Hi

Diploma?

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Another busy day!
Dave and Mags are almost here. They will stay thru Monday.
Tomorrow we will take the mares to Full Gallop. They have a dressage show at the farm and I have lessons with Stephen in the warm up area.
Summer goes back on Sunday to do her first event of the year!

Beast practiced flying changes today. She has pretty easy clean changes one way but is slow behind the other way. Julia helped me tremendously.  It is really nice to have someone in the ring with an educated eye.
We broke it down with one walk step between and i think she may actually have reliable changes before too long!
Ava had another trot day. She is just loving Aiken.
Summer had an easy lunge day. She jumped yesterday and did a trot.
I am so lucky to be staying at such a lovely place.
The cabin is so airy and light filled and the horses are very happy and relaxed.
They get to be turned out 24 hours a day which they love. Beast stays in on cold nights that require a lot of blanketing since she is a weirdo.

I miss everyone back home.
I'm going to get ready for my little family to arrive!!!

Aiken

So the last few days have been wonderful but busy busy!
Six of Stephens horses arrived Tuesday as well as my friend Mandy and her horses.
Well actually Julia and i picked up Mandy on Tuesday early early am at a gas station where her and her horses encountered a truck hiccup while hauling down.
Mandy did not seem at all phased by the whole experience in true Mandy fashion.
We all went back to Full Gallop and settled the horses in. Stephen and the rest of the crew and horses are snowed in at home and hopefully arrive tomorrow!

All my mares are all in full work and have never felt better.
It is so amazing what this aiken footing, sun and atmosphere can do  for a girl.
Jeff came today and did a pre season exam on the girls. Beast looks awesome and "full of sass". We did flexions to get a base line and will check her again after her first intermediate of the year. Then if we are on track, she will run advanced at Pine top advanced.

Ava has been cleared. She has really felt great the last few days. I love her so much (except for when she spooked and ran me into a tree.)
We are doing a few extra things to treat her abscess wound. And of course finishing with her stupid leg trauma she got right before we came.
As Jeff put it, if she is going to some day take beasts spot, she has to give me something to fret about.

I'm not even going to start in on Beasts latest development with her blanketing weirdness. I just can't even sometimes.

Summer has been a super trooper. She has been reliable about everything. Reliable about begging for food, reliable about pawing if she is getting tacked and i walk away, reliable about being an angel when ridden.

Summer competes this weekend at full gallop then at sporting days and paradise. She will probably not spend very long at training level if i am able to train with Stephen as much as i plan while down here. This horse is really coming into her own this year.

Ava will get entered at Paradise (hopefully) tomorrow. She will first require a nap in the sun together.......
After her five thousand freaking treatments for her masochistic nature.

I have participated in another hot yoga class. This one focused on shoulders, hamstrings and hip flexors (the worst areas on all riders but especially me).
I was not feeling very zen. I was frustrated with my body. I am going to keep this up. If i expect what i do out of my horses I need to stay on top of my fitness, focus and flexibility.

OK I'm going to turn my white noise ocean waves on and go to sleep. Tomorrow's another big day and then my Dave and little magalicious arrive!

The beautiful view oy the window.

These pine trees are so lovely they just sway slowly all day.

Today was busy busy!
Julia (my house mate and gracious host) and I did our barn chores this morning then headed off to hot yoga.
The class was amazing. It may have been the best yoga class I've taken in a studio. The teacher was amazing and started out slow and then man we pushed pretty hard at the end. After yoga we got " green monsters". It's a trademark drink from the local amazing coffee place. It's full of yummy healthy things all blended into the most delicious smoothie ever.

Then it was back to the farm to load up Summer and Julia's horse Ninette for a cross country school at Full Gallop.
The horses were really wonderful. Summer continues to try to be such a big grown up. She has broken down the last reserves I had to not to get attached to her. I just simply love her and her cocky, sweet, goofy, elegant ways.
She was wonderful about every thing i asked her to do out cross country. She just seemed a bit bored by the smaller fences. Occasionally she would rather land and run a bit off the fences rather then turn. But that behavior seems to get to be less and less. She really seems to enjoy the life of an event horse.
Ava did some stretchy work at home today. She felt good but a bit anxious.

Tuesday Stephen and his crew arrive and I will be working for him half days.
Tomorrow is my last day before things really get busy!
Lights out for me!

Happy

We arrived!!!!

Well we are all settled in here at Julia's beautiful farm in Aiken!
The trip was wonderfully uneventful.

Dave and Maggie took me to the barn this am. I happily wrapped legs while Dave loaded more hay in the trailer.

Of course Ava bashed herself at some point before i got there this morning. This resulted in a slightly swollen leg and an unsound trot.
I did not cry or tantrum. I thought logically, sweat wrapped, gave bute (some, she wouldn't eat it all), set out uniprim to bring, and loaded the horses.

Then i cried..... And maybe dry heaved a few times.
I said goodbye to Maggie, gave Dave and Elizabeth a hug, got in the truck, and called Jeff Beshear.
For those of you who don't know the amazing Jeff Beshear, he is the best sports medicine vet EVER. He is going to be coming thru Aiken, he helps at all the shows, and he fixed Beast for me last year.
Any ways, he answered (cause he's the best vet ever.... So is Megan though. But she is not coming to Aiken at all)
And told me to sweat wrap-check, bute- check, pack smzs in case in better light i find a small puncture-check. He also told me to put a shipping boot on over the standing wrap to keep the leg protected. ......
OK crisis temporarily averted.

I did some driving.
I listened to some punk rock, rap, and chakra cleansing music.
I refueled, offer some perfect mares water.
I tried not to notice the 7,561 shredded tires along the shoulder of the highway. I like to think about what i would do if i had a blow out and then i worry that thinking about it will make it happen.

I seriously can't believe how good Summer was/is.
She's taking it all in stride. I think she kind of likes it.
Beast definitely likes it. She is in looooove with one of Julia's geldings.
Poor Ava looks exhausted.

I unpacked some hay bales....
I wished that Hunter, Dave, and Patrick were here.
Then i wished that Hunter, Dave and Patrick were here again.
Then i finished unpacking hay bales.
I ate a lovely salad, brussel sprouts, and cheese prepared by Julia.
I'm typing this and then I'm going night night.
I'm not proof reading or spell checking.

I also don't know how my blog got hacked before but it will probably happen again. :(