August 15th 2012

August 15th 2012

12 horses to San Martin today. Mono met us there to help Martin school a bunch of them over fences. It was a very early start (5:30 in the barn) and it took a little while longer because David wasn't there to drive. Katie and I got off an hour early though which was nice.

August 14th 2013

August 14th 2013

Rawr, forgot to write until I was falling asleep. We took another load of horses over to San Martin and then got to putz around doing barn work all afternoon. Really, nothing special.

August 13th 2012

August 13th 2012

No blog post yesterday, mostly because it was our day off and there was absolutely nothing to write. Katie and I stayed in bed most of the day and she slept and I watched TV. Very good for a day off though.

Today, on the other hand, started nice and quickly. We took a load of horses over to San Martin to ride, mostly ones that had miss the most work because they weren't on the show schedule with the others. I rode Twilight and Geologo while there. Then we came home and took two sets out for hacks on the roads. First I rode Justinion and then Cylene doing nice trot sets around the block. The afternoon was fairly slow but somewhat relaxing. Katie went with Martin into Capital while I stayed home. We stayed up way to late last night and I wanted to relax and chill out, especially with out net back again.

August 10th 2012

August 10th 2012

We tried to ride today, didn't get far though. We were taking horses out and around the block to stretch their legs but aft the second set another storm rolled in which put an end to that. I rode Cylene and Geologo though. Then we were stuck doing random stuff around the barn, mostly helping the guys. Of course, in the early afternoon our Internet went away which put a damper on our day. Dinner and off to bed early.

August 10th 2012

August 10th 2012

There was really nothing to do today. With the ring still soaked and all the horses clipped and looking good, Katie and I helped the guys in the morning. In the afternoon we went into the Hipico with Rachel and Martin to watch the 1.40m class which was fun. There were a lot of nice horses and some really cool rounds. It took a while to get home thanks to traffic but then dinner and bed. Well at least, we tried to go to bed, but then Criminal Minds came on and it was a really good one so we stayed up. No idea what we are doing tomorrow...

August 9th 2012

August 9th 2012

I managed to sleep through my alarm this morning. Thank you Katie for waking me up. Somehow I managed to shower and eat before 5am when we started getting horses ready in the barn. Off the farm by just after 5:30 and to the grounds with time to spare. We managed to get the same stalls as yesterday and got started. We had the series 1 and Benito and Puccini. So Justinion, Cylene, Georgia, and Mauro. I school Justinion a little in the early morning and walked him around for a bit. Mostly I tacked horses up, untracked horses and took video for Martin. The horses were good despite the limited work this past week with our ring flooded. Not sure what we will do tomorrow but at least tomorrow starts at the normal time. Sleeping in!

August 8th 2012

August 8th 2012

Horse show day! Up at 3:45am and off the farm by 5:30. We brought Benito, Puccini, Luli, Nixon, and Skyline. Benito and Puccini were just there to school since they are showing tomorrow and our ring is pretty much useless. I schooled Nixon early to get him out. For the most part I took video and rode horses back to where we had them tied. The series show is tomorrow so another early day and probably another afternoon of putting around looking for stuff to do. Heading to bed early.

Another photo dump!

August 7th 2012

August 7th 2012

Something new happened today! With the ring still unusable (for the most part) and two days of showing coming up, Martin wanted to school the series 1 horses at the Hipico to get them used to the indoor (which was right up next to the highway and very scary) before showing there the first time. He brought me along, leaving Katie and Rodrigo to trot the other horses around some. I tacked up horses and lunged a few while he was riding. Nothing major. We came home, had lunch, and then Katie and I did random barn chores, helping the guys some, and packing for the show tomorrow. It will be a very early day tomorrow since Martin wants to get a chance to school two extra horses tomorrow morning before the warm up ring gets packed.

August 4th 2012

August 4th 2012

I am turning into the cat lady. There are currently three cats in our house, two of which are on my bed. Chester and Lady Jane (my regular cat). Ramone is also in the house thanks to Katie so we shall see how this goes.

Since our ring is still soaked, we took 10 horses over to San Martin to get them worked. The show was supposed to be today but got moved to tomorrow thanks to the rain. We took Benito, Luli, Nixon, Puccini, Skyline, Justinion, Mauro, Cylene, Georgia, and Buck. I rode Skyline and Justinion, just a light flat school as prep for the show tomorrow. On the way back we dropped Buck off at her new home. We had dinner with Martin and Rachel and now off to bed. Early start tomorrow.

August 5th 2012

August 5th 2012

Horse show today so up at 4am. It was at City Bel, which is one of the longer drives so we had to be out early in order to get both loads of horses there. We brought the series 1 and 2 horses as well as Skyline (who from what I understand is about equal with the series 1). I warmed up a few for Martin and got to watch several rounds as well. It was fun but a long day. We got home and wrapped up the horses for the night before crashing early.

August 6th 2012

August 6th 2012

Not much happened today... Martin let Katie and I sleep in, even if that really was only till 7:30 when the guys arrived and started making noise. We were lazy all morning, unable to find Martin to tell him that we were ready to ride the few that needed it. In the end we waited until after lunch. Since the ring was still too wet to do much in it, we tacked up some to go on a tail ride off the compound. After a few false starts we sort of gave up and called it quits. Katie and I did a few things around the barn and then walked down to the store to get a few things. Then dinner and another early night.

August 3rd 2012

August 3rd 2012

Rain. Lots and lots of rain. The ring is totally flooded and there was no way we were going to ride. In the morning, with Rodrigo's help, we cycled all the horses through the walker. In the afternoon I clipped Lion. Other than that not much happened.

Katie and I are somehow best friends, even though we spend every waking moment together. Today we had a laughing fit over the smallest thing but we even laugh the same! When we get going we can't breath and then start squeaking, which scared Rodrigo who came over to see what was going on. Somehow, living together, we just like each other more and continue to get along which is good since we will be spending a lot more time together before this is over.

August 2nd 2012

Another damp day. Rode Geologo, Twilight, Skyline, Herodes, Pastracito and I was about to get on Lion when it started to rain. I jumped Twilight again and did much better than yesterday. I also schooled a few jumps on Herodes to make up for my not so hot ride yesterday.

It really rained, like poured, so the ring is nicely flooded. In the downpour Katie and I put foals on the walker and had a few interesting moments. One of them got away and decided to be a mountain goat, jumping up onto the muck pile (which was when I let go, deciding not to risk a face full of crap, literally). I then set about the task of clipping all the noses and ears which was interrupted often so took longer than expected. The afternoon went fast enough though but tomorrow is probably going to be very slow with no ring and only doing barn stuff.

August 1st 2012

Wow, over a month here. The days seem to fly by, which is good I guess. The weather sucked today, not too cold but damp and almost drizzling most of the day. Mono came by to watch Martin so we banged out a lot of horses really quickly, finishing them all before lunch. I rode Geologo, Twilight, Justinion, Nixon, Benito, Lion and Herodes. Twilight I jumped a bit and was so so. It started out fine but then I had trouble holding pace and we sort of crashed and burned. Katie and I had lessons on Lion and Herodes (she was on Jour and Pastracito). Both were very similar, working on accuracy, I was just riding two very different horses. In the afternoon we walked the foal and did little things around the barn. I organized all of the boots because it was getting on my nerves, and helped Katie clip noses and ears and stuff. Dinner and then off to bed as usual.

July 31st 2012

And the US Eventing team sort of failed... not as badly as the Canadians or some of the other teams that were no longer teams but really? Katie and I have been following the Olympics thanks to the iPhone/android app and it has been quite fun. It is something to follow that isn't happening within our little five acre compound that is the farm. Besides the Olympics we know nothing of what is going on that isn't told to us directly.

Rode Geologo, Twilight, Nixon, Lion, and Pastracito. I did spend like an hour walking Skyline under saddle this afternoon as well, letting him develop his walk some more. In the afternoon the vet was here looking at some horses and doing X-rays for the young mares. We did treatments and got the foals on the walker and then I was sent out to drag the ring. It takes about an hour so that basically ended my day. Eating dinner and then off to watch some tv and go to bed.

July 30th 2012

More work, although it was warmer today which was nice. Rode Geologo, Justinion, Twilight, Lion, Puccini, Skyline, and Pastracito. Most were just getting warmed up for Martin to ride them but I got to jump Twilight. It was a bit cross rail, six strides to a vertical which Martin put up to an oxer eventually. Cross rails are so hard to ride and Martin was really on me about that but we eventually got it. The second jump rode fine every time I got the distance right. The oxer finished being a good rail width over a meter and rode great. Katie, Rodrigo, and I have a lesson before lunch on Jour, Georgia, and Lion respectively, focusing on pace. In the afternoon we free jumped some of the mares, which was an adventure to say the least. Some were very cute though. We finished the day with foals on the walker and then a nice dinner of leftovers. Now I'm sitting in bed watching some of the Olympics and writing this.

July 29th 2012

We worked today even though it is Sunday. It was really only the morning though. Rode Geologo, Justinion, Cylene, Skyline, Nixon, Benito, Twilight, and the Pastracito. Most were just getting warmed up for Martin to ride. I jumped Nixon a little, working on straightness and getting him between my legs. Patracito I warmed up for one of Martin's little nephews to ride around a bit. It was very cute. So for lunch/the rest of the day we hung out with Martin's family and had a lot of good food. It was a lot of fun and a chance to meet some more people. Now early to bed with Lady Jane (one of the barn Cats) curled up on top of me. Watching some TV (Law and Order).

July 28th 2012

Rawr, forgot to write again last night. Watching TV does this to me. Then again, there really wasn't much to write. Katie and I got the day off so we slept in (aka slept till about 7:30) and then sat and watched TV for a while. Eventually we got up and headed out to enjoy the nice weather. At one point we were out on the lawn and Rodrigo came over to bug us/keep us company. We ended up sort of wrestling for shoes and stuff which was very fun. Katie and I ate lunch then went back to watching TV. I watched the Gladiator while Katie fell asleep on my bed. We had dinner and then returned to continue watching TV before going off to bed.

July 27th 2012

An easy day today. All the horses that we took yesterday only had to go on the walker and then got turned out so we only had something like 8 horses between the two of us, and a few horses for Rodrigo to work as well (the 3yr olds). So I rode Geologo, Jour, Herodes, and Virtuoso. I then did little stuff around the barn, rolled wraps, put the new mares on the walker, did treatments, and put the foals on the walker as well. We were done down in the barn early enough to go up and watch the Olympic opening ceremonies with Rachel and Martin. Having watched Beijing , this was not as exciting but it was still really well done. Then we headed off to bed. 

July 26th 2012

Horse show day. Although not really an actual show. Katie accidentally mixed up when we had to get up with when we had to be in the barn so instead of getting up at 4 to be in the arm at 5, we got up at 3 to be in the barn by 4. Very early start to the day. We loaded six horses onto the trailer and headed over to Equis to school over their course and video the horses as well as get Nacar and Uxmal off the property. Luli, Nixon, Skyline, Twilight, Cor Lit, Cylene, Nacar, Uxmal, Mauro, Justinion, and Georgia all came today and got worked there. It took two trips and all morning but it happened. I warmed up Justinion, Luli, and Twilight for Martin. Once we got home I rode Lion before lunch and then Geologo after lunch. I also walked Virtuoso under saddle for Martin. The day end with getting six new mares, most of which were completely unbroken. It was an adventure getting them into their stalls and one was practically picked up and shoved in but it happened. Then Katie and I had dinner and headed off to bed.

July 25th 2012

Wow so I totally forgot to write this yesterday, probably because I was thinking about the 3am wake up call I was going to get. I rode Justinion, Jour, Mauro, Rwilight, Geologo, and Skyline. Justinion and Skyline were both working on little things and Martin worked me hard to get it right. With Jour, Martin set up an exercise for us over a single jump, figure-8ing it around the ring. He had me really get up and gallop at it which after the first few jumps, felt amazing. It was so much more like XC and I didn't realize how much I missed it until now. I am lucky to be confident seeing a distance from a gallop as long as I trust the horse to jump. My problem is that when I slow down I start to over think things and then I screw up and jump ahead or get too stiff and get a weird spot. We finished all of the horses before lunch and spent the afternoon doing stuff around the barn.

July 24th 2012

Not as warm today as the past few days but still nice. Rode Geologo, Pastracito, Justinion, Lion, Puccini, Benito, and Twilight. I got to jump Justinion and Twilight. Twilight I got to do a little course, ending with the modified grid, four jumps, two strides apart all of them. It took me a few tries but I did get through it successfully and earned a "good" from Martin. Justinion was a simpler exercise, taking a six stride line and playing with adjustability some. Again it took me a few tries to get it right. Hopefully by the end of this I can get it right the first time but for now a few tries is okay.

In the afternoon we drove out to look at some driving horses for another client. There were lots of dogs and large horses. We tried two teams of 2. All the horses were young, 3yrs old or so, but quite good. Katie and I had fun sitting in the backs of the carts and coming along for the ride. Martin drove both pairs as well. The owner then invited us in and we had tea/coffee in his house, which was very very cool. He had lots of carriages too which was neat. Then home again for dinner and bed.

Photo dump!

A large sum of the pictures I've taken since getting to Argentina. Real blog post later

July 23rd 2012

And back to work we go. It was another warm-ish day here which was nice. Katie didn't feel well so after her second horse she headed back to bed, leaving us a man down to get all the horses done. But now that Rodrigo is back it wasn't a huge deal. Geologo, Justinion, Nixon, Cylene, Skyline, Twilight, Herodes, Pastracito, and Lion. We had vaccinated the horses on Saturday so today was just to get them out and stretched so that they will be good for the rest of the week. In the afternoon I went with Martin to get new video of one of the horses we had seen last week. Then dinner and now Katie and I are in my bed watching TV.

July 22nd 2012

I had an awesome day today. It started out nice and slow, getting up around 9:30 to shower and then eat breakfast. Then Katie and I got a ride into Capital with Rachel and Martin. They dropped us off at a large park and left us with plans to meet at the Aleman (one of the three horse clubs) later. There was a market thing going on so Katie and I wandered around, looking at all the shiny stuff. There was a lot that I wanted but knew that I shouldn't get since I have another 4 months left and I probably couldn't get most of it home. Almost all of the vendors could tell that we didn't speak Spanish which was funny but a little sad. We also went into one of the big churches and looked around. It was very pretty. Next to/behind the park and church was an old cemetery. It wasn't like the ones in the USA which are mostly just tomb stones. This was like a city of little houses for the dead. Some were very very fancy and others were old and broken and probably hadn't been looked after in years. Definitely not the sort of place I would want to be after dark. After wandering around the park we headed over to a mall to find some food and look around a bit. We had ice cream for lunch and then set off to find the Aleman on foot. It was a nice long walk along one of the main roads with a beautiful park on one side for most of it. It took us probably about an hour to walk there, just in time to watch the grand prix class. It was interesting to watch, and I couldn't help but note that even though the jumps were 1.50m, they didn't look that scary to me after eventing for all this time. We saw some really nice horses go and I wished I had my good camera but for the most part, spectating was just fine. We met up with Rachel and Martin just in time to watch the jump off and then we headed home. Katie and I had a quick dinner and now I am going to head off to bed. Back to work tomorrow so back to the usual riding and getting my but kicked.

July 21th 2012

Another day at Rancho Pampa. I feel like I say that a lot but it is true. Things started out a bit slow for me since Rodrigo is riding again so my usual first horse was ridden by him instead. What was supposed to be just warming up Cor Lit for Martin turned into me schooling him. Then I got on Justinion and did the grid. I feel like I was riding through it much better today and I even got a 'very good' from Martin which feels great when it happens. It wasn't perfect but despite lacking pace for a lot of it, Justinion helped make me look good. Then I warmed up Benito and Skyline for Martin. Last of all I did a little bit of warm up for Virtuoso before his photo shoot and successfully got yelled at for walking over a caveleti wrong. Go me. Welcome to life as a working student. Anyway, I didn't fail completely.

In the afternoon we headed off to look at some horses for clients out at another farm. The guy who owned it does combined driving which is awesome. I wish I was that brave. He and his wife spoke some English which was nice and they were very very nice people. There were some conversations in Spanish which were completely over my head but someway I will understand it and be able to actually sort of join in... I hope.

Internet came back today, if you didn't notice. And amazingly it is still on as I am writing this. Katie and I had microwave cake for dinner and I also made bacon which was tasty. Tomorrow is our day off. Most likely we will be heading into the city to wander around and then going to watch a Grand Prix which will be fun, my first real adventure off the compound not counting going to the store or to other farms with Martin.

July 20th 2012

Yet another day. With Martin back things went very quickly and we had finished all but two before lunch. For the most part we were just warming up horses for Martin but we did do some grid work with a few. I got to jump Herodes, which was an adventure in feeling like crap. He is a good jumper and it took me a bit to figure out how to ride it. Martin made us go through the grid with one hand on the reins and then the other one out in front of our face, pointing where we were going. It worked really well to bring me back and more with the motion. Herodes was a good sport and didn't kill me for riding like crap. In the afternoon it was the same grid exercise with Lion. I got to keep me reins this time and instead he just made us smile as we went down the grid, which after jump two I always would forget and then he would yell out to smile again at which point I would laugh and smile. Lion has a much easier jump so I felt much better riding it after my failure with Herodes. Besides those two I rode Geologo, Pastrocito, Justinion, Benito, Puccini, Cylene, and Virtuoso. We then headed out to look at two more horses for a client. As we were driving I realized how flat everything is here. I haven't seen a real hill since I left home and that is strange. I have never spent any amount of time somewhere this flat. Driving places is also a reminder of how different things are here. Either we are driving on the highway with lots of tolls, or we are driving along straight flat roads that have giant holes in them or are just dirt and not exactly level. Very very different from back home. It is so easy to forget that I am living in a third world country when all I usually see is the inside of our five acre compound.

July 19th 2012

Today was gorgeous, a little cool at the beginning but it warmed up and the sun was out. Katie and I ended up wearing matching magenta shirts, much to our amusement. I rode Justinion, Puccini, Cylene, Lion, Pastrocito, Herodes, Twilight, and Geologo. The farrier came in the afternoon and did a bunch of horses. Martin and Rachel returned home late in the afternoon and it was definitely nice to see them. The dogs were very excited to see them as well. Katie and I had dinner with them after wrapping up in the barn. Not much else to say I guess. I have settled in really well and Katie and I get along great to things are good. Yes, Internet would be nice, but this is a great experience.

July 18th 2012

Well the power stayed on today which was good. Sadly no Internet again. Rode Geologo, Benito, Skyline, Lion, Pastracito, Herodes, and Justinion. Today was transition day it seemed. Lots of walk trot and walk canter transitions to soften up the beasties. I have also decided that Justinion would be a perfect stallion for Zoe, my mare back home. For a 4yr old stallion he is such a good boy, pleasant and fun to ride, good bone, and not so huge as to make a Zoe baby even bigger. Now if only I could make it work ;) I finished relatively early so I worked around the afternoon treatments to try and bake a cake. Unfortunately our oven doesn't work so it took some creativity but eventually I ended up with something like pudding and when microwaved it was more like cake and very very good. Lemon cake mix, dulce de leche, and apples, hard to go wrong. Then Katie and I sat around sharing music in the kitchen and chatting. We were up later tonight than usual so I will feel it in the morning. Martin should be back tomorrow though so things will change up again then. Not to mention I have one less horse to ride tomorrow since Skyline managed to pull his shoe at the end of our ride today.

July 17th 2012

Grrr!! Like clockwork, the power went out yet again just after 7pm. At least today we had Internet for the afternoon so I got to talk with people and post a whole bunch more to my blog. The whole not having power every night thing is getting old really fast, especially when it goes out just before we are going to take our showers. So far it has come back on before we get out of the house (7am this morning) so I hope it does the same. If it comes back on early enough I will try and take a shower in the morning before breakfast. And now Chester is helping me write which is hard enough on a tablet without him blocking my view and licking my fingers. Rode Geologo, who is continuing his rehab and needs a little less beating to get going then he did the first time. He is perhaps the laziest stallion I have ever met, actually probably the laziest horse but he apparently can jump which is good. Then Puccini, Benito, Lion, Pastrocito, Herodes, and Cylene. Justinion and Skyline were both lunged by Rodrigo which made my day go considerably faster. I was done with the horses by lunch and since we finally had Internet I was able to do some catching up and relaxing for the afternoon. I did help out with stuff, did treatments and sat on dogs while the shavings guys were here. My Spanish is slowly getting better. I can now notice when people are talking about me and very basic stuff as well as single words. Hopefully the Internet will come back on again with the power but that is questionable here. We shall see. Tomorrow, however, the showering will be done before dinner.

July 16th 2012

Well the power came back on around 11:30 last night. The day was fairly normal. Rode all the horses. Most were fine even after a day off. Justinion, Geologo, Skyline, Puccini, Cylene, Lion, Pastrocito, and Herodes. I am really starting to like Justinion. For a 4yr old stallion he is just such a joy to ride but he has enough spunk to be really talented. In the afternoon I was able to relax a little, helped Katie with her last few horses, and cleaned some tack. We then let Carlos drag the ring while we put three of the foals on the walker for the first time. It was quite amusing to watch and they definitely gave themselves a workout. One of them seemed to have gotten it but the other two had gotten in the same section together and still hadn't really figured it out an hour later. They will get it eventually. Three more will go on tomorrow afternoon and again the day after. And now our power is out again. It went out at about the same time as yesterday so we are hoping it will come on again in the night. Of course, as we were heading back to the apartment and getting Chester and Violleta, we found one of the horses cast in his stall. He was pretty good about letting us get him rolled over and then just got up and looked a little miffed that we had woken him up. Good thing it was a calm one and not one of the more difficult horses (or bigger ones).  

July 15th 2012

A lovely day off. The morning was spent cuddling with Chester and Violetta while watching some TV. Then Katie and I walked to the store to get a few things and just to get out. Walter was the only one in the barn today and he wasn't feeling so good so Katie attempted to make him lunch. And failed. I ended up saving the meal and Walter ate. We watched some more TV in the afternoon as well. The power went out while we were eating dinner and it is still out now. Hopefully it will come back on in the night because the barn without power, even during the day, is very dark and without the walker things go much slower. And Chester has decided that I taste good. He keeps licking my hands whenever he can reach them which is cute at first but does actually start to hurt after a while.  

July 14th 2012

And the days continue. Only nine today; Justinion, Geologo, Skyline, Cylene, Puccini, Lion, Benito, Jour, and Herodes. I would have ridden Virtuoso too but we waited to ride him till late when the vet got there to look him over and my hip wasn't feeling 100% so Katie rode him for the vet. We then helped clean tack and stuff to help the guys since Carlos got to drag the ring. Martin's dad dropped by to pay Carlos and Oscar and left money for Walter who will be here tomorrow. Then Katie and I did dinner and are off to bed. Since Rachel and Martin aren't here, Katie is letting Violetta sleep with her. Meanwhile, one of the barn cats, Chester, is sleeping with me. 

July 13th 2012

Friday the 13th, not that I realized this until now and the day was pretty good actually. Rachel and Martin are away on vacation for the next week so Katie and I are in charge. I rode Justinion, Skyline, Benito, Puccini, Lion, Virtuoso, Cylene, Jour, and Geologo. I also lunged Herodes. The guys were the guys, Carlos is very quiet but he does as asked and never talks back like Walter. Walter is fun but can be really annoying when he doesn't want to work. As punishment for talking back Katie had Walter moving foals around which is always an adventure as they don't exactly lead so well. The real fun will be when we put them on the walker and see what happens. Just before the guys were going to leave for the night, the shavings people showed up to drop off the shavings. Since one of them was apparently Brazilian, I got to sit with the dogs to keep them from attacking the guy. Star was torn between crawling into my lap and wanting to growl at the guys, Quatro was much more content to hang around and Jimmy just wanted to say hi to the guys. Dinner, and then off to bed. It was warmer today which was nice since the barn got to air out a bit and our house stayed a little warmer. 

July 12th 2012

Another busy and different day at Rancho Pampa. It started off with the usual, Justinion and Geologo. Then Cylene, a big 4yr old mare. Martin worked us through a grid, three two two and I felt like I rode like crap. Then did the same thing on Skyline and after I settled into his jump which is very powerful, it just flowed pretty much perfectly and I was able (with Martin's help of course) to really work on perfecting Skyline's jump while staying out of his way. Then Benito and Puccini. Rodrigo was back but unable to ride so he just lunged horses all morning which sped up the day considerably, on top of having three horses used in lessons which meant three less for us to ride. After lunch I rode Jour and Martin had us do a few exercises to help us both loosen up over a few single fences. After that we cleaned up in the barn and watched Martin look at all the foals to find the four ugliest to leave the farm. Last minute we showed Pura to her owner and then I held Fantasma for his vet who was very nice and spoke enough English to communicate.

July 11th 2012

No rain, but it was very frosty this morning. Not to mention about a third of the power to the farm was out so no walker or lights in our apartment. It slowed down the morning a bit but we got everything done. Justinion, Geologo, Benito, Luli, Skyline, Lion, Pastracito, Cylene, and then lunged Uxmal. Martin was gone in the afternoon so Katie and I finished up the barn with the guys before dinner. Power was back for the afternoon which made life easier, especially having heat and lights in the house. Even if our eat is a single heater in the hallway between our rooms set on high in an attempt to keep both rooms reasonably warm. As in, I am wearing flannel pjs and a sweatshirt and under a heavy blanket and I will be a little chilly in the morning as everything cools off. 

July 10th 2012

A smoother beginning. Justinion, Geologo, and Pastracito. Then warmed up Skyline and Benito for Martin. I will admit that the rest of the day was a bit of a blur. It was starting to rain so we rushed through a few more horses before lunch. After lunch we gave up on riding due to rain and headed out with Martin to look at two horses for a client of his looking for dressage prospects. The two were cute, a tall lanky gray and a smaller thicker bay. Both had nice trots and the gray will definitely make a good dressage horse. The bay was lacking a little bit at the walk but otherwise quite nice. We then stopped at the store on the way home. Had dinner with Rachel and Martin and then crashed early as usual. 

July 9th 2012

Rode Pastracito, Justinion, Lion, Luli, Cylene, Nixon, and Skyline. Got to jump a few jumps, nothing special. I am slowly picking up some Spanish and sort of communicating with the guys. The day ran late so we didn't get to go to the store but no big deal. Hopefully things will run a little faster tomorrow as I get the hand of things. 

July 8th 2012

Day off. I slept in, trying to get over my cold before it really started. I had managed to set up the tv so I watched some CSI and NCIS. In the afternoon Katie and I went out looking for the store. Of course, since it was Sunday it was closed but we tried. 

July 7th 2012

We actually rode today! I rode Skyline, Pastrocito, Luli, Benito, and Celyne. I sometimes forget that these are very young horses that we are working with. For the most part they are very calm and mature. The ring was pretty good so I got to finally canter a little bit too. Walter has begun to try to teach me Spanish while trying to learn English which is very interesting. No Internet at the farm still so we are out getting pizza and Internet for a bit. No idea when the net will be back at the farm, hopefully soon so people won't worry about me

July 6th 2012

Today was basically a whole lot of doing nothing. The ring needed to dry out, especially since it hadn't been dragged before the rain. I finally finished clipping Fantasma and also did his mane. Then I also did Nixon's mane. We washed saddle pads and standing wraps. Besides that not much got done. We might manage to ride a few horses tomorrow but who knows... Katie and I might also venture out to the store in the afternoon.

July 5th 2012

Since the ring was still muck, we took 6 horses to San Martin to ride in their covered ring. Day started with quickly doing the morning treatments then loading up the horses and all the tack to drive over there. It is normally only about half an hour but there was traffic and stuff so it took longer than usual. I warmed up Luli for Martin while he rode Cor Lit and Katie rode Herodes. Then Martin warmed up Nixon for me because he had been so silly yesterday. He was still feeling good so I just walk trotted around, trying to get him focused and to stop being silly, he did settle really nicely though. I got to see some other Argentinian riders which was a little scary at times. This one lady and her horse were jumping and seemed to have o control what so ever and every jump was scary. There were better examples of riding as well. On we had ridden all six horses we packed up and left. We got back in time for lunch and then set about doing more chores, and continuing to clip. I probably would have finished Fantisma if the clippers hadn't broken (it was a fairly simple fix that just required a new part) and then I had to hold another horse for Katie while she clipped him since he was making it a little difficult for her. I will probably finish Fantasma tomorrow, all that is left are his legs, belly, and head. Dinner was an adventure. Katie and I decided to try and make pizza. We had a 'frozen' pizza dough and put tomato sauce, cheese, and some seasoning on it. The problem was figuring out how to cook it. We didn't know how to work the oven so we tried to cook it over a fire in the fireplace thing. We had issues getting the fire going and hot enough though so we ended up giving up and finishing it in the microwave. The fire had managed to toast the crust so it wasn't soggy and amazingly enough, it did taste like cheese pizza! No idea what we are doing tomorrow, I'll find out in the morning :)

July 4th 2012

We got to ride a few today before it started raining again. The ring was slick and all I did was walk/trot to get them stretched out and a little tired after 3-4 days off. I rode Skyline, Justinion, Lion, and then Nixon for a few minutes. He was being bad so Rodrigo took over the ride and apparently almost fell off. We called it quits before lunch because the ring was awful and we didn't want any injuries or anything. Had lunch with the guys. Katie does most of the translation at the moment, although some of the time she doesn't know either which is always amusing. I just laugh along. We spent the afternoon clipping (well Katie was clipping). I did some odds and ends. Then Martin showed me how to body clip, using Fantisma who is injured (and gray) so it doesn't matter if the clip job isn't great. He was loving it and actually being helpful which was cool. I don't think I am too horrible at it but the real test will be when I do a bay or chestnut where the lines will actually show. Tomorrow we are planning on taking a few horses over to the local horse club that has a covered arena so we can ride since our ring needs to really dry out. We had lunch with Martin and Rachel which was fun. Good food, we watched some TV with Spanish subtitles for Katie and I, and talked a bunch. It was nice. I am probably going to be hurting tomorrow, between transitioning back to non jointed stirrups and just so many more horses than usual, my hips, knees, and ankles are all going to be a little ouchy. Hopefully it won't be too bad though.

July 3rd 2012

So I arrived at around 9am this morning. My flight was uneventful, I slept a fair amount. Martin picked me up from the airport (a little late but no big deal, my plane was early after all) and took me to the farm. Driving in Buenos Aires was interesting. Let's just say, the lane lines are guidelines :P To get to Rancho Pampa you have to drive through some really sketchy looking dirt roads, lots of tall fences ect. The farm itself is well protected, high walls with barbed wire on top and spikes on top of the gates. It isn't huge, but it definitely isn't small either. The barn is a little old but in good repair. The ring was too wet to ride in after rain Sunday night so instead I got to meet the horses and the dogs and then help clip. I mostly did faces, although I held the twitch for Katie once and also held up a few legs to stop one horse from kicking while she did the other legs. Things are definitely different than what I am used to but the horses looked happy and healthy. I also got to meet three of the guys, Rodrigo who is another rider, and Walter, Carlos, and David who do barn work and stuff. Walter is very outgoing and friendly, even if I hardly understand a wood he is saying. Rodrigo has a little bit of English but not very much. There are foals in the barn right now, down from the breeding farm to get some basic handling and to get registered. One is in pretty bad shape though. It apparently tried to jump a five foot gate while they were rounding them p and missed by about a foot and had a nasty fall. Now it is hobbling along. Hopefully the damage isn't too bad but they won't keep him if he isn't going to heal completely.

Leaving take two

On the plane!! Wish me luck :)

Well so munch for that...

United sucks, like really. First the plane was late getting into Boston so we were going to be half an hour to 45min late. Then we get on the plane and end up sitting there for another 2 hours. Even before we left Boston I knew it would be to late to make my connection. United of course didn't seem too bothered.

We landed, I spent almost 2 hours standing in the customer service line and it was even longer when I left. Got 2 cheep ass food vouchers and a night in the airport hotel and a new plane ticket for Monday at 9pm. My checked bags are currently in limbo and should find their way to my final destination (I hope...).

So a day sitting around in The Huston airport. Joy. Tomorrow I'll be in Argentina!

Today

Wish me luck! My plane leaves at 4pm, a connection in Dallas and then on to Argentina. I should land there tomorrow morning at around 9:25am. They are GMT-4, so an hour ahead, which shouldn't be too bad to adjust to. I am almost completely packed, although I will be stopping at the store to grab some last minute stuff and deposit a check. My bag is not completely full yet which is a minor miracle but it will be more than 50lbs :P not that I mind paying a bit of an overweight fee. I will have everything I need and possibly a little extra which is not a bad thing when packing for a year. I really should finish cleaning my room before I go but I have at least done the important stuff so mom can't get super pissed. It only looks bad atm because the little bit of stuff that isn't put away is all spread out.

T-1!!

Well my room is a little cleaner... still haven't actually started packing. I have a feeling that I will be up late doing that since I am going to a concert tonight. Turned in stuff for my job, got my old laptop sold, and did laundry. I'll start packing when I get back from the concert late tonight and I'll have to clean my boots before I pack them tomorrow.

Tomorrow I'll need to run to the bank and the store and finish packing but otherwise I'm all set. I just need to grab a few toiletries and snack food. And I need to remember the smaller camera from dad.

T-2 Days - It's My Birthday!

Happy birthday to me! I am now 18 years old! I spent a lovely day not packing or cleaning but instead unpacked a beautiful set of knives for mom. I washed them and dried some and am waiting for the rest in the dish washer. Going out to dinner with my parents, my aunt (also our BM), one of my half brothers, my grandfather, and my dad's girlfriend (as far as I know). It should be some really good food.

Tomorrow I really will have to buckle down and clean/pack but for now I am basking in being legal. Not that being legal, 18, means much in the US. So I can vote? Yeah, no biggie. I've been able to drive for 2 years and I won't be able to drink for another 3 years... So 18 is not huge.

Anyway, two days and then you guys start to get argentina/Rancho Pampa commentary!

Counting Down: T-3 Days

I went shopping today to get the last of the things I need (except for a quick stop at the store for snacks on the plane and some toiletries). Polos, sports bras, a few light weight long sleeve shirts as well. Also picked up the super massive duffle that will hold all of my stuff (hopefully).

I rode my girl last night for the second to last time in a while :( She was lame, as usual, but more so than normal. I hope she does okay without me. If I'm lucky, mom will decide to breed her and not send her off to tufts vet school to become just another research animal :(

I have to go up to the office tonight for a phone jam to schedule up my last three days. Since they consist of my birthday, my last full day, and the beginning of the day I leave, I'm not too thrilled. Tomorrow I really should spend cleaning my room and getting stuff organized, especially since I have my b-day dinner that evening too. Saturday, I am already doing 1 demo and then I need to return my stuff  before going out to a concert. I should really do most of my packing on saturday too. Sunday... well there is no way I am working on sunday. I will be packing, saying goodbye, and frantically buying music for my iPod. *sigh* Well, I'll go up there and at least talk to my manager about it... but then it will be an extra 2 hours of my day wasted. Joy.

Making a list

and checking it twice!
(ear worm!)

All those last minute things are starting to seem more real... like actually knowing what I need to bring. I have my list, tomorrow is the last shopping trip and then I leave on sunday. My birthday dinner is friday night, I do sort of have to keep doing my other job (working for Vector Marketing) until I leave but whatever.

The cat is sleeping on my bed... I'll miss the cat :( and the dog. And my mare, Zoe. I'm going to try and ride her today and tomorrow, maybe friday and definitely saturday. I wish I could ride her during the day but I want the rides to be enjoyable since I won't get to ride her for almost 6 months. I just hope she is good for mom while I am away :(

I also need to clean my room before I go, which doesn't seem to be happening. It will probably get closed off too, and Pluto will be sad. He always spends the days in here since it is quiet and there are places for him to sleep (like my bed right now).

Wow

So I have less than a week now till I arrive and boy am I excited. I haven't started packing yet (go me!) but I have been thinking about what I will pack.

Six months is a long time to pack for, especially since there will be a season change in there (not to mention I can't exactly get away with wearing my winter coat onto the plain since it is still summer up here). It doesn't help that I have to fit in my helmet and my boots too. I don't think I'll manage that all in one bag. I just keep telling myself that if I forget stuff, or need more, I'll be back over thanksgiving and can bring more stuff down. Of course, then I won't be able to bring it all back in one bag which could be a problem... I think shipping stuff home might be in order.

At give you guys a little background about why I'm doing this I'll give you a brief summary of who I am and stuff. As I write this, I am still 17 but I will be turning 18 on friday (!!). I've been riding my whole life, most eventing though. I moved up to prelim at GMHA this spring on my mother's horse and had a fantastic time. If I can jump 1.10m solid obstacles I can jump anything right? Well except for perhaps 1.3m solid obstacles but in jumpers I don't need to worry about that so much. I went to a private high school which limited my riding time a lot but I still managed, mostly working on project horses and not competing that much. My parents got divorced last summer and through that I learned that my dad would actually be okay with me taking a gap year to work or do whatever. So I started looking for a place to work and ride where I didn't have to bring my own horse. I found Rancho Pampa through the chronicle of the horse forums last fall, spent the winter looking for other positions, and finally settled on Rancho Pampa. The program they offer is amazing. It isn't work all day in the barn and if you are good enough/if there is time you might possibly be able to hack a horse around. No, they bring in working students to ride every day and all day (basically).  So how can I say no?

So on July 1st I will be getting on a plane and heading for Argentina, arriving there the morning of the 2nd to begin my first six months (approximately) there. I will return home for a week over thanksgiving and then hopefully go back to Rancho Pampa to finish off the year!