out with the old, in with the new....boots that is.

So, I have heard it told that you should evaluate your life and make changes for the new year ahead. I am not big on New Year's resolutions but, I must admit I am changing quite a bit here lately. One of the biggest things I have changed are my boots, the ones I wear every day and ride in. Don't laugh people this is serious stuff for me. You see my boots are an extension of me, they reflect some of the things I see in myself and want of myself. I have had my old trusty boots for some five years now. In fact, one of the happiest moments I had after having my first son was to discover that indeed my boots still fit!! Not that I am saying having my son wasn't the happiest thing in my life it was until number two came along! But I regress.... old trusty's are a worn out pair of leather soled Justin ropers. I have had them resoled twice and the shoemaker must have thought I was out of my mind last time around.
I have a hard time fitting a boot to my feet, it's not that they are unusually large just difficult. I have a high instep and a wide foot at the bunion bone. Wide boots are too wide after I break them in and "B" size boots need stretching to get them to fit. I get sick to my stomach just thinking about going shopping for boots. To top it off I am well, sort of particular about what I want in a boot. First and foremost I must have leather soles, no exceptions here. I just like the way I can move my feet around in the stirrup with leather soles. I have tried composite soles , rubber soles and the newly touted grip on demand soles but nothing beats leather. Secondly the boot cannot be to high on the calf or too low.
Too high and I get pinched , too low and I get rubbed. Nothing to fancy for my either no lime green or pink fat baby's for me thanks. My husband doesn't understand my problem getting boots , heck he can walk in try on a few pair and be done in minutes. My shopping experience however goes like this:
I finally make the decision to buy a new pair of boots. I decided the all amercian Quarter Horse congress would be a great place to go and shop.
So off we go to Columbus, only a three hour trip from here and spend the weekend shopping for horse things and the boots. I go from vendor to vendor telling the helpful sales people what I want and after trying on I swear not less than seventy pair of boots come away empty handed.
Frustrated, I whine to my hubby how unfair it is that I cannot find just a freakin pair of boots to ride in. We decided to try again the following day and a nice sales girl suggested we go to the main store just up the road and try on some Anderson Bean boots. Apparently, she has the same issue when buying boots except that her foot is a ten NOT a size eight.
So, we load up the boys and head to Rod's Western Palace four miles up the road. Unbelievably, I find a pair that I like and they have my size.
The girl puts the right one on the stretcher and it fits like a glove just moments later. I went for the old vintage style squared toe and the heel is slung under which takes a little getting used to, the calf
leather is a little of a stretch for me at teal but I liked them so much I bought them anyway. I have been wearing them for about a month and I still absolutely love them. My hubby thinks I should buy another pair and alternate wearing them so they last and we wouldn't have to shop for them for awhile. Now what fun would that be???

Looking Ahead......

I know it is not the new year just yet, but here I sit stranded in the house again another rainy winter day and my mind she wanders. Can you tell yet that I dread winter and it's gray days which seem to never end??
I began to plan my escapes for 2008 in detail today and it cheered me right up. I usually try to fit in to many and this is probably the case this year as well, but I will plan them anyway. I am going to show again this year and that will limit the traveling and where I will manage to scrape up the extra dollars for all this I haven't a clue yet but it will come I have no fear. This is what I have concluded so far.

January : Harley leaves for boot camp with the Craig's for sixty days

February: Harley still at camp and the weather really sucks anyway!

March: Harley should come home the middle of the month and I will try
for an overnight trip to the local state park for my birthday.

April: No horse trip here, just me and girlfriends to Key West FL for
some good times .

May: First ranch horse show here in Indiana hopefully some new classes
for us this year!

June: First weekend 6-8th Best of America by horseback trail ride
Here in Indiana!! Taking the whole family on this one.

July: One glorious week at Buffalo River Trail Ride in Tennessee.
Anyone want to come? website: brtr.com

August: Going back to Deam Lake State Park for some more fun.

September: Ranch horse show

October : ranch horse show here in Indiana

November : Fall ride but destination not set yet , maybe in Ohio this year.

December: Final ranch horse show, yes it is an indoor facility folks.

I am sure I will squeeze in some more stuff as friends contact me and coerce me into doing more. Get planning people, we have a whole world out there to see! Happy trails.........

Merry Christmas from my house to yours

I want to wish all of my friends in blog land a very Merry Christmas and may you be filled with the love of family and friends throughout the new year. I got to play Santa today and delivered Wilson to his new home.

He went to a beautiful place and the I feel really good about his new owners. Have a blessed holiday and a wonderful new year!

The year in review..the good, the bad, and the ugly

Well here we are at the end of another year and I find myself doing a long look in the rear view mirror at 2007. Thought I would share some of the things that enlightened, disheartened or plain rocked my world this year.

The good....
My family and I all managed to stay healthy without any major occurrences. I starting my show career with Harley at ranch horse shows and managed to stay on him no matter what. I took some awesome trips with good friends and made a few new ones on the way. My best memory this year was when I placed first with Harley in a conformation class of thirteen horses. My first , first place ever!!

The bad....
The drought here in Indiana and elsewhere. The price of my hay doubling this year. My well running dry in the back for the horses, I am still hauling water from my house. This is a joy since I must fill the buckets in the basement and lug them to the barn each day. The realization that I must part with two of my barn buddies , especially Tank my true love.
The ugly;....
Fortunately not to much here, just one class in ranch reining where Harley went to bucking and I seriously thought I was in trouble . I forfeited the class and bowed out although I was still on pattern, not a good lesson for Harley to get away with. Me trying to ride bareback with just a halter to learn Harley's movements, I am sure this looked ugly!!

My favorite trip this year was probably the deam lake trip because it was so laid back and just me and a good friend spending quality time together. Hope your year in review was as good as mine and here's hoping for an even better one in 2008.
Happy trails.......

Seasonal Disorder

Here we are in winter and I feel that old familiar feeling creeping in again. The endless days of gray Sky's here and the frozen tundra out there keep me cooped up in the house to much. Today as I was outside doing my barn chores, you know scooping frozen poopcicles and breaking ice in the bucket I figured out what is wrong with me. Since we label everything in America these days with a syndrome I figure I have LORT syndrome. This abbreviation stands for Loss of Riding Time. It all makes perfect sense now. The weather turns bitter cold, the ground is frozen solid or a giant mud hole and I stop riding. Without my riding time I cannot detox the rest of the world around me. For me there is hope thou, a medicine if you will. When Harley goes off to boot camp next month, I will have an indoor arena to ride in. Yippee! Yes it will still be brutally cold and I will be looking like the Michelin man in my coveralls and various other thinsilate articles of clothing layered on me like a seven layer dip. My only hope is that I can climb aboard Harley wearing all that garb!

Parting Ways

It is never easy saying goodbye. I sold Wilson today, he is going to a great home to be a companion pony and occasional grandchild carrier. The man who purchased him is a true animal lover and got teary eyed when he told me how he lost his pony this summer after having him nearly 20 years. I will miss the little critter, although I have him for another week as we have weather moving in tonight. Despite his being sly as a fox and an expert at escaping I truly enjoyed his company. My kids seem not concerned at all which I guess is good. I guess my work at the dog rescue with all our fosters has let them see how not to get attached. I am still awaiting word on the therapeutic center on Tank. Harley is mad at me because I have kept Wilson up for two days mostly to keep him clean and to keep the wound on his leg clean. I spoke with the trainer today and Harley leaves on the 15th of January for his boot camp. I am delivering Wilson some time next week which at least lets me see where he will be living. I just hate that view of the trailer leaving with your friend inside and wondering what is in store for them.

Murphy's law...

You know the old saying ..... if something can go wrong it probably will.
I listed Wilson in the local paper a few days ago and have been bombarded with calls on him. That's a good thing. I have had him quite awhile with no problems and of course, now that I have him advertised
he has injured himself. I went out to clean him up this morning, because yes we still are inundated with mud and found his right hind leg swollen and scraped clean of it's hair for about six inches. Yea.....
After freezing my hands off trying to clean the wound , it really doesn't look that bad. However, it is swollen and how to keep it clean in all this muck and mud??? I have someone looking at him tomorrow again and that means keeping him up all day, hoping the leg will not swell. Hopefully, the folks looking will realize it is just a flesh wound and not get all crazy about it. In other news, I had a great interview this morning for a job at our local hospital. I have a second one on Tuesday morning , keep your fingers crossed for me.

Saddle fitting woes

I'm having a hard time fitting a saddle correctly to Harley. I have tried four saddles and none seem to fit this little horse of mine. I decided I am going to a saddle maker and have him fitted. The saddle I am currently riding is a Crates reiner and I have had it 12 years. Harley's back is not that rounded and he seems to have a good wither but for some reason saddles just roll on him and he has dry spots when I am finished riding.
The dry spots trouble me because I can see evidence of white hairs forming where they are. I am wanting to go to a cutting saddle this year anyway for the cattle classes but sure don't want to buy a saddle that doesn't fit. I have tried various different pads from felt, wool and even a closed cell foam pad. Hopefully the fitting will go well and I can find a saddle to fit him right.

Good news.....Bad news

I think I mentioned in previous ramblings that I was considering some changes in my life and horse life. I have done my soul searching and much discussing with my family and have come to some life altering decisions for all of us. Good news first, I have decided I will go back to work full time after the first of the year. I will put Harley in training as in with a trainer, something I have never done in all of my horse owning days. I will show in cattle classes this next year even if I am not totally 100% sure of myself. I will survive the bad news that I am about to tell you all. OK, here it is ......

Bad news, I have decided to reduce my herd to only Harley to better use my small amount of horse time. This of course means selling Wilson the wonder pony and worst of all parting with my beloved Tank. I say parting because I really am not sure I can sell him and he would have to go to an amazing person who truly loved him. I am considering all options here. I have Wilson advertised already for a Christmas pony and a great first pony he would be! He is a 12yr old welsh type black gelding that is 11 hands tall, very sweet and gentle. I have contacted a therapeutic riding facility about Tank and am awaiting their reply. Tank is a 27 year old QH who has done everything in life from jumping to cattle classes and oh the miles we have trail ridden. He is totally sound and in great health so if any of you know of a deserving person looking for a pasture mate or a special horse to ride and love contact me privately at cmele@bcremc.net
The good news about me parting with Tank is that I know whoever does adopt him will learn so much and be loved so much. Life is about changes and I guess I will adjust to this change as well .

Mud, Mud and more Mud!

Tis the season.......for mud. Yes, here we are in good ole pre winter and the mud has started. It rained all day yesterday and then went down to 27 this morning, fun. It was bound to happen and it did, my foray into the mud and I mean all of me. I have been working weekends to help pay for Harley's training and other horsey stuff that I seem to always need.
I arrived home at 7pm last evening to a teeming rain that had been falling all day. I immediately went to the pasture to bring in the boys although they have a full barn to go into for shelter they usually do not.
There is not much light at the gate so I was going on memory and hurrying at that. I had traded my shoes for a pair of crocs, first mistake
should have taken the time to located my muck boots in the garage.
I was greeted at the gate by all three fellows, very wet , cold and hungry.
Tank as always was first to come in he is such a gentleman and ducked his head into his halter and willing went into the barn with me no problem. Harley was next and apparently wanted to torture me with games and would not allow Wilson the pony to approach the gate either.
I entered the pasture and started slipping and sliding on the wonderful soil we have here, hard as concrete when dry and slippery as snot when wet. I convinced Harley that I was in fact NOT the bogey man and proceeded to halter him, he decided about one ear into the halter that this wasn't such a great idea. He scooted back and I went forward with him, just a little to fast. Yep, I did a bonified full body dive into the lovely bone chilling mud. As I tried to get up I managed to slip again and cover the parts I did not get the first time around. I am just thankful one that it was dark and two that there were no witnesses. After much ado I did manage to get both Harley and Wilson in and I did not injure myself in the process , just my clothes were a mess. The weather man is calling for the first measurable snow tomorrow night, I say bring it on!!