Sucktober part 2

I haven't even been on Blogger in weeks. I have so much to go back and read and catch up on! I've been a little preoccupied with life down on the farm. And some other adulting things I'd rather not deal with and don't want to talk about yet. Side note.... tell all those you know never to grow up. Be 17 forever. Seriously 100 times better than adulting most days.

So here's the quick version.

Got Mona on the 9th, that next Monday we were at the vet being treated for kennel cough and a respiratory infection. She was great all week. Smartest little thing! I had been teaching her a million things. Then Sunday she had a little belly ache and quite eating..... for 3 days. She was already skinny, but she dropped weight like crazy. Her vitals were great and she had no fever and she was still drinking water so I waited and waited. On the 4th day we went to the vet. And it's parvo.

Monday night, sick puppy. Roader was a good helper
(who luckily has had all this shots!!!)

Because the shelter she was from is the biggest fucking piece of shit shelter around. The people running it have NO CLUE and don't really care about the dogs. I've actually started pursuing the idea of becoming the new director for the shelter. They just hired one a couple months ago though so it's going to be a fight to get in there. They need someone who cares and actually knows about diseases and behavior and medicine. Seriously these people don't know jack fucking shit. I'm so fired up about it. If they had bothered to vaccinate on in take like EVERY OTHER SHELTER she would never have picked up parvo. Which I KNOW she got while there because of the incubation period.

Anyways. I could go on and on about that.

psychopants 

I just brought her home from the vet today. We caught it super early. Before she got any of the violent symptoms or a fever. She's already back to being a nutjob and eating me out of house and home. So I'm super happy. Roader is happy too. I think he though I took another friend away.

#parvosurvivor

I rode Twister last week. He was fabulous except for when we spooked at a cardboard box. His feet are a mess and I was going to have the pro come out and do his feet but then I spent far too much money at the vet in a matter of 3 weeks. So Twister will have to deal with my pathetic trims for now.

watching a random dog

And yesterday I went outside and chased my horses around in a dress and muck boots with a whip so they could work off some fat. Because they are disgustingly fat. I need to lipo suck some of it out and put it on Mona.

a couple mornings ago... they exercises themselves

I had big plans to ride and take pics of foliage this weekend but... rain. All weekend. I would have ridden today but I got to pick Mona up from the vet and that was priority. I was so happy to bring her home. Twister is definitely a little pissed at me. I've been neglecting him for baby-incubating naps and a new puppy. I miss him.

faaaaaaaat

Because We're Suckers

Suckers for an animal in need. For a puppy with a cute little face.

Friday I stopped at the shelter on my way home from work. I heard they were over full and it's a kill shelter. I figured it couldn't hurt to see if there was a dog there that fit our family. There were 3 or 4 actually and I called my person and told him to meet me there on his way home from work. I'd go home and get Roader.

Mona

We saw 3 dogs that were okay. The one I really liked. She was a shepherd/doby mix and super cute. But Roader didn't like her. Deal breaker. The one I wasn't so sure I wanted was the one my person really liked and the only one Roader didn't try to snarl or bite. Clinch the deal.

9-ish month old lab-border collie mix

Took us 2 days to name her. Mona. And she has kennel cough and a secondary infection, respiratory. But we went to the vet today and got meds for all that. Training classes started this week but I won't be able to take her until next week when the meds have kicked in. Not that I need training class to train her. But it's really good socialization for her.

seriously? a new furball?

She is a bit nervous, a velcro dog with some separation anxiety and she needs to learn to be alone without freaking out. But she's already getting there. She really likes Roader. And she's SUPER smart. Never have a I taught a dog so many thing in 3 days. She's going to be one of those dogs that do all the cool tricks and agility and catches frisbies all over the place. I'm really attached already.

that was a NICE bed too.....

I've had a couple people suggest maybe it was too soon for us to get another dog. But there are totally legit reasons. We have a spot in our home and there are many dogs needing a home. Roader needs a friend. This gives me 6 whole months to put training on her before the baby comes. And this is just my way of working through the grief from Ranger. I was talking to my old boss about it (she's a dog trainer) and she said she totally understands. That's how she deals too after losing a dog.

I won't lie though. When I pulled into the vet's today, exactly 1 week from when we lost Ranger, I lost it. Broke down in the parking lot. But Mona and Roader are helping me through this.

September into October

I had this planned for this weekend and I keep forgetting to take confo shots. But I've decided it's pointless. Pony is very very fat. I kept putting his muzzle on, but right now he's out almost all day and all night and it was rubbing his precious little pony face.... so I'm just letting him get fat. He loses weight when the temps drop to subzero anyways so extra fat isn't so bad.

I didn't have any real set goals for increasing skills or performance. Mostly I just wanted to make it through my first trimester with any energy left. I'm almost there. While my appetite is back with a vengeance, my energy level is still working on it!

So did I even do any of the goals for September?
1. Find time for my person and I to take that trail ride at the lake - sort of happened. We've ridden a few times together, but haven't gone to the lake yet.

2. get more creative with trot pole work. - did not happen. I've only been riding once or twice a week and gave up on asking for actual work from Twister because one ride a week is not reinforcement of a lesson.

3. Before it's too late and I'm giant, strengthen my sitting canter. Also did not happen. I've cantered like 2 times this month.

4. Hire some help.... aka M.... and get the barn all cleaned up and ready for winter. Also did not happen. M has been dealing with some stuff and also hasn't had energy for much. M, Sergio and I did get the hay loft stacked though. Mostly I just stood on the hay wagon and shoved bales off it with my feet so I didn't have to lift much.

I also started another blog for pregnancy/mom stuff. If anyone reading my blog is a horse mom and wants to check out my new blog, here's the link http://saddlingupformomhood.blogspot.com/
For the rest of you who are still allergic to tiny humans, I won't be offended if you don't check it out :P

from a week ago or so. does not do the fatness justice

October........

I really don't have any riding goals. I'm hoping as I get into my 2nd trimester I'll get more energy back and I can ride a little more. Twister has gotten super fat. Even if we only go down the road or do the perimeter on my neighbors hay field in the evenings..... It's good exercise for me and Twister definitely needs it.

Still need to get the barn ready for winter. I'm going to have to beg M to come help me soon.

Go through winter blankets. Figure out what fits who now that we've played musical horses and which need to be sent to the dry cleaners to fix and which won't be needed and can be boxed up. (I'm terrible about putting blankets away in the spring so they are just all laying over stall doors all over the barn......)

DO TWISTER'S FEET. This is one the short list. Like to asap. I almost want to call the pro in to do his feet because they are a mess again and I just did them like 2 weeks ago. Grrrr.

October is a cruel bitch

Last October something happened..... several people/dogs/horses that I knew died including my Lola Moose. I still haven't quite gotten over Lola. I hated that October. And as October approached this year all I could think of was boot weather. A break from the heat.

Then yesterday I had to put down my puppy. Ranger broke both his right legs and because he has no hip joints from the FHOs and severe arthritis in both front legs (elbows and knees) he was just a messed up little puppy and there was really nothing we could do. Our vet said he'd do surgery if we wanted but he couldn't even say if Ranger would walk again. If he did walk, he'd be on heavy pain meds for whatever short life he had left. It just wasn't fair to such a sweet boy to put him through all that because I couldn't even bare the thought of losing him.

I buried him next to Lola on the fence line with his favorite Kong squeaker toy.

Poor Roader is so upset. He slept with my person and I last night and he never stays in bed with us a whole night. He is 12 years old but keeps outliving all his friends. I let him sniff Ranger when we brought him home from the vet. I didn't want him wondering if he was ever coming home.

I'm so worried about Roader now. Last year after Lola he got depressed and lost a ton of weight. So even though I'm definitely not ready for another dog I have to make a decision to get another dog right away (so I can have it trained up a bit before April) or wait until this time next year to get another dog. And it's not something I even want to think about. But I have to. For Roader. He doesn't like being alone all the time.

I took this hours before he got hurt.... the last pic of him :'(

Rest in peace, baby boy. We will always love you.

Crazy and Wild Ponies!

Dumb and dumber..... I mean Twister and Rascal have been in the barn once in the last 5 or 6 days. It rained pretty hard the last 2 days so they got to go muzzle free because I feel like it's Chinese water torture to leave muzzles on in the rain.

Anyways. Today I bring them in for their daily handful of grain while D ate breakfast. I turned D out in the back paddock with all the good grass and then went back and got the other two. When I turned them loose in their paddock they were freaking nuts. D mostly just watched, unimpressed with their antics. I love watching them be crazy. Twister almost never has it in him. But it's chilly and windy this morning and that makes ponies crazy!

whatevs, ya'll are stupid

frisky puppy too! want's to play tug!

pedro: leave, human. you're not needed
roader: mom never leave meee!