NC Heat

Raven and I are at the lovely Foothills Equestrian Center in NC for the rest of the week so I can update my riding instructor certification.  I brought Raven with me because to keep my certification current I need to ride as well as teach so that I can demonstrate I practice what I preach. 

We left home at first light so we could avoid driving during the heat of the day, and arrived here at 9:30 this morning.  Let me tell you that having recently moved back to the east coast from dry Colorado, 92 deg with 55% humidity is A LOT.  My weather app says it feels like 102 deg and it’s only early afternoon!  I hosed off Raven and I swear she shut her eyes and took a power nap while I doused her, after she had taken a long drink of cold water straight from the hose. 

I’m now back in the LQ of my horse trailer, basking in the A/C.  I definitely could get away without air conditioning in CO, camping at altitude it was always cooler in the mountains, but even horseshows weren’t too hot because it cooled off so dramatically at night.  Here in NC it is definitely a necessity, though!  I’m amazed at the boarders who are out on their horses right now, but their horses are acclimated to this and are only kind of sweating even while riding.  

Well, you can see how Raven and I are handling it.  

And I include a shot of my new friend, a little black cat with a mustache who is handling the heat quite well.  He wanted to go outside from the barn office, so we had a brief discussion about whether that was permitted, since my cats at home will often fib regarding where they are allowed to go.  It’s certainly different being at a Centered Riding clinic without my core Bit of Honey crew, but I’m excited to make some new human friends too!

Miss Pea Returns!

 

 

As I've written about in the past, whenever I sell a horse I put in the sales contract that the horse can come back to Bit of Honey at any time, for any reason.  I don't purchase horses back, but if a horse I've sold ever needs a place o land, my barn is always open.  Over the years I've sold many, and a couple of them have earned the title of Boomerang Horses since they keep coming back.  Usually it's through no fault of their own since sometimes life just happens.  Divorce, health issues, life changes, all can be reason a hose would find themselves needing to come back.  

Sweetpeacefuldream had raced at Arapahoe in Denver, then when she retired from racing in 2015 she came to me for training through CANTER Colorado, and we went to Kentucky for the Retired Racehorse Project Thoroughbred Makeover that fall.  Shortly after that she went to live with her new owner, and has changed hands several times since then, including a year long return stay at Bit of Honey in 2017 when she was leased for Jasi to ride and show.  

 

 

I've managed to track down each successive owner and make sure they knew my offer to give Sweetpea a home still stood.  Her most recent owner has been absolutely wonderful to her, and they had a special bond.  Unfortunately her owner has had some health issues that resulted in Sweetpea needing a new home. Her owner decided to ship her from Colorado to me here in Virginia where she'll live with my herd.  

While her owner and I are both sad that they had to part ways, I'm very excited to see my old friend!  She left Colorado last Thursday 6/23, and went to the shipping company's barn in TX for layover.  In an interesting plot twist, four of the company's drivers then got sick and tested positive for covid, so that threw a big wrench into the shipper's scheduling and plans!   So now Miss Pea is scheduled to get here on Wed 7/6 in the evening. 

Photos Around the Ranch

There has been some shuffling among the felines of Bit of Honey this week.  Blu the garage cat has been hanging out in the barn, much to the dismay of Sabbath and Orzo.

Highboy and I have had a couple rides in the new arena sand.

Here is Blu surveying his newly claimed territory. He watches from atop the hay stack, then parades around the barn aisle neener-neenering the dogs.  He will also walk with me to the pastures to feed the horses, he’s kind of a dog - cat, very companionable.

I got hay in to the barn- I was super impressed with the skidsteer rodeo skills the guys exhibited in unloading and stacking the 6’x8’ pallets of hay.

We’ve had a couple good soaking rains which has helped to pack down the sand, which I’m still working on with the rotary harrow.

Raven and I have had a few rides too.  I’m using the pivo to record the rides, and I’m a frustrated with my riding and position as I’m gradually coming back from the emergency neurosurgery this past winter.  I’m well aware that I’m my own worst critic, so I’m making a conscious effort to give myself some grace.  I’m forgiving of Raven as she’s just now coming back into work with me, so I need to offer myself at least as much grace as I’m giving my horse, who didn’t have major surgery.

Rizzo and Pascal are definitely loving being back to work.  They spend far too much working time playing in the lake, but they do eventually come back to the arena for cookies.  I’ve had to switch Rizzo to a special diet of food after she developed struvite crystals in her urine, including special prescription cookies.  She’s doing much better on this food and will have a recheck urinalysis in a couple months to make sure everything has cleared up appropriately. It definitely hasn’t slowed her down any!

At least we’re enjoying finally getting to use our many colors of saddle pads and browbands!

It’s hot enough that Sabbath says this humidity is ridiculous, and he’s definitely melting.

 

This week Raven and I are actually headed to North Carolina for a Centered Riding instructor update clinic.  I need to update my instructor certification since there haven’t been clinics for quite some time due to covid. Fortunately I found one only a few hours away, so Raven and I are headed out on Wednesday.  It will be a little odd going to a Centered Riding clinic without my Bit of Honey crew, but I’m excited to meet new people!

Trailride through Tobacco fields

Highboy and I made a quick trip over to Lena’s again yesterday for a ride around her beautiful hay fields, through the woods, and around her neighbor’s old tobacco (now soy) fields. Highboy was his usual jolly self, ears always up and looking at everything with great interest. It’s nice that he doesn’t really spook much anymore, but definitely wanders around like a tourist taking in every bit of scenery.

Cat and Mouse

Blu was meowing at me like usual this evening, and when I found him he had captured a vole and was harassing it.  Poor rodent was having a tough day…. Both Blu and Soliel were making the most of playing with it. At one point Blu walked away from it to come see me, and he just shrugged his shoulders and said there were plenty more where that one came from.  This is why we have the cats- for rodent control- but it can be a little jarring to watch them at work!

Dewey's Morning Ride

I'm very happy to report that the arena sand has arrived, been spread, and is looking fabulous!  It needs a few good soaking rains to get the spread out sand to shift and settle a bit, then I'll get after it with the tractor and arena sand harrow to fluff the top 3-4 inches.  In the meantime it's plenty deep and makes for good cardio when walking through it!

I took out the Pivo this morning and rode Dewey with the dogs to check out how the sand had dispersed after the delivery guy had spread it with his skidsteer this week.

 

The dogs were very excited to get out and work a bit -it's been in the upper 90s here this week with significant humidity (compared to Colorado!) so too hot to really work the horses or the dogs.  But this morning was really nice and all four of us enjoyed ourselves.

 

We also went around the trails after we'd investigated the arena, and I couldn't resist taking a couple photos as we hacked around the pond.

After going through the woods at the back side of the house we get to the open area along the perimeter of the property.  It adds another loop to the walk to hack back through the field.  Dewey said the bugs were kind of bad through the taller grass (deer flies are no joke!) but otherwise it was a nice walk in the cool morning air.

Checking out new sand

Lots of sand so far- lots more to go! Raven and I checked it out with the dogs this evening. Rizzo likes lying in the cool grass and sand in the shade. “I can see you from here, Kim!”