the dentist with the magic hands

I realized today that the day I can get Lucy's back re-ultrasounded is fast approaching! I made the appointment for July 1st. Let's think positive thoughts - I'd love to get her back in work!!

I think she was in heat last week when she was so bonkers because over the last few days, she has been very sweet and snuggly. When I am out cleaning her paddock, she's been standing with her chin on my shoulder. Too cute! I am going to accept this sweet version of Lucy as an apology for the nonsense we dealt with last week.

The dentist came out last Friday to do her teeth. Normally I have them done every six months, but she was due back in November and with all the excitement around Equine Affaire and her accident, I forgot to make the appointment. I realised that she was way overdue but thankfully, her mouth wasn't too bad, just sharp here and there. She loves her dentist and he is nothing short of super with her.

He floated her teeth and then we stood around talking for a bit, her forehead resting on his chest as she stood in a sort of trance. Then I watched him rub her ears, like really rub them, and he rested his hands on her poll, and she just stood there and let it all happen! I could not believe it! This is the most ear-shy horse I have ever met. I can hardly clip her bridle path and I have only touched her ears on a very rare occasion here and there.

I've been riding here and there. I got to ride Maddy's horse Brantley, who returned from training a few weeks ago and is now much less worried about being ridden.

 I've also been riding the chestnut QH mare, Mollie, once a week and have had some really fun rides with her.

This past weekend, I got to ride twice! Once on a special pony at my friend's wedding:

And once when I EMT'd for a horse show on Sunday and they needed someone to fill a medals class:

I had showed up to the horse show in shorts and a t-shirt, but after a community dressing effort, I had on borrowed Pikeur breeches that fit me like they were made for me (and I was very sad to give them back), tall boots that were a size small in the foot and two sizes too big in the calf (and no socks), a show shirt that billowed out and made me look like a pink marshmallow because it was so big, and a show coat that could have fit an additional human in it. It was a hot look, and after 2 months of not jumping, and a looooong time out of the hunter ring, I got on a strange horse whom I had never ridden before, jumped a few jumps to warm up and get the feel for how he went, and then jumped my course. I did pretty well, all things considered. The horse was a TB gelding, super chill and very much a "push" ride. I thought I'd be fine without spurs but 30 seconds into my warm-up cruise, I realized there was no way I was going to get through this course without some help. Between my horse being one I would NEVER think of using spurs on and me being out of shape, my legs had very little push power.

Being a filler, I did an intentional extra circle to take myself out of the top placings but other than that, the course went very well! I had a lot of fun. I'll have to thank my time showing IHSA in college for preparing me to show up and get on a strange horse and jump a course.

Other than that, life is good. Cairo is adorable as always, although she has been a bit naughty lately. I'm just glad it's summer and we can spend a lot of time outside. We are dog sitting for two dogs this week and she has been very well-behaved and generous while the dogs are chewing on her bones and playing with her toys and sleeping on her bed.

Sleepy May

May has been blissfully quiet. The most I've done with Lucy is walk her down to the outdoor to watch Maddy ride one night, but other than that she has done nothing except go from her stall to her paddock, with the occasional session out in one of the grass turnouts.

She remains fat and happy. I groom her every few days, and her winter coat has completely shed out to reveal shiny, dappled, rich mocha velvet. I sat out with her in the grass paddock this weekend, reading a book while she happily munched away. We were both content.

She finished her 30 days of Doxy this past week, so we are all set with that until the next time she gets lyme! ;) We are about halfway through her "time off" and in a week or two I will be scheduling her follow-up 60 day ultrasound to see how her healing progress is going.

I've been riding a chestnut QH mare, whose name is Mollie. She is in her mid-teens and lives at a close-by farm that is really a beautiful facility. This horse did some eventing in her younger days, but mostly goes in a dressage saddle now, so I have been doing my best not to flop around up there with the long stirrups and deep seat of the dressage saddle.

Mollie is a very funny mare. She hates having her face pulled on and will only set her jaw and pull back, which quickly morphs into a pulling match between horse and rider. The best way to ride her is to sit back, and I mean BACK...very strange for me! I have to "hold" her with my stomach muscles, or what's left of them anyway. My hands are only there to lightly support her. She is a very cute mover when I ride her correctly, but best of all she is fun and safe. It is very generous of her owner to share her with me.

Some of you asked who the dappled grey mare that I rode for the RISPCA ride was. She belongs to a friend who volunteers with the RISPCA, and allowed me to ride her that day, since she was caught up running the event. Don't I have the most wonderful friends? Angie, the mare, is a Percheron/Warmblood cross. She was so much fun to hack around on. I very rarely get the chance to just sit back, relax, and enjoy myself, but this was a horse I could do just that with! She piloted me all around the forest that day and was an absolute pleasure to ride.

I am trying to get back in shape by running, which has historically been one of my most hated forms of exercise. I have crappy knees, my back is screwed up, and I have torn ligaments in my left shoulder, so running usually causes me a lot of physical issues, but for whatever reason I have been doing quite well at it this time around, and I haven't had any problems. I ran 1.5 miles on my first day, 2 miles on the second day, and 1.5 miles this morning. Not too bad.

out for a run with Cairo and her little friend Cooper, whom
I was dog-sitting for

tough life!

I've also been biking a lot, and last week my company sponsored a "bike to work day", so I biked about 11 miles round trip with my mountain bike to and from work. Not exactly the type of riding I prefer, but I was proud of myself!

my route home from work

out on the trails with Kenny and Cairo

Most of all I am just thrilled for my friends, who are making great progress with their horses. Lauren battled through a tough winter with her horse Charlie, who had a serious knack for rearing at the drop of a hat, and was very fresh under saddle. In the past couple weeks, though, something has clicked in that baby brain of his and all of a sudden he is going beautifully. Surely this is a testament to Lauren's hard work, horsemanship, and determination, which were all part of what made her such a great match for Lucy!

My friend Amanda and her horse Image are going through a bit of a rough patch soundness-wise, but she is developing a good partnership with him on the ground while they sort that out. I know exactly what it feels like to deal with a vague mystery lameness so I wish them the best of luck with that!

Maddy and I picked Brantley up from his month of boot camp yesterday. You may remember that Brantley had some very severe trust issues and shook like a leaf any time someone got on him (if they even got that far!). He went for 30 days of pretty comprehensive ground work and came home a changed pony. Maddy rode him the last two days he was at the trainers, and she was able to actually stand on his back, something you could not PAY me to do but I will happily watch her do it (and take pictures!). She is over the moon to have him home and is looking forward to enjoying her summer with him.

Maddy and Brantley yesterday at the training barn