dancing horses

dancing horses

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Waiting is Hard

When I die the message on my tombstone- assuming I have one which is not certain because I think I'd rather be scattered in the roots of a tree but I'm getting off topic- 
anyway I am pretty sure it will not read 'She was known for her incredible patience'. 

Frankly, it's much more likely to read 'it seemed like a good idea at the time'. 

So as I wait for snow to melt I'm trying to distract myself with plans.  I'm driving myself nutty with'will I do this clinic? or should I go to (insert name of friend)'s place? Is there a trail riding clinic I can attend? What about Joanna, is she coming back? It would be fun to have a fun show. .... and on I go.  I want to get some poles to incorporate pole work into our work. Where do you get those anyway? Has anyone used PVC pipes? 

I've been spending time grooming Carmen and practicing braiding. With her long mane I need to make sure that I know how to do a running braid. She's enjoying these sessions. 
"H" is for "help"


it's not as bad on this side
I can live with not riding (well sort of) but the lack of exercise is starting to tell on Carmen too. She's gained too much weight. This is what happens when you spend all day standing at the hay net and not moving around. She doesn't like snow but is getting better about going out in it. I've cut and cut her feed. Her hay overnight is practically non-existent. I've taken her blanket off to see if that helps burn some calories. It's been warmer and I'm pretty sure she has enough insulation! If it rains I'll put on her rain sheet. I'm hoping that this will work.

Here's the other thing I'm waiting for:

I was having trouble hearing back from the breeder and was getting quite frustrated. The kennel has moved to another province and she was having internet troubles. I think we have ti worked out and if all goes according to plan this little cutie will be in his new home on Tuesday. I've arranged for time off work (as one co-worker described as 'paw-ternity leave').

And yes, we think we have a name, we're just waiting to see if it 'fits'. Once it's confirmed I'll let you know. This is my first puppy since d'Arcy was a baby 12 years ago. I have a crate almost ready. It will  not work for his whole puppy hood but it will do until I get a larger one.  I'm trying to find one second hand but we'll see. I have a pen set up in the barn too. And making plans for puppy classes, socializing, etc.

This snow better keep on melting or I may start building an indoor all by myself. At least that would keep me occupied until Tuesday.

if you're expecting me to cooperate with these plans you better stop calling me fat.
And give me more cookies. 

36 comments:

  1. We bought round fence poles & painted them for trot poles; but out on our trails Mr Shoes just used plain old cut trees to make the ride out more interesting in spots.
    Padre told me to tell Carmen to tell you this:
    "You have to have some fat before you can build muscle - true story."

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  2. I "almost" feel guilty about our week of record stating high temps in the 60's. The grandsons are wearing me out pushing them on the swings though. Awwwww cute pup ❤️ Please send some puppy breath my way when it arrives. My 2nd favorite fragrance with horse being number one of course.

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    1. We're getting warmer temps here too which is melting the snow- there's just so much of it right now! Puppies are pretty adorable.

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  3. I feel you! I lived this for all those years at my parents farm where we had no (safe) place to ride during the winter. Every once in awhile we could ride through a field in the snow but mostly it just wasn't safe because there as too much ice or the snow had a heavy crust or was too deep etc.

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    1. Yeah- it was okay when it was bitter cold- I didn't want to ride. Now it's warming up and I'm getting antsy.

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  4. We use round poles like the ones you get at the nursery to support trees. They work well and are inexpensive. Ah, puppyhood -- so much work but so worth it due to the adorableness factor.

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    1. Ah- I never thought of that. I will check into that.

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  5. Replies
    1. Yes, he's a red sable german shepherd.

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    2. GSD is the only breed for me. And sables are sooooo pretty! Though there are lots of GSDs in Germany, many of them have long hair. Every single town has a GSD Schutzhund/tracking club. By the barn there are two! I've seen a ton of dachshunds but I've never seen a doberman or rottweiler. Often you see dogs wearing muzzles, something I never saw in America.

      I've also had PVC break and won't use it again. At the barn they have the wooden X cavaletti, some type of plastic poles that are thick enough not to break, and those foam-filled flexible things. The plastic ones go flying and end up tangled in the horse's legs, the foam ones get kicked around out of place and the horse often just steps on them cuz they're foam, but the wooden ones stay put, virtually always. The horse inevitably knocks them into a lower position from the higher X setting but those are the ones I prefer now. It would be great if there was the perfect solution - easy to carry and not likely to move.

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  6. PVC pipes work but can crack and create sharp edges if they become brittle from the temperature (it gets hot here). Don't know is caps on the ends would help.

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    1. Yeah I am worried about that. Also about the lightness if she knocks one it might go flying.

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  7. That puppy is beautiful! I want one. Love German Shepherds.

    We use real wood poles. I'm not crazy about pvc. They do homework flying and can be broken. If they hit the wood first time around they pick up their feet next time. I think it makes them pay attention better. We bought actual caveletti poles with the holders on the sides for the poles. They are shaped like an X. You can turn them onto different sides to make the poles higher or lower. I'm probably not describing them well but they work nicely.

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    1. I have some cavallettis and they are great- now I want some poles to play with too. Based on feedback, my concern withe PVC is justified.

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  8. I used PVC once and won't again. Our big clumsy gelding stepped on it and it shattered leaving very sharp edges. after that I used wood and made cavelettis.

    I have a large metal dog crate we aren't using. In fact we have two. I'm pretty sure we kept it in our recent move. I work all day but will check tonight. Anyway it's yours for cost of shipping if you want it. I'm in SC so shippingmnay end up more than buying new but the offer is there.

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    1. You are so kind! I should drive down and get it. :) Thank you for the offer, I'm sure that the shipping would be far greater than the cost of it.

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  9. Parroting what is said above, PVC can crack in really cold climates and is really sharp when it breaks. I used basic landscape timbers for poles, they are pretty dang cheap ($2-4 USD) and are light. Maybe not as durable as full size poles, nor as long, but a great, affordable option for a DIY'er.

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    1. I wondered about landscape timbers. I will see what they cost here.

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  10. PVC will break if stepped on the right way, but if you do go that route, maybe look into vacuum pipe as a much cheaper option since you may need to replace them. I found vacuum pipe at Home Hardware at a very reasonable price. Next very easy option is to paint simple 2x4s. I find the 2x4 to be my favorite for trot lines as they are light enough to move around but durable enough not to break like the pvc. I can get creative without hurting my wrists too much as carrying stuff is a problem for me.

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  11. I am a terrible waiter as well! I try so hard to be patient but I feel like Im always waiting for something new to happen. But I got my arena membership yesterday so now I can haul anytime I want for free till end of September! only 19 more rides and its paid for.

    I need some trot poles too I think Im gonna get landscape timbers, they are heavy but also have a flat side so shouldn't move as much.

    And a puppy how fun!

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    1. Thanks- I am going to check into landscape timbers.

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  12. Yayyyy puppy!! That's definitely something to look forward to and to hopefully pass the time playing with until the snow melts!

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  13. Oh so exciting about the new puppy!!

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  14. I wish the snow would melt for youuuuuu! In the meantime, keep taking that Vitamin D ;) And the puppy. OOOhhhh the puppy. So sweet!

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  15. I think we have a lot in common. Waiting around is not my strong suit either. People sometimes comment that I'm "soooo patient" when they see me work, but the reality is that I'm only patient when it comes to bringing a horse along. In every other aspect of my life I am restless and antsy.

    Also... puppppppyy!!!! *squeal*

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    1. yes- I have heard that I am patient at work but that's about it. And yes- I know PUPPY

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  16. I'll also at that I got my wooden poles fairly inexpensively from the local hardware store, from the landscaping section. They were around $12 AUD each.

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  17. Ugh. Valeria gives me shit about calling her fat and not providing enough cookies to even come close to satisfy her hangry preggo hormones.

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