Old Friend!

I was up at Sonoma a few weeks ago- just watching the show and hanging out with old KMC buds. Including my favorite Ben!

Tired Baby

Tired Wilbs. He's made best friends with Sunshine in the next paddock over and was quite relaxed in his lesson today. We cut out his grain which I think will make a huge difference in his behavior. Grain provides sugars and carbs (and nutrients) to help with performance. Since Wilbur isn't working that hard I think that extra boost in energy was directed, not towards work, but towards his scaries.
Time will tell. Kelly made an excellent point- change one thing at a time so that when he does settle we know what works for him.

My Heart Hurts

My heart hurts for this guy. I can't pinpoint where things went awry. He was so stoic. That's why I bought him. Nothing phased him.
He flinched tonight when I opened his new stall door. He flinched when I adjusted his blanket.

I did this already with Luke. I used to coax him into the wash rack for a bath with carrots. He used to spook when something surprising touched his rump. Once, after an errant saddle pad "grabbed him," he flipped over in the cross ties.

I just wanted an easy baby.
That's the trouble with animals. I want to grab his face, shake him, and shout- it's OK. Nothing is going to hurt you. I may have already done that. And it didn't seem to work.

Wilbur's New Digs

Wilbur has really not been a happy camper about going over these flowers. Any flowers decorating any jump- he hates them and flat out refuses. He's also developed some anxiety about very trivial things like water puddles on the ground. I'm rolling out a new action plan for his training which I think will help build his confidence- but we're also going to try some operational measures such as putting him in earplugs for his rides, adding SmartCalm Ultra to his supplement routine, and moving him to different housing so he has regular access to the outdoors.

He grew up in a field and lived at Blackhound in a stall with a run. While I think he acclimated well to a box stall he also has limited access to the world around him. I'm hoping he won't be quite as horrified by the shaving tractor if he sees it all the time from his turnout.
Bonus- he'll be living next to Sunshine and he loves Sunshine.

#ShamelessPlug

Ariat launched its Instagram page today. My lovely coworker has been handling ALL the Ariat Social Media (I chip in for the retailer.com posts) and when it was decided to launch Instagram I volunteered to take the reins. Part of my job? #notreally. But I'll tell you- it's fun to learn more about a social media and add a little fun to my day. What? My whole day is fun.

It has been neat to see our followers grow since our launch this morning and like those contributors that are hashtagging #ariat.
So apologies for my #liberaluseofthehashtag.

Follow along @ariatinternational to get behinds the scenes, on the road with the reps, and general awesome Ariat fun!

Wilbs and Emily: Trail Ride Sunday

Kelly and I had a short chat in our Saturday lesson about making sure my game face is on when I ride Wilbur. Regardless of how particularly confident I am I need to always remember that he's looking to me to tell him it's ok.
So I decided to put on my game face and go out of my comfort zone on Sunday and attempt the short loop trail by ourselves. I'm not very comfortable on trails, and while Wilbs is great with a group I had no idea what to expect. I made sure to have a nice loop in my rein and a relaxed leg and butt even as he skittered around the scary....shadows. And leapt into the air around a bend at.....nothing.
Up, up, up we go! Note the Mountain Lion sign to my left.

 Almost home!

 Stopping to get a look at the arena. Whew. We made it.

Equi In Style

I love my Equi In Style shirts! Long sleeved in a tek fabric with mesh venting that runs underneath the arms. It's THE perfect shirt for the mild California temps- coverage to keep warm on a chilly day and cool enough to wear when it's boiling.
I picked up a new one at the show this past weekend- super cute grey with pink accents! Wilbur thinks I'm quite stylish.

Big, Green Snake

Wilbur is standing in his stall, frightened out of his wits. Yet still managing to eat. Look at his little face! He is so worried!

Baby Wilbur- what's so scary?

Oh- just this groom hosing down the arena walls. 

Yes. Hosing down the walls (I feel like I've died and gone to barn heaven). 

Finally the hose has been coiled and all is well. And Wilbur is waiting for his treats. 

Wilbur and his Dandruff

Over here in California, we go for months without rain. Every summer I am faced with a horribly dry scalp. Unfortunately Wilbur has the same problem. At the show this weekend (Wilbur man stayed home and I went to watch) I picked up some M-T-G, which smells absolutely horrific but had some good reviews. Poor guy has been rubbing his mane out he has been so itchy!