednesday. I practiced on her tail, and she totally tucked it as far under as she could. HA HA HA.

So Fresh and So Clean Clean

(I love Outkast BTW)

We did it! We cleaned Denali tonight. She LOVES water, but the scrubbing part...not so much, dances all over and HATES IT. It actually is kind of funny, I hate being touched too. It's why I teach middle school. They don't touch me. She looks really nice, I'll post pictures as soon as I'm not too lazy to walk to the other side of the room and grab the camera cord.

Add one more thing about mare's I didn't know.... We were washing Denali and my trainer asked if we cleaned her teats. Teats? Really? You need to clean those? I mean that was why I was so excited about a mare was I didn't need to worry about cleaning a geldings shaft. Well, I was informed that it gets all gross and sticky and needs cleaned.... I'll give you two guesses as to what Denali thought about me touching her there! She about jumped two feet, even when I went SUPER SUPER SUPER slow.

Let me tell you:

A. She loved it and about fell asleep while I did it (not normal Denali behavior) and

B. Pretty much the grossest thing ever! Really, the whole area was just caked in this disgusting (well, if you know about horses, which I apparently don't you know what I'm talking about) thick scabby, sticky, dirty stuff.

Denali's never had a foal (that I'm aware of, but she was 4 when I got her and straight from the Track) so it was a new experience for her! The hubby helped with the bath, he's so cute with her! I offered to let him help clean off her teats, but he politely declined. Actually he said, "I can't touch her like that." I guess he's getting a gelding. But he did scrub her and did a nice job of drying her off. He's just getting into horses, so baby steps!

New Trick I need to Learn:
1. How to clean her freaking forelock. Tried the wash cloth today, and she put her head up as far as she could get it. Weird for a horse who will put her whole head into the water.

Going tomorrow to buy a thinning tool that someone on here suggested! After her bath, it looked like she had a fro. It's bad!

New Horse!

I miss the girl! Last night I decided to drive out to the barn to just say hi and give her some love. When I pulled in I couldn't figure out who the life of me the light brown horse was in the field. It's a small barn and there are only 13 horses, so the idea of a new one and a new boarder got me really excited.

I parked the car and went looking for the girl. Guess where I found her? In the field under about 2 inches of dirt. She doesn't even look like herself. I should have guessed that was her that I saw when I pulled in, but silly me. She also looks like she grew another inch! She is HUGE. She has defiantly grown since February, and is filling out beautifully! She looks like an expensive imported Warmblood. She would be a great mare to breed to a Warmblood, aside from the fact I would never do that to her and her confirmation isn't perfect.

How do you even go about getting that much dirt off of a horse? I think I need to hang her up by the legs and beat her like a rug. I took her in and tried to brush the dirt off of her, but it just kept coming up! Seriously, aside from giving her a bath, or grooming her for hours and hours, is there anything I can do? I guess that's part of owning a horse...

After trying to take at least an inch of dirt off, I took her into the arena. Usually I walk over to the other side of the arena with her to make sure that the other door is closed and locked before I set her go. Today I just let her go. Guess where she went running too!! I freaked and ran over to the door, but she just stood there looking at it until it was closed and locked and then she took off running. I think that she thinks she has to go to the door before she's allowed to run around. It was pretty cute.

It's going to be above 80 today! A good day to scrub off some mud, depending on how I feel.

Yuck!

I got back from Vegas on Sunday night and was SO SO excited for my favorite day of the week: Monday! I usually go to volunteer and then work with Denali. Unfortunately, I woke up on Monday morning at 3 am, really sick. So one hospital trip later and lots of fluids via an IV I'm feeling a little better. Food Poisoning? Back to work sickness? All this means that I'm on a couch and won't get to see the girl for a few days. Boo.

VEGAS!

This weekend I am off to Vegas! I'm pretty excited, but that means that no Nawlers or Nawlers updates!

We went out to see her last night. It was my hubby's first time seeing her since she was at the evil barn. Her trainer showed us what we learned, it was kind of funny, I felt like I was at a parent teacher conference!

Hubby rode her around the arena. He's so good with horses, I think if he took lessons he'd be a natural horseman.

Well not much of an update.... I have pictures to upload, I keep getting behind on that! I need a new camera that doesn't take years to take a photo!

Monday, Monday!

Isn't she pretty?

Mondays are my favorite day of the week. I know I sound crazy, and don't worry, I spend the rest of the week hating life...



Mondays I volunteer at a Therapeutic Riding Center in the area, and I love it. I always feel like an idiot because I get choked up when I see the kiddos take the reins and ask their horse to walk on. It's a pretty powerful experience. Yesterday I was running late and therefore worked in a different class with a different horse and kiddo. It was so much fun to be able to interact that much. Usually I lead the horse, so the kid isn't my focus. It was a nice change of pace.



After class I went to the barn to see the girl. Of course she came barreling up the field as soon as I turned the corner. I'm not sure if that is something that is super cool, or a bad idea. She does get pissed when I take too long.



I put her in the cross ties and had her standing there for quite some time while I was getting things ready. She was so patient and such a good girl. Every time she heard me she'd nicker, which I think is really sweet.



We're working on bending. It's going well, and yesterday she was giving to the bit and working really well off my leg. I was really proud of her. There were some spooks though, although they weren't horrible. It's been so long that I just started laughing at her. It was more like a spider running all over. It was raining and the horses were outside running and bucking and playing.... she was freaking out, but we kept it together and kept walking. I was proud of her!!