My sweet summer is gone...
Just to recap, this summer's project of leasing an OTTB and gaining some Eventing experience was, in many ways, quite productive. OK, it was really freaking fantastic!! I didn't know what to expect when taking on Lamster (aka LamBam), but something in my gut just told me this was the right path. Everyone except my one trainer Christine thought I was a little crazy. See, LamBam hadn't been ridden in months, and was just pastured over the winter. To say he was a wild card was a bit of an understatement.
Regardless, I follow my instincts and say stuff like, 'screw convention' or 'who gives a crap what YOU think I should do. I'm doing what I want to do.' (I'll be nice and smile at you when you're trying to talk me out of it, but I'm really saying those things in my head.) I wanted to further my own Eventing and training experience, while simultaneously trying to give Lamster a foundation in being something other than a race horse or pasture pet.
It more or less (depending on who you ask) worked! We:
Alas, success is short-lived.
It seems that as soon as the weather turned, LamBam decided he was ready to shed his summer persona and start getting me used to his fall/winter personality. Which includes the energy- and bank account-depleting habits of:
Seriously, WTH?! It's only October.
So, Lamster is just going to have to deal with the snow (yes, we got some snow already! Sheesh. I repeat, IT'S ONLY OCTOBER!!!) in his turnout sheet until his new blankets arrive. I hope the delivery guy takes his time. No, not really. I paid for faster delivery because: horse crazy. Hashtag IloveLamBam. Hashtag: Wearejustgettingstarted.
Just to recap, this summer's project of leasing an OTTB and gaining some Eventing experience was, in many ways, quite productive. OK, it was really freaking fantastic!! I didn't know what to expect when taking on Lamster (aka LamBam), but something in my gut just told me this was the right path. Everyone except my one trainer Christine thought I was a little crazy. See, LamBam hadn't been ridden in months, and was just pastured over the winter. To say he was a wild card was a bit of an understatement.
Regardless, I follow my instincts and say stuff like, 'screw convention' or 'who gives a crap what YOU think I should do. I'm doing what I want to do.' (I'll be nice and smile at you when you're trying to talk me out of it, but I'm really saying those things in my head.) I wanted to further my own Eventing and training experience, while simultaneously trying to give Lamster a foundation in being something other than a race horse or pasture pet.
It more or less (depending on who you ask) worked! We:
- Can walk, trot and canter around a ring (leads still questionable)
- Can complete a dressage test (as long as I get the test right)
- Can jump a course of fences without bolting (as long as no flower boxes are involved)
- Can hack out on a cross country course, jumping logs and walking through water (as long as we are in company and can bolt if log is super scary)
- My elbows are better! They now sit at my sides. No parenthetic exceptions.
Alas, success is short-lived.
It seems that as soon as the weather turned, LamBam decided he was ready to shed his summer persona and start getting me used to his fall/winter personality. Which includes the energy- and bank account-depleting habits of:
- Shoe throwing
- Blanket shredding
- Knee swelling due to #1 or #2
- Eye infecting (himself and his friends)
- Eyeball swelling and scratching due to #4
- Going long stretches without exercise due to any combo of the above
- Spooking at everything due to #5 and #6
Seriously, WTH?! It's only October.
So, Lamster is just going to have to deal with the snow (yes, we got some snow already! Sheesh. I repeat, IT'S ONLY OCTOBER!!!) in his turnout sheet until his new blankets arrive. I hope the delivery guy takes his time. No, not really. I paid for faster delivery because: horse crazy. Hashtag IloveLamBam. Hashtag: Wearejustgettingstarted.