Goodbye 2013

2013 had it's ups. But a hole heck of downs. Lets recap why I'll take a drink at midnight to say F you 2013 and welcome in 2014. 

January - Way to start out the year January. January 13th I fall in the shower and later that week after giving into going to the doctor I learn my wrist is broken. I never got put in a full cast since the bone that was fractured didn't impair my mobility and after two weeks or so of wrapping, icing and pain killers I was able to begin lightly using my hand as normal. I get bronchitis and double ear infectons. After missing work from the amount of pain killers I was on, a week of terrible weather and some other things, I loose my job working in the dean's office at the college. Looking back it was best thing that could of happened all around, just bad timing. Simultaneously I drop all my classes for the semester because in the first few weeks I'm already too far behind to make the semester count. 

February - On the 8th I rode Echo for the first time! Pretty much the highlight of the month. I put two more rides on her in the month. Nothing super exciting because my wrist was still regaining strength and it was cold! The 27th my grandpa had his heart attack. 

March - One of the roughest emotional months I've ever gone through. After a stint and pacemaker being put into his heart my grandpa got to go home. After more incidents of gulbladder (worlds most evil organ) attacks and infections I make the move into my grandparents house. Not everyone is as close to their grandparents as I am and always have been. My mom makes the drive from North Carolina for her school's spring break to visit and see my grandpa due to his health. If I had not lost my job I would of never been able to stay with them and provide the help I was able to. 

April - Lots of doctor appointment visits and drives for my both of the grandparents. My grandma is convinced that I need to just move in with them permanently. I go to my first Red Wings hockey game in Detroit - it was amazing! I get bronchitis a second time mid month. Around the same time I start exploring moving to South Florida for a job offer. After six weeks of waiting to accept, I say screw it and am offered my old job in Lexington.

May - After many tearful goodbyes to my grandparents, dad and other family, friends and my horses I pack my car and leave for Lexington on the 8th. On the 13th I walk back into Equibase after being gone since December of 2010. Working there again is rough at first because everything comes back fast but things had changed and putting it all together was a rough period of time. Start apartment searching but have no luck at first. I go to the USHJA International Derby finals which is a complete blast at KHP - forgot how much I love that place. End of the month is marred by my friend Lyssette loosing her horse Carlos :(

June - On the 9th my ponies finally arrive to Kentucky after a 20 hour trailer ride. I used my special access powers to Churchill Downs and my friends and I had a fun tour of the roof of Churchill Downs. Echo's uterine infection returns and the vet lays out a course of treatment including lots of flushes. We have to go through two rounds of flushing for her to get all nice and clean. End of month is my birthday - and just go for a nice dinner with friends. 

July - I finally get moved into my new apartment. I drove up to Michigan and my dad and I loaded a U-Haul and took off the next morning to Kentucky. My cat's were thrilled to see me and Holly co-piloted her way back to Lexington. My work schedule is non-existent. By end of the month I pretty much have to demand a set schedule with set days off. I need routine. Normal fun things in the month of July - my favorite holiday, the Junior League skedaddle bred show (Saddlebred's), and Fasig Tipton sales. Despite lot's of bad horse racing news, crappy hot weather and a few things here and there, July was one of the better months of the year!

August - Month starts out by me having to separate the two horses. Echo and Dakota were unbearable to be around in the barn if they couldn't see each other. Dakota gets booted out with the geldings. Echo learns how to break out of the cross ties / wash stall in the barn and repeats many times. August 12th I attempt a second job working an additional 20 hours a week at the grocery store. I start classes at Midway College and take 12 credit hours worth of classes. So busy I rarely see my horses. I go full time at Equibase. The girl I couldn't stand walked out and finally quit. Dakota starts showing signs of lameness.

September - Ok so the part time job didn't last long. After not really seeing the horses and going full time I quit the part time job after 2-3 weeks and let Labor Day weekend be the end of that. Dakota has become more and more visibly lame and wheels start spinning on what to do with him. September also marks a year since I've owned Echo. 

October - Month of Breeders' Cup preparations. Fun. Makes work even more fun - and hellish. Echo left for operation boot camp in Texas with my friend Amanda. 

November & December - No major changes except Echo being naughty in Texas. Mom and Grandparents visit me in November for Thanksgiving and Dad comes for Christmas. Work is the usual. Lots to do, never enough time. Missing Echo & hoping to see her sometime in early 2014!

Happy Holidays

Happy Holiday's Blog Land!

While I am stuck working most of this holiday season I've been lucky to spend it with some family and friends and 3/4 of my animal team. While I'm missing my lovely MareFace I sent her lots of love via text message which at least made me feel better!

My Dad trying to convince me he's not afraid of horses on Christmas Eve

Dakota got his evening timothy / alfalfa cubes topped with goodies for Christmas. Unfortunately for him I decided to feed it to him in a bucket instead of his normal ground feeder. Enjoy the video of him trying to get the apple wedged into the hay!

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and has a safe and happy New Year's!

-Allison Dakota & Echo

The S List

Well Echo is finally on a Shit List. She's been pretty well behaved for my friend A that has her rode her today for the first time since her arrival. Instead of summarizing everything I'll copy / paste some of what she said to me in our Facebook conversation for everyone.

I did ride her today. She is very powerful and super green. An exciting combination. We did walk trot while on a lunge line. One very near explosion but we survived and worked until relaxed and trotting on a loose rein. Oddly gate bound. Her buddies were in their stalls eating hay though so can't blame the chick for a bitty fit. I just kept making it hard to be at the gate and easy to be away. Lazy bones made a choice to not go to the gate after some newly presented information about the gate surfaced. Funny.

When talking about a plan of how long to have her in Texas and what to do once she's back with me:

That sounds like a good plan. I honestly think she could be a professionals horse and really would thrive in an ambitious but careful program. I would like you to succeed with her and ride her not just breed. She has guts. The videos are the first two but I have more. I ask for trot the first time and she heard canter. Must be a lot of winter fuzz in her ears. She is probably a 1 star event horse or more.

I made the mistake of asking if she needed anything! Her

Mare face is on smart calm as of tonight and is on my shit list and boot camp list for the unforeseeable future. She showed me some pretty cute moves tonight. Athletic but not exactly what was reasonable lol. She would win if it came to a battle under saddle. These are the times I almost want them to be gangly and unbalanced. Easier to train than the power house she is now.

On ground driving:

First days are never pretty. I will get you video once she is figuring it out. She just doesn't relax on the bit and she leans and pulls on pressure and the popping shoulder and trying to go to gate. Rather educate her on the ground so I have brakes and bending in the saddle too later. I really enjoy ground driving over obstacles and safely being able to work out issues. Speaking of bit... Your mare face tried to suck the bit back into her molars and run away with me! She arched her neck an came behind the vertical then I hear a sucking noise! I tugged the bit with my hand and got it away from her. It just made me annoyed and aware turning away from the gate was a very touchy situation. Her brain turned on momentarily for evil doing I guess.

I laughed when I read this because it's Echo 10000% The rearing is new so I'm not too worried it's going to be a lasting habit.

My sister was most impressed with her up down up down rampage. She bucked then reared then bucked then reared. She was bobbing up and down. Why you ask? Because I dare suggest she enlarge her circle to the better footing. Oh heavens. She didn't progress forward or back just up and down. I laughed so hard I was bent down and Echo came on over to me and stood quietly in front of me. Hey brain came back on.. I am teaching her to stop if a person is bent over. Me no like horse drag me away if I'm caught in the lunge line. I fall...

The videos A sent me: