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!