Long Time No Post...

So I haven't posted in a while... sorry! I've been busy and it's been freezing here so I haven't even been out to see Mikey really.

Mikey got back into work after New Years (like two days of work) and then the temps dropped to highs of 12 and lows of zero. I love him, but he's an hour from my house now and I'm not driving that far in the dark after work when it's barely double digits, just to say hi. He's checked on every day by my trainer, and I trust her more than anyone anyway.

Mikey's flying changes are coming along again. He offers me something every time- the full change, sometimes through sometimes not, a swap in the front and a skip step behind, or a swap in the front and I have to really work at the hind change. I've started making the same lines as I would when I'm going to ask for a flying change, and then either halt or simple change through walk or flying change. Doing it that way, he's no longer anticipating (as hard) and I have a better shot at keeping him together.

It's nice being back boarding with my trainer and all her students. She has jump clinics every Sunday, late in the morning. I usually go out and be ring crew for that, then I ride after. The clinics are fun- I almost want to jump again.

Mikey started on Chia seeds on 1/11/2015. I didn't get a picture of him that day, but I did take a pic of him last night when I was out.

I'm not very talented at getting pics from the side. But this'll do as long as I'm just as bad at it for the after picture.

Mikey has filled out a good bit since he's arrived back in my trainer's winter barn. (More on the barn in a second). He's happy with her routine. Sorry for pulling you out Mikey! He's so shiny, I love it.

The barn my trainer was leasing for the winter was for sale (our farrier owns it). I say 'was' because she has decided to stay and keep her show operations from there, and is doing a lease to own on the farm! Mikey will stay there, and I'll always have an indoor arena again! Yay! Now I have to find where the extra $100 a month is coming from to pay the board- as a temporary thing I could find the  extra money, but now it's permanent, so I gotta find a more permanent solution.

The farm has 2 barns that total around 36 stalls (I think 26 and 10?), an indoor arena (60x120m), a bathroom (her old farm did not, so this is a major upgrade, along with the indoor), and 2 outdoor arenas (both oval, one fits a small dressage arena and the other fits a standard arena). The farm also hosts 3 hunter/jumper shows, a clinic at the end of summer with Stephan Bradley, and this year they're going to host 3 dressage schooling shows. Also, Mikey's shoeing price just went down since the farrier doesn't have to travel to him, yay!

The beading business is waiting for my leather and rivets to arrive. I decided to make bracelets as well, so I've been experimenting with those too. Buy a matching set, browband and bracelet!

First attempt at a bracelet. I ran out of the 4mm blue beads, so I had to make the attachment to the clasp too long.
I did find a neat heart toggle clasp though!

Penny has gotten in on the beading. I ordered a variety of 4mm beads (the browbands use 6mm) and I was working on things, left the living room, and came back to see this.

"If I fits, I sits."

Gotta love cats and their love for sitting in boxes (aka cat traps). Husband said he came in later that evening after I had gone to the barn, and out of the various package boxes we received that day (large, medium and this tiny box), she had opted to sit in the tiny one. He tried to get a picture but she moved!