the giveaway that went away

Somehow my posts added up (albeit slowly lately) and I've reached a benchmark - 500 posts! I was allll excited, and ready to do my first blog giveaway.....and then I read this article about Sweepstakes, Contest & Giveaway laws for bloggers. I highly recommend reading it if you want to know more about what criteria is/isn't legal. The comments contain some good info as well.

Watch out if something you ask people to do is considered of value, which is subjective and pretty much everything. I am not leaving out my Canadian friends, instead I should include asking a math question (or other element of skill). Every location on earth differs in what they require and allow. Who knew the simple act of giving something away was so damn complicated?! 

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I was going to have two simple requirements:

1) Follow this blog, which if you don't already you can choose to do so.

2) Comment on this post and tell me (now completely optional):

What would you like to see more of on this Equine Expressions blog?

Sorry, there will be no prize - I mean giveaway. I thought it would generate some fun, and maybe a few new genuine readers & valued ideas. I hoped to give back to this equine blogger community, that has given me so much. 

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Equine Expressions was started in 2009 as a way to chronicle & share my life long dream of owning horses. Regular blog readers should know you are so appreciated & have been very helpful, you know who you are. I wish I could give you all something!! My journey continues evolving, and treasured friendships have formed in person and online. As with much of life, the best thing I can give is my time.

when spring is coming

Hello friends, long time no type! Spring is around the corner, and yet it feels like we never really had winter. We squeaked in one short weekend trip snowmobiling up north, when we actually had a little snow to enjoy. I'm no good with a camera phone, but here we are...

playing in the snow

At this point, I am ready for a different season. You too? One that includes horseback riding without ten layers on, and enjoying time together exploring the woods at a much slower pace. It could happen, but only if Koda stays sound. We have a long way to go with his rehab, but he continues progressing well. 

Our horses have been shedding for weeks now, especially Nemo - our early shedder. We know Spring is coming when it starts snowing inside the barn! His fine white hair floats around & sticks to absolutely everything!!

Coggins, vaccines & teeth floating were all taken care of last week, another sign of Spring...

Koda getting his teeth done

Brad plans on showing Cierra for the first time, and show bills have started appearing around the house. He has been taking regular weekly lessons on Cierra, his Ranch riding has really improved! Ranch classes are growing in popularity everywhere, including the Midwest. There is a local clinic offered this Spring by AQHA World Champion Mozaun McKibben, hoping Brad gets to ride in it.

The robins never left, my bulbs have been peaking out all winter, and we still have green grass. So these don't count as Spring indicators this year! 

Until Spring is here to stay, the boys will enjoy standing knee deep in hay...

poetry without motion

curious george

Last night we walked into the arena to do our pre-ride check, when I realized I forgot to take Koda's hock boots off. Great. 

It takes two hands to works those bionic velcro things, so I had to set the lunge whip down, and the lead line. Lunge whip falls off the mounting block. Sigh.

After two try's, it can just lay there. It's seen plenty of sand anyways. Horse is trained to ground tie, so at least I'm hands free. 

I peeeel the velcro off the boots...three straps X two boots X stick, stick and stuck over and over again, on every possible surfaces...requires a lot of patience, and a few choice words. 

Finally, the boots are off - victory!

It's just us in the arena, and we only do a few assessment circles before we finish tacking, the boots will be safe on top of the mounting block, right? 

Wrong. As I bend down to pick up the lead line, whoosh, Koda swiftly picks up the hock boots and drops the new boots in the sand. Fantastic.

As I bend down to pick up the hock boots, whoosh, Koda swiftly opens up the top of the mounting block. He sticks his head inside, and stands there. What's a girl to do?

I proceed to laughing and fumbling for my phone. How did he know the mounting block opened?

Maybe I should have named him Curious George.

Curious George aka Koda

what is old, is new again

We closed out 2015 and welcomed 2016, in our most favorable way. Together and relaxed. It was all but perfect and included a spa stay. One of the highlights is swimming outdoors in a heated pool. The combination of cool air and mist rising, twisting mystically all around, while nestled among towering pines, with a few mounds of white pristine snow...sigh. If only I could bottle that feeling up, and open it when needed...

After eating a scrumptious breakfast, complete with all yummy food groups, we took a break from that slice of paradise for a completely different kind. The kind that involves horses. Riding our beloved horses on the last day of 2015, completed our year.

Before arriving, I had a long vet conversation that helped with plans to continue healing Koda in the new year. It's been 5 weeks since I started riding him at a walk, more gradually then recommended. I increased and adjusted variables based on my pre-ride observations, especially when new soreness showed up half way through in his right rear (going right). It appears to be hock related. The leg we are healing is the left front. On days there was no soreness visible, I began to mix in a tiny bit of trot. The soreness continues to come & go, prompting my call.

Koda has been hock sore once before. For anyone dealing with similar, there are good suggestions from readers on the linked post. Our vet thinks this time the soreness may be for different reasons and likely related to everything that has been going on with my boy, or the lack of. We are trying a bute & hock boot approach first, with continued activity to see if it works itself out. I am asking a lot less of Koda, and he is certainly not complaining/reacting like the last time he showed soreness in his hocks. He has surpassed my expectations and is being a really well behaved boy. I think he enjoys being back to a routine. Hopefully this new soreness will also get better, and we can continue moving forward. If not, we will get a vet check in-person. 

For the most part Koda is feeling pretty good lately, and so is his older pasture mate Liz. She entered training to get a tune-up, and it shows. Apparently they've been running together, playing in the pasture and having fun being horses. The increased activity hasn't set Koda back (aforementioned soreness started earlier) as of January 1st he was cleared to go back out to the big pasture with this guy...

Nemo, who kept his distance,
until I pulled his brother out of the pasture

When I went out to get Koda for our first ride this year, the boys were pretty much ignoring each other. I expect that will change. 

Koda, in the big pasture

Everything that was old, feels new again...makes me curious on how this new year will unfold...

"If you don't like something change it;

if you can't change it,
change the way you think about it." 

~ Mary Engelbreit