Her first Oxer!

 Funny has been bored so today we went adventuring. :) 

We went to Ashland. She loaded up very nicely with Dan in there first. When we got to Ashland I took Dan off and left her on the trailer. She stood there while I groomed Dan, peed, and tacked him up. I wanted to ease her into standing on the trailer while I ride Dan so she can come adventuring more often. :) She was not happy, but she wasn't awful. She pawed and snorted and danced. She somehow managed to get her leadrope wrapped around her neck twice too... which is a little scary. I gave her cookies when she was quiet. So.. we'll see. We'll do that more often. And hopefully space it out each time so that it gets to be a non-issue.

 

We hacked out and had fun. She was a super good girl. We walked over logs.. snacked on some grass... trotted a fair amount... and had fun. Oh, and while she is so very much like Dan, she is not exactly like him! Somehow as we started up the big hill behind the XC field... I dropped the lead rope. I don't know if she stopped or what happened. She just stood there looking at us. I got Dan turned around and we walked back to her and I grabbed the rope and off we went. Ha ha.. but definitely not what Dan did that one time I dropped his rope! (he took off at the horse park and disappeared!) Oh, and we saw a coyote or a fox loping across the halfshire field to the hay field. He was pretty. We finished in the stadium ring area because there was a bunch of people cross country schooling and we didn't want to disturb anyone. There was a small vertical and a small oxer set up in the warm up area by stadium. Like... amoeba sized! Maybe 12 inches. So I thought... let's see. We trotted up to it and over we went. And she just jumped it! She didn't have to stop and throw herself over. She just jumped it. So then I got greedy and tried the oxer. And she jumped that one too!!! Baby girls "first oxer". :) It made my heart so happy! I really think that perhaps she was sore from her OCD's previously when she tried to jump and was all awkward about it. Good girl!! She got lots of praise. Then we went in the arena to trot on their footing.. just to give her a different feel. And I couldn't help it. We trotted the cross rail too! And she happily jumped that one too! And that was probably a legit crossrail... maybe only 12" in the middle, but maybe a hair taller. 

So then we headed back. Kelli was riding and said hi and said if I wanted to try riding Dan and leaving her in the trailer, she was around to help if needed. I almost said no, because she had been so good, but... help was there, so.. I tied Dan to the trailer and tried to load Funny without him. She said no. She tried a couple of times but never got the hind feet moving. I realized... it would be pretty rude to make her work, jump things, and then load on her own.. and then leave her there by herself. That's kind of rude. Not a reward for loading on her own. So, I tied her back up and untacked Dan. Then we tried loading her first again. This time she went. It took a few attempts, but she did it. So she got cookies and then I put Dan on. It was tempting but I didn't think it was the right thing. So we headed home. 

Then later tonight... while she was eating dinner I put the bemer boots on her. They finished dinner and she was out in the field and I was trying to catch her to pull her boot because it had started to slip. Apparently I have scared her with the sparkly unicorn crop.... (that I carry to keep them from snatching that amazing crack alfalfa hay that they seem to tromple me to get to).  Because she kept moving away from me. She'd let me get to her and then move through me. So, of course, I tried smacking her chest (politely at first) with the crop to get her to stand. Well then she got all wigged out and was running around. ARGH!! PLEASE don't break my boots! I finally chased her into the stall and I felt so bad. She was shaking! She had her butt turned to me but didn't kick. I sweet talked her and petted her butt and then she let me pull the boots off. And then she was fine. Ugh. So yeah.. she's gonna be one to get me to watch my frustration temper. But luckily for me... she forgave me quickly. And to my credit, I only threw my crop at her once... but was very much sweet talking her and not angry the rest of the time. 

Here's baby girls first oxer. :) It's so cute and little. But an oxer guys!!! 

Good girl... just wait for us to come get you. :) 

Wardrobe malfunctions

 It was cold today. This morning, with the 10-20 mph winds, the wind chill was 12! It warmed up quite nicely as long as the wind wasn't blowing, but.. it blew. So the high was 30 with the windchill. So Funny had her new 200 gram blanket, which keeps her really warm. But I added her sheet with the neck cover. Even though the neck cover isn't lined, I thought it would at least keep the wind off. But this afternoon when I went out to catch Dan, I found her like this. ha ha... I can only imagine that somehow Dan tried to pull it off her. But she's not entirely innocent as Dan's neck straps were unvelcroed. Although he was chewing at his own blanket earlier this morning so who knows!

I righted her and amazingly, her blanket was still properly on when Dan and I returned from our ride. ha ha!

I'm hoping to take her to Ashland tomorrow with Dan for an adventure. She is bored. 

Wipe Out!

 Time to start carving out time to get Funny doing things! She's bored!

 (insert video of sliding out)

New blanket.... it fits! a 78! Blue, not purple, but still snazzy

(blue photo blankets)

Sunset photos)

Sun napping and diapers

 Funny's blanket got shredded and fell down so she had pooped in the lining and was carrying it around. Ewwwww

sun bathing. Tried to help me wake up dan. 

nice lovely day

pretty sunset

Adventuring!

 Today was a miserable winter day. It was cold. It rained pretty much all day. Not a pouring downpour... just a slight drizzle that would slack off for 30 minutes to an hour or so and start back up again. The radar was mostly wrong. So, basically an annoying frustrating day for trying to ride. Especially after yesterday was kind of nice. And I'm extra cranky and annoyed with everything today. And also simultaneously feel like I want to cry. My plan was to go work on a horse this morning, hit the grocery store on my way home, and then ride. This morning the weather app said that it would stop raining at 2ish. Yeah.. they lied. 

So, finally I just said screw it. It was about 3ish and there was only small sprinkles so I decided to ride. I thought about taking the kids to Ashland and hacking, but decided since it was getting late that I would just ride at home. Plus I figured that way I could do some flat work with Dan in the arena if the arena was ridable and the weather cooperated. So I did. I tied them both at the trailer and tacked Dan up and groomed Funny. Right as I was about to get on something spooked them both and they both were spinning and sliding around. ugh. I finally got them organized and got on. And then the rain started up again but it was more of a spitting mist than real rain. And they were wild!! Dan was totally on the muscle and Funny was spicy. She even reared up after we got across the street. But, she settled quickly and Dan kept power walking and she did too. Although at one point he did reach over and grab her on the neck hard. Seriously dude?! Why do you keep doing that!? It's rude! 

We had a good walk around the neighborhood. Funny walked right through the puddles, even some deep ones. Then I took her into the arena and she walked over the liverpool, over some poles on the ground, and we even walked through the cavalettis'. We did one little trit trot because the ground was kind of icky. And she saw herself in the mirror! Hee hee. I guess she hasn't been in here since we put the mirrors up! She was very confused. She kept looking behind the mirror to see where that horse went. Smart girl! 

I turned her out so I could do a little bit with dan and she want bucking and galloping off. Hee hee... 

But yay baby girl! You got a little bit of adventuring in. :) 

Learning

 So... I've been promising Funny that we would do things soon... and keep having to break my promise, or postpone it. I was thinking I'd have time when my truck was in the shop, but... I also had to deliver and pick up the truck so that didn't leave me as much time as I thought. And then riding... chores... life... So, she hasn't gotten to do anything fun in a while. The other day when I took Dan she went galloping off in the pasture all mad she didn't get to go play too. Sorry baby girl!! I really need to get a friend to help me and see if she will behave in the trailer while I work Dan so that I can start taking them both, letting her sit while I work Dan and then hacking them both after. Hopefully soon! 

So anyways... this weekend was the snow. So Saturday I was busy doing things and riding Dan. Then Sunday... it "snowed" so we didn't do anything but play. Today I was supposed to work but since we weren't sure what the weather was going to do, we cancelled my 3 horses in Alpharetta. And then because I was around 3 people with covid or significant others with Covid, my Mom and sis didn't want me to come visit to meet my new nephew, so... I had today off. Which... should have been awesome, but... life. The roads ended up being fine but it was bitter cold and windy. Mike and I did breakfast after I did horse chores and then he went to the office for a bit. I debated riding. I could ride Dan at Ashland or at home.. I could take him and Funny for a neighborhood walk. But it was just so brutally cold... I figured neither of them would really want to be naked. So I hemmed and hawed. I decided to at least go and do some errands so I wouldn't have to do them Tues or Thurs when the weather might be nicer. So I did that. Then I took the cavaletti's up to the arena and thought I might take Funny in there to play. But it was really soupy and quick sandy in spots. And the tractor was in the pasture, which meant Dan would chew on it if I brought Funny into the arena... So I didn't. I was still tempted to ride Dan and play with the cavaletti's and make sure they weren't cavaletti's of death. :) BUT... I ended up not. 

I went for a run and did some more housekeeping stuff and computer work. And then, then I played with Funny a teeny bit. I pulled her out and cleaned her feet. I groomed her and cleaned her wound. Then I pulled out the clippers and turned them on. She was pretty good about them so we did lots of rewarding bravery with cookies. She's still a little funny about them near her face when they are on, but fair enough. It was a good start for day 1 of clipper introduction. I even clipped a tiny bit of her chest and chin. Then I put goop on her wound and put her blanket back on. 

Ha! Not much playtime but a little bit. And oh my gosh.. I love her. She has the prettiest head with her big ol' ears. And I swear she's gotten bigger. Her neck was looking so nice too. It's going to be fun to play with her when she's old enough. 

Maybe this week we'll do more clippers and she can come on a walk with me. We need to work more on her and me stuff vs just her and Dan and me. 

Funnys First Snow!!!

 Well, "snow". :) Because... Georgia.

 

Basically everyone prepped and there is no available milk or bread anywhere. The storm started last night with lots of rain and heavy winds! We slept nice and cozy and Funny had Roany's old heavy weight high neck and then I added her sheet. Turns out, I can attach Dan's 100 gram neck cover to it, so she got to wear a neck cover for the first time. It didn't phase her. :) Cause she's a smart girl. It started raining around 8 pm and then it got super windy and chilly. They had their double blankets and plenty of hay. This morning it was hovering around 35 degrees. I was cleaning stalls and heard a loud crack and then the power went out. Ugh. Oh well. Good thing I had full water buckets, troughs and stall waters. And had finished cleaning stalls. The ponies were happy enough but wet. I went back inside and tried to sleep and luckily I heard the trucks and we got our power back on! yay! That means the heated water trough and buckets were back in action. 

And then.. it started snowing. Big fat fluffy flakes! YAY! I rushed outside to get photos but I also stupidly took pony cookies so I was mugged and then they wouldn't get far enough away for good photos. Nor would they really play. Unfortunately despite it snowing most of the day - well... alternating between snowing and sleeting and raining - nothing stuck. So... not really pretty photos. But baby girl got to experience snow. :) 

She's still all snuggled up and warm and dry and has all the hay. So hopefully when the weather plummets tonight the power lines will hold and we'll still have power. :) 

Wound Treatments and Progress

So... Baby girl is doing surprisingly well after her slide across the asphalt. She was pretty sore that first day until her bute kicked in, but after that, she's been great! I've bemered her a few times but basically am just doing some hosing/hydrotherapy and the honey silver spray. And after 2 or 3 days of bute twice a day, I've dropped her down to once a day. And I'll probably take her off that shortly. I know it'll take longer to heal if I leave her out, but I also really don't want it to scar down and create biomechanical restrictions. So.. fingers crossed it's the right choice. The swelling has gone down now that some of that dead tissue has been pulled off. And apparently it's a lot longer than I thought. It goes way medially into her elbow. Poor thing. 

But.. she's been getting sassy! Which, is understandable. She's been fussy for the cold hosing and is NOT wanting me to touch anywhere near it. Although just today it got a little itchy and she was thrilled to have my scratch her chest, just right near it. She's also let me pick the dead skin and scabs some, but she's not thrilled about it. She's lifted a hind leg at me a few times. Never fired out but threatened. She got spanked and is learning that's not allowed. She's also been fussing and dancing and flailing about in the cross ties. But now we're getting better. I'm trying to bribe her to "STAND" with cookies. It might be working. But the other day she cracked me up. I went out in the pasture to spray the spray on her and she kept walking off. So I had to go back out with the halter. I got it on and as I went to spray she gave me the classic side eye look of death and then went up and back. We played that game for a few before I just picked that foot up and sprayed her. I win little girl! I win! Although, she did bring to my attention that we need some more ground manners lessons before she gets to be 17 hands! So we did a little session the other day after our little brawl in the wash rack and today she was SOOOO much better. She's smart at least!

 

So yeah.. still gnarly, but looking better!! I'm watching for proud flesh as it's starting to look a little bit like it wants to do that.