Rain brings a renewal to the land and regrowth
It is the time of year for renewal. Easter, always one of my favorite holidays, is all about new life, renewal and beginning again. I have much to be grateful for from the rain that has brought pastures back to green, to longer days of sunshine, to plants and flowers in abundance and to life in general, where breathing is easy again.
Much has been going on at the farm. For those of you keeping track from previous years or in Houston, it is time for Pin Oak, largest charity horse show in Texas. Lauren had a great show last year, winning her first Pin Oak ribbons and championship. She will not attend this year.
We had hoped to have a horse to take Feather’s place as she recovered from a hoof injury but our plan to use/lease another fell apart. My saying of “Man plans, God laughs” was appropriate again. I was so disappointed to not have a horse for Lauren. We had wanted to lease one for the several months we anticipated that Feather would be out of action.
Funny thing how life works out but just yesterday, our favorite vet Lynn, completely cleared Feather to return 100% to work. We will miss Pin Oak but our wonderful mare, Feather, will be back in action soon. Lauren is already riding her and you would never know she missed a day (in fact throughout this entire episode, Feather never took a single lame step on her “bad” foot). So, all is right in our horse world, we didn’t need another horse at all, we just needed to wait for Feather to heal.
I am enjoying riding my mare, Nova, and we are getting back to regular lessons. It has been a very long time since I could say that. Nancy Lindsay is patient and kind to us and we are learning new things. There is a lot of activity at the farm once again as riders gear up for show season.
Lauren back on Feather with Allyson, Isabel and Amanda
My family has been great about helping out with new lights for the birthing stall (Fargo is due in June) and other updates. It is time for the winter blankets to go back in storage and summer flies to start being a nuisance.
Nothing exciting to report on my home front except everyone is as healthy and well as they can be. I have gone from having seven 9/11ths horses in barn but only one that is rideable to having everyone but young Betty Sue and super Momma Fargo on the non-ride list.
Summer is approaching as well. Typically we do a quasi-working student camp. This means the girls hang out and work, ride, learn new things about horses and often shop. Sorry, parents, I can’t stop the shopping. Mia is returning again this year from Malaysia. I understand the Isabel is on-board for the duration. I haven’t heard yet about Allyson, but hope she is planning to join us too.
This year we will have the bright, inquisitive Makenna coming from Bartlesville, Oklahoma for a week of camp as well. I think she will be an amazing addition to the team. She loves everything about horses, and is eager to learn even more. I am hoping we can persuade Fargo to wait to deliver her baby until Makenna arrives on the 19th. Either way, having a baby foal should make camp that much more fun.
We possibly have space for one more week long overnight camper, preferably in the age range of 12-14. Some riding experience, knowledge of horses is needed. Anyone out there interested? Campers will be assigned at least one horse to care for daily, have extensive riding time, instruction, field trips with vets, trips to top trainers, sessions taught by the farrier and general horse care education. It will be fun and informative.
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TryDelta-an OTTB straight off the track above and ready to deliver now
Speaking of baby foal, Try Delta, our AP Indy granddaughter (related to our Bruno) that Lynn and I own together is due March 31st. Lynn told me TeeDee got down and rolled from one side to other, leaped to her feet and reared straight up in the air. Lynn and I reflected that TeeDee was a tad bit (understatement) more agile than Lynn or I in our last two weeks of pregnancy. TeeDee will deliver at Lynn’s-I hope to be there for tips and tricks to a successful birth but counting on a little Irish luck to bring us a wonderful foal.
Muffy, the spaniel mix, Lula, the mini dachshund and Kena, the Doberman, all settled in to sleep away the rain (glad the remote is close by if they need it!).
My dogs have been waiting out the rain and missing me while I travel. Still…pretty lucky dogs to have such comfy surroundings. Did I mention that I am going to the airport to pick up a new dog that is flying in from Lexington, Kentucky? Try to guess the breed—don’t say if you already know. I bet this will be a surprise breed to all of you. Hopefully, Lady will be a wonderful fit for my daughter in Denver who recently lost her cocker spaniel of so many years, Bailey. But I am trying out the dog first to see how she does!
I hope when I speak with you next you will have had a happy Easter and I have new foal pictures to show. So excited to see how an Irish Flagmount’s Freedom and an all-American AP Indy baby turn-out (which I know I won’t know really for several years) but still this baby should be pretty top notch.
As always thanks for riding along.
Exechorseluver 