A Beginning and An End.

I've been a longtime gone from the blogging world, and a few of my attempts to get back into were massive failures. However, I'm back in Canada-land now, and excited to announce my newest venture and blog...

With a Western Twist

With a Western Twist is more of a lifestyle blog than this one - focusing on all aspects of my life... but as you guys who have followed me throughout the years via this blog know... most of that comes with a western twist. I'm excited to be back to blogging, and exciting to see where this blog goes - I do hope you guys come follow me over there :) 

Time in the Saddle will stay open, but I will no longer be posting here. So a big thank you to all that followed the ups and downs of my time in the saddle the last 4 years, and hopefully see you at With a Western Twist in the near future!

Louisa

Video: What if Money was No Object?

"Well I'd like to live an out-of-door life, and ride horses..."

"& after all, if you do really like what your doing, it doesn't matter what it is, you will eventually become a master of it."

Yes, yes, and yes again.

I need to remember this, whenever someone asks me what I want to do with my life, since I am in my final year of university, and I reply that it has nothing to do with my degree (anthropology) and everything to do with horses, they always give me this "look".

Money is no object; passion is everything.

Why not give it a shot, while your young and you can?

The "Need" List: ... who am I kidding?

As many of you now know, I am planning on officially buying "my" horse come summer. As many of you ALSO know... I have a bit of a shopping problem. (So much so that I have about 4 "oo look what I bought you guys!" posts lined up but refuse to post them one after another due to how insane it makes me look.) So what does it mean when you buy a new horse, your first horse no less - shopping, duh.

No more using other people's stuff - I gotta get my own!

I'm a big girl now!

.... with a very "in the red" bank account.

So, what's on my "Need" list:

1. Cowboy Magic Detangler

I love Cowboy Magic, but i've been hearing that detanglers that have silicon in them (so CM, or Vetrolin) can be actually very damaging because they dry out the hair. So either, use them sparingly (ie. when your horse decides to play hide and go seek in a burr bush) or use other products... like MTG. I've heard LOTS about MTG, (that it's awesome for post-wound areas, that it smells like bacon...) but i've never used it. Thoughts?! MTG vs. Cowboy Magic - GO!

2. Grooming Caddy

3. Rope Halter

My debate here is plain rope, or rope with rawhide/braided nose band? Knowing me, I will most likely end up with both... it's a sickness.

4. Mane & Tail Conditioner 

Honestly, one of the most exciting things about buying my own horse will be all the grooming possibilities! I am a sucker for braiding, bathing, clipping, you name it, I'll try it.

Poor boy.. the other night I was watching a youtube video on how to do hunter braids... he'll end up working the ranch looking like he's reading to go jump.

5. Mane & Tail Shampoo

6. Personalized Halter

Okay.. so maybe this isn't a "need", but Chick's is having a wicked sale on these, and for under $30 I think that's a pretty good deal.

7. Bell Boots

I'm a big fan of Professional's Choice, I've heard good things about some other boots lately, but around here, Professional's Choice is definitely #1, and I'd worry about spending the money on another company, and then not be happy with their product.

8. Various Grooming Supplies

- Shedding Blade

The list of small grooming supplies goes on & on & on... curry combs, hard brushes, soft brushes, face brushes, hoof picks, shedding blades... normal stuff. Then my mind begins to wander, do I need a braiding kit (... I do not braid), do I need a bot knife (never have I used such a thing), perhaps I need a tack trunk...

9. Cooler

I'm planning on buying my blankets come September for the boy, I want to have his exact measurements before I drop that much money. However, in the summer the ranch I work at is prone to massive thunderstorms/hailstorms/even snow in August... and a lot of time we ride in all of that, so a cooler would really do the trick to keep him warm during the lunch break/after those really bad, wet storms.

10. Buckets!

You know your a horse girl when... you get excited about the idea of buying certain styles and types of buckets...

That's it for now, I am sure the list will continue to grow.. for example, I need a horsie first aid kit!

That's another post all together.

Big News!

Bar J Jingos Doc & I, on one of those perfect summer days.

My sunday Trail Ride had a few purposes. Namely, I needed to experience that forest stillness I mentioned, as well as just "get back to my roots" so to speak. You have no idea how comfortable my body was settling back into the rhythm of just heading in one direction, off into the sunset (cheesy, but true). I forgot how perfect the saddle I ride in out there conforms to my body. Old trails, and memories made were coming back to me. It was all very therapeutic for my soul.

However, I also wanted to discuss "my boy" aka that big adorable crazy-eyed paint in my header.. aka Jingle. You see, with the sale of the ranch, depending on the new owners, comes the realization that a lot of the horses may go to auction... and, as horse-lovers, we all know what that means. Especially here in Alberta, there's the reality that a lot of auction horses get put on stock trucks headed to slaughter. Obviously that's the extreme to what could happen to my baby, but there's lots of other less worse, but in my mind, still awful things, that could happen to him when the ranch changes hands. Honestly, even if someone I knew bought the ranch, I'm so emotionally invested in that horse that I just don't think I could walk away form him another summer. Especially with the lingering thought of another winter of him in some faraway pasture, without routine maintenance or check-ups. Nope. Not this winter folks.

So against all better judgement on my behalf I decided that Jingle would be heading home with me after this summer. This is huge - massive really - decision... I'm not the best at saving money, and now all of a sudden I'm going to have a 1200 lb kid, that will end up taking most of the money out of my bank account month by month. Screw it, I can't wait.

So... here I am rambling once again... I went down to ask if I could buy him, and offer up a deal. They took the deal! He's going to be mine! Plus, the saddle I used all summer was negotiated in the deal. (I'm praying to the higher power that he hasn't changed/the saddle is actually a good fit for him.. I know more about saddle fit than I did last summer, that's for sure.) ...I remember it being good though, pray with me please.

I also got to see his papers, and an itty bitty baby photo :) :) .. his registered name Bar J Jingos Doc :) I already know his papa, Gringo, who is a stud at the ranch, and his mama is a broodmare who i'm not familiar with. I also nailed down his official age... coming 8 in less than a month (April 28th is his birthday I believe) AND I also weaseled my way into asking if he could come home earlier than June. Apparently a lot of them will be coming home from winter pasture by the end of the month so I'm hoping my baby is on one of those trailers. Then I can bring him a horsey birthday cake, and groom the living hell out of him.

SO... this is all very scary, and suddenly super real, but also very exciting and makes my heart hurt with happiness because I get to see my baby so soon.

Now... I suddenly feel like I know NOTHING about horses... there is so much to know.. thankfully I have a good team of people around and behind me to nag, and I honestly feel like sitting every horse-owner I know down and grilling them about EVERYTHING horse-owner related.

Hey guys, guess what? I can do that... OVER THIS BLOG. So, if you're reading this, and you feel in a rambly mood like your author here, tell me everything. 

What are your essential products/grooming tools/tack and training tools/etc (I'm a bit of a product whore... I foresee myself going overboard). 

What are some words of wisdom you wished someone had given you when you purchased/owned your first horse? 

Random Advice? 

WHAT DO YOU FEED YOUR HORSES? (This is a huge one for me... he will be at a boarding stable, but I really am lacking in equine nutritional knowledge)

Basically, if you're reading this... tell me everything. :)

New Year, New You, Yada Yada

Okay guys, get ready, here comes a stereotypical New Years resolutions post.
=)
prepared?
Alright... let's do this.

So, I am one of those people who tries to do New Years resolutions, sometimes they go from very pinpoint stereotypical (Drink more water) to very airy and holistic (become a better friend). However, I see no shame in attempting to set goals and follow them through, even if they are re-named resolutions at this time of year. Due to the fact this is my horsie blog I thought I should probably share with you some horse-related resolutions.

For the sake of not being too cheesy, I'm calling them goals from here on out. Horse-related goals are near and dear to my heart, in a moment of total desperation and, "I'm never, ever going to be a good enough rider to please myself or others", on a cold and shitty night on a ranch in Nanton, in a small cramped room, I pulled out a journal and compiled a list of short and concise goals that I wished to have completed by September 2012. They were...

1. Find a barn to work at where I can trade hours for lessons.- check, I've accomplished that this year already.

2. Have a saddle by Summer 2012- I've decided to scrap this goal. There was a time when people told me that it was so important for me to have my own tack, but I've now firmly rooted myself on the side of fitting a saddle to a horse, not a horse to a saddle. Unforuntately where I work in the summer this mindset is not always reasonable or doable, but I can't imagine throwing a ton of money at a saddle now and then it not fitting a horse I perhaps regularly ride, or purchase down the road. It doesn't make sense to me, plus the many woes, aches and pains I witness in horses that have been caused by ill-fitting and improper saddle fit are just not worth it because the rider is attached to a material object.3. Compete at some level by September 2012- working on it, slowly but surely.
So, as you can see, goals are a good thing, especially when they were emotionally driven. I made those particular goals at a time where I felt like I had two options, 1. change for the better or 2. curl up in a ball, turn off all the lights, and forget my passion for horses. It was one of those milestone moments where from an outsider looking in it might have seemed like an insignificant day, or time, but for me, it meant the world.

I had someone recently comment on the fact that without her, I would have never been introduced with my trainer, and been able to obtain lessons/volunteer at my barn. I also always hear the old, "well, so and so's family is in the (insert discipline) world so that's why they have so much success", I'm even prone to that one. I always try to remember that, although someone's path may have been wider for them, no road you take is easy, and dwelling on things like "well, it was pure luck", will get you no where. There is no such thing as luck, there is such a thing as drive, determination, and willing to seek out assistance and putting yourself in places that may be out of your comfort zone but will eventually open doors for you.

So, looking toward a new year, hopefully completely overflowing with horse-everything, my new goals are as follows...

1. (Old Goal, but valid none the less) Compete at some level by September 2012
2. Build and stick to a 5 day a week exercise routine- It's interesting, my trainer's famous line is, "You wont need a gym membership after working here!", however, barn chores - similar to repetitive workouts with horses - overdevelop certain muscles, while under developing others. Also, lower abdominal muscles are key in riding, and are very hard muscles to target, pilates is a type of exercise that is effective in enhancing this muscle group. So, i'd like to build a routine that focuses on the muscle groups I need as a rider, but also on over-all health and fitness. So, there you go, the standard "get fit in the new year" resolution.

3. Continue to be at a facility not only where I can take lessons, but also learn, and be happy- seems pretty "well, duh" but these three factors, lessons, learning and happiness are key in the combination to my personal growth and development, and are, pretty much, what this blog is all about and why I started it. The minute I lose one, the other two generally follow, so continuing to satisfy these three demands will only further develop my growth in the horse world.Well. that was a pretty heavy post on introspection and meditation, wasn't it? I promise I'll go back to posting gangster-dressage video's soon! Hopefully anyone reading this is having a lovely start to the new year. If you're in Alberta we're experiencing an absolutely dream-like winter, so that is something to be happy about. I'm hoping 2012 is filled with as much fulfillment and growth for myself as 2011 did, and also, happiness... of course. Wishing the same for you!

Playing Make Believe

This last week I got a chance to house-sit for a couple with a beautiful home, horses and barn. The house is so cute, everywhere you look there's paintings of horses, cowboy artwork, bridles hanging on the walls as works of art themselves, horseshoe accents, etc. The barn is a 6 stall, and has the smell of the sweetest hay. Lucy, a quarter horse, always runs up to me when she see's me in the mornings. At first it was a little intimidating, as she full on gallops at you, and then comes to a stop and waits for you to cuddle her. Guess she hasn't given up being a reining horse yet.

On the porch you can see horses everywhere, little acreages with massive houses and beautiful horses and barns. At night you can see the twinkling city lights, and in the morning the sunrise bursts throughout the entire house. I think this place is definitely paradise.

So, I've definitely been playing make believe, pretending this is my own little horse-palace. One day I sure hope I can wake up to candy coloured sunrises, horses nickering in the morning fog, and being able to curl up with the latest issue of Western Horse Review next to a fire, with a beer in my hand. Life would be so sweet.