Milano's better!

Milano was so very sick for about 10 days. We had him tested for Potomac Horse Fever and some other things but everything was negative. He had heavy duty antibiotics and IV fluids. He lost a lot of weight but finally turned around. Thank God.
Walker has been holding his own with his neck injury. He has been doing fine with his dose of steroids every day. Hopefully, he will have a nice, long retirement ahead.
Henry is doing well and we started playing with him a bit. He is living up to expectations nicely! My student, Molly Owens, gave him his first real jump school and did a wonderful job.
This coming week I am having a two day pony camp. My idea was to give mothers somewhere to let the kids come while they finish their Christmas preperations.
Eileen Dixon will be helping me with that. Next week we are going to take a group to Jumping Branch in Aiken to school XC. That should be a blast! Forecast is for mid fifties! Whoo Hoo!
Tim, Kevin, Mikayla, Alex and I finally put lights up on the barn yesterday. We are very proud of our efforts! Finished the day with a Christmas party!
Merry Christmas to all and let's look forward to the New Year!

Event was a great success, but tough fall so far.

Our Mini Event was GREAT! Everyone enjoyed it. It was perfect for beginner riders and green horses. I was able to do the Show Jumping with 4 optional fences up to 2'3". On XC everyone went around twice, getting their nerve up to canter and jump more fences the second time around.
As far as my students, Elizabeth and Cloud completed their first ever show! Most kids start out walk/trot, but Elizabeth is a toughie, and jumped a SJ round her first time out! Cloud was an angel, left his devil side in the barn.
Sasha and Peter Pumpkin had a great day finishing 3rd and looking very spiffy in the process! Page and Levi were 2nd in Page's first event. I think she loved it and I know Levi did.
Lisa and Phoebe did well especially XC. Phoebe is growing up after a late start to have a baby. She looked great on course. Fancy girl!
We are having another event Dec. 11th. I hope to have a few new XC fences.
On to the rough stuff :(
I saved a horse from a kill buyer's pen in Pennsyvania. He came down Nov. 8th. He is a lovely TB I named Henry, my father's middle name. The third day, he started to colic. For a week, we treated and hoped. We think he had ulcers from his terrible experience. He seems better now and I rode him for a few minutes the other day. He has the most balanced, little canter, suits me to a T!

Then Milano had some issues. They did not seem very serious, just some "poop" issues. However, on Thanksgiving Day, of course, he presented a mild colic. He has some messed up baby teeth that are supposed to be removed this coming week. We though maybe those had caused ulcers. He just got worse and worse. He then had a high fever, so Dr. Vickie thinks he has Enteritis. Boo, hiss. Started many more drugs saturday morning. He feels so bad. I have never in all my years had a sick horse, usually just colic or injuries. It is a yucky ride. He needs everyones good thoughts.
Walker's old neck injury from the run in with the car flaired up on, of course, Thanksgiving Day. Lovely holiday for me. I wore the same clothes 3 days straight...
And, old Miss Matilda had to be layed to rest on Monday, November 22nd. She was 30 and just tired out. I rescued Matilda from another kill buyer over 6 years ago. I was wandering through the 50+ horses and saw an old, heavie, sore eyed, foundered buckskin pony. I just had to save that one. She has hung out here and had the important job of teaching manners to Milano and being his Nanny. Milano seemed to understand that she needed to cross the bridge and said his goodbyes. She was a blessing to him and to me and her special friend Lynn.
Godspeed to a good pony... " and by the love that guides my pen, I know great horses live again.

Fall again.

I am having trouble with my website. It is being contrary and won't let me update. Good thing I have the blog.
This summer was a whirlwind as usual. Lots of working students getting ready for upper level ratings and lots of camps.
This fall had been all work so far.
The worst news, Lina is hurt. She has a bad suspensory injury. It is very sad for both of us. I just had it confirmed last week, so haven't made any decisions about treatment options yet.
I have a new pony, Seamus. He is a fun little project to distract me. He is a 4 year old QH cross who is an excellent mover. He is green, but mostly well behaved. We have been doing some fixing up at the farm and had a Tack Sale last weekend that kept me from riding for a week. I hope to get back on him today.
We are having a little Horse Trial here Nov. 20. It will be a simple introduction to Eventing for riders and horses.
We have a new little schooling xc course set up and will continue to add to it.
Back to work!

Finally SPRING!

What a horrible winter.
Life is finally continuing on. A few people attended the TTC Horse Trials March 27th. Lisa Maggorie finally got to an event with the lovely Phoebe. They were wonderful to finish 4th. Phoebe is going to be awesome.
Megan and Finesse completed the Training 3 Day Event at FENCE the first weekend in April. That is a wonderful goal for any event rider and Megan and Finesse learned a lot, did very well and finished 6th.
The Carolina Region Dressage Rally was held at Latta the next weekend. It was hosted this year by Yadkin Valley Hounds Pony Club, which is my niece's club. So we drove down friday to set up three arenas. I hope nobody ever holds a gun to my head and tells me to line something up perfectly, because I can NOT do it. We finally got it done, Sister Mary, nieces Eileen, the rider and Emma, the poor unfortunate younger sister, Tori and Sara Placentra were my fellow sufferers.
I drove down and back the next two days to judge and also fitted in Morgan Whitehead's wedding! My most outstanding memory of the weekend was a girl named Delaney, whose horse accidently fell on her sending her to the hospital. She was able to return the next day, and through some tears, scored a 72% on her test! She is what pony club is about for me, outstanding kids.
After a crazy week and fitting in three lessons with Denny Emerson, my dressage friend and my "Hunter Guy", Lina and I went to Longleaf. We had a great time, finishing 8th.
I sometimes forget, I love eventing. Eileen went to groom for me and we had a great time. She asked my what my favorite part was. I think it was saturday night, returning to check on the Princess, wrap her legs, put her sheet on, graze her, give her apples, hugs and kisses.
One of my all time favorite eventing memories was after my first Intermedate XC round on my great old Shea. It was raining steadily, so I set up in his stall to clean my tack, wrap him, take the studs out. My best heart dog Deer was with us. We were together, after a great accomplishment. A wonderful moment in time.
I hope to comtinue building these moments with Lina and Eileen as she gets started in the sport that has brought me so much joy.
Horses are pretty cool, aren't they?

Winter :(

I heard the other day that this was the worst winter in NC in 130 years. Sounds about right. Therefore, not much going on.
Everything we have planned has been cancelled. We keep pushing back the events, now will shoot for TTC HT on March 27th. Megan Cullen is aiming for the FENCE Training 3 Day, and several of us are going too. The worst blizzard I have ever been in was Fence in about 1994, but hopefully we will be safe in April!
Off to take care of 30 horses by myself in the snow, once again.