Adventures in being "Turned Out"

From Princess Pony to... Fuzzy Draft x Pony Cross...

This is what I left:

Sleek, Shiny, Rodeo Star, General Badass...

 This is what I came home too:

Fuzzy, Fat, Cheeks bigger than a Clydesdale...

Jingle has been "turned out", and although he's still in a blanket throughout these cold months, he's really reversed back to his old shaggy disheveled ranch-horse self. That includes a wee bit lacking in the manners department section...

This is how I feel about his no manners self... ergh.

Stop.Being.A.NitWit.and.Love.Me

I found myself attempting to braid his mane (which is scraggly and lacking and so sad) and tail... as if that would bring back my sleek horse...

Frosted Tips = Princess Horse?

It didn't.

My farrier came out and Jingle was awful, oh right... he hasn't had a person pick up his feet since my farrier last saw him 8 weeks ago...

"Tehehe, screw farriers, what are manners, where are my friends, gimme cookies and get out"

Jingle also had his shoes pulled in September (remember... turned out), in the end i'm happy with how his soles and hoof wall look, both seem very strong. He's always had chipping on his hinds, which is definitely accentuated and his fronts didn't look very pretty from where he's growing out old nail holes. A very concerned Louisa asked her farrier what we can do about that... the response...

A crooked eyebrow, a head shake at me and a "put shoes on him, but you wont, because he is turned out"

Well then.

Yes, Jingle is loving life in semi-retirement, he is fat and fuzzy and happy. He munches hay all day and hangs out with an annoying bay that refuses to leave me alone. He no longer looks like a sleek machine because he doesn't need too be right now.

& his owner... she needs to get the heck over herself.

My most favourite thing in the whole wide world.

But, some things are still the same, Jingle is still an absolute cookie monster who loves his long brushes, and will still reluctantly do his stretches for me. I still completely adore him. Although I have visions of cowboy challenges and low-level dressage in our future, when asked at a get-together the other day what I "wanted" of Jingle in the future I had to pause. "Well, I would really like to wake up every morning, walk out to his field, and have my cup of morning coffee with him." 

So, being turned out has been a learning experience for both Jingle and I. 

Jingle is learning how to expand his belly every single day, and I am learning to stop over-reacting, and get over myself as a horse-mom.

Baby steps.