Yay we hit the Spring Equinox! This winter has been disappointing in the way of actual snow, but I won’t be sorry to see it go!

Starting out with an update…
I finally got on Breeze at home after a few weeks in his new digs, shortly after my last post 😛 He was good, but of course distracted by being at home ridden in just a separate pasture from the others. I was able to hodge-podge tack together to make something usable – Traveler’s old bit hanger I still had, Sully’s rope halter (just barely fits), a girth that was bigger than Sully’s normal that happened to have as extra, my Nexus W saddle & pad that has fit most horses with a combo of JB pads, Skyler’s extra reins, and the bit I bought for him that was recommended by a previous owner.

After accomplishing that first “ride” I decided we needed to get out together next. While the original plans fell through, I then found someone local who allowed me to haul over and use her outdoor arena to play some. He did well for being hauled off site for the first time since moving home, “alone” (but other horses around) and a bit windy. We walked around and then did some “find the gait” playing. He has quite a few to run through and I was having fun finding the trot.

I headed out to the AERC Convention in FL for a long weekend and then the following week Breeze had an allergic reaction to something and had weeping spots all over! It was found in the morning when the osteopath came, and he had more spots by that evening, so it warranted a call in to the vet with a visit the next day. Good news all around, he was not the train wreck Scooby was upon arrival, and whatever time Breeze did do with the Amish didn’t mess him up too badly. Biggest thing is getting weight and muscle back on. The vet had us dosing with Zyrtec for 2 weeks, washing off as often as possible (which wasn’t more than 1 hot sponge bath due to weather), and a special salve to put on (which mud stuck to of course), but was able to confirm it was only a contact allergy so he rolled in something that didn’t agree with him, or bit him up (ants?).

My plan next was to take only him to one of our regular gang’s group trail rides, as while I have nothing to worry about with Skyler & Scooby I needed to focus on me/him and not those two, just in case. It just so happened the first soccer game got rained out and I was able to do a last minute join in for one. We walked 8 miles and trotted 2. He was a good boy and we had a good time. I used Scooby’s breast collar that day, which fit despite their size difference 🙂

Finally it came time for me & Skyler to be able to go out together with the larger group. We embarked on our first trailering of both horses last weekend – Breeze was still antsy in there when we first were leaving, but he & Scooby didn’t quibble at all. So a pretty smooth 1.75 hour haul to James River State Park, on another windy cold day! Both horses did great and Skyler was happy to have me able to hang back with her riding. Scooby definitely doesn’t do “more than needed” lol. He’s happy to mosey on down the trail and trot or canter to catch up. Both Skyler and I got to canter a little, Breeze even jumped a log on trail. I had to borrow a friend’s breast collar as his new tack got held up by USPS and wasn’t in on time 😦 But he has a stunning custom set now!
The only issue we ran into was his itchy self! It was cute the first two times he did it, then it got way too aggressive nearly throwing himself on top of the tree and needed correcting… Smart guy used trees at opportune moments to scratch his neck, then moved onto his chest, which made my knees prime target to be squashed if he moved wrong, let alone the possibility of rubbing off his bridle! He also will drink well on trail, but then moves on to playing in the water which it is a bit too cold for right now! So far he’s shaping up to be a good citizen. More time together is what we need!

What else? Scooby celebrated his 17th birthday and has now been with us 2 years! Scooby and Breeze are now in shoes to help us ride more, Asher cut his hair after nearly 3 years, Luna killed a mouse IN the house and cornered another (then it was caught and thrown outside), a few different Jazz band concerts and competitions, Obi somehow killed a rabbit in the backyard, and we celebrated Doug’s birthday too 🙂