Sammy was a star. He rather clambered over one fence because there was ‘mud’ on the other side and he really wasn’t sure about ‘mud.’ However Selena had been expecting it. If you remember, he had looked at the mud when she was schooling him at Longwood last week, so when she walked the course she took note of the mucky area around one of the jumps. She has long strong legs and a stubborn streak so when Sammy wanted to have a bit of a look she was ready for the discussion and Sammy went over into the mud like a good boy. Everything is learning at this stage of the game. His double clear cross country put him into second place at the end of the day, good boy Sammy.
Marta and Thunderstruck also had a fine, stylish, double clear cross country and moved up to eighth place. She collected two ribbons. Her first competition on her new horse had earned her a seventh at the last Rocking Horse but as usual, they couldn’t wait around for the prize giving . Marta and Thunder are nothing if not consistent. A little more getting to know each other in the dressage ring and they will be unbeatable.
All the horses are ready to ship next week. They mostly leave on Tuesday and Rocking Horse was the last Florida show of the year. The Fork in NC next week and then back to brutal winter in Ontario. Yes, it’s cold up here, not that it stops the die hards at Balsam Hall, they are a tough bunch and with a riding cut off temperature of -15 as the barn norm, they were out in force to jump school today in a balmy -4. UGH! I am fed up with minus anything. I think the warm temperatures in February and March led me to believe that April was going to be warm, sunny and springlike, not cold, freezing and snowing. This too shall pass…
Our manure heap has not done well this winter. The base has garnered a lot of water and mud and is now a bit of a pond when it is empty – stable management problem # 103. Today we hit a bit of a low in our manure management when the tractor partially fell into the crater that used to be the base of the manure heap. Mud, manure, ice, water, snow and the tractor all in one ‘heap’ together.
