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Showing posts from February, 2019

Hidden Brook Farm Dressage Schooling Show - June 2, 2019

Ellie and I did a show at our lesson barn this past weekend instead of taking a lesson.  I would have done a lesson on Saturday before the show, but my instructor went to NEDA Spring with her eldest daughter, who was able to get her last Grand Prix score for her USDF Gold Medal!!!  So that is a good reason to not be able to lesson haha.

I admit I was a little bummed about our low scores at the SMDA show two weeks prior.  I know a score of 6 (60%) is called satisfactory, but I really thought our performance was better than a low 60%.
I was determined to ride well and even though Beth was not there, I had her youngest daughter as my back up if the wheels fell off the bus LOL!  She was already in the warmup and at the show ring with her actual students, so it was nice to have her there to remind me to breathe and not hang on the left rein!  ;-)
Ellie unloaded and was totally calm.  Honestly, she loves her lesson barn and knows it is her second home haha.  She was much calmer tied to the tra…
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Shipping Boots, Wraps, or Naked Legs?

The debate over whether or not to wrap my horse's legs while trailering hasn't really been an issue until recently.  I always wrapped with pillows and standing wraps as a kid, and then with Dreamy, I always used shipping boots which she had zero issues with.  It was a no brainer for me to wrap legs while shipping a horse.

However, Ellie presents an entirely different situation for me because she is young and came to me with no experience.  Last spring, about a year ago now, I started introducing her to bell boots, splint boots, and standing wraps.  It all went smoothly and without issue.  


The shipping boots I own are too large for Ellie, despite the fact they are cob sized.  I did try them on her a few times and walked her around to get used to them, but it was clear they would not work for hauling her.  I was afraid the fronts especially were going to slide right off.  And I feel that no wraps are better than wraps that are in danger of coming off and creating an issue.

But tra…
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Ellie's 2018 Year End Awards

In an effort to get Ellie out as much as I could this year to SEE ALL THE THINGS so her tiny world could be opened up, we also have suddenly WON ALL THE THINGS as well!  Clearly, showing at Intro baby tadpole level is going to be our best year ever.  #introchampionoftheworld

It also helped that the majority of our dressage shows were qualifiers for two and even three different clubs, so our nine dressage shows gave us points towards SEVEN different year-end programs in total.  That's a lot of bang for your buck hahahaha!

Instead of writing a separate post for each banquet, I opted to wait and do one large post.  So, let's go through this in chronological order, shall we?

First up was the Maine Horse Association banquet on Saturday, November 17, 2018.  I dragged my friend Rachel along so I would not have to go alone since this fell during hunting season and that means no husband is available LOL!  This organization only hosts open shows and gives out a shit ton of champion and res…
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Feeding and Supplementing the Air Fern

It is no secret that most Morgans are notoriously easy keepers, and Ellie is no exception. She will never be the type of horse who receives the full recommended amount listed on a grain feed tag and could easily live on hay alone, especially as I feed high-quality second crop hay from the field next door.  However, feeding hay alone means she would lack the proper amount of vitamins and minerals.

This leaves ration balancers, which I think are the best invention ever.  It allows me to give Ellie the vitamins and minerals she needs without all the calories she certainly doesn't need.  I have always loved researching feeds and supplements, and I chose Grow 'N Win for her.  So far, the monthly shipments from Chewy have been without any issues, as I cannot purchase it locally.  I actually LOVE the convenience of having feed delivered directly to my house (along with the cat food, too)!

Between the high-quality hay and Grow 'N Win, Ellie really does not need any supplements, rega…
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First Official PC meeting

Last night I attended my first official Pony Club meeting.  I suppose it is also technically the first official meeting for the club itself, too, besides the sign-up meeting last month (which I was unable to attend).  It was an "unmounted meeting" at a library about an hour away from where I live now, just a town over from my hometown actually.  So while I knew where I was going, it was a longer drive than I remembered haha.

Overall, it wasn't the most exciting of meetings.  There were nine kiddos in attendance and then me, the only adult member.  Thankfully it sounds like there are other adults who signed up for Horsemasters so I won't always be the weird adult haha.  I have no problem being the only adult, but it is definitely kind of awkward in a way.  I mostly went in order to meet everyone and have some basic questions answered.  The topic for the meeting was keeping records, and of course, that is not something I have ever had problems with.

I confess I have a 5&…
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Winter Blues

January never seems to be an easy month.  This year was a bit better, especially compared to 2018, but the weather was the worst.  Between freezing temperatures and lots of sn*w and freezing rain and ICE, I went most of the month without riding.  And honestly, even if I had easy access to an indoor, I probably would not have ridden either haha. It is hard to feel motivated to do much more than basic horse care when it is so darn cold.

The horses are both doing well, despite the weather.  They are eating and drinking just fine, and I did break down and blanket them both in heavyweights over the coldest days.  Dreamy especially seems to appreciate being rugged up at her age.  I didn't clip anyone this winter, so I normally do not blanket, but with low temps and windchill, blanketing seems to be the best choice.
After all the super low temperatures, we are suddenly being gifted with a tease of sun and warm weather.  It won't last, of course, but it is nice to think 28 degrees felt …
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