Home, sweet home - and it feels like a clandestine operation

Home, sweet home!! I'm got back yesterday afternoon, after a tough night in Kentucky, where I discovered that cottage cheese and Kentucky Bourbon Ale are NOT going well together. Yuk! Luckily I felt better in the morning, and I made the final leg of the trip in almost record time. There was heavy traffic around Lexington, it looked like all the grooms hustling to work, but then the roads emptied again. 

It was a bit depressing knowing that this year we wont go to the Kentucky 3Day Event, we won't see the foals frolicking in the lush pastures. The further North I drove the colder and drearier it got. I started using the heated seats in Kentucky, and by the time I reached Michigan I looked at a 50F difference in temperatures from Florida. Nevertheless: HOME! Ziggy and JP gave me the appropriate welcome :-)

I took Ziggy on a hike through the woods today and we saw lots of deer and also discovered a painted stone. Some of the riders and hikers are leaving painted stones for others to find. This one was inscribed with "Respect" which I loved. I left it there for the next person to find and smile.

"Hi guys, whassup?"

Respect is name of the game

Roz had asked me to deliver Dunkirk's supplements to the new jumping trainer. I thought, no big deal. Well, apparently I was wrong. First the trainer didn't respond to my text, and then when I called she was very reluctant and questioned if Dunkirk really needed the supplements. After some cajoling she agreed that I could drop off the container and the SmartPak box outside, on lawn furniture, avoiding all human contact. 

It almost felt like I was in a James Bond movie. Too bad it wasn't one - I would have loved to be a "Bond Girl"! (Daniel Craig comes to mind *grin*). But in reality I guess the role of "M" would be more appropriate...

The Eagle has landed - in Michigan

Remy is home! His return took about 26 hours, compared to the 42 hours it took to get to Florida. JP had been on anxious standby since this morning, with the tractor ready to shuttle Remy's copious belongings. Not sure who's happier that he's home - Remy or JP?

The eagle has landed

I'm currently in Lexington, KY. I left GA early this morning, and while I didn't expect much traffic in Atlanta, I was still surprised at the empty roads. People take the stay at home serious, which is great. The rest stops are all sparkling clean, lots of disinfectant every where. Would be nice if that could continue after the pandemic. The TN to KY stretch always seems very long, but it was a beautiful day for a drive through the mountains.

Spring in Tennessee

There are only about a handful of people staying at the hotel here. I do think this social distancing thing is getting to some guys. I was just taking a short walk to stretch my legs when I got asked for my phone number from two different guys. (I kept my distance and the guys were yelling from across the street). Desperation seems to be settling in!

I opted to forgo the walk and social distanced myself with a bottle of Kentucky Bourbon Ale from the hotel bar to keep me company while watching Netflix. Not bad - but it'll be far better tomorrow night :-)

On the road - good bye and eery feelings

Early start this morning, getting the boys (Remy, Boti, and Dunkirk) fed, turned out and ready for the 8 a.m. pick up by Jan and her second driver. 

I was a bit worried that Remy wouldn't want to board the bus, as he had that awful trip coming down to Florida. But he was a trooper, marching right up the ramp and settling into his box. He was the first to load. His BFF Boti has the box next to him, so that will be good for the boys. Estimated arrival should be sometime tomorrow afternoon. Whew! I will be so relieved when he is home. JP, apparently feels the same. He sent a text "can't wait for Remy to come home", prompting me to ask "what about me??" Guess the red carpet for me isn't cleaned yet ;-)

Remy on the bus to Michigan

And they are off!

After the boys were safely off I finished packing, cleaned my room and bathroom, made butter and cheese and PBJ sandwiches, and hit the road myself. It is pretty eery, the roads are almost empty. Rest areas are open, just for gas and rest rooms, though. No food, which is no big deal as I don't eat fast food anyway. I feel a bit guilty being on the road, with all the stay at home messages, but once I'm home I'll stay at home.

Currently I'm in Valdosta, Georgia. The usually bustling hotel has not many guests, just a few other snowbirds heading home. Tomorrow is the longest stretch, through Georgia and Tennessee to Lexington, Kentucky. From there I'll be crossing Ohio and then on to Michigan. I'll be so happy to see the "Welcome to Michigan" sign. 

Even though this season was a 'mixed bag' I am still very happy that we did it. We made great strides, especially in terms of throughness and collection (thank you, Roz!), and not being frozen stiff while riding definitely has a huge advantage. We were also fortunate in that Roz had found us a wonderful place to stay (Halvorsrod Farm), and as I spent a lot of time at the farm taking care of Remy I got to know Randy, the owner, better. What a great lady - and a kindred spirit. We had fun, and she 'kicked' some sense into me a few times when I was -in her opinion- to meek. (Could it be that I am getting mellow with age??). I'll miss her... and riding won't be the same without Claudio (one of her rescued cats) 'streaking' through the arena.

Randy Halvorsrod, expert in all things barn, transport, equine, and  especially feline

Last ride of the Florida season - and supplies for various needs

It's Randy's birthday today, but with the lockdown we couldn't do any kind of celebration.  Even the gifts were handed over with great care and outstretched arms. Roz brought some delicious cheese Danishes from a real NY Bagel store, and we ate them while keeping our distance.

Happy (Medicare) Birthday, Randy! It was a pleasure getting to know you and staying at Halvorsrod Farm!

Roz. Boti, Remy and I finished the Florida riding season with a lovely and long trail ride. All four of us had fun, and the boys were clearly happy to march along.

Boti makes Remy look quite svelte

Tomorrow is packing day, we have to get three horses packed. Boti being the one with 'the mostest' of stuff. Sally left on a private plane, in hindsight some of his boxes certainly could have found a space on it?  Honestly, Remy's luggage is quite extensive also, and then we have six bales of hay for the three horses. We'll manage!

Speaking of luggage: I have to pack my stuff up also, and as my room is rather small I can't really spread things out. I have winter clothes, summer clothes, riding clothes, show clothes... you get the drift. Plus shoes, bags, books, etc. etc. Add to that the supplies that are now crucial: Sanitizer, latex gloves, TP, water,  provisions.

Meanwhile, at home: Angie is keeping the cookie monster well supplied :-)

Not this one:

The Original Cookie Monster

This one:

The French version

Lunch and Learn - Equine Eyes and Lighting

I had looked very much forward to the Lunch and Learn at WEF again this season, but alas, as all of the events it came to an aprubt halt.

Nevertheless, I was lucky to attend a few. Here are my notes from a presentation given by Equine Bright and Ultra-Tech Lighting LLC.

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Here are my notes of the presentation:


Horses are active during all times of the day and night. This requires high and low light sensitivity. The biological emphasis upon rods within the retina gives horses the ability to distinguish objects at dusk and in the dark. This sensitivity makes horses susceptible to being startled and disturbed by extremely bright light. The retina contains photo receptors, rods, and cones, and is responsible for vision in low light. Horses have two types of cones: Dichromatic Vision. Humans have three: Trichromatic vision.

The eyes of ungulates (hooved mammals) like horses, cows, sheep, goats, moose and deer are unique because they have a reflective membrane called the taptum lucidum that intensifies low light levels:

- Reflects light back through the retina, increasing the light available to photo receptors
- Gives superior night vision
- Intense light gets caught inside the eye

I

Important to note:

• It is critical to avoid high directional intensities from a light source like LED elements. This can damage the retina. An LED’s high glare is inherently uncomfortable and stressful for these animals. 
• Horses need cycles of light and dark, and light similar to daylight spectrum
• Allow transitions from light to dark and vice versa
• Sleep deprivation in horses due to bright lights all night causes stress
• Horses are not as sensitive to the red green light spectrum
• Horses see orange as green, so difficult to see jumps painted in orange
• Fluorescent yellow and white are good for horses to see
• Direct beams of light are potentially hazardous to horses – momentary loss of vision (think approaching a horse in the dark with a bright flashlight or head lamp, use a red lamp instead)

More info on lighting solutions for equines: www.ultratechlighting.com

One more lesson, one more hack - and then we will hit the road

The Welly-World exodus continues, lots of people have already left or are in the process of leaving. Some had trouble arranging for overnight accommodations with their horses on the long haul to Northern Canada. I'm happy Remy will be in a box stall on a truck that goes straight to our barn in Michigan, no detours this time! And traffic should be lighter than expected, especially in the Atlanta area, so that will help.

As for me, I'm just tired. Physically and mentally. It was a difficult season this year, to no one's fault. Isolating at home actually sounds like a good idea right now. Kensington Park is still open, so if the weather cooperates we will be able to go for hikes and trail rides. It will do all of us a world of good.

I'm just baffled at how inconsiderate some people are. Michigan is on lockdown, and JP just told me he was asked if he could come tomorrow to a barn to help with post hole digging. Really?? I blew a fuse, because JP didn't see a problem with it. Another Really??  First: Risk getting exposed because of some post holes?? Second: Lockdown! (Not even our ever helpful neighbor and friend is venturing out right now.) Third: Still back pain, courtesy of Chambord's last Yeehaw episode. Plus, Plus... OK, I'm stopping my rant but it just made me mad.

On a brighter note, Remy is finishing the season well, and we have made great strides in our training. He looks like a different horse (proud mother is anxiously awaiting his "Prom-photos" from Joanna).

Remy's image of himself

 His confidence has improved and his attitude is definitely way better than last year. Now when he does something silly, like shying to get out of work, I reprimand him (mainly all it takes is calling him a Little Sh*t) he says yes, ma'am and he knocks it off. Last year he was still sometimes testing if he could intimidate me (and he sometimes succeeded, those quick spins were NOT endearing).

We tried a different snaffle today, Roz' three piece eggbutt snaffle.  I usually ride him in a Neue Schule Turtle Tactio. The beauty of being at a barn with different trainers is that one will always pick up pieces of new and helpful information. This time it was Noel, pointing out that my current bit can actually lock at a certain angle and act like a straight bar. Both Roz and I liked how Remy felt in hers. He was more solid in the contact, not as 'wiggly' as usual. I'll try again tomorrow, before making a decision if it's a better choice or not.

Last lesson for a while tomorrow, I assume until end of April or thereabouts, if all goes well. Remy will get a pedicure (lucky him, not available for me and I don't think I could talk James, the farrier, into giving me one?).  Thursday will be a hacking day. Friday is off, just bodywork for Remy and Boti, and then Saturday morning the bus will pick them up. OMG, the PACKING!! Sally has already left, and Boti travels with a seemingly houseful of supplies. Randy offered to shuttle our things with the Gator to the road, as the big semi doesn't fit into her driveway and we need to load everything and horses right on the road.

One step at a time, for now we are all healthy and -if all goes well- home by Sunday/Monday.

Wondering about the trip home - and making the best of it

With daily changes in shutdowns and the overall uncertainty our trip North is turning into a bit of a nail biting experience. Will there be an Interstate travel ban? So far, the updates from the horse shipping companies are encouraging, and Jan is working on pulling our date ahead a few days. That leaves me to fend for myself on the lonely journey home. Will gas stations, rest areas, hotels, be open? What if I get stuck in GA, TN, or KY?  Flat tire? Time to practice my Yoga breathing. Om one*, Om two... Namaste! OK, should have paid more attention when I did go to practice...

Om

Om is a sacred sound and a spiritual symbol in Indian religions. In Hinduism, it signifies the essence of the ultimate reality, consciousness or Atman. More broadly, it is a syllable that is chanted either independently or before a spiritual recitation in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. The meaning and connotations of Om vary between the diverse schools within and across the various traditions. It is part of the iconography found in ancient and medieval era manuscripts, temples, monasteries and spiritual retreats in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism

Riding and training continue, and that is a life line. I just heard from a friend that the place where her horses are stabled will not allow boarders and trainers to come for at least two weeks. It is a small family barn and IMHO could have established a schedule to people avoid each other, but then, precaution is the mother of health (or something to that extend). I'm sure happy that Randy doesn't have that policy.

Remy has been working really well, overall he developed more thoroughness and suspension. The canter both leads (especially on the more difficult R) feels wonderful, and I can picture tempis. (Dream big!)

The beaches are closed, which is a bummer as I loved my walks. Luckily Wellington has beautiful Nature Preserves and I enjoyed my hike in the Environmental Preserve yesterday.

Definitely a highlight today were the beautiful pictures Joanna Jodko (www.jjodkophoto.com) took. Hard to chose from the gallery if there are so many cool ones. Joanna was right, Remy is a Natural. Me, OTOH, not so much. Definitely only one of us would make it as a model!

While everyone else seems to be 'hamstering', my provisions are pretty scarce. Admittedly, that is due to the very limited space I have to store things. I don't want to sleep in the pantry (that's what my room would be if I'd store more).

And yes, I also have TP (hidden, don't want to be burglarized ;-))

A different kind of "Schmusekater" - and are they really that heavy??

Randy had a special treat for me - she asked her friends Felicia and Dave if I could come visit. I had heard that they are animal lovers and rescue large numbers of cats, including bobcats. It's not an organization, just two dedicated people making a difference for a lot of animals.

I was in for quite an experience. My eyes got a bit wider when I saw their set up. Any zoo could be envious, spacious enclosures with sofas, toys, plus an air conditioned house for the about 30 rescue cats. And then of course, the piece de resistance - the bobcats, all rescues. Felicia has a very special bond with Blaze (better not ask her to choose between him and Dave..) and she invited me into the enclosure. Well, it was love a first sight! What a spectacular animal. I carefully gave him a bit of a massage and he was purring and licking like any other "Schmusekater" (cuddly -tom-cat). What a treat!

It was funny, I had googled what bobcats eat to see what I could bring as a treat. Of course, with the meat shortages in the supermarkets there was no chicken to be found. I had to settle for cut up beef hearts - Yikes! (remember, I'm a vegetarian and I can't even touch meat). But turns out that I hit the jackpot, as Felicia explained that the bobcats go for the intestines first after a kill. Makes sense, because these contain lots of nutrients. Another interesting thing I learned is that the back of a bobcat ear is white, so it mimics the eyes and throws the enemies off guard.

Schmusekater Blaze

On the Remy side all is well, with Sally on self-imposed quarantine (she has a sick friend in the hospital) Roz and I headed out for an absolute lovely trailride through Little Ranches yesterday. We went into the older neighborhood, along the canals, and the scenery was charming and offered plenty of shade. When we left Halvorsrod Farm I was about to activate the automatic gate when it swung open. Usually it only does it when a car drives up. Roz and I looked at each other and wondered if it could be that our -admittedly a bit chubby- boys weigh as much as a car??

Randy later eased our 'fears' and said the gate is activated by metal, so it must have been the horse shoes. Who would have thought??

Jan, the owner of C&W horse transport, has confirmed March 31 for the boys to head North. Everybody is very worried, and tempers are getting a bit frayed, so it's good to have a plan. I will be leaving on the same day, hoping that there will be no travel restrictions and open rest areas. 2300 km is a long way home without bathrooms and/or hotels! Being stuck in the backwoods of Appalachia is not my idea of fun either. Of course, JP, ever the diplomat, said he'd be happy to have Remy back as soon as possible, but "it wouldn't be dramatic if you have to stay a bit longer". Guess I know where I am on the list of priorities  :-)

Years in the making - and scratch that thought

We made it to the show under the premise: For schooling purposes only. At that point we didn't know that it would be the last one for the foreseeable future.

Roz gave me the option to excuse myself if things went south in the ring, which did wonders for my nerves, as did the "for schooling only" theme. Mind you, we hadn't shown in years, so this was a very big deal. Non horse people will have a hard time understanding, but when your mind (and your horse's mind) are your biggest enemies things are not easy. Both Remy and I had to overcome some serious hurdles, Remy his claustrophobia in the warm up arenas, und I... well, lets just say I didn't necessarily wanted to get tossed.

Thanks mainly to Roz, all went well. Remy handled the warm ups like a champ, even when some crazy lady cut him off repeatedly all the while hitting her horse (where is the TD when you need him/her??). Of course, just as we came around to C the judge shook a sheaf of papers in order to give them to the runner. Remy caught that movement and all of a sudden we were facing the opposite direction. To my surprise he wasn't rattled by it, we were able to continue on without any huge mishaps.

Saturday's handwalk before the class made me consider scratching: Remy had seen/smelled some stallions and he was a wild man - roaring, blowing, trumpeting. Guess there are still some hormones cruising through his system. But once back to work he seemed fine. Still, I had never ridden that test, not even in practice, so that was a bit of a longshot. Keeping the theme of "for schooling only" in mind we went for it - and actually had fun! Yes, we had bobbles, naughty moments, the figures weren't up to snuff (geometry was never my strong point) - but what the heck: We did it!  I was beyond elated because I could feel this:

That helped brush away the few not so nice comments, like the Brit stabled next to us with her humongous horse (that was ridden by her trainer) looking at Remy and stating "he looks like a mutt" ?! Or the acquaintance who thinks she has to talk down to me every time she sees me.

Luckily those were just two isolated stupid women. Everyone else was very nice. I especially enjoyed meeting Joanna, the show photographer. Very cool was that in chatting with her we discovered that she comes from Stargard, a town in Poland where my Uncle Willi was born (before WWII the area -Pommern- at the Baltic Sea was part of Germany).

Joanna had a special offer for some portrait shots, so I thought that would be nice. Little did I know that we would find ourselves in almost an "America's next Top Model" situation. It was funny, because she had all these props to get the horse's attention, but Remy couldn't have cared less about a plastic bag, or some feathers on a stick.
Really, all he needs is a cookie and he pricks his ears! And it didn't hurt that she exclaimed numerous times "Oh, he is such a Natural!" :-).

Perhaps Remy should have a career modeling?? He could feed all of us! But wait, that would mean HE would have to be on a diet - Nah, scratch that thought, he says.

"OK, I'll be a model - how about advertising hay?"

"He has to know that you will finish the sentence" - and why do I have to get annoyed first?

After the pouring rain yesterday the arena was still pretty squishy, with water puddles in some areas. Still, it was good enough to ride on as the base had held up.

Remy was one distracted critter. Oh my, horses going by on the road (which happens daily), feed delivery vans, shavings delivery, etc. etc. Nothing out of the ordinary, but obviously all way more interesting than what I was trying to do. He slipped into a half-pass, so after the warm up canter we focused on the trot work. Roz' go to exercise to get him back on the aids is shoulder-in, then short diagonal to about mid of the arena, change bend and straight back to rail.

It got better when I finally hunkered down and got so annoyed with him that I was really driving him forward and making him bend. And wouldn't you know it, it was like he said "Oh, OK, well then, let's do it"... but not after some humping up of the back and various other minor threats.

Roz reminded me that "he has to know that you will finish the sentence", meaning I can't let him get away with disobedience. But still, I could do without the testing shenanigans, that's for sure. Flashback to my previous job (or JP LOL): On the (few) occasions when I blew a fuse all of a sudden everyone was buckling down, but the nose to the grindstone, and things went swimmingly for a while... until I needed to crack the whip again.

Not so sure that going to a show isn't a great idea this early in our season fraught with disruptions. But I've paid, Roz will keep me out of harms way, and Randy will be happy to fetch us earlier if we need to pull out. So, other than my nerves, not much to loose?

OK, I've been in the Learning Zone for a long time now...

Almost totally 'verregnet' - but making the best of it

Well, the weather forecast was off today. I woke up to heavy -unpredicted- rain. Although I was tempted to turn around for a bit more sleep I dragged myself out of bed. Even the piggies were quiet today. Usually they throw themselves against the glass door (Aimee had to fortify it with Plexiglas) and scream for breakfast. Herbie's team feeds the horses early, around 6:30 am, so if I'm late Remy is the only one not eating, and that's so not fair (he says) - out in the rain I went.

Once Remy was taken care of I headed back to the house to catch up on scheduling client appointments, paperwork, my blog, and I was happy to have two long phone chats, one with Michael, one with Stephanie. That brightened the dreary morning immensely!

Fortunately, my Michigan clients seem eager to have me back, and I am looking forward to seeing them again and working on their horses. My April schedule is getting pretty full, which is awesome. Speaking of clients, I gave an "Equine Bodywork for Riders" workshop here and that was a ton of fun. I really love teaching the riders what they can do to help their horses. It's also a great bonding experience.

Equine Bodywork for Riders at Halvorsrod Farm

Back to today: Once the weather cleared up, a look at the arena confirmed that riding in it was not in the cards today - rather more suitable for swimming. So Remy got a bodywork session, followed by some 'beautification' (mane and tail trimming), and then we ventured out into the neighborhood. I put his double bridle on, not for control, but so he wears it when we go for a relaxed stroll and it's not associated with work.

We had a fun. Remy seemed happy to be out and explore, and there are many spooky things to gawk at. By now he is used to horses that look like ghosts (covered head to toe in fly gear), piles of palm branches on the curb, trash collectors hanging off the rear of the truck, plastic shavings bags floating down the road, to name a few things. Remy's all time favorte is the visit to the donkeys. Yes, there are two miniature donkeys in the neighborhood - the cutest things ever. They call (bray) when they see Remy - and he makes a beeline for them. Perhaps there might be some donkeys in our future? But wait, I think we are already all set in that respect! :-)

"Be though the rainbow in the storms of life, the evening beam that smiles the clouds away, and tints tomorrow with prophetic ray"

 - Lord Byron

Back on the blogging track - and the clock is ticking

I'm back in typing mode, no longer 'hiding' in my room. Aimee luckily is over the flu. She really was hit hard, and I am more than happy that I am fine (knock on wood). Perhaps all that Zicam and Aerborne did help afterall, even if it was just wishful thinking.

Last weekend Brenda came to visit from Michigan. It didn't start out so well, as we hadn't considered the 'Fearless Leader' coming to town which meant road closures, vehicle checks, etc. Ugh. It took seemingly forever to get into Palm Beach, and once there I had an ice cream that didn't sit well at all. Then Brenda's IPhone decided to go into emergency mode and refused to give in to any other features, so that stressed her out. Aside from that we had a lovely time the follwoing days exploring the MacArthur Ocean Beach Park, having an authentic French lunch at Paris in Town (www.parisintown.com), and visiting the Norton Museum.

And no, Remy didn't get neglected. I still did his morning 'room service', rode, and took care of him. He just was on his own in the afternoons, but Herbie covered the 'afternoon service' for me, so really, we are talking one well taken care of horse.

Not that Remy showed any special appreciation - he was a little stinker on Saturday. High winds and cats running through the arena did nothing to enhance his concentration. Overall, though, he is working well and we are making steady progress.

The clock is ticking, though... three more weeks and we are heading back to MI. This time hopefully his transport will be easier on him. Jan will have four horses going straight to MI, so no detours, which is great. And Remy is traveling with his 'bromance partner', Boti, so that will help.

Here are some impressions from our stay:

Pig (Newton) in a blanket

Mr. Handsome

Halvorsrod Farm

Outdoor Arena

"Oh, you are riding on location today" - and pass the pizza, please

Thank you, Ingrid, for worrying about me due to lag of blog posts recently. It's mostly due to lack of opportunity, writing that is. Aimee, my landlady, has been very sick with the flu for over a week now, so I try to avoid the common areas in the house as much as possible. My bedroom doesn't have a desk, and I don't like writing sitting on the bed.

Remy is doing well, aside from a bloody scratch he got on his foot today. Rolling in the sand does have its downfalls (no pun intended). Nothing major, but I learned from last year to skip the ointment and put wound spray on instead.

I am also fine, but amazed on how much time you can spend on taking care of just one horse. Yesterday I 'escaped' the barn for a few hours and went to the beach. It was windy and cool, perfect for a long walk which I thoroughly enjoyed. What I didn't consider was that my snowy white legs hadn't seen any sunshine since last year. Let's just say the snowy white turned into a darker shade of red...

Remy has been working quite well, knock on wood. I feel confident enough to put my big toes into the show arena again. Today Randy hauled us to White Fences for a schooling session. As Sally said, we were "riding on location". It was so nice to be back in the lovely arenas within an arboretum. All was well until it was time to go home and Remy decided that he'd rather not board the bus. A few discussions, and we were on our way home.

Karina had to practice giving a speech for school, and the barn crew was a willing audience - and not just because her mom offered us pizza afterwards. We were sitting in the aisle way, chatting along, with Remy trying his cutest faces begging for food. He has some successes under his belt, like the other day when I came to feed and Remy was already happily munching. Turns out he charmed Herbie into feeding him - "I had to feed him, he looked so hungry".  Tonight Remy scored quite a bit of pizza crust from various people - he stopped just shy of asking for a glass of red to go with it :-)