Fall beauty

Yay, the sun has come out. After days of rain, the fall colors are beautiful and I rode all the crazy fillies this morning, just to get out and enjoy it. The farm is so lovely this time of year. Actually, even in the rain it is lovely. I rode yesterday in the rain and it felt like a "misty, moisty morning", calm and quiet in the damp. The leaves were beautiful in the rain. Today they are coming down everywhere. The streams were very swollen, overflowing the banks. I have a blue heron that frequents one of the streams, it is always standing beside the pipe by the back stream. I wonder where blue herons go in the winter. It is there everyday now and I realize I have never seen a heron in the snow! It flies up, startled, with a huge wingspan, every time I ride past. The fillies are starting to look for the darn bird and plan their spook!

Louis, the foxhunter with the broken coffin bone has been let out of jail! We xrayed again and after 3 months in the stall he is pretty much the same. I think it is arthritis. I decided to let him out and let him be a pasture guy to see if it might eventually fuse. He seems to deal with the discomfort without bute and he is so much happier. We are driving to VA this weekend to see Will at Washington and Lee. I am looking forward to the Skyline Drive- the prettiest road in America.

Wedding/Opening Hunt

Julia's wedding was fabulous. We had a great time. Julia and Ryan make a dynamite couple and those navy boys know how to party. We left for the night when the shirts were coming off and I heard they all jumped in the pool!! Tampa was Warm- an unexpected treat. Got back on Sunday just in time for Opening Hunt breakfast. This was also a wonderful gathering. It is a lovely tradition and every year I appreciate my friends who ride and hunt. Two mishaps, please send good vibes to Andrea Barnes and John Myers, both who got tossed. And also to Snowie , whose heart is thumping too much and had to spend the night in hospital. Too much excitement. The puppy auction went very well- seems we raised about $3000 or $4000 for kennel/trail funds which are always needed. We thanked out trail clearing groups and "awarded Work gloves!!" The food was Southern themed and disappeared fast. It was cleaned up and we were home in time for football. A terrific day. I was glad we went to the wedding and glad we made it back to host Breakfast!

Off to Tampa

We are leaving tomorrow for a SHORT trip to Florida to see Julia and Ryan tie the Knot!! We will miss Opening Hunt but will be back for the breakfast to follow. I love the spectacle of Opening Hunt and Jim, our huntsman , was not really pleased that I was going away , but Julia is important and I want to be there for her special day.

Thursday morning

As my day starts and I'm on my second cup of coffee, reading Facebook before I go out to chores, I keep hearing what sounds like fireworks. Finally I look up, see the dawn pinking up and think OH SH_ _ ! Blackpowder season! I guess I will not be trail riding today, too many deer hunting, muzzle loading, first day of season guys out this morning. It is not even light yet and they are already shooting. I hope my six broodmares and two geldings in the back fields keep their heads down. Years ago I had a horse shot first day of deer season and ever since I worry.

Yesterday was a lovely Fall day and we had a good hunt, albeit a little close to suburbia. I imagine all hunts are feeling the pinch of housing developments and yesterday was textbook tiptoeing through somebody's backyard. The hounds were in full cry thru the woods, thru cut cornfields and then thru manicured backyards. Can't tell you how many picnic tables, little equipment sheds, plastic wading pools , BBQ grills and sandboxes I have "sneaked "around at a gallop trying to keep hounds from running down driveways to the main road. As these suburban houses get closer, I now keep an eye out for clotheslines as much as wire fence in the woods. There was a family eating breakfast at their table yesterday as I raced on the edge of their lawn . Don't know if they saw me- I hope not- they are not usually happy about hoofprints! Hounds finally checked below a brand new huge brick Mcmansion, in some brambles and I took the opportunity to try and stop them. After much persuasion and horn blowing they "agreed" to stop and call it a day. Fun but too close to houses for me.

Came home and let the big guy out . This is Louis, the old guy with a broken coffin bone who has been in the stall for 3 months. Aced him and let out for 1 hour. I was crushed when he came back in limping. I had so hoped it would heal , after months of stall rest. The vet at racetrack was very discouraging, said if break was into joint the prognosis was not good. I am so bummed- love this horse. we are going to Xray this week and see what we can do next. Fingers crossed.

Took pictures of "Q" puppies for puppy auction this weekend. They are so cute, the littlest one is called "Q-Tip" by huntsman.

A sunny Monday

The sun feels so good today. After 4 days of rain, the sunshine is a treat for everyone, horses, dogs and cat are all out sunning! Today is the first day I have let, Louis, my old foxhunter that broke his coffin bone this summer, out into a small paddock. He is a very big boy so the vet said give him 3cc's of Ace (a tranquilizer) and let him out for a short time. He is so dopey that he is quietly eating which was the goal. I'm not sure he knows if he is loose or not. One of the weanlings is keeping him company in the barn ( she is in for stitches healing) and the past few days he has been going nuts, kicking boards and carrying -on like an idiot. Now, when he kicks a board, they come flying off. He is 17.2 hands and probably 1400 lobs- a big guy who is very tired of being in the barn. It has been 11 weeks and we are trying for 12 weeks of confinement, then small turn out for another month. Hopefully, the broken bone in his foot will heal completely- fingers crossed. I love the old guy even if he can be big pig sometimes. Right now the other weanling is talking to him across the fence from the small paddock. It is looks like LeBron James and Tinkerbelle talking!

Rainy Saturdays

Today is a rainy, lazy Saturday, watching college football, steeplechasing and paying bills. The horses are in their "pajamas" , in their run-in sheds reluctant to come out at all. There is mud everywhere and we have already cancelled hunting tomorrow. A Sunday to sleep in - awesome. Speaking of awesome, Mike and I went to the musical "Jersey Boys" last night in DC. It was fabulous. For anybody who loves music, it's the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and it is a must see. I don't even like musicals but it was so great I can't get the smile off my face. I even bought the soundtrack! So, my life is not just about horses- I try to get some culture in there sometimes and I loved this show.

Now we might go to the movies and watch some gratuitous violence and unnecessary mayhem just to keep the culture balanced!

Rainy days

It is a cold, rainy, yucky day. Too cold for October, reluctantly I am pulling out horse blankets, checking buckles and surcingles, counting how many I need. I pull the two geldings in from the front field-one is almost 30, my favorite old foxhunter and Red, who is too skinny now. I put them in the barn and watch them roll in the shavings and heave sighs of warm relief. My girlfriend Carol sent me a photo of her weanling , who is burrowed in a nest of clean straw , not about to get up! It is so cute. I guess we all know what that feels like to burrow under the comforter and just keep sleeping.

its getting colder!

I picked up my new Mini today!! It is bright red. This time, hopefully, nobody will rear-end me. You can't miss this beautiful little red Mini- I love it.

Today was coollll ! In fact on the way home a little sleet hit the windshield. Oh no- I am not ready for real cold. Maryland has the most wonderful fall weather but sleet in October- unusual. The hunt today was fast. We were only out for about 1 1/2 hrs from 8 -9:30. One fox was viewed crossing a hay field and the hounds quickly found its friend or mate and tore off in the opposite direction under full cry. We whips looked at each other, shrugged and said " maybe it is not "heel" ( heel -is running backwards on a scent line) and off we went. This fox was very brave as he ran for a solid hour, was viewed several times. Sometimes the hounds were pretty close, other times , not even warm. They ran thru woods, across hayfields, across the jump field on the horse trial course, thru the broodmares in the neighbour's pasture and kept on keepin' on. The fox went to ground in a den below the tenant's house on same neighbour's farm and the huntsman blew "gone to ground" and enthusiastically praise the hounds. They did good. And we thanked the fox silently, as it was a wonderful run, and we were glad he went home safely. We like to take care of our foxes, actually putting out dog kibble in rough winter weather and putting rabies vaccines in chicken parts to keep them healthy. The second field had a lovely view of this fox as he crossed the hay field a second time on the way home.

Sunday mornings

I love that my husband comes and hunts with me. When we got together years ago I said, "You know you are going to start foxhunting,right?". We had met in martial arts class, so I figured he was athletic enough ,even tho' he knew nothing about horses and was also very allergic to them, I firmly believed that everyone loves hunting once they try it!

Well he was game and years later he loves his Quarter Horse, Bob. And Bob has a good relationship with Mike, my husband- he waits for Mike when he falls off as long as Mike lets him eat a fair amount of the time hunting. That is sort of a joke- it is the cute part of the relationship , but actually they have a good time and seem to look out for each other. I love seeing Mike and Bob (the horse) when I go tearing by, chasing errant hounds etc. They are just cool, hanging out, talking to other field members and enjoying the Fall, the foxhunting, the hounds, the whole thing.

Today was lovely until there was more excitement than I wanted. Hounds found in the corn , but instead of heading south where we could go , the fox went north! To the road. Damn, this means I and Greg ,the other whip today, ride like bats out of hell down somebody's driveway to the paved road, hoping to head the hounds off. Well I hit the road at a gallop, thanking my blacksmith for the borium with every stride (keeps you from skidding on the road) and raced west, yelling at hounds to -hopefully- quit their quarry, the fox- and not cross the road. At the same time I am praying this isn't a coyote who run in straight lines for miles!

I pulled my gun, hating to do it on the road 'cause I'm sure someone is going to call the cops on me and fire the rat shot into the side of the road. Hounds will sometimes listen to the gun and the anticipated peppering of shot and stop even when on a hard run. I fired 5 or 6 times and luckily no one called the cops and the hounds checked long enough for the huntsman to pick them up. We travelled back south to the corn and tried again. Now this was all on my little mare, Lily who, during most of the off-season is the spookiest mare. But, give her a job and she is terrific. Knows exactly what we were trying to do, dashed down the driveway onto the road, ignoring a million things she usually has a heart attack about. Go figure horses- I love her when she is super like that and she can jump the moon. It was a fun day after all.

October beauty

Now that the sales are done I can relax and enjoy what I do. October is such a beautiful month for riding. The colors are magnificent and it seems to smell like Fall. Woodsy, smokey and clean, with no humidity. It is invigorating. So, after not riding for days I took the two mares and Red, my TB gelding , for trail rides. The gelding just cruises along with the most awesome ground covering gallop. Nothing spooks him and he is a fabulous jumper-he just makes it easy and is always a pleasure. The mares are both Mares! At least neither is a chestnut mare-they are the worst. But these two can be so stupid. A squirrel running across her path gave "Polly" a heart attach and her head came up and she smashed the side of my face with her neck. Ouch. But she is very brave and no longer worries about the troll! Small victories. The grey mare is pregnant but she is young and very attractive and I keep thinking she would make a lovely hunter. If she doesn't kill me first.

post yearling sale

Well, the yearling sale is over and we all move on to next year. It is a very discouraging Thoroughbred market right now, no easy way out. I managed to sell my three, 2 colts and a filly. Only one was a little profitable. Gone are the days of 3x the stud fee. I would say most people did not recoup their stud fees, I did not. And breeding in Maryland to Maryland sires is just dead in the water. And now, after saying all this, my partner and friend Carol, sold the sales topper filly for over $180,00- so, you never know which horse is going to save your butt. Her sale gave us all hope and a bright ending to the sale.

Now I'm home and looking at the two weanlings in the back paddock, wondering what the future holds. Some say slots will help , some say it is too late. I know I am reducing the herd and breeding more selectively.

On a happier note, the weather is beautiful and foxhunting is a good for my soul. Being on a horse early in the morning, listening to hounds and watching the young entry learn and thrill to the chase is what makes my day. Heck, it makes my life!

It's getting colder!

It is definitely getting colder. I burrow deeper into that down comforter for a few more minutes in the morning, watching the sun lit up the treetop. The colors are emerging like gold,orange and red butterflies all over the trees. After coffee I step outside and you can't help but breathe deep. The air is colder, crisp and smells faintly of wood smoke from the neighbor's fire. Oh boy! I can bring some firewood in and we can have a evening fire. I love this time of year.

The horses are getting their winter coats. That means clipping and blankets for the hunters, and the yearlings already have been wearing their "pajamas" to keep them sleek for the sale. The sale starts this weekend. I am taking the colts up on Friday. I hope they sell, they look really good. Wish I could keep and race them but no can do.

Time to put on a jacket and go feed. Mares are waiting patiently by the fence.