Getting there.

So, Allie has a part time lessor! Her name is Andrea and she rides beautifully. So far I've been really happy with the arrangement. She's lessoning with me once a week or two weeks, and riding Allie without me there another 1-2 times a week. Teamed with me riding 1-3 times a week I'm hoping Allie gains some fitness leading up to the end of year events.

Andrea up on Allie

Allie had her teeth done on Monday. She had them done 4 months ago but needed another dental because of her wave mouth from the big space in the top left where her tumour was. The dental pack was way overdue to come out (it should have fallen out on it's own probably a year and a half ago) and it was trapping food up against her cheek and gum causing substantial ulcering. D:

I tell you what, that mare would have been in quite a bit of pain but she didn't go off her food and she only got a little fussy in the bridle at walk. That's it. She should have been rooting the reins out of my hands and bucking me off to be honest. 

Allie still doped up, just had a painful pack extraction, still wants to graze. She's such a different horse post-surgery!!!

The vet removed the old dental pack as she no longer needed it and it was causing issues (clearly). She has a week off from work in a bit (but can be ridden in a bitless) and that should give her enough time to heal. The vet said she'll be like a different horse after this! Poor Allie. I'm so glad I didn;t put off her dental (due to finances) til next month. Imagine!!

In other news, (and shhhhh, don't you dare tell Allie, I'm trying to keep her in the dark so she doesn't get 'sick' again), I'm scoping out some events to attend in the next few months. There's Sydney @ SIEC at the beginning of September I'm hoping to go to at 60cm (this is where we did our first event) plus I want to do the 80cm hunter trial again at Silver Hills end of September before going to the Silver Hills event in November. Throw in jump club at say 90cm a couple of times in there plus a dressage and jump lesson or two and I think I will be sufficiently busy. Is my gut rolling again just thinking about it? YEP! But am I going to book all this anyway? Yep! I desperately want to bloody get out and show her properly. If I can finish this year with one or two more official outings then start next year with the clinics in Jan/Feb then hopefully I can get to the early 2017 events at 80cm confidently. That's if I keep her RAO under control (she's been doing good with this, but it's been raining a fair bit so no dust), and if she doesn't go and do something else health wise to stop me.

There's been a horse photo challenge going around on FB the last week or so, where you post a photo of an influential horse in your life each day for 7 days. Reading everyone's stories makes me think "why the hell can;t I get out and show like they do?". Maybe it's because I've got all my eggs in one basket only having one horse but that's the way I like to do horse ownership - one at a time. It's so cost prohibitive! I do all the hoof work on her as you know, and it still costs me almost $12,000 a year to keep her (agistment, feed, dentals, basic non-emergency vet care). Yes, I have a child, but so do so many other riders out there regularly competing. Sometimes (all the times) I feel like I'm trying to kick down a solid brick wall when it comes to horses. No matter how much effort I put in, I don't see results - I'm not even wanting to win out competing, I just want to participate!

I guess I'll just keep swimming, til we get 'there'. Wherever 'there' is.

Our very first show. She looks like such a baby!