Today he filled in for me - and the turnout conundrum

It's been a busy few weeks, but all good. Ingrid and Gerhard made a detour from their East Coast trip and visited us for a few days of  "country experience". Sometimes we tend to forget that our lifestyle can be quite foreign to city people. Still, they were good sports and seemed to enjoy it - dog, cats, horses, and all.

Remy has been nicely trucking along in our lessons. Today was a bit more 'interesting' than usual: The place next door is undergoing major renovation and there was one heavy truck whizzing by every few minutes, using the air brakes for good measure right next to the outdoor arena. To my surprise Remy remained more focused than I was (no eye-rolling here, JP!). He felt more 'stuck' than usual, but I'm pretty sure that this was due to might tight seat. It was super that he filled in for me today, that doesn't always happen, so I take it when I get it - and dole out lots of treats afterwards!

The not so pleasant surprise was an email from the farm owner in Florida where we are supposed to be staying. I had mentioned that Remy loves his turnout, and I got a terse message that turnout is limited to two hours a day. Well, that really is a deal-breaker for us. Of course, the check with the substantial down payment had been cashed - so I am quite upset about the whole situation. And it seems even if we could arrange a half-day turnout for Remy, he would have to come in immediately if he were to run. He is a horse, for heaven's sake! So, looks like we might be wintering in Michigan...

Speaking of turnout, at home the boys got rather unusual pasture mates recently: A flock of wild turkeys comes everyday, hangs out in their pastures, and even sleeps close to the boys. There are at least a dozen of them. Interestingly, Saumur, who usually defends his territory with all he's got (front feet and teeth) doesn't even bat an eye when they are close.

Horses and wild turkeys: "Living in Harmony"