I RODE!

Amazing sky.

Hurray! My favorite red head came over yesterday after my doctor's appointment (still no answers, by the way) and we tacked the best Bacon up.

Battle wounds on the Bacon butt.

I don't know what was going on yesterday, but it was like the world was testing me and my horse's skills. Before we even started, the man next door was trying to fly a kite in the goat pasture. The goats were not fond of this kite. But Bacon didn't give a crap. There was one little spook when the goats took off running behind us as we were trotting past.

You can see the kite way up in the air.

Trying to stretch low but keep contact.

Then, he started throwing some wire around, rolling a big wooden spool around, and the wind picked up somethin' fierce. Plus a truck drove into the goat pasture and they were unloading branches out of the back with the goats all running around. So, it was a bit distracting. At least to me! Bacon...not so much.

Big butt!

Crazy manes.

I felt so awful riding though. Very out of shape, very sloppy. I guess I can't expect too much. I kept forgetting that I had legs and that I could use them. And for the life of me, I couldn't seem to keep my back straight. AS USUAL.

Enter the BEAM OF LIGHT!

But, I got to ride. And that is that. And jump!

That's a nice facial expression?

So, that makes me happy.

Stupid back.

Stuck.

We want to practice cantering jumps.

Ugh. I feel like my blog has become a place where I whiiiiine, But sometimes, I just need to. This disease or problem or whatever I have is very slowly tearing me apart. I made the choice to not ride alone earlier this summer after I almost passed out riding Bacon. It is now to the point where I don't ride because I just can't.

We want to do more cross country!!!

I had the tremors going on mostly in the left hand, but now I sometimes get the whole body shakes. I am incredibly weak, and get out of breath when I feed the ponies, let alone do anything else. I sometimes have difficulty writing and speaking to clients at the vet clinic. Every day is a hard and not so good day. I just stand and stare at my ponies, especially Bacon. She places her head on my chest and just breathes her warm sweet breath onto it.

We want to practice our dressage skillz.

I have plans, I have goals. I want to go to more derbies next year, at the Novice level. I want to do my first actual three day event. I want to do jumper shows and even dressage shows. And I will NOT let this crap bring me down all the way.

I want to ride with friends.

My other difficulties include my "arena" and not having a truck or trailer sized big enough for Bacon to fit into. My arena is about the size of a 50ft round pen, only square. I can only do so much with my horses when all I can do is jump, turn, jump, turn. I can't really work on lengthening or allow my horse to move freely forward, or put a course together. My other option would be to get a truck and trailer and be able to bring her places where we could do that. But, I have a boy who has picked his ideal truck, and it is quite the pretty penny. And he has his mind set on what kind of trailer he wants too. So hopefully we can purchase those things sometime next year after he graduates.

I just want to ride.

Until then, I am certainly stuck. I can't go anywhere, I can't even ride, I can't progress.

I don't know why I am in such a hurry. But I hope my doctor's appointment tomorrow brings me closer to identifying what I have. I have been bit by the eventing bug, and it has taken over.

Wordless Wednesday. Except It Is Thursday. But I Still Have No Words.

So, here is a picture! Or two. That I entered in the Dover contest. I love racetrack washing pictures.

The handsome "Big Dummy" gets a bath.

Studly is also not amused with this.

Well. Poo.

Wedding boots

Last week, we were supposed to go to two shows. A dressage schooling show, and our first little jumper show. But the universe had other plans. Annoying plans. And after all of that chaos, Bacon got a nice cut on her knee with some nice swelling, so now that is being treated. I don't know if she is having sympathy pain/wounds for her mom or what?

It's ok Bac, you don't need to do that.

Hey, stretchy, get back up here!

Building up the back muscles.

I did get to ride her to see if her hind end had healed up from the Vegas attack. Blake made me ride in my dressage tack, and told me I needed to practice so I can do better at my events. Ugh. Fine.
She did really well and had no hint of lameness whatso ever. We did lots of stretching low, and she sure got looooooow. Like peanut roller low. We had to find a happy medium.

So damn dusty.

Also, I got more wedding pictures from my photographer! Hope you enjoy!

Redheadlins helps me suck it in

My happy momma

I love this picture. 

My brother tries to hold on to the dogs

Smile pa!

All married!

Our flower girl and ring bearer.

Me and the ladies!

We can't dance.

She stepped on my dress twice. 

And ripped chunks off. Oh well!

A nice moment

It's weird riding a horse in a dress.

Paint girls!

Ring shot

Our bridal party

Us trying to be models.

I love this stinker.

First Blog Hop? Move Your Hoof To The Beat

Want to dance?

I can't possibly be the only one who picks songs out for their horses. I also can't be the only one who hears songs, and plays my own awesome riding clips in my head to that song.

For example, the latest song I make up random riding scenarios to is Seether's "Words As Weapons". Basically, I play Bacon and myself tearing up the cross country course to this song. We jump all the things. We gallop around. We are color coordinated. It's awesome.

Don't ask me why. Just understand.

What are my horses' songs? Well, Bacon has two. One is Capital Cities "Safe and Sound" because I am sappy, and she keeps me safe and sound when we ride. The other is one I played for her and she weaved to, and that was the Naked and Famous "Young Blood". I wish I had video of her weaving to that.

Vegas, well, she has a new song. It is the Pretty Reckless "Heaven Knows". Because lately, she has been a big ho, and maybe she belongs "way down below". Sorry pony. Quit being a bee-otch.

The Pandora has a very specific one that Blake has picked out. Since she is the Lil Badbadger, her song is "Bad Company" by Five Finger Death Punch. Hell yeah.

And then there is the Goose. Lucy is kind of an old fashioned girl, and Volbeat has some rockabilly style. Her song is "Lola Montez". I love Volbeat, And I love Lucy.

Soooo, you may have noticed that I like metal. I hope I am not the only rider out there in the blogger world that can enjoy these songs. If you don't, feel free to give a listen to these songs. They are really light metal. My personal favorites are Slipknot, Cradle of Filth, Skindred, Volbeat, FFDP, System of a Down, In This Moment, Avenged Sevenfold, and lately, fricken AVATAR.

Do your horses' have songs?

Catching Up

My happy place.

Sooooooo much catching up to do. You wouldn't think that a little wedding would create so much chaos. But goddamnit. It sure did. The last of my visiting family left yesterday, and now I am in the sad mopey stage because who knows when I will get to see them again. I don't have a whole lot of friends, so my family members are my friends. And I feel really lonely when they leave. But at least I can ride my sadness away, right?

Wrong.

Let's just say that I love to ride Bacon and I love all of the fun progress we are making in such a short time. Let's say Vegas is HATING that she can't play wild mustang like she did for almost a year, and does not want to have manners or respect for people. Let's also say I was hoping to go to two shows this week. The only thing that could happen was for Bacon and Vegas to "sort" things out in the pasture.

She will DESTROY you. Little blond punk.

Orange is the New Black: Shank Yo Ass in the Pasture episode.

Except, it was more butt to butt firing shots and flying hooves style. And damnit, Bacon lost. She got a few little shots in on Vegas, but Vegas got her good. Giant swollen ass, big scrape marks and missing hide, hock swollen from getting tangled in the action. Horrified look on my face. I had to keep my cool, because my family was visiting my house at the moment. They left soon after and I turned to Blake and started to sob.

My mom brought me this lunging system. Look at Lucy strengthening her back!

Why? I was looking so forward to some normalness again, and getting to go to those shows before the season ends. I have been doctoring the Bacon, and I think she really likes all of the doting. She is a wuss though, and after the first 24 hours I realized it was not as bad as she made it seem. The swelling went down a crap ton, and she was back to weaving like a regular weirdo.

Our last ride, sometime last week. A fun, weird, oxer!

One of the shows was supposed to be tomorrow night, and I think we will hold off from that one, but I think we can do the funner Saturday jump show. She looks really good today, and I think I will hop on tomorrow to see where we are.

Grandma got on the Bacon. And almost peed her pants.

Also, I threw my mom on Pandora because she wanted to jump while she was here. I figured, she was closer to the ground if anything bad happened. I had popped Pandora over a few jumps bareback and she did fine. We dressed her up in english tack and it was adorable. Although the bridle was a bit too big. Mom hopped on, and they looked really cute going around. And then she tried to approach the jump. And then she would get scared, and Pandora would stop. I told her that FORWARD is key, and you have to be ready in all forms. She wanted me to hook her on the lunge so she could focus on her position and mental state and I could control the forward. I did. There was forward alright. And then straight up, and then a mom on Pandora's neck, and then more up and a flying mom in the dirt.

Starting off the lesson nicely.

Trotting around (forward flap not necessary for mom, oi!)

Oh lord. What did I do.

Practicing over ground poles first.

But mom was ok (phew!) and laughed and got back on. And now she can turn her neck both ways, which she hasn't been able to do for years. Pandora is just a chiropractor I guess? And felt very sorry that mom flew off, and kept putting her head into her chest and arms.

I love how their facial expressions are the same.

Oh Pandy.

Mom is back on. Yay!