Jerald Cart

I'm putting a little effort into fixing up the Jerald easy entry cart I've got. It was supposed to fit Amble but its way too small, it's for a 14hh horse, not a 15.2hh one.

this first photo is a google image and how mine is supposed to look.

Heres mine now

I sanded the pieces a little, so it would accept the new clear coating. 

I'm pretty sure with about 4 coats that it will look just short of amazing, for it. The boards have 1-2 coats on each side, the shafts have 3 on the back, just 1 at this end.

I've ordered & received most of the small parts it needs to make it complete and I'll still need more, I'm sure. I bought a new singletree (which needs a few holes in it) and a cross bar (which needs to be shortened) but I didn't stain either and I also didn't sand them and I think you can tell with the cross bar but oh well. I'm not going to have it any longer than I need to.

In other news, the beautiful saddle I bought for Amble has been sold for $1,000 (I had $1,300 into it & never used any of the pieces) and the consignment store gets to keep I think 20% so I'll get a nice check to put toward a marathon cart <- IF Teresa and Will have one to sell me. 

Today I had another lesson with Staphanie but I went to the barn where her 2 mini's are living and I drove Bo. Hes a skinny little guy, has a disease that took all his front teeth but they all get the BEST vet care available.

These are Laddie, the mini I gave her in 2018 and Bo, the little guy with no front teeth. Sweet boys.

Stephanie dolled them up and I took photos for her & she ChatGPT'd this photo.

 

I'm A Snake

This is one of the x-rays taken of me today and I'm pretty messed up, all wonky, crooked and misaligned. 

I've been selling at work all summer which requires me to reach out a window to cars to take payment and to return their cash change or credit cards. I try to use my right arm equally but it hasn't worked and I'm now just in pain.

Too bad I can't even say its caused by my horses bucking me off or anything.

 

IVC Carriage

I have to leave for work in 35 minutes and there is a package from IVC Carriage being delivered sometime in the next 2 hours.  I'll have to hope they actually bring it HERE and toss it over the fence or that Lan can come home and bring it inside and stoke the fire at the same time.

The box has cart and harness parts and next week I should be getting another one, or 2.

This is the dirty cart. When it was given to me it was supposed to fit a 16.2hh appaloosa, she had actually used it with him for 4-H, but this is for a 14hh horse.

Theres a little wear on the wood, some from weather, some from rubbing on her horses.

A couple of the bolts are missing.

I sanded them lightly to get the old shine off,

then I applied Polyclylic.

One coat of this did not make it shiny but many coats will BUT the gray on the wood is still showing up. Oh well, since this wont work for me I'll be selling it anyway.

All the money I get will go toward another cart and I seriously hoping Teresa and Will have one to sell.

 

 

Motivation

I'm trying to stay motivated, trying to keep the house in order and actually clean it up some. I took an extra day off yesterday and got the kitchen clean and started on a couple piles on the kitchen table. My house is not a pig sty, but with both of us working full time during the short days and we easily let things go and it ends up taking a full day once a month to get it in order again.

I am going to bring the horse cart up to the patio and begin taking it apart to sand and refinish it. 

I do need to take more photos too.

 

Winter Blues

I miss my brother, I miss my best friend and I miss the summer sunshine. 

I've been feeling rather emotional and depressed this last week and even though I just had a vacation, I know I need to get away again. I'm going to start planning my next vacation & the fun part is that I have two options, either go to Pioche with the sxs and do some work on the house 

OR 

do the BUCKET LIST  thing I've been planning for a long, long time.

Riding Amble across the state. 

I had originally planned on doing that with Joey but, life. Now I have the means to do it, I've got the time scheduled off and another horse that can go with me.

I've been working on Ambles cart; Meghan had taken it apart to 'refurbish' but she lost all the parts and did none of the furbishing. SOOOoooooo... I paid $200 for parts two days ago and I know I'll need to spend a lot more, I still need trace holders & they're $22.99 before tax and shipping plus I need two bigger wheels and tires since the cart is a good 8" too low to the ground for her. The shafts need to be level and that isn't negotiable. The harness needs a couple parts, not sure if I've ordered those or not... 

I also need to get her saddle fitted to her correctly or get another saddle and I just simply do not have the funds for that. I also need a 6" ported curb bit and good luck finding one thats not $200.

Dirty Feather

 Black Orchid Ambleside

Shes got a lot of feather but thankfully not as much as so many Gypsys. It's enough to be impressive and gorgeous but at the same time not too heavy and cause problems.

On Thursday we're going to have a visitor, Stephanie will be coming over to help me get our harness sorted, the biothane harness I purchased for $900 & had shipped here from southern California. I know its got 3 pieces missing, 2 of which are the ones that will attach it to the cart. Stephanie is also going to be teaching me how to drive, since Amble already knows how to be driven.

The photo above is Amble with semi clean feather and tail, which this IS NOT a current thing. She hasn't had them washed off in quite some time and I do not want them dirty when Staphanie arrives. So on Wednesday afternoon, after I get home from work, I am going to give them a good washing.

I will be taking the Dawn dishwashing soap to the barn with me and I will follow directions I have had written down and attached to my computer monitor for over 10 years.

1. Wash tail

2. Condition.

3. Soak in white vinegar

4. Using Dawn, wash feather, deep down to her skin, watching for anything in there that might irritate her or cause concerns.

5. Wash, rinse, condition again

6. Leave in conditioner, aka Cowboy Magic

I'll leave her overnight in her stall with a deep bed of shavings. In the morning they will be dry and fluffy and as long as there were no issues noticed while washing, I will brush them out let her hang out in the arena till noon, when Stephanie arrives.

In November I had the riding instructor over to give ME a lesson & Amble bucked her off. I do not know if that was due to an ill fitting bit since I have a 5.5" and need a 6" or if it was the saddle not fitting properly. So I have ordered a saddle pad with shims. 

This is a dressage pad but I am hoping it will work with she short western saddle. I could not find any in a pony length.

Hollywood!

Flew into Las Vegas & headed south on Hwy 15 toward Los Angeles

Its true, hardly anyone in Las Vegas but this was a Sunday morning

Stopped to see these colored rocks

And the Aliens

Got a bit of rain.

Not too long after this photo was taken, I was driving and avoided a multi car pile up: 3 lanes, 70mph, slamming brakes, cars flying off road on both sides. I saw at least 4 cars go off, didn't see anyone hit another car but I wasn't sticking around. I was in right side lane & got the hell outta there.

Michelle & me, reunited again after 5 years, we originally met in 1996 when she worked at YMCA Camp Seymore in the kitchen with Amy & me.

Michelle is from UK, I've been over there to visit her 3 times & shes been back to the USA about 4 more times.

Friends for life.

Guy & Michelle. They got married last summer and get to travel the world together

In Hollywood we saw these little robot delivery things all over

famous signs we saw

While Michelle & Guy had a little 'lie in', Lan & I went up to the Griffith Observatory

Thats the Pacific Ocean out there

This was seen from the Observatory and we could see it from our room as well

Our room was on the 6th floor & we only had it for 1 night, I think it was the one below the christmas lights

End of the line.

On the way home we went on Zzyzx Road and stopped in to see the Desert Studies place. It used to be a high end resort for the rich & famous but now its just a lot of untended trees and filled fountains alongside the dry lake bed.

Then we flew home