Looking back on 2012

The last few days have been really low-key at Wyvern Oaks. Hubby and I had planned some house projects, but then we both got sick (he's got a 102 fever, I've got a lovely sinus infection AND a nasty case of conjunctivitis), so we are laying low, eating soup, and taking lots of naps. We both hate feeling sick and useless - blargh!

So, here's a look back at the last year. This is our third year at WO and it sure feels like not much happened compared to the previous two years. The house and property needed so much attention when we first moved in, so it's kind of nice to have the big things done and feel like we can get on to the rest of it in good time.

January saw my hubby riding Saga - with the goal of getting ready for the joust in May - and me on Reddums. We started regular jumping lessons again, and I loved it! Our barn was stocked with hay from Canada, which we had to purchase due to the 2011 drought. I pimped out my tackroom, and considered getting titanium blinds for the bedroom.

In February Saga became an official jousting pony, and I took a lot of jumping lessons. We started having some issues with the neighbors. Saga pulled a shoe and I took a hard look at what shoes were doing to his feet.

We almost managed to burn down the barn in March, due to a malfunctioning heat lamp for our baby chicks. Grendel, our truck, decided it needed a new tran$mi$$ion. We did a weekend kitchen remodel and we love our "new" kitchen! I decided to give barefoot a try again with Saga, but he was lame for most of the month. Boots helped but not enough, and we discovered that he still had super-thin soles. I played around with his feed (again) in an effort to help him grow better soles.

I met the hubby in Italy in April, and we had a crazy time driving in Tuscany. Saga continued to be lame, even just in the pasture, so I decided to put shoes back on him and consoled myself with a great ride on Cash. The spring rains meant that flies started on in earnest, but the garden did great. I contemplated going to a schooling hunter show but didn't have anything to wear. And a scorpion stung me on the neck (bastard).

In May, I called the pest control company and danced gleefully every time I found another dead scorpion. Our big joust happened (with bonus nasty storm), Reddums kicked ass in mounted combat, and Cash was everyone's favorite schpotted pony. Unfortunately, Saga had a tough time with the jousting, and we decided to shop for a new horse for the hubby.

We lost Anie, our faithful Great Pyrenees Guardian Dog, in June. The new horse we were trying out didn't mind armor one bit AND he had a cute jump, so hubby decided to keep him. The garden continued to produce lots of delicious things, and I made a baby blanket for a friend. We ended the month with a trip to France for a wedding.

In July, I learned I had accidentally grown a pumpkin in my garden. Saga's shod feet continue to look awful, even though he was sound. Cash and Saga's bromance continued in earnest, but was a problem when I took Cash to the vet to have carcinomas removed. I took a dressage lesson on Saga, went to a hunter show and didn't suck, then had an absolute blast schooling XC and wondered why I was wasting time in the hunter ring.

In August we started getting reading for foxhunting, going roading with the hounds, XC schooling, and taking some jumping lessons. I managed to get my jumping trainer to go roading too!  Elias waxed poetic about the rough life of a farm dog, and Cash demonstrated how to get really, really dirty. Oh, and since the hubby was out of town, the water main to the guest house broke. Both kiddos went off to college, which officially made us empty nesters (sniff).

We were supposed to go to the LOPE benefit show in early September, but it was cancelled due to rain so I took Oberon foxhunting instead. Saga got a new farrier and we jumped 3'3. Maddy ate an entire gram of bute out of Cash's feed tub, which resulted in a $1300 vet bill. Fortunately, she survived the experience. We made it to the rescheduled LOPE show, where Saga and Oberon both kicked butt.

October sucked. Saga hurt himself somehow and was lame, lame, lame. We treated him for a fetlock joint infection, but he was still in horrible pain.

Things continued into November. Saga had a splint on for almost three weeks. Despite stall rest and way too much Bute, he continued to be in a lot of pain. Six weeks after the original lameness, we found a bone lesion and degenerative arthritis in the fetlock, along with a lesion on the medial sesamoid ligament. He got a little better, but then he got much worse again almost overnight. New rads showed two bone cysts on the pastern bone, under the fetlock. I considered putting him down for the 100th time, but we opted to do a steroid injection to see if it would make him comfortable. Oh, and we broke the garbage disposal the night before Thanksgiving. :)

In December, the steroid injection worked miracles, and Saga went sound. I started to think about retirement options for him and Cash, and started to look for a new horse. The options weren't very exciting. Hubby and I took a ride at McKinney Roughs on Red and Oberon. We moved Cash and Saga to a lovely retirement pasture with 11 acres all to themselves. They don't even seem to miss us.

I'm hoping things will be looking up on the horse front in the new year. Hopefully Saga will remain comfortable with minimal joint injections, and Cash will have many years left to keep him company. I'm still horse shopping, and trying to figure out what to do while I only have Reddums to torment.

Happy New Year, everyone!