My checking account has been perplexing as of late. Where was all the money going? Oh yeah, grad school. Even though I'm paying by the course, and I'm only taking one at a time, it's still not exactly cheap. It is completely depleting my horse fun budget. I didn't exactly think about that when I went on this, "Yay grad school!" track. Don't get me wrong, I really love the program I'm in. I just hadn't quite realized the implications of all the ways it was going to affect my life. For example: the friday Girls' Trail Ride was an hour and a half from me last week. That's three hours of gas. No ride for me. Some friends went to Albuquerque to school the XC course on Sunday: that's 8 hours of gas for the down and back, not to mention paying the trainer. No XC for me. Then I realized I won't be able to compete as much as I do, even though I barely get out. Nooooooo!
I can't imagine not going to St Johns in April. The event is always hanging on the edge of not being held due to lack of competitors. Despite being in the middle of nowhere with hellacious winds I really like it there. I find its middle of nowhere relaxing. At so many other events we're trying to get errands done because we're in civilization, or finding places to eat we don't have at home. There's only one restaurant in St Johns: a really good mexican place. There is nothing to do but be with your horse. I know the Pre-comp XC course so well I could draw you a map from memory. Of all the events I would want to go to this year it's #1. So, that's the one I should go to. But, I also have a free entry for Coconino...
Anyway, had a lovely bareback ride on Naners today. I think working on the stepping under in hand has really helped her. She carried herself quite nicely on a ride down the road yesterday and as well today with the bareback pad on. This gives me hope we won't need too much help this year, since as I said above, I'm not going to be able to afford it anyway. But! I can tell you what your horse should be eating and now I'm learning all about stereotypies (which is a word spell check is convinced doesn't exist. It does so!) Side note: fence walking, Banana's vice, is a locomotor stereotypie believed to be cause not by boredom, but by a horse's motivation to move (like towards another horse or food) is thwarted. Weaving is in the same category. Banana fence walks when she doesn't have enough of a herd with her. She was fine with Kokomo and Oliver. Kokomo left, now she's fence walking again. At least she's only doing it when they're locked up, not out on the perimeter fence line like she was when it was just her and Penny. Or just her and Sonny. She needs two or more friends.
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