Looking Ahead...

It is funny sometimes how you let what is going on in your life dictate how you actually deal with things. I have not written on my personal blog since well, everyone can see the date from last post until today's. I have no excuses other then I really didn't feel like it. So, deal with it. What I can promise you, is that I am going to attempt once again to start blogging about Chester and I ...and Colby.


I have spent the past couple of months doing some very interesting things. Because of Rolex, I am now involved with an incredible website called Horse Junkies United...and YES, I take credit for naming it. I have not been contributing as much as I should to the site ...for no reason other than I haven't felt like writing as much because of Chester...sigh, it all leads back to him doesn't it?

Then, we had the disaster that my upcoming wedding has turned into. Said wedding is now less than 3 months away and I am starting to enter panic mode about that. Let's just say that we had to get a deposit refunded, find a new location and send out new invitations...3 and a half months from our December 12 wedding date.

He'll ALWAYS be my #1

Where does that leave us now? Well, I am working again as the HR Manager for a company in the medical industry. It has been a very interesting 2 months to say the least. I al enjoying it so far, LOVE LOVE LOVE the medical industry and work with 4 other Managers who are very passionate about their roles and who are good at what they do. The owner of the company is a brilliant business man, very intelligent and I love everything about him. I consider myself lucky.

Chester has made monumental steps forward over the past couple of months. To the point where when I call him and he is at the far side of his field - yes field - he comes cantering over to the gate, trots the last couple of steps, slows to a walk and then nickers. He is definitely feeling better. After dinner when he goes back outside, he doesn't look like he is going to fall on his face when he comes out of his stall. He is tracking up. He is pawing in the crossties - something I HATE about him - but something I haven't seen him do in months. He is walking like a normal horse: no hesitation in his step, no shortness, no stiffness. He hasn't had a saddle on his back since March and has spent that entire time on turnout in his field, by himself, eating grass and getting fat. Yep, you heard me fat. I have a fat red-headed TB. I bet those are words you NEVER thought you would hear anyone say.

There is absolutely nothing showing me that I couldn't get on him tonight and start the process of walking for 4 weeks, building back the muscle tone and definition then progressing to trot the end of October. BUT - I am not going to do it. There is no rush and the absolute LAST thing I want, is to push it just that tiny bit to far and have it all crumple again in front of my face. While I enjoy spending $400 a month on board for a lawn ornament, nothing could ever make me change my mind about Chester's future...which at this point is as such: In January, I am going to get on him again. For the first time in about 9 months. We are going to walk around the arena for 15 minutes and then I am going to get off, tell him what a good boy he is, untack him, put him safely in his stall and then do it again the next day. Then, the first week of February, we will trot for a couple minutes. By mid-March, we will try a canter. If all is still going according to plan, I will look for someone to lease him beginning in May. Someone who only wants to ride flat, 3 or 4 times a week...on the nicest horse they could ever imagine doing so on.

That is our plan. Nothing - except for Chester telling me so - will make me deviate from it.

Colby came into my life on July 12. The day after I accepted my current job. Everything then sort of lined up in this really weird way. I came across some money via means of inheritance...which was difficult for me at the time because it was a result of my Aunt losing a very deteriorating battle with cancer. After several donations were made in her name, my credit card was paid off and I put some away, I had a little money left over. A friend mentioned to me she had a friend who was wondering if I knew of anyone looking for a horse. She had one - a 3 year old, unraced 16h TB filly. Chestnut, blond mane and tail. A 3 year chestnut filly with a huge white blaze I should add...I shouldn't even have considered looking at her based on that description. Her picture was impressive. Solidly built, conformationally correct and pretty. VERY pretty.

The day Colby came to Maplewood...

I drove the 2 and a half hours to see her based on 3 things. That picture, the 3 minute conversation I had with her rider and her price, which we will say is less than $1,500. My first impression of her was, she is tiny!! But, when you are used to a 17.1h horse, 16 h would seem tiny. She looked at me, had a nice kind eye...but with a fire underneath the top layer. She stood rock still while she was getting tacked up and I stood a couple feet back and took her all in. Straight legs, wide chest, even thirds straight back, butt a little higher than her wither...pretty pretty head. We took her outside and her rider popped up on her and took her through her paces...which were even, BALANCED, fluid and pretty. She did it all on a longish rein with collection and impulsion from her rear end.

Then I got on her....and you will have to wait till tomorrow to find out what happened next.

The Embarcadero Continues...