Cob Jockey

Well, there's going to be a slight leave of absence from blogging for me. Not by choice.

Last Sunday, I walked through my husband's office and found him in the middle of a MASSIVE seizure for who knows how long, which he'd never had before. He's been in the hospital ever since. He's going to be okay, but it's been a lifestyle change for me to be spending 10 hours a day in the hospital for a week, and we'll both have more lifestyle changes going forward after discharge, whenever that is.

The co-op members have completely stepped up, taking all of my shifts and all of my stalls without question from the moment I texted them on Sunday. If you want to know how strong your co-op is, go through something like this, and you'll find out! They're amazing, and have taken such a load off my mind this week.

Needless to say, I have nothing horse-related to blog about at the moment - everything that's been posted so far this week was a scheduled post - but I did want to share a PSA: early indications are that this was caused by a complication of COVID-19 (he was fully vaccinated and boosted but is on immunosuppressing medication). 

So PLEASE, get vaccinated, wear a mask (preferably an N95 or KN95 right now with Omicron), and take this stuff seriously. Even if you don't die of it, a lot of other bad things can happen, and I am here to tell you that boy, do those bad things suck. Thank you, that is all.

I've now ridden Connor a few times - you'd think I'd be out every day the week I finally started going out again, but the laundry room is going to steal some barn time from me for a while.

In SERIOUS need of a spa day

It was six weeks from my last ride to this week, and he's...fine.

Except that he's not really sure he's into this whole "riding horse" thing anymore

It's really a testament to this horse and to my barn staff that I left him for six weeks during the peak of crazy blanketing season, and "when do I put a muzzle on this horse" season, and colic weather season, and he's...fine. Literally fine. In case I was wondering if I'm essential to my horse's care, I'm not, and that's a GOOD FEELING when you're a paying boarder at a not-inexpensive full care barn. I'm getting what I pay for.


He's lost a little topline, but it had the net effect of making the new Dressage saddle fit even better, and our big show for the year was canceled yesterday, so I'm completely not bothered by it. If I cared, I would've scheduled training rides, but I don't. We're not going to the Olympics, and his topline will come right back.


So far I've mainly done a lot of walking with him to build him back up slowly. Lots of walk/halt transitions. Lots of "hey buddy remember you're a Dressage horse that doesn't get to splat forward". Not asking for collection at all, just asking him to stop splatting. I think he was getting used to the retired horse life, haha.

Hank enjoying the long, gorgeous, extended bug free spring we're having here in Indiana

I've had some interesting biomechanical revelations too - namely that for whatever reason I'm now able to separate my core and glute muscles in the saddle for the first time ever - but that's a topic for another post.

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!

Yesterday was Connor's 14th birthday. And this year he got me for a birthday present.

I know it's blurry and from last month, but how do you top this picture for being reunited?

Based on four critical statistics improving over the last fourteen days, Indiana's governor is moving us into Phase II of Coronavirus lockdown today (with the total lockdown we've been in for weeks retroactively referred to as Phase I), which means it's go time for going back to the barn.

In addition to having me back in his life full time for his birthday, Connor got several other presents that will make our lives safer and more comfortable as I tack up at my trailer all summer.

He's thrilled with his birthday presents

When I did a test run of tacking up at my trailer the last time I rode in March (how has it been so long already?), I knew my setup needed a few adjustments. First, the mats. Although he's never taken a lame step on gravel, I wanted to give him a comfy spot to stand, and also, picking manure out of gravel sucks!

Trailer, sweet trailer

Pony got mats and I got a set of Mat Movers off eBay for $30. OMG how have I lived without these!

Second, the trailer tie. My barn is in a tiny triangle-shaped patch of land between two state highways and my 50,000 person city - if he gets loose, with how hard to catch he gets when he's stressed, I will never see him again. So despite the fact that he's never pulled back in his life, he gets tied with both a trailer tie and his lead rope to the trailer.

The prisoner in his shackles

Third, the manger. The first couple times I tacked up out here, he was on full Pony Alert and refused to eat out of his small hole haynet, which is normal for Stressed Connor. So I bought this folding collapsible manger so that I could put an enticing mound of easily accessible hay at eye level, along with his ulcer supplement. So far, so good.

"This'll do" - Connor, probably. Also check out that MANE 😳

Fourth, he got a couple of sets of polos. I'm not normally a fan of polos, but with tacking up around big metal trailers, I wanted some cushioning on his legs.

Fifth, I bought a GIANT jug of Stud Muffins for him in March at our semi-local tack shop when I picked the saddle up. I've been intermittently giving him those only when he's at the trailer, as a high value reward. Basically doing all I can to convince him the trailer is a good and happy place to be, even though he can't see any other horses.

It's good to be back.  Happy birthday, little buddy!

Here in Indiana, we've done such a good job pushing back the peak of COVID-19 (although jury is still out on whether we flattened the curve or not), our hospitals are feeling confident that they can handle it now, whenever that happens. And that means our governor is starting to discuss very slowly lifting the stay at home restrictions, likely beginning May 1, and in conjunction with 7 other surrounding states.

Ventilator utilization in the state of Indiana as of Saturday, April 18

My barn never did close to boarders even though a lot of Indiana barns did, so it's entirely up to me when I go back. I'm still not worried about myself getting it, only about doing my part to stop the spread. I agree with our governor, that now that we've given the hospitals enough of a head start, we need to start thinking about sustainable ways to continue social distancing indefinitely, and for me, the barn is going to be part of that as soon as he says "go".

No barn time has meant spending lots of time with this dashing fellow

That's not to say I'm going to go back and act like everything is normal. It's not, and it won't be for a long time. It's now warm enough (60's all this week) and light enough (til 8:30pm already!) that I can continue to tack up at my trailer all summer. With it being parked in between the indoor and the outdoor, that's really not inconveniencing me at all.

Going to get some rubber mats to keep the little guy comfy here even though he's perfectly sound on gravel

Additionally, if I use the outdoor wash rack, use my personal hose and nozzle, don't use the Pixio, avoid using the restroom (not hard when my house is 10 minutes away), ride in the outdoor as much as possible, and use the biothane halter and lead I'm keeping in my truck, the only shared surfaces I'll need to touch is my horse's body, a gate latch, and a water spigot, and I should be able to avoid going into the building entirely. Those are all indefinitely sustainable compromises that I'd make cheerfully.

This pic is 3 years old (we now have rubber mats in the wash rack!) but you can see the outside wash rack hitching post just outside the door here. PC: My mom

It feels good to start taking even mental steps toward going back to the barn, so naturally I started thinking what's going to make tacking up at the trailer easier, safer, and more comfortable for both of us, which naturally led into some #retailtherapy...

I was just finishing up washing out some paintbrushes from my latest home improvement project last night when my trainer called.

"Connor is not injured [standard trainer call opening disclaimer], but four of us have been trying to catch him for hours and we haven't been able to, and it's going to storm tonight.  He's acting like when you first got him (9 years ago), it's so weird.  Do you think you could come out here and give it a try?"




I came straight out and he walked straight up to me and stood like a statue while I clipped the lead rope on him and brought him in.  He was clearly on edge, but he didn't even consider running away from me.


What probably happened: something set him off when they went to catch him, and then he got more and more wound up and just needed a break, which he got before I got there.  What I'm choosing to tell myself: this is my horse reminding me that I am essential to him in some ways, even if I don't perform the tasks that keep him alive and healthy.  His breeder is always telling me how much he trusts me, and maybe it's true.



Since I was there, I gave him a good grooming, and I have to admit, I cried.  I thought I was doing okay being away from him, but secretly there's a giant horse shaped hole in my soul.  It's not even the riding that I miss.  I miss the way he is constantly looking for cookies, and the way he loves the insides of his ears being scratched, and the way he cranes his neck around me and tries to scratch me back when I hit the right spot on his withers with the curry, and how he'll stand there with his head on my shoulder indefinitely.



But I was also struck by this feeling of gratitude for this time away from him.  I think sometimes we equestrians can get so caught up in the routine and our plans for the future and trying to balance our many responsibilities, and we lose sight of what "lights your soul on fire".  We TALK about trying to "remember what it was like to be a kid running around bareback on a pony", but how do you FIND it?  That feeling of immense peace and mental reset I get from just being around him last night is unmistakable.

Brand new machine washable biothane halter and lead I bought specifically for myself, so I'd have an easily disinfectable halter and lead set to use on him

As sad as it was to leave him when I was done, as I drove away I thought about how this time period represents such a short percentage of time in my relationship with him.  The days are long right now, but the two or three months we spend in quarantine are just going to be a blip on the radar in the grand scheme of things. 

Til next time, my best boy!

We'll make it through this.  And in the meantime, thanks to my pony for making me essential for one night <3

We're starting week 4 since the day I realized the shit was going to hit the fan (March 11th, the day I renewed my Sam's Club membership, placed a large and prescient order from Rogue Fitness, and told my mom I didn't think she could go to the White Sox home opener safely (which was later cancelled anyway)).

My feelings on quarantine, visually depicted by Hank

I kept riding for another week or so after that so it's been...two weeks...since I saw my horse last?  I gotta be honest, it's insanely, insanely hard, and every time I see someone in a fellow lockdown state that's still riding I'm hit with this massive pang of jealousy and self-doubt, like "Am I really doing the right thing here?" 

And then I see new studies about how droplets containing coronavirus can travel 26 feet away from a person and hang in the air for minutes at a time after an infected person passes that spot, and how it can live up to seven days on smooth surfaces and I know I'm doing the right thing.  Public boarding barns can't be made coronavirus-proof no matter how many restrictions you put in place, so my contribution to flattening the curve will continue to mean staying away and staying home.

Pony is happy, healthy and well-cared for.  I don't get many pictures and am trying not to pester my trainer for updates, but I also am so grateful that I CAN just leave him and feel good about it.

That has left me with a lot of free time, which I've spent learning how to make fancy cocktails (because if I call my drinking a 'hobby' that makes it better, right?  Guys?)




I also have done a LOT of cleaning - this is an embarrassing first world problem confession, but since we hired our housekeeper mid-renovation five years ago, I've never actually had to clean my entire 3,700sqft house by myself before.  It takes HOURS!  Just gives me more incentive to keep paying her even though she's not cleaning for us right now.

I cleaned out the living room fireplace for the first time in the five years we've owned this house, and uncovered how freaking COOL the original (1890) grate and ashbox is:


Grate:


The front bottom part of it is designed to perfectly snug in against the tile, and then to be flipped down easily to reveal the ash box, which has a ring for easy removal:


I can just picture a maid pulling this out and dumping it, can't you?

My house has never been cleaner, and life is just slower in general - which I'm a huge fan of.  This experience is going to change our behavior going forward in voluntary and involuntary ways - one of the things I hope to voluntarily keep is the idea that slowing down is a good thing.

Takeout Mexican and margaritas on the porch with the whole family on a gorgeous spring night - including the bird

Keep talking and keep sharing!  Has there been any silver lining for you in this whole thing?

I don't know, but I'm going to find out.  It's been nearly a week since I saw Connor last, and it's hard, but the data is increasingly showing it's the right decision.  No matter how careful you are, any place where people congregate, even with social distancing, is a hotspot. 

CrossFit continues to be my source of mental stability

My trainer continues to send photos and video of the horses (plural, which means I assume I'm not the only person staying away even though the barn hasn't issued a statement saying it's closed), which I am so grateful for.  In one particularly funny one, she videoed herself walked down the outside of the barn petting the horses over the Dutch doors, but Connor came only close enough that he could sniff her and not close enough that she could pet him.  My anxious pony, the original social distancer.

He let her get this close but she was still never able to touch him, lol

It's not really horse related, but I've started keeping a private quarantine diary, and I'd encourage you guys to do the same, especially since, as bloggers, we're used to collating our thoughts and writing them down.  I realized I'm already starting to forget some of the details when every week seems like a month, and I have a feeling this is going to be something that our grandchildren ask us about someday.  "Hey Grandma, I have to write a report on what life was like during the COVID-19 pandemic, can I interview you?"

How's everyone holding up?

Unlike other states, Indiana no longer has a statewide horse council to phone the governor's office and clarify whether horseback riding counts as an outdoor activity now that our statewide stay-at-home edict went into effect yesterday, or what, exactly, about caring for sporthorses is "essential".  We've had a state horse council for the past 30 years, but it got formally disbanded on Monday of this week (yes, really.  Long, drama-filled story).

My obnoxiously loud co-worker

That said, even though my barn is still open, I've made the decision to voluntarily stop going.  Yes, it's hard, but nothing that I do for Connor is essential, and I can't trick my brain into thinking that it is.  Riding is not essential.  Even keeping him legged up isn't essential, he can have a letdown period and will be fine.

It's true that no one will arrest me or stop me from going to the barn, especially since my barn is still open to boarders.  But it's also true that as much as I want everyone around me to be a f****** adult and obey the lockdown rules so this thing ends as soon as possible, I need to also do the same.

Cannot say being away from this snoot is going to be easy

I am lucky.  I have a barn staff that I trust wholeheartedly.  I have a horse that gets a full day of turnout, every day.  I have a hardy pony who is the same regardless of if he gets ridden 7 days a week or no days a week.  My farrier is completely self-sufficient and does Connor in the crossties.  We just got shots, coggins, chiro, and teeth done in the last two months.  And CrossFit provides me just as much of a mental reset as riding does, so I can't even say I'll be psychologically hurting, even if emotionally being away from him is hard.

My garage has been preparing for the coronavirus for YEARS

I'm not posting this to guilt trip any of you for visiting the barn.  If your barn staff isn't as attentive as mine, or your horse doesn't have a turnout option unless you visit him, that's a lot more essential than my "show up to feed him a peppermint, ride him, feed him another peppermint and go home" routine.

My trainer sent me this photo of Connor happy, healthy and appropriately unblanketed for the weather today, and it made me so happy.

We are all in different situations.  In my barn, there are people that come to my barn who support elderly relatives, who have relatives that have recently had cancer, who have other types of immuno-compromised relatives.  And not to mention, we'd really be up a creek if my trainer or her assistant came down with it.  One less person coming to the barn is one less opportunity to pass this bullshit virus onto those people.  And frankly, if I did get it and they asked me where I had been as part of contact tracing, I would be embarrassed as hell to say I continued my very non-essential barn trips during the lockdown.  So, I stop.



I don't anticipate I'll stay away entirely - maybe once every couple weeks or a month, depending on how long this goes on.  And it's not easy.  But it's the right thing to do.

How's everyone else holding up with this?

I promise I won't make every post about COVID-19, no one wants to (or should) hear about this 24/7.  But I am uniquely suited for thinking through disaster preparations down to the most minute, most remotely possible detail, as well as staying calm and pragmatic in high-stress situations thanks to my career in high tech, so I'm going to continue to share things I think are important.

Me handling stressful situations at work by kicking ass and then drinking afterward, like a true high tech employee, lol.  My boss sent this to our team chat recently.

Two days ago, Ontario Equestrian announced that they had sought legal advice and determined that boarding facilities were included in the definition of "indoor recreational facilities" that legally had to close their doors to everyone but employees.  To ensure compliance, the boarding barns insurance companies won't cover them for liability insurance if they continue to allow non-employees on the premises.  Again, this is just in Ontario right now, to be clear.

Finding truck parking at this time of day downtown is usually impossible :(

That lit a fire under me to actually take most (though not all) of my GP trainer's recommendations seriously.  Those Ontario owners had almost no warning before being cut out of their horse's lives entirely for an indefinite amount of time, and I don't want to be caught flat footed if the same happens here.  So I:

- Wrote up a list of all the things I do for Connor that our staff doesn't generally do, including blanketing rules, muzzle maintenance and protocols, what's in his supplements, whether I authorize colic surgery, who Connor's emergency contacts are (me and his breeder) and some general health and maintenance stuff

I know Blogger makes pictures slightly blurry in RSS feeds so you may need to click through to my actual site to see this clearly if you're interested

- Replenished my Thrush treatment (I use Tomorrow) and scratches treatment (max strength Desitin, triple antibiotic ointment and hydrocortisone) since it's going to RAIN EVERY DAY FOREVER

- Put a full bottle of fly spray on his stall door even though it's not fly season here yet, because it will be 30 days from now


- Put his backup muzzle straps and breakaway halter crown in an easily accessible location, along with electrical tape

- Made up 30 days of supplements in Ziploc baggies, in addition to the week's worth in my usual tubs I already have done


- Brought his backup sheet out to the barn

I'm gravitating toward old, familiar comfort food music right now

One other thing I'm doing right now is changing what I'm willing to deal with under saddle: you do NOT want to be in the hospital right now, not with resources as low as they are for the patients that need them most already.  Now is not the time to take risks on horseback, y'all.   Keep that in mind the next time your horse is feeling frisky on a chilly day.

So I guess, bottom line, boarders, we can't predict ANYTHING right now, not even that we will be allowed to see our horses tomorrow.  Don't freak out, but don't be caught unprepared either.  For me, preparation is soothing, and it's greatly contributing to lowering my stress levels right now, hopefully you feel the same!

There's a lot of uncertainty out there right now surrounding this pandemic.  And I don't know about you guys, but nothing makes me feel better than preparation.  To that end, on the horse front, we need to be prepared to be away from our horses for an extended period of time.  Yes, even in the fully locked down Bay Area the rules state they're still allowed to travel to get to pets, but what if it gets tighter than that?  Or what if you're in the hospital on a ventilator for four weeks?  There are too many unknowns to assume we boarders are going to be able to continue business-as-usual.

To that end, my GP trainer sent out an email last night with her barn's COVID-19 policy, and I thought it was great and wanted to share it with all of you.  She's very thorough and meticulous about these things, and it includes some things I would never have thought of. 

Really can't imagine staying away from here for four weeks

There's a lot that could be said about the COVID-19 outbreak as it relates to the horse world, but today I'm going to focus on one part of it: supporting local and small businesses.

The last decade has been good to small businesses, but that's rapidly changing.  It's true that this recession could be worse than 2008.  In 2008, spending slowed, but it didn't come to a complete screeching halt like it has now.  This is uncharted territory from an economic standpoint.

Fuzzy things: making serious blog posts better since the dawn of time

Your local restaurants, bars, and yes, tack shops are going to be hit hardest by this.  Without foot traffic (please #staythefuckhome, as the kids say these days), sales are going to dwindle.  First it'll be hard to pay their employees, and next they will outright close.  This outbreak WILL end, at some point, and I personally don't want to come out on the other side of it without my favorite restaurants and tack shops. 

(And yes, you need to worry about YOU first.  Make sure to cut back unnecessary spending and beef up your emergency fund right now, but if you do find yourself with a few extra dollars to spare, the rest of this post is for you).


What to do: VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLAR!

- If you live in Indiana, Grand Champion Tack and Saddlery in Indy will deliver for free within 15 miles of its store, or if you're outside that radius but still in Indiana, they will do free shipping with no minimum.  They have a great selection, and can order anything you might get from SmartPak, Dover or Riding Warehouse (except house brands, probably).  Also, they're offering 20% off through Tuesday for St. Patrick's Day

- If you don't live in Indiana, check with your local tack store for delivery and shipping options

- Don't need anything right now?  Consider buying a gift card to help give your favorite local tack store/restaurant/other small business a cash infusion.  Call it "pre-paying for essentials" or "buying a slightly delayed shopping spree"

- Is your gym closing?  Many will suspend or pro-rate memberships right now, but if you can, consider continuing to pay your membership during this time - especially if you go to a local outfit like most CrossFit gyms that generally don't have large cash reserves like a corporate mega-gym will. 

This picture courtesy of my momma.  Which one of these is not like the other one, which one of these just doesn't belong...

- If it gets to the point that your trainer stops teaching lessons, consider continuing to pay for lessons.  Pre-pay for lessons, or take video lessons.  I've had some very valuable lessons in front of a laptop, analyzing previous lessons or trainer rides with my trainer.  Trainers do not get paid sick time and stand to lose a lot of income if lessons have to stop.

Bottom line, you do have to take care of your own family first, but please take care of each other too.