Spring Time

I am declaring it spring.  The evidence: blankies off (mostly), mud, no frozen skin when exposed to the elements, green sprouts emerging.  This is a big deal.  A huge deal.  This means the ground is no longer frozen (I guess I gave that away already with the "mud" comment), and it logically follows that this means EZadorbs and I can galavant around the countryside again.

Which is pretty good, considering we are supposed to be getting ready for our big ("big" in this sense being totally subjective) event in a month.  ish.  We have access to our grassy area again, although I am trying to tread gently because of this mud issue that seems to be cropping up so often in this post.  And, I get to install our dressage letters now!  I can't wait.  I have to make sure I make the correct measurements so that we can practice our little dressage test accurately.

No big deal, right?  The trickiest part is the conversions.  Or else I need to buy a meter measuring tape.

So there's our dressage, taken care of, totally.  I am glad though that we had our winter time at Broken Wheel Ranch to get some consistent work done, EZ is just like a flexible, stretchy, on the bit machine.  And I've been still been hacking over once or twice a week to practice in a proper arena.

Then it's just a matter of doing it at Kent!  And then the small detail of the stadium and x-country!  Sure it will be just a breeze.  Without, you know, jumps, it's a little tricky to get tons o' experience with that stuff.  But, I am doing lots of cantering around fields.  And water obstacles.  Yeah, they're puddles, so what?  They are pretty legit puddles though, lets say mini lakes, maybe really-super-mini-lakes, and EZbigbraveboy just canters right through.  Sometimes on the second try.  But mostly on the first!

And, since he was so good at the jumpers show in February I'm hoping I'll just keep it together enough for him to continue going over things.  Ronan has promised to take me both stadium and x-country schooling, so I am not a nervous wreck.  Will be an adventure!

Meanwhile, we're getting all tuned up--vet, dentist, farrier, the works.  Very inexpensive.

EZ's favorite part of being fussed over is the end.  Because that's treat time.  His devotion to treats means that he will invite himself to hang out when I'm in the tack room, giving his bridle a much needed clean.

Noms?

I am sorry to admit that I don't discourage it.  EZ's company is quite excellent and his face particularly fetching.

  

This lack of discouragement of course translates to an invitation to just come on in in horsey language.  Take a look around!  Have a gnaw on the broom!

This dude takes invitation to enter to a whole new level though.  Just prances right on in like it ain't no thing, his tiny hooves seemingly giving him blanket tack room permission.

 

Myma's just about as bossy as declaring the tack room her own space, but although loud about it, not consistently effective.

 The tack room shenanigans convince the other cranky equine herd members that there might be something good for the getting, and they come down to boss EZpushover around.  He hides behind me for protection.

Noms??

I attempted to take photos of the frenzy for noms, so he thought the camera was a treat source and as a result I got several shots of pure nostril/lip.

And also this awkward-angle eye shot, in which you can see the crazy nom glint.

Mind=Blown

I discovered EZ's lip tattoo last week.  The vet was here poking around, she asked if he had raced, I replied that I was told he hadn't, then when feeling his teeth she found his tattoo, remarking that he must have at least gotten close to the racetrack then.  Him not racing had made sense to me--he is so low-strung, never jittery, so supple and responsive.  He also though is pretty unflappable, like he's seen it all before, which would fit with life in the races.

So I did a little bit of searching, found an E Z Dollar born in 2005 with 15 starts, with 1 win, winning about $35,000.  I put Kathleen on the task because solving thoroughbred mysteries is her favorite game. Check out the results:

E Z DOLLAR (USA) blk/br. G, 2005 DP = 6-4-8-0-0 (18) DI = 3.50   CD = 0.89

(CLOSE)

PETIONVILLE (USA) dkb/br. 1992		SEEKING THE GOLD (USA) b. 1985		MR. PROSPECTOR (USA) b. 1970 [BC]		RAISE A NATIVE (USA) ch. 1961 [B]		NATIVE DANCER (USA)		gr. 1950 [IC]
								RAISE YOU (USA)		ch. 1946 *
						GOLD DIGGER (USA) b. 1962		NASHUA (USA)		b. 1952 [IC]
								SEQUENCE (USA)		b. 1946
				CON GAME (USA) dkb/br. 1974		BUCKPASSER (USA) b. 1963 [C]		TOM FOOL (USA)		b. 1949 [IC]
								BUSANDA (USA)		blk. 1947 *
						BROADWAY (USA) b. 1959		HASTY ROAD (USA)		dkb/br. 1951
								FLITABOUT (USA)		b. 1945
		VANA TURNS (USA) dkb/br. 1985		WAVERING MONARCH (USA) b. 1979		MAJESTIC LIGHT (USA) b. 1973		MAJESTIC PRINCE (USA)		ch. 1966
								IRRADIATE (USA)		gr. 1966
						UNCOMMITTED (USA)* b. 1974		BUCKPASSER (USA)		b. 1963 [C]
								LADY BE GOOD (USA)		b. 1956 *
				THE WHEEL TURNS (USA) ch. 1977		BIG BURN (USA) dkb/br. 1970		NEVER BEND (USA)		b. 1960 [BI]
								BOWL OF FLOWERS (USA)		ch. 1958
						MANINA (USA) ch. 1967		MANGAYTE (ARG)		b. 1959
								INANAME (USA)		b. 1948
SONG OF DIXIE (USA) b. 1994		DIXIELAND BAND (USA) b. 1980		NORTHERN DANCER (CAN) b. 1961 [BC]		NEARCTIC (CAN) br. 1954		NEARCO (ITY)		br. 1935 [BC]
								LADY ANGELA (GB)		ch. 1944
						NATALMA (USA)* b. 1957		NATIVE DANCER (USA)		gr. 1950 [IC]
								ALMAHMOUD (USA)		ch. 1947 *
				MISSISSIPPI MUD (USA) b. 1973		DELTA JUDGE (USA) dkb/br. 1960		TRAFFIC JUDGE (USA)		ch. 1952
								BEAUTILLION (USA)		blk. 1953
						SAND BUGGY (USA) dkb/br. 1963		WARFARE (USA)		gr. 1957
								EGYPTIAN (USA)		br. 1953
		SONG OF SYRIA (USA) b. 1985		DAMASCUS (USA) b. 1964 [IC]		SWORD DANCER (USA) ch. 1956		SUNGLOW (USA)		ch. 1947
								HIGHLAND FLING (USA)		br. 1950
						KERALA (USA)* b. 1958		MY BABU (FR)		b. 1945 [B]
								BLADE OF TIME (USA)		br. 1938
				PASSERINE (USA) ch. 1977		DR. FAGER (USA) b. 1964 [I]		ROUGH'N TUMBLE (USA)		b. 1948 [BC]
								ASPIDISTRA (USA)		b. 1954 *
						PASHAMIN (USA) b. 1966		MY BABU (FR)		b. 1945 [B]
								TIR AN OIR (IRE)		ch. 1949

Looks impressive enough to me.

His papa:

It's jacked up EZ Dollar!


More details of his stats:

Date	Conditions			Race Result		Jockey	OR
13Jun09	Bel	8AF	3y+ F(15K)	8-2[15/1]	10th of 13 27.75L behind Tenacious Greg (IRE)	Maylan Studart
25May09	Bel	8	3y+ F(18K)	8-9	unplaced in race won by Manitowish Waters (USA)	K Desormeaux
29Apr09	Bel	6	3y+ F(17K)	8-1[14/1]	7th of 15 9.38L behind Golden Weekend (USA)	Amanda Casey

Kath was all psyched up because fancy pants Hall of Fame jockey Kent Desormeaux sat on my horse.

Fancy Pants Jockey.  But not E Z Dollar.  Sadly.

Kathleen, intrepid researcher, also found evidence of his post-racing, pre-Indian Pond Farm life.  Trainer KC trains OTTBs at Akindale and has a blog of her own, and wrote an entry about how fine Mr EZ is, and plans for him for a client of hers: http://thundermoonfarm.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html .  Obviously a very knowledgeable trainer, as she loves him--smart lady.

EZ's potential being recognized at Akindale!

Unfortunately he didn't work out for KC's client, or for another adopter that Akindale tried placing him with http://thundermoonfarm.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html .  Well, fortunately for me.  I recognized myself in the post as being the new trial owner who would be lucky to have and love him (Yeah, I am!).

So.

He was a little race horse.  The little pushover that he is I am surprised and impressed that he had it in him.  I also am even more impressed and appreciative of his mad skillz and that he is as good as he is at this other life I am asking of him.

**OR I'm wrong, and E Z Dollar racehorse is different from my little EZ Dollar (the space between the E and the Z being the question).    I need to verify by his tattoo number to know for sure...

Creepy Cat Lady Status is Definite

I was perusing my laptop's photobooth photos, and came to the startling conclusion that I am a creepy cat lady.  They are all of Scamp.    Here is tiny baby kitten Scamp the first day he came home.

Here he is looking like a Simba Lion when we were posing for Auntie Patti.

 Rylee had snuck up on the bed here, which Scamp objected to, but not enough to give up his coveted spot right in my way.  We never really worked out a steady truce.

Further evidence of his favorite place being where ever is most in the way, particularly on the keyboard.

Or in the sink.  

 Most of the other ones are me trying to capture how goddamn crazy he is laying on my face when I am trying to sleep.

 I like how both of our eyes are so sleepy.  And he is literally on my face.  Cat does not kid around.

I swear I'm not forcing it.  Sometimes I do.  But I'm not in any of these.  Dude just wants to snuggle.  Of course, it's consistently when I am trying to, you know, sleep.  But my schedule is obviously less important than Scamp's.  Because I am a cat lady. 

Millbrook Winter Riders

On Thursday, the last day of riding with the school, I realized I had my camera in my pocket.  You may wonder while this realization resulted in so relatively few photos, but I had to get on my horse, and Wellington is not as easy to ride while shooting as EZ is. 

I have ordered (as a teacher, you get to order) the kids to put the bridles on their horses.  You can tell in the background that this is still only being contemplated (that's the thing with ordering, you can't guarantee fulfillment).

But the little kiddies do you usually get around to doing it, here the throatlatch has successfully been identified on Pal.  Pal is a great teachers for the beginners, although he has very bossy grand manners.

Like that.  

All around, sometimes these horses are tricky to keep a hold of.

But once you got them, you best hold on!

Both children and horses can occasionally be a bit camera shy, unfortunately.  Although others are complete hams, need I remind you of this:

Winter is the longest sports season, and with the weather this was a particularly rough one, but still it seemed to go by pretty quickly.  After a few weeks of spring break, we'll be back for more, different kids, but same deal.  We want to try to have a little show at the end of the season, give us something concrete to accomplish--other than being able to bridle your horse on command, of course.

Jiggity Jig

We're home again!  Yesterday marked the 5 week mark at Broken Wheel Ranch, and our date of departure.  It is still mad snowy around and not a whole lotta options for outdoor riding, but it was time to return to Indian Pond Farm.

 Although still snowy, as seen from the ride down to the road from the Ranch, the air does undeniably have a spring feeling to it.  It has been alternately raining, snowing, melting and freezing, but it seems to be moving towards a general thaw from the Snowpocolypse 2011.

Trying to aim from horseback is tricky.  Here, though,  you get a good view of where EZ's mane gets bunk.  I've been considering braiding it to try to get it to lay all on one side.  Then I think, why?  I mean, if I was going to attempt mane-care, probably I should start with pulling it to a decent length, no?  But it's so thin to start with, I'd rather leave it long, as long as it's acceptable to French Braid it if/when we show.  I don't know what Emily Post would say about that.

EZ was somewhat confused and kept looking back over at his bachelor gang; it had been awhile since we had made the mailbox-riddled road ride back to Indian Pond Farm.

Once we got home though, there was much reuniting with the D Gang.

Note Donovan's trademark "I am so big/give me treats" neck arch that he employs on occasions such as these.

 It's not like they were embracing in joy and love, but nor were they snorting in rejection.

Once everyone had deemed each other non-threatening, it was back to the full herd.

Donovan thought it was his duty as self-appointed herd leader to follow EZ around to make sure he wasn't up to no good.

EZ and Dutch also checked each other out a bit

But they determined nothing required further investigation.  And EZ's tongue felt really heavy.

All in all, it was all so uneventful that Donovan thought he'd just catch a little nappy. 

And EZ had to just get a little roll in, in order for it to fully feel like home.

Sorry it's so bouncy, Donovan was literally breathing down my neck.  I think I should start a rolling video collection.  They are always endlessly entertaining.

The reintroduction of babyEZcakes means restructuring the feeding process, which has been helpfully streamlined with his absence and the relocation of the goaties, who are living in the lower pasture since they realized they could wiggle through the pig door and wreak havoc in the tack room.  Now though, they get quality time with Dukey boy.

Poor Duke looks like he's about to get impaled in this one.

But he recovered quickly.

I was trying to get them both standing on the fence at the same time, but goats and dogs are not the most cooperative, I discover.

EZ Dollar Superstar

Just got back from the show.  Spent a literal 12 hours today with EZboy, which was pretty glorious.  He was super incredible, acted like he had done it all a million times.

I took only 2 photos the entire long day we spent together.  I was too much of a basket case.  But, here is his cute little professional looking head, chilling in the trailer like it ain't no thing.  (and he doesn't actually have two noses, his neighbor has a twinny bay thoroughbred nose)

And dad is a show dad from way back.  Cup of coffee in one hand, horse in the other.  We did a lot of this--the standing.  After I warmed up over the fences when we first got up to the ring Ronan and I both agreed that we were already satisfied.  EZ was just the bomb.  Went over everything, didn't bat an eye at anything, not even the snow sliding off the roof that was driving all the other horses nutty.

Seriously, we were amidst some chaos in the warm up ring, with horses refusing, people coming off, wheeling and shying at the snow sounds, and EZ was unperturbed.   I for sure lucked out.  I wasn't sure what to expect, having jumped him so rarely, and having never taken him to a show situation, but if there were any doubt I am now positive that I am in possession of a super star.

We did do our two little hunter classes, which is funny, just because neither of us are hunters, but luckily neither were most of our competitors and we got 3rd and 4th place, which means that EZ has some ribbons currently adorning his stall door.

Country Animals

EZ and co. had some more visitors this weekend.  Randi and Caroline made the trek from New York City to the Millbrook School Log Cabin for some fresh country air.  And gossip magazines.  Ooooh, and the zoo, where we were all captivated by these guys (all photo credits to Caroline):

Yup, high school with a zoo, no big deal.

Since in the country there is really nothing else to do than look at various animals, both exotic and farm, we also made a visit to both Indian Pond Farm and Broken Wheel Ranch.

Here is Caroline, both she and Donovan seeming awestruck with each other.

And here Randi and Dutch Boy seem equally delighted with each other's company. 

 Even more delighted here!  The horses are hoping that the proximity to the tack room door may indicate a possibilities for treats, and just working their charming magic on the lady from the boogie down.

"Yeah, ok, this is fun and all, but where are the treats?"

The tiny charmers were also out in full force.  Donker was not enjoying the rainy weather though.

Myma was totally digging her hay-filled burrow, however, only emerging at the ever promising possible presence of food.

Next we went next door to visit Mr EZdarlingdoo.

And to do some doctoring, because that's what we do when we go to Broken Wheel Ranch.

Some for the chest...

A little more on the eye...he loves it.  He actually is a very good patient, and I bribe him in between each dab.

The star of this visit though, had to be Rafter Cat.  Ask Randi and Caroline to sing you the song they composed in his (her?) honor.  It's a great jingle.

Here Randi is probably trying to get a better look at Rafter Cat.

The good thing about having visitors, other than that they are wonderful people whom I love, is that they take pictures of EZ and me, and we get to work on our glamor shots.