Chaos and Peace, All Rolled into One!

My life is exactly as the title describes it...a constant roller coaster of insanity and total peace, all wrapped into one.  Robyn left for the beach last Wednesday, so I was left with the care of our "kids" until she came back.  Thursday morning started bright and early with a bunch of personal errands, and I made it to the farm by 9 to feed and get ready for a lesson with Kelsey.  The ground was still soggy from the two solid weeks of downpouring rain we had here in the Carolinas, so we had to pick our work area carefully.  We spent a solid twenty minutes on the walk, as it is her hardest gait, in my opinion.  She prefers to go around hollow-backed with her head in the air at first.  So we perfected asking her for a correct walk, then moved on to the trot.  We put in some lovely work at the trot - she was instantly round and soft, not flying around in the slightest bit.  We worked on really asking her to carry from behind correctly, then called it a day.

That afternoon was "Vet Day"...I was running horrifically late, so I was a bit scattered when I got there, but everyone did great.  April gets her shots spread out to keep from catching a fever and ending up with sore feet, so her next shot is tonight.  Looking forward to that!!!  So, several hundred dollars and a hug later, the vet departed and left me with some new solutions to finish up the battle on Samson's reoccuring case of scratches.  Thursday evening was uneventful, but we did spend the late evening picking up some new farm toys - a pull-behind aerator and spreader for the mower, and four bags of winter rye and fescue. 

Friday night we tackled the back pasture.  We knew it wasn't going to last long, but even I was shocked at how quickly two horses ate it down.  So we aerated, put down seed, and then were left with another project to tackle - figuring out a sacrifice paddock to use for the next six weeks while the back field establishes grass....thank god for step-in t-posts.  It took me thirty minutes to put up a paddock, using some semi-clever land-planning, so now we have another paddock running up the right side of the driveway.  It went up just in the nick of time, because our new boarder was scheduled to arrive Saturday, thus adding the need for a second pasture!

New sacrifice paddock!

Saturday morning brought a delivery of alfalfa from my favorite Ohio hay guy...gorgeous hay, and such a nice guy.  Then I jetted over to sign April's sale agreement - that's right, she is now OFFICIALLY mine!  When I got back to the farm, I started tackling the wooded paddock with my hubby's help.  I conquered my fear of a chainsaw and quickly discovered they are a lot of FUN!  We are hoping to turn that overgrown mess into a useable paddock by springtime.  The new horse arrived a few hours later, and has settled in beautifully.  His owner is a really sweet girl who pitches in with chores, and is constantly helping.  It is so refreshing to have another little worker bee like us around!  You always wonder what you will end up with when a boarder shows up, but I think we are really going to enjoy having her around.

Future paddock - we have our work cut out!!!

I worked on April's canter Saturday, and fell MADLY in love.  I have never in my LIFE sat a canter like hers.  When I asked for the canter depart, she started to tear off in a long, flat canter.  I tightened my core and adjusted my position, and immediately I felt her back spring up beneath me, as she began to carry herself from behind.  What an incredible feeling!  It was one of those eye-opening moments where you realize "AH HA!  THIS is what it is supposed to feel like!"  I came back to the barn with tears in my eyes.  This mare has so much to teach me, and I cannot wait to learn and grow with her as my new partner.  It was amazing to feel something and learn what "correct" feels like, in such an obvious manner.  It's a far cry from wheeling around on a greenie, that is for certain! 

Sunday was a community tack sale, which of course consisted of loading, unloading, pricing, selling, loading again...and yes, I have to confess - I have yet to unload the remnants from my truck.  Guilty!!!  But the sale was amazing, and I picked up some huge deals - like a three-step mounting block for $20! 

So, as you can see, it has been a whirlwind of chaos, but there are so many wonderful moments wrapped in with it.  Like the midnight check on the new boarder, when the temperature has dropped twenty degrees, and I am snuggled up to Samson's soft neck under a soft moonlight, listening to the rhythmic sound of him munching on his hay.  The times I just plop down in a chair in the aisleway, just to stare at everything we have accomplished.  It is so fulfilling, and yet it has only just begun....

My sweet kids!!!