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.