Long Time Gone

Hello to all of my followers and friends who have thought me to be "dead and gone." Good news! I'm STILL HERE!!

It's been almost a year since I've updated my account on here. I'm going to try really hard to continue to update this blog. I am officially graduated from college and still trying to nail down something solid on the job front...doing a little part time work at multiple places.

As a little Standardbred side note: I went and saw Johnny a couple of weeks ago! He is still living about an hour south of my house and has had a few ups and downs over the past year. Johnny's new life as a lesson horse was going phenomenally until this April when he became suddenly VERY lame in his front leg. I went out to the barn and rode and jogged him under his new owners supervision and I believed his lameness to be in his foot. After another week of him still being incredibly sore, his new owner called out a very reputable vet to give him a look. A few nerve blocks and x-rays later and the diagnosis was in: my poor baby has the beginnings of navicular syndrome and inflammation along his lower suspensory :( Luckily, the vet was able to inject the navicular bursa and the farrier made some shoeing changes which made Johnny sound again. He was sound again for about 3 months or so until the beginning of the summer when he began to go unsound again. Currently he has been on turnout all summer until he can get injected again. I went to visit him just a couple of weeks ago and he looked really great, his mane is long but he is in good weight and his feet look good. He seemed to be happy to see me! He nickered when I called his name and came right up to the paddock fence to visit me. When I finally went to leave, he watched me walk all the way down the driveway to my car. I wish I had more money to afford keeping him...not a day goes by that I don't miss him.

In some good new though, my boyfriend and I are getting ready to move Emmy and Cool back to a boarding barn on November 1st. I'm pretty excited to be able to have an arena to ride them in again! I love having them at home during the summer, but it sure will be nice to have friends to ride with again. Plus, we are moving back to the old barn where I kept Johnny and Emmy. I know it's strange, but I almost feel like, if we can go back there, I maybe won't miss Johnny so much.

My goal for the winter is to start Cool over fences and to continue to keep Emmy fit and healthy. I really think that I need a new project...my training and riding of my own horses really hasn't been the same since Johnny left. It's almost like a void that I haven't been quite able to fill, like my motivation got packed up into that trailer and left with him. I need to find a way to get it back.

I'm really hoping that this winter is time to turn over a new leaf.

Peace.Love.Ponies.