The Good, The Bad, and The Cute

The Good

Boomer is awesome to ride.  He hasn't forgotten anything and tries just as hard as he did 6 months ago!  I am amazed at how much he retained!  I figured that he would come back and need a refresher on what we had learned in our lessons with Karin, but he acts as if he hasn't missed a day!

The Bad

Boomer doesn't like being back in work.  He has been throwing tantrums and pulling back.  It started when   the farrier was coming out and Boomer had to stand still for 2 hours while we waited.  He was antsy and a brat until I tied him up and ignored him.  He stood patiently for about 45 minutes and was good for the trimmer.  The second time I came out to ride him, he flew backwards as I approached with the saddle.  I untied him and followed him back with the saddle until he stopped and then saddled him up.  He went back about 50 feet before he stopped acting like the saddle was going to eat him.  When I went out to ride yesterday he pulled back because someone was using the hose in the barn- 60 feet away.  He started prancing around and then pulled back.  I untied the rope when he stopped and was retying it when he pulled back again.  I got a rope burn on the back of my hand.  He stood quietly to be saddled.  I went to bridle him and he started raising his head and acting like he was going to fly backwards (he was not tied).  By this point, I was losing my temper.  So, I led him towards the barn to get my lunge line and...he refused to go in the barn.  After 5-6 refusals, he eventually followed me in.  After I lunged him, he let me bridle him with his head lowered and our ride was lovely.  

Basically, I'm sick of his sh*t.  He was the project I wanted 3 years ago.  But, right now I just want something I can saddle up and ride without it being an exercise in patience.  If he wasn't marginally lame, he would be back in boot camp tomorrow.  I know he is just resisting working- his 6 month vacation was good!  He needs a job and needs to know it is consistent.  As it is, I'm going to have him adjusted by the chiropractor and continue doing walk-work rehab.  If he is still an assh*le once he is sound- he is off to bootcamp.

The Cute

Camo baby blends right in!

Bummer...

Even though Boomer was trotting sound on he lunge, he is not sound to ride.  I rode him yesterday and at the trot he feels uneven in the back.  Now, it isn't head bobbing lame, and he doesn't seem to be in pain.  But, he is uneven.  I can't feel it when I'm posting, but the sitting trot kept pushing me up on the left diagonal.  It was hard to sit and didn't feel even.  

After much thought and discussion, we really feel that it is a rehab issue more than a lameness issue.  So far, Boomer has healed and repaired himself as much as he needed for his work level (grazing in the pasture).  Now that I am expecting more of him, the problem shows back up.  

I think that if it was a pinched nerve or slipped disc, he would be lame all of the time, not just with an added workload.  I think that he compensated and has had muscle atrophy which is making him uneven.  

So, our solution is to have the chiropractor out for a few sessions and I will continue riding him at a walk only and work on exercises to build strength in the back end.  

Exercise ideas are welcome, I am thinking he needs lots of lateral work.  Leg yielding, haunches in, shoulder in, spirals, etc.  

Yes, I am bummed.  No, I don't know if this is the right solution.  No, I don't know if he will ever be what he used to be.  Yes, I will keep trying until I know.    

WE'RE BAAAAACK....In the saddle again!!!

 Swingin' a leg over...

 Testing the gears- a little rusty, but they were all there!

 Heading down to the pond.

John and Paisley following.

Aw, Boomer!  It isn't so bad!

Walking on the dam.

Headed back towards the barn.

Boomer was VERY excited to 'walk' back to the barn.  

We got to practice leg yields and NOT jigging! 

Good boy Boomer!!!

Picture updates!

 Paisley is one month old!!!

John carried her in the front pack to see Boomer!  They were both unimpressed with each other.

I was thrilled to see Boomer!  I have been lunging him twice a week and hope to start riding in early May.

He is sweet!

Uncle Gabe!

 My brother came to visit and Charley was beside himself.  Gabe owns Charley's parents and Charley doesn't understand that Gabe is not a fellow littermate!

 John and Charley share a pillow at nap time! 

2011 Ride Season

I have high hopes for this year's ride season.  I have a number of goals ranging from small to large in order to both keep me satisfied and challenged.  

Goal 1:

Ride at least one 50 mile ride this year.  The point of this goal is to keep Boomer and I in the numbers for becoming a decade team.  AERC recognizes horse and rider teams who have ridden together for 10 ride seasons.  Longevity is the name of the game.  I think Boomer and I can make it happen!

Goal 2:

Ride three 50 mile rides to bring our lifetime milage up to 500 miles.  

Goal 3:

Ride as many rides as possible from August- November.  

7/30- Camp Carl- Stillwater, OK

8/13- Camp Prague- Prague, OK

10/1- Indian Territory Elevator- Foyil, OK (at the lake where we swam 50 miles last year) 

10/15- Jo Tate Fall Paradise- Washburn, MO (beautiful trails)

11/25-11/26- Season Finale- Chandler, OK (our first ride back in 2009)

So, I'm hoping that we can meet as many of these goals as possible.  I am thinking that most likely, I will travel to these on my own and John and Paisley will stay home.  The other option is for them to drive separately and stay with John's sister who lives within an hour of most of these rides.  

Pulling the trigger

Now that I'm getting close to being able to ride again (yay!) and I have the money saved (yay!)  I am ready to buy a new saddle!  I have never purchased a new saddle before.  I've also never had a 'non-traditional' saddle.  All of my saddles have been english saddles and one western saddle.  I used the western saddle for endurance last year and then Boomer outgrew its width (arab tree).  

I am looking at this Circle Y Expedition saddle.  It has a flex tree and is basically everything I want.  

But, for some reason, I'm having a hard time pulling the trigger!  It is a lot of money to spend.  After saving for so long, it is scary to drop it all in one place!  My western saddle last year only cost me $400 on ebay.  

Hopefully, I will be posting soon with a picture of this ON Boomer with me IN it!!!

My horse is a baby too...

I have been doing my best to get out and see Boomer once per week.  Weather and family obligations have kept me from going out more frequently.  The rest of this week looks like it will be in the 70s and sunny, so hopefully I will get a little more barn time!  

I went out on Sunday to meet the farrier, who ended up being 2 hours late.  He was out to trim about 5 horses and Boomer got to cut to the front of the line since I needed to get back home soon!  I pulled Boomer out of the pasture, where he had been running the fence line because he was ALL ALONE!!!  I groomed the dried sweat off of him while we waited for the farrier.  He was being a spaz about standing still in the barn isle and I don't like to crosstie him on concrete, so I took him out to the hitching post to tie him.  He starting screaming his head off because he COULDN'T SEE ANY OTHER HORSES!!!  I just left him tied and went to talk to the other boarders.  He stood tied for about 90 minutes and after about 30-45 minutes he calmed down and stopped crying like a ninny.  I was actually very proud of him!  He stood well for the farrier.  

All in all, it was a good day!  

Busy, Busy!!!

As you can imagine, life is pretty busy around here!  

I'm loving every second of being a mom and watching John dote over his little girl is incredible!

I have been out to visit Boomer twice in the past week and I am planning on getting out there this afternoon as well.  He is doing great!  He seemed very happy to see my the first time I had been out in about 2 weeks.  he wanted lots of head scratches and was very sweet.  I groomed him head to toe and spent lots of time with him.  The second time I went out, I lunged him and started thinking about getting him back into shape.  I have about 4-6 weeks left until I can ride again, which is plenty of time to lunge him 2-3 times per week to build his wind back up!  

We are having a bit of a cold snap right now but as soon as spring returns, I aim to get some pictures of baby girl and Boomer together!  

Not your grandma's cloth diapers!!!

Learning about cloth diapers has been great fun for me.  Since I wasn't really able to shop for tack and horse stuff for a while, I just shifted my focus to shopping for diapers!  

Now, I'm sure you are thinking "How much fun can diapers really be"?  Let me show you the ways:

All of the diapers above were custom made by Work At Home Moms.  Each fabric is chosen by me, and then the maker helps to select a soft, fuzzy inner fabric and snaps to coordinate with the chosen outer fabric.  I really like supporting WAHMs.  You can find websites that give reviews of their quality and customer service.  Several of the WAHMs I got diapers from have long wait lists and are quite in demand!  The peace sign diaper took upwards of 10 weeks to get!  

You can also buy cute 'mainstream' diapers made in factories.    

 

You may have noticed something... There are no pins or plain while prefolds.  That is exactly right!  Cloth diapers go on and off just like disposable diapers.  They either have sewn in absorbent layers or an open pocket that allows you to stuff in the amount of absorbency your baby needs.  They often have size adjustment snaps that allow them to 'grow' with baby.  They are super cute.  What more could you ask for???  

Storing dirties is similar to disposables.  Instead of putting them in a 'diaper genie' type receptacle to be thrown away, you put them in a hamper lined with a washable, waterproof liner.  Every 2-3 days you just throw the whole hamper bag in the washer and do your wash routine.  Wash, Dry, Reuse!  

It only took a look at the cost savings for John to jump on board.  He wasn't nearly as impressed by the cuteness factor.  To start up with cloth diapers cost us about $600 including diapers, wipes, travel bags, laundry hamper, laundry detergent, etc.  Disposable diapers generally cost about $1000/year.  So, we are basically saving between $1400-2400 over the next 2-3 years.  Plus they are cute.  And put no chemicals next to the baby's sweet little bum.  And they won't take 500 years to degrade in a landfill.  And they are cute!  

Here is a good website:  The Real Diaper Association

Happy Birthday Paisley!!!

Baby Paisley was born March 10th, 2011 at 12:06 in the afternoon!!! 

It was an amazing experience that deserves a post of its own.  For now, enjoy these pictures!