[iechris]

Bumknees- hope your dog continues to improve!

BB- I think everyone has given you good advice, don't make any decisions too quickly or while you are still on big meds.

I've been out of town a bit lately and haven't done much riding due to any number of reasons. I did get to ride the little white horse I've hunted one last time while visiting my friends (they are placing him with a beginner rider that he will babysit). I got some fleece breeches on sale and a size smaller than what I've been wearing while down there as well. Loved to breeches when I rode this AM as it was 42F and windy (that is COLD to me!). Had a good ride on the little gray mare who was trying to get me back in shape by doing a lot of canter laps! Should get to ride twice more this week, then next week is a mess due to the barn Christmas party.

If we are still discussing gifts for the trainer, our group of adults goes in together on a group gift. This year we aren't spending that much (around $20 each). I think we are all feeling a bit poor right now.

[Opus1]

Thanks for all the compliments on Oliver, y'all.

iechris: We had a barn xmas party the first weekend of the month and I think several people exchanged gifts then. In the end, I gave her a basic Kindle Fire, since she reads a lot, and because Office Depot had a $25 off sale on them. It was well-received.

Sorry if I start getting quiet again the next couple of weeks. Work is gearing up again and I'm going to be slammed until the new year.

[Finzean]

It's supposed to be 61 and sunny here today. The holidays have me slammed but I could carve out ride time if it weren't for the squished rib situation. 6-8 weeks they say but I ain't got that kind of time....I've got some goals that won't wait. I'm wondering if there aren't some pool exercises I can do to speed this healing thing up???

My daughter rides at a friend's farm (lessons there b/c mom knows nothing - haha - about anything) and their party is Sunday. Haven't checked those gifts off the list.

Hope everyone is doing well and keeping their head above water as we wade deeper into the holidays. I love the holidays but long for something like Little House on the Prairie or Little Women...something meaningful and simple. Peace to all of you!

[ParadoxFarm]

Well, I guess I don't feel too bad about not being able to ride, since a lot iPod you can't ride much now either! Holidays can be a time drainer. . Well, today was my seven-week (plus one day) doctor's appointment. Cast number two came off, and cast number three went on. BUT...we think this will be the last one before we get a walking cast/boot. I will be more than thrilled! Good riddance 2012, bring on the new year! I wasn't to ride. .

Anyway, hope you are all enjoying the season doing what you love most with those you love most!!!

[Event4Life]

65 and sunny here in central NC today....so crazy! I still cant get over this weather.

Just had a really quick ride yesterday, unfortunately I had to work all afternoon/evening so I missed the good weather. Arena is really muddy (its grass) so I went round the hay field instead. We got rained on but pony was such a champ! A huge herd of deer jumped out like 50ft in front of us, he was on a long rein walking & didn't bat an eye.

Thursday & Saturday we practiced the rollback exercise we were doing in our lesson the previous sunday but using poles on the ground. He was a really good boy both times. Arena too wet those days to try it at canter, we'll see if its dried out at all today. Saturday went on a mini trail ride with the BO which was fun except her horse is lazy and Duke is quite forward.

In other news, I FOUND A SADDLE!! 17.5 in wide tree stubben siegfried, used, made in Germany. I'm super excited, its a carbon copy of the new when I got it (back in 2004) saddle I sold a few years ago, except a bit older (my saddle was one of the newer ones made in Switzerland). Anyway I'm super excited because I've been riding in a borrowed 16.5 in Collegiate Ian Miller which is definitely hindering my position because of its size.

I need suggestions on carrying it between home and the barn. Tack room is too small to leave it there, and its not locked, and I'm paranoid. I'm thinking of ordering a saddle case from either dover or smartpak. The dover one is cheaper and we have a dover in Raleigh so I'll probably go there. I think I can get it monogrammed and have it sent to the store to avoid the shipping mess I keep hearing you get with Dover. Opinions?

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season & those of you in the midwest, STAY WARM!!!

[MILOUTE55]

hi everyone!
I haven't been around lately because I was interviewing for a job:
Stress is over! I got hired last week and will be able to live in the US again... Florida this time! My son and I are thrilled about the news!
Very happy to join the Voltaire Design team and be able to do what I do best: help customers!
Have a great day everyone!
Amandine

[TarheelJD]

Congrats Miloutte55, that is great news!

ParadoxFarm -- sounds like you are healing up well! You will be back in the saddle before you know it.

Event4Life: my only suggestion on a bag for your saddle is this -- make sure you get one that has zippers that go all the way around from the front of the pommel to the back of the cantel. This makes it really easy to get the saddle in and out. I gave my Dover saddle bag to my goddaughter for her 15" saddle because the hole created when the zippers were all the way open was not very big, and it was a real pain to get the saddle in and out.

With the crazy holidays, my ride time has suffered. Hopefully I'll be able to get back on a regular schedule in January!

Hope everyone is surviving the madness!

[ParadoxFarm]

Congrats Miloutte55!! Welcome home.

Thanks, Tarheel. Yes, I am looking forward to the day I can ride again. Hopefully some of this mild weather will hold off.

Event4Life, there are so many saddle cover options. I agree with Tarheel, if you get an enclosed one, do get a big enogh zipper to make it easy. And I like the ones that are fleece (or fakey fleece) lined to protect the saddle. At home, I store my saddle in the dining room and just take them out to the barn (back yard) when I ride. I just use the covers with elastic that keep them clean, but I don't enclose them at home. There are some really cute covers out there if you go this route! I have a few different colored paisly patterns for my different saddles.

[Event4Life]

Thanks, Tarheel & Paradox. I'll definitely pay attention to the zippers going all the way around. I want something more protective so will be going with fleece. I think I'll get a stubben saddle cover since it doesn't come with one.

[ParadoxFarm]

Merry Christmas all. Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

[HazelG]

Thanks Paradox. Adding my wishes back to you and all my friends on this thread for a warm relaxing and happy holiday season. I hope you all enjoy a few moments of a soft velvety muzzle blowing warm Christmas wishes into your neck. I know I will be enjoying a bit of peppermint breath from my favourite four-leggers myself.

[Opus1]

So, the girl who rides my boy in her lessons is now half leasing him! Merry Christmas to me!!

I'll do hunter equitation stuff with him this year, and she'll be doing dressage. Should work out really well, especially since I'll only be doing a show once a quarter, and we're both in the low levels of both.

Merry Christmas, y'all! Hope it's a good one!

[CVPeg]

Well, been away from this thread for awhile. Trying hard to get a business up and going so not as tied to COTH as previously. But wanted to wish you all Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays. All is well here, and with the horse. Hope you're all doing great and have a successful and happy New Year! Really have enjoyed hearing everyone's adventures, and appreciate all the support during the year.

[Dewey]

Merry Christmas to all. I have not been around as I have been sick with the flu. It was pretty horrible last week. I'm better now though still have an awful cough. I haven't been doing much except lying around. Christmas was pretty subdued at my house.

I did get a new video camera for Christmas, so hope this year to have some good video of Sky to share with you all during the coming year.

[ParadoxFarm]

Sorry to hear you're under the weather, Dewey. My husband has been sick for over a week, and now I caught his bad cold, so I'm with you in spirit! Top that off with my broken ankle, and that gave us a very quiet Christmas.

Can't wait to see your videos!

[PaintedHunter]

Hope everyone has had a good holiday season! Happy holidays from Ollie: http://i63.photobucket.com/albums/h1...psd333ce0e.jpg

Had a lesson last week, where I wanted to work on flying lead changes; I told my trainer that he'd been getting them about 1 time out of 20. We went into lead changes after a warm-up, and he immediately got the first one over a pole. Went on to go at least a dozen more, and there was only one he didn't get - and I suspect that one was my fault as I did not have the correct straightness going into the pole. Of course, he had to go and make a liar out of me when my trainer was there. We then moved on to do some gymnastics work, as he's been lazy with his hind end. He ducked out after the first crossrail in the line of four, as he looked down the line and saw OH MY GOD, JUMP TUNNEL OF DEATH. A little smack and he went into it again, and soon figured out that oh my gosh I have to MOVE my hind end to make this work. Light bulb!

[ParadoxFarm]

Ollie looks so cute! Sounds like a very good lesson.

[ClassyRide]

I'm on Winter break from school for about a week and a half, so figured I would check in. I'm glad everyone seems to've had a good holiday!!!

Sorry, but I got so behind that I'm just going to reply to the last few posts...

Opus1 - Congrats on the half-lease! Sounds like a perfect situation for your boy - he'll be quite well-rounded.

CVPeg - Wow! Congrats and good luck with the business!!! I look forward to hearing more about it when you have the time.

Dewey & ParadoxFarm - I'm sending you healthy vibes from PA, hoping you get over the Winter Crud asap! My fiance is currently sick as a dog - hope I don't catch it.

PaintedHunter - That pic is too cute!!! Ollie's a cutie pie! Congrats on the great lesson, and congrats to Ollie for his fearless excursion through the Jump Tunnel of Death. What a brave soul.

I'm doing ok. Getting by. Had a great Christmas, but having some trouble dealing with the distance from my horses. I posted a thread in Hunter/Jumper about it - long story short, the boarding farm they're at is great in some ways, not so great in some others. BO is super sweet, but sometimes doesn't see eye-to-eye with me on their care, and since I only get out to see them once a week, sometimes things aren't being done the way I'd like. Add to that the fact that I simply MISS THEM all the time, and I want to move them closer to me. But, I'm trying to decide if that's the right thing to do or not. Plus, fiance and I are going to be building our own house/barn as soon as weather will permit (hoping to be in by end of Summer), so is a move (of the horses) really worth it? Bah - trying to wrap my head around my options and what the best solution is right now. It sucks, and it's tough to deal with. But at least I have my health, a great job, and a lovely fiance/family. Things could be a lot worse.

[bumknees]

I hope you all had a Joyous Christmas and have a Happy New Year.
We decided not to do Christmas this year for many reasons some of which are to many birthdays -not enough $ after ( birthdays start in Nov and end in Jan), and Piggie =$$.
I haven't been out to the barn yet, to many drs apts. Seemed like they were one every other day until last week. But unless something happens it looks like me schedule has settled down until June then it get crazy with the vfw.. then I have like 5 weeks(ends) in a row where I be going hither and yon and leaning more about some people then I ever wanted to know about or cared to know.. But I get to go to Louisville Ky for a week (July 20-24) for the Nat. Convention.(just shoot me now).
Painter Ollie looks really cute in the photo.

[pony4me]

Merry After-Christmas and Almost Happy New Year! It's been rainy and cold here, so I've had to ride because the barn staff has been on vacation, and turnout limited because of the weather. Thankfully, the trainer who rides my horse is back today, so IF he gets new shoes, he will get a good training ride. He feels good, and has been very well behaved.

If you get a chance, look at the NY Times and Humble post in the H/J forum, and click on the video. The trainer being interviewed is the owner and main trainer of the barn I ride at. He did a great job with the interview.

Happy riding!