Exciting weekend!

Guess who is going to go audit George Morris clinic tomorrow, Saturday, and Sunday? That's right, this girl!

I am pretty jazzed about this...auditing one of his clinics has been on my bucket list for quite some time now. A clinic recap will follow, hopefully with some video.


I haven't forgotten my introduction of the new guy, there is exciting Zoey news to come, and I have an interesting story about Hurricane Isaac. Lots coming up...just never enough time to get it all out!

Old photos...

I was going through the old iPhone photos saved on my computer...here's a blast from the not-so-distant past!

Baby Zoey, hanging out post-weaning in the back pasture

More baby Zoey (this time pre-weaning)

Baby Oliver & Company, locked in his "kitty prison" in the kitchen

Kitten pile (Oliver in the back)

Baby Zoey, saving a snack for later

My TB gelding, Larry, the day that I sold him

The hubby and yearling Zoey

Yearling Zoey and yours truly

Me and a client's baby from a few years ago- I look more excited than he does!

Splash splash splash

I know that was a lazy post but at least I kept you visually stimulated! I am working on a post that has all the juicy details of the new face around here...Here's a better peek at him. Handsome, yes?



Back to school...

Lots of new developments in my life lately. I decided to go back to school, which was unexpected even to me! When I graduated from A&M I swore that I was never going back to school.

Well. Like I said, it surprised me too. I woke up one morning and realized that I needed to have a backup plan in place; that, while I love my job right now, I do not want to work here forever. My job involves quite a few hours as well as very little time off. I have always known that it was not something that I would want to do when the hubby and I have kids but had not really thought of another plan. I have always planned on staying home with my kids and I still plan on that.

Let's face it though-I have an addiction to something very expensive.

I don't know that I would feel comfortable expecting the hubby to pay for family vacations, our home, things for our kids, AND my horses/showing on top of that. He would do it gladly but I feel like that was too much pressure to put on him. I don't want him to be too busy working to ever see his family (AKA me!!!).

So...drumroll please.

I am taking prereqs necessary to apply to nursing school. A school around here has an online BSN program that takes 15 months. If all goes according to plan, I will begin in Sept. 2013 and graduate Dec. 2014. I would love to work a few shifts a week at night in the beginning. To put this into perspective, I will make the same amount of $$$ that I do now working 6 days/week with 1-2 shifts/week at a hospital. That's pretty damn appealing, I am not going to lie!

The schedule is flexible enough for me to still show/be home with future kids/spend quality time with the hubby. I am excited about it...ask me how I feel in 6 months!

I have taken two of my prereqs already: a psych and A&P1. The A&P1 just finished...it was over 4 weeks so it was pretty intense. A's in both classes so far. 2 down, 5 to go.



Following the common theme...

The common theme of this blog seems to be "sorry for the lack of posting, excuse excuse excuse, I promise to do better!" Today is no exception.

This may not shock anyone but I am a first-class procrastinator. I used to drive my poor mother crazy by waiting until the very last possible second to complete school projects. I have always been this way and it is probably too late to change at this point.

Zoey has officially been brought up to the barn out of the pasture, which means the end of her days of running with the herd like a wild heathen. She has adjusted really well. It helps that her best friend in the whole wide world, Reba, came with her. They started out in stalls with runs next to each other...they have now been moved to the opposite ends of the barn. Too much love being channeled into separation anxiety for my taste. They still go out to the pasture together for turnout, so life is good.

She has been getting saddled a few times a week. We had a very regular schedule going until Miss Priss decided to throw a fit while tied in her stall. She has spent a lot of time tied: in the barn, in her stall, etc. and has done a really good job of not setting back/understanding that she needs to give to contact from the halter while tied. I left the barn for two minutes to grab a water bottle from the fridge and return to find her loose in her stall, halter still hanging on the lead rope on the wall. The left side of her face around her eye swelled to epic proportions...she could not see out of that eye because of the swelling for a few days. No permanent damage done...some Banamine and TLC and she was fine. Made my heart stop a little though. These damn young horses sure are a trial! I am used to the barn's horses trying to kill themselves but having your own baby is a whole new ball game.

She looks so innocent. Misbehave...never!

Funny story...it seems that I have trained her to come when I whistle. I don't ever think about it but I have been whistling for her when I go in the pasture to see her for ages (since she was a little baby, actually). I turned her out in the arena the other day to let her run around. I was sitting on the fence watching her (who can resist watching their pretty horse play? Not this kid!) while she was at the other end of the pen. I was ready to bring her in so I whistled. Her head shot up and she long-trotted immediately to me. She was at the other end of the pasture the other day and, when I whistled, came GALLOPING straight for me. Great...I have trained a soon-to-be 1200 pound dog. Awesome. Not going to lie-it makes me smile though.

The biggest event in Zoey's life thus far (other than the saddle) was getting hosed off. Walked right in the wash rack, decided she loved the water, and stood there playing in it. She is such a bold mare...love it.

"Mom, I love this! Nom nom nom WATER!"

Loving bathtime but distracted by the dogs playing

As it so happens, I have other news to share. Zoey is going to have to share the spotlight on this blog...More details to follow but here is a sneak peek!





Update on Life

It has come to my attention (*cough cough thanks Becky*) that I have not posted an update on this blog in months. There is not a whole lot to say about Zoey. Miss Thing is back in the pasture, living the good life for right now. We did move the two year old group to a pasture in the front. That means she lost access to the pond, which is a bummer with the summer heat that is rapidly setting in!

Things are starting to slow down around here, which is much appreciated. It got crazy for a few months, with foaling mares, breeding season, and shows. We are done foaling mares out (had 5 babies) and are at the point where if the mare is not pregnant then she is staying open for next year.

I did have a client come out who is a pro photographer...she took some pictures of Zoey in the field. I have not seen them yet but I will share them as soon as I do. Zoey was a complete ham. She wanted to be right in our faces and, when we would chase her away, let us know just how insulted she was by bucking and squealing. *sigh* She has no shortage of attitude!

To hold you over, here are some pictures of this year's foals. Enjoy!

Baby's First Saddle

Today was a big day for Miss Zoey. She got to wear her first saddle ever and, I am happy to report, was a freakin' rock star. I lunged her first to let her blow off some steam. She cantered a few laps, squealed and played a little, and then was ready to stop and stand there. I caught her, swung the pad on and off her a few times from both sides, and then picked up the work saddle. I set it on her back, gave her a few pats, and went to her off side to swing the cinch down. She stood there, totally relaxed. She did take a step forward once I started to do the girth. I asked her to stand still with a "whoa" and a light tug on the lead rope. She stopped and let me finish girthing her up.

She stood there watching me as I unclipped the lead rope and tried to follow me back to the center of the round pen. Once I picked up the whip, she moved into the trot. She squealed and hopped a little when she felt the stirrups banging on her sides. OT and I were cracking up at the way she was flinging her front feet in front of her and slamming them into the ground; she was not sure that she approved of this new contraption strapped to her. She never really bucked hard and, after a few laps of protesting a little, she settled down and trotted quietly. When I asked her to move into the canter, there was no bucking or hopping around. I was so proud of her!

Looking all grown-up!

So far, she has been completely sensible about everything. She has been wearing a surcingle for the past several days and the saddle, as an extension of that, was not unfamiliar enough for her to have a melt-down over. Such a good girl.

We did measure her with a stick on concrete...15.2+ at her withers and 15.3+ at her hip. Since she does not actually turn 2 until April 26th, I am pretty happy with that.

My plan is to get the saddle on her a few more times, maybe introduce ground driving lightly. I find myself continuously contemplating how much to do with her. Right now, she is not being asked to do very much and none of it is strenuous. She is asked to work in the round pen for less than 5 minutes/day and quite a bit of it is at the walk. She has been wearing a surcingle in her stall for a few hours/day. Her and Reba are getting turned out together at night.

Mentally, she is doing great with this schedule. She is thrilled to see me anytime I walk by her stall. They are stalled behind the roundpen, so her and Reba both spend quite a bit of time looking over the round pen wall watching us work the other horses.

I am still in no rush to get on her by any certain date. She is obviously still growing and I want her to have time to just mature. I do like the idea of introducing all this groundwork stuff slowly so that she has time to process it. I find myself amazed by how intelligent and trainable she has been so far (I know, I know, I am biased!). She really seems to enjoy the work. I love her personality. When we measured her today, she just stood there and watched. So many of the young ones are concerned by the measuring stick the first few times. Zoey has that personality that I really like: bold and self-confident. I feel like, as long as I go slowly and don't overwhelm her, that personality will serve us really well in the future. I think she is going to have a lot of heart under saddle. Love love love!

And, for your viewing pleasure, here is some video of the princess under saddle:

LONG overdue update!

Sorry for being so absentee. I have noticed that quite a few of my posts begin that way. Funnily enough, most of my journals from middle school have entries that begin the exact same way. What can I say? I clearly have not turned over a new leaf as far as prompt documentation of my life goes. The ironic thing is that I check everyone else's blogs that I follow at least once a day, hoping for an update.


The gorgeous Miss Zoey is back in the barn after enjoying several months of leisure in the pasture. I have not measured her but I think that she has grown. She is almost 22 months old and it is time for her to start learning how to be a solid citizen. We have a long way to go-she still throws temper tantrums complete with pawing everything in sight, screaming, and running circles in her stall bucking. Naughty naughty. The funny part is that, once you have her out and are working with her, she is generally stellar. She remembered everything from her previous 2 or 3 longeing sessions. It took exactly two times of me showing her that she needed to stop on the line and wait for me to come to her instead of turning to come to me before she was doing it every single time. Our leading skills are much improved. She has been wearing a surcingle and pad during the day and is being slowly introduced to being tied, much to her displeasure. I even stood on the mounting block next to her today and leaned over her, letting her get used to someone being above her. She was clearly traumatized, as she promptly cocked a hind hoof and went to sleep.

My plan is to introduce a saddle at some point next week and let her wear that around her stall for a few days. I don't anticipate that being a huge deal. Clippers are on the list of things to introduce. I would like to get the leading a little more solid as well as the being tied and (here's the hard part) standing tied quietly. We might even work on the longe line in the arena at a walk and a trot. After that, it is back to the field for her for a few months. I am in no hurry to actually ride her, as her long-term soundness is still the most important thing to me. I do want to get some of this groundwork done before she gets any bigger...the potential is there for her to throw a huge hissy fit and I want to increase my odds of surviving it!

I took lots of pictures on my phone but I have lessons showing up in a little while. I will try to add pictures later this evening.