Catching Up

Last week got away from me and I never found the time to do any posts (I need to get into a better routine).

The horses were good for the most part. Mid-week we had a front blow in some cooler weather.

In FL we don't get to enjoy the beautiful fall colors but the crisp evenings were a reminder fall is upon us.  We actually dropped into the 50s at night.  I put sheets on the show horses when it gets below 60.  This adds time to my routine so this isn't my favorite time of the year.  Cooler weather also brings out the friskiness in the horses so they were all feeling a bit full of themselves.

Last week I heard through the grapevine that a local trainer was on hard times and was looking for a place to keep his horse and work.  I made contact, thinking I could let him keep his horse at my place in exchange for helping with stall cleaning.

I love having my horses at home, however at times I feel a bit overwhelmed trying to ride, feed, blanket, turnout, clean stalls, etc when I get home from work.  It makes for a long day.  It wasn't bad when I had 2 horses but since my brood has grown it's now quite time consuming.  The problem with hiring someone is that it gets costly.  It has to come from somewhere so it would have to cut into my horse show budget (which I don't want to do). So this seemed like a good situation.  I talked with the person and they came out for us to discuss things.  They were more interested in telling me about their situation and also their past riding accomplishments than learning about my horses whom they would be caring for.  Huge red flag for me.  When my S.O. came home I told him no way.  He was disappointed because it would have freed up my time but he understood.  I shared this with a friend of mine who accused me of being too controlling.  Maybe I am, but my animals mean the world to me and I give them the best care that I can possibly give them and expect nothing less of other people.  Having the horses in my back yard means knowing EVERYTHING about them.  You learn every little habit.  This helps to cue you if they are not quite right.  I like knowing these little things.  I get upset when I get home from an away show or vacation and I find a horse without a shoe or a blanket not strapped correctly or things not being put away, or not throwing enough hay, or... I could go on. Other people's perception of "good care" is not your own.  In 30 years of riding I can only NOT complain about the last 2 barns I boarded at.  However the amount I paid in board at them was probably more than most people's mortgages.  Good care is hard to find and it comes with a price.  The person texted me a couple of days later and said they found a barn to rent.  Whew!

So, for the time being I will continue to do my own care.  Maybe I am controlling but I just want the best for my four legged loves.