First Encounters

With such a busy weekend, everyone forgot that the farrier was coming out at Noon today. So I took advantage of that and got Woven Web trimmed. She was way better than I expected!! Very good girl. I dewormed her today as well since no one is really sure the last time it was done on her. 

I'll ramble more on her tomorrow, but for now, here's a bunch of pictures. Lets face it, pictures are the best part!

Watching the farrier trim the other horses.

Hair Cut! Still needs to be pulled but already better.

With my friend Erin

Safe and Sound

SHES HERE!

The day went nothing like I planned. Shipper had been telling me all week that she was showing at some barrel racing event in Louisville. Well... Saturday night when I talked to her on our way to see the gelding she told me she was in Glascow KY which is 3 hours from Lexington rather than the 1 1/2 to Louisville. I asked her for a general time that they'd be in Paris to get Woven Web and she said to plan on Noon. Okay, fine, no problem. I let all my connections know the update and we continued onto see the gelding and test him out (they ended up buying him). So yesterday (Sunday morning) they call at 11:15 and say they're on the road and will be there in 2-3 hours - so 3:30 max right? I talked to them at 2:30 and they informed me they were still 2 1/2 hours away!!!!! I think they took the scenic route or something because 5 hours is a long time for a 3 hour drive, even with an empty horse trailer. At 5:15 I got a call saying she was loaded and they were off to get the gelding. By 9:00 I finally called and they said they were in Indiana heading out way. So we camped out on the couch, trying to sleep, waiting for another call.

She arrived with the other horse from Kentucky (that my barn owner's daughter got Saturday night on our fast trip to see him) at about 4:18 this morning. 

She was extremely happy to get off the trailer and was very.... eager to get inside the barn. We put the two in the indoor arena so they could walk around and stretch their legs a bit before we put them in their stalls for some hay and water. You could tell the two bonded in the trailer because there was no squealing or kicking between them and I'm pretty sure she already went into heat for him. Someone forgot to tell her he's a gelding I think.

I can tell she's going to be a handful just by how she acted being led, but I'm already in love with her! She's absolutely gorgeous and I think she's at least 16.2 1/2, possibly 16.3. Once she was quietly munching on her hay in her stall I sneaked in for a few minutes and just pet and talked to her. Very very sweet girl!

Since I got very little sleep I'm not working this morning, most likely not at all today. I'll be going out this afternoon to groom, feed, and hand walk her around and of course snap some pictures.

T Minus 48 Hours

As the week closes and 5:00 nears for me to head home I'm thankful this week has flown by and yet terrified. 5:00 means I'm within 48 hours of Woven Web. Trying to find things to distract me from watching the clock but it's harder than it sounds.

List of the top things bugging me. Probably not a great list but writing it all down seems to help my semi frantic brain.

• Shipper falling through for some unknown reason. The person I'm using has many many great reviews from other customers but that only slightly eases my mind. 
• How she'll settle and adjust to Michigan life. She's on pure grass right now in a huge gorgeous Kentucky field and I'm sure the shock of being on no grass, hay only and a new routine is going to boggle her mind for awhile. 
• How I'm going to get along with her in general and how she's going to handle her new life.

Only a short Finite Math assignment for over the weekend, Accounting homework is already done which leaves me with Micro Economics exam as the only thing that will take up enough time to distract me. Doesn't help though that the Econ exam is due by midnight on Sunday and the testing center at the college isn't open on Sunday like I thought so I have to cram to take it Saturday morning at 9am. Of course in my typical fashion the amount of studying I have done for the exam is at 0. Literally 0. 

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!

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!