Ace has had one week and one day in his new home and is doing exceptionally well. We even went on our very first trail ride last Friday!
Moving Day
Moving day dawned cold, windy, rainy, and dropping in temperature. While it was gross for loading up my jump equipment and horse, it fit the mood as we prepared to leave our former home. The new barn owner and I took her trailer to get Ace, and after visiting with my friends for a while, it was time to head out.
We didn’t …

First, I’d like to apologize for my extended absence. My hubby and I were finally able to close on our house two weeks ago, so I’ve been in the process of finishing packing, moving, unpacking, and settling in. On top of that, it’s marching band season for my band director and his band, so I’ve spent the last three Fridays at football games. And (to add to the newness), I’ve started doing evening feed and bringing in at a local 25-horse boarding stable two nights a week.
In the midst of …

Now that I’m da boss of da shoulders (Ace’s that is) I’m using that building block to keep him out of my space and to protect his space.
One of the most fundamental ground manners that our horses need is to repect our space. In the herd, they are very good at using their back legs and teeth to make other horses respect their space. It’s no different with the horse and human relationship. Ace needs to know that he has to stay out of my bubble unless he’s invited in. …

Thanks to all of you for inquiring about Ace’s abscess as well as your encouragement. The abscess is looking really good! Actually, it’s completely healed up and just needs to grow some hair over where it burst.
Ace is feeling really good these days. When he gets out of his stall in the morning he gallops and bucks and rolls and acts like a very happy, feeling-good horse. Of course, in doing so on Sunday his back end slipped out from under him. He popped right up though and got away …

Nearly four years ago I was fresh out of college, officially living and working in a new city an hour and a half away from home, and getting married in two months. Throughout college, I rode, worked at my barn, and taught lessons when I was home on breaks. But now that I was living in my college town 12 months out of the year instead of just 9, it was time to find some horses here.
A series of contacts led me to discover Tracie, who works at my Alma …

Don’t know that “just” and “abscess” necessarily go together in the same title, but that’s what was wrong with Ace.
When I got home from Thanksgiving travels and went to see him on Saturday morning, he was nearly 100% sound. However, he did have a gunked up heel, and I could tell he had some sort of cut. I got some warm water and a clean towel to clean him up and see what was going on. He was pretty well behaved, seeing as it was the first time I had …

Ace has been at Dave and Tracie’s “Crosswinds Ranch” for nearly two months now. Their four horses — Midnight, Louie, Classic, and Marahute — and my boy Ace have had the opportunity to meet each other over the fence, work in the arena together, and get to know each other through the bars of their stalls. Taking our time letting them get to know each other seems to have paid off, because putting them together in the pasture was pretty much uneventful.
Midnight is definitely the herd leader, followed down the …