Pimp My Tackroom

If you recall, I have been working to finish the Taj Mahal of Tackrooms. I've spent the last couple of days tidying this and organizing that, not to mention hanging up all the stuff I had piled up. Here's a tour of the latest customizations:

 First, gotta have the Sign Of Doom. This is actually just to the right of the tackroom door, first thing when you walk into the barn. Da lawyer says we gotta have this... CYA and all that.

 My neighbor down the street (who has three horses of her own) gave me this cute sign after we delivered and stacked 100 bales of hay for her.  I put it over the door into the storage room.

 I had stored all my ribbons in a box several years ago when I no longer had a place to hang them. This week I found the box in the attic, ironed the ribbons, and hung them up. Most of those are from Cash, but maybe this year I'll be able to add a few from Saga?

You'll also note the hanging over-door hooks I'm using to hang up our (super classy) reflective shirts for riding at night, jackets, and a few hats. I also bought one of those hanging shelf things you can put in your shower and hung it off one of the over-door hooks. It's a perfect place for storing gloves and hanging headlamps - 'cause there's nothing quite like mucking in the dark!

The bridle rack is home-made, using the scrap end of a landscape timber cut into 2-inch sections and screwed into a backplate that is then screwed into the wall. Some day if I'm feeling really classy, maybe I'll put brass nameplates on each bridle hook.

 Saddle racks are working really well!

 This is an antique armoire, circa 1800, imported from England, courtesy of my father-in-law. It's actually too tall to fit anywhere in our house, so instead of storing it disassembled in the attic for who knows how long, we decided to use it in the barn to store saddle pads and the like. I think it looks pretty darn classy, and it hides all of the usual tackroom clutter quite nicely! In a pinch, it's big enough to use to store any dead bodies. Ahem.

 To the left of the sink I put a collage of Cash's eventing pictures, and to the right a poster from the 1996 Olympic Equestrian Games in Atlanta. That strange light-colored stripe in the wood is just a spot that still needs polyurethane... oops!

I keep meaning to take a picture of this - MC gave me this doormat for Christmas and it is just the COOLEST! Personalized and everything. You should have heard the SQUEEEE! sound I made when I opened the tackroom door and found this. Awesome!

And just in case you think it's all done and beautiful, we still have to put up the last bit of paneling and trim behind the door. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we can get it done next week or weekend!

Still more to do in here, but it's really coming together. It's so nice to walk into such a lovely space every time I go out to the barn!

What's your favorite part about a tackroom that you've seen? Do you ever think about what The Perfect Tackroom would be if you got to build one?

Mid-week Critter: This week on Wild Kingdom

Warning: Some images may not be appropriate for younger views. Parental discretion is advised. ;)

In today's episode, we see the wild Malamute kill and eviscerate his chosen prey, the Duckus Stuffedus.

First, he attacks!

He holds his prey down to deliver the death bite.

Having ensured it's dead, he begins the evisceration process.

I believe he's searching for the liver pate. It's likely in there somewhere.

As you can see, being a wild Malamute and hunting your own food is exhausting work. The Malamute will now likely nap (not in his bed) for the rest of the day to recuperate from his exertions.

Tune in next week to Wyvern Oaks' Wild Kingdom!

Caring for the land

Last spring when we were building the barn, Red and Saga (then the only boys that were here) were relegated to the back pasture for nearly 3 months. Being constantly grazed, along with the drought that we've had, have taken quite a toll on this pasture. 

Here's what the back pasture looks like today. :(

For comparison, this is the pasture next to the barn. Still not in great shape (thank you drought of the century), but better.

You can really see the difference if you compare at the fenceline. Back pasture is on the left.

Since the forecast was for rain (which, BTW, came true), I decided to spread some rye grass seed on the back pasture. I know it's not the best for overseeding, but it grows quickly and will help provide some protection from erosion so the more native stuff can get a foothold. This 50-lb bag covered almost 1/2 acre.

Slowly but surely, we've also been spreading our composted manure on the pasture, starting with the most bare spots. The hope is to build the topsoil back up after so much was lost this summer. Last year we were able to do a really great job with rotational grazing, but we were much less successful this year with the drought. In fact, the boys haven't been out on any of the pastures since the barn was finished, and now that some of our pastures have nice growth, I'm even more wary of putting them out for fear of founder! Balancing the health of the land and the health of the horses is really hard!

A fabulous weekend of riding

This weekend was fantastic for riding!

Saturday, hubby and I enjoyed a great jumping lesson with Paige at Couraggio Farm. As always, she gave great pointers and had a wonderful sense of humor (especially since we're not actually H/J folks)! Hubby and I switched horses, so he rode Saga and I rode Reddums.

I would like to point out what a great job Saga did taking care of my hubby. This is just a short video clip from the end of the lesson, but the improvement he showed in just one lesson was amazing! I'm hoping to convince the hubby that we can do lessons more regularly... MUCH more regularly!



I was somewhat less successful with Reddums. He's very hard to rate to fences as his canter stride is really not very adjustable. He also is not in great shape right now (although he would argue that Round is a Shape) so he has a harder time carrying himself. If I let him get flat and quick, he can't take the short spot, and he absolutely cannot put in a long spot to save his life... and you can see in this video (the first fence anyway) what happens when the pilot screws up royally.


Oh well, he tries hard and he's really fun to ride. He's teaching me to wait and not run at the fence, which is what I got used to doing with Cash (or rather, Cash would run and I would do my best to sit still and not get in his face - which would just make him run more.). I have a lot to learn, that's for sure!

Sunday we had the first jousting practice of the year in preparation for Lysts on the Lake, the largest Jousting tournament in the world, in early May. Last year the hubby rode Reddums, but the armor is heavier than ever, and most of the horses being used are drafts or draft crosses, so this year he's planning to ride Saga. Training a horse to joust takes a lot of time and patience, and a lot of baby steps - you know, sort of like training them to do anything else! They have to get used to having their rider carry clanking armor and waving a lance around their heads. They have to be OK with facing down another horse charging almost directly at them. And they have to stay straight and not shy from the line, even when the opponent's lance strikes their rider and shatters - loudly. None of this is easy, even for the boldest of horses, and Saga is not overly bold!

We've trained a number of horses to joust, and one thing we have learned is everything in baby steps. One of the first things we do is to get a horse accustomed to having the rider carrying something that's going to be moving over their heads. Horses do get bumped accidentally, or toss their heads into the lance occasionally. We bump them all the time on purpose so that it's no big deal when it happens. Here Saga demonstrates what a jousting horse has to put up with.

This is the dumbest hat EVAR, dad.

And although Saga won't be doing mounted combat, we also spend a lot of time walking/trotting/cantering around hitting posts and fences and such, so they get used to the sound of an impact happening over their heads/backs. Here hubby demonstrates smacking a quintain with a sword. 

This seems like a bad idea, dad. That thing might spin around and hit us!

Saga wasn't too sure about the sounds related to stuff being hit, so we moved on to something he was more  comfortable with.

Next, we practiced making passes against another horse - no lances, shields, or armor, just going head-to-head at a walk, trot, and canter. Saga has always had issues with this in the arena, so it was a little harder than it seems it might be. The big black mare he was up against is also a bossy one, but after a few runs he was going against her steadily. Good boy!

Finally, hubby did a number of passes at the quintain with a lance, starting at a nice relaxed walk. Eventually they worked up to a trot, and finally did a few rounds at a relaxed canter. Yay! Here hubby exhibits lovely form (and Saga's doing great too!) while accidentally missing the quintain. Oops! 

We are very much looking forward to more weekends like this - jousting practice will be a regular thing until May, and hopefully we can squeeze in more jumping lessons too. I'm really excited to be able to do this after so long off!

Mid-week critter: How not to be seen

In this post, we hope to show you how not to be seen.

 

In this picture, there are 47 cats*. None of them can be seen.

 This is Ms. Artemis Mousekiller, 42 Wyvern Oaks, and she has learned the first lesson of how not to be seen: not to stand up.

 However, she has chosen a very obvious piece of cover (Maddy interruption notwithstanding).

But since we are not into pyrotechnics in the barn, we'll have to leave our Monty Python skit and just point her out.

I should mention that in Artemis' case, not being seen means more attack options for unsuspecting passers-by. It's especially effective at 6 a.m. when I'm not quite awake.

* Slight exaggeration. There's only one... that I know of.

Looking forward

The start of a new year is as good a time as any to reflect on what you love in your life, what you’d change, and what you want to leave behind. The hubby and I have been talking about this lately, and here’s what we’re thinking for 2012:

• Family. We have four ADORABLE nephews under the age of 3, plus lots of siblings and parents we see only once or twice per year. In some cases this really cannot be changed – the hubby’s dad lives in France, and one brother and his wife are in Australia. But for family who is closer, we’re going to make a bigger effort to visit more often – not just during the holidays!
• The Kiddos. The oldest is a freshman in college, and the youngest goes to college this fall. We’ll be empty nesters (gulp!). We want to spend quality time with them, as we’ve already discovered that once they’re off to college, parents are superfluous. Or at least, mostly good for paying the bills. Oh well - we are still going to do our best to parent, even if it's from afar. :)
• Each Other. The hubby and I love doing projects together, but sometimes we get so busy and don’t slow down and enjoy what we're doing. We also get frustrated with each other (me especially) and I have a tendency to snarl sometimes. So, not getting stressed out about what we’re doing, and taking time to really BE together, is a priority. That could just mean cooking dinner, or it could mean me going with him to a week-long conference somewhere. But, more of it!
• The House. The really big, huge, gotta-get-it-done projects have pretty much been completed. The roof doesn’t leak, the HVAC has replaced, the plumbing works, the barn is (mostly done), etc. etc. What’s left is a ton of odds-and-ends of finish work, some that will require multiple weekends of work, some that can be completed in an evening or an hour. We want to keep steadily eating away at that list without stressing out about it. We haven’t quite figured out how we’re going to do that yet, and we haven’t even written the list down – I think we’re afraid to do so and will start stressing if we realize how long it is! But we’re motivated, and the End Is In Sight. Now, if the things we’ve already fixed would just STAY FIXED…
• Food. We used to go to the Farmer’s Market weekly, but we got out of the habit. I had a small garden, but didn’t plant one last spring. We also had a bunch of chickens, but we lost quite a few in last summer’s heat. We really want to locally source our food as much as possible, so we’re making a point of going to the market regularly this year. We’re ordering more chicks to increase our flock size again, and… we’re planting a garden! The hubby actually wants to do it this time (usually the garden is all me), so I’m super-excited! We’ve already bought some seeds, as well as some potato starts, strawberry roots, and onion slips. Yeah, it’s late for strawberries (I think you’re supposed to plant around Thanksgiving?), but what the heck? Might as well try it and see what happens.  Gardening is all about trial and error, and we’re going to start trying again!
• The Horses. I want to start taking regular lessons again. Saga’s sound (knock on wood) and so it’s time. I’ve already sent an email to my jumper trainer asking to get on the schedule, and the hubby has agreed that I can make time to do something regularly. So, I’m gonna do it! I’m also hoping to go to a show or two this year – schooling shows, nothing recognized. I just want to have some goals and some fun, no stress please!

What are your thoughts looking forward to the new year?

Night Before Christmas - Wyvern Oaks style!

‘Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, except for Maddy and Artemis, who were chasing a mouse. 

The stocking were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicolas soon would be there with carrots, and dog bones, and catnip, and maybe some chocolate for me and scotch for the hubby.

The chickens were nestled all snug in their beds, with visions of table scraps dancing in their heads.

And I in my wool socks and hubby in his jousting cap, had just settled down in the bed (with the awesome electric heated comforter) for a long winter’s nap.

When out in the carport there arose such a clatter, I would have sprung from my bed to see what was the matter, except I knew it was probably just Red in the dog food again.

Away to the door I stumbled and crashed (over the dog who was not in his bed), tore open the door as I heard the food bin lid smash.

The moon on the poof of the Great Pyrenees, and the clatter of the lid set off the braying of the neighbor’s donkeys.  

When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a rather large butt, and three others standing near.

With a little chestnut horse so lively and quick, I knew in a moment we were the victims of another of Red’s tricks.

More rapid than eagles I flew out the door, and whistled and shouted and scolded some more:

“Now Reddums you bratsky, now Saga you lug, now Cash my spotted one, and Taran you slug,

Back to the barn! Back to your stall! Now move it, I said, Move it you all!”

So out to the barn the horses they flew, with a mouthful of dog food, and Anie following too!

And once in the barn, through the clattering of hoofs, I heard Maddy meowing loudly, ‘cause she was stuck on the roof.

As I fastened the gate and was turning around, down the hay bales Maddy came, with a leap and a bound.

Behind her came a man with hay bits from his head to his foot, and as he dusted himself he was looking quite off-put.

A bundle of carrots he had flung on his back, and he looked rather bedraggled as he fell down with a smack.

His eyes, how they twinkled, his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like apples, though he looked kind of wary.

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, and the beard of his chin was as white as snow.

The stump of his pipe he held tight in his teeth, but I reminded him that we were in a barn, so he snuffed it out in his handkerchief.

He had a broad face and a little round belly, sort of like Reddums actually, like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, although Cash eyed him suspiciously, which was just like himself.

With a wink of his eye and a twist of his head, he shook out all the hay bits from his suit of red.

He spoke not a word but went straight to his work, gave each horse a carrot and then turned with a jerk.

And laying a finger aside of his nose, no doubt offended by the manure – it doesn’t smell like a rose!

He sprang to his feet, to the horses gave a whistle, and zipped back to the rooftop, faster than a missile.

But I heard him exclaim as he flew out of sight, Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!