Chilly is a super star

Again another whole post on Chilly!  I love her I really do.  I only with that my life was able to accommodate another horse in it at this point. 

Today D drove her in a bit for the first time, she still doesn't like it but she's dealing with it.  We did open her mouth to have a look and she's loosing her front baby teeth, so that explains some of her mouthiness. 

And she was so good!  Walking and jogging under saddle like a pro, changing directions, and even 2 tracking a little at the walk and working on turns on the haunch.  D said and I quote "This is the smartest horse I've ever ridden".  And I believe it, she has the desire to please of her mother, but the ambition and curiosity of her father.

Winter is here, well kind of

Being the maritimes we are getting a major windstorm with 100km/hour winds.  It could be worse, it could be snow like Quebec and Ontario are getting!

Chilly is now jogging under saddle!  So cool and relaxed, and apparently very smooth. We're aiming for me to be riding her in another month!  She's very much like her mother, introduce something quietly and calmly, get her thinking and doing it (even if its not completely correct but in the right direction) give her a break and try again the next day with even better results and a more confident horse. 

I cant wait to be riding her.

Oscar is good, but still rough.  Next couple of weeks I'm going to have to ramp up our rides so were both ready for Christmas, me for Chilly and him for his mom to come home from university. 

Chilly got her tail washed and braided up last weekend and I took a couple of pics, she also got her first set of front shoes and was a very good girl.

Chilly

Well chilly got put back into work last night nothing too hard just showmanship.  We even did some trotting with the chain under her chin.  She was a very good girl.  Hopefully more pics on the weekend.

Boring is good

Nothing new or exciting to report, which can be a good thing.  I've managed to ride Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday nights. 

Monday was an interesting ride.  Either Oscar doesn't like my english saddle (and it seems to fit him very well) or he just doesn't like ME riding in my english saddle!  He wouldn't go faster than a slow jog, at all.  I'm thinking that he didn't like how unstable I was.  I'm a little weak because I'm now 2 weeks over due for my IV drugs so I listened to Oscar and put him away a bit early.  I'll try it again in another month or two when I'm up to snuff and I have a half pad for him.

Other than that things are fine.  I would really like my IV drugs now but I have to wait until next Friday.  Big meeting in town tomorrow for the local AQHA club, which should be entertaining... *sigh* why can't all horse people just get along?

Things are moving faster... at least for Canada

So with the health care system in Canada things can move slowly or quickly, but either way its free!

So we went from a possible 5 year wait time, to less than 2 years in the past week.  I have referrals in to 3 surgeons but the one who will actually do the surgery will most likely see me after another surgeon has passed me on again.  Good news is that my family doctor went to school with the ankle surgeon, and thinks that with my history it should be 2 years or less. (And will be sending an email to the surgeon personal email)

So I still have a long process in front of me, but its a much shorter wait that I thought it was.

The weight loss is going good, down the 3 pounds I gained in September and October, and back on track again.  (Tonight was treat night and I got a burger from Wendy's!)

I did end up doing showmanship with Chilly last weekend, she was very smart and remembered her 'lessons' from when she was a yearling on setting up and standing still.  Also got her to trot in hand and we tried a pivot or two just to ease her into it.

Monday I lunged Oscar and did showmanship and on Tuesday I rode for about 20 min, just to get back into it.  On Monday we got a new sale horse into the barn and I got to ride him on Thursday night!  Hes so much smoother than Oscar!  But was a little 'lookie' and I am glad that Oscar is so solid and non spooky. 

It was fun to get on a new horse and learn and adapt to him quickly.  I'm hoping to start riding Rusty soon, to get more horsey experience under my bum before it comes time to ride Chilly.

Oh and I tried to get pictures of me in my chaps, by myself, but that didn't work.  I need practice with my selfies!  

Another lung infection

Sometimes this autoimmune illness sucks.  My cold from Tuesday turned nasty overnight (maybe I shouldn't have gone for a ride, but I needed a pick me up).  Thankfully my family Dr has a prescription for antibiotics on file for me at all times so I called that in and started them on Wednesday.  Good news is I'm starting to feel better and will get to go out to the barn this weekend.  I hope to see D ride Chilly even if I don't get to ride Oscar.  I think Chilly needs to start working on showmanship as well.

In absolute amazement, last week my parents agreed to buy me chaps from Hobby Horse for Christmas!  Normally they don't like buying me anything 'horsey' so I was super happy and excited for them to agree to purchase them for me.  A friend tried to pick some up for me at Congress but the online price was better, so on Monday night I ordered them and they arrived today!  I ended up getting the elastic inserts to help with zipping, and with getting on and off the horse.  They would have fit without them but I love the extra bit of stretch when I lift my legs!  This is the first pair of new chaps I have ever owned, and I cant wait to show in them this summer.