The lovely and talented Lauren Sprieser, my fellow blogger and online friend, is trying to tell us all that the seasonal relocation of her barn to Florida ain’t all that it’s cracked up to be.
Greetings sports fans from the frozen tundra that is Vermont. I continue to hibernate, coffee cup in hand, looking out the window, thinking about going to the barn to watch the girl ride, but it’s really cold!
The girl continues to put in long hours at the barn, ever the faithful and committed young horseperson. I shamefully admit that over the past several weeks, I have only done drive-bys—picking the girl up at the end of the day, not even getting out of the car. The only real barn time I’ve put in is my regular Saturday afternoon barn chore shift.
The holidays are over and we’re settling in for our remaining five months of winter. As I read about Lauren’s seasonal relocation to Florida, I assessed my own state of mind and find that I am (surprisingly) OK. There will be no trip to Ocala this year. There are no business trips on the horizon to warm weather locales. It’s just winter as far as the eye can see. It’s cool. I can handle it. Just check on me every couple of weeks, OK?
‘Tis the time of year when people give you a gift, and you don’t have one to give to them. When you receive a pink fuzzy sweater that you’d like to exchange. And perhaps there’s a coffee maker, a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine you’re thinking of regifting.
How’s a polite barn girl to handle these situations? It’s also the time of year when we want to thank the folks who work hard all year to care for our beasts—the barn workers, the trainer, the farrier, the vet. What’s an appropriate gift?
Pink’s not really my color…..
There comes a time in every young rider’s life when he or she becomes too tall to ride ponies. In January, one of my favorite horse show moms admitted to concern that her daughter would outgrow her mustang pony before show season. Concern may not be a strong enough word. She spent many a sleepless night wondering what would she do if her daughter outgrew the pony. Could she afford board on two animals? Could she bring the pony home? How would she be able to afford a new horse?
I’ve been reading several excellent archived columns by Susie Schoellkopf and Linda Allen on the Chronicle website. I’ve found two kindred spirits—horsewomen who demand we look at the hallmarks of sportsmanship and good manners then urge us to lead by example.
Part 2 of 5
Now that we have a list of what we need for the kid, it’s time to prepare the beast for show season. The unseasonably nice weather in Vermont continues, along with my anticipation for show season. Our first show is about seven weeks away, the Green Mountain Horse Association (GMHA) show in Woodstock.
Question: I was recently at a horse show with real bathrooms! Four whole stalls and a sink with running water and soap. My joy was short lived. In the stall next to me a woman, apparently a trainer, chatted away on her cell phone. Since I could hear the conversation, it seems she was in the middle of selling a horse and was telling the caller all about how she was really going to make a killing. I was so grossed out I didn’t know what to do. Is there no place safe from cell phones?
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