It’s been a strange sort of Christmas Season for us this year.  It has been somewhat fragmented.  Mark came to visit us from Banff on Monday, December 15, with his girlfriend Nicola.  I was so busy doing the Christmas feast thing, I hardly got a chance to visit with him.  The next day I was headed towards Calgary on some sales calls.  I was supposed to meet up with Mark on Wednesday night, but bad luck, his “pushing it’s luck truck” lost its drive shaft.  The upside was I had to drive them to Banff from Cochrane for Mark to make his midnight shift.  We had the nicest visit we’ve ever had since we packed him off to Malaspina 5 years ago.

Family Christmas was pushed forward a bit, as my Sister in Law and the two girls left for Japan on Christmas Day; that’s part of the deal of her moving to Canada – a return visit once a year.  So we had another big family thing on Dec. 23rd.  The differences this year were that Glen’s mom is too fragile to remove from her care home and Greg left the morning of Dec 23rd.

Duty called on Wednesday and he went back from leave to active duty and is now Family Support for the family of the Lt. Andrew Nuttall, the officer killed while on foot patrol in Afghanistan.  He won’t be back until sometime early in the new year.  We are so incredibly proud of him, as what his duties involve require more resources than most people have to draw on in a lifetime.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the Nuttall family now, as they make their way to CFB Trenton for the repatriation cermonies and then return to Victoria for the funeral.

On a lighter note, we finally caught the weanlings, did a little more handling and got Captain’s registration completed.  Our first choice for TB name is Paisley’s Finest Hour and its not a long stretch to start calling him Churchill.  Gidget is getting to be quite an escape artist; we are waiting with baited breath for warmer weather to reintroduce the consequences of electric fencing to her.  Razzmatazz has decided to become a people horse; just like her sister Cover Girl, it took her almost a year.  Little Joey is turning into quite a handsome fellow, despite being the world’s ugliest yearling earlier this year.  Tickedyboo is still having some trouble with the remnants of Horner’s syndrome and often has cheeks packed like a hamster’s.  But I think with some chiropractic adjustment and dentistry, it may be correctable.

Illusion has now been over to Gorsline’s twice for Janey to ride him and is a star.  Janey was a little reluctant the first time.  Greg had come to watch last Monday and was goaded into getting on first.  That was a Kodak moment that went uncaptured, as he struggled for balance on a saddle to small for him, riding something akin to a sheep dog.  Poor Illusion, his fetlocks were almost on the ground.  But the general consensus was that between Lindsay and the driving, a very good job has been done all around.

Just going through a few old photos in trying to get some badly needed revisions completed for the website.  I’ve been looking forward to starting Amelia and George in harness, as they are quite a pair.  This photo from nearly two years ago, shows just how close they have been all along.

As we drift from Christmas to the New Year,  Glen & I would like to wish everyone a happy, joyous Holiday Season, despite the trials and tragedies around us.  Remember, that despite the chaos of everyday life, this is a time of year for both reflection and renewal.

Agribition was very slow and very long, so I’m trying to hustle like mad to replace what it took from the coffers.  I did sell the Shetland Pony Cart for a substantial loss, but its gone.  On the upside I got a pairs pony harness for a song; it has Amelia and George’s name on it for the spring.  I haven’t ever seen a better pair.  They are both approaching 14 hands, so I’m holding my breath for their status as ponies, but there is always a market for a flashy well matched pair such as they will be for combined driving.

I also picked up a couple of more products.  I’m now dealing Oxy-Gen through Libi Sousag from Montana, a high end supplement for performance horses.  You can check the products page when I get it all up there.  It seemed a natural, as many people who came by were already confusing it with Pure Oxygen.

Dr. Gordon Chang CEO of Omega Alpha was at the show with Scott McLeod.  He is such a nice man.  He gave me a diet for Ticketyboo to address what’s left of her Horner’s Syndrome.  Dr. Chang also introduced me to David from Back on Track.  But in the end, I called Sandy Best of The Best Bandages, as I have used them with remarkable success.  So now I am also a dealer for The Best Bandages.

Lorna from Lorna’s Chap Shop was beside me for most of the show.  She made my chaps when we first moved back to Edmonton over 20 years ago.  She makes the most awesome “Bronc” halter nosebands.  As we got to know each other better, we found we have several circles in common and have crossed paths several times before.  We went out for dinner twice and had a lot of fun.  Also saw a lot of Margaret Semeniuk from Sask Horse Fed and Linda Hazelwood from Horse Country Magazine.

I’ve had more time to work with Goldmine.  The more I work with him, the more I realize what an awesome short stirrup pony he will be.  Joey, also is getting quite handsome, from being the ugliest yearling in the world.  I may persue his full registration (more DNA tests) and use him to breed my small Warmblood mares as a three year old.  We’ll have to wait and see.

I have to get mane hairs for quite a few.  I  need to finish Captain’s registration.  Our first pick for name is Paisley’s Finest Hour, so we have already started calling him “Churchill”, not a far reach from Captain.  The Caspian mares are participating in a genetic research project looking for the gene that regulates height and I am waiting on registration kits for Talib’s 3 fillies.

I can’t remember from my last post if I relayed that Lindsay had a 7 year old girl on Illusion, jumping single fences.  It was impressive.  I’m going to make arrangements to take him back and let her ride him again.  He’s not the same kitten here as he was at Donna’s; he knows how to push my buttons, beginning with now figuring out how to let himself out of his pen.  I’ve made arrangements to haul him Gorslines to start his over fences education, Janey Ockhotsky has agreed to ride him, but this weather has put a kink in that for now.   We’ve been busy trying to decide the best way to promote him as a stallion and so far have ads in Horses Inc., a North West US magazine and Pacific Prairie Horse.  We’ll also do Gaitpost and look for internet sites.  We have a few in mind.

I’ve just had a tutorial from Sylvia and Cody at Pondside.  I wrote this post yesterday and the previous one in November, but Word Press has changed its format and I was having trouble sorting through it.

I can’t believe my last post was in September.  We were in overdrive, as usual trying to get ready for the sale.  The weekend of the sale was brutally cold, as in -20 with a wind.  Discretion was the better part of valour and we checked into a motel instead of trying to brave it in the trailer.  I kept telling people that this was just the glitch that happens when Spruce Meadows Master’s is on… it has to happen for it to be Indian Summer…it would get nice again; after all everything else was a month late.  That was my story and I was sticking to it.  Yesterday, it was +17C

The sale was a blood bath.  We didn’t get anywhere near what we were anticipating for prices, even with a recession economy; but both horses were sold and to nice people and it is time to move on.   That’s what counts.

I seem to have been reading a lot of books lately centering on Dante’s Inferno and Milton’s Paradise Lost, so forgive me, that’s where this analogy comes from.  I sincerely believe there is a coven of demons from the 9th circle of hell that have access to your bank accounts, no matter how wealthy you are.  Whenever, you think you have just managed some breathing space financially, they conspire to find a way to strip you of anything that remotely resembled disposable income; a major car repair, failed septic – you get the idea.  It always seems to be within spitting distance of what you thought you had.  We got hit with a 3x what we expected major bill, the same day we got the proceeds from the sale.  If that’s character building; I’m quite a character!

After the sale, Illusion went into training.  I can’t believe he’s coming home on Friday.  He has been a “kitten”; that’s what Lindsay calls him.  I think he is happier at Donna’s “Quinn’s Quarters” than at home.  He has progressed amazingly well.  Lindsay Gerber has done a wonderful job in preparing him for the next phase of his career.  I was fully prepared for him to be gone up to 90 days of training, but he is a star.  We are in the process of planning how to promote him.  He is going to be “Mr. April” of the 2010 North American Sport Pony Calendar.

Then we were off to the Mane Event in Chilliwack.  Hard work, but for us, almost a vacation.  We had a very good show.  We are now selling RejuvGelz for Crystal McPeak Young and took them with us.

We entered the All Breed Horse Showcase with a Caspian Horse/Anivac display for the weekend of Farm Fair instead of booking a trade booth for the whole 9 days, including CFR.  So most of October was spent trying to get Texas fit and reliable in harness.  I was working with Goldmine and Lacey (she is headed to a feed lot to work for the winter).  It was a treat to stay home and do what I love best.  We had a great weekend at Farm Fair.  Texas is such a great ambassador; she never moves to the back of her stall and rarely pins her ears.

After the Showcase, time was spent running back and forth to Edmonton, new shocks on the truck, helping Crystal in her booth, getting photos of Illusion.  We used Linda Finstad of A Sharper Image, but given the time of year Illusion’s debut as a stallion will be on the Teddy Bear side.  Linda was wonderful and we had a lot of laughs.

Thanks to Linda’s ideas, we are now considering publishing a monthly bulletin presenting new products that fit into our philosophy of environmentally friendly, sustainable, non-invasive and proactive maintenance.  The intention being we rarely see trainer’s, coaches on the trade floors and it may provide a way for people to stay up to date.  Let us know what you think; if this is a good idea or not.

At CFR, Lynne Hoff saved my life; new orthotics…aaah.  Subsequently, we are now agents for her other product, Bio-Equine.  I saw this the year before last and thought it was awesome, but the price point was too much for me unless it was a show horse.  Illusion will go on it when he gets home.  I have some major work to do on the website, so keep checking for updates and new products.

Which bring us up to present.  Glen is busy packing and I’ve been trying to tie up loose ends all day so I can get myself off to Regina tomorrow early for Agribition.  I’ll be gone for 11 days, leaving Glen with the farm.  I’ll owe him big time.  I’m also taking my Shetland Pony Cart to their Antique Carriage Auction.  I hope those darn demons are on coffee break.

That’s just what happened to me last Thursday. I was SOOOO lucky. It was my birthday 2 days later and it was a celebration that I was there at all. I had been clipper training my two year old and it was all going a dream. Face, front legs – a thoughtful horseman would have called that a day, but I had to go onto the back legs. She was awesome, so I put the hoof down and carried on. Then out of nowhere; wham!! The only reason I am here to write this is because I was near the swing of the blow and the force of the blow was just above my temple.

Some people may have called her a bad horse, or a dirty horse. Maybe, but she is a good one, a good one with the will to win and determination to do her best. What I failed to do was recognize her learning style. She takes on stress without showing signs until she has had enough. When she has had enough she is direct and clear in her communication.

I’ve thought a lot about that in the days since, as I seem to get hurt a lot around my horses. It mostly happens when I’m in a hurry and not taking the time to be aware of what is around me.

When I got kicked, I phoned Glen. He was home within 15  minutes. It made me realize how much he means to me and why we have been married for 33 years. I also got to reflecting on the patterns of my life and how no matter how much I’ve learned about letting go and only attending to matters I can control, I need to be more aware of the needs of others, as they are not always apparent. I need to constantly re-examine my motives and not try to impose my agenda. This is a powerful lesson for me, as I look back on my previous experiences. It was like finding a puzzle piece you had been searching for, for a long time.

I know this blog is more like a reflective journal, but it just reinforces how much we can learn about ourselves from being around horses. One of my short term goals is to get myself off to Cartier Learning Center and take their Equine Assisted Learning course, as it is a direction I’ve been moving ever since I brought animals into my classroom 15 years ago.

Spruce Meadows was a bit different this year, I was missing the familiar faces of friends who had exhibited in EquiFair for many years. The traffic in the EquiFair was down substantially and we weren’t able to demonstrate the Anivac on the “Breeds” horses. We are in final preparation for the Fall Classis Warmblood Sale where we have two horses in the sale as well as sponsoring a portion of the sale and have a trade booth. After that it is onto the Mane Event in Chilliwack. Time and financial committments have slowed our schedule somewhat, but there is never a shortage of things to do.

I have just submitted an application to FarmFair to have our Caspian Horses featured in the Breeds Showcase, so keep your fingers crossed

Aaah, a little bit of breathing space after Josh’s clinic, and again after the Alberta Barrel Racing Finals, before we head to Spruce Meadows Equi-Fair.  I finally got some badly needed things done around here and had a chance to work with my young horses. 

Then it was off to the CDI** at Amberlea Meadows where Anivac was a major sponsor.  Anivac Corp went half with Marsh Haven Farm to present an Eco WashnVac to the high point FEI rider.  The winner was Jodie Kennedy-Baker from Prince George riding Madore.  What was even better, was she had been wanting a machine for a long time.  Hats off to the organizers and volunteers who put on this event; it was a superbly organized show.  Watch for it next year when it will be a World Equestrian Games qualifier.

With one day turn around we went to Camrose, and the opposite end of the horse spectrum, to set up for the Alberta Barrel Racing Finals, a five day event.  The plus of doing those 9 days, two shows, was that I got to sleep in my own bed, with a 45 minute commute to both venues.  I have to say that after 40 plus years as an equestrian discipline “groupie”, I really love the barrels with all its technical points and speeds.  Dragging the ring every 10 riders takes a lot of time, but that’s the sport.  Although the stakes were high and the competition fierce, it was a very relaxed friendly atmosphere.  I think many equestrian riders would faint at seeing horses “stabled” happily tied to trailers.   What’s really cool is that barrel racers come in all shapes, sizes and ages and they all had to qualify to be at the finals.  Glen said he saw one woman about my age post a time of 23 seconds (the 1D’s were posting within the 15 second range) and that I should give the sport a go.  My response was that woman was at least 30 seconds faster than I could ever hope to be.  It took me forever to get the “D” rating system sorted out, but I think I get it now.  I still don’t know how everyone got into the final Sunday draw, even though it was explained to me several times.  I love watching the PeeWee’s (under 12).  Those girls can sure cowboy up.  Some gals were as young as 5 or 6.  It humbles one to see a 10 year old post a 15 second time.  They are going to be “some good” when they hit the Opens. 

Right now, on the farm, we are working on our outdoor riding arena and round pen and are hoping to get sand in sometime this fall.  We really need a place to take free jump videos.  The ring is coming great on the clay base.  Our friend Darcy Kublik, K-Bear Welding, has come up with a ring leveller, landscape tool that is beyond anything I’ve ever seen.  He will be taking orders for them and when I sell a few horses, I will be on that list.  He brought it over to try on the ring; amazing; it can turn clay into footing, as well as level out the natural waves of cat work.  So we’ll do the “poor man’s ring”, adding sand into the clay footing as we can afford it, and adding potash for the dust.  But when it’s done, I’ll put that footing against any top stables’ footing.  Tricia Wilsher has been riding in the ring, as rough as it is right now, and says the size rides great (30×50m).  So far we are light discing and chain harrowing to convince rocks to come to the surface for picking and weeds to go away. 

We’re cutting way back on our Anivac committments, so after the Mane Event in Chilliwack we will not be on the road until Horse Owner and Breeder’s Conference in January, although I will continue to attend local schooling shows and barrel races demonstrating the machine through charity horse washes.  I need to send that note to Sylvia Schneider, our web designer.  We need the money for hay, as many can empathize this drought is hard and even harder on those of limited income with too many horses.  I’m making some serious decisions right now and if you see anything you like on the sales page, make me an offer.  Cover Girl and Dharma are going to the Fall Classic Warmblood Sale at Thanksgiving.  I have more horses for sale than are listed on the sales page and I fear that many of them may end up at public auction.