Sunday, July 27, 2008

Vacation at Bar 50

Maggie attended camp at Bar Fifty Ranch last week in Bismarck, Ar and with gas prices so high I decided to give up a week of work and stay here and ride rather than being burdened with driving back and forth twice. (What a hardship!) Liberty has never really traveled alone so it was a bit of a shock to arrive in a mostly empty campground and find himself alone. He called a little but settled down pretty quick and we had a short ride around camp on Sunday. I have never been much for bareback riding but have discovered that my recent weight loss and strength training on our wii fit has really helped my balance and I was more comfortable without a saddle than I have been in the past.

Monday morning I rode out with a nice family from LA and their grandchildren. We rode for about 3.5 hours and Liberty never got tired or footsore. He was super sure footed and did everything I asked, including not running down the hills after the other riders. He still fusses with his head when I would rather he give a little a little more but he is really coming along.

The trails are rocky and technical and i am looking forward to riding again tomorrow. He isn't used to all these hills but is doing great!

I haven't seen Maggie to know if she's having fun but I'm sure she is. Another NATRC person fom OK brought her daughter to camp too. Gail Kimery, who I met at Indian Territory in 2003, brought her daughter, who is just a few months younger than Maggie. Chris was having a great time, but apparently drinks lots of caffeinated sodas...which makes her a little hyper.

On Tuesday, I rode Liberty today and Kim Harrison came and rode Lissa. Yesterday he was tearing up and down the hills and today he was tired. Toward the end of the ride he wanted to go down the hills sideways and almost ran me into a few trees. He's reining great, but when I tried to move him over with my leg he was annoyed. He gives nicely to pressure from he ground. He's better on his left side than right. I think that he needs the chiro out again, but I won't know for sure until next month.

I gave him Wednesday off to give him a rest. Peter and I ran into Hot springs, walked around, read historial land marks, got a massage, ate good food...basically did very little. I was looking for new boots for Liberty, but couldn't find any that fit (I did buy some but had to return them the next day). When I got back on Wednesday Liberty was bored and rested. I got him out and grazed him. I had switched his pen to a slightly larger one b/c it rained over night both Tuesday and Wednesday so I felt like he could use some more space and a dry base to stand in.

Thursday, my agenda was to ride alone. I used to ride alone when I had my first horse, 20 years ago. However, after my shoulder injury, I got nervous of being out alone and I just haven't ridden alone. Kate Love is always encouraging me to get over it so I have been working up to it. At the stc we did our last 7 miles alone and made it but there were other horses around so we weren't alone alone. Today it was just us. I rode down the road out of camp with no problem, but at the first fork in the road he fought with me. I waited, we went on. At the next fork, same thing. We circled a bit,and we backed, and he went on down the hill. Then half way down the rocky hill out of camp he threw a major hissy and before I could get him straightened out he got part way up the hill. So we waited some more. He went the rest of the way down with no more trouble! He wasn't concerned about the footing, he just didn't want to go out of camp all alone.

Our next bit of trauma were all the puddles left from the storms. This horse loves creeks and lakes, but those puddles were going to eat him! I finally found a puddle in a safe place and worked him through it for 15 or 20 minutes till he would go through it straight both directions. We then went down a stretch of trail that reminded me of the bogs at davy crockett and he was really good! Until we got to one that must have had deep erosion on the bottom b/c all of a sudden I'm ankle deep in muddy water. He handled it fine, went straight and later went on through more of those that were not so deep.

We rode about two hours only but it was productive and he really began to listen to me. We came back in as Maggie's group was going up the mountain. He stood quietly for the others to pass him. I was very proud.

I also finally had a chance to play with the heart monitor I bought from Linda Stanford a couple years ago. He recovered pretty quick on all the climbs but continues to run a little high-12-13 after 10 min. He has a resting heart rate of 39. His breathing continues to be quick. What are the best exercises to work on breathing? Some say more canter and others more trot.

The only thing wrong with my time here is not having more NATRC friends here too.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

On barefoot horses

I am wishing I had broken my no shoeing rule for riding this week. Liberty is handling it well but Dixie got tender on the rocks the first day. I have a farrier coming to shoe her tomorrow. Had I known that she would be tender (or Liberty too for that matter) I would have made a bigger effort to try boots before leaving home. But I didn't and it seems so unfair to make her work over these rocks she's not used to. I have boots for Liberty but they are too big. I understand why barefoot is best but right now I just want to ride without them being in pain.

Maggie and Dixie are doing great. Maggie wants to buy her.

Friday, July 18, 2008

The Never Ending Very Bad Day

Today didn't start out looking like a very bad day...but it sure ended up that way. Today was supposed to be the day that the holistic vet looked at Deli so we could figure out what was "really going on" with her so I could see if we were going to be able to fix it.

I had breakfast with Cat and we moved the round pen so we could put electric fence around it (so that Merlin would quit pushing on it) We waited for the vet and the girls rode bareback in the field. At 10:22 I called the vet who was supposed to have been there at 10am and got no answer. He did finally call back around 11 and this is where the day began to go downhill.

The vet was a vet I had not used before, but one who came very highly recommended for Holistic Medicine. He was coming from Pilot Point, which is a little ways away and he had gotten hung up with other clients and was late. That wasn't a problem at all. He had directions. Over one and a half hours later he called to tell me he was in North Richland Hills which was close so I headed over to the field after dropping Maggie and her friend Jena at the pool. I called him again and he was in Irving...he had missed the turn through NRH and had gone on 121/183 instead of staying on 820 and was heading north again toward home. Not only was he lost, he was mad about being lost...and it was somehow my fault. He said he was on the George Bush going north and he would pull over and get his bearings and call me back for new directions...and then I never heard from him again. So, I set aside this day for him to come and I had high hopes of him seeing my horse and he never showed up and never called me again...and then it was MY FAULT that he couldn't read the directions. HE said it was my fault b/c I gave him different directions than the ones Mapquest gave him. I gave him really good directions, which he read back to me, and he still got lost. I checked Mapquest and I got the way I said to come if he'd had the address right...but I'm thinking that he only had mapquested from Pilot Point to Arlington. I felt terrible that he got lost, especially because I knew exactly where it happened, but then he wouldn't let me help him fix it and gave me "it must be your fault" attitude. And then in the end, he didn't show up nor did he call me again. I can completely understand his frustration. I just can't get over how unprofessional he was.

So, I went to sam's, I gassed up my truck, got our snacks and clothing that we needed, went back to turn Deli out (I had locked her up pending the vet visit, GRRR) Picked up the kids from the pool and was heading home...

Then I remembered (it was 4:30 by this time) that I had forgotten to get copies of some paperwork for my trip to Arkansas and I frantically got on the phone with Dr. Lampe's office (one of my normal, real, good vets) to get my paperwork started. I ran home to have it faxed to me, since we are leaving for our trip on Sunday...to find my printer didn't work anymore. It was over, I just cried and cried...for the second time that day. I cried when the other vet wouldn't come see my horse and started giving me attitude too. So then I had to run out to get more ink and hope that the fax machine had saved the last document in it's memory...which, fortunately it had.

By this time I was just really, really tired and I ordered pizzas for Maggie and Jena, drank a cold beverage and called it a day...only I still had to pack for the trip. sigh...Most of my stuff is packed up, but I think I'm done.

No new car for peter

It's just not meant to be that Peter get this new car. We have been approved for several loans but all have some physical paper requirement of the sellers going physically to a bank. Or the interest rate was too high or terms too long. After spending a week trying to by the Elmore's gorgeous Buick we have accepted defeat. Peter will keep driving the Mustang and I will get the a/c fixed in my escort. We will start saving a car payment and the next time my escort breaks something major, we will junk it and I will get the Mustang and Peter will get something new then. Hopefully we will get some money saved up and wait a year befored this happens.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Misunderstandings

I hate it when I have a disagreement with my husband. He is a great guy, and a nice man and I really hate it when we email each other and then we get mad because we each misunderstood the other's intent. I hate it even worse when I realize my part and want to apologize and fix it and I can't reach him because of pesky work related timing.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Banks can be Crooked! Compass Especially

I'm so annoyed. I put the car money from our car sales in the bank on SAt. It was $2100 in cash. It went in the bank. I had to buy a new car battery on Sunday, Peter bought a new ink cartridge for the printer tonight. The bank says we are OD by $27 b/c they won't count the CASH I put in the bank till tonight at midnight (which isn't all that far off) I'm going to be really angry if I have to pay OD charges b/c they counted all the debits before they count my credit. I'm really steamed. Obviously, it's cash and the money is in there. It's enough to make me keep all my money in a mattress. Are there any good/honest banks anymore? They tell me they are perfectly within their right not to count a cash deposit of $2100 on Sat. until Tuesday. I totally take responsibility for not realizing I was on the edge of trouble...but since I had deposited all that cash I didn't think about it. Obviously I should have kept out $200 of it to pay for these things that have no overdrawn me.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Car Trouble AGAIN!

I think the little escort may be done...I thought we had all the cars situated, but I was wrong. We got the Ford truck sold last weekend, Peter's car on Monday. We ended up with $2400 in pocket, so it wasn't terrible...we drive our vehicles to death.

Three weeks ago the alternator belt on my car broke sending little pieces of metal into the engine. It already needed a break job. Total cost: $1100. I coughed up the cash, wrote a check and fixed my car. Drove it to pick up Maggie at the airport the next day and the a/c made a horrible noise and quit cooling. So, it went back to the shop, where a week later, it was pronounced that the a/c compressor was going out. Total Potential cost: $625. I said "NO!" at least till I had the money saved up. I figured i could just drive it without a/c for the time being. So, I drove it one day without a/c...it wasn't horrid, but I promptly came home and locked my keys in it. The next morning I couldn't find them anywhere in the house, but saw them hanging out of the ignition. No problem: I could just drive Peter's car with the spare keys...which I did...So, the next day, with my keys newly unlocked I went to drive my car...and it wouldn't start...nothing. We theorized that I Must have left the lights or key or something on, but can't tell that I did. Then we figured the battery was dead and we tried to jump start it but got nothing (This was over the Fourth of July, so it's been dragging on awhile) So today, I bought a new battery for it. Still nothing. NO lights, no sounds, nothing. Peter has determined through trial and error (and I would have to agree) that we must have an electrical problem. Which means I'm now going to have to have the car hauled back to Milt's and see if they can fix it or if it's just time to confess that it's all over!

I'm not sure what to do from there. We have had a car each and I had the truck for hauling. Now we have traded our cars out and Peter isn't so keen on his mustang. I love the mustang and would be really happy driving it. I have contemplated getting him a car and driving the mustang, keeping the truck for hauling. We have also contemplating just having 2 vehicles and putting the savings of insurance and extra maintenance into the car fund. Peter would really like a new car and I confess, I don't' care if I drive something that's new or old. Makes me no difference at all. I just can't bare the thought of having more debt.

Freeley's Last Ride


I haven't wanted to put off acknowledging that it was true, but I can't help it anymore...Freeley is done competing. He was pulled from the Firecracker STC and he hasn't been "himself" for months. Back in March, while he completed the Girl Scout Scamper, he was grade 2 or 3 lame...though a kind judge made it 2 so that Maggie didn't have to suffer through not placing and getting completion only. He has begun to resist loading. He's not happy. I have tried to talk to the folks who gave him to me about taking him back to IL, but I haven't had a response from them, so I have begun to look for a home for him. I think I have the perfect place for him to go too. Lyn Wood, brother of another friend, is going to take him to their ranch to be his wife and kids' horse. He will walk down trails 1-2 times per month and enjoy retirement. It's a good life for Freeley, but it's terribly hard on us. This week I will give him lots of love. Next week I will be on vacation and the week after, before the first of August, Freeley will go live in Bluff Dale.

He has been such a wonderful horse...there aren't words to express how special he is to us. This photo is after I have ridden off on Liberty and Maggie is stuck in camp with Freeley. He was looking after Liberty. She is pretty upset! Not so much about being pulled. She is upset that she knows her days with Freeley are possibly over. He's been lame on and off for a year.

I would give anything to have my own acreage to just turn him out and let him retire!

Of course, the "fun" part is that Maggie can begin to look for a horse of her own now...but really, she would rather just have Deli back and I'm going to see about making that happen. Deli is being checked out by a holistic vet on Friday. I'm crossing my fingers that we can find something concrete to make her whole again.

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Snow Cone Flavors

I have a goal for my summer. It's to eat as many different kinds of snow cones as possible before summer is over. So far I have had the following flavors:

Blue Raspberry
Tangerine
Dream cicle
cherry cola
grape cola
pina colada
Jamaica me Crazy (a combination of Pina Colada and Raspberry)
Ocean Brisk (lime, coconut, pina colada)
Tiger's blood (strawberry, coconut)
Kiwi
Lime
Margarita
The Sour Special (Lime, Lemon, Margarita and pink Lemonade)
Sour Apple
Pickle Juice
Rootbeer
DR. Pepper

OK, well, I have not had a whole snow cones in all these flavors. These are all that I have eaten and all the things I have tried. It's been hot and snow cones are yummy. TO minimize the caloric impact of my snow cone adventure, I have been ordering small snow cones and ordering them with light syrup. A snow cone is such a nice way to finish the day.

So far, my two favorites are Kiwi and Cherry Cola. I think Cherry Cola is my favorite. Amazingly pickle juice was pretty yummy, but I couldn't eat an entire snow cone with pickle juice poured over it.

Speaking of weight...I'm down 5.3 pounds from when we bought our WII 36 days ago.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Deli is improved

Today Deli has improvement in one side of her face after the adjustment. She is now blinking her left eye in response to the stimulation of her whiskers. And, she was friendlier today. The chiro suggested that she may have had a colossal headache for a long time now. I stretched her a little, but she was very resistent. However, it is a start!

A note from the copy room

I am standing here waiting for 15 copies of our new spiritual song book to print. I haved learned a lot about the different areas of wellness since I started this job and creating a spiritual song book was part of it. Fortunately only one person between the two facilities isn't Chtistian but I still have to put in some Jewish or Old Testament songs for balance.

Just heard that Cat was whisked off to the ER b/c of heart trouble/chest pain. I had asked to go eiding with me tonight. I guess that will be a no...

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Deli with the chiro



The chiroprator is demonstrating in this video how Deli's blink reflex is not activated by him rubbing the whiskers on her muzzle...something that should happen automatically.

Fiera 7.5 weeks

A new Chiropractor

today I had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Ormstrum of Julibee Animal Chiropractic He is a vet and a chiropractor and has a huge inventory of tecniques. I called him b/c Freeley was lame in the STC a couple weeks ago and I have been feeling like it might be the end of the line for him. The chiro says he was out in the neck, poll and hind end, so I will have to wait and see how he looks and how our exercises develop to know what he is going to be able to do. I do have some people interested in either him, or possibly Deli and that would be ok...one less horse for me to take care of but he'd still be mine. Of course, if he's sound, I don't realy want to give him up, but with his history, I think he may be happier with an easier job.

I also found out that Deli had a huge problem in her poll that will probably require a couple more treatments to make right, but he says that everything that is wrong with her "might be" the result of her cranial nerves being frozen. He showed me a reflex point that would cause the lip to droop and cranial nerves to freeze her face. Once adjusted she was a lot better, but he says I have some rehab to do with her. It would be great if she can recover, but he says that depending on how long ago she did it, the nerves may never come back. He said she may have injured it pulling back or when she pulls back, it hurts causing her to pull back more. I'm supposed to give it a week and see how she looks and start doing exercises tomorrow. I'm hoping that she will be "fixed" and Maggie will have her horse back, but I'm afraid to hope.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Finally, a Free Moment

Since my last post life has been absolutely crazy. I have had a series of car repairs and work complications and life has been insane.

It started the Wednesday when I had to pick up Maggie from the airport. Originally, Shawn was going to get her, but his car was down and my attempt to loan him my truck failed when it wouldn't start right up for me to loan it out. So, I had to call off work to go get Maggie. I tried to make up those hours and failed to actually manage it. I have now given up...will just have to write it off :-( Good news is that Maggie made it home safe, but it took me a long time to get her off the plane.

On the way home, the car quit cooling us, and I had to roll down the window, which is something most people don't enjoy in TX in the summer. I then found out over the next few days that the compressor is gone. It means that I spent $1100 on my car just 2 weeks ago to fix the brakes and the alternator belt to have to spend another $$600+ to fix the ac. I wouldn't have fixed the first stuff is I had know that I would have to pay more to fix it now! I only gave $2300 for the car and it has 195K miles on it. So, I'm not fixing the a/c until I have the cash to do it--or until winter. For now I'm just going to drive the car with no a/c, or drive the suburban if it's really hot. Peter's mustang is available every other week since he commutes with another fellow. Eventually I will sell the escort and drive the burb every other week. Or find him a used car he likes and I will drive the mustang since I like it so much!

Since it's taken me all evening just to write this part of the update, I think I will sign off now and go to bed. There is more...we have been so busy.