I thought this was cute….  (comparing a thoroughbred to a car..)

Thoroughbred ~ Ferrari

FAST, Sleek, a nice ride…. when not in the shop.

HA!  I think this is even cuter cause Mere always calls Cook a little sports car.  She’s fast as hell, and she turns on a dime.

I haven’t blogged like I usually do because frankly I am going through a rough spell.  I told my friend Kathy I didn’t want to blog because I didn’t feel like pretending that everything was ok and making up some things to put here.  Hence the irony of this site.  I feel like I have to put on a front and nicey face even when all hell is breaking loose because of the barn kids and baby sister reading this.
One of my short term headaches is that I am struggling to make it through Christmas.   I am the grinch that stole Christmas.  It would come as no surprise to those really close to me….  I am dreading going home.  I do not use the word “Dread” here lightly.  I stayed here at my house alone for Thanksgiving and I seriously contemplated staying for Christmas.  What does that say?  It’s not that I don’t love my family - just the opposite… I do.  But sometimes (alot of times) the situation is more than I can mentally handle.  I just want a normal Christmas…  a Xmas tree, where everyone is happy, people get you presents, you give people presents, you all eat together, there are kids all around, maybe go to the movies on Christmas Day cause there is nothing else to do….  I have seen on TV and heard rumors that Christmas is like this for normal families.

So combined with my dread of Xmas to come, I have a mulitude (is that spelled right?) of other problems.

I can’t wait for spring.  Winter just wasn’t my season.

(oh and just to top this night off, I left my cell phone on the counter of Chilli’s where I was picking up take out and I’m completely out of gas)

I didn’t have a good day today.  Nothing worked out like it was supposed to.  I rode Miss after work and we got nowhere.  I knew when I took her out, that she was in a mood.

Oh well.  Momma said there would be days like this.

Horsey people can copy paste in the comments.

Have You Ever:

[x] gotten kicked
[x] had your foot stepped on (more times than I can count)
[x] visited the hospital due to riding-related incident (once to have an x ray to make sure there wasn’t anything broken)
[x] been to a horseshow
[x] ridden in a horseshow
[x] jumped
[x] done dressage (*tried)
[x] taken lessons
[ ] done eventing
[ ] done western (does sitting on Elvis count?)
[x] done barrel racing (only for play)
[x] ” pole bending (only for play)
[ ] Ride-A-Buck
[x] ridden somebody else’s horse (who hasn’t?)
[x] fallen off (nothing is harder than the ground)
[x] ridden a horse in a body of water (yes, the ocean)
[x] been to a friend’s barn (with Lauren)
[x] ridden a horse down a street (with Lauren)
[x] ridden double bareback
[x] ridden bareback (Cook is the bestest)
[ ] jumped over 2′ bareback
[ ] been to a Rolex event
[ ] been to the equestrian portion of the Olympics
[x] seen a professional rider in person
[x] taken a clinic from a professional rider
[x] gotten on a pony to whoop it’s ass if it was bad to a small kid (I didn’t have to whoop her, but make her listen)
[x] purchased over $300 worth of stuff in one visit to the tack shop (unfortunately)
[ ] listened to an iPod, MP3, or DiscMan player while riding
[ ] ridden in only a bathing suit
[x] ridden barefoot (note here: It hurts when u get off)
[x] watched an equestrian event on TV so many times, you’ve memorized the course
[x] ridden on a major holiday (Thanksgiving)
[x] ridden at night (on Patty)
[ ] showed at night
[x] been at the barn later than 8:00 pm
[x] been at the barn early as 5:00 am
[x] “walked-out” on a lesson (I didn’t walk out as “quit early”)
[ ] moved barns
[x] paid for your own horseshow
[x] paid your own board bill (every month)
[x] ridden in a clinic
[x] paid for your own clinic
[x] cantered freely in an unsecured field or path
[x] spotted a deer, elk, moose, or bear while on a trail (just a deer, uneventful)
[x] witnessed a horse falling

Here… I added my own.

[x] ridden with a halter and 2 lead ropes.
[x] gotten a really *bad* ‘leg up’ and had to crawl on ur horse to get up in the saddle
[x] gotten a wrong lead in a class
[x] been on the wrong diagonal in a class
[x] been hit in the nose / face from your horse’s head
[x] been jumped out of your stirrups

I hauled tail outta work today to go ride.  Ash met me out there (I’m glad u came out).

Today was one of those fun days when I’m glad I ride.  Miss was awesome.  Listening VERY well.

I cleaned Cook’s head out.  It was gross still.

Gonna play with Cook tomorrow.

Caddie had to go to the vet for her 3rd Adequan shot so I didn’t get to ride during lunch even tho it was a high of 65. Dang it. That was ok. It was pretty quick and uneventful. She goes for her last one next week and then it will be once a month.

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I went out to the barn after work and hopped on Cook in the dark. For a few minutes she was un-cooperative but I can’t say I blame her. It was cold, windy, dark, and construction was going on in the house next to the ring. And to top it off, since I was out there late, I didn’t tack up or groom so I was trying hop on her bareback with a halter and leadropes for a makeshift bridle. She kept shimmey-ing around when I was trying to climb on a jump to hop on her. I knew I only had a one shot try since I thought I might twist my ankle if I had to hop down in the shoes I was wearing.

But the ride was uneventful. Cook was good. She tries to sanely hold things together so she doesn’t hurt her mum. After we walked around a bit, I let her loose to stretch her legs out.

I’m glad I went out tho and took her out cause she always makes me feel better.

Oh! and the other thing. Cook decided to grow winter fur this year! She’s a furry beast this year. Mom is proud!

Her boo-boo on her head looks better but gross-er. Furazone is gross. and messy.

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Went and saw Apocalypto. Ugh. Should have stayed here and rested.

Good: The main actor, Rudy Youngblood is awesome.

Bad: Everything else.

I can take fair amount of violence in a movie - love all the Gladiator, Braveheart, Fight Club movies… no problem. This was just excessive excessive gore and violence. I can honestly say it was painful to sit through. I just don’t get the point of it. After you sit through the first human sacrifice… ok we get it! Do we really have to watch 3 more? Each graphic scene just dragged on and on.

What I am REALLY interested in is what amount of violence it takes to get a NC-17 rating. ‘Cause this had to be close.

Read this critic’s review... its’ about dead on what I said after the movie in the car…

Cook did something to herself in the pasture or in her stall or God only knows where.  She has fur off the top of her head, and an oozy, gooey pus mess.  I put a massive glob of furazone on it.  Frankly she didn’t want me examining it.  I chased her around her stall messing with it and then when I tried to look at it in the pasture, she wasn’t having it.  Since I didn’t bring out a lead rope or a halter, I tried to grab mane and make her stay.  um.  yeah.  She pulled away from me and actually -cantered- away.

Ugh.  I will prolly wait for that to heal before I get back on.

Today Eric came out and took pics for my Xmas cards which Lauren Upton is working on as I type.

Here are my two favorites.

Farrier. Noneventful.

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This is hilarious. I want this!

Make sure u read the Product Features to have a laugh.

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I’m not really a fan of the Rocky series but I do like what the trailer says…

“It ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward.”

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Hey, barn-mates. I think we are gonna do Secret Santa. we’ll draw names on sunday during lessons. Let me know if you do (or don’t) wanna participate. $20 limit.

Horsey Friends can post in comments if you like.

Everyday:
1. Do you wear breeches or jeans while riding?
–both, but jeans when I’m schooling at home.  Britches away from home or in lessons.

2. Do you wear tall boots, half chaps, or full chaps?
— ariat half chaps

3. Do you ride horses that aren’t yours every day?
—yes. Missy is my trainer’s. Cook is mine.

4. What kind of helmet do you normally ride in?
— GPA. There is no substitute.

5. Do you have a lesson every day?
—no, but very regularly

6. Do you ride your owned/leased/lesson horse in the same bit everyday?
— yes - Cook - regular snaffle. Miss- Mylar 3 piece with a port

7. Same saddle?
— yes

Beginning:
1. Name of first horse you’ve ever ridden:
– First lesson horse - Sarge. First horse I ever loved - Katie (seal bay TB, sound familiar?)

2. Age you rode for the first time:
– supposedly at 10 months. My dad swears by this story - he gave some kid $5 to get me a pony ride and I wasn’t scared and then he knew I would always ride.  uh huh.

3. Age you began to officially take lessons:
– 9

4. First barn you ever took lessons at:
– Ft Bragg

5. First horse you ever jumped on: ?
a. Did poles on: ?
b. Cantered on: ?
c. Trotted on: ?

6. First ribbon ever won: 4th - I still have it!

7. First show you ever won a blue ribbon at:
— some local show in fayetteville

Current Barn or Farm:
1. What barn do you ride at?
—Pepperwood Farm

2. What is your trainer(s) name(s)?
— Mere (overall trainer / mentor) / Kevin (jump coach)

3. What types/circuits of horseshows does your barn go to?
— hunter

Future:
1. List the next two horseshows you plan on going to.
— no idea

2. Are you planning on selling your horse(s) soon? Which ones? Why?
— Never. Ever. I will never give up Cook.

3. Do you plan on purchasing any new horses? For what?
— Not right now.

4. Are you going to take up a new style of riding (i.e. dressage) soon?
— no

5. Do you plan on riding in college?
— n/a

6. After college?
– yes

7. What is your ultimate future goal as a horse back rider?
— be the best I can be.