Equestrian UnBucket List

Here goes my attempt at 30 things I've been lucky enough to do in my equestrian lifetime. Visit Lyssette's and Lauren's for a much better read! Their's are much more exciting with a lot more showing experiences :)

1. Get to ride. I started riding at 7. 

2. Own my own horse. I got Dakota when I was 12.

3. Ride a horse in a parade.

4. Took on a project horse and resold to a good home.

5. Saved a horse from a kill buyer/pen.

6. Be the first person on a horses back.

7. Own two heart horses.

8. Have a heart horse that you don't own.

9. Win a blue ribbon in a horse show. 

10. Have a horse lay down with me on it's back.

11. Crash and burn and get back on.

12. Go camping with your horse.

13. Trail ride at Cumberland Falls.

14. Go on a 15 mile trail ride.

15. Own a dressage saddle.

16. Own a stallion.

17. See Zenyatta in person!

18. Met my first horse racing hero, Point Given.

19. Met HOTY Havre de Grace.

20. Getting to go on farm calls with world class vets and actually be of assistance.

21. Met online horse friends.

22. Meet the Budweiser Clydesdales. 

23. Working for Equibase. I may hate my job at times but when I step back and realize it's North American horse racing database it's pretty cool. 

24. Go to Breyer Fest - this was way more exciting when I was 11.

25. Go to Kentucky Horse Park.

26. Gone to Churchill Downs among other race tracks.

27. Attended the Breeders' Cup (twice in 2002 and 2006).

28. Attended 2010 World Equestrian Games. Crossing fingers for 2018 too!

29. Attended Rolex Kentucky 3 Day Event.

30. Attended Richland Horse Trials @ Richland Horse Park.

Twinkle Toes

Dakota finally has shoes on again!!! Lets all take a moment to cross our fingers and send threatening thoughts to him if he pulls them off in less than 6 weeks. I cannot wait to ride him more now.

Echo's getting few more days off. Where Dr Friend did caslisk stitches she's really swollen still and I don't want to force her into moving and risk tearing something. So last night she got a good grooming and I braided her mane in big braids hoping to tame the stray hairs to the correct side of her neck. Hopefully she heals well under the tail and we can move on from nasty uterine infections.

I see nails!!!

Ready to go outside.

Tonight - Working until 9pm so no pony time tonight.

Sunday - Off work, lunge and ride Dakota - maybe outside riding.

Monday - Who knows...

Tuesday - Work late - probably not much pony time.

Wednesday - Work late - hopefully lunge Echo in the morning before work.

Thursday - Hopefully work with Echo if she's healed, if not maybe ride D.

Friday - Hopefully work with Echo if she's healed, if not maybe ride D.

Countdowns

1 Week until my birthday

1 Week until more Churchill Downs night racing

2 Weeks + 1 Day until Michigan / Kitties / Moving

Racing in the Dark

We ventured to Churchill Downs for some night racing in Saturday. The $500,000 Stephen Foster was on the card and we got to see a blow out race for last years Breeders' Cup Classic winner Fort Larned.

From the Equibase office on the 6th floor. The guys in there were nice enough to let us come watch a few races in there.

Then the guys told us how to sneak onto the roof. Pretty awesome getting a top view of the spires.

Finish line :)

Trophy from the big Arabian race they had. Really strange to see Arabians running at Churchill.

Where the 'magic' happens in the track Equibase office.

Arrival Wrapup

After their 4:30ish arrival Saturday, I put both horses in their stalls for about two hours to let them relax a little and eat hay and drink water. Echo had not drank well on their 20 hour journey so she was eager for water and drank about 15 gallons. I watched the most boring Belmont Stakes I can think of in recent history and then went and decided to groom Echo some. 

Both have lost weight but it could be worse. Dakota doesn't look AS bad since he had more weight on him to begin with. Echo's ribs are showing way too much, but I'm confident that even after just a week of green grass, awesome hay and starting grain again she'll look better.

After their arrival and being turned out.

Some of this stuff I'm sure I've mentioned but no clue what so it may be repeated. I found great hay last week that's a good grass blend and both horses seem to love it. Grain wise, I'm feeding Hallway's Fibrenergy. Hallway is made fresh just up the road from the barn. It's so fresh that it was bagged the day before I bought it, which is almost 'old' for how much grain that place makes and goes through. It's a newer feed in their lineup and I can't wait to see how the horses do on it. Before, Triple Crown Complete was the closest thing to my 'ideal' levels of everything. Now I'm feeding 12% protein, 20% Fiber, 12% Fat and all with a NSC level of only 7.3%. Eventually I will have to fortify Dakota's portion with their Stamm 30 since he's an easy keeper but he won't eat a pellet grain (go figure).

They're turned out together in two one horse paddocks. There's a gate between them so I can either open it or close it and let one side rest. On the diagram I've added I kinda circled the gate between them. They're stalled in the Tobacco Barn which is where Dakota was last time at this farm. The diagram is a little off because there are way more fence lines and paddocks than I have the ability to sketch out but it gives a general idea. 

The farm itself basically has 2 barns - both have tack room and feed room and wash stalls. Indoor arena, outdoor grass jumping field, round pen, LOTS of trails and creeks to ride through. The driveway is super long and one side is grassy with tree line so it's good area to ride. The one field has a 'track' around it. The pasture itself use to be the outdoor arena but was changed back to a pasture. The track I believe is 1/4 mile or so around so you can get some great conditioning in on it - everyone from the driving people to dressage riders seem to use the track.

My Life of Countdowns

Patience is not a virtue, to me at least, I despise waiting. Yet I find myself counting days.

3 Days - Jenny may or may-not show up to KY & determine if I'm going for 1 or 2 bedroom apartment and which location.

7 Days - Desk Moving at work - YAY

11 Days - my 2 four legged animals get off the horse trailer - YAY!!

13 Days - Night racing @ Churchill Downs

26 Days - I get to drive home to MI and see my cats - YAY!!!!!!! - Probably what I'm most anxious for, I need my fuzzbuckets to cuddle with at night.

27 Days - I'm 25.

29 Days - Drive back to KY / get my apartment.

32 Days - favorite holiday of the year.