A few weeks ago I retired Bear (Birthday Diplomat) to the therapeutic riding program Miracles in Motion. They’re a PATH International organization located just a short drive away from us. It was a difficult decision to come to, but it is one I had been thinking about for over a year. At 19, Bear was… Read more »
Bear
Farewell to Bear
It’s been hard to bring myself to write this post, so I have been putting it off. We recently came to a difficult decision. Bear has moved on to a new home. He is now in the hands of the good people at Miracles in Motion – the therapeutic riding program where I volunteered some… Read more »
The Triple Double
Today, we rode three horses each. I rode Aiden, Tate, and Steen. Brian rode Oliver, Laredo, and Bear. We had a great day with both Oliver and Aiden. Oliver was the big surprise. His attitude was hugely changed today. His pushy, restless inclinations was almost entirely gone. He lead nicely, stood quietly for tacking and… Read more »
Out in the Snow
We were out of town last weekend, so no riding was done. It felt like we hadn’t been to the barn in forever. But really it was just eight days. Still, it was great to get out to see the horses, and even better that we finally had some mild weather. Brian and I took… Read more »
Lots of Riding
Well, it’s been lots of riding for January, at least. The less than ideal weather has been so less than ideal that I’ve gotten out a few extra times to check on everyone. And when I’m out there, why not go for a short ride? I am also giving a lesson every Friday, so that… Read more »
Frigid
Like so much of the country, we are experiencing some pretty crazy temps. I’ve made it out to the barn the past three days, though, and I’m happy to say our four are doing quite well. The big cold was rolling in Sunday evening, so I went out to check everything late that afternoon. It… Read more »
New Year!
Got my first ride of the year in today. It was super cold and snowy, but we had a pretty good time. I rode Zoey, and she was happy to come in and was very relaxed. But under saddle, she was a little more tense. She had two spooks. I have no idea what caused… Read more »
A Bad Bale
It has been an odd week with the horses. On Sunday last weekend, Steen seemed much improved. We had a nice ride. I gave him more probiotics. I thought we were in the clear. Year-end work has been nutty for me, plus I am still pretty sore. So again, several days passed before we made… Read more »
Thanksgiving Ride
For the first time ever, Brian and I stayed in Iowa City for Thanksgiving. The reasons we stayed home were numerous and not worth going into, but the upshot was we had nothing to do other than whatever we wanted. No family of the non-equine variety to hang out with, no obligatory traditions. So, of… Read more »
Getting to 200
At the end of 2012, when Brian and I talked about our riding goal for the next year, we picked something that would be difficult. We agreed 200 hours would be a stretch. Of course, we’re aware some people ride 200+ hours in a week, but considering we both have full time jobs that don’t… Read more »