Never Easy

Not a lick of work has been done to build my barn and I'm getting shit every time I mention it. A new dump trailer was purchased today so the barn better be being built pretty fucking soon.

326 Days

Lans IMAZ is in 326 days and training starts in 1 week. I gotta admit, I'm kinda jealous and excited for him. As long as I am not to bitchy about his training and he DOES it, he will be golden. Here is the 1st days workout:

Monday
We begin easily enough with one short swim. Nothing too crazy here, just allow yourself some time to get used to the water again and be patient with speed.

SWIM 0:30

WARM UP:

200 Swim - 2 x 100 Kick -

4 x 50 Choice, w/10 sec rest after each

MAIN SET:

5 x 200 w/:20 rest, done as follows:

(50 right arm only - 50 swim - 50 left arm only - 50 swim)

COOL DOWN:

2 x (50 Kick/50 Swim)

See, pretty damn easy. The following day is a 50 minute bike and a 35 minute run, both easy. In fact, so easy that the bike is in the small chain ring. AND HE BETTER DO IT RIGHT.

Now, Too Start Building

Its time to start building the new barn. I've only gotten 1 estimate, must check in to getting more.

Big Things

When we first saw this farm this is what the back pasture and arena looked like, all over grown with black berries and you couldn't see the ground for the grass & weeds.

 

We tried using the stalls but they kept flooding every time it rained, like, a foot deep.

 

 

So we built temporary stalls inside the arena and have been using them for 1.5 years.

You can see on the right side of this photo where it still leaks in.

 

 

This lean-too has been dismantled and now all that remains is one wall along the arena and the roof.

 

This is the arena side, all rotten from rain water that comes off the arena and goes right down the front of the stalls.

 

Here it is, mostly dismantled. We had to bring in more footing, it still flooded up until a month ago. It will again if we don't keep up on it continuously.

 

But we are now getting the new barn built and I can't wait to start.

I'd like a 12 ft aisle and five 12x12stalls with attached runs, one of the stalls being a wash rack.

We shall see.

I might just get 3 stall floors cemented, add dividers and outside walls and call it good. That would save me thousands of dollars.

 

Julia told me today that they are planning on having Roses go home by springtime so pretty soon I won't have their help with feeding and cleaning but also won't have her here fighting with Wifi. They go at it like teenage sisters. I'll give them some stuff to make their transition easier, maybe a corner feeder and a hay rack, They've got buckets and stuff.

 

I am really hoping I can get an aisle-way that has the brick look to it, it would be better traction but also look nicer and someday in the future it would have a better resale value. I don't plan on living here forever.

 

 

I'm sure this is much closer to the barn I'll end up with than the one featured above. But I WILL NOT have spaces between the stalls dividers like this, you're just asking for injury and broken boards doing that. I'm going to find some stall mirrors and the horses will be happy thinking they can see another horse. I want the stall fronts to have openings for them to put their heads out but I also want to be able to close those. I do not want them bending the bars like happened in the old barn.

 

Shit, looking at these stalls, they are only 8 feet across in front since the doors are 4 feet wide. Not big enough for horses, maybe this is a mini barn.

 

 

This is the blanket Joey wore when he was a foal. Joey was 44 inches tall at foaling and this only fit for a couple days but it was enough to keep him warm on the first couple of chilly nights.

 

Today I found it in a box and put it on Jenny...

 

And its too small.

 

Her chest just rips out the Velcro on the bottom, her shoulders need a lot more room up front

and the neck drags down.

I don't know how tall she is, certainly not 44" but I do know shes 30" long

from the back of her neck to top of her tail.

Good enough for a foal, not good enough for a mastiff.

 

The following poem was written by a friend, super cute

 

Now that it is December, I can spread the holiday cheer! :-)

Sweat drops on muscles and blister prevention;
New Ignite hoodies and convertible mittens;
Cool event t-shirts and tattoos with wings;...
These are a few of my favorite things!

Pizza and burgers and all kinds of pasta;
Chicken and rice ‘cause it makes me run fasta;
Custom race bibs next to finisher blings;
These are a few of my favorite things!
When it’s hot out;
When it’s raining;
When my brick goes bad;
I try to remember I’m paying for this and I don’t want my coach to be mad!
Race belts and run gels and Blue Steel for Rashes;
Electrolyte supplements and avoiding bike crashes;
Mike Reilly’s voice each time my phone rings;
These are a few of my favorite things!
Bright colored bike shoes and pushing the big gear;
Well fitted wetsuits and goggles that stay clear;
Corndogs and donuts and food fit for Kings;
These are a few of my favorite things!
When it’s dark out and I’m worn out;
When I don’t think I can;
I simply remember my favorite things -
And that I finished IRONMAN!
~Gnay Galloway