Merry Christmas from the Barn

Well I ended up not being such a Grinch this year.  Our Christmas was very low key spending it with great friends.  Also we were blessed with a white Christmas eve and the snow lasted till morning.

Christmas morning started with breakfast of chip beef gravy, biscuits and sausage.  A Connors' tradition.

The goose is in memory of my Dad.  It was one of his decoy's.

Then down to feed the horses and we had a little fun decorating some of them.

Squeaky

Snip was not thrilled. 

And finally the barn mascot was ready to give out doggie gifts of kisses.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and is looking forward to the New Year!

Getting Things Organized

This past weekend, I spent both days at the barn.  With both my Mom and I moving we had things just thrown in totes to go thru for another day.  I had wanted to get my tack trunk organized and moved into the tack room and other totes gone thru and sorted. 

On Saturday, Mom and I both rode.  Its been a while since I had been on Squeaky so we mainly just walked with a little trotting.  Plus its the first time we have rode at the place, so she was taking in all the sights.  After that we had a spa day.  Both horses got their manes pulled and I gave Squeaky a bath!  For it being January, Saturday was in the mid 60's!!!  So she got all cleaned up and mane braided over.  I want to try to train it.  I never have had much luck. 



Squeaky rockin a mohawk!



On Sunday I was glad to sleep in and made my way to the barn about 11 o'clock.  When I got there Mom was already working on a project.  The night before I went to Home Depot and bought casters to put on the bottom of my tack truck so I could move it with ease.  We got them on and moved into the tack room.  Finally time to start going thru totes!  Got what I needed placed into my truck and put all the rest of the stuff in labeled totes.  I never realized how many no-bows I have in all different sizes.  My shipping tote is huge!  There is still more to go thru.  All the blankets need to be put into my other trunk and odds and ends sorted.  I did come up with stuff to take to the consignment shop!  Hopefully make a little money off this stuff.



Finished!

 My goal this coming weekend is to clip Squeaky because I cannot stand furry horses and ride both days.  Now that the days are getting longer I hope to be able to start riding after work!

What is a Roarer?

I'm doing this blog in a response to HunterRider4eva's question in my comments from my last blog entry.

Here is a link for a long winded version.  Mine will be the short version!

My mare Squeaky was diagnosed a Roarer when she was younger around 5 years old.  You see it in horses when they are put into work.  She was taken to New Bolton to have the tie back surgery done.  She also demolished the treadmill up there.  I was not her owner at the time but they apparently put them on the treadmill to imitate being in work.  She flipped out and busted out of it.  This has led to a life long fear of loading and unloading on a straight load trailer.  She will load like a pro on any side ramp trailer but ask her to load from the rear and its a fight not worth fighting.

She had the surgery but my guess is that it didn't tie it back all the way.  I rode a showed her all through Pony Club from when she was about 9 to 13 then gave her away for a little while and got her back when she was about 16.  She was always a little loud but when I got her back the second time it was worse.  The lesson barn she was in used draw reins on everything...  She just wants to put her nose to her chest and evade the bit.  All that hard dressage work I had in her was gone.  She just went around in this fake headset.  I have tried many bits and exercises to get her back but the roaring is really noticeable when she goes in any sort of frame.  If you let her keep her nose poked out as far as possible she doesn't roar as loud.

I don't really know what my plans are with her at this point.  She is basically semi retired and we just do an occasional jot around the ring.  If she was more fit she probably wouldn't make as much noise but it never did affect her performance.  You just heard her coming!   Hope the link above answers your question!

PA National Horse Show

Today kicks off the beginning of the Pennsylvania National Horse Show held at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, PA.  You can see the schedule here.  My Mom and I just might hop in the car and head up for Hunt Night on Monday night.  A couple of friends of mine are showing and we just clipped the one horse that are headed up.  Plus the Ladies Sidesaddle Undersaddle is that night as well. 

I want to one day be able to say I showed there.  That is my dream.  I have most of my stuff for sidesaddle but I am lacking the horse.  I know I have some friends that would love to see their hunter go around so maybe someone will loan me one to ride.  If my mare wasn't such a loud roarer she could do it, but we sound like a freight train coming 'round the bend.  I had once tried to get in Local day at Washington in the jumpers and in the warm up ring, I met a guy that used to train her when she was young.  He told me two things - she always hated her flat work and if you went and popped her over something she was much happier and she was always too loud for the hunter ring.  We did okay at the local shows but would of never put her in at a big show.  Plus I never had the money!

I got a little off track there.  If anyone is going to Hunt Night let me know and I will post some pictures when I get back. 

Have a great weekend!