My Daughter's New Horse - Tequila Sunrise

Last year, on August 21, 2008, my daughter's heart broke when her horse, Rex, died unexpectedly. It was devastating to her to lose him. She'd been through some rough times in the previous year and she came out of it with her strong bond with Rex. She was happy again with Rex. Rex had such a personality that I wondered if there'd be another horse with so much character.

It's been nine months since Rex passed and she's been riding Tequila this year, our trainer's mare. They've been learning together (Tequila hasn't had formal training as she'd been a broodmare previously but she has such an easy going personality that it didn't seem to matter). The extent of Tequila's riding experience was when the girls at the stable would jump on her bareback with just a lead rope and ride her around in a parking lot at a show (she's great at shows for halter). Tequila wasn't going to have anymore babies so it was time for her to become a riding horse.

Bree has been the one riding her...first on a lunge line with the trainer and then, quicker than I expected, on her own. I didn't realize it until last week but Bree has been the only one to ride her for training. It's a great accomplishment for my daughter. As expected, Tequila was easily trained for riding and my daughter can now say she helped "break" a horse for riding ("break" isn't the right word...Tequila wants to do what you want her to do). They bonded beautifully.

Tequila is a unique horse in her own, funny way. I'm working on the video to post here to show you what I mean (she's hilarious). You'll have to check out the video when I get it posted.

Anyway, the point of all of this (sorry, I got to rambling), is that Tequila's owner (our trainer) gave Tequila to Bree after her lesson this past Wednesday. Tequila Sunrise is now Bree's horse. She was finally ready for another horse and now she has one to love again. They work well together and love each other. Here they are:



In June, they will go to their first horse show together for halter.

Read more...

Horse Night Light

I was online looking for a jasmine candle for my mother-in-law when I found this horse night light that my horse-loving daughter would really like on the same website, Colonial Candle. Actually, I think all of my kids would like one of these in their bedrooms.

All the redecorating in my children's bedrooms has come along nicely. As usual, our bedroom is the last one to be redecorated.

Read more...

Can I ride a horse if I'm pregnant?

Can I ride a horse if I'm pregnant?

That's a question a lot of women ask their doctor if they are avid riders and pregnant. Seeing how we are waiting to see if a little accident results in my needing to know whether I should be worrying about this or not in a few months, I looked it up. The answer varies with who you ask.

Most everything I've read so far says it is ok if you are an experienced rider on a steady mount. Of course, you shouldn't be jumping large jumps or anything like that as your center of gravity shifts with your body changes. You'll find yourself eating dirt.

The opposite side of this debate is that riding a horse is considered a risky sport to begin with and risky sports are off-limits while pregnant because you can fall off. You can get kicked. You can get jarred a bit while riding.

I am not an experienced rider and my horse is not a dead head to ride so the answer, for me, would be no. I am also a bit clumsier when pregnant (I've managed to fall during every pregnancy on my own feet). I am also highly neurotic about safety so I wouldn't ride whether I was experienced or not. That's just me. The risks aren't worth it to me because no matter how experienced you are, accidents happen. I just read of one on a forum where an experienced rider fell off her horse and was kicked while in her second trimester. Others enjoy riding until they aren't comfortable to do so anymore.

If you are pregnant and wondering if you should be riding your horse, check out Obgyn.net here and do a search with your question. You should definitely check with your own doctor! I'm not sure if I am going to need it yet. We had a hard time getting pregnant with our other kids, but like my husband said, it'd be our luck when we weren't trying to get pregnant. Oh well. If it happens, he or she would be welcomed with lots of love.

Read more...

New Tack from Sunset Halters

I received my new halter bridle from Sunset Halters for JeeNee the other day. I ordered it in black and coral. It's a really nice one. I can't wait to see her in it this week. I'll take pictures, of course (I am rarely without my camera). If you want to see what it looks like, click on the link in the first sentence and check it out. It's SO pretty and looks wonderful on my girl.

I will get pictures! It's been mega-crazy these last couple weeks with school getting out this week for my kids. They cram every school musical, field day, band concert, etc. into the end of the year that they can. Multiply that times four kids and we are super busy!

Read more...

When the Diagnosis is Cancer

Since I just had a thyroid biopsy done on Monday to check for cancer in three solid nodules on my thyroid, cancer has been on my mind a little more than usual. OK, a lot more than usual. Statistically speaking, my results should be negative unless it's just not my lucky day.

Read more...

New Horse

What my daughter doesn't know yet, and we are going to talk to the trainer and let her give her the surprise since she is giving the gift to my daughter, is that my daughter will have a new horse soon! Losing Rex last summer was SO hard. I still get choked up at times. However, there comes a time when you have to move on (says mom who seems to be having a harder time of it than her daughter...I'm lecturing myself here...don't mind me).

Stay tuned for details!!

Read more...

Decorating Daughter's Room

Did you know that Mary Kate & Ashley have a line of area rugs? I didn't. I am looking for a country type rug (horses, horse shoes, etc.) for my daughter's bedroom and I found this adorable area rug for my other daughter's room from Mary Kate & Ashley. Unlike my horse-loving daughter, my middle daughter is really girly. Their line of rugs would be perfect for my middle child. Now back to shopping for a rug for my horse-loving daughter...

Read more...

Is Twitter for Sale?

Do you Twitter? It's the new thing to do, gaining momentum everyday, which is actually a big surprise to me.

On The View today (you know that show where most of the women gang up on one and argue - oops, I mean, debate - so much so that you can't hear what any of them are talking about. Like a bunch of angry birds squawking at each other...hey, they're twittering at each other. OK, bad joke.

Back to The View, Biz Stone, a co-founder of Twitter, told audiences today that Twitter is not for sale. Apparently, rumors abound that Google, Microsoft, and others are wanting to buy them. That's right. Hang onto it long enough, Biz, so the price goes up nice and high and then you can retire young. Good going, Twitter owners! With the popularity of Twitter increasing, the sale price can only go up, at least for now. Boy, I wish I had the knowledge to do something like this.

If you'd like to follow me on Twitter, follow me and send me a tweet!

Read more...

Mine That Bird Wins - 2009 Kentucky Derby Upset

Calvin Borel riding Mine That Bird wins the 2009 Kentucky Derby. With 50-1 odds, he won with a 6-3/4 length victory. Mine That Bird's trainer is Bennie Woolley Jr. The news reports say he hitched the horse to the back of his pickup and drove there himself from New Mexico. This same trainer won two years ago with Street Sense so maybe those surprised by this win shouldn't have been.

In second place was Pioneer of the Nile, Musket Man was third, Papa Clem fourth.

I know a lot of people like these races but I worry - not only about what harm may be occurring to horses trained so early and hard but about the horses that aren't money makers who get left to hope for a rescue to come get them.

There are a lot of thoroughbred rescues if you want a thoroughbred. If you are looking for a thoroughbred in the west central Ohio area, check out Salem Ridge Thoroughbred Rescue.

Read more...

Thyroid Results are a Disappointment

Well, I received my thyroid lab results back today and I was very disappointed. Because my doctor uses the "old" recommendations for hormone levels instead of the newest ones since 2003, they consider my thyroid levels "normal" and won't be adjusting my medication. Talk about wanting to break down and cry! I haven't felt like myself in years. Now I will look for a different doctor - somebody who will listen to me instead of just look at the lab results.

I was so hopeful in getting my medication adjusted to get my memory back and losing this weight. Maybe I should just pop a diet pill everyday for a little metabolic help. My doctor sure hasn't been any help.

You can read more about my thyroid woes on my Healthy Me blog. I've put all my levels and such there.

Read more...

Do Horses Equal Zits?

For some silly reason, I thought when I outgrew the turbulent teenage years, that I would leave behind acne as well. I've been disappointed to find out I was wrong. Getting all the dust and dirt on my face at the stable, or on my hands and then touching my face, certainly doesn't help. I always feel so grimy when I leave the barn. I've also found that when I use products on my face to clean or moisturize, it causes me to break out more. Why is that?

Apparently, I haven't found the cleanser for the best acne treatment. My problem is I don't know what to look for. I have no clue.

Read more...