A Date and a List

Yesterday I touched base with the people at the rehab center and we made a date for TC's last ultrasound and a date for when TC comes home (pending ultrasound). So on June 28th, TC will get his last ultrasound and on July 6th, TC will (hopefully) come home!

I can't wait to ride this fucking horse I just can't STAND IT

This works out really well, even if it was a week later than I had hoped. I figure the later the better, even if I'm eager to get him home. He's safe where he is, and having him come after the Fourth makes my weekend a lot less stressful (my brother having a big house party = enough stress already, no need to add the pony to that) and lets me use the first few days of the month to move stuff into the barn and get settled before there's an obnoxious pony in the way.

I have a LOT to do before he moves in though, so I have a list:

Boarding
I need to email the barn owner about his boarding situation. The barn is sort of an a la carte barn, so I think I'm going to sign up for one load of shavings a week (one big wheelbarrowful, it's not a ton but it's enough for him) and double feed to start (so four flakes vs the two that they feed) with half grass and half alfalfa, to be moved to 3 grass and 1 alfalfa if he's too buzzy or to 2 grass and 1 alfalfa if he gets fat. He won't get turnout because he's not been given permission for that yet, but BRH trainer will be getting him out every day so that's good. He also won't get the hot walker since I don't think I'm going to trust him on it with the baby TBs.

I know what stall I want, or at least what wing of the barn I want. I want him in a 12x36 stall/paddock combo in this one area where he won't be tempted to jump out. I also need to buy no climb and some wire to make him what will hopefully prevent him from doing the same fucking thing again. If he does manage to climb, I'm going to give them permission to put him in a box stall without my direct permission. Just move him. No climbing.


Tack Room
I don't know where my tack will go. It's kind of a random little place, there are some random tack lockers throughout the property or you can bring your own little locker/shed/trunk/whatever. If there's an open tack room/locker near his stall that I like (unlikely), then I want it, but it's most likely that I'll have to buy my own. It needs to be weatherproof-ish and big enough to hold a saddle rack (hopefully two so one can have pads on it), two big garbage cans for feed, and have some shelving/hooks in it. At first I'll just be bringing my trunk over, which will stay permanently as extra storage, and maybe stealing this one random shed thing from the ranch that is kind of falling apart just to keep my saddle and a freestanding saddle rack in.

Even his shitty canter, I can't wait

Training
I need to talk to BRH trainer, although we sort of already made plans. The idea is to hand him over to the trainer for 30 days, although I'm feeling really bold and strong recently so I'm hoping to be doing mostly lessons and less rides. No offense to BRH trainer, but I want to quickly reestablish the connection and get him thinking about dressage from the get go. BRH trainer is a great dressage rider but um, you know. Regardless of how bold I'm feeling, I want full training, five days a week of lessons or rides. I'd rather be frustrated because I'd rather be riding on my own than be frustrated because my horse bucked me off again. BRH trainer will for sure be the first one on him in the round pen when he comes home, although I really want to ride him on the first day he gets ridden, even if it's just me being led around at the walk.


Feed
I need to buy him his grain (LMF Gentle Balance and Rice Bran, although I'm going to pull him off the Rice Bran and find something else to put him on) and make sure that I have enough of all of his supplements. I really really hope my local feed store has the LMF food, since it's right on the way to the barn. If not then I'll have to get creative about where to pick up grain, maybe on the way home from work. He'll stay on his MSM, the Osteon, and the SmartCalm until it runs out. If the SmartCalm is working, he'll stay on it, but he's for sure coming off the Osteon whenever we get permission from my vet, it's too expensive. After he gets settled, I'll put him on a hoof supplement, but I'm letting myself ignore that for now.

I can just TASTE the connection... wait that's weird

Saddle Fit
At a recent horse show, I found out that my old decrepit Custom saddle can have its tree changed out and be fit to TC! So one of the things that I need to do now that I have a date is to call them and schedule that fitting. I want to schedule it as soon as possible so that I don't have to ride in an illfitting saddle for too long, but I also don't want to be terrified as I try to ride the horse during the fitting. Obviously BRH trainer will be there, so I'll have to schedule it on a day that he's around so I'll have to confirm with him when that will be.


Farrier
I totally don't have someone to trim him yet. Woops. Hopefully he'll get a trim close enough to when he moves where I'll have a bit of time to find one. I can use Rico's shoer, but she isn't a barefoot person. Also I'm kind of a psycho client and don't want to ruin my mom's relationship with her (she shoes all their horses) if it doesn't work out, I like what she does to Rico's feet but I was spoiled by a barefoot trimmer at TC's old barn and want to find someone similar to that person. So I'm looking to find someone else who does barefoot feet. I'm going to ask the BO and BRH trainer who they recommend, as well as a couple friends there who are just as obsessive as I am.

Probably my favorite picture of us, hence it being my facebook
profile picture since September, I'm lazy

I'm so excited guys. SO EXCITED. It's been over six months since I sat on the horse, and it will be about seven when he finally comes back. Seven months is a long time and a lot of things have changed in that time, but what hasn't changed is that I'm SO FUCKING EXCITED to ride my horse. I'm so glad this rehab is almost over. Can't wait to feel that gorgeous trot and that amazing connection. And hopefully I don't come off too many times this summer as he gets back into the swing of things.