I woke up this morning refreshed after an ok nights sleep. I am not thrilled staying alone in a large house in the country, in the tail end of winter when the South wind blows like a son-of-a- ... making everything seem creepy.
I always get up early. When I don't I get down, and a little cranky. By early I get up around 5:30-6:00 in the morning, even if I have absolutely nothing major planned for the day. Anytime past 6:30 is "sleeping in" to me. I pulled out of here by 7:00 for my 7:30 Lesson in Union. I enjoy lessons most days. Sometimes I find it hard to get motivated to leave the comfort of a warm house (or cool house in the summers) but overall I enjoy them. Today I wasn't feeling excited or unhappy about having to go to work. It was more of a comfortable, time to make my living, but not hate my job either, kind of morning.
In the past 5 years I have been pretty "lost" with my horses. Not how to train, ride, work with etc..., just more of a lack of a job to do with them. I didn't have many if any riding buddies back here in East Oregon anymore since most left or got out of horses after graduation, and missed how often I did get to ride back in Corvallis at school. However, even there I wasn't always "happy" being able to ride. I still felt like I was missing something. I quit showing after graduation, got burned out, so did my show horse, so I just turned to trail riding her instead. Keep in mind I do own 5 horses. She was my only show horse left out of the bunch. The rest were young, or lesson horses, or one that was off-on again lame. Trails were fun, but got boring, and my horses didn't need training to be trail horses, they were already to or past that point, so was finding no motivation in making my skills or my horses skills better.
Then in January, my parents attended a dinner at a friends house, and one of their friends sons, girlfriend, got to talking to them about horses. Mom of course told her all about my horses and me and gave her my number to call to go riding. Best thing ever. Now, she is leasing my moms mare, lucky for me and the mare because she actually is getting saddle time and not wasting in a paddock, and for me because I now get to enjoy my own saddle time on my horses, with a buddy. Win-Win.
I also realized after boarding for 2 years back at school, I missed the social part of the barn (but do NOT miss the drama). So we called a local barn under new management to find out their rates, low and behold its pure Self-Care, perfect! And cheap, even more perfect! And the manager and boarders are all low-key and most have their own property and only board for the arena's (indoor and outdoor). It's not perfect, it's a fixer upper, but we have our own decent sized sand pen for 2 horses, plus an approx. 14/16 by 24/30??? indoor pen that these two can easily share in bad weather. It's clean and we are not in the main barn, meaning PRIVACY!!! We also have our own, very well lit, tack room, HUGE, all to ourselves, lock and all. We are right next to the outdoor (at least we think that's what it is, it's what people use it for at least, and it's got decent sand footing), but a ways from the indoor (fine by us). All to our lonesome :) Nobody to cramp our style so to speak.
I am a little elated. I have a buddy, I may have a part time job above lessons to help me move out into my own rental house (already in motion), and now can ride every day, weather be damned. I am not in heaven but I do feel like things are going ok right now. Not perfect, but not too shabby either. I can live with this.
We are planning some low-key shows, sortings and reining competitions, plus one or two ACTHA rides, so I actually have some goals with my horses.
Note to anyone interested, I will be selling my coming 4y/o BLM Mustang mare this year. She has about 15 hours of saddle time right now, but will be gaining much much more this spring. Working her on the ground right now due to wet footing and she is coming along nicely. Nice and soft, and relaxed. Enjoys being worked with, comes to you in the paddock, very low maintenance and easy keeper. No vet bills besides vaccinations, easy to worm, trim, vaccinate. Loads, ties, clips, bathes etc... I will want around $2000 for her by June. Comment if you want photos or videos. She is only around 14.1hh but is built like a tank. Will make a great trail horse, 4-H horse combo. Should go english and western once finished, has gorgeous movement for both at the Open, Schooling and 4-H levels. Registered with the BLM.
Anyways, long boring post for most, but felt I had to share.
