Long time between posts!

I can't believe that I haven't posted since May 7! I really thought that I had posted during the week....where did the week go? My husband was traveling for most of the week which left me to do all of the school drop offs and pick ups plus the after school activities and my horses. Oh yeah, and my job. So needless to say it was a bit hectic. I checked Facebook a few times and responded to posts but did not do much else with status updates or commenting on the posts of others. I like to read about what's going on with the other animal pages and rescue organizations and post my support. Everyone has been so supportive of Suki, and there are so many wonderful people performing amazing work. The rescues and foster homes need financial support as well as supplies, so I think it is important to share information when possible. I am still planning to hold some fundraisers, with the first one for Rainbow K horse rescue. I hope that I can do it by the end of the month, but June is more likely.

With so much going on my visits with Suki were shortened on occasion, but I did squeeze in a lunging session. The main objective right now is to improve strength and fitness. The graft continues to improve, but the toughening of that skin is a slow process and we just have to let nature do its thing without the nature of Suki destroying Dr. Fugaro's work! So the bandaging continues, although it is certainly not a big deal. I hate that the skin is dry where the elasticon is, but that actually seems to be improving a bit. It is supposed to rain tomorrow which means Suki will be in, so I may leave her bandage off. She does far less damage rolling in her stall than she does when she gets a good, hardy roll out in the field. I believe that Suki is ready to try a surcingle, but without side reins or long lines. Just a pad with extra padding and the surcingle itself. We will try a regular lunging session to test the movement of the surcingle. It's possible that there will be more movement without side reins. Testing time. One session will tell me if I need to wait. Next weekend I will head to the tack store to see if they have any surcingles in stock. Otherwise I will order from Dover, Smart Pak, Dressage Essentials or State Line. I lost both of my surcingles and all of my lunging equipment in the fire....several sets of side reins, 2 sets of long lines, etc.

Suki and Banker have switched to a different pasture. The one that they had been using is being rested. The farm owner does an excellent job of pasture managment. I have never seen them over-grazed. The new pasture has a stream in it but I doubt that princess Suki will venture in. Although I had thought the same thing about Jenny, and shortly after retirement she was splashing through streams...and rolling in the shallow part! Jenny had appaloosa blood in addition to her fine Dutch Warmblood lines. I always said that the app blood made her hardy! When she strated splashing in the water we joked that it was her "inner appaloosa" coming to the surface!

Suki looking over the fence from her new field

With the higher temperatures over the past few days Suki was in during the day and out on Saturday night. Tonight and tomorrow will bring rain, so I fear there will be a grumpy girl to greet me on Monday. That's okay though. She will still make me smile!

Late this afternoon when I went to see Suki she was slightly sweaty so I decided to hose her off. As I started to spray her side, Suki stepped side ways and kicked the hose with her front foot, knocking it out of my hand. As it landed the hose sprayed me directly in the face. I tried to grab it and turn it off. As I turned it off I looked at Suki. She looked straight at me and nickered....clearly, she was laughoing at me!

On Monday, Nikki twisted a shoe and the farrier did not get out to fix it until Friday! So Saturday morning at a chilly 45 degrees, I approached my big 5 year old mare, who had not been ridden or turned out for 5 days, with a realistic view of our session. My plan was to lunge her for 20 minutes then ride her the next day. As I was grooming her I decided to put her in full tack, because if she seemed sensible enough then I would get on after lunging. Five minutes into lunging Nikki seemed perfectly sane and happy. I let her warm up for a few minutes then mounted. Ten seconds in the saddle and I was reminded again about why I love this horse so much! She was delightful to ride. Yes, she had energy, but it was good energy and she was focused and listening to everything I asked from her and I found myself smiling from ear to ear. The canter was a little umm, forward! But I used that energy to work on shortenings and lengthenings. I drove home with the top down and the radio up, singing at the top of my lungs and soaking up the Oley Vally countryside!

Today's ride on Nikki was equally as wonderful and I included lateral work and trot poles. A second day of ear to ear smiles for me and the usual hugs and snuggles with Nikki. When I got home I was greeted with the smell of bacon cooking as Isaiah and Michael were preparing a Mother's Day brunch for me. Yumm!