10/2/08: We gave inhalation strangles innoculations on Tuesday. Some of our horses became cranky or nervous and one had loose poops and was lethargic.

9/29/08: Sometimes "real" life takes over. We can't ride our horses enough...we can't even go see them often enough. It's frustrating. We feel guilty: we've let ourselves and our dependent animals down. It happens to everyone. Just remember this: no one is perfect and no one's life is perfect. Do the best you can and enjoy whatever you are obligated to do, whether it's housework or homework, fixing the car or mowing the lawn...or worse. All we really have in life is the moment we live in. Don't waste it with guilt and frustration. Let yourself relax and live! It's all there is! (Consider the alternative?)

8/28/08: Did you ever smell the color of horses? Seriously. A grey horse smells one way and a bay horse smells another way...a red bay horse smells different than a brown bay horse. A pinto smells different in the different colors...maybe that's why flys seem to gravitate to dark horses - they have a stronger smell. Try it. When no one is looking, smell your horse. Then go smell a different color horse. Interesting...

7/26/08: Some people say horses mirror your soul or project your personality.
Hummmm...Well...
My first dressage horse, Abe, was spooky and insecure. Maybe I was. My 2nd dressage horse was anxious and sweet. Maybe I was. My 3rd dressage horse takes no flack from anyone. He's the boss. Well, I run the farm. I guess I'm the boss. Hummm...My young horse is beautiful and energetic, elegant and happy. Hummm...I'm old, tired and...happy. Okay.

7/26/08: Things a boarder might never know:
How it feels to constantly have hay embedded in your underwear and socks...
How it feels when you feed, do turnout and clean 34 stalls and a boarder asks: "Are you gonna ride?"
It's ironic how you work hard to become successful so you can get the things (horses) you want and then you are so busy being successful (working hard) that you don't have time to enjoy them...I
wonder how much time Martha Stewart has to spend with her beautiful Friesians...

Young Job Applicant: "I'd LOVE to work with horses! Do you need any help?"
Me: "Sure! I need fences painted and a whole lot of weed whacking done!"
Silence. Then: "Oh. Do you need any help in the BARN?"
Me: "Sure! I have 34 stalls to clean every day and all the rubber mats in the stalls need to be removed so we can put in pea gravel to level the floors!"
"Oh." Then: "Do any horses need to be ridden?"
Me: "No. These horses are owned by boarders who are working hard all day long so they can come out in the evening and on weekends to enjoy them."
"Oh."

7/25/08: Now that I'm old (That's anyone over 50, folks!) Summer is an event to be relished. When I was a kid, summer was long hot days of boredom...

7/24/08: Attitude. It's everything. Amazing how one person's attitude can affect everyone. We are looking forward to September when someone very special will come to board with us. Her positive attitude and energetic nature will make everyday better for all of us! Stay tuned!

7/21/08: Today Misty ate a banana. She thought it was a carrot, I'm sure, because her mouth was FULL of carrot, so she grabbed the banana and gave it a bite. And chewed it up! The owner, Matt and his friends tried to give Misty more of the banana, but she spit it out. And dived in for more carrots. Thank you, Matt, for loving Misty, and Thank you Sam for giving her a home with us, even though you live 2 hours away.

7/14/08: There are 2 types of horsemen: Those who love horses and those who love riding. Most of us are a blend of both. If you love horses, you will study the discipline your horse prefers. If you love riding, you will sell an unsuitable horse and get one who can fulfill your ambitions.

7/01/08: About turnout. Of course we want the horses turned out. Every day. But the reality is that the bugs are bad in July and August and this year is full of rain and thunderstorms. Turnout is good for their minds, legs and for the budget...It cost more in sawdust, hay and labor if they are inside all day. But the reality is that the horses are miserable in heat and buggy conditions and prefer their stalls and fans! So we limit turnout time on somedays. We get them out early and in early.

No boarding situation is ideal. If we had our horses at home, we could cater to their needs in our own way. And we could do all the work ourselves. And not ride. That is the way it becomes when people get their own farm and ride according to the weather and on the roads...and they miss their friends at the boarding stable.

6/15/08: Every spring everyone worries about hay. It's too wet, it's too dry, there wasn't enough cold weather to grow the alfalfa...But this year there's a new reason to worry: gas prices...