STUDENT LOAN MONEY!

OK, so this isn't how you should spend your student loan money kiddos.  I'm much older, wiser, and well.. ok maybe not that much wiser but I also have a job already and so does my husband so bottom line... student loans have about the lowest interest rate around and I need some funding to help me get some horses sold... which will then hopefully pay for the student loans.  If I'm wrong though, I  just use my paycheck to pay for the loan.  No big deal, right?

So yeah, don't do as I do unless you're in the same place.  Stay in school, don't do drugs, unno...

But yes, I'm in school again and going for... something in an advanced degree.  I need an advanced degree to get a higher paying job to pay for my higher horse goals.  Make sense?  Its a brutal circle so just... don't do horses or you'll end up like me.

So with my money I allocated exactly $X towards horse things and $X to house things, and so on.  What did I get with my horse things (because that's all that really matters)?  A heck of a deal on a nice new dressage saddle (Thanks Classic Saddlery), two figure eight bridles (Katy seems to like hers a lot and Nigel and Piper need bridles as well... and a smattering of other things I've been thinking about.

It was like Christmas for a day here.  Now to get the rain to stop so I can play with things!

Return to Pine Hill

No, we weren't competing (man I have to get better at my confidence/skills/etc... :/) but we did go to help and I volunteered to help ALL DAY (yay credits) so they parked me on cross country to work Prelim to GAG.  It was a long day, but super nice to be outside for a change (NO RAIN OMG) and I remembered how fun this sport can be at a grass roots level.

I took Orbit with me and we camped out in our chairs.  This was her first event and she did super good with all the action and ended up napping most of the day once she realized not everyone was going to pet her and she couldn't chase the horses galloping by.  I call that a success.

Orbit

Amanda on a baby horse

I's a good help!

Texas showing off

Didn't even notice I got up...

Amanda again

Amanda on Christian

We got this.

I know you has snacks.

Nigel Weight Gain: Month Three

Just another update on Nigel.  He's rocking his feed now and we're finally getting some balance to his diet.  I did end up using Nutrena Boost and its made a SUPER awesome difference in him, although I know other horses don't do as well as he did.  I should also mention he's eating an obscene amount of it (the max they mention on the bag for him) but its doing well and his stomach is WAY happier.  We'll work towards upping his hay intake once more and then set him loose on a round bale.  I think the all day grazing will be good for him but I don't want him just tanking up on that and colicking.  He seems the type to do that.

On the ground and at feeding time, he's doing great and we're well mannered.  I've started working on further ground work with him but again, so wet this winter so its sporadic when I actually work on that but he's clever and eager.

New Years.

If you're keeping track, you've probably notice that I have several horses at this point.  Katy, Mango, Piper + 1, Nigel, Arthur...  There's one of me and I haven't had a working student since the start of the summer (technically I'd call that last Spring) and I also haven't increased MY skills much.

I didn't die.

That's what I did in 2014.  Yes, I did lots of things, but mentally and physically for me, that's about all I accomplished.  With the idea that a baby horse is cooking, Arthur needs to be sold (which probably requires me to show him in SOMETHING) and Nigel being an athletic badass to prep me for the baby horse while relieving Katy... I need to get better.

So while I'm not big on Resolutions, I do like goals.  Especially for myself.  We've still been going to the gym and eating decently and I'm maintaining my 20 lb weight loss so there's that.  Time to start using it.

The weather has been more or less crap for us here in Texas though, so my goals of riding Katy at least 3x a week have been a bit shaky.  I've decided (and budgeted) for riding lessons with Sarah and I took a lesson or two with Amanda Merritt of Anchor Equestrian for jumping (butt kicking).  Katy will be used but that's what she does: treadmill.  Due to the weather, I've been checking out covered arenas and there's one RIGHT by the house that I contacted and she's asking for $25 a ride.  Its not ideal (for my budget when you include all the lessons I want) but I can use it to supplement what I'm doing at the house. Hopefully I'm right.

I also have decided to become more active in the eventing scene (AECs were fun!) and I can do that with just volunteering which at Pine Hill also earns me credits.  Hopefully we can hit some shows (maybe even some Jumper shows, ugh) and I can get Katy and Mango sold, leaving me to focus on selling Arthur and working on Nigel and Piper.

These are some serious goals but I need to streamline and use that latent money in my pasture to go for this venture!

Oh, I also start Grad School this term.  *sigh