#canteringthroughcollege

[canteringthroughcollege]

Time is Flying

2 years ago I started this blog as a documentation of my journey through my four years at Willy Woods as an Equestrian Science and English double major. Now, I am finishing up my 4th semester at SDMC and have finished my AA in Psychology. In two days I will be driving away from Sunny Southern California and begin my journey to Northern Colorado where I am hoping to complete my BA in Communication before possibly obtaining my MA. Plans have changed a lot, but it seems as though it is all for the better. If I hadn’t left WWU, I wouldn’t be about to celebrate my one year anniversary with the love of my life in three days, I wouldn’t be flying to Poland to see him and his family in four days, I wouldn’t be moving into my own apartment in eighteen days. All in all, despite the dramatic change of plans and the million changes of my major, I thoroughly believe that I am happier than I have ever been because of it. Here’s to change, here’s to the unexpected, here’s to the wonders of life. 

[canteringthroughcollege]

Just Float On

So, today was my first day back at the barn since I went out of town to North Carolina for a week and oh boy it was good to be back. I apparently chose the perfect day to come back, it was vet clinic day. This meant that we had the opportunity to shoot, deworm, and float the horses. This sort of thing is extremely fascinating to me and it was my first time being able to watch the vet do it. I learned so much today!

I got to deworm horses, learn how and where to give shots and anesthetics, and watch their teeth get floated. I had the chance to stick my hand into Humphrey’s mouth, while he was tranquilized, and feel around his molars at the back of his mouth to see how sharp they had gotten. For those who do not know what it means when you float a horse’s teeth or why you do it, here is a little background.

When you float a horse’s teeth, you are filing down the sharp edges by using a long file that is called a rasp or float. There are at least four reasons behind this, that I know of (please feel free to inform me of more!). Here are the four that I was told today or already knew:

To keep them from growing too long.

To keep the sharp edges from cutting the insides of their mouth.

So that it is more comfortable for the horse when (s)he has a bit in their mouth.

So that they can eat properly and comfortably.

I found it extremely fascinating to watch this and took a couple of videos too! But the poor ponies looked so pathetic when they were drugged, I almost felt bad for them. Almost.

After the vet finished I was able to take Brandy, a young and lively chestnut Morgan mare, on a lovely and much needed trail ride. Granted she did act up a teency bit here and there throughout the ride, but that’s what makes them more worthwhile. We worked on listening to my leg even when on the trail, getting past “scary” things, and WALKING.

All in all it was an absolutely fantastic day at the barn. I’m going to miss every single one of the people and horses that I have met over the past two and a half years that I have been riding there. As much as I am going to miss it there, I am so thankful that I am finally getting my chance at escaping this city, it’s time for this girly to fly the coop. And who knows, maybe North Carolina is in my future after high school.