The post pounder machine – pretty cool!

First, we rented the post pounder machine; I’m sure it probably has a proper name, but we called it the post pounder machine and that was that.  It hooked up to the back of a truck, and we drove it all over the farm, pounding the posts straight into the ground instead of having to dig a hole.  This worked pretty well, or at least it appeared to.  I wasn’t actually enlisted to help with this and watched from a distance – haha!  The boys had a nice system going and worked intermittently to complete the post pounding in about two weeks.

Then came the fence boards.  Again, I wasn’t asked to help; they said I was helping by staying out of the way.  Works for me!  My mom, sister, and I were put on picket fence duty, so we sanded/primed/painted pickets and put them up.  We did an excellent job if I do say so myself!

The boards are actually going up pretty quickly – it’s so cool to watch the farm come together.  It looks like a real horse farm now!  We have many more things to accomplish (like filling holes with dirt, buying stall gates, and ordering a run-in), but it looks like the horses will be here in about a month!  I can’t wait to look outside my windows and see Misty grazing with her BFF, Komie!

Fencing is complete for the back field.

Oh – and I guess I should define the word “party” in the title.  These aren’t fun and games parties…more like working parties…so more like not really parties at all.  Just get-togethers where I provide my helpers with breakfast and/or lunch and/or dinner.  Sounds like a good time, right?

I’d definitely like to train pretty seriously this year and make it to some shows, but I’m not pressuring myself since I have a lot going on with the farm.  But Misty is one of the main reasons I bought the farm, so I definitely won’t be neglecting my girl!

My sweet girl after a nice ride.

And you may be wondering how my new saddle is coming along?  That’s a great question!  The answer is – I’m not really sure!  The saddle arrived in February when it was way too cold/gross out to be riding, so it set on the banister of my (old) house for a bit.  Then I realized that my new girth was too short.  I returned it…they didn’t have a larger one in stock.  I finally got it…it was WAY too big.  Then I moved and got really busy/lost track of a variety of items (still missing my perfume).  I returned it…they didn’t have the size I needed in stock.  I just received the correct size last week.

So, what all this means is that I rode in my saddle for the FIRST time just last night.  The good news is that I really liked it and it seemed to fit Misty much better.  The bad news (well, not really bad per se) is that I’ve only ridden in it once – it’s too soon to tell if I really love it.

But Misty did seem more willing to pick up her canter last night, rolled right into it and maintained a really sweet pace the entire time.  Sometimes she zooms around like she’s still a racehorse…not because she likes to run, but because she wants to hurry up and get it over with.

The new saddle! Misty is not impressed with the non-matching stirrup leathers. Gotta work on that.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that she really takes to it though – she should…it was custom ordered just for her!  But she’s always been funny about cantering.  She really anticipates it, making it obvious that she’s thinking about it too much.  During the spring/summer, she’s usually great though.  But by the middle of fall when the weather starts to change, so does Misty.  I basically throw in the cantering towel because she is so cruddy about it!

But I think part of her problem is me.  Because she is such a pistol at the canter, I’m pretty sure I hold her way too tight/tense up pretty badly right before I ask her.  That can’t be any fun.  My trainer told me to keep a good hold of her inside rein, but just sit back and totally relax.  She said if Misty really acts up and throws herself around, it’ll be easier to stay on if I’m relaxed and can roll with the punches.  A stiff Laurie will lose balance and pop off quickly!

I guess I kind of liken it to a drunk driver.  You know how sometimes drunk drivers will walk away from terrible crashes unscathed?  It’s because they’re so out of it that their bodies don’t even tense / they don’t have any resistance whereas the other poor guy who anticipates it is holding on for dear life.  So…not that I ride Misty drunk, but it’s the only analogy that makes some sense.

[Side note: Don’t drink and drive people.  It’s really not that hard].

Okay – that was a longer update than I expected!  Thanks for staying tuned!  I’ll have more on Misty/the farm shortly.

It’s official – on March 7^th, we settled on our very own farm!!  Actually, it’s more of a “farmette” as it’s just shy of 5 acres, but who cares?  It’s ours and it’s perfect!  The house is about 90 years old, but has been nicely maintained; it just needs your basic updating (like kitchen and bathrooms).  We have a 2 car garage, an in-ground pool, and, most importantly, a 3 stall barn with loft and tack room!!  The previous owners hadn’t had horses on the property for about 15 years, so there is lots of cleaning of cobwebs to be done, but the structure is sound and the stalls are nice and roomy.  Misty will love it!

The farm on the day we settled – March 7th. And do you see what I see? Yes, it’s a slide for the pool!

The property itself is very flat – perfect for training.  And while we don’t have the fencing complete yet, we’ve started!  My goal is to have Misty and her siblings (her pony and my mom’s/sister’s horses) here by the beginning of June.

We have a few neighbors, but everyone has plenty of space and a few others have horses as well.  We are far out enough that we really feel like we’re in the country, but can get to anywhere we need within 10 minutes or less.  I’m so in love!

I’ll post more as we get things accomplished around here – and especially once the diva makes her grand entrance!  Haha!  In the meantime, sorry in advance for the lack of postings moving forward.  I’ve got a farm to take care of y’all!!

Thankfully, Misty has a wonderful grandmom who still sang to her and gave her treats until I could return to the States to do so myself.  Interestingly, Misty wasn’t too mad at me; I think she’s finally maturing.

Happy Birthday!!

But to recap – Valentine’s Day is both Misty’s birthday AND my blog’s birthday!  Misty turned 9 (I cannot believe my baby girl is growing up) and The Sassy Grey blog turned 2.  I’m so proud of myself for keeping up with it this long.

This year is going to be a very interesting one…lots going on.  I can’t give too much away just yet, but I will definitely keep you posted.  For Misty, I’m hoping 9 will be the magical year in which she puts her mare-ish attitude behind her (yeah right) and is more willing to work.  I can’t quite see this happening, but you never know!  It’s hard to believe that I’ve owned her for almost 5 years – longer than she’s ever been owned by anyone else.  I can still picture her silly filly face – a dark dappled grey at 4 years old, zipping around the field and kicking up her heels.  That energy didn’t last long – Misty has proved herself a lazy Thoroughbred who tries very hard to not break out of a walk.

Because this will be a busy year in general, I may re-evaluate my New Year’s Resolutions with my girl.  I will definitely continue working with her and training with the hopes of making it to a few shows, but less may be more.  If I make it to one or two shows this year, I’ll call it a success.

As for the blog, I may not be updating it quite as much simply because of lack of time, but I’ll do my best.  However, I do have some tricks up my sleeve for it – and I’m kicking around the idea of renaming it.  So we’ll see what happens next!

Sorry for all the secrecy – I’m just big on not jinxing myself!  Regardless – happy belated birthday to one of the biggest loves of my life, the apple of my eye – Misty Mystique!  And happy belated birthday to my blog – a tremendous thanks to my loyal readers for sticking around!

Misty had similar issues (but to a much greater degree) the year prior when she had been diagnosed with Lyme’s Disease.  So this year, my vet came out to draw some blood, and called a few days later to report that Misty had tested negative.  Concerned about my girl’s sudden ill-will to my favorite gait, the canter, my vet and I discussed Misty at length.

This isn’t my exact saddle, but it’s pretty close.

The first thing she said was, have you ever had a saddle fitter out?  Hmm.  Negative.  So I called someone who came very highly recommended via my local horsemen’s Facebook page and scheduled a visit.  Two weeks later, she was out and testing my three saddles on Misty: my current all-purpose, my current dressage, and my older, hardly used close contact.

The saddle fitter was incredibly knowledgeable, had a fun, bubbly personality, and didn’t make me feel like an idiot for not having any decent saddles!  All along I had thought that Misty was a medium tree.  She’s very high-withered, but I still thought my mediums fit her fairly well.  Wrong.  She’s a narrow.  And a very narrow, at that.  Crud.

My CC (which I don’t ride in anymore because it doesn’t fit me), naturally, fit her the best.  But it still wasn’t great.  The AP, the one I ride in 95% of the time, was really bad.  It sat a little too low on her withers and apparently was pinching her sides horribly.  Sorry Misty Mystique.  And the dressage saddle was the worst of all three.  It had been listed as a medium when I purchased it on consignment, but the saddle fitter thought it was most likely a wide.  Yikes.

Like any good saddle fitter, mine had numerous sizes/brands in her car and we tried about 10 different ones on Misty.  As soon as she put a narrow on her, I could see an immediate difference – it just looked right.  Finally.

Armed with this new knowledge, and feeling like a terrible horse-mom, I ended up ordering a custom Stubben Edelweiss.  I know.  I know.  That’s a lot of money.  But Misty is my child, (we don’t want two-legged children), and I had enough money set aside that I could do it.  James declared it my early Christmas present, and said that I wouldn’t be getting anything else (and I really didn’t!).  Fair enough.

My saddle arrived about a week ago, but with this crappy weather, I haven’t been able to ride in it yet.  Come on spring!

Do I think this saddle will be a magic fix for all of Misty’s anti-cantering issues?  Absolutely not.  She will always be a MARE!  But I can, at least, rule out one more thing – it’s not the saddle.  Misty is a difficult girl (at times) and that will always be who she is.  I can’t say that I enjoy her random outbursts, but her sassy attitude is also what I love about her.  Training her has been one of the biggest challenges that I’ve faced in my life, and I can definitely say that it has been and will continue to be worth it.  And at least I’ll be a little more comfy during these outbursts in my new Stubben!

And ps…does anyone want a medium to wide, short-flapped dressage saddle?  Haha!

Doesn’t this look amazing right now?

Last year, the winter of 11/12 had us barely putting heavy weight blankets on.  You may remember this post where I talked about taking one for the team!  Of course the year I spend $400 on a new coat for Misty is the year she hardly needs to wear it!  But I wasn’t complaining.

Mini Misty Update

This winter has been really strange.  We’ve had some overly warm days in December and already in January, but we’ve also had tons of rain.  I hate a rainy winter more than anything.  Rain = MUD!  For weeks now the horses (and myself!) have been slipping and sliding around…and the ring hasn’t been too great for riding.  It’s been a week and a half since Misty was last ridden.

The good news (if you can call it that) is that the slop just disappeared as a cold front came to town.  The temperatures have been in the teens and 20s for the first time this winter.  While I don’t like the bitter cold, as least the horses get a break from the mud.  The ground has frozen, and while they’re walking around frozen mud-craters, this seems to be a slightly better alternative for clumsy Misty.

When I have had the chance to ride, however, Misty has been really great!  I’ve been impressed by how fit she still is/looks, and by her attitude.  If Misty goes for a few days without being ridden, she can get really cranky and put up a ‘but I don’t want to!!!’ fuss.  But so far this winter, she’s been pretty willing to get to work even after more than a week off.  Maybe my girl is finally growing up!?

So…I’m dreaming of a warm winter with every blog post that I write!  I know it’s already mid-January and we technically only have another month and a half to go, but that can seem like an eternity when the weather is crappy.

I’m crossing fingers that winter remembers how kind it was to us last year and delivers a repeat performance.  Please warm up quickly and stay warm.  Oh – and no more rain!  Some people have horses to ride!

The MD Horse Expo is one of very few things I look forward to in the winter (because MD winters can be brutal).  With two buildings full of vendors, exhibitors, and, of course, horses, it’s an amazing experience.  This year (shocker!), I specifically wanted to see the horses of RRTP’s 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge.  I hear that Gunport is home, still suffering from a hock injury, but that Alluring Punch, Suave Jazz, and Declan’s Moon are there.

This year my husband’s photography company, Be Photography, decided to sponsor the RRTP (Retired Racehorse Training Project).  Of course, this organization means a lot to us because we own Misty, our OTTB.  And when I say “we,” I mean mostly me – and James just helps pay for her!

There are some Be Photography cards and flyers at RRTP’s booth – make sure you swing by and check them out!

Another thing I love about the Expo is that I always run into my horsey friends – which isn’t necessarily an easy task!  The two buildings (the Exhibition Hall and Cow Palace at the Maryland State Fairgrounds) are always packed.  But, sure enough, I can always spot my horsey besties sitting on the bleachers watching the demonstrations, or standing in line for a quick lunch.

Since the Expo is always so crowded (and it’s crowded for all three days!), I’m always so amazed at how many horse people there are in the area.  It’s quite refreshing to walk around and know that just about everyone in the near vicinity shares the same likes/leads a similar life to you.  They know what it’s like to sacrifice many things in order to be able to afford their horses.  They know what it’s like to bundle up in layer after layer for a cold winter’s ride.  They, too, stock up on fly spray and fly masks in the summer, and they know that no matter what, horses will always be a part of their lives.

There’s just something refreshing and heart-warming about spending the day walking around with like-minded people.

This year’s 100 Day Thoroughbred Challenge is pretty different, but still just as exciting.  Four OTTBs have been entered in representation of four well-known racing and breeding stables.  The horses have all been sent to Steuart Pittman’s Dodon Farm in Davidson, Maryland where he and his assistant trainer, Michelle Warro, will have 100 days to “demonstrate to the versatility, trainability, and quality of the Thoroughbreds being produced by America’s horse racing industry.”

We will be able to get a good look at these new stars at both the Maryland and Pennsylvania Horse World Expos.  Below are the horses and my thoughts on each!

Suave Jazz – Walnut Green Farm
While Suave Jazz is my 2^nd favorite of these four horses, he’s the one I’d buy.  I’m not a super confident rider, so I like a horse that takes everything in stride and isn’t easily spooked.  No matter where he is (indoor, outdoor, trails), Jazz just gets to work.  He appears to love his job and is all heart.  Steuart even took him hunting right before Christmas!  If Misty were going to get a brother, it would be Jazz; he’s happy and uncomplicated…and we all need uncomplicated geldings to balance out sassy grey mares!

Suave Jazz – picture courtesy of Retired Racehorse Training Project

Gunport – Sagamore Farm
I have been to Sagamore Farm, (you can read about my tour here), and it’s beautiful.  Owner Kevin Plank left no stone unturned when renovating the old Alfred Vanderbilt II estate.  Gunport was definitely in great hands during her tenure there, but since racing wasn’t for her, she’s ready for a new career.  Naturally, she is my favorite.  There’s just something about those grey fillies!  Last year Brazil had my heart; this year it’s Gunport, (and of course I adore my own grey wench, Misty).  Gunport’s a brave little girl because she has the talented Michelle Warro on her back.  She’s the one to watch!

Gunport – picture courtesy of Retired Racehorse Training Project

Declan’s Moon – Country Life Farm
I’m also rooting for Declan because I’m a huge fan of Country Life Farm.  I grew up about 10 minutes away from this farm and always enjoyed watching the mommas and babies playing in their lush fields.  Declan, Eclipse Award Winner, is a big beautiful mover, and has quickly become Steuart’s favorite.  While I enjoy looking at Declan, he appears to be a handful, and a horse that strong-willed would scare me!

Declan’s Moon – picture courtesy of Retired Racehorse Training Project

Alluring Punch – Northview Stallion Station
Punchy is a Two Punch baby – and he’s gorgeous!  I think everyone has a soft spot for handsome chestnuts with chrome…makes me think of the amazing Shackleford!  But Punchy was no Shack on the track and has been retired as a three year old.  He is coming along nicely and seems willing, but is a greenie and has had some steering and connection issues.   But I’ll be cheering him on as well because my friend Susan has fallen in love with him, and I’m encouraging her to buy him!

Alluring Punch – picture courtesy of Retired Racehorse Training Project

You can follow these four horses’ progress at www.retiredracehorsetraining.org or on their Facebook page.  I’m so glad the RTTP came back with another challenge – it gives me something to look forward to during the long, cold Maryland winter!

Crud.

This year I’ll shoot for 100%, but we all know how that usually goes!  Below are my official 2013 New Year’s Resolutions.

1. To Finish My Book

Yes, I’m working on a novel!  It’s a work of fiction that is a little romance-y and a little horse-y, of course!  If I turn it into a novella (which my co-worker and www.Movielove.me purveyor, Nicole forbids me to do), then I’m halfway finished.  If I keep it on track to be a full length novel, then I’ve still got some work to do.

The reason it’s not complete yet is because I’m the type of writer that has to be in the “mood” before I write, and I need to make sure I have plenty of time in case I get on a roll.  Sitting down to write for 15 minutes at 10:45 at night doesn’t cut it for me.  SO – this is what I need to work on.  I need to make more time in my day to write (instead of plopping down with someone else’s book) and don’t be too concerned with time.  If I only have 20 minutes, I need to make the most of those 20 minutes.

I’d love to have my book finished by June…but as long as it’s complete by the end of the year, then I’ll be happy!

2. To Eat More Fruit

So my “eat healthier” goal of last year was too general.  I’ve made a decidedly strong effort to cut back on sugar (and awareness, for me, was half the battle), so I’m going to focus on fruit now.  I know there’s sugar in fruit, so I’ll be killing

I’m really going to try!

two birds with one stone (poor birds), if I can force myself to consume more fruit.

The problem with fruit is that I only like apples and bananas…I hate anything with the word “berry” in it…I don’t like cantaloupe or watermelon.  So as you can see, I really limit myself.  But if I can drink a glass of orange/pineapple/banana juice a day and/or eat some yogurt, then I’m off to a good start.

Another issue I have is that I feel guilty eating apples.  Whenever there are apples in the house, I always pass them by because I am riddled with guilt when I eat Misty’s favorite treat.  There can be 6 apples in the basket and instead of eating them myself, I’ll take one to Misty every day for six days.  So, obviously, I need to get over this.

3. To Teach Misty to Jump – Officially

Have I popped Misty over some cross-rails this year and the year before?  Yes.  Can she successfully canter a whole

I don’t need to be doing this (ever), but I’d like to canter a 2′ 2″ course successfully!

course?  Nope.  And that’s my fault.  We focused a little more on dressage this year (which I still want to continue to do) than jumping.  For 2013, in addition to my dressage ambitions, I’d like for Misty to really learn to jump.  I’m hoping to

take her to a trainer for a month or two of full training (and lessons for me!) to build a really solid foundation for her.

Also – my “to have fun with Misty” goal of last year is still in effect.  You know how some people perform better when no one’s watching?  Well I perform better when *I’m* not watching…meaning, when I cut myself some slack and just have fun.  While jumping is a definite goal – I still just wanna have fun!

4. To Stay in Touch with Friends

While I don’t consider myself a bad friend, I definitely don’t go out of my way to make time for my BFFs.  Why?  Because I feel like I’m always working, commuting, riding, or doing something else with Misty.  Since my week days are filled to the brim with work and commuting, I really go out of my way to keep my weekends wide open just

Love my family and friends!

for me.  I like waking up with nothing on the agenda other than to see/ride Misty at some point.

But my friends are really good friends, and they deserve someone who will make more of an effort to see them.  Most of my friends have children at this point, and while I’m not wild about kids, I do want to be a part of my good friends’ kids’ lives.  So I’m going to try and schedule more dinners and evening get-togethers.  This way I can still see Misty during the morning/afternoon, and see my friends in the evening.

So there you have it!  I feel like I may be a little too ambitious with some of the resolutions, but I guess time will tell!

I hope you all have a wonderful New Year – and thanks for sticking with The Sassy Grey through 2012!

Resolution #1: To have fun with Misty.

Was this achieved?  YES!  Misty and I had quite the year together.  It started out a little tough as late winters/early springs always are for those without indoors, but we pushed through.  By late spring, she was cantering nicely and we made it to two dressage schooling shows and multiple lessons.  While we still had some lower moments (like this fall when Misty decided she didn’t want to canter anymore!), we ended the season on a positive note!  Misty will definitely be a part of my 2013 resolutions, although I’m not sure how those will look just yet.  But all-in-all, Mis and I had a great year; she is a happy and healthy horse, and I love her to death!

Having fun at a dressage schooling show!

Resolution #2: To streamline my house/life.

Was this achieved?  Mostly!  The goal of this resolution was for me to get back to basics, to really simplify my surroundings – and I believe I have.  Of course, I could probably throw out more/give more away, but for the most part, I continued to de-clutter my house/life throughout the entire year.  We are definitely hoping to move in 2013, so the less I have to pack, the better!  We still have a “Purple Heart” bag in the closet and have refilled it many times over!  So I’d say I mostly accomplished this goal; everything in my house has a place and everything is always in its place.

Okay – so maybe my closet doesn’t look exactly like this, but it’s pretty close!

Resolution #3: To eat healthier.

Was this achieved?  Eh.  Have I cut back on the sugar a bit?  Definitely.  But would I describe my eating habits as “healthy?”  Probably not.  I realized I was consuming sugar in sneaky ways: coffee, cereal, tea, etc., so I’ve made an effort to watch my sugar intake on those fronts.  But do I eat enough fruits?  Nope.  But this resolution is partly my fault.  I don’t do well with really general goals (minus the “have fun with Misty one” – and that one was just to keep my stress low), so I’m going to get specific for 2013.  After all, I turned 30 in September – it’s time to really watch what I put in my mouth!

I mean, who likes fruit anyway?!

Okay – so overall I’d give myself a 2 out of 3 for my 2012 resolutions – not so bad!  Stay tuned – I’ll post my resolutions for 2013 in a few days!