The Time Of My Life

There hasn't been much blogging, but Oh there has been so much adventure ...

Sunshine and I have fallen into a nice rhythm ... we've ridden in the ring, we've ridden over tarps, around cones, up and over cross rails and around barrels ... we've been out on the trails and we've had some "not seeing eye to eye" on which direction we're going in ... but we have NEVER been out of sync ...

If you had told me last year, that I would meet the horse of my dream, that I would fall head over heels (well, okay, I'll admit that I fall in love pretty easily!!!) ... but that I would be matched up with my perfect horse ... I didn't know it was Sunny ... but it is ... He is THE one ... that ONE horse that changes your whole life ... He's my boy and I'm his girl ...

I have never EVER in my life been this happy ... I was and will always be a HORSE CRAZY GIRL!!!

Trail Blazing!

I haven't posted in a very long time ... I guess that's what happens when you're so busy WITH your horse you don't have time to BLOG about your horse ... but today was worth mentioning!

My Sunshine is everything I ever dreamed of in a horse ... and although we've had some amazing rides in the ring on the farm (and especially last night's moonlight ride bareback around the ring) ... I am a "trail girl" ...

Today, we took Sunny, Merlin and Doc out on the trails ... and had the best time ever ... we rode "low and slow" and enjoyed every moment of the ride ... but the highlight was ...

The last leg of our ride we tried to get into a familiar field right before home ... but the trail was so overgrown with brush, pricker bushes, etc that we had to "make our own trail".  I have a nice pricker bush hickey, but enough about that ...

Doc trailblazed the way, Merlin got tangled in some old wire fencing and Sunny stood like a statue while I held Merlin and his rider, Kathy untangled him ... nobody panicked (well nobody showed panic!!!) ... And then Sunny and I walked through the tangle, through the fencing, through the crazy stone wall and then the relaxing walk home ...

I have NEVER in my life trusted a horse more and I have NEVER in my life felt the trust of a horse more ... Sunny and I are a TEAM!!!

He is truly my soul mate and I couldn't love him any more if I tried ...

Horsin' Around

I realized I haven't posted much lately ... now that I have a horse I am blogging less about my horse ... maybe because I'm so busy spending time with him, I have less time to talk about him!

Several people have asked the questions ... how much did you pay for him ... it's strange ... the cost to buy a horse is never the cost of owning a horse ... so I tell them, "I paid my entire heart!" ...

We are happy, we are in love, we are having the time of our lives ... so if you must know how much I bought Sunny for, I'll tell you honestly:

More than a dollar, less than a million dollars!

And worth every shiny copper penny!

Saddles Make It All Real

I took the week off to spend with my boy ... and I bought a saddle for him ... funny how the purchase of a saddle was almost more momentous than the purchase of the horse!

I'm grateful that it FIT my horse and it also FIT my butt!!!

It's so pretty!!!

15 Months Ago

Fifteen months ago my life changed ... not just for the better ... but for the AWESOME!

Back then I didn't own two pairs of rocking cowgirl boots, I didn't listen to country music and I didn't have a horse in my life!  And I had NO idea what I was missing!

First I started a new job ... in the town that I live in, cutting my commute from an hour each way to less than ten minutes ... then I met my new coworkers and we bonded a little too closely ... and for some reason I ended up not only listening to country music, but embracing it with a passion.  And then I started paying more attention to the facebook friends I had who owned horses and there was a spark!

A spark so intense that I got brave enough to call a former coworker friend and ask her if I could ride her horse ... and then she let me ride Chase ... and I didn't fall off ... and I remembered how to move in the saddle with the horse ... and I got bit ... bit HARD!  Not by Chase ... but by the "I've got to ride horses again no matter what bug!"

My dream job gave me the most incredible hours ... out by 3:30 every afternoon, it felt like a part time job!  I found a barn halfway between my job and my home and decided it was time to learn how to "Western Pleasure" ... so that barn didn't work out, but I did learn that I didn't know everything (or possible anything) but I could trust myself!

I read "The Smart Woman's Guide To Midlife Horses" and said a LOT of prayers!

I reconnected with my friend Beth and her barn girl BFF's Cindy and Joan and they gave me my wish list:  He must be a.) a quarter horse and  b.) a gelding ... there might have been some other words of wisdom that I overlooked.

Then I was introduced to Jeremy ... amazing trainer and owner at Skyz The Limit ... he put me on the safest, slowest, sweetest, and possibly not the prettiest horse ever, Cody and proceeded to teach me something that was lacking in my horse riding life ... how to BREATH!  Apparently I was so excited to be ON a horse that I held my breath for a good portion of the ride.

And then came the night ... possibly fueled by a glass or two (shhh) of wine, when I actually went looking online for a horse ... and I found him.  That you can read about in the beginning of my blog).

And today, at 3:45 PM he became mine ... or I became his ... but really it doesn't matter ... because today all my little girl dreams ... and big girl dreams came true ... I have a horse!!!

So thank you ... Thank you to Christine K, Louise P, Beth O, Cindy R, Joan M, Chris M, Amanda J, Karen H, Tammy N, Jeremy M, Bridgett M and most especially to Hollywood ... because he is and will forever be "Carrot Man"!!!

You are ALL my Sunshine!!!

OMG!

Tomorrow is the Big Day ... Sunny will be mine ... OMG ... I have never in my life been this excited!  Yes I know I love my husband and the wedding day was awesome ... and yes I have given birth to two beautiful boys and those milestones were amazing ... but TOMORROW I'M GETTING A HORSE!   I'm guessing that only other horse people will get this ... Oh Sunshine ... you are MY Sunshine!!!

My Happy Place

The Big Day

In ONE week I will own a horse ... I have never been so excited in all of my life ... or as scared to death!

My reaction today was a mixture of giddyness and nausea!

It reminded me of the day I found out I was pregnant with my oldest child ... "I'm so excited/What have I done?"

Oh Sunshine ... what an adventure we're about to have!!!

Memory Lane

I went for a drive today ... to my old barn ... where I used to ride Moon.  It's been 20 years since I've seen her and she was 12 back then ... so I was pretty sure I probably was not going to run into her ... still I held out a tiny bit of hope ...

No Moon ...

Same barn, different farm house ... two adorable donkeys ... but no Moon ...

But when I looked at that barn, I realized my heart was still inside.  My heart was in that barn.

As I drove away I realized that Sunny has my heart now ... and he may not be the youngest horse on the block, or even the most sensible horse for me to buy, but he IS my heart ... and as I drove away from my childhood barn, I was more sure than ever that Sunny and I will be together forever ...

No matter how long or how short forever is!

I have been blessed to have been handed the Sun and the Moon!  I will never take that for granted!

Overprotective ... or Just a Typical Mama!

I got a text today at work from one of the girls at the barn ...

"Are you coming to barn today?"

It made my heart drop into my shoes ... "What happened?", "Is my baby Okay?", "Was there an issue?" ...

Turns out she was just bored and wondering if anyone was gonna show up to ride, bring snacks, etc.

I realized today that my heart is just as fragile with Sunny as it was with my kids ... Hold Me!!!

Blue Ribbon Ride

At first I thought it was fluke ... but I'm convinced now that Sunny and I have fallen into a great walk/jog relationship.

He has the sweetest, slowest Western Pleasure jog I have ever sat too!

There was a few rides where I thought I had gotten it by accident, but now I'm convinced that I'm asking him for it and he's responding!

After today's ride, I hugged his neck and let him know that he gave me blue ribbon ride!

Someday we'll try it out in an actual show ring to see if the judges agree with us!

Photo Op

One of the girls at the barn has a potential career as a photographer ...

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday my beautiful boy ... We met just a few months ago and I couldn't imagine one day without you ... you have given me back all the best parts of me that were lost so long ago ... thank you Sunshine ... you and me ... forever!!!

Horsegirl problems ...

Horsegirl problems ...

I had Sunny doing the sweetest, slowest WP jog today in the ring ... the only thing is, I don't know exactly what I did to get it ... sigh ...

You Are My Sunshine

My lease is up at the end of July ... and this past weekend my husband, my Hollywood let me know that after my lease is over, he will buy me my horse ...

My Sunshine!

I am over the MOON!  I go between happy tears, to pinching myself to see if this is really real.

There has NEVER been a happier little girl than me ... even if I'm way past the "little girl stage"!!!

Oh What A Night!

Had an awesome tailgate/birthday party at the barn tonight for Bridget!

My favorite part ... another bareback ride on Sunny ... we played Sit A Buck ... and the most amazing thing is I actually trotted bareback!!!  I lost the competition because I didn't canter, but that's all OKAY ... because I trotted and stayed on!!!

Then I watched a great demonstration of a reining horse with the barn owner ... and then got to ride on that horse ... he was not Sunny ... he was fast and full of himself and NOT more whoa than go ... but I rode him and I trotted him and I wasn't afraid!

I love my barn!!! ... and margaritas!!!

Size Smaller Jeans!

I bought a pair of very stretchy, slim fit jeans to wear for riding today ... they're not the gorgeous Ariat Riding Jeans ... but the "Dress Barn with an online coupon jeans" ... to replace my original ones ...

And the original ones served me well ... stretching where I needed stretch, allowing me to hoist a leg over Sunny's big tall body ... and letting me sit trot, post trot, lope (not really, but a great canter) and even muck a few stalls ...

But ...

Lately they've been very loose (praise God!) so apparently my Weight Watchers membership has been paying off ...

Today I decided it was time to replace said jeans ... so I went to Dress Barn (HA, get it ... jeans for riding horses ... Dress Barn ... barn ... okay only funny to me ...) and tried on one size smaller ... HA ... take that, try TWO sizes smaller ... oh yes, they fit, oh yes, did a little dance ... Oh yes ... bought some other stuff I didn't need ... Oh Crap ... gotta tell my husband that my new riding jeans WITH A COUPON ended up costing $70 (because of the cute skirt and not matching cute top ... dammit)!!!

I Luvs Him

Seriously ... there are probably 1,000 (or a zillion) horses out there in the world that are better for me than Sunny ... but you know what ... I don't care ... this boy has stolen my heart and I don't know what our future brings, but I luvs him!!!

Yup ... that's it ...

Handsome Boy!

He shines like a new penny!

Kiss, Cluck & Snap

Three things I apparently cannot do!

Kiss, Cluck & Snap ...

I know that I should "cluck" to trot ... I was doing it wrong all along, but now I think I've got it figured out.

Kiss to canter ... when did this start?  How did riding horses change so much from when I was younger ... what ever happened to "Giddy Up"?  I have a hard time making the kiss noise ... have searched the internet for a "kiss sound whistle" ... please someone make one for me!!!

Snapping doesn't have to do with horses, just another odd sound I am not able to make!

All I can say is thank God Sunny is a forgiving horse ... I swear he shakes his head, looks at me and says, "Do you have any clue what you're doing?" and then I hear his heavy sigh ...

Lady Godiva

Okay, just to clarify I did NOT ride my horse naked ... but I did ride him bareback today.  This was definitely one for my bucket list ...

As a kid I adored riding through the fields without a saddle ... but as an adult, I wasn't sure it wouldn't be fatal!

But we did it!  I was able to get on with a mounting block and it was fantastic!  Of course it's been a long time since I rode bareback, and if Sunny even sneezed, I'm sure I'd be flat on my butt in the ring ... but he didn't and I enjoyed my ride of a lifetime.

Thank you Sunshine, you are by far the "man of my dreams"!!!

Move Your Feet

Apparently, you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!

Whenever a horse got 'nervous' in my past, I would make him stop so I could figure out what was wrong ...

What I have learned now is that "moving forward" is the best medicine ....

The May flies were horrific this afternoon and I would have liked nothing better than to end the ride and get the Hell Outta Dodge ... but Sunny decided he didn't want to walk to the far, scary end of the ring tonight ...

So I tried to get him to walk to the scary end, and he wouldn't.

So I tried again to get him to walk to the scary end, and he wouldn't!

Then I started to imagine what he might do if I MADE him walk to the scary end ... like buck, rear, run away (remember, Sunny's never done ANY of these things with me before, just in my anxious imagination!)

And that's when it hit me, to use the knowledge that I'm learning from reading, talking to seasoned riders, lessons, etc ...

I made him TROT to the scary end of the ring ... and he did!  And we lived!

And I told him he was a good boy, got him out of the MayFly zone and "drank a beer"!

What Horses Can Tell You If You Just Listen

What a great weekend Sunny and I had!  We had two perfect rides, a lesson in lunging (it's been a long long time for me), a bath and some hand grazing.  He was just awesome, I wasn't anxious and the weekend was FABULOUS!

I had a great lesson yesterday, not with my trainer, but with my horse.  While riding in the ring, I noticed that Sunny was doing different "little things" ... not staying on the rail, being fidgetty, trying to turn, but not really going anywhere and I had to ask myself, "What am I doing that is confusing him?"  And then I had an epiphany:

I talk to much!

When I'm riding Sunny, I am constantly having a verbal dialog with him.  I'm asking him to walk, trot, canter, whoa ... but I'm also just talking:  Good boy, great job, you're such a good boy, you're fine, etc.  I'm pretty sure I'm talking non-stop to reassure myself that things are going well.  But what's really happening is Sunny's trying to figure out, "What is she asking me to do?"

I'm going to practice riding silently.  I'll still cluck for trot, kiss for canter and ask for a "whoa" ... but the rest of the "blah, blah, blah" has GOT TO GO!

When I admitted my amazing insight to my husband, he agreed ... HA!  Maybe I'll practice living silently from time to time, too!

Hug Your Horse A Little Tighter

I arrived at the barn with just enough time to distribute a carrot or two to the love of my life!

But the horses in the next stalls tug at my heart strings, so of course I always bring extra carrots for Ali and Storm ... only Storm's not there ...

I knew instantly that Storm was no longer ever going to be there ...

Rest sweetly my friend ... I'm glad that for the last few months, you have had lots of carrots, a few homemade oat/peppermint candy treats and "luvs" ...

I will hug Sunny a little tighter and speak to him a little sweeter ... and I will promise never to forget you my friend ...

I know that God has a soft spot for majestic animals like you ... and I'm guessing He has a never ending supply of carrots!

God Speed Storm!

xoxo

Husband vs Horse

I cannot even begin to tell you how amazing I think it is that my husband loves my horse ... and sometimes I think my city boy spouse has more horse sense than I do ...

But then there's those times when I just shake my head and laugh ...

While we were feeding the horses carrots yesterday afternoon, one of the horses called out to my husband (who was holding the bag of carrots)

He said, "oh I have to give him one, he willied at me!"

Me:  He "willied at you?"

Him:  Yes ... he made the "insert horse sound here" noise at me

Me:  It's a WHINNY!

Him:  No he didn't whinny, he willied!

Okay Hollywood, Horse Whisperer ... He WILLIED at you!!!

Everything about him ...

I can't even begin to describe how much I love this boy ... but there's something you should know ... I'm a little bit afraid of horses!

I don't know where the fear came from ... maybe it's been a lot of years since I've ridden ... or the fact that it's a long way down for Sunny's back, or it could be that I just don't have a lot of confidence in myself and I'm afraid Sunny will notice that ... but I'm NOT ready to throw in the towel!

So I'm reading books on how to be a more confident rider, I'm asking my horsewomen friends for advice (and listening to it!) and most of all ...

After seeing a photo of my horse dressed up on Halloween with a little boy on his back dressed as Batman and Sunny was "robin" ... I've decided that each and every time I ride this beautiful boy ... I will remind him ... that I am "BATMAN!"

Hope the cape doesn't get in the way!  (or spook him!)

Shine On

My husband asked if that "stuff" in the bathroom was for me or Sunny ...

My response was "both of us" ...

So you're sharing hair products with your horse now?

Oh just wait till I dye my hair "Quarter Horse Chestnut"!!!

Missin' My Boy!

I went away with the girls this past weekend ... it was so great to head to Old Orchard Beach, Maine with nothing but eating, drinking and shopping on the agenda!

But I missed Sunny!

We ate the most amazing Thai Food, went out for a delicious breakfast at a local Maine hotspot, sipped Sam's Summer at The Last Call Bar on the boardwalk and dined on homemade Chicken Picatta with a fantastic salad, homemade salad dressing and strawberry shortcake for dessert ... and oh did I mention the wine?

But I missed Sunny!

We shopped in little souvenir shops, Cabellas, and Kittery Trading Post ... such adorable things to buy ...

But I missed Sunny!

We laughed on the beach, found a whole intact sand dollar and then when it started to rain, saw an amazing double rainbow over the ocean.  We visited the Portland Head Light House, which was my first time seeing a light house ever!

But I missed Sunny!

I guess I'm not gonna get over this horse thing anytime soon!

One of the highlights of my weekend was when my husband sent me a selfie of him and Sunny ... he went to the barn and made sure my boy had his daily fix of too many carrots!

I guess I missed my husband a little bit too!

The most gorgeous horse ever ...

So by now, you know I'm biased and think the Moon and the Sun set on Sunny ...

What I didn't post is the big icky tumor on the side of his neck (no photo, yuck!) ...

When I met him it was kinda the first thing I noticed ... my beautiful horse had an icky growth on his neck ... but I loved him to pieces anyway and to me he was GORGEOUS!!!

Today the vet removed it ... and I was a freakin' wreck ... I was at work saying prayers to God, Jesus, even the saint who loves animals that I can never remember his name ....

Sunny was fine!  He was his feisty self tonight (and by feisty I mean he was NOT gonna let me leave with one tiny carrot bite not uneaten!)

I am so grateful for the God who hears our prayers, even when they're about our four legged friends!

Yeah, I'm making homemade horse treats for My Boy tonight ... cuz he's the most beautiful boy ever!!!

XOXO Sunshine ... thank you for being my perfect horse.

He's Hooked!

Me:  Can you pick up some apples for Sunny when you stop at the store tonight?
Him:  Does he prefer macintosh or courtland?

Just Horsin' Around!

Happy Birthday, Love Sunny!

I did it, I successfully turned 49 today ... not as bad as I expected, but that might have something to do with the fact that lately I just feel like a horse crazy little girl ... nothing wrong with that ... maybe.

In honor of my birthday I booked an appointment at the hair salon today.  I let my stylist know that she didn't need to style my hair after she cut it, since I was just going riding and my helmet would ruin all her hard work.  Even still, she couldn't let me leave without looking very nice!

I spent the afternoon with my boy grooming and riding him.  My husband even showed up to let me know that he'd pick up my son from work today so I could spend MORE time with my horse before he took me out later for my birthday dinner.

After barn time, I came home to shower and get ready for dinner ... certainly didn't want to spend my date night with my husband covered in manure.  When I got ready to get into the shower, I noticed that my hair still looked fabulous from the earlier appointment.  So I dug out an old, barely used shower cap, tucked everything up in and scrubbed all the "horse" from me in the shower.

However, once squeaky clean, while I was getting dressed I noticed a certain odor ... it was a little .. uhm ... "horsey".  Apparently my hair LOOKED great, but smelled otherwise ... I hope a little spritz of Prada Candy perfume will mask the barn essence ... we shall see at dinner!

A Hop, Skip and a Jump ... and Still Smiling!

Had a fantastic ride on Sunny this morning with my friend Sherri and her horse, Dylan.  Spring is finally in the air and the ring is becoming more of a ring and less of an ice skating rink.

For my birthday, I splurged on a sexy, western style hard hat ... I figure at my age, I need to protect all the experience I've gathered in my brains!!!

So a nice leisurely ride around the ring took a sudden little "hop, skip and a jump" when I learned that the unshakable Sunny is NOT A FAN of the air brakes on the garbage truck!

The fact that I a.) stayed on, b.) did NOT panic, c.) continued to breath and d.) made him trot out in the scary section of the ring made me feel like WONDER WOMAN!

I know it's not such a feat for the seasoned rider, but from 17.2 hands in the air, it was a BIG deal for me.

Sunny, you ROCK ... and I kinda do too!

Carrots

Me (earlier in the day): Michael we need carrots for Sunny

Michael (later in the day): I bought carrots for Sunny, did you know we still had carrots in the fridge?

Me: Yeah, those are old and yucky.

Michael: Why don't we throw them away?

Me: Well I can still use them to cook with for you guys.

Michael and Bret: REALLY???

Saddle Therapy

I needed a mental health 1/2 vacation day ... maybe it was being tired from moving the clocks forward this past weekend, maybe it was cabin fever from the piles and piles of snow, probably it was just a bunch of life crap weighing heavy on my mind and heart ...

After arriving at the barn, not really knowing what my plan was, I groomed Sunny and decided to tack up.  I took him out in the ring and mounted up.  At first, I didn't feel "it" ... I was just going through the motions, and then I realized that I wasn't breathing, so I took a few deep breaths ... it occurred to me that I couldn't just "fake" calm with Sunny, he's too smart for that, and he wouldn't be fooled ...

Before I knew it, I was in a much better place and Sunny and I enjoyed a lazy trek around the muddy, snowy ring in the first 50 degree day of the season ... a promise of Spring in the air!

Sometimes Saddle Therapy is all I really need!!!

Perspective

Walking to the barn this afternoon, my boots were getting covered in mud ... which didn't bother me because that means we are officially in the spring thaw!!!

Walking in his paddock to get Sunny, I may have stepped in some manure ... no biggie!

Leaving the barn, I almost had a heart attack because I came this close to stepping in doggie doo ... NOW THAT IS GROSS!!!

(still have some horse manure under my fingernails, so what!!!)

Spring is in the Air

Gave Sunny a good brushing today and noticed that he's shedding ... a sure sign of Spring!  And he is going to lose his hood and second blanket, another great sign of Spring ...

So to celebrate, he made a nice snow angel in the ring today ... love to see happy horses roll ... too bad I couldn't get my camera out fast enough.

Quiet Afternoon

I spent some time with Sunny this afternoon ... just the two of us (and 20+ other horses in the barn!) ... but no other people.  It was nice.  The temperature was ALMOST 40 degrees!

We listened to some country music on my iPod and talked.  After I groomed him I just spent some time scratching his neck and feeding him carrots and cookies!

Then of course, I start snapping photos!

THIS is my favorite kissing spot:

Beautiful, beautiful boy!

 I like big butts and I cannot lie!

Now to search the internet to find out how many calories I burned removing two heavy winter blankets from a very tall horse and putting them back on after grooming!

Bomb Proof!

First I must start by saying, no bombs have gone off at the barn I'm leasing Sunny at ... Phew!

But we have experienced the following:

• Trying to exit the barn with a large horse and not quite open all the way garage-type door ... the saddle horn took the brunt of it.  Sunny = no reaction!
• Rogue goat attacks
• Getting blankets stuck on his head 
• Getting stuck in a deep snowbank (me), Sunny just standing their looking at me like, "How long you plan on being stuck?"
• Tractors, snow plows, mini front end loaders
• Prindle, the excited puppy underfoot
• Plastic bags (I've been reading that apparently these are the SCARIEST things that a horse has ever encountered in the history of all the world) ... Sunny and the other horses at the barn look at plastic bags with ears forward thinking, "ooooh is there something in there for me?" (which of course there is!)

And today, the one thing that I was SURE had the potential to freak out a horse ...

The starting of the Harley Davidson's ... guess what, NO REACTION whatsoever.

I have definitely found my soul-mate!!!

Time Travel

Stopped in to see Sunny this morning and give him some brushing and loving ... when I got there the radio was on ... and I realized I was listening to Kasey Kasem's America's Top 40 from 1980-something.

Not only do I feel like a little girl now that I have a horse in my life again, apparently the soundtrack has stayed the same!

Solo Flight

After a month of snow storm after snow storm, below 0 temperatures ... and a little bit of first time jitters ... I tacked up and rode Sunny today ...

I loved (almost) every second of it ... he is such a sweet, forgiving, handsome boy.

Sherri and her horse, Dylan were our riding buddies and I'm looking forward to nicer weather so we can bring our guys out for some trail riding.

And except for a few moments of being nervous when I thought we might be mauled by Bill the goat, the ride was absolute heaven!!!

I love this big guy ...

Sunshine & Hollywood

I couldn't be happier ... my husband loves my horse ...

There is that moment when you decide that you're going to have a horse and you know that you're going to have to convince your significant other that you're really doing this ... and that it's gonna be an expense, and that you're not always gonna smell very nice ... and that you may spend too much time at the barn and that ... well ... life is going to be different!

I knew it was all going to be okay yesterday, when my husband was doing the weekly grocery shopping and he called me from his cell phone to ask, "Do you need carrots for Sunny?"

Today, he took me to the barn and instead of dropping me off, he hung out while I groomed, changed winter blankets and took Sunny for a walk.

He made friends with some of the other horses, asking about their names, breeds and histories ... of course he liked the OTTB who bites, cuz "He's got attitude!!!"

Then I got to take these photos ...

Checking out the mares:

And what girl doesn't swoon to see her two "best guys" sharing a moment ...

They BOTH have stolen my heart!!!

Who Pays To Lease A Horse In New England ... In February???

So far since I've written the check to lease my Sunshine ... it has snowed, and I mean SNOWED!!! We're currently up to 103 inches of snow ... yesterday the temperatures were 30 below zero ... and I'm paying to ride a horse!!!  Yay me!!!
Seriously,  I couldn't be happier ... I've spent my time feeding carrots and  butterscotch treats, adjusting blankets, checking water buckets and taking Facebook horse selfies ... and praying in the middle of the night that Sunny and all his friends on the farm are warm enough ...

So basically, it's BLISS!

Bring on Spring, because I know Sunny and I are gonna ROCK IT!!!

It's Always "Sunny" at the Barn

I stopped by to see my boy tonight ... just to give him a couple of cookies, straighten out his blankets and refasten a few buckles and mainly just kiss his nose!

After finishing a great book this morning: 

Falling for Eli: How I Lost Heart, Then Gained Hope Through the Love of a Singular Horse 

by Nancy Shulins

Sunny and I have some similarities to the author and her horse Eli ... we met 'later in life', we're a little too generous with the treats and maybe a little too timid with the discipline ... but it was very clear that there are other women like me out there who have awakened that deep love of horses that never really left our little girl hearts!

But the ONE huge difference in our stories (besides the fact that my friends Beth and Cindy would never allow me to get a thoroughbred!!!) is the experience with trainers ... I understand her situation and remember a riding instructor when I was was a girl who scared the shit out of me and most of the horses around her ... but now I have the best trainer ever ... he's gentle with me, he knows that what I really need now is confidence building and the only time he's strict with me is when he reminds me to BREATHE!  

It's a Marvelous Night for a Moondance

Oh I miss my mare ...

My crazy, big headed, tongue-lolling, silly girl ...

Moondancer, aka Moonza-Doonza ... that one special horse that I was lucky enough to be in love with and have that love reciprocated ...

I can tell you what a pain in the ass she was, how many times she dumped and left me in the woods because "something touched my back leg, mama", or the sheer terror of trying to stay on her whenever she came across the worlds scariest creature of all ... the friendly cow!

I can also tell you how many of my tears she dried with her long beautiful mane, how she never ran out of kisses for me, the happy whinny that I got every time I showed up at the barn and the fierce, flat ears back look that she gave her best horse friends when they came up to me ... I was hers and she was mine!

Moon, every horse I ever meet will always be compared to you ... and no matter how great they are ... they'll always be one pecking order place behind you my dear!

xoxo

I'm SO sick of SNOW!

Wow, I just read that headline and had to laugh ...

I'm missing my Sunny today ... too much snow ... when it occurs to me who the horses in my life have been ...

There was my first horse, the one that was truly all mine ... I was 12 and my parents bought me my very own horse ... my dad built a big stall in the unused garage and set up a nice pasture in our backyard.  She was a silly looking appaloosa, only six years old ... and I loved her to death!!!

She came with a western saddle, a pair of western boots (for me, I'm not kidding) and I was IN LOVE!

I caved into the peer pressure of all my friends and somehow miraculously we trained her to be a little english hunter girl, because none of my friends "rode western" ... (cue a gentler version of mean girls here!)

But when all was said and done, our main mode of riding was bareback with just a halter and lead rope ... lazy summer days playing in the hay fields ... riding, munching grass, and just basically being best friends ...

And her name ... Snowflake!!!

I guess I really love snow after all!!!

That Face!

I have always been a sucker for a big blaze ... it's definitely the first thing I notice about a horse ...

But I look at Sunny's blaze and all I can think is ... God created this perfect blaze, but the horse was so sweet he couldn't wait till it dried before he had to pat him ... and so it's more of a "blaze with a smudge'!!!  PERFECTION ...

HA!

I went to the barn today wearing a tank top tucked into my underwear, then a layer of underarmour pants and long sleeve shirt over nylon socks ... then jeans with gray itchy wool hunting socks ... then an underarmor sweatshirt with thumb sleeves ... then a hoodie sweatshirt (kinda thug like) and then a vest ... I can barely move like the little kid in Christmas Story ... I don't even RIDE, I just "LOOK" at my horse ... I come home, I get out of all my "horsey" apparel ... and I still end up with a piece of hay in my underwear ... YUP ... I'm a horse girl now!!!

(no photo ... you're welcome!!!)

Good Morning Sunshine!

Yes, the very first thought when I opened my eyes this morning was, "I HAVE A HORSE!"

I feel like I'm a little girl all over again ...

I dressed in 73 layers, went to Dunkin's and bought a hot chocolate and then went to the barn to "stare at my horse" ...

Sunny is a great sport, he didn't seem to mind that a crazy lady found sheer joy in watching him eat hay ... occasionally he'd stop to sniff my hot chocolate (could he smell the chocolate cherry Bailey's nip that I put in it, hmmm ...)  He emptied my pockets of all the molasses, peppermint and butterscotch treats.  He didn't seem to mind when I fussed with his blankets because they were crooked.  And he decided that taking selfies on my phone was kinda fun!

We're Officially a Couple!

I signed all the paperwork, we're officially a couple ... it's a lease, so technically we're only engaged, but that's okay ... 

There was some careful thought and planning that went into this big decision ... like how I was going to afford him ... of course I can't really afford him, who CAN afford a horse!?!?

I went through my spending habits to see what I could cut out, what do I spend unnecessary money on each week?  It was hard to find that one thing ... ahem ... okay so it's the wine!

YES, I have decided to give up buying bottles of my favorite red wine in order to afford a horse ... I think it's a good trade off ... and I may even lose a few pounds in the process (I've always lost weight at the beginning of a new romance)!

So far so good ... I mean, I can do this, right?  (Okay, I may have bought a "box of wine" for the weekend, but that's ONLY because we're getting a three-day snow storm and I'm not crazy enough to think I can survive that without a little sip here and there ... right?  RIGHT!?!?!?

First Date

I finally broke the news to my husband last night that I'm going on a date ... with a horse!  He took it quite well, I'm pretty sure he saw this coming a mile away ... The funny thing is, my (no horse experience) husband so far is the ONLY one who thinks it's great that the horse is 17.2!

I arrive at the barn and there he is, waiting for me on the cross ties ... looking ... we'll looking ABSOLUTELY PERFECT!  First impressions are very important, I notice that he has a huge blaze and one amazing sock ... He notices that I come with pockets full of horse treats ... we become instant friends!

I brush him a little and then his owner and I take him out to the ring (which is filled with 100 feet of snow, since we're having a very snowy winter) ... I watch her ride this big, beautiful boy and he is the perfect gentleman ... then it's my turn ...

The view isn't as scary from up here as I expected ... in fact it's rather nice, in fact IT'S AWESOME!!!

He's just as sweet for me ... and I know that he is THE ONE!

(I even got a kiss on our first date, Sunny's smooth ...)

Answered Prayer (in a very big way)

The house is quiet, my husband has gone to sleep, I'm playing on Facebook and BAM! I find him!!!

Suddenly I'm dancing around the room ... I call the number, I leave a message, I text the number, I dance some more ... and then I get a response ... I have a date with a beautiful gelding for the following Sunday!

I text all my horsey friends ... and then it hits me ...

This horse is 17.2!!!

Want Ad

I feel like I'm writing my ad for a dating site ... but instead of a date with a guy, I'm looking for a date with a horse!

My dream horse is:

15.2+
Has a blaze (socks would be the icing on the cake)
Sweet and practically bombproof

I want to go on long lazy trail rides
Maybe work up to competitive trail rides
Wear sparkly outfits in a western pleasure show ring

He (or she) needs to love hugs, kisses and treats

Looking for a relationship ...