Monday, January 14, 2008
The End
Thanks for reading,
EDV
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
He's Here
Anyways... he settled in beautifully. We let him hang out for a little while and then I rode him (just to stretch his legs). I will ride him tomorrow and probably every other day this week just because I am so excited that he is finally here. I have my first lesson on Sunday afternoon (don't worry New Englanders, the Pats game is on Saturday night). I'm a little nervous about the lesson but I am sure it will go well.
I have to go do some reading for school (ugh!) and work for my part-time job (bah!) and clean the apt (gasp!).
Talk to you soon,
EDV
Monday, January 7, 2008
Bring It On
- Today was the first day of my last semester as an undergrad at NU
- I have my first interview for a post-grad job on Wed. at 4pm
- Zeke comes to Boston tomorrow (huge smile)
- It is only the seventh day of '08 and I'm already behind on laundry
- Art of Theatre (I have no experience in theatre, nor do I want to)
- American Elites (This class could be very interesting although the prof. is roughly 900 years old. No joke. He started teaching this class in 1970)
- Jr/Sr Seminar: Rhetoric and Poetics (So far, my only enjoyable class because the prof. is absolutely nuts - I'm talking crazy hair AND crazy eyes)
- Fiction Writing Workshop (I have this class tomorrow at 11:45 so we'll just have to wait and see but I'm guessing a lot of writing)
So, now that you've been (somewhat) caught up on my life... let's talk about Zeke! At the moment, my mom is body clipping him (thanks, Mom!). I am meeting her at the barn tomorrow around 2 pm. Needless to say, I am SO excited. I still am undecided as to what I want to aim towards (competitively): hunters? jumpers? adult eq.? I mean, in all honesty, my heart has always been in the jumper divisions but it might be nice as a starting off point to begin in the hunters and eq. Not that the hunters and eq. are easier, but it is a little less pressure for me because I have no record in either of those divisions. In other words, if I go in and screw up big in the hunter division I will be less disappointed than if I go in and suck in the jumper divisions. Does that make any sense?
I will definitely post tomorrow and let you know how Zeke handled the move. Maybe, I will even have some pics. In the meantime, here is one from Switzerland. Enjoy!
Talk to you soon,
EDV
Friday, December 28, 2007
Dec. 28 - Jan. 5
Happy New Year!
Talk to you soon,
EDV
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Merry Christmas
Zeke has been at Victory Stables, located in Colts Neck, NJ, since last Thursday and is doing wonderfully. My mom has ridden him a couple times and another friend, Kara, rode him once. I ask my mom everyday, "How's our horse!?" I am still so excited. It hasn't really sunken in yet that I own a horse! My family and I (boyfriend included) leave this Friday on a family vacation to Switzerland. When we get back (Jan. 5) my mom will bring Zeke up to Newbury Farm. I can't hardly wait.
My hopes for Zeke (and myself): Since Zeke is only 6 years old and because he is a QH it is imperative to keep him happy and healthy (mentally and physically). One option is to show him as a hunter for a little while to get some of my confidence back before moving on to the jumpers. I'm not sure how that will work though because I'm a little worried that if I got going in the hunter divisions, I would stay there. We'll see. As of now, my short term goal is to form a personal and unique bond with Zeke and show in the Adult Jumpers (M&S to help pay some bills). My personal long term goal is to compete in the Amateur/Owner Jumpers. I would like Zeke to get me started in the Lows, but if that is not an option I would love to be as successful in the M&S Adult Jumper division as I was in the M&S Children's Jumper division.
I'll definitely keep you all updated on my (and Zeke's) progress. In the meantime, here is a picture of my new boy. My Dad captured this still from the video that my mom took when we went to try Zeke for a second time a couple weeks ago.
Talk to you soon,
EDV
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Winter Riding
While riding during the winter months, it is important to take the necessary precautions to keep your horse healthy and happy. Horses can't change their wet blanket or chip the ice off their water buckets, they rely on you to do it for them.
One of the biggest changes from summer to winter riding is the way you cool your horse out after a good workout. In the summer, if you're in a rush, you can hose your horse down and turn them out to dry in the sun. In the winter, it is extremely important to make sure your horse is cool and dry before putting them away so that they can avoid getting a chill. EquiSearch has several great articles about winter horse care. One article says:
I can't stress enough how important it is for you, a horse owner, to remember that your horse relies on YOU, is completely dependent on YOU to take care of them all year long, but especially during the winter. Would you be comfortable standing outside, in soaking wet clothes, in below freezing temperatures? I think not.Possibly one of the most tedious aspects of riding horses in winter is the after-ride cooling-out process. Tedious though it may be, it's very important to cool your horse properly. Putting him away hot and sweaty will jeopardize his health by allowing him to catch a chill.
Even in the coldest of weather, the horse's metabolism (the burning of internal fuels to produce energy) will cause him to sweat during intense exercise. This sweating can be exaggerated by a full winter coat. For this reason, many horse owners choose to clip their horses in winter.
To cool your horse safely, you can begin while you're still riding. Following your ride or work out, walking him for ten to fifteen minutes will allow the heat built up in the muscles to dissipate.
Once you've dismounted, loosen the girth or cinch, but don't remove the saddle immediately as this will allow cold air to the muscles of his back and may cause cramping. Cover him with a cooler which may be wool or one of the more high-tech fabrics designed to wick moisture from the horse and cool him out quicker. Walk him for a few minutes like this and then remove the saddle and replace the cooler before continuing to walk him.
Just something to keep in mind.
Talk to you soon,
EDV