It’s been a bit of a whirlwind since I got back in the States. Between getting caught up at work and the weather finally being decent enough to get some rides in (hallelujah) there hasn’t been time for much else. Then on Friday I started barnsitting again, this time for 9 days. Poor SO… I was gone for a week in Europe, home for 3 days, and then gone again. I enjoy barnsitting though, I like the quiet and the solitude and working in the barn. Or at least – NORMALLY it’s quiet.

Since it’s such a long period this time, the barn owner invited me to bring Henry along so I don’t miss any riding time. Her place is pretty far out of town, it takes me an hour to get to work, so I wouldn’t otherwise have time to go to the barn to ride him. On Friday night Brandy brought Henry out to stay with me here in the land of the black Trakehners. Right away the older broodmare Quinnie took a serious shine to him, and she has basically been winking at him and screaming for him ever since he arrived. Henry is super confused. He knows that he’s supposed to love her but I don’t think he really knows quite why. Every time she neighs, or if he can’t see her, he gets a little upset and starts pacing and neighing back. In the meantime, I just want everyone to shut the hell up and stop being dumb. Surely after a few days they’ll get over each other right? RIGHT? Poor Toni (the actual stallion) is just standing over in his stall like “Hello!!! I’m STILL HERE!!!”. Sorry Toni, Quinnie has chosen.

I’ve ridden Henry a couple times and he’s been fine once I’m on him, but only half of his attention span is present because the other half is focused on Quinnie, the love of his life. Irritated. I am very irritated. And it’s supposed to start raining again tomorrow, so that’s super. Since when did Texas become the PNW? Agh.

On the bright side, the fact that the Euro and the dollar are almost equal right now is kinda fun. Just for giggles I perused all my favorite European sites to make sure there wasn’t anything I “needed”. The first perusal turned up nothing so I thought I was safe, then someone mentioned Calevo, which I had somehow forgotten. So over I marched and immediately fell into The Trap of the Calevo Sale and nabbed an Equiline coat and Pikeur breeches for $300 shipped. I can live with that. The coat is exactly my colors – navy with golden yellow trim – and the breeches are exactly what I was looking for color and style wise as well.

Plus the retail therapy slightly eased my irritation at the horses, at least temporarily. If anyone needs me I’ll be in the barn chanting the Serenity Prayer.