Big news in our world this week: Ace is moving down the road to a new barn on Saturday!

It’s a bittersweet time for us. I’m very excited for where we’re going and the new opportunities we’ll have, but I’m also very sad to be leaving where we are.

His current home is with some of my very closest friends, and we’ve had a wonderful experience out there. I couldn’t have afforded to keep him for the last year without their generosity. And I couldn’t have gotten through Ace’s early training without their help. And I also couldn’t have gotten through some of the tough times of the last year without their encouragement and support.

But now we’ve gotten to a  point where we need something a little different to continue progressing in our training and for me to give Ace the time and attention he deserves.

I’ve come to a stand still in Ace’s training at my friends’ because, while it’s very nice, the arena and sole riding area is small. It works well for the more compact smaller horses, and for the kind of work my friends do with their horses. But for my big thoroughbred who is quite long nose to tail, the turns are too tight. After riding outside a bit this summer, it has become painfully obvious that Ace just isn’t comfortable moving in there. He can manage a trot, but it’s not great. And while we do a little bit of canter, the turns are just too tight. By the time we recover from coming out of one turn, we’re headed back to another. Now that he’s got a solid foundation, there just isn’t the space to do much jumping or work a dressage test. And we can’t access any trails to practice getting outside and preparing for cross country or a hunter pace.

For two months I’ve been working at a local boarding stable, bringing in horses and feeding two nights a week. It’s been helpful for my finances, but has severely decreased my time with my horse. With Ace out there, I’ll have access to all their facilities plus I’ll be able to spend more time working with him. The barn has stalls for 24 horses with a large indoor, a small outdoor, nice pasture space, a wash rack, a heated bathroom, and 3-4 hours of trails.

Because I’ve been working there, I’ve gotten to know the barn owner and the other boarders, the horses, the routine, and the level of care provided. And since I feed there two nights a week, my board is reduced and I won’t pay any more out of pocket than I do currently. I also have a buddy at the new barn who has a hunter background and is currently working towards her Centered Riding instructor certification. And she has three jumps she’s offered to share … so between her jumps and my blocks and poles, I can set up a whole course.

It’s an exciting time for me and Ace, even while it’s a bit sad to be moving on. Of course, the two barns are less than 10 miles apart. You can bet though that you’ll still find me out at my friends though … hanging out and playing with their horses from time to time!