Ruby's Arrival

"Your pony is such a doll!"

Doug (Peace of Mind Equine Care & Transport) arrived with Ruby at about 7pm- he had nothing but nice things to say about her!

Top: Ruby getting ready to go in her new stall
Left: Edna (my car) and I made it to the new barn
Right: Ruby's first time seeing a mirror- she had better get used to them,  since both the indoor and outdoor rings are lined with them.

It was miserably cold (polar vortex and whatnot)- temperatures are well below the average. hopefully it will start warming up soon so Ruby and I can get back to our usual work schedule.

Last Lessons in Virginia

"When you get a plane ticket, come back and ride with me"

I had a lesson with Harry de Leyer last Thursday, riding his horse Sunday. She was a squirmy baby (only 3 1/2 years old!) but man could she jump! Very point-and-shoot. Harry's horses go with all leg and no hands which is always a hard concept for me to grasp, but Sunday and I worked out the kinks in the beginning of the lesson and ended with a job well done.

This picture was taken after the 4th fence in a diagonal line. As I mentioned in my previous post about Harry, there is no babysitting! As terrifying as this might be (I am used to doing hunter courses-6 or 8 jumps with plenty of time between, whereas these were 13 jump courses with maximum of 2 or 3 strides between each fence!) Harry's positivity really helps my confidence. I figured he wouldn't ask me to do something unless he really believed I could.

My last lesson with Connie was this past Sunday. I sure am going to miss her and Sully! We worked on Sully's jumping confidence- when you have a few jumps right next to each other, he will get worried when he is unsure which fence he is supposed to jump. Mad Tack also finished Connie's order of 'spooky jumps'- which ended up being spookier for me than they were for Sully. Can't wait to see how he has progressed next time I see him!

Barn Shopping in Alabama

"You flew down here to look for a horse barn...but didn't look at apartments for yourself?"

Funny story- I was super picky about where Ruby would be living, but not where I would be living. Granted, I know my place is going to be at least somewhat decent since Dan is living there, but my requirements are not quite as specific as Ruby's- I just need a bed and a kitchen really.

I have spent the past week touring facilities in the Huntsville area. My findings are as follows:

1. Flint Ridge Farm- nice looking facility, well-kept, lesson program. Won't work for Ruby and I because there are barn hours and I would have to be rush to be off the property by closing time.
2. Kildare Farm- smaller farm, very nice trainer, lots of riding opportunities if I wanted to ride something other than Ruby, good de-worming schedule, lesson program. Won't work for us because there are no lights in the outdoor and no indoor ring, so we would be unable to ride at night. Unfortunate because I really like both the farm and the trainer!
3. River Pine Farm- One of the nicest looking facilities with both and indoor and outdoor, lights outside, lesson program, trail access. Although this barn was nice, I did not agree with the de-worming schedule (not based on fecal floats), and the horses are not led back into the barn- the gates are opened and they all run to their stalls. Considering Ruby's issues with the field anyway, this is not a habit I want her to get used to. This is also the only Hunter barn I considered- trying to get away from trainers who still think the crest release is good riding form!
4. Cotton Meadows Farm- our new home!

Cotton Meadows is owned by the trainer Debi Crowley. Debi was very considerate, friendly, and helpful when I told her about Ruby's catching issues. She clearly knows horses! The barn is nice and has two outdoor rings and an indoor (with mirrors). Although I did not get to see her teach a lesson, she did offer help to a young rider in the ring- any time you see a trainer helping someone when they are not being paid for it, you know they have you and your horse's best interest at heart. I think both Ruby and I will fit in at this barn. Lessons are offered here, but it is a boarder barn which gets me away from the kiddie scene.