Thanks Dad.

Today we ventured out to try our hand at a Hunter Pace. While I've been on several....some have gone really well and some really bad.....this was a first for Tipping. She is very green and this was our second time riding off the farm. Sharon came with her gelding, Rusty who is a paint/TB cross. Telese also came with her -fresh of the track - gelding Jack. This was also his first time. The weather was promising rain and the temps dropped to 65 with dark clouds and lots of wind. We were hoping to be done before the skies opened up on us!
So off we went onto a very muddy course. We started out in the ring and hopped over a couple of cross rails that were numbered at the beginning (in our division you can jump whatever jumps you feel like but do not have to jump anything if you don't want to). Off around the field and through a water complex....then down an electric line trail to the woods. MUD, MUD, MUD everywhere! This was something Tipping didn't like. She's not really into unstable footing so she had to get over it pretty quickly today. We had a rather steep and slippery hill to go down, then drop into a shin high muddy creek and back up a slippery incline. She didn't want to go at first but eventually decided it was better to go than stay there alone. We jumped several small coops and logs along the way. She was absolutely wonderful. We did a lot of walking due to the footing and figured we didn't place well on time since there were about 13 other teams.
Turns out we were wrong. We won!
We were about a minute off the optimum time and had no clue about it! I have to think that Dad had something to do with it. He always joked that I was going to school to learn how to shovel shit....and I guess that's kinda what I do.....but I also know he loved the fact that I loved what I did. I think had we not had such a fun day today I would have been dwelling on the fact that I miss him so much and might have blamed my mood on a bad ride.
For anyone who is reading and who does not know what I'm talking about....today marks 2 years since my Dad passed away. I miss him so much and think about him nearly everyday.
So thanks Dad for allowing me to have so much fun on "your" day. I guess it doesn't really surprise me though, you always put everyone else first. Love you forever...

Sweet smell of success!

Lou, Hannah and I drove up to Presque Isle yesterday to watch one of our horses run. He's a two year old we partly own and was making his very first start. The trip was well worth it. After months of training and getting ready, Midnight Medic won his Maiden Allowance race by 5 lengths! He broke sharp, went to the lead and never looked back. This was the first time that Hannah got to be in a win picture as well. Very exciting!

This weekend (sunday) I'll be taking Tipping to a hunter pace. This pace will give me an idea of how she'll be to ride cross country. I've already sent in my entry for a Mini Trial at South Farm on the 13th so I'm hoping she's a good girl!

Partly sunny skies with lots of thunder?

We are having a pretty loud thunderstorm. Big booms, power went out for a few minutes. Some lightening....and no rain. Hmmmm the sun is shining too. Very odd. Hannah and I went to lunch at Pizza Hut with Gammy. They have some really yummy pastas and so crazy pizzas! Then off to Walmart, Tractor Supply and Giant Eagle. Gammy walked Hannah Around Walmart instead of me pushing her in the cart. She had several people giggling at her silliness. She thought it was pretty cool to walk around the store like a big girl.

Last night during bathtime Hannah showed me that not only does she know where to find her: Toes, feet, eyes, ears, nose, mouth and bellybutton.....but she also knows her teeth, tongue, arms, knees and her butt.....the butt being the funniest thing she could possibly point out!

Back in the show ring!

After about 10 years I stepped back into the hunter ring this past weekend. I had a goal of taking Tipping to her first show to see how she'd handle the idea of all of it. I started her retraining a little over a month ago but did have some breaks due to mega amounts of rain. It's mostly been flatwork, getting ready for some dressage shows this fall. Of course I couldn't help myself though and started messing around with some ground poles and small cross rails last week. She was soooo good that I convinced myself we need to enter in some jumping classes as well. So Friday night I was in the barn until midnight braiding Tip's mane and making her spotless and shiny, packing up the trailer and getting all my clothes in order. Up bright and early at 5:30am....feed the racehorses and bring in the riding horses and then off we went. I was in the second division so I knew I had to be there early enough to let her see everything that was going on. The show started at 8:30am. Of course as it happened my class didn't run until 11:30......ugh, could have slept in a little bit longer than that. It was mega hot but Miss Tipping was an absolute saint. I couldn't be more happy with her behavior. We had never cantered a jump, let alone done a course. So I bit the bullet and she completely cruised around the ring! Happy dance, happy dance! I HAD FUN!! Yeah they were baby jumps but it was a proud moment for sure! We ended up with a 4th and 5th in the jumping classes and a 5Th and 1st in our flat classes. So the plan is to try a hunter pace on the 30th at the same farm. Maybe we will pop over a few cross country jumps as well.

Hannah is all better now form her bout with Roseola. Poor baby had a rough week. Lou and I are still hassled by a nagging cough but for the most part we are on the mend.

Jade is learning to be a good puppy. She comes when called now and keeps tabs on where I am when we are working outside. Tonight she was allowed to stay out of her crate when we went to dinner at Lou's Aunt's house. She's trustworthy with the whole potty thing now too. She still does silly puppy things (like barking madly at the horses or getting up on Lou's chair) but she seems to be getting better each day.

Sealy is still hanging out in the pasture. Theresa attempted to ride her for a new sale video but the ground was so wet she wasn't able to do a whole lot of jumping. Plus the air fern wasn't real fit so she got pooped out pretty quickly. Someday she'll find her soul-mate and will have a new home. I just don't have the time or energy to devote to her.

I can't remember if I posted about the tall, skinny gelding I am boarding for a friend or not. I bought him cheap and sold him to a friend (who will train him and sell him as a show horse) a while ago. He was a bag of bones when he came here a month ago. It has been a slow process getting him fattened up. Much slower in fact than I had ever expected. He was just THAT skinny, poor guy. Anyway, he's been named "Amos" and will head to GA soon so he can start his new career.

Hmmmmm....I think that's everything for now. Had a few good races and a few not-so-good races since my last post. It's been super hot and humid here which makes training uncomfortable. I'd like to see the milder temps come back that we had for the better part of the summer. I can totally deal with that! Walking outside and sweating just standing there just isn't my idea of fun!

It's "snot" all that fun

Been sick since monday....the usual starting with a sore throat, then congestion and cough. General feeling like you've been hit by a train. The bad germies originally started with MIL and then Hannah for the runny nose, then me and now hubby has it. Yay....who wants the hot potato next? I started antibiotic the other day because 9 times out of 10 I end up with a sinus infection that lasts for two weeks.
Last night I took Hannah to the ER at Akron Childrens. Her temp was 104.5 and she was miserable. Apparently the doctor on call for my regular pediatrian coulnd't be bothered with helping me out much. Maybe I was disturbing her dinner but she didn't feel Hannah really needed to be seen. WTF????? Really? I asked her for the number for the ER and her reply was, "Well I don't carry around a phone book!" What a B*tch. I mean....are all on call Doc really that ticked off that they have to be on call? SHe was useless....and I'm planning on telling Hannah's regular doctor about it.
Anyway, Akron was really nice. We were there for two hours. They gave her Tylenol (which I'd given her and didn't work) and then monitored her temp. Poor baby was glued to my shoulder most of the time. We left with a temp of 102 and instructions to alternate the Tylenol with Motrin and go see her regular Doc this morning. They open at 9am and I'm sure will be just delighted to have to squeeze us in last minute on a friday morning....
I'm wondering why people get into this field if they don't like to see patients? Helping children stay healthy is what it is about right?

Aside from that, I've had sleepless nights last night and the night before. Up till 3am and then up every hour. Not good when you are sick. I'm hoping for a good nap today.
Well, I guess I should go get ready in case they can fit Hannah in first thing....it's a 40 minute drive....stay healthy everyone!