Feeding the Addiction.

Almost had an issue with paint.

Went to The Paint Place at lunch to pick everything up. When I spoke to them last week and got the quote, I specifically asked if anything needed to be special ordered or ordered in advance. They said no. I asked about paint colors, explaining I was looking for a specific 1970's blue, and they told me it was fine.

So today when I show up, the same guy tells me I only have 3 blue metallic colors to choose from.

PAUSE.

? Excuse me ?

He says that there's only 3 metallic blues in the color book. If he had time, he would make a custom color to match what I want.

I remind him that I asked last week about colors and if he had mentioned this then, I obviously would have told him to custom match it right then and there. I'm trying to restore the trailer to as close to original as possible, not just looking for "a pretty blue".

I tell him that I need the paint Saturday because we're borrowing a paint booth.

He tells me he'll work on it and get it ready for pick-up on Friday, as close to the original as he can. I leave him with the paint sample and picture of the trailer.

Needless to say, I *almost* got stuck with some random blue color, but thankfully they had the good sense to realise their error.

Disaster averted. Picking up the paint on Friday afternoon.

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Now to get this sandblasting thing worked out....

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After some really enjoyable discussions with a rep from a horse feed producer, I've officially made the decision to try out Front Runner's 30% Supplement.

I hounded the woman for a week with questions of every type, and am floored by the quality of her responses and her knowledge. She possessed a rare ability to be honest and direct, yet not come off as a jerk. She was genuinely interested in putting horses on the correct feed for them, not just whatever it was she was trying to sell. Or just trying to push expensive products.

Needless to say, after a couple of emails I started feeling like I wasn't speaking to a sales rep. THIS was someone with what felt like rather specific and schooled knowledge...

Being the google-guru that I am, I threw her name into the search engine and up popped my own Department of Agriculture at the University. Yes, she's an occasional instructor in the same department that trained ME in the first place! : O And lo and behold, she's also educated at the U of M. Huh. Go figure that I'd like her!

Of course, I didn't make the decision to change purely based on a couple of nice emails. All the data checked out in the nutrition tables, and I'm sitting in a transition period of waiting, where I'm not sure if Moon will gain or loose weight (or stay stable) this summer at his new digs. His past pasture experiences were not as lush and required supplement with hay year-round. Last year on pasture he had no supplements, and then I moved him to W's, where there was no pasture, just lovely hay and supplements. At this moment he's not heavily worked, but as soon as I can put a saddle on him again, we'll be racing up to the park as often as possible.

Soo...will he need an actual feed supplement?

W had fed Buckeye as the ration balancer and I was happy with it. Now, we experiment with something new.

Looking at the pictures from the weekend's show to when I bought him, I'm THRILLED about his weight. I'd say right now he's about PERFECT in my books, minus requiring some more muscle. So the goal now is to keep his weight constant and get him some muscle already!

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Oh curses.

Remember that confession I made yesterday? About being addicted to showing??

My coach is evil.

She forwarded me an email to an upcoming local fun-show that includes Dressage, X-rail, Walk-Trot Equitation and of course, Freestyle.

Curses!

$140 includes as many classes as you want AND your stall for the weekend.

And since I realised the Brandon show was out due to a scheduling conflict (IRC Western Weekend), I'm not wondering if maybe...

Though June 2nd and 3rd is awfully close.

*sigh* How do I choose!

My initial reaction is so totally YES, but being realistic, it's too soon. His back won't be healed again for at least another week, if not two. The pony trailer won't be ready, so we'll be borrowing a ride. I still don't know how much this weekend's trailer repainting is going to cost (the paint guy is making a new quote), and I still have to pay for a well on the property this summer...Which I haven't yet saved a dime for.

My second reaction is therefore, no. : ( If I only get so much money for showing, then I want it to only be in sanctioned shows now. I'm kicking myself a bit because we *should* have just bought our provincial membership and done these fun shows this year, instead of buying the pro membership and doing all the sanctioned ones.

*sigh* Must.control.urge.to.enter.every.competition...

But maybe...

; )

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But maybe, apparently, I also have an evil friend, who not 20 seconds after Coach W emailed to tell me of the show, emailed to say it should be our Pas a Deux debut.

Yes folks, we've been conspiring about a Pas a Deux since the end of my last Freestyle.

And now we have a chance.

Why, why!!! How can one not be tempted! All sanity gone out the window! No pony fencing this summer folks, Sand has become a showing addict, throwing caution and restraint to the wind, all in exchange for a wild weekend ride!

I haven't even washed my breeches yet!!!

Crap, crap, crap.

Okay, now to figure out if this will all work or not.

I swear this is like offering drugs to an addict. Shame on all of you!