You know what is sad? I have no idea if I’ve been home two weeks or three weeks. All the weeks and days have just blended together. It’s been quaint and nice to be home, but I feel like I’m in an extra long Christmas vacation. When my corporate office closed (either two or three weeks ago, I can’t remember) I spent a few days in Newnan, before packing up and heading to my parents which offered free meals, free board as I started their young horses, and of course my parents who I hadn’t seen in a few weeks. But now, it just feels like all the days blend together. I could probably spend a hundred days here, and not know any time has passed.

Right now I get up, about five minutes before my first call for work starts, and forty-five minutes after Mom comes up to bring me a cup of coffee. I work a few hours, and then head out the back door to start working ponies. It was funny someone made the comment that as a horse-person, I must wake up early to get the horses done before work. My barn manager and my Mom just spit up their coffee. I’ve been heading out to start the horses after lunch.

I’m currently working with two. My parents have a part-bred connemara filly that is coming three, and my own filly, a Trekehner by Stilleto PG is coming three this summer. I am more focused on the connemara who is listed for sale. We normally start the 3-yo’s for a month, turn back out, then bring them back out as 4-yo’s to sell. This filly is really nice, so I’ve listed her for sale, at a discounted price as a 3-yo so she may sell by the end of the week with the engagement she’s gotten online. We’ve gone from basic ground-work to hacking about the farm in a short-time, but I’m ready to get her back to the barn I board at in Newnan, where I have a few more utilities and better footing to begin working more consistently.

With my 3-yo, I’m not set on getting her under-saddle too soon because I think she has quite a bit more maturing and growth to do. I’ve been long-lining with both. I’ve clipped and body-clipped. At any age you can start working with these youngsters on the ground. I think the more they are handled from birth to three, the easier they are to start. The ponies are normally handled almost every-day when fed, so I can “usually” get he three-year olds out hacking within a week, with little stress to both parties.

Other than starting babies, each evening Mom and I have been taking our horses to hack on the grounds surrounding our farm. There are massive hills that are perfect for my event horse. Since all of our competitions are cancelled through the end of April, I’m not quite determined to let her go on full-vacation, but don’t see the sense to stay in hard work and risk injury or excess concussion. If the competitions are cancelled in May, will I wish I’d let her go on “vacation,” perhaps, but right now we’ve just eased up and continue our 45-minute walks. I do think Frye is loving it. She’s been out with the mares eating from a round-bale! She drinks water from the lake, (though fresh-water is available) and is becoming a real Country Queen.

I try not to be naive to what’s facing the rest of the world, and did not purposefully try to withhold any condolences to those around me who are affected and losing loved ones. Yet, after retreating back to the farm, aside from the chaos that is my Facebook feed, comprehending what’s happening in our cities is hard to do. In an era of political correctness, and more-so an era of your online neighbor dictating how one should or shouldn’t feel, I’m tempted to stay in the seclusion of the family farm.

But, Huckle tried to dig into the chicken coop this morning, I think that’s my cue it’s almost time to go home.

I’ve linked some of my favorite “treat your-self picks” that I foudn on sale, and we all deserve while we’re quarantined!