Rainy days of Spring

It's raining for the second day in a row. It was windy and cold yesterday, as well as wet, so I kept everybody in. Today isn't was bad, the rain is intermittent and the wind isn't as strong, so I let the youngsters out and kept the old ones in. I let Never out, and I hope I don't regret it. He was inside for a little over a week and his leg seems better (he's not limping and he's putting weight on it), but you would think by his behavior that it had been years! Trotting here, trotting there, arched neck at the mares in the next pasture, he had to check everything out. He's cute, but what a goofball!

I've been working a lot on the computer lately, mostly because it's so icky outside. I've updated some stuff on my Duchess Hill Photography website, and I'm getting pictures ready for the Duchess Hill Farm website. I've made a new animated advertisement for my Cafe Press site, and I'm working on designing a new print and internet advertising campaign. I'm also going to be adding a link to my photography blog, and I'm going to try my take on the '365 days of photos' project. We'll see how that works.

I'm still planning to attend the Rolex Kentucky 3 day event. I've got the room reserved, the tickets paid for, meet-and-greets with internet friends in the works, and a farm sitter booked. Barring incident, everything is a go.

Another bitter cold day

After enjoying an almost warm week (highs in the 20's), we're back to single digits and less. It's currently bright, sunny, and 2 degrees with a wind chill of -12. Needless to day, Sparky stayed in with Gem for company. I hope to find a turnout sheet/lightweight blanket for her so she can go outside without getting too chilled and thus lose more weight. I wish I could afford a chiropractor for her, to align her hips, but all I can really do at this point is to keep her comfortable until Spring.

I've been doing some training this week, mostly with standing quietly and picking up feet. Alex was so good that Ken was actually able to trim his front hooves! We're still working on the hind feet, but he's getting better. He's a bit of a 'cookie monster' at the moment, but I'm going to cut back as he does better.

Ken was able to trim Willow's front hooves today. Her near front hoof has a long toe crack that fortunately is starting to grow out. She stood pretty well while Ken trimmed and rasped it, but she got antsy with the far front hoof and barely let him finish trimming.

Never is going to take more work. He picks up his near front hoof pretty well, but he won't relax and let Ken hold it for trimming. He's worse with his far front, he keeps pulling it out of Ken's hands. As for his hinds, right now we're just getting him used to being touched on his hips, legs and hooves. He's very sensitive and nervous about anyone doing anything back there, but with time I think he'll get better. I'm really hoping to get some more ground work done with him this Spring so I can take him in some halter/in hand classes this summer. I'm also hoping to introduce him to a saddle before Autumn.

Since it's so cold out, and there's nothing on TV this evening, I think I'm going to update my website for (shameless plug) Duchess Hill Photography, work on a blog to go with it (I know, yet another photo blog...), and maybe I'll finally get at least the home page for the farm site up and running. I should also get some more stuff on my Cafe Press site (another shameless plug!), but I'm going to need to find some more pics suitable for cards and such. Snow shots would be nice, but it's so freaking cold out and I don't have a back up camera if something goes wrong. I've also been thinking about possible quotes, phrases and logos for more marketable t-shirts and such, but I've been having the darnedest case of 'writers block'. If anyone has ideas or suggestions... *S*

Driving myself batty

While I was visiting my parents over New Years (and got sick so had to stay longer), Dad hit me with a proposal of a sort. He said that if I wanted or needed a place to move to with the horses, I could use the Waldo farm.

The Waldo farm is a dump. The 'house' is trashed, there are barns that need to be torn down, there's no pasture fence, and it needs serious cleaning. Truly, Jay has been trying to sell it for 3 years now, and no one wants it.

Except maybe me. I guess that makes me certifiably insane.

I saw potential in it when I was there feeding calves for Jay, and even with the cleaning and the demolition necessary I still think I can renovate the place and increase the value (shouldn't be that hard, considering...) I would have to gut the house first and make it livable, and then go from there. I got an estimate 3 years ago for renovating the best kept barn, but I think a new estimate would be in order.

This is just the type of project I would love to tackle right now, but, well, it's cold outside and I can only imagine what kind of critters are hibernating in the walls and camping in the cupboards. I'm guessing that Dad wouldn't have said anything if he wasn't willing to help out physically and monetarily, so I'm not too worried about that.

I'm not saying that I'm going to run off and ditch my current farm. I'm actually planning (if I go through with this) to get the Waldo farm spic and span, run it as an equine property for a few years, then sell it when the market is (hopefully) better for at least 3 times it's current worth (which isn't much) My cut should be enough to pay off my farm and some debts, and I'll have new projects to tackle! (new house, new barns, more plantings...)

I have to say, though, the waiting and indecision and the planning is killing me!

Resolutions

Everybody seems to make resolutions this time of year, and I'm no exception. It must be the snow and ice and bitter cold that makes me dream about what I want to do this summer, or at least Spring Thaw. So while I have a list of goals at 43 Things, here's a more horse-focused goal list:

1. Get Willow and Alex registered. I want to get Willow registered first, so I can put her approved registered name on Alex's papers and thus no confusion in the long run.

2. Get Alex gelded. I'll probably do this in March and submit his papers after the surgery, so I don't have to correct his gender later.

3. Saddle train Hope, Faith, and Never, and do more ground work with Willow and Glory. Hope and Faith are fully grown and ready to get some time under saddle and Never is ready for light riding. Willow and Glory both have issues at the moment that will delay saddle work, but more in hand work won't hurt them.

4. Put more riding hours on Cora. She came to me mostly broke, but she needs more time under saddle and just being worked with in general. I'd like to get some show points on her record, so I'm hoping I can get her to a couple of rated shows and maybe a dressage schooling show or two.

5. Do more to improve the farm. I want to put in more fence, install more outlets in the barn, put up better gates, keep the barn cleaner, and put up an arena and a a better round pen.

6. Show. I've been going to a lot of shows, but I've been working as the photographer. I'd really like to get some of my horses to some local shows for points and experience (theirs and mine).

7. Ride more. I haven't been riding much the past few years, not since I retired Tiara and Tassel. Now I have younger, stronger horses, I should be riding more.

8. Lose weight/get in shape. It may not seem to be a 'horsey' goal, but by being lighter and stronger, I'll feel better about riding some of the smaller horses, and I'll be able to ride them better


That's a pretty good list for now, I think.

Holiday wish list

I've got a wish list at Amazon.com, but there are some things that Amazon just doesn't have a listing for. Here is a list of things that I would dearly love but I don't expect to get, in no particular order:

-20 bags of shavings a month for a year (or even 6 months)
-a pallet of Nutrena Senior horse feed a month for 6 months
-more T posts and fencing materials
-a new roof for the barn
-someone I trust around horses to help around the farm (cleaning stalls, planting trees, putting up fence...)
-a $3000 gift certificate for vet care
-unlimited access to Clavamox or Zithromax, Tobramyacin drops, and Frontline Plus or Revolution
-a boyfriend for my sister/roommate (a veterinarian-architect-millionaire philanthropist would be awesome)
-a grant or loan to get my farm/rescue started (details here, here and here)
-a divorce
-my life back on track

I've not listed anything about a boyfriend or dating or anything like that for me, because I've pretty much given up. I just can't seem to find anyone that I find interesting enough to date, and anyway, once I get divorced I'm never getting married again. I really shouldn't have made it legal the first time. Oh well, live and learn I guess.