A Series of Unfortunate Events

My blog lately:

I swear I'm trying to be positive/optimistic. I started my Dairy rotation last week- 5 AM milkings, 6 AM feedings, but no on-call and ONE FREE WEEKEND. So naturally, I JUMPED at the chance to be able to go to Pensacola last weekend for my first away show. I swapped my 3 day weekend for a 2 day weekend, wrassled some money out of my savings, and started packing.

Stellar lesson on Lexie last Tuesday- worked on tricky rollbacks and bending lines. I barely batted an eye over 2'9" fences. Lexie had her usual oomph, but loved the newly enlarged arena.

How amazing is this arena?

 Flatted her on Thursday- goal was just to have a solid flat, work on lengthening and collecting, but overall positive experience. She was off in her right front.

Still off Friday morning, so we elected to not go.

The upside? I have found the magic potion to draw out her abscesses: epsom salt poultice.

Her abscess ruptured the next day after applying this- and has been draining nicely. I've been hacking her bareback up and down hills to maintain fitness, and going to try to have a lesson tonight, even if it's just flatting and pole work.

Plan of action is applying Durasole to all four feet, and adding front pads during the next farrier round to hopefully avoid abscesses. It's not totally Lexie's fault- the weather has been hot, moist, and rainy, and the new ring footing is still being perfected.

Abscess booties...

We are scheduled to do the year end show in November (a little stupid since I have boards the next week, but I'm on vacation- plenty of time to study), and hopefully one other show in between now and then.

Just never fails that I plan a show and something happens, but this also has the added twist of 3 extra days of 5 AM cow milking. Maybe I'm just not meant to be showing/riding this year...

Pretty much my life in a nutshell, right?

- K & C & L