Snow Day = Barn Day

I woke up to exciting news that we had a snow day today! I'm from Wisconsin...a little ice and snow wasn't going to keep me from the barn on a day off with Florida days away...I got in my trusty Civic and drove to the farm...the driveway was a bit dicey but the roads were clear. All the horses were in their stalls because of the ice. I have decided that Harry thinks I have either a) quit my job or b) have a new job where all I get paid to do is torture him. He hasn't had a day off since last Thursday (it's a rough life being a horse who does nothing but eat and poop other than one hour a day of work...at the most). He truly gave me a look today that clearly said: "Go to work woman! I am tired of seeing you here!" Little does he know that he'll have 10 days more in Sunny Florida than me!!!!

A long, sick weekend!

I have a cold. Not just a runny nose kind of cold...the "chest and nose and sinus plague" that is going around. As I write this on Monday morning I'm actually starting to feel (a little) better after about a week of Nyquil nights and 9-11 hours of sleep. The extra day off meant another long night of sleep. It also means another day at the barn to ride. I was not at my best or strongest while riding this weekend but I showed up and rode everyday anyway. Breathing is totally overrated, right?

Countdown: Three Weeks!

Harry, the lucky horse that he is, leaves for Florida on the 31st of January. I won't get down there until February 11th. I guess he'll have a tan by the time I get there! We are both headed to central Florida, to Ocala, to show at the HITS Winter Series. It's a big, national competition and I'm excited and nervous. I've shown all over the country but never done a hunter show of this caliber. Harry is excited too...mostly because he hates the cold.

In the three weeks he and I have left we have been doing lots of "homework": Counter canter, lead changes, lateral work and jumping. We are both "in training" 5 days a week and in addition to my riding I'm also biking 10 miles a day 5 days a week to stay fit. It's hard work for us both!

Harry is all packed for his adventure...me, not so much. It is daunting when I think about everything I need to remember!