Preparations................and Set Backs

As the countdown continues there are a lot of last minute things Richard and I are trying to get accomplished. Just like any plan there are those things that come up along the way that must be dealt with so the plans can be completed at all. So as we try to get down our list a new set of things to do is emerging.

Good body clipping requires thorough bathing first. The easiest way to do that requires warm water. The soap just doesn't lift the dirt the same with cold water and trying to get that deep down ground in dirt is near impossible. However, warm water baths are out of the question on my farm.

Angie and Richard have a portable unit that heats water for bathing. Wouldn't you know, that unit requires fixing, so getting parts was added to the list. The nearest dealer with parts is in Olympia making it a half day project just to get parts not counting any repair time for the unit.

Tracking down some new blades without having to pay $30 or more for them has also become a priority. Since the idea of body clipping hadn't come to me sooner when I could have ordered them from a catalog for half the price. Overnight shipping would defeat the purpose so the hunt is on for something nearby. If the blades can't be located I'll be ordering them online and touching up my clips after the fact. Not the most efficient way to go, but sometimes that's the best one can do.

Whatever additional horse clothing I don't already have must be purchased so these horses stay warm once their warm winter coat has been removed. Of course that assumes we can track these things down anywhere within our area. More time ticking away on this project as well.

On that list of things to do we had ideas about what we wanted to accomplish with these horses under saddle before our guests arrive. While we are trying to accomplish these things we're also trying to keep the other horses on their work schedule as well.

I started off the day thinking it would be like any other work day. We'd be working on horses as we worked out a schedule. But things have a way of not going the way I'm thinking.

Richard already had orders from Angie to get to Olympia today for the water heater parts. He wanted to be headed that direction by noon. Had I known that before I arrived at his farm, I'd have brought different horses on my first load. Instead of the yearlings and Legs I'd have brought the geldings and Vee. In hindsight, maybe that would have saved me some frustration.

The guys showed up to repair the lawn mower so Richard ended up staying later than he planned. That made it possible to work in that second load with Vee and both geldings.

My frustration came in the first load. The yearlings were great. The source of my frustration had to do with Legs. It seems like every time things are going great something happens and happen it did.

The horse came off the trailer with a deep gash in his right hind pastern. It looks like he'd stepped on himself and cut himself with his shoe. The gash is ugly enough that Legs is now on stall rest and antibiotics. Once again things with my stallion are on hold.............



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