"They call me the wanderer..."

That old song definitely defines my life of late. We just got word we won't be returning home to WA until late spring or summer. I have been galavanting all over the place and next week I am off again to visit my old stomping grounds in the Hill Country. Which, I might add, I have been sooooo looking forward to doing for a while now. So, I have returned to TX for a while. Good thing. Life's been quite eventful here in the south. The morning after I arrived, I went out to feed the horses, having kept Bailey up to avoid her fighting with my youngest gelding, Blackjack, and having their meet and greet turn into what usually becomes a trip to the vet for one of them. Last time they were both together he kept trying to breed her. She was sore in her back and bitten all over. I have since kept them separated when I return to TX. Well, this time the separation proved to be in vain. Blackjack came up for his morning feed with a 10 inch horizontal gash across the lower part of his left shoulder. We have no idea how he did it or what he came across because it is at such an odd angle and height. It took 20 stitches and an overnight trip to the vet. Not because he wasn't ready to come home the same day, but because he wouldn't get in the trailer that night. If you know me at all, you know one of my pet peeves is a horse that won't trailer load. ALL my horses willingly get into ANY trailer and travel well over long distances, if necessary. Well, Blackjack hasn't gone anywhere in over a year and I can't really blame him for not wanting to get back in the trailer after what I am sure was an unpleasant visit with the vet. So, we went back the next day and he loaded up without too much fuss. We will be working on that issue once he is all healed up.

After picking up Blackjack, we headed south to a friend's house. Well, really they are a family of friends, 7 to be exact. The eldest daughter is quite the horse-woman having her own lesson and training business, which is helping pay for her college. Really, she is humble when it comes to her abilities with horses, but I think she is amazing. So do a lot of other people. She has performed at the Parelli tour stops on more than one occasion, if that tells you anything. Bailey is now staying with her for a few days and then we are going back to get some lesson time. Bailey and I have been having "issues". I know it is all me, just not being savvy enough for her. It is challenging for me to have a more confident, intelligent, athletic horse who is very playful. She gets bored easily and I am not provocative enough for her in many instances. I am used to my other gelding who used to be much more fractious, unconfident, and less playful. He needed comfort and consistency. Which I am now well-versed in providing. Bailey needs play, variety, and incentive. Its not that I don't know what to do...the knowledge is definitely there. But I sometimes have trouble accessing it and keeping my emotions out of it. As my friend put it, Bailey is a bit of a princess. At least I know now and can admit it, and hopefully we can get over this hump pretty quickly and move on to the next. :) I'll let you know how things go next week!

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