Happy September!

I have been the worst blogger this summer! Although I don't feel like I'm alone with that. The weather is nice, plans get made, work is busy, days are long with sunlight...who wants to be behind their computer longer than they have to? 

I surely don't. While it may seem I'm not around, I've been busier than in years! All good things, but busy busy busy. Any/all free time goes to Laz, not blogging, as of late.

So, let's start with his RH. It's been cast for the longest ever. He usually wears through them at around 2 weeks. This one, as of today, has been on for 4 weeks! Laz gets trimmed on 9/14 so we'll see, but look at that growth. These casts really help him stay comfortable, move out SO much more and grow heel! 

Tra la la la!!

That black ooze is the Vettec glue and we did a double cast of Equicast followed by my casting cheap yet UBER strong cast

RH below from this past June

I'm excited to see the growth, heel and toe once cast is off. I may want to recast for another round..we'll see. He is just so comfortable in it!

***

A couple of weeks ago, I helped move my Nephew into his Dorm at...wait for it...wait for it...University of Kentucky!!

He got a full ride scholarship, and needless to say, I'll be a BIG WILDCAT fan now.

(Me, my Brother...no he's not Amish ;) and my Nephew)

When you grow up in Chicago suburbs, you crave being different. Being different is the normal. Isn't that the ironic play?!

Horses, Basketball, Blue grass and Bourbon. Uh, yes please.

 Below is an example of why Lexington is so fantastic

A sparkly TB? SOLD! (well, it wasn't for sale, but if it were....)

 Goofing around in the UK Library which design wise, was astoundingly beautiful

The entire campus is just beautiful!

"Oh, excuse me while I catch up on my Fifty Shades of ...I mean, The Odyssey"

In the library, this was a mosaic styled painting

"Oh Hi, Willy T. Young"

 Bed made, dorm room set up. He was excited. I do NOT know how I did the dorm life for 2 years in College. I loved it too...but now, the thought...oh vomit. Not that my off campus living was much better, but at least I had a private room...

UK did a fantastic job for K week move in. Very organized and held fantastic events for the starting Freshmen. I was impressed.

***
The very next morning, I took a red eye Greyhound from KY to MI (my first and LAST Greyhound adventure!!!) and woke up early to meet the girls for our planned trail ride.

The barnowner, and E and I had looked forward to it.

E trailer-ed Stella over from her barn where she is leasing her, about 30 minutes away.

Stella is the Roan/Flea Bitten Grey and is about 17 hh

Laz was BESIDES himself with excitement when a new, strange, pegasus looking mare arrived.

He was Lycius Two Racehorse for a good 30 minutes, jigging and snorting and arching his neck.

He kept squealing and shaking his neck/head. Finally, once we hit the trail, he found his brain.

All of us English riders agree, trail fun is the best

Here you can see Stella's cool coloring in her rump, she's like PINK! 

She turns totally white/grey in the winter.

One tuckered out pony. Yea, it takes energy to pretend that a 12 yr old OTTB is a 2 yr old Racing Pony doesn't it Laz?!

Pito and Laz rolling after the ride, right next to where Stella was grazing over the fence. They were enamored with her

"STELLLLLA!!!!!"

"STELLLLLAAAAAAAAA! Oh Hiiiii, youz bee oot tiff fullls"

We hope to plan another ride all together in a couple of weeks again.

***

Today I had time just for ground, field, lunge work.

Laz's coat is totally changing. He's back to his blood bay coloring and it's rich and gorgeous.

This is just after I brushed him for about 2 minutes. He's gleaming!

Snort! Riding this weekend and will be trying out a new bridle/bit combo for fun!

I would like to have a bit comfortable for him, as a good back up for some of our faster trail rides

He's been quite strong in the bitless and abusing the pressure in it, (aka leaning his fat body into it) so we need to work off of that 

Yoga Pants and gym shoes

My husband stretching pre run. He ran a 10K last Saturday that was hosted on a Ranch, so...I drug myself out of bed at 5:30 am to tag along.

"A ranch you say??? Ya, I'll come !"

Plus it was just 30 minutes west of Laz so I knew I could work in a visit on the way back

While he ran, I was stalking the barn trying to get in...to no avail

They had trail rides but the first one left at 10, which was when he was finishing his race.

DARN it

How random is this?! A Perch and a POA?? Now where have we seen this before ;)

Klein and Mocha doppelgangers!

On this ranch, you can CAMP WITH YOUR HORSE! Can you see the two black Tennessee walkers? 

I.want.to.camp.with.Laz.

Campgrounds, miles of horse trails...and um excuse me, a new pool.

Uh yea. I'm down with that.

Good job Billy!

RunnerFace

Next up, our pony visit on the way home!

A quick demo of "How to freak your pony"

Laz is down with a good freakin'

I FINALLY used my new pad I bought in April at the Rolex. 

It's from Horze and it's YELLOW and shiny and puffy as I struggled with his girth.
OOOFff

My tall, dark and handsome boy

 Yoga pants and nikes--yea, it happened

 Laz's cast is still on and this Saturday it will be two weeks..hoping for it to last at least 3

 Oh the truth hurts, nice chin up ;)

 Left lead is so good, Right lead has spotty moments. I'm not pushing it until he has re-balanced 

 Our 'extended' trot

 Loving this barn time

 Classic face

Classic attire ;)

But wait my pad matches my laces-boo ya

Last Tuesday, Mason woke up stiff and sore. The worse we've ever seen. Randomly too as he hadn't really done anything new or different. He couldn't walk. He laid down and would cry when he tried to move. I cancelled my appointments, put a towel around his rib cage and took him right to the vet. I do NOT mess around when it comes to my Mason.

Billy came to meet us there on his way home. Mason was so happy

 

He was diagnosed with overall body soreness. Being 10+ yrs, it's bound to happen.
We got two scripts of painkillers/muscle relaxers and in 36 hours he felt better.

 Pudgie was very concerned and wouldn't leave his brothers side.

For two weeks, Mason has to rest/heal so no barn time for this brown angel.

He will get new bloodwork to make sure meds didn't react with his liver/kidneys and we'll have a script on hand to use as needed for him. For big swim days, etc. Just on days when this old man needs a little additional comfort. It was a jolt of reality for us. Mason isn't a puppy anymore. But thankfuly, he is currently happy and pain free and moving.

***

 This Wednesday, we were supposed to have a lesson but it got cancelled so we worked on cavaletti exercises

This is what Laz thought of them

What was awesome was I had him on the lunge, while I yanked out two of the cavalettis out of our storage stall, drug it out to the field, all the while he walked next to me. Not a care in the world.

 We worked on w/t/c over two poles and stopping, one foot over at a time, backing up, etc and he got a lot of licorice nibs for being stellar

 Thursday am, the BO and I set plans for a trail ride.

The weather was perfect, sunny and 68

 Walking through with our baby boys

Some of our friends we saw out on the trail

 Laz and I leading (side note, does anyone else wear a sad fanny pack so you can carry your phone/treats? I want a nice one, not like Gucci nice, just better than Walmart-le sigh. Why doesn't the horse industry make a cool one?!)

The trails are just so pretty, we are so lucky to have them and do not take them for granted. 

Riding in Michigan is pretty phenomenal.