Earlier this year when I found out I was pregnant (76 days to go!) nothing changed for me, at least not right away. I kept on riding, despite the crappy weather, doing our first baby hunter show, to get back in to the swing of things. Around mid-March Fox and I had what would be our last ride together for a long while. I took him to a local farm that has a lovely arena and I moseyed around while my friend A and her mare did more serious things. Fox had a small brainless moment in which his front feet left the ground, while his back feet spun to the left. Nothing huge or scary but it was enough that I decided to stop riding after that day. We did keep riding that day and wandered out to the XC so A could school her mare and Fox could make friends with the three loose ponies. He's always so enthralled with the smaller equines. I think he feels like a giant next to them and it gives him a good feeling to not be the designated shorty.
Back to deciding to stop riding. If he was going to be throwing in random airs above ground while we were off the farm (98% of the time he's an angel off the farm) then I knew I couldn't trust him to take care of me at home where he's usually an a$$hat. There was no way I was getting back on the High Queen after not having swung a leg over her back in three years. She's enjoying her retirement and see's no reason for that to change thank you very much.
My DH's horse, the tallest and youngest horse on the property at a whopping 8 years old this year was also out. Despite the security of the western saddle that fits only him, Cowboy has the attention span of a gnat and if I could work him 5 or 6 days a week, I'm sure he'd be safe for me to wander around on. But my schedule isn't that flexible and Cowboy and I share a history. I still have the scars on my right hand from where he bit me one year in an attempt to snatch a peppermint from my hand. I may pull my big girl panties on and start teaching him dressage next year (FYI I've said this almost every year for the last three years) and actually compete him, but we'll see.
So what has been going on since I haven't been swinging up in to the tack? Well I now have an impressive array of lunging equipment. I've fully restocked all my grooming supplies and bought lots of equestrian items that I either can't fit in to right now (a lovely lavender FITS shirt, size small, thank you Tack of the Day) and some new pieces of tack that again I can't use for at least another five months(I'm planning on trying to get back in to the saddle in late November or early December), ie the cob sized, Havana brown Micklem Competition bridle I just snagged for a deal on eBay.
Other than that there is just a lot of fantastical plans and staring at the background photo I have on one of my monitors at work (I have two, duh IT's need two!). The photo is of the one and only time I cantered the High Queen up over a XC fence at a schooling. It was a small wooden coop and we came at from downhill to uphill approach. DH just happened to catch us mid-leap as I let out a Wahoo! My mouth is wide open in awe and delight, the High Queen is just easily catching massive air over the fence, one ear flicked back to listen to my ecstatic glee.
I kept hoping to meet up with my coach to get training rides done on Fox but it just never happened. DH took the truck apart one week to install his new birthday gift(a truly awesome touch screen stereo system with not one but TWO back-up cameras! One camera is specifically pointed a the ball hitch in the middle of the bed to make it sooo much easier to hitch up the trailer!) and he wasn't quite able to get it back together in time and of course even if he had it wouldn't have mattered because Fox came up a little off in front. Too much running around with the mare I think. The time before that the weather just wouldn't cooperate and before that my coach's schedule was just too packed and we couldn't find a good day. So I've kind of given up getting Fox ridden and decided to just let him wallow in his vacation until late this fall.
The High Queen got her first ever three legged lame abscess. Sooo totally fun! And it was on a rear hoof so it was extra fun trying to convince her to let me soak it. But I now own a staggering amount of hoof packing, soaking solutions and some new ice wraps to help with the inevitable leg swelling.
Even as the day for baby's impending arrival draws nearer I still find myself more apt to be cruising tack catalog's than baby gear catalogs. Although since finding out that I'm having a girl. YES! I've also been cruising pony breeder websites. Not that I'll be getting a pony any time soon, in five or six years probably. But it's fun to look and distract myself from the upcoming sleep deprivation. Already the baby has been waking me up in the middle of the night with her random and sometimes startling movements. I think the baby is practicing her pony clubber kicks. At 3am mommy is not amused by this and wishes the baby would go back to sleep.
I've decided to keep this blog as mostly eventing as I get back to it late this fall. But for a hilarious take on my eventing journey while juggling horse life, work life and baby life head over to Eventer +Baby Makes Three. https://eventermomblog.wordpress.com/2016/07/26/first-blog-post/
Until next time, keep it between the flags everyone!
