What a world it is now huh? So many changes in the last month, throwing our routines and what we considered “normalcy” right out the window.
We are both working from home (Doug in the office every other day like the rest of the support staff, me pretty much 100% at home), and we are learning how to teach from home as well as the schools are closed for the remainder of the year. The kids are handling it OK – I think the hardest part is only having each other to play with. They miss their friends, their teachers, and sports. Thankfully we live on 5 acres and have dogs, horses, a turtle, a cat, bikes and a trampoline for entertainment outside!

On that note… Something I’ve been waiting for over a year now has finally happened! I have officially moved Sully & Prophecy to be on a leased pasture next door so they are HOME! We originally thought this would be done last October-ish, but many obstacles have come about since then and the fence was officially finished on Friday. I am still waiting on a driveway from the road to the pasture to be finished, but the start is there and now just needing the area to dry out some for digging out further and gravel added. Until then, the trailer is up in our front pasture area where it lived for a while before, so we unloaded them there and walked the horses to the new field. The boys have been joined at the hip as they explore; kinda cute. Prophecy will now have to live in a muzzle to keep his weight & IR in check… he was not thrilled about me putting that back on.

Overall the last month or so has been focused on getting things ready for the horses to come home, as well as working towards conditioning for our first 50 mile endurance ride. Of course, just as Sully was getting his shoes put on for the season the first of several ride cancellations for ones we had hoped to attend this spring came out due to the virus. In the end not a horrible thing as we will have more time to get ready for that 50 attempt, although I will have to rethink my choice of where! In addition, we are having saddle issues – so I guess no time like the present to sort through them. At his appointment in February it seemed like we could get away with changing pads, but I have not found that actually to be the case so far and I am on the hunt trying out saddles again <bang head here> 🤦‍♀️. It is for a good reason tho I guess – Sully’s back/topline changed so much last year that we have to make an adjustment. We have been able to do shorter rides, and he got a nice bath to help de-fuzz a bit as he gets super woolly in winter, even blanketed.

The other fun thing I got to do in early March – before the world changed so drastically – was drive down to Jacksonville, FL with some friends from here to attend the AERC Convention as the Green Bean Challenge director. LOTS of driving, but lots of fun and learning while there. A great experience if you can swing going to it!
We also celebrated Doug & Obi’s birthdays 🎂…tho original plans were a bit thwarted by the virus 😒