Quick Update 9/30

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous about managing two horses. 

I crunched the numbers and if everything holds up financially I shouldn't have any problems on that end but my mind keeps spinning on everything else.

I worry about how Dakota will handle not being the single horse. He had major jealousy with the couple project horses I had in high school and had them again when I had Jitterbug in Kentucky. Woven Web will be stalled right next to him and he watches me as it is when I am moving around the barn and not paying attention to him. I don't even want to begin to think about the looks I'll get when I spend time in her stall and not his. Dakota's really a professional at making me feel guilty.

Time management. Work, school, life is still chaotic as usual. I'm in the midst still of switching doctors to try and figure out whats up with my odd pains in my leg and back so I still haven't had a chance to ride. Giving the occasional ride on Dakota to others and free lunging him and Woven Web eventually shouldn't be a problem but I still want to make time to ride three to four times a week once my knee is feeling better. 

I'm off to a four day 'vacation' to Kentucky from October 24th - 28th and I'm already fretting leaving the two horses. Crazy I know. I miss my friends in Lexington like crazy and am 'homesick' to visit. I really -need- the trip just... kind of bad timing. Plus once I'm there I won't want to leave and am sure to be an emotional mess when its time to head to the airport on the 28th.

Yesterday I stripped, cleaned and re-leveled the stall that will be hers. I added most of the shavings, still will have one more bag to add this week. Bleached and scrubbed a bucket for her to use and started tidying up things that will he hers.

I've decided that I'm going to feed her along the same lines of Dakota. He currently gets Triple Crown Complete and topped off with the Triple Crown 30% Supplement. After a wonderful friend introduced me to the site earlier this year, I've registered for FeedXL so I can monitor and manage both Dakota and Woven Web's diet better. Web is going to be getting a few supplements to regulate certain vitamin and mineral levels since she's still considered a growing horse though I hope she doesn't grow and more!!! I'm expecting her to be at minimum 16.2 hands, possibly more... -insert minor freak out-

Also... few friends have asked me how often I'll be posting on here. My goal is every other day at minimum and I'll throw in 'Quick Updates' in between.

One Week to Arrival

One more week to go!

Over the last week, rather than studying for a busy exam schedule, I've began thinking of barn names for Woven Web. I know they call her right now by her registered name. For me however, Woven Web is too much of a mouthful to use on a daily basis. 

The most obvious and first thing that came to mind was Charlotte from Charlotte's Web. I loved the book and movie as a kid so it seems fitting. But again, I feel like Charlotte is too much once again to be a barn name. I could shorten it to Char but I've been leaning more along the lines of Charlie. Yes Charlie is traditionally a boy name but you see it a lot now among girls. Charlotte from Charlotte's Web, her last name is Cavatica, which I like a lot but it seems to not be a popular choice when I offer it up to others for opinions. I could shorten Cavatica to Cava as well. 

If she was a gelding, I'd take the alternate meaning to 'Web' and make a barn name along the lines of Google or Webster but neither of those is very charming for a mare. 

Of course there's the option of picking a barn name not even relative to her registered name, which leaves me with another never ending internal debate in my brain. Every name I like, or have said "oh I want to use that name in the future" is for a gelding or stallion. I have a list of names for mares but they would all be registered names. 

So alas I'm still lost as to what I'm going to call my lovely mare when she arrives. I won't be making that final call until I meet her next Sunday and get to know her for a few days. If anyone has a creative idea I'm open to hearing it. Those who know me well, know my creative juices are limited.

Top Names

• Charlie
• Cava

In other news, I've gone through a lot of my unused tack, supplies, etc and I think I have both a schooling and show bridle that will fit and look great on her. I shockingly (not) also have enough 8qt and water buckets to allot her to have her own. Just a few things to purchase and I should have enough basics to get me going with her!

Weaving the Web - Part 1

Pedigree - Sire

Saarland, had a fairly successful career while racing, earning nearly $600,000 on the racetrack. At 2 he ran in the Champagne Stakes and the Breeders' Cup Juvenile. Coming out of the Breeders' Cup he got his first stakes win in the Grade 2 Remsen Stakes. While racing from age 3 to 5, Saarland ran in the Kentucky Derby, Stuyvesant Handicap and placed second in the Gotham Stakes (Grade 3), Metropolitan Handicap (Grade 1) & Westchester Handicap (Grade 3) and was third in the Brooklyn Handicap (Grade 2). He was owned and campaigned by Cynthia Phipps and was trained by Shug McGaughey.

In 2005 after Saarland finished his racing career, he entered stud at Darby Dan Farm in Lexington Kentucky. He sired 3 crops of racing age, 181 foals, 132 starters, 3 stakes winners, 1 champion, 99 winners of 274 races and earning $5,107,915 USA. Some of his top offspring include Collegiate, Jethro, Exclusive Scheme, Saarlight and Himynameissarah among others.


Sadly, in January 2009 Saarland was pensioned from breeding due to fertility problems and was moved to his owners farm and passed away in March 2009 after a paddock accident.

Saarland at Darby Dan - Photo (C) Tony Leonard

His sire, Unbridled (Fappiano x Gana Facil - Le Fabuleux) won the 1990 Florida Derby, Kentucky Derby and Breeders Cup Classic and was 1990 Eclipse Champion 3yo. He won $4,489,475 in his racing career and entered stud at the historic Claiborne Farm. 

Unbridled sired 292 runners that produced 183 winners. Ten of his offspring were Grade 1 Stakes winners, four were classic winner, and three were Eclipse Award champions. Unbridled is also the last Kentucky Derby winner to sire another Derby winner, Grindstone in 1996. Aside from Saarland and Grindstone, Unbridled's most notable offspring include Anees, Broken Vow, Unbridled's Song, Eddington, Unshaded, Wheelaway, Banshee Breeze, Halfbridled, and Exogenous.

Tragically at the young age of 14 and case after case of colic, Unbridled was euthanized and was buried at Claiborne Farm.

Unbridled at Claiborne

Left - Gana Facil  Right - Fappiano

Saarland's dam, Versailles Treaty (Danzig x Ten Cents A Dance - Buckpasser) was bred and owned by Cynthia Phipps and was born at Claiborne farm. As a racehorse, was a millionaire winning the Grade 1 Alabama Stakes, Gazelle Handicap, Test Stakes, Ruffian Handicap and Grade 2 Molly Pitcher Handicap. She also placed in the Breeders' Cup Distaff, Acorn Stakes, and Beldame Stakes. Out of 20 starts she won 9, second in 9 and third in 2 races, never finishing out of the top 3.

Versailles Treaty was part of the Keeneland November disbursement of Cynthia Phipps and was purchased by Gainesway where she now resides continuing her broodmare career.

Versailles Treaty at Keeneland Sale

Left - Danzig  Right - Buckpasser

Quick Updates 9/26

1) I confirmed yesterday that my former Rood & Riddle (some one Woven Web's current owner uses) pulled blood for her coggins and I sent the address for the state health certificate to be issued. She may or may not ship with her registration papers. Her owner is in California right now receiving alternative, last resort medical care and won't be home until October 10th. She will either mail them to me, or I will be in Lexington end of October anyway and will go get them from her.

2) Her hooves are in decent condition so I won't be needing the farrier ASAP, just within the first 2 weeks is my guess. Was expecting worse.

3) That mane needs to be pulled. I don't care that winter is coming, the mane needs to be pulled. I can see a lot of coconut oil use in our future.

4) I'm starting the blanket debate with myself. She should have enough time to adjust to Michigan temperatures but I still feel bad for throwing her to the possible brutal Michigan winter.

Beginnings

Hello world!

I'm a 24yo business student, living back home in the mitten of Michigan. Fair to say I live a stressful life with being a full time student and studying during my hardest semester yet of college. Work seems to be more chaotic by the day and I feel unproductive at the days end more often than not. Between knee injuries and hip / back pain, I've been sidelined from the saddle since end of April. While my gelding has been still getting worked some here and there, I can safely say the last thing I needed was a second horse.

So what happened Sunday Sept 23rd? Yep... Got another horse. Well, I claimed her as mine. She won't be arriving until October 7.

How it all happened....

Last Monday (Sept 17) I saw a Craigslist ad that my friend posted on my Facebook timeline. I reluctantly looked, breaking my #1 rule of not looking for pretty horses for sale. First mistake. Mare was cute, TB, 5-6yrs old, tendon injury with vet report saying it'd be 100% again. So, I emailed the owner. Second mistake. I quickly got a response and after some back and forth communication, I was set to go see her on Sept 21st after work. My biggest problem with this mare is that the owner did not have her papers. So... I started emailing a few Warmblood registries asking for advice on presenting her to a registry if I were to breed her one day and wanted the foal registered. The owner agreed to write a notarized statement explaining how her papers were lost so I could get them replaced by the Jockey Club. I also learned of a few loop holes in the registries for a case like mine. Everything was set to go. Sept 20th I got a heart wrenching email that the owner decided to give the mare away to a family friend. So I put on my big girl pants, sucked it up and told myself it just wasn't meant to be.

The next day one of my friends showed me a link to a mare on canterusa.org that I had previously seen and she looked like she could be a cute mover. However she didn't look like she had much of a personality and something about her left me hesitant. Regardless, I sent her info off to two of my friends for opinions.

That night, my best friend in Lexington texted me telling me she knew of another Thoroughbred mare. Better bred, younger, and in need of a good home. After learning more about her, we agreed for her to go get pictures of the mare overth weekend. Once they were posted on Facebook of me to see I was sold. I told her to get all the vet papers in order and make the call to the owners. Before I hung up the phone I had already confirmed her shipping date via email. As of then, the lovely mare, Woven Web was mine!