I’m not sure I’m really coping anymore. This morning the barn doors were frozen shut in the storm, pulled off the handle trying to open them, eventually had to crawl head-first through a stall window. Horse was not a fan of this. I think it’s cupcake and margarita time.
[QUOTE=yellowbritches;7458773]
My bike is sitting on the trainer in my living room, giving me dirty looks and calling me fatty. Screw you, bike. The cake was good (and vegan. That MUST count for something!).[/QUOTE]
Recipe?
Want to make a (vegan) friend a cake…
Oh, no! LOL, though, at the image.
We had snow flurries this morning and ice last night. I’ve given up.
The fact that we might just have to get through this month and then we’ll have a nice April/May gives me hope. If it stays cold and wet it might be time to skip the cupcakes and margaritas and go straight for the cake batter and tequila!
I’m really not an alcoholic with a junk food obsession, but this weather is threatening to turn me into one. I did make it out for a run before the snow got too bad this morning at least. The damp air was good for my asthma, if nothing else.
So looking at the calendar… if we write off the next two weeks, just to be safe (allegedly a chance of snow at the end of next week too, and my ring doesn’t thaw or drain very well), that means my horses could be in work for 8 weeks. They both walk trot canter (on one lead) pretty well. One understands contact in the bridle-ish, the other not at all. But in 8 weeks we could get a start on it all. Then I’m gone for four weeks. And then we’d have another 6 weeks until MDHT. That is a reasonable time frame, right?
Novice there… couple of T runs in the fall, I’ll run away somewhere warm in the winter, P by spring, I by summer, A by the fall, Rio 2016. Totally going to happen. This snow needs to be worth something though, so I think I’ll go drive my new jeep around town looking for some billionaires stuck in the snow with their sports car. I’ll rescue him/her and he/she will be so grateful he/she will fund my riding forever too. Snow is good!
This is how I “cope”.
So I decided to cope by doing entries. Since SP1 and Morven are out, I am entering the Redlands CT, cdcta combined test, and for this Sunday, a Mitchell Dressage Series dressage show. (We are in NOVA). I’m throwing away the plans to get UL horse out this month and just hoping that the footing will be good enough for us to start conditioning in the next week.
I’ve been coping by healthy eating throughout this so I think my white breeches will fit in the near future. And studying the 2014 dressage tests. And surviving…
At least this most recent snow was at the low end of th forecasted amount. We have 4 inches instead of 12.
Oh joy.
[QUOTE=Winding Down;7460178]
for this Sunday, a Mitchell Dressage Series dressage show.[/QUOTE]
I will be there too. I know you’ve met me, but I’ll be the one braided, wearing a shad and white gloves.
Operation Calm the F*** Down begins Sunday.
[QUOTE=FrittSkritt;7458112]
Well, this approaching ice/snow storm settles it… I definitely feel confident in not sending in my Morven entry! It’s too bad Redland isn’t running this year, having an option between Morven and Fair Hill (that isn’t CDCTA or the s***show that is Loch Moy unrecognized) would really help.[/QUOTE] What do you dislike about CDCTA? Just curious. And I feel you on the Loch Moy comment. I volunteer at almost everything they put on there, and they’re great people! That being said I think I would have heart failure in their unrec. warmup rings if I actually had to ride :eek:
Yesterday morning. First of all, I have the cold from hell. Water trough heater fried, outlet fried, blew the circuit breaker for the barn outlets, water buckets in the barn frozen. Eight inches of snow and ice, and around here, that’s Armageddon.
Get the horses turned out, they take off galloping. I look out later and the ancient pony is down. I go back out and he can’t get up. Husband and I get him up, call the vet, call his owner. He’s non weight bearing on the right front. Vet gets here and can’t find anything, no heat, no swelling, nothing broken. We decided the old man must have tweaked it running around like a 3 year old.
He’s fine this morning. Of course. He’s going to be the death of me. I really love that old pony.
Well, apparently, I’ve officially had it.
My battery is dead, AGAIN (this battery is a year old). My dog is still not better (Waiting for bloodwork to come back and calling an animal communicator today), I am DONE with these temps and the effing snow, I don’t want to pack, I don’t want to deal with moving, I’m tired of missing work for snow (and, now, I’m going to miss it because I HAVE to get the car checked over). I’m just DONE.
I’m not really coping anymore either. My level of frustration is so high right now that sometimes when I’m in the barn I have an overwhelming urge to just start crying.
We decided to put the farm up for sale and still have not been able to put it on the market because we can’t do any outside touch up painting yet. I have most of the inside ready to go and a lot already packed up but we are just in a holding pattern now.
I want to start looking for places to board when we move but I have no idea how long it will take to sell our farm so I really can’t do much right now. I will also need to find a job when we move and I can’t start looking for that yet, either!
One boarder left March 1rst, so I do have a respite from taking care of 5 horses and am down to 4. Two other boarders are leaving mid April so I will be down to 2 horses here. I know it will really start getting lonely then and I will really miss them.
I just wish I had an idea of how long this process will take so I can plan accordingly.
Oh, and I’ve ridden twice since December 27th. You can bet I will be boarding somewhere with an indoor when I move!
I know in the Grand Scheme of things that my problems are minuscule. There is always an upside to something, sometimes you just have to look hard to find it.
[QUOTE=asterix;7458778]
Like everyone else, I have had it. Had It. We are lucky to have an indoor so technically there has been consistent work, but since I haven’t so much as gone on a walk hack outside since 2013 those early season events are looking rather dicey. Baby horse has become SO civilized in the indoor, but we need time to imprint this behavior out in the wild. :lol:
So…today…fluffy light snow…perfect for a snow hack…but I am stuck in the city…and leaving tomorrow morning. How ironic that the ONE snow I think we could actually ride in is the one I will be gone for. However, if I typed the name of the place I am going I am pretty sure that all of you local to me would hunt me down and kill me so…[/QUOTE]
Asterix- it doesn’t start with “H” and end in “I” does it? If so, then, yes, I will have to hunt you down! :winkgrin: (and be so jealous that you are going there twice in one year!!!)
I also have HAD.IT. with this winter. I bought a new pony in January, and this weather has made it difficult to enjoy her and get to know her! I also am trying to figure out rehabbing my gelding who has been off since June for an injury, and the cold just makes it tough (tight healing soft tissue in super cold temps makes for an unhappy horse). I normally don’t mind winter and like snow but this is insane! Even with an indoor, I’ve been riding at most 4 days a week (often 2 or 3 given temps) which is not my norm. And now, I just have no more motivation for more than that with this weather. I also know the horses are just so bored with the indoor…
If that is where she is going…I’ll join your hunting party!!! I was supposed to go home there for my Dad’s big 70 birthday (most of my family still lives there) but can’t get away from work. So bummed…then my HS reunion is this year too…and again, will not get back for it (that, I’m a bit less bummed about 
)
I’ve had it with winter…but really, work has been keeping me from riding. Nothing like working 15 hours from home even when you office is closed because of the snow. YUCK. The crappy weather at least makes me slightly less bitter about not riding.
[QUOTE=pologirl27;7460351]
What do you dislike about CDCTA? Just curious. And I feel you on the Loch Moy comment. I volunteer at almost everything they put on there, and they’re great people! That being said I think I would have heart failure in their unrec. warmup rings if I actually had to ride :eek:[/QUOTE]
Yes, normally I love Loch Moy, but last time I rode in the unrecognized the stadium course was the most oddball, demented thing I’d ever seen. And XC was a bit trappy IMO.
I did Fall CDCTA in 2012 and overall it was poorly run. Just a few examples: the warmup footing for dressage was in what looked like a recently-mown cornfield (completely with holes and stalks sticking up from the ground), the dressage judge sat there and chatted for a good 5 minutes while I circled the ring even though I was on time, not early, there was a giant hole in the stadium course, and my personal favorite – the XC courses were drawn on post-its and photocopied onto a sheet of paper. So Prelim had an entire side, while the Training, Novice, and BN were all crammed on the other. The Training map was cut off at the top so you couldn’t tell where one of the jumps was, and I spent a good 30 minutes wandering around trying to find the jump in the back field.
These are things I would expect at an unrecognized event, not a recognized one.
(Plus I did the scoring at CDCTA years ago and they treated us like crap, so that left a bad taste in my mouth. :p)
BFNE- it has been confirmed! While hunting her down would be a challenge as she is already there, you are welcome to join me in the hunt when she returns ;).
I see we’re going to get some warmer (e.g. “normal” temps for this time of year) weather soon, but I made the mistake of looking out 10 days and see that temps go back down again (with possibly some rain and snow mix) at the tail end of that…
[QUOTE=pharmgirl;7462824]
BFNE- it has been confirmed! While hunting her down would be a challenge as she is already there, you are welcome to join me in the hunt when she returns ;).
I see we’re going to get some warmer (e.g. “normal” temps for this time of year) weather soon, but I made the mistake of looking out 10 days and see that temps go back down again (with possibly some rain and snow mix) at the tail end of that…[/QUOTE]
Yeah…My Dad said it has been rainy there (always is this time of year but typically not all day). He said it had been REALLY cold…like 57F. Ok…that is cold for that location (may even require wearing of jeans and shirts with sleeves) but come on 
Supposedly lovely now…hopefully she brings some of it back with her…then the hunting can be put off!
Buddy from childhood is visiting next week and promised to bring good weather with her. I’m hoping she pulls it through
[QUOTE=bornfreenowexpensive;7462839]
Yeah…My Dad said it has been rainy there (always is this time of year but typically not all day). He said it had been REALLY cold…like 57F. Ok…that is cold for that location[/QUOTE]
If we’re talking about the same place that starts with an H and ends with an I, my parents report snow on the island! Granted it is high away a single mountain and not at anyone’s actual HOME like it is here. At this point I’m happy when I unfreeze a double ended snap and can actually open gates/take down water buckets.
[QUOTE=pologirl27;7462925]
If we’re talking about the same place that starts with an H and ends with an I, my parents report snow on the island! Granted it is high away a single mountain and not at anyone’s actual HOME like it is here. At this point I’m happy when I unfreeze a double ended snap and can actually open gates/take down water buckets.[/QUOTE]
Yeah…there often is this time of year. Of course it is REALLY high up there. When I was a kid, we drove up to the summit to play in the snow. First time I saw snow…or even saw my breath. Then drove back down to the house we were staying in at the beach. Half of us got altitude sickness!!! I’m not kidding! It is the only place in the world that you can basically drive up from sea level to 14,000 feet (is only about a 2 hour drive).
My SO grew up on Oahu and his parents (still there) have been complaining bitterly on FB every day about the 60-something degree nights. Rough life . . .
60 degree nights?!?
That sounds heavenly right now. I would love a 60 degree night. That’s prime open window or hammock sleeping!!! Instead I’ve got three blankets, an anxiety ridden dog and two asshole cats.
COME ON, SPRING!!!
