First day of the new riding season

This has been a brutal winter.  Here we are on the 28th of March, and it snowed today and the wind blew a gale that was miserable.  We have had snow on the ground since before Thanksgiving.  The subzero temps have been awful.  Now that I am old - er, at 65 the searing cold makes my lungs hurt and even a small effort can leave me breathless.  The really old times say that this is the way it always used to be.  I agree. I remember some really long winters growing up and it sure explains why my parents and every one else with the wherewithal to go south for the winter did so.

I have no wish to go south for the winter because it would be difficult if not impossible to take my horses with me.  I also have no wish to run into the various reptiles that thrive in the southern states.  We may have the occasional cougar, bear, badger, coyote in our northern climes but not the reptiles.   What really keeps me in the north are my horses.  I have been horse crazed since birth and cannot imagine my life without them. If I ever get to a place where I cannot handle or care for the big full size horses, I will opt for minis.

Today was a good horse day in spite of cold weather, winds, and  manure filling the barn because I could not push the wheelbarrow up hill into deep snow.  My patient husband came down to help me start to dig out the barn.  We are melted enough that Riley at 16.2 can no longer step over the fence if he so chose. We are still pushing up hill but the angle is now tolerable.  DH fell off our roof 13 years ago destroying his back.  His spine is supported by rods, screws and plates that hold the end of the rods together.  He does a lot for a little bit at a time.  He never complains about the pain or the limitations that the pain puts on him. He lost his carreer as a very talented general contractor.  He loved building things and his idea of a fun day off was to go roof somebody's house or help someone frame a new garage.  One day, he will work hard for a few hours and make progress on what ever project is at hand.  That night and the next day, he is pretty much confined to his recliner till the pain stops.  He is one of those folks who is disabled but seem "normal" to others.  He isn't, and I was so appreciative of his help in the barn.  I dug, raked, and levered out 3 inches of packed manure into the wheel barrow and he pushed it out, dumped it and brought it back to me.  So, 1/4th of the barn is down to dirt now.  3/4ths to go!

The farrier came today and both horses had their hooves trimmed.  Thank heavens that growth slows during the winter.  On our normal day 3 weeks ago, the farrier called and postponed our appointment, first time ever!  It went well.  My horses are well behaved and are used to being handled.  45 degrees and windy but inside the barn is not bad.

I then decided that I would start our spring work.  I want to take Riley to our weekly lesson for the first time since November - I have been riding lesson horses all winter - and I do not want the lesson to be the first time that I have worked with him in four months.  I do not have an indoor arena, the trailer was covered in snow drifts, nor is the barn big enough to even do basic ground work. After the farrier left, I took Riley out to the round pen.  More to follow. :)

No Pain in the Saddle

Most of the time, I have little aches and pains.  Not much really, but the stiffness gets to me more than anything.  If I sit too long, I have to stand carefully and the first step is always iffy.  Forget squatting down or even kneeling on the floor.  I'll have to crawl over to a chair to get back on my feet.  Pretty sad, but I guess that's where I am.  The good side is that when I get up on my horse and my butt is firmly in the saddle, all of that goes away.  I have no pain, no stiffness, nothing but comfort and a hope that I don't hit the ground from Riley's great height of 16.2 hands.  Yep, he is a big boy.

This past weekend, I went to a gaited horse clinic conducted by Mary Rizo-Patron from Ohio.  She is a Paso Fino breeder, trainer, showman.  Her life has been led in the presence of horses and she is amazing. Out of all the things I learned, the most significant thing is that I have ridden four days in a row.  There is a back story to that, but for now, I am reveling in the four day stretch of being in the saddle.  Now that I have refound my blog, I am going to keep a record of the days that I ride, what happened, and why I DID NOT ride, if that is the case. 

I am off to an amazing part time job teaching basic composition to students who are entering college and need their writing skills improved.  It is a fantastic job.  After 39 years of teaching public school 7-12, college is my absolute dream career!  

Summer is here

Happy first day of summer!! Not only does the date tell me it is officially summer but the weather let me know with a vengeance today.  Super hot for the Great Lakes region, not dried out crispy Texas, but up north the heat index was near 99.  I was soaked through to the skin with sweat until a major storm came through, dropped nearly three inches of rain in about 90 minutes and reduced the temps to the 70's, thank heavens! 

Now the days will start to get shorter as we start our trek to winter.  That's ok, it is a very long time yet to single digit temps, snow and ice, sneaky, nasty, deadly ice under foot and under wheels.

First timer

Does everyone start off blogging thinking that it is a bit silly.  Why would anyone want to read anything I would write and do I want to share my thoughts with the world.  Lots going on today, getting ready for an important day, party, mile post event.  Didn't want to start this blog really but needed to have an account here to comment on another wonderfully well written blog.

I'll give this some thought and see if I can come up with a topic or thread that would be worth some time.