Stressed meets Cranky

PMS is a bitch, literally.

Tye seems to be cycling, and go figure that we're totally in sync. lol. So I didn't ride today. I felt it was better to avoid the inevitable fight that would ensue. Neither of us needs more stress in our lives.

School is like a mad rat race. I don't know when I got so far behind, considering I've only been in school for 4 weeks, but I'm having a hard time catching up. Partly due to motivation, partly to the fact that I don't have enough hours in the day to get everything done that needs to be done. I have a molecular genetics quiz tomorrow that I feel relatively prepared for. I have a vert midterm on friday that I don't feel prepared for at all. Then there's the thesis, abstract, and annotative bibliography due on friday for biochem. Which I haven't even started. And then molecular genetics midterm next thursday, and finally, biochem midterm next friday.
I think I'm going to go insane.
But I'm sure I'll just spend the weekend getting caught up for the stuff that isn't this week...

SSU Equestrian Club had our second meeting today. It was productive as usual.

I've been cranky lately. Don't really know why. Probably just stress and PMS.... lol.

Alright, enough wasted time. Back to the salt mines, as Randy would say.

Shoes and Other News

So I totally messed up and let Tye's feet go to long. She was at 8 weeks instead of 6. Poor thing was all uncoordinated. She just feel icky when her feet are too long. Now that she has new shoes and a nice trim, she's her usual wonderful self again. She's moving very nicely. She's soft in my hands and quiet with her face at the lope. We've been doing a lot of loping. Her walk and jog have no issues, but consistency on a loose rein still eludes us. Eventually we'll both get on the same page and get it right. But until then we just keep working on it. I think I'm finally learning to let go and be a minimalist. "Don't fix what ain't broken." I learning to leave her alone at the lope and give her rein and not snatch at her face all the time when I want to school her. It makes her happy and lets me focus more on keeping her straight underneath me.
In other news, SSU is starting an Equestrian Club. Hopefully we'll have an Equestrian team next semester and be able to compete with other schools. I'm super excited about it! I always like to spend time around other horse people.

Reaffirming Connections

I rode Tye bareback yesterday. I figured it would be easier on both of us because i can't get my feet in the stirrups and they bang against Tye's sides. Plus, i love the way it feels to have nothing but jeans between your rear end and our horses back. It reminds me how important it is to be a centered rider. When there's no saddle to get in the way, you can truly feel the connection between your seat bones and your horses spine. You can feel how, when you are centered and balanced, your seat bones fit around your horses spine and direct their movements. You can manipulate their movement by changing the pressure and direction of your butt bones. It is a truly wonderful experience to canter a horse bareback, to be fully and completely connected with your horse in a way that isn't quite possible when there is a bunch of leather in the way.

Riding bareback also reaffirms my confidence in my seat and my trust in my horse and my ability to communicate with her. It reminds me that I do know how to stay centered on the slick back of a narrow horse without gripping with my legs or hands. Without the use of stirrups. That's a very nice feeling. I also love that my horse knows what I want often before I totally communicate it too her.

I totally love my horse. She's like to sun in my life, that creature that makes everything ok and real. She makes it ok for me to be me and to love her unconditionally. She tells me she loves me in her very mellow horsey way; snuffling my chest and arms, following me around and resting her big flat head flush against my chest, breathing in my ear and smelling my face and hair. I love the feel of her sweet hot breath against my cheek.

In fact, I love being out at the barn. I love being there in the morning when it's cold and crisp and the birds aren't singing yet. You can see your and your horses breath as you warm up into your work out. The only sounds are of you and your horse. Hooves crunching on cold ground, the chuck chuck sound of a nice even 2 beat jog. I love the smell of the barn; sweet hay, alfalfa molasses, wood shavings, and the musky smell of warm horse bodies.

I hope this is what heaven is like.

I'm not bragging... really!

This is my shrine to my horse and our accomplishments. It started out as just one shelf... but has grown to take up two. I have other pictures and certificates of accomplishments (honor roll for trail and our ROM for youth western pleasure...) but at the moment I think it's cluttered enough. Just another example of my OCD-ness.

On another note, first day back at school went well. I think my classes will be fun. In Vert. Evo. Morph. we're going to be dissecting sharks and other verts, so that will be awesome. The professor is really funny and engaging, but it's most likely going to be a very challenging class. Metabolic Biochemistry will be hard too, but also extremely interesting. It's all about digestion and why your body uses chemicals (carbohydrates, lipids, and sugars) the way it does. I have Molecular Genetics tomorrow and that should be a blast too. I haven't had that professor before and I don't know who he is, so well see. If nothing more it's a really interesting topic.

Well... I need to get my absentee ballot filled out and sent in... and I really need to start my taxes before things get to crazy with school and I wait until the last minute like last year! Have a great night everyone!

Ohh, one last thing. I went out to my car this morning and all the water from the rain last night had frozen! It looked so cool. But made me a bit late because my windshield has a 1/4 thick layer of ice on it too!

Just Saying...

Miss Florida did not win (second pic). Miss California (Melissa Chatty is AWESOME, first pic, she's a local girl!) made it to the final 8. That was pretty awesome. I thought she did a great job!

On another note. The banquet for the NorCal Horse Show Association went well today. Nothing to crazy happened. I got all my cool prizes for my overall placings for last show season. I guess it's about time I get geared up for a big show year. I plan to show a lot this year and work a moderate amount. We'll see what actually happens!

I Think I Have OCD!

Yes.. I probably do. The above is my new tack box for the barn! I'm excited. The other two pics are of boxes within the tack box. How OCD is that? Just though I'd post those so you all could laugh at me!
Tye was an angel today! I let three of the lovely ladies at the barn ride her since my knee is barely bendable at the moment. She was very nice to all of them and went relatively well. A little iffy on the lope as usual, but nothing too bad.
Well.. short post today. I have to go watch Miss America!!!!! Go Miss Florida! and Miss California!

Another setback

So I have to be the clumsiest person alive. I went to the mall yesterday, after my 3 hour dental appointment, to return a few things. I'm walking up the escalator and manage to trip. I landed on my knee, ripped my pants and gouged a very nice zig zag into my kneecap. This proceeded to bleed all over my now torn jeans. I had to go to the hospital and have it all cleaned out and such. All in all, it was a pretty crappy mall trip.

Now my knee just hurts like heck when I bend it. But I guess that's better then a lot of things that could have happened. I guess I'm not going to be riding today. :( Poor Tye. Finally feeling well and no one to ride her! Well... I gotta get going.

Bored At Work

Yes.. it's 6:06 in the morning and I've been at work for over an hour. It's so totally exciting... lol.
I finally got to ride Tye yesterday. We just walked for about an hour, but it was nice to be in her saddle again. It's such a different feeling to get on a horse you've been riding/showing/training for the past four years. It's like going home after vacation and sleeping in your own bed. It's great to be somewhere new and exciting, great to get to ride a different horse, but it's always the best to come home and get back to what you love.

I have a dentist appointment today. :( I get SO nervous going to the dentist. And i'm always so cold durring the whole thing that I just shake the whole time. Then my body goes into hybernate mode because I'm so cold and I fall asleep. This, understandably, irritates whoever is trying to work in my mouth. I have to ask about my wisdom teeth today. They keep telling me to get them out in six months, or as soon as they bother me. Well.. they don't ever bother me. humph.
Well, gotta get back to work.

Everyone needs a kiss now and then

I gave all the horses in the barn kisses (and carrots) today just because I felt like it. I also gave them photo ops. Some were more receptive then others!
First is my ever patient Tye. Then super cute Taxi. Third is Reggie. Fourth is Jackie. And last, but surely not least, is Ivan! Isn't he a cutie! Sorry I'm in most of the pics, it's so hard to get them to stay still when they are in their stalls!

Grey, foggy, cold, and drizzley

Doesn't that just make you want to go outside? Not me.

Had to take my laptop into best buy again today. If the problem is hardware related then I'll get a new computer. I'm crossing my fingers. The darn thing has already had a hard drive and two mother boards replaced. The guy was like "wow, they spent a lot of money trying to fix this thing. They should have just replaced it, would have been cheeper." I totally agree.

Tye was looking much better today. Almost back to normal. I think I'll hand walk her again tomorrow then try riding on Wednesday. Most of the swelling is gone and her legs looks mostly normal now. There's a little swelling left on the outside of her hock and up in her groin area. But nothing like it was a few days ago.

I'm getting a little further through my homework. I feel totally unmotivated. It's actually pretty sad. I'm not really someone who likes to sit around and do nothing, but that's mostly what I've been doing this weekend.

Now, todays update

The last post was actually written 3 days ago. But anyway. Tye seems to be doing much better. The vet came out again yesterday and decided to put her on a diuretic. I'm hand walking her for 20-30 minutes in the outdoor arena. I think it's more of a workout for me then her, she seems totally bored by the whole thing. I'm also hosing her leg down for about 10 minutes after the walk. The water is pretty cold this time of year, but she stands nicely, so it probably feels good. All in all, the swelling seemed to have gone down some today, so that's fabulous news!

Peter let me ride his horse Pinocchio. He's not totally broke and before I rode him yesterday he hadn't been ridden since last June when Peter broke his hip. But what an amazing horse. He has the most perfect, smooth, relaxing gates I've ever ridden. It's like you forget there's a horse under you and just enjoy the sheer feeling of floating above the ground. I never feel uncomfortable on him, even when he's messing around. And he's such a goof ball. He has to look at everything, sniff everything. I guess I'll be riding him until Tye gets better.

I really love everyone at the barn. So many people have offered to let me ride their horses. It's so nice that people trust me that much. It means a lot. Granted, most of them are horses I've ridden or shown before, but two of them aren't. It makes me feel good about my ability to ride. Or at least, the ability some others perceive me as possessing.

I realized after my ride today how much riding is ingrained in every part of my soul. I have been pretty cranky since Monday and finding Tye's leg all swollen. I attributed it mostly to my worry over her wellbeing. But I realized it's more then that. I get cranky and mopey when I don't ride. I mean, i'm used to riding almost every day. It's my meditation and sometimes (sadly) the only decent exercise I get during my busy days. It's my get away from all the stress and craziness that goes on in my life. The one place and time I can just relax and be myself. I am so at home at the barn I might as well live there.

Well, i've spent the last hour or so setting up this blog and otherwise messing around on the internet. It's time I got back to homework. ugg. I have SO much to do. This was a 3 day weekend and I managed to get nothing done. At least I still have tomorrow... Not as if that helps when I have a 500 page novel to read and questions about it to answer. As well as studying for my History final... and all the lovely, exciting, mentally stimulating reading that goes along with that. What drugs was I on when I decided to take two intercession classes?!?!

Why this Blog exists

I think I need to start keeping a journal again. There’s a lot going on in my life at the moment and it’s nice to be able to get it all out somehow.

First thing first. I’m really stressed about Tye (my horse) right now. I rode her on Sunday and she was totally fine. Then Monday night she was off when I took her out of her stall. So I lunged her and she was totally lame. The back right leg was all stiff and stabby. The light wasn’t that good, but I felt her leg and hoof and the bulbs and sole felt hot. So I figured she was getting an abscess because she has a history of them. So I soaked her foot in warm water and Epsom salt.

I happened to get out of class early on Tuesday so I went out to check on her. I took her out of her stall and her right rear leg was really stiff. I walked her a little and trotted her for Peter. She was even more lame then Monday. I put her in the cross ties and started checking her leg. That’s when I realized that the inside of her hock was very swollen. There was also swelling in her right pelvic area. Peter decided we should call the Vet. A lady vet from Dr. Kerr’s office came out. The first thing she said was “woooow”. That made me nervous. She poked and prodded and watched her walk. Finally she said she though it could be an infection that had localized to two locations. However, she had found no puncture wound or other point of entrance. And Tye’s temperature was totally normal. So she drew blood for a CBC and gave her 4 other shots, penicillin, banamine, and two others and put her on oral antibiotics.

Today the vet called and told me that Tye’s white blood cell count was not elevated (as is expected with infection) but that she looked slightly anemic. I told her Tye’s swelling had gotten more liquid feeling on Tuesday night and she was still very sensitive about either spot being touched. I told her that this morning the swelling was firm again, not super sensitive to touch but very warm, and more pronounced around the hock. She said to keep checking Tye’s temperature, keep giving her the antibiotics, and call if the swelling gets worse. I stopped by the barn to check on Tye on my way home. I took her temp and it was 99.1, totally normal. She was eating fine and looked bright eyed and bushy tailed. Her hock was just as swollen as this morning, but the swelling had started to travel down the leg onto the inside of her cannon bone. She pranced around so much when I tried to hand walk her that I just gave up so she wouldn’t hurt herself more.

I won’t be able to get out there before class tomorrow, so I’m sure I’m going to be in nervous suspense all day worrying about her. I’m going to just cross my fingers all day and think positive thoughts and hope that the swelling has greatly diminished when I see her tomorrow night. I need to stop thinking that it’s going to be something really bad and just hope for the best.

But since Tye is like my baby, I worry like a mom over her. I think about her constantly, wanting to check on her every few minutes. If she lived here at home I’d be sleeping outside her stall, looking in every half hour to make sure she’s ok.

I feel a little better now that I wrote it all down. I need to get to sleep because I have work at the gym tomorrow and it’s already 11 oclock right now. I need to get my rest and hope this cold decided to finally leave me alone. I’m sick of having a runny nose, cough, and barely a voice.