The Final Post

 Hello Kind Readers!

It has been an age since I last posted, therefore it should come as no surprise that this will be my last post on this blog.  It's been 10 years since Junior,the original star of the blog, passed away and it's been pretty clear for a long time that this was his blog, not mine. I am ready to admit it just isn't where I need to spend my energy these days.  I loved the years that I blogged regularly and found it really helpful to voice the things I was anxious about, keep a record of things, and connect with other horsefolk. 

I've met a lot of cool people through this blog, several of whom I consider life-long internet friends! Hopefully if any of you long-time readers are still accessing my blog, you've already found me on the other socials.  If not, feel free to email me and I'll connect you - there's an email link over on the right, way down at the bottom. If you're no longer interested in following me, that's cool, too.  I hope you found something here that made you smile.  

So a bit of a catch-up before I retire...

I still mourn Junior, but it's certainly not as heavy to carry.  This week it was a little closer to the surface with the 10th anniversary, but mostly good memories and gratitude for all he taught me.  I'm still saddest about the fact that we'd just found our future with ranch, and he would have been PERFECT for Western Dressage and Liberty, but we didn't get the chance to try. Everything happens for a reason.

Kevin is doing great.  He's 19 and has a job!  The barn we'd called home since 2014 closed in October and we somehow managed to find a pretty great situation!  I put out an ISO ad for a new barn and got a PM from a gal who actually knew Kevin when he was younger. She offered us a place in her lesson program so my board is covered and I still get to ride whenever I want to.  I wasn't sure what to expect since he was moving from 24/7 grass, round bale, run-in, and a buddy horse to a stall, but so far he's doing shockingly well.  (Which I probably shouldn't say aloud but there it is.)  He's lost a good deal of weight, which was VERY needed.  While I've never had him diagnosed with insulin resistance, he was looking scary fat last summer and was having to live in a grazing muzzle. He needed to get off the grass and get more exercise.  He's now over 150lbs lighter, fitter, and riding great! He gets out of the stall for either a lesson, turnout, or both each day, and while it's much shorter turnout time than before, he's not been stiff, cranky, or anxious.  It's a little hard to watch the novices fumble around with him, but the trainers are keep a sharp eye and we all started somewhere! Thankfully Kevin has been a saint and is a barn favorite.  Of course, if things take a turn we will re-evaluate, but for now we both seem happy!  Plus I'm hoping the indoor-living will be kinder to his mane.  It's always looked so icky and I'd love to see it stay healthier.  

I'm even making plans to re-start our show career later in January.  Just some ranch classes at an open show. We took all of 2023 off, and only showed once in 2022, so now I need to see if show clothes still fit because it's not in the budget to get a new wardrobe! 

My little Etsy side-hustle has undergone some changes and I'm aiming for a few more.  My BF started working from home last spring and since my work room is now also his office, I needed to streamline that space and decided to close the decal portion of my business. I plan to digitize my images and sell them as svg files so other crafters can use them.  I'm still selling my bit-warmer patterns, and I have a few other sewing patterns I would love to digitize but haven't yet found the time. 

In May my BF and I got a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel puppy we named Eloise.  She's a ruby, so the same color as Kevin (this was not actually planned) and I've enjoyed color-coordinating them.  She just had her spay surgery this week so we are doing a lot of working-from-sofa. 

I found Huck!!!  I will often search is name on the internet and I recently found videos of him doing liberty with someone out east!  He looked good and quiet and It was a relief to see him thriving and making someone happy!

So I end this blog on a happy note.  I am grateful for what this blog brought me and taught me. Thank you for coming along for the ride.  Wishing you joy and happiness this holiday season and into the new year.

Peace.

 

The "Year" of the Halter

 I intended to write a post about how 2020 was the "Year of the Halter" but the trend continued into 2021!

#1 - January '20  - Awarded a Leather Halter with award plate for Grand Champion Open Ranch Horse for the Buckeye Equestrian Events 2019 show series.  

#2 - August  - I finished a long-imagined project by designing, carving, painting, and buckstitching a leather halter noseband for Kevin.

#3 - August -  Awarded a leather halter with stamped noseband for winning season High Point Ranch Horse at the Union County Open Horse Show Series.

#4 - January '21 - Won a drawing through Stacy Westfall's blog and was gifted with a gorgeous leather halter from Weaver Leather!  Yes, Kevin LOVES to look at himself in the mirror!

#5 February '21 - Kevin and I signed on as Brand Ambassadors for our favorite hand-tied rope halter company: Knotty Girlz.  Every rope halter you've seen me use has been one of theirs.  I use them every day, all the time, and I even show with them.  If you are in the market for a great rope halter, check them out, and use discount code SILLYPONY10 for 10% off your entire order.  Halters, leads, reins, poppers, you name it, they've got it.  And it's always great to support small women-owned businesses!   

I'm a bit embarrassed to admit that while I only own ONE horse, I currently own 11 halters.... 4 rope halters (all Knotty Girlz), 3 leather halters, and 4 nylon halters including the leather noseband above.  Granted, one of those nylon halters was Junior's, and though I'll never use it, but I'll keep it always and forever.  

If you're not already a follower, you can check us out on Instagram.

2020 Recap

 I've never been so wrong....

"So, what about 2020? Gosh that's a nice round number.  Hopefully that's a sign of things to come: balance, solidity, and clarity. 2020-Vision, you know?"  

Ugh.  That was me, in my first post of 2020. Oh, sweet summer child... If we'd only known what a dumpster fire of a year this would be!

As I sat down to write this post, the first things that came to mind were all the things we didn't get to do.  The many shows and events (Equine Affaire AND Congress!) that were cancelled, all the things that went wrong, and the general anxiety of living with the effects of a pandemic.  It was challenging to remember all the GOOD that happened in 2020 when compared to so much bad, but I do believe in the power of focusing on the positive. So that is what I want to do for this post, our re-cap of 2020.  We'll cover some of the bad things from 2020 in other posts.  Maybe. 

In February I bought my first horse trailer!  

After much looking and much fretting about whether or not I should even get a trailer, should I spend the money on new or buy used, slant or straight, etc., I settled on a '95 Sooner 2-Horse slant load with a generous tack room. It's a "starter trailer" but it's in really good shape and once I got over most of the terror and hauled myself to a few shows, I'm really glad I took the leap!

We did a Mounted Archery Clinic and Kevin was a superstar!

We did get to show a little this year and won two High Points! Two virtual shows, and 3 in-person shows over two weekends.

• Virtual Buckeye Open Show (May): 
• 2nd Ranch Pleasure, 3rd Ranch Riding, 2nd Ranch Horsemanship
• Local Open Show (August): 
• 1st Ranch Riding, 1st Ranch Pleasure Walk/trot, 1st Ranch Pleasure, High-Point Ranch Horse
• Buckeye Western Dressage Show (Sept)
• High Point Open Division-Basic Level, 1st Basic 4, 2nd Basic 1
• Buckeye Ranch Show (Sept)
• 2nd Halter, 2nd Jackpot Western Pleasure, 1st Adult Western Pleasure, Trail, RR, and HMS were not so good. 
• Virtual Western Dressage World Show (WDAA) (Oct): 29th out of 71 in Amateur Basic 1, 34th out of 59 in Amateur Basic 4 - This really deserves it's own post, but here is a teaser for now:

We decided to go all-out for Halloween this year.  As a professional costume designer I dream up a LOT of costumes for horse/human, but rarely do I have the energy/time/budget to make them a reality.  This year, with most of my theatre shows cancelled or streamlined I felt a bit of pent-up creative energy and I decided just do it. 

I present to you An Autumn Fairy Tale.  Photos by the incomparable Kate Bowser.  

You can see the rest of the photo here.   I just wish the autumn leaves had been at their peak... might need to re-shoot next fall...

Post Topics Coming Soon:

Equilutions 2021 - Goal Setting

How to Blindly Leap into Western Dressage

A New Saddle Because Reasons

Halters and halters and more halters

Also, since I must admit I'm no longer a frequent blogger, you may feel free to follow my Insta, it's mostly pictures of Kevin anyway.  @sillypony

Stuck in Quarantine? 12 Horsey Things You Can Do

In this time of global pandemic and the cancellation of Equine Affaire and many local and national horse shows, we're all feeling a bit out-of-sorts.


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Unless your horse lives in a HUGE public boarding facility, I'm guessing it's safe for you to visit and ride your horse.  If not, my heart goes out to you.


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I'd be going nuts right now If I couldn't have horse time.  I'm a college professor in Ohio and we've been in limbo for a WEEK already, and we begin teaching our courses online on Monday.  I've been reconfiguring my courses and prepping video lectures - it's like first week of school jitters at the pace of finals week!  I've been relishing my barn time, but my nervous energy needs more to do, so here are:

12 things you can do during the Quarantine 

- Social Distance approved!-

1. Clean your brushes.
   I recommend Best Brush Forward tablets.  I use 2 tabs in a 5 gallon bucket.  Soak, wipe, and rinse.  SO easy and it's all natural. Get that winter gunk out of your brushes so you can clean your horse better - it just makes sense.
   
2. Clean your tack.
   Take the time to vacuum, clean, and condition your saddle.  Check all your leather for wear and replace as needed.  It's also a good time to swap your leathers from left to right (if you ride English) and check to make sure one hasn't stretched more than the other. I have an arsenal of leather products, but my top favorites for cleaning are Bick1, Leather New, and Fiebings's Saddle Soap.  For conditioning I love good ol' Neatsfoot Oil, Skidmore's Leather Cream, or Bick4 conditioner, depending on the tack.
   
3. Wash your washables.
   Wash pads, wraps, blankets with Schneider's Blanket Wash.  Remove the winter crud and get ready to soak up the summer sweat.
   
4. Support small businesses. during this economic stress. Treat yourself to something fun and affordable like a bitwarmer or a new decal for your car or trailer. (shameless self promotion)  or these cool feather earrings from A Feathered Filly. A small luxury can boost your mood without breaking the bank.
   
5. Take a class.
   Did you know you can take 450 Free classes from Ivy League schools?  I'm currently taking an online class with Stacy Westfall, and considering taking this Free class: The Horse Course.
   
6. Get virtual lessons! Join Luke Gingerich's Facebook training page and learn how to work at liberty with your horse.
   
7. Sort through the 1,000's of horse photos on your phone
   You know you have them!  Select a few to order on a canvas, or create a photobook on Snapfish like I did for Junior. 
   
8. Do something with all those Ribbons you've been collecting.
   
9. Find NEW podcasts, blogs, or YouTube Channels to Follow! Embrace the YouTube Rabbit Hole!
   
10. Enter a Virtual Horse Show!
    These are popping up EVERYWHERE right now! Check your favorite Facebook groups, or check out: Dressage Show Online
    
11. Tidy your Tack Room, trailer, or storage area! 
    I'm intrigued by this set up. Do you really need that leaky bottle of Magic Healzitall that expired in 2015? Consider donating unused but usable things to a horse rescue or 4H club.
    
12. Organize your horse's records.
    I keep a binder for each horse I've owned that includes their registration papers and copies of all vet, dental, and care records including Coggins papers and vaccine records. I also keep a binder of all the showbills, entry forms, and other papers needed for shows so it's all righit where I need it.  If you are ULTRA organized you can check out the Free and for-purchase items at The Printable Pony.

Also wash your damn hands.

What are YOU doing to get through this global pandemic?

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Equilutions Volume 12

For more history on Equilutions, here's your yearly recap:
2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019



The bottom line is I was a slacker-blogger this year.  I posted a whopping 6 times in 2019... I am sorry.

The thing is, it's not that stuff wasn't happening, it's just that.... well.... I'm just not as Overanxious about everything as I was when I got my first horse, and I have a pretty strong support system now. When I DO freak out (and I do) I have more options than just shouting it into the digital void.   I have a group of experienced horsey friends and professionals I can call/text when I need to, and let's not forget I now have a pretty chill and broke horse who miraculously has remained uninjured for nearly 5 years (aside from a foot thing summer of '18). 

Also, I don't mean to suggest you are The Digital Void.  You ALL have been tremendously helpful and supportive over the years!

So what DID happen in 2019? 

My goal for the 2019 was:
I just want to get to the point where I feel like writing a big expensive check for a horse and taking on the responsibility of expensive board and unexpected vet expenses seems WORTH IT. 

Did I achieve the goal?   I did.  In July I decided to take ownership of Kevin. He wasn't "expensive", and he wasn't the fancy reiner I thought I wanted, but he was the right choice. For the third time in my life I am a horse owner, and I do not regret it.  Horses are expensive.  They cost time and money and emotional labor.  They have the potential to break your heart and owning a horse is living with the fear that at any moment.... okay so yeah, I'm STILL overanxious.  LOL. 

So what else happened? Kevin and I competed in 5 ranch horse shows in Open Conformation, Showmanship, Pleasure, Horsemanship, Trail, and Ranch Riding. We showed in wet freezing wind in April, sweltering heat in July, and some pretty decent weather in between.   

Overall we did really well, winning the year-end high point Buckle for the Open division.... again. :)  I have noticed that Kevin is not doing as well in Pleasure and Conformation as he used to. I'm thinking it's a combination of his age and an increase in competition.  I'm planning to get a vet assessment in the spring to see if something could help him move more smoothly like he used to.  He's fine, not lame, just not a fluid as he used to be.  

I've been horse trailer shopping for months now, and I promise to tell you all about that eventually. Seriously it's almost worse than buying a horse!

We entered a Halloween costume and obstacle contest and we were 1st in costumes and 2nd in the obstacle challenge. 

 


My awesome friend and barn owner bought us a photo shoot with Kate Bowser Photography so for Christmas so I got these:

So what about 2020?  
Gosh that's a nice round number.  Hopefully that's a sign of things to come: balance, solidity, and clarity. 2020-Vision, you know? 

My only real goal is to continue enjoying my horse.
And maybe try to rejuvenate my blog, but I'm not sure how much time I'll really have to do that, so I don't want to make promises I can't keep, to you or to myself. 

SHOWING in 2020:

There will be shows! Our show circuit is changing for 2020 and I'm disappointed in the changes. First of all, our favorite venue is closing and the shows are now further away - over an hour instead of 30 minutes - which means I can add hotels to my show budgets.  Joy.

Instead of 4 Ranch shows and 3 pleasure shows with ranch classes counting for points, its only 2 ranch shows and several pleasure shows with ranch classes.  BOO!  The pleasure shows stick the ranch classes at the very end - like an afterthought and with such big showbills, the ranch classes could start at 2pm or 9pm, there's no way to know. The judges tend to be more pleasurey judges and since the classes are filled with pleasure horses in work tack it's hard to place.  I'm not knocking pleasure people, it's just that they have a style and an aesthetic that is different from ranch and a judge that prefers that aesthetic will look for it and reward it.  Judging is subjective and I accept that, but it reminds me of riding really good arabs amongst a sea of quarter horses in the 90's and never placing - oh boy do I have some stories about prejudiced judges....  Plus they're only offering conformation, reining, showmanship, pleasure, and ranch riding.  No trail.  No horsemanship.  No fun.  

The only other ranch circuits are over 2 hours away and without a living quarters....  BOO.

The two ranch shows are both on Sundays following a Western Dressage show, and I'm planning to compete in those two shows, too.  So it may end up being a 4-shows-but-only-two-weekends show season.  

I also hope to do more trail riding.  We'll see how Kevin feels about that....

Happy New Year! 

Need a Horsey Stocking Stuffer?

Hi Friends!

The past 3+ months went so quickly!  The school year started with increased duties and some changes in staffing requiring me to focus more on my day job (eeew) so I am woefully behind on horse blogging!  I promise there are stories to come about how Kevin and I finished our show season, some crafty things, and an epic secret journey I'm on.   Anything else I promised to tell you but forgot to?

In the mean time, I wanted to let you know that I'm offering FREE SHIPPING in my Etsy store TODAY. 

Also, I will be raising prices on Etsy in January to include shipping costs, so if there's something you've been eyeing, the time to purchase is now!  Remember everything is custom, so if you want something you don't see, or if you were hoping to get a BitWarmer this year, just message me on Etsy or Facebook.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/BuckstitchBeckys

The Facebook page, btw, is only TWO likes away from earning a giveaway!
https://www.facebook.com/BuckstitchBeckys/

Happy Winter!

The Overanxious Horse Owner

The Search Is Over

No, I did not buy a mare.  LOL. I've loved many mares in my life, but I prefer geldings.

Every so often, the Universe give you a nudge.  You can ignore the "nudge", but not for long.

While in the midst of searching for my perfect unicorn something unexpected occurred.  I received some news I neither anticipated nor desired, my gut reaction was surprising, and this news changed the whole course of my Unicorn search.

I spent a long week feeling that my gut reaction would wear off, and my head would take over and I would realize that I was better off staying the course I'd set for myself and to just ignore this new information.  I began to make a list of pros and cons. 

But as the days and weeks moved on, that gut reaction had settled itself into my heart, and equally into my mind.  In my 4 decades of life, I've learned that when all three: gut, heart, and head are in agreement..... you should probably take notice.

I continued looking at horse ads.  I even posted my ISO ads incase a better Unicorn would show up and I would see that my plan was the right plan.  Every ad that grabbed my attention went through a series of "oooh that one's pretty!  Oh but____________."  If the horse did fit my criteria (very few did), I would then think "Ugh.  Do I really want to start over?  It's such a gamble.  What if it's not the right horse after all? What if? What if? What if?"

The nail in the coffin was when I got a text from my reining trainer that my favorite lesson horse might be for sale.  This horse FIT my Unicorn criteria EACTLY- and for a split second I got excited, but it didn't last.  I knew then that I had already found my Unicorn.

"I want a Kevin."
"I want to take a smooth pleasure horse and teach him Ranch stuff."

How long was I going to say those things and NOT just buy the actual Kevin?

So five years and two buckles later, on August 2nd, I took ownership of Kevin. His Now Former Owner is now his leaser for the remainder of the show season.

Nearly five years ago I met him.   I had lost Junior in 18 months previous and I was still emotionally and financially too fragile to become a horse owner again.  I happened to be at the barn trying out a vintage saddle I'd purchased and he was there as a test-ride for another friend.  I saw his lope and said "OMG can I try that!?!"  I rode him, he tested me, and I declared "If I was buying a horse today - I would buy him right now."    I knew it was not the right time for me to be a horse owner, but I began leasing him just because I liked him and wanted something to ride.

I was given the opportunity to take him to shows and spent the next summer teaching him Trail and Boxing and Showmanship, and how to extend his little pleasure jog.  By the end of the summer we'd earned my very first buckle: Champion Green Ranch Rider.    His owner considered selling him and I considered buying him, but he wasn't "perfect" so I started looking for a Reiner, not a pleasure horse, so I could be more competitive in the Ranch stuff.

I found Huck.  And we know how those two years turned out.

Since my back was messed up and I again needed to recover financially, I asked his Kevin's owner if I could ride/show him again after I sold Huck and that year (2018) we won our second year-end high point buckle:  Open Ranch Champion.

This year I began the search for my Unicorn while still riding and showing Kevin.  I knew exactly what I wanted.  I wanted "a Kevin."  Specifically a younger Kevin.

And then the text came, the day before the show in June, that he was going to have to be sold.  I knew right then that everything had changed.  I was no longer looking for "A Kevin."  I already had my Kevin.

I did much soul searching, comparison lists, and I spoke to lots of folks about their opinions on "older" horses because Kevin turned 15 this year. I was looking for 12 at the absolute max - preferably in the 6-8 years. That was the ONLY piece of my criteria that Kevin didn't fit.   So, Britnie guessed right!

Here's why I decided it was okay to go off-list with age: He's proven he can do what I want him to do.  He's starting to get stiff in one of his hocks so we're probably looking at some maintenance before long. But he's still showing ALL day for both me and his (now former) owner, and he's such an easy keeper.  Keeping Kevin eliminates SO many unknowns - so many potential anxiety-causing possibilities.  I KNOW Kevin.  I know his quirks, I know his stubborn streak and how to deal with it.  I know that we don't have to lunge at shows, I know that he has a tendency to get scratches on his white foot.  I know he likes to be scratched on his chest, his fetlocks, and belly, and that he doesn't like extension cords moving on the ground and he can be a brat to load.  I know that he takes a LOT of riding and consistency to perform well. He's not a horse you can leave sit and then expect him to ride well.

Could I have found another unicorn that would be also easy to keep and easy to show and "better"?  Maybe.  But truth be told, I love this horse and I am not ready to let him go.

I don't yet know if I'll keep him forever or if I'll ride him for a few years and then lease him out to a kid/newbie, or if I'll send him to a retirement field.  Maybe we'll get another 10 years of showing together.  Maybe we won't.  I am concerned about his teenage status, but with good care and good living, he will be just fine. I would have NEVER sold Junior, and he would have been 19 this year.

I thought I wanted a young prospect to take up through the ranks.  Instead, I'm keeping my best buddy and continuing on the path we started 5 years ago. 

Sometimes you think you want something and then you get lucky and get what you need instead.

Unicorn Acquired.

Surprise!  I bought a horse!

Full story coming, but first I'd like to play a little game...

My criteria for New Horse was this:

1. 15h MAX. 
2. Gelding
3. AQHA (or minimal/solid APHA) GELDING with good extensions at all Western gaits. 
4. SMOOTH ride at all gaits. 
5. Four-Twelve years old. 
6. Easy going, been-there-done-that type with no maintenance and no shenanigans. 
7. Under 8K. 
8. Within 3 hours from Columbus, Ohio.

New Horse fits 7 of these 8 criteria.... 
Which one do you think I compromised on? 
Leave your guess in the comments!

Happy Riding!

Adventures in Horse Shopping

If you've ever posted an ISO (In Search Of) ad or have ever read an ISO and it's comments, you KNOW they can be infuriating.  Either the add is too vague so every horse suggested turns out to be wrong, OR the ad is exacting.... and every suggested horse is wrong!  

Damned if you do and damned if you don't!  

Even though I know this to be true, I posted an ISO ad on a handful of heavily populated facebook groups, just to see if a miracle would occur.  

Here is the add:

ISO: Smaller Smooth Gelding: 15h MAX. AQHA (or minimal/solid APHA) GELDING with good extensions at all Western gaits. SMOOTH ride at all gaits. 4-12 yrs old. Easy going, been-there-done-that type with no maintenance and no shenanigans. Under 8K. Within 3 hours from Columbus, Ohio.

Seems pretty clear, right? 

Now, to be fair, I'm aware that I'm looking for a Unicorn.  I did not expect my inbox to be flooded with horses fitting the criteria, but I was hoping that people would READ before commenting.  Of course, I was wrong.

Here are the responses I received: 

Horse 1: 6K trail horse in New York State. Has had "minor" hock surgery.

Horse 2: Iowa.

Horse 3: 2 year old.

Horse 4: 16 hands

Horse 5: "Would you stretch your budget to 12k?"   

Horse 6: Mare.  

Horse 7: Cribber.  North Carolina.

Horse 8: 16h Mare.

Horse 9: Washington State

Horse 10: North Carolina.

Horse 11: Appaloosa. New York.  12.5K

Horse 12:  "A little higher than your budget."  Utah. 

Horse 13: 12.5K Missouri

Horse 14: 10K 15h 3 year old
Horse 15: 16 years old. Oklahoma

The ONLY promising lead: Then there was one comment with a semi-distant photo of a 5yo $4500 horse ACTUALLY IN OHIO!  I asked for more info in the comments. The commenter said they were at a show and would be "Sunday or Monday" before they got back to me.  I commented again on Tuesday saying that I PM'd and sent a PM.  That day they updated their profile picture but didn't respond to me.   Today is Thursday.  🤷🏻‍♀️

I promise I was very kind to all of the responders, and I really do appreciate the folks that reached out, even the ones too far away.  Many of them were very nice horses, but just not my criteria at the moment, and I don't yet feel the need to settle for something that isn't what I want. 

The thing for me about distance is that I NEED to ride the horse.  With my back issues, it's important that the horse is comfortable for me and that's hard to find.  If I have to travel to see the horse I need to be able to bring my saddle so it needs to be within driving distance, and then since I don't have a trailer I'd need to get the horse shipped at the minimum cost of $1/mile.  It just adds SO much to the cost, and my budget really is firm. 

What has your experience with ISO ads been like?


Here's a picture of sleepy content Kevin out in the field, because nobody likes blog posts without photos. :)  We head to our 3rd Ranch show of the year this weekend, and it occurs to me that I haven't posted about the first two!  Expect a Show Post dump next week!  Happy Riding!

Diamonds in the Rough vs. Store Bought Diamonds

I've been casually horse shopping for, well, my whole life. 

My first two horses were what I'd consider Diamonds in the Rough. As I'm gearing up to be a horse owner again, I've been wondering if I should stick with that routine, or do I just go to the diamond store?

Junior was 7, broke but unmannerly and unrefined, and cost me 4k.  He was being used as a trail horse.  Five years later we were showing the full slate of all-around pleasure classes and placing well in most of them. I had some training rides put on him in the beginning but I never sent him to a trainer.  Before I lost him he was appraised at 8-10k. 

I don't have the original photo he was advertised with, but it was pretty "backyard".  I mean he didn't look like a professionally marketed horse. 

Huck was 7, very well trained, but nearly feral from two solid years of solitude and minimal human interaction and cost me 4k.  He was sold as a "trail horse with reining training".  We attended many clinics and had many lessons and several different trainers hopped on him during the two years I had him, but I never had him in training - I'm still not sure if that was a mistake or not. 

This is the photo he was advertised with when I bought him:

And here are the gorgeous photos he was advertised with when he was sold again 5 weeks after I sold him. 

I don't know how much he went for, but I think we can all agree that he looks like a fancy expensive show horse in the last two photos, and a dumpy yard ornament in the first. His blaze and how wide his feet were set were what made me look past the horrible camera angle and sour expression.

This last year I also brought Kevin back from an overweight/unbalanced pasture ornament to a soft balanced handy horse and we won the Open Division at our Ranch shows.  He's never been to a "ranch" trainer, but he was professionally trained for pleasure by a reining trainer.

Even from the start of my riding career I was riding borrowed horses that were never as fancy as the other kids'.  I LOVED the horses I got to ride and they were good to me, and so was the wonderful woman who let me ride with her.  I was so proud as a 4Her to win champion or res. in ALL FOUR divisions at my last 4H show, on a $500 borrowed horse, in borrowed tack. Champions in Showmanship and English.  Reserve in Western and Contesting/Games - all with the same horse. 

So you can see, in my history I've always had to make the horse.  I've never been handed a professionally trained horse in show-ready condition and gone into the discipline they're trained for.  This is what I call a Store-Bought Diamond, and isn't it what everyone wants?  Is it what I want this time?

My current plan is to become a horse owner again "in the fall".   It's a soft goal meaning somewhere between now and next winter.  The longer I wait the more money I have available for the purchase price, since I've been squirreling away money since I'm not paying board. And I'm sure I'll need some new equipment, at least a new saddle pad... it's time for a 5 Star......

Will I buy another diamond in the rough?  A horse with good blood, good bones, that fell through the cracks, or just with untapped potential?  Or will I splurge for the store-bought diamond and for once in my life not be the kid on the backyard horse?   Or do I splurge on a fancy youngster and put it in training until it's ready for my getting-older-every-year ammy butt?

Here's my unicorn list:
MUST-HAVES
AQHA or APHA solid/minimally marked
Gelding (I'm too moody for mares)
4-8
14.2-15.2
walk, jog, lope, back, lead change
Smooth gaits
Pleasure horse brain
Ranch horse athleticism
WANTS
Pretty - open to all colors, but needs to catch my eye. Life's too short to ride ugly horses.
Good Hair
No pink nostrils - they always look dirty
Not too much white - see above
Excellent conformation - sue me, but conformation class is an easy way to get points
Barefoot - baby sliders during show season are fine, but I don't want to have to shoe.

So do I buy another <5k 10-15k="" and="" buy="" diamond="" do="" go="" i="" mark="" nbsp="" or="" p="" polished="" project="" the="" to="" up="">They all cost the same to feed. 
What's your show-horse buying strategy????


  

Equilutions 2019?

2009 - 2010 - 2011 - 2012 - 2013 - 2014 - 2015 - 2016 - 2017 - 2018 - 2019

Eq·ui·lu·tion

(i-kwe-lōō'shən) n. The state or quality of being resolute; firm determination about something equine. A resolving to do something related to the equine. A course of action about the equine determined or decided on. My 2018 Equilution was to remember why I love horses.  Had I really forgotten why I loved horses?  Yes.  Yes I did.   How did it get that bad?  -I hadn't really gotten "over" Junior's loss (and I still haven't TBH) - The financial strain Huck's injuries and maintenance put on me - The barn drama about all the fences he broke through  -how badly my back hurt when I was trying to show him at Congress. I surrendered. As I think back on it, it reminds me quite a bit of a car accident I was in in 2006.  I was next to a truck that changed lanes directly into me, pushing me off the Interstate at 75 mph. We both overcorrected trying not to go in the ditch and our vehicles hit a second time, sending my car spinning into the ditch.  I remember the moment of clarity in which I realized I no longer had any control over the vehicle.  I surrendered and took my hands off the wheel. So now a year later I contemplate where I am mentally, physically, and financially.  People are still asking me if I've gotten a new horse.   My BF and I went to a Christmas Dinner Party two weeks ago with a bunch of my horse friends.  In the car on the way home he says "Baby, you need to buy another horse. Horses make you so happy - you were having so much fun tonight talking about horses."  Truth. So here's where we are.  My back is touch and go. Disk bulges suck. Mine are L5S1 and L4L5 so they're PERFECT for riding!  Ha! I am trying to be more consistent with my exercises and I'm trying to eat fewer inflammatory foods.  I was taking weekly reining lessons, but had to stop for a bit because I was in too much pain.  I'm seeing my Witchdoctor on Wednesday, crossing my fingers I get the OK to ride, though I think I need to hold off on the sliding stops for a few more weeks.  My poor trainer.  He coaches and trains these NRHA people and I'm over here like "Can we just do small-slow circles for my whole lesson?"  😆I suddenly feel like an old lady. So what are my goals for 2019? I just want to get to the point where I feel like writing a big expensive check for a horse and taking on the responsibility of expensive board and unexpected vet expenses seems WORTH IT.   When will that be? Each month I don't pay board/farrier/vet/dentist/chiro/massage, my horse purchase budget grows.  I've only every bought craigslist project ponies.  I think I deserve something a little nicer this time around.  So I'm not in a hurry.  I like seeing the account increase every month, and I should probably be a more responsible adult and not drain the horse account to zero with the purchase.  I never had a money cushion with Junior or Huck, and I think I'd be less stressed out if I had one.  You know; Adulting. So much is up in the air right now that I really can't make any more goals.  I don't even know if I will be showing this summer.   I guess you'll just have to stay tuned to find out what 2019 will bring to this Overanxious (Former/Future) Horse Owner. Happy New Year! My lesson pony: Hollywood

Christmas Arrived Early!

Oh What Fun!

This was the 6th year for the Equestrian Blogger Gift Exchange, hosted by Tracy at The Printable Pony.  This is my 2nd or 3rd year participating and it's ever so much fun.

If you're a horse blogger and have never participated, keep an eye on Tracy's blog or facebook for next year's entry deadline.  Tracy sends you a blogger's name, address, blog, and some guidance on what your blogger might like, then you choose a gift  (around $20) and send it off to your blogger.  It's a great way to find new-to-you blogs and it's so fun to see what all the bloggers exchanged.

My gift came so early that I stared at the package on my doorstep for a good 45 seconds wondering why this unknown person sent me a Priority Mail package!  It may also have been before coffee...

Once I realized what it was, I excitedly opened the box to find a cute Santa bag with this adorable tag!

LOL!

Inside was a sweet little zippered bag, and a nice haul of homemade beauty items from Elizabeth at the Clover Ledge Farm Blog! 

The bag is made by another fellow blogger Amanda at Bel Joer Blog  - another new-to-me blog!  She has an ETSY STORE if you want to snag one for yourself!  She has lots of fun things for sale!

The  "Praise" soap, 'Czangria & Shiraz lip balms, and Peanut Butter Cup Coffee face scrub are from KJ Creations. 

I'm excited to try all of these fun gifts!  Thank you Elizabeth!!!

Wishing you and yours a peaceful Holiday Season. 

And if you are still in need of a quick stocking stuffer, check out my Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BuckstitchBeckys but you better hurry, we're getting close to the shipping deadlines. Gift Certificates (printable .pdf) can be purchased up through the 23rd!

R.

Five.

Yesterday was the National Day of the Horse.

Yesterday marked 5 years from the day I had to let my Junebug go.

Leading up to the day I thought I would write a big long post about where I was in my journey of grief and healing. 
I thought I would have a lot to say.

But I don't. 

At least not today.

Hug your ponies. 

Show Recap of 2018

In June we had our 2nd Ranch show. The first week in September we had our 3rd, and mid September we had our final show of the year.  Clearly I am behind on bloggin!

June Show

We had a pretty great show!
1st Open Horsemanship
2nd Open Showmanship
2nd in Open Trail
3rd in Open Conformation
4th in Open Ranch Pleasure
6th in Ranch Riding - no points for this, but considering how much trouble we've been having with lead changes in those patterns, I was thrilled with how we did.  We actually tied for 5th, but had more penalty points than the other 5th place so we get squat.... BUT it was a good ride for us!

We racked up 23 points, compared to 15 at the May Show, sneaking us up to 1st Place standing for the year end awards.


There was a show August 19th but the Thursday before Kevin came up lame.  We prayed for an abscess rather than something more major. 

Kev got to miss the show, which I'm sure didn't disappoint him.  The vet diagnosed a "deep bruise and blood blister" in his left hind foot, so kind of an abscess, but not yet infected.  Full disclosure: I've been riding for over 25 years and I've never had an abscess.... knock wood. I've had plenty of other crap including multiple contusions, injections, colic, you know..., so don't be too jealous.

Vet opened the sole on a Monday to drain the blood blister, wrapped him up and sent him back outside (our horses live out 24/7 with grass, dry lots, and run-ins) with instructions to take the bandage off after 5 days and as long as he wasn't painful on the drain hole we were good to go.  We suspect he did it when he came down hard on a pole during our practice the previous Tuesday.  :(

By Thursday it became clear that his lameness was not improving and was potentially getting worse, so the Vet came back out.  The bandage came off and we discovered that his "sensitive sole/frog" was protruding out of the drain hole like a little black rubber nub.  I admit I "skipped that class" and am not as knowledgeable about anatomy as I really should be, so I had NO idea what this all meant.  After much explanation I equated it to stepping on a lego with each step.  Ouch Kevin, no wonder you were getting worse.

Vet pushed the nub back into the foot, which Kevin did not appreciate, but is a very patient patient and required no sedation. Then Vet created a 2-part rubber cast of his sole that would become a "plug" of sorts to keep pressure on the hole.  We were to change out an idodine soaked wool pad each day and he got to spend 7 days on stall rest.

On the 7th day we had rear shoes and pads put on so that he could go back to normal horse life in turnout and we began light work with only 4 days until the next show.  We monitored him closely and by Saturday we decided as long as he was still sound Sunday morning we'd go to the show.

Kevin cooperated and we got to show!

September 2nd Show
Imagine sitting in a sauna for 4 hours before you get to show.... now imagine feeling like this was a bloody waste of your time and money because the classes that the Open Division got season points for were also the Open Jackpot classes so all the good open, amateur, and youth riders would also be in the classes.  Dang.

We lightened our show load, and only did the Pleasure, Horsemanship and Conformation.  His owner showed only her W/T Pleasure and W/T Ranch Riding.  Both of her classes were also Open and BIG so we were THRILLED that she placed in both classes: 4th in Pleasure and 2nd in Ranch Riding!!!

Kev and I made it to the finals in a 26 horse Open Ranch Pleasure class but didn't place.  After having two weeks off, half of which was visibly lame, I really am quite happy with the way the class went.  He lacked his usual consistency and cadence, and by the time we were done (we went straight from our split back to the rail for the finals) he was a bit tired, but he was easy to ride and I couldn't have asked for more.

I didn't do the trail since the outdoor pen was a bit too stoney and I didn't think it was fair to him to make him trot over poles on poor footing so soon. 

I went back and forth about whether or not to do the Horsemanship class.  It was a short pattern with almost entirely loping, and it had our bad-way lead change in it.  BUT, he seemed really good after his other classes so I added it.  By the time the class came, however, he gave me the "oh for frack's sake are you really tacking me up AGAIN?!?!" face, so I just did a quick warm up.  Have I ever told you Kevin AIMS for cones?  If you're trying to go past a cone, he will try to aim for it, and that's what he did at the end of the pattern.  I was able to get him next to it, but we needed to do a 180 pivot and he decided to be a boob and turn on the haunches for the first step which placed his rear squarely over the cone while he finished the turn.  Ha Ha.  Ooops.  I am NOT good at fixing those moments while they're happening.  No place.

We ended the day at 9:30pm with a 2nd place in Open Conformation so we grabbed 5 points for the season.

Our final Show was on September 15th.

I wasn't feeling optimistic about the show.  We were 3 points behind the leader in our division.  My workload increased this fall semester and I wasn't able to ride much between shows, and the patterns were kinda tough.  Lots of schooling in the days leading up to the show helped a little, but I just wasn't feeling like it was going to be our day.

We began the day with Trail.  Kevin was a gem.  He did all the things exactly like I asked him to do.  I was thrilled to hear our number called for 1st Place! 

Our next class was Reining.  Wait, what?!  Yes, I decided Kevin needed to revive his reining career.  We'd done reining all through 2015, though it was never good.  The season points were getting really close and I thought that maybe, just maybe if we kept it quiet and clean (and all the other competitors dq'd LOL) we had a slim chance of placing.  I just didn't want to end the season a few points behind and wished I'd taken the chance.  Not surprisingly, we did not place, but we had a respectable (for us) 64.5.  The video made me laugh... pleasure loping our "large fast" circles.  LOL.

The Pleasure class was good sized and I was completely shocked to hear us called for 1st Place! I made it my goal to keep him smoooooth and make nice transitions and have solid extensions, and he felt like his old self again, loping down the rail like he was born for it and reminding me how much I enjoy riding him when he's enjoying his job.

Yet again we failed to place in Ranch Riding.  It's the lead changes.  Biggest thing we need to work on for next year. 

Horsemanship called for a bunch of things we struggle with:
-begin with a walk - he anticipates the next gait and gets wiggly
-extended trot - not a problem, but since we need to sit the trot in horsemanship, it can get ugly if I ask him to abruptly
-180 left, 180 right - sometimes he's awesome at these but mostly he's a turd
-lope on the LEFT lead and make a right turn

I'm not sure what I did right, but he was just so unbelievably "with me" and he did everything right!  I was so relieved and grateful that I started crying when I left the arena.  We got another 1st Place!!!  WHAT!?!?

Next up was a 3rd in Conformation.  The judge later mentioned that I had him set up in a hole so he "looked like a ski slope".  I always forget you can do things like level the ground with your feet before you set up....

We ended the day with a 3rd in Showmanship.  The little turd was doing his auto set-up in the warm up but stopped like drunk octopus and it took way too many adjustments to get him square.  Oh well. 

Overall the last show was so stinkin' good I couldn't even be mad about it.  He gave me so much more than I could have asked for.  Mucho cookies for Kevin.

Oh, and we happened to win Open Champion for the year end awards.