New Kid on the Block...

New year, new season, new... horse? Yep! Meet Whiskey Bent, known around the barn as Bourbon. He is an '08 17.1h Thoroughbred by Storm Day out of Jenny O/Gold Case. Bred and raced in Louisiana, he just couldn't hack it on the track. Thus, his race record is definitely less than impressive but he liked the turf and was retired sound.

I acquired this horse a few months ago and it was a rocky relationship in the beginning, to say the least. This ridiculous Oklahoma winter certainly didnt help matters because it made consistency difficult. One really REALLY awesome thing about this horse though is that he retains his lessons very well. We can typically pick up our training sessions where we last left off rather than having to reschool countless times. Respect was definitely a major issue and he was quite the cocky boy! I blame the Storm Cat in him, but once I was able to channel that energy and attitude, Bourb has become an awesome partner! His dressage is coming along nicely which is good considering that it has been our sole focus for months. Jumping has recently been added to his training regime and he is taking to it quite nicely. Those big long legs of his tend to get in the way on occasion during grids but he is figuring it out. We went for a cross country excursion over the weekend and I was thrilled with how he behaved! Bourb was happy, quiet, and game to jump anything! We kept it small and positive but there is definitely room for more! This boy is proving to be a one person horse that thrives on a bond but once that is established, he will try his heart out for his rider. I love that in a horse!

I am looking at focusing on schooling shows with him for a while just to build his confidence and gain experience while staying on a budget. Holly Hill is on the calendar as his first recognized HT debut at BN. I have high hopes for this boy in the years to come!

So very much has changed since I last wrote on this blog (as usual) and to say that life got turned upside down might be a bit of an understatement. A family situation prompted me to leave Woodridge and head back home for a while, which is bittersweet. On the plus side, it allows me the opportunity to reflect on the events of last year and truly decide what I want to do in life. I have a pretty good idea though and hopefully that leads to a big announcement in the coming months!

Some of you may be wondering what has come of sweet Scottie boy lately and that is really exciting news! After lots of testing and watching and rehabbing, along with a few serious conversations with my vet, it was decided that a competitive comeback just wasn't in this phenomenal horse's future. That was a tough pill to swallow. The suspensory had healed nicely and there were no residual side effects from the EPM but something still wasnt quite right. Every once in a while a mystery lameness would pop up but it did not seem to effect him any other time. Without spending thousands of more dollars trying to diagnose the problem, with a not so promising outlook, we just couldnt pinpoint the issue and it was decided to officially retire Scottie. He had other plans and apparently "retirement" isnt in his vocabulary! I will save the details for next week, once everything is certain, but it looks like Scottie may have a new lease on life and a new job in which he LOVES! 

It has become quite obvious that thirteen is NOT my lucky number, as 2013 was a long and frustrating year, but it is what it is. I have grown to appreciate the little things in life and am working towards much bigger things than I could have ever dreamed of! Here is to a wonderful 2014, the year of the horse! More updates soon. Until then, keep kicking! 

It Aint Over Yet...

I would like to start by saying that I feel as though I owe everything to Dr. Ellison and Pathogenes, Inc. right about now. Scottie was retested at EMA on Monday for EPM and he was NEGATIVE! This horse went from being the strongest positive possible to a negative test in about six weeks. This is all thanks to Dr. Ellison's twenty years of EPM research and the resulting medication Oroquin-10. Oroquin-10 is a ten day prescription medication that kills off the parasite that causes EPM and carries a 96% success rate and it certainly worked for Scottie! I highly recommend that everyone visit her website and read her blog. It has tons of information about the disease, as well as Dr. Ellison's research and experience with it. Science has certainly come a long way... Pathogenes, Inc.

Now it is time to re-evaluate his walk work under saddle and see how he feels compared to when he was sick. Based on that and how he continues to jog we will then continue with diagnosing his stifle. Fingers crossed for a strong, sound pony!

Although my big dreams for the girls for the fall may not pan out after all, we are starting to make baby steps in the right direction and will see where we go from here. Perhaps the fall will be filled with learning opportunities and spring is always a new season. There is a cross country school at Feather Creek on the horizon at least! Horse trial or bust!!

 It seems as though things may be starting to look up, a least a little bit, for team UAC Eventing. Hopefully we can continue on THAT path! Eventers are very skilled at plan B, as well as plans C through Z, and that is what sets us apart. We always keep on. We always keep kicking. It ain't over 'till its over and it certainly ain't over yet. Scottie's career is not over, in fact I have faith that it is far from it, but Im sure his struggles aren't yet over either. My struggles aren't over. In the end, Im sure it will all be worth it and until then, keep kicking.