She's official!

We got her registration certificate in the mail today! It's so cool! I finally have some information on her dam's side. That had been impossible to track down, so it's really nice to have. It surprises me since there's a World Grand Champion in that line!

I was standing at the kitchen island and looking at it, and had just put it back into the envelope when my husband said, "She must know, she's at the door waiting for you." Of course I had to take it back out again and show her. She sniffed it a few times and let me rub her nose. She was more interested in the neighbor's dogs who were running loose so she didn't stick around long.

Apparently her blood work matches the DNA and blood work on file for the parents on her registration papers. Which makes her six for sure instead of the 3 (well would have been almost 4 now) I was told she was.

Here's a scan of the certificate. Woohoo!

Soooo frustrated

I've done something to my back. It'd been getting bad for a while and I ignored it. Last Thursday I finally broke down and went to the Chiropractor. Then Friday the company we hired to cut down trees came, and I spent most of the day outside keeping an eye on Anya. I was in a huge amount of pain and could hardly move, but we had to move her out of the back while they were doing trees so I had to keep an eye on her since she was just tied out.

Over the weekend it got worse. I went to the hospital Monday morning for a test for something else. Which didn't happen because after nearly an hour, three people, and an ultrasound machine to find a vein, and a lot of needles they still didn't have an IV line in. It got to the point they were giving me lidocaine injections first so they could dig in my arm trying to hit a vein. After an hour of that, and even with the aid of ultrasound they couldn't get it, I said that's enough and left in tears.

I went to the chiro from there and he couldn't believe how much worse it was since Friday. It was so bad he wouldn't even try to do anything to it, and said bedrest for the next 5-7 days.

This is day 6. I went with the hub and kiddos to get groceries today, and by the time we left, I was in tears again. Hubby's even having to feed Anya most of the time for me. I've tried to do it at least once a day, I don't want her to think I've disappeared or something, and I kinda need that few minutes anyway. It's incredibly frustrating. Our 4-year-old came into the bathroom the other day while I was in there and said "Mommy, I'll flush for you so you don't have to bend over." How sad is that?

And this also means, of course, no riding. Naturally the weather the last two Saturdays has been gorgeous. I think we got to about 77 degrees today. There's a ton of stuff I need to get done, too. We finally got trees cut down, and I really need to get out there and rake, and fertilize and we need to get a fence up. Not to mention I really need to play the porcupine game with Anya more. She's almost there, but not quite. She's bored, and we're both frustrated. I can't even sit on the back steps and visit her because sitting there totally kills me.

I've got another appointment on Monday with the chiro, and I'm going to ask him to do xrays to see what's going on. This is so bad. I'm even very seriously considering acupuncture. I hate needles. But at this point, I'll do about anything if it'll help.

In the meantime, thank goodness for laptops and wireless I guess.

The birthday girl

Anya's getting a saddle for her birthday! The saddle guy called this morning and we went over all the details, and I ordered it. It's costing me less than a regular saddle, by about half. Even with the custom tooling. I have no idea how he can charge so little, but I'm really glad!

He said it should be here in the next 4-6 weeks. Which is really fast turn around for a custom saddle. I'm sooooo excited!

When the farrier was out last, she brought one of her saddles with her. We saddled Anya up, and she didn't even flinch. They told me she'd been ridden, but after all the other stuff, I don't know what to believe. But after seeing that, I have to think either she's totally comfortable with it because she's done it before (at six you'd think so - but the breeders...who knows) or because it was me. But I was really impressed. We put it on her and I walked around with her on a lead and she was completely nonchalant about the whole thing. Never bucked, or kicked, or stomped. She sniffed it a few times and that was that.

This morning I went out and painted hearts on her butt, my little pony style. She stood there and let me do it, too.







For her birthday I made her carrot cake. It was just the carrot cookies that I usually make her, but I put it into a round cake pan. She got molasses icing.



She thought it was really yummy.

Run for the border

I've discovered Anya's favorite treat. Cinnamon twists from Taco Bell. It is so funny to watch her try to get her whole nose into one of those little bags. She practically inhales them. I never go to Taco Bell now without getting an extra bag of cinnamon twists for her. She's a little spoiled.

Saddle!

I've begun the saddle hunt in earnest now, and I've narrowed it down to just a couple. The reviews are great. I just have to figure out what it is that I want, and what the Palomino Princess needs.

I've found a butterfly skirt that I love, and I know that I want really pretty tooling. Roses maybe. I definitely want a flex tree for her. I saw a piece on RFD about saddle trees that were made out of rubber, like tire rubber. But that's...really expensive. I would love to have a Parelli saddle, but that's so far out of my price range. All this cantle height, and fender length, rigging, housing, and seat sizes gets really confusing. Or I've just spent way too many hours researching it all.

I'm comin' in!

I stepped out the door to get something, and left the sliding glass door open, not thinking. I took down the rope that's across the bottom of the stairs, went on my way. No sooner had I gotten past the steps a little ways then Anya headed inside the house! I couldn't get past her to stop her from the top! I grabbed her tail and tried to pull her back.

You know those cartoons where the character is pulling with all their might, heels dug into the ground, leaned waaaay back using all their weight? That was me. She put up a good fight but finally came back down. I promptly shut the door and put the rope back up.

This is apparently a hereditary thing. She is sure she belongs inside with us.

I'm not so good with the relationship thing, but her grandsire is Royal Ivory, who is the sire of Ivory Pal of Ivory Knoll Ranch (which I think would be her Uncle, but don't quote me.)

Ivory Pal gets to go inside his people's house, as evidenced here, and here, and here aaand here.

Somehow she knows this, and expects the same royal treatment Ivory Pal gets. No matter how many times I tell her she can't, she continues to try. I haven't yet told her that he's also on the cover of the March issue of Equus. She'd find some way to get a photographer here.

Bareback

I rode bareback for the first time today at my riding lesson. I realized it's not quite as easy as everyone makes it look. I'm going to have to work on the whole balance thing. Those first two steps or so from a stop I didn't do so well. After that I was okay and was able to get into the groove. But that initial take off is kinda shakey for me. I'm also going to have to work the inner thighs some more. Thank goodness for the Thigh Master!

It was a completely awesome feeling though, and I can't wait until it's second nature for me!