Camera Clearing

If I was more motivated, I could probably do all my photos in one post, but I'm not so I won't. Here are some photos from my actual camera over the last few weeks. Cell phone/IG dump coming soon.

NotOurCat being ridiculous in the driveway.

Gunner's canter is always improving. Unfortunately, Jess is trying to find a new boarding barn since she was caught up in the Perry fiasco. I have sent her to a few places I'd recommend, but finding something decent at a comparable price is a challenge. In the meantime, our lessons are on hiatus, which makes all three of us sad!

Fat!Pony comes charging across the field every night when we do night check. 

Ozzy is... status quo. He's happy as a clam, but I think he has sort of faded into full retirement (but it's not the first time I've said that, so who knows?) He is what they call serviceably sound, but I don't love the way he moves. He's his usual bright and cheery self, and his weight looks great, but he's aging quickly in front of my eyes and I don't like it.

I was giving an evening lesson at the indoor. The airport is nearby and there are frequently hot air balloons dotting the sky. On this particular night, there was a plane circling one of the balloons and intentionally leaving a ring of smoke around it. I'm not sure what was up with that, but it was neat to see. 

This is Beau, a yearling appaloosa sporthorse that a client at work recently purchased. He's mild mannered, but has managed to injure himself already and is currently on stall rest until further notice. Poor kid!

Juli jogging Phantom on the hill. This giant two year old has been more of a PITA than is normal, and his owners wisely decided to get him gelded. We did that earlier this week, which made me realize that it has been a very long time since I assisted in a gelding. I've seen lots of cats and dogs over the last six years, but no horses!

Random photo of my muck boots in the grass. Nothing like letting those tootsies breathe. Sadly, I left my boots at the endurance ride last weekend. Holly has them, but that doesn't help me. Whoops!

Cam and Slang continue to lesson regularly. We've been focusing a lot on improving our flat work so that the jumping will follow suit. Specifically, we're working on Cam developing better feel in her hands and better timing with her leg. Her mom bought a handful of jumps off of Mike so we can start making more progress in that department too.

It's that time of year when Oreo routinely leaves the property in search of [literally] greener grass. Then he comes home and waits patiently for Mike to put him back in the pasture. 

Driving the local back roads is one of those things that makes me feel super content.

The upside of getting up early for work is that I get to see the brilliant sunrises we so routinely have at the farm.

Worth it.

My bosses' dog, Logan. 

Interestingly, when I worked at the standardbred track, my boss also had a GSD. Sometimes, I feel like I'm revisiting my childhood.

Patrick is one of the yearling colts we have in right now. He was the one that didn't have good handling as a baby, so we're going slowly with introducing him to life as a racehorse. Juli just recently threw a leg over for the first time outside the stall. One thing I'm realizing at work is that it's a lot easier, safer, and faster to start horses with multiple people involved. Is this why trainers hire assistants? I'm getting to the point where I'm ready. I could pay said assistants in smiles and hilarious commentary with the occasional coffee thrown in. No? Not appealing?

Patrick loves and trusts Shelby most of all. She is his human. Or, at least, he thinks she is.

You can see him listening and thinking.

I love this outer row of stalls, even though we aren't currently using them at all.

Even on damp, gray days, I'm loving this new job.