# So I don't know what to call this :]



## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

This is the journal of my life from right now today until I forget about it and stop updating.

2 July 2010
So um, not much to say tonight, I'm just chillin on the computer, up way too late again. Got a lot of tidying up of paddocks to do ahead of Satin arriving on Wednesday. Been writing a bit, which is good, because I've not really had much inspiration for a long time now. I haven't ridden for a week and a half because I just haven't felt like it. It's been raining, not that that's any real excuse (I ride when it's pouring, all my tack is synthetic) and I really don't like how my saddle feels to ride in at the moment - I feel a mile above my horse's back and I should be with him, not perched on top. I can't get my legs on either, which means I may have to go back to riding in spurs, which Monty hates so that might be interesting.

I really should go to bed, it's after midnight and I have so much to do in the morning.

Signing off for now.
-Blue


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

4 July 2011
So, I still haven't ridden. This makes almost 2 weeks since I've actually had a REAL ride. -kicks self- NO EXCUSE MISSY! I'mma get on that horse and ride tomorrow, I swear. It's nearly midnight now so a bit late to go ride, hah! Still got lots of work to do preparing paddocks for Satin but one is ready so she won't have to be in the round pen for long (just an hour or 2 to see which boy to introduce her to first) - this is good because that means she won't need as much hay, which means less hassle for me (I hate doing hay) and of course less expense. In a world where a bale of grass hay is $12 and we go through half a bale a day between two adult horses (one being an exceptionally easy keeper) this is a very good thing. We'll probably be going through a bale a day easy as Satin grows though. I think we need to stock up on round bales ($100 each but last for weeks) when the new season starts.

I want to build a proper shelter to put the hay in so they can have adlib access even when it's wet but that'd be real expensive and we're only renting. Can't justify the expense when we can't take it with us if/when we move.

Still have to move a few more fence posts, and string up the electric line that we're putting up to keep her off the dodgy fences, plus I want to tidy up a few trees so there's less risk of her ripping herself open on one of them, and move a big branch so it can be in the spot I want for a cross country jump.

I have invited miss Satin's breeder to stay for lunch and am hoping she'll stick around for the introductions.

I feel like an expectant mum. I think. (not having had a human baby, I don't know) ...am I right that it's fear, excitement and hopes for the future all rolled into one big bundle of nervous energy? I feel like I'm going to explode. I probably will if there are any delays.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

6 July 2011
Satin got here today. Popped her in the round yard and let the boys into the adjacent paddock - Monty was fascinated, Mani (the pali) was aggressive. So when Satin started getting into mischief and we moved her into the paddock across the laneway, it was Monty who was moved in there with her. Monty drove her around a bit, asserting his dominance, but there was never any sign of aggression. He's totally adopted her - she is HIS baby now. They calmed down after a couple of hours and we prefer to have all the horses in together so thought we would see how Man would be without a fence in between.

It was absolutely awful. Man was chasing her down, pinning her in corners, and attacking. Monty was trying to protect her but Mani is a quarter horse and incredibly quick so Satin had to rely on her own speed. Which, by the way, is significant - if she were a TB I'd look seriously into racing her. Poor baby didn't know what to do to stop him attacking. Needless to say we got the attacking monster out of there quick smart. It was serious attacking, not just "I'm bigger and stronger than you and I'm going to push you around" - it was "I'm going to hurt you bad".

I think if I breed my own foal and I still have Monty, he's going to be the weanling nanny. He mothers Satin so much, you'd think the pair were mother and daughter.

I haven't ridden today, was going to before Satin got here but I was too busy doing a few last-minute things, and I don't want to leave Satin in the paddock on her own and can't put Mani back in with her, plus Monty's being such a 'mother' that riding him would be ermmm, enterataining.

I'm not sure that I'm ever going to get around to riding!


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

hey all. It's after midnight so clearly I'm up way too late again. I don't even know the date but it'll probably show up on the post.

I got a new phone today - that's what I'm writing this on - and even though I have the flu, I managed to find the time to play with Satin. I think poor Monty is feeling a bit left out though, because I still haven't ridden him - that makes 3 weeks now.

Still, it's pretty hard to ride when you're feeling this rotten.

Till next time,
Blue
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

14 July 2011, 9:30pm
Short one tonight, I have to be up early for work.

I finally got off my butt and rode today. I've pretty much decided that I don't actually hate the saddle fit as much as I thought I did. I can feel him and he can feel me and I'm riding pretty well. Not 'pretty' but definitely effective. He is responding from my seat alone for downwards transitions, except of course walk to halt (he has always been a bit sticky with that and yes, I try to work on it, but it doesn't really make that much difference). I keep forgetting not to use my reins to slow him down - it is a habit of nearly 10 years that no coach has ever told me was wrong before my current one - but I'm getting there and I don't slip up as often.

The baby was pretty good. I'm supposed to be riding Monty in a lot of straight lines so riding in my work paddock is therefore pretty hard so I had to take him out, and I'm not allowed out on my own. Can't leave the baby home alone, she goes completely berko and I don't want her getting hurt (will do some show hunter with her and therefore need unblemished legs, so can't have any injuries), so I had to pony her, which is a good thing to do with her anyway. It was interesting, she took a while to get the idea but that's ok because she's only a baby. Took her back towards home and got very frustrated because both were being rude and it's really hard to handle two rude horses at once so handed baby to Mum and concentrated on Monty.

We got home without event after that, though Satin needs a lot more work on desensitising to traffic. Every single car that passed was apparently terrifying and that set Monty off because he's so sensitive. I did some work in the paddock after our ride out with Monty and then had to give the baby a bath because she had a pooey bum (just all the green grass, I think, but we have the vet coming while I'm at work tomorrow to drench her for sand and check her teeth to make sure nothing's going awry) - THAT was an interesting exercise. I don't think she's ever been washed before. She took a while to settle about the water and every time it touched a new part of her body the circus started all over again! We did some backwards/forwards/sideways work, and then called it a day and took her back to the paddock, and she was EXCELLENT to lead after the leading reminder. No pushing, no trying to go fast, none of that silly baby rudeness.

Foals are hard work, and of course you've got to get it right or you spoil them. When they're this little (she's only about 12.2-13hh) it's not such a big drama but we're all pretty much expecting her to hit 15hh+ and when they get that big, bad behaviour is kind of intimidating. I've been lucky that the worst I've ever owned was a biter (the pony, and he never REALLY stopped nipping). Satin's difficult about her feet (she is supposed to be good about them but it's new people in a new place so I understand why that's scary), sometimes rude, can be bitey, and has baby reactions to 'scary' things that are only scary because they're new. And she's a quiet, bold type! I like them bold and cheeky though, don't really get along with timid horses.

Still got my flu-ish thing but now it's just a cough and sore throat with a bit of a snotty nose so I'll probably be ok for work tomorrow as long as I take some cough lollies. We'll see in the morning.

Later guys!
Blue


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

17 July 2011
Ever had one of those days where everything goes right and you still feel kind of non-committal? Yeah, that's what I'm feeling right now. We got all the fences repaired and the stand-off line set up, and Satin was SO good, and I made some really yummy banana bread. My cough isn't as bad as it was yesterday, and I can actually talk.

I should be happy, right? Things are going excellently at home and work is great (except that I've been sick, so I haven't been able to go). Except it's kind of like I just don't really care.

This doesn't feel like depression, I've fought with that and I won so I know from experience, so I'm really not sure why I can't just be happy...


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

20 July 2011
Rain and thunderstorms today. It was absolutely miserable and I was stuck outside. Monty is never nakey when the weather's like this, but poor Satin's naked no matter how feral the weather, because we don't have any rugs that fit her and I can't really afford to buy new rugs every 2 weeks. I should probably put her through a couple of cold, wet, naked winters anyway, so it's not a shock to her system if I ever have to sell her and end up selling her to someone who doesn't rug their horses. Plus, she is too fat, the cold might help control her weight a little bit.

I'm supposed to take a video tomorrow, but there's more rain and storms forecast, so I don't know if I'll be able to get said video. Depends on weather, because I am not going outside and getting soaked (and getting my phone soaked and risking its premature death) for the sake of a video. If there's a long enough break from the rain, I guess I'll do something about taking the video, but if not, HF will have to wait.


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

23 July 2011
Rain, work, more rain, and then the sun sets. Therefore no video.

Satin is growing. She's between 12.2 and 13hh now, at 7 months and 3 days. Monty gets to sit in the paddock being an eating machine for a bit longer because I still haven't been able to find the time or motivation to ride after work, and before work? I am NOT getting up at 5am to ride!

Early-ish start tomorrow (very early for a Sunday) because the big top boss wanted me and one of my colleagues to come in early to make the shelves look all pretty and tidy. 9am start on a Sunday? That never happens for those of us who work on checkout. We don't open until 11am. I'll be on the shop floor for 2 hours before I get to serve customers. Can't complain, it's all money - and I have a vet bill coming in soon because I had Satin drenched for sand and got the vet to do some dental work, so I kind of need money to pay that. It'll probably be around $200 so nothing unmanageable, but it would be nice if these things didn't all hit at once. I feel like I'm in over my head financially, but I know I'm actually ok and will be able to get myself sorted as soon as the big stuff settles down. And it will. I just need to trust myself. I'd be in big trouble if I didn't know 100% that my job is secure and I will have a minimum of a certain number of hours every week. Happily, that area is not something I need to worry about.

Even with the extra worries, life is good. I am an adult now, with adult worries and adult responsibilities, and I am thriving. Perhaps in a few more months, I'll have sorted out the riding thing, but Monty is fat and happy, and Satin's not old enough to be ridden yet, so it's ok that I don't really have the time or motivation to ride.

I do need to get off my butt and work Monty some more this week though because I'm going to have a lesson with my coach and this week, we are going to crack the one thing that I've been struggling, and that is remembering not to rely on my hands to keep the speed and rhythm at canter. ROUND YARD ROUND YARD ROUND YARD. Even if it's just 5 minutes a day, I have to do it, and I figure that in the round yard I'll be more able to do it, because if he wants to run, there's nowhere TO run.

Anyway, it's almost 11pm and I have to be up at 8 tomorrow to get ready for work, so off I go.

Night all.

xxBlue


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## blue eyed pony (Jun 20, 2011)

4 August 2011
Took Satin out for a walk today. Cars are scary things. We'll get there though, I'm trying to get her to connect yummy carrots with those scary cars so she learns to love them.

And also, I RODE WESTERN TODAY. Mum has a western saddle for her QH and it turns out it fits Monty ok, so I thought I'd play with the concept and try to get used to it. I like it as a way of pleasure riding. Not so much for feel on his back though, I felt like I was sitting on a plank of wood. I wasn't just riding in a western saddle, I was trying to neck rein him (he isn't very familiar with the concept though). But the biggest thing is that I actually rode, and I felt good about it. It wasn't easy to get my butt up there but when I was in the saddle it was great.


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