race track in edmonton

I am in Edmonton at the race track since last Tuesday. I work from 5.30am til around 2 or 3 pm. It's hard and a lot of walking. My feets hurt from walking on pavement every day :( I am not used to walk on pavement anymore. yeah, mostly I walk horses, when they come back from the track, give them a bath and then walk them again or put them on the walker. The team is good, even the boss cleans stalls...;) Today are races again. I am suppost to be in the paddock today. I was there already on Wednesday. It's soooo exciting and still a bit scary !! I mean, I am on the race track in Edmonton now ! This is huge ! But on the otherside it is good to be here. A lot of possibilities and ways to go. :D One step closer to my dream... So time to feed !

a lot happend...

A lot happend since I shared my life with you the last time. Last Monday we it easy after the busy clinic weekend. Tuesday, Linda and I went to Edmonton 'cause we had to pick up Maike at the airport and I had my job interview with Gary Westergard. The interview didn't go like I hoped it would. As soon as I started to tell them that my horse experience is and mentioned that I am also a horse therapist they decided I am not the 'right person' for their job. I would waste my time and skills... OKAY ?! Pat and Gary thought I would rather apply for a job in Spruce Meadows or the race track. The race track ???!!! Holy that's what I always wanted ! ;) Gary told me that he would make a call to a trainer at the track. I was sooooo excited and couldn't believe that he would do that for me... This was the chance I always wanted to get. I left my resume with all the copies of my certifications at Pat and Gary's. And sure, on Wednesday Pat called me to ask me if the horse trainer already called me... NO, he didn't call yet !! I was so surprised that this is really happening. I couldn't believe it. I didn't expect it to happen and got surprised. ;D Pat gave me the number and name of these horse trainer and told me I should call him 'cause it could be that he is just a bit busy to call yet. So I called him and we made an appointment for Tuesday at 10 am. After a chat with Linda she told me that Monday would better be for her so she could give me a ride. So I called Robertino Diodoro again to ask him if I could come Monday. Sure, I can go there Monday, 10 am. I am sooo nervous when I think of that. This is huge ! After a little research I learned that he is the top trainer on the track in Edmonton. WOW ! Now I am even more nervous then before.... I hope this works out, this is what I always wanted. For some time I was a bit sad that I had to quit at Skyline but now I am just glad I did it. If this works out the way I want.... AWESOME !!! People told me that it won't be easy to work at the track. Hard work, drugs and alcohol, drunk guys, some think they are THE hotshots.... If I could resist the alcohol in Jasper then I can resist here too. And if needed, there are shovels, whips or other stuff around... ;D Beside all this negative stuff I look forward to see everything on Monday. But first, I will go to the Chris Irwin clinic tomorrow and Sunday. I just don't look forward to drive the car to Whitecourt.... it's a long time ago since I drove a car the last time for more then 3 min. :(

clinic and a huge horse bum ?

This weekend is the horsemanship clinic with Marv and his wife from a place near Edmonton. I already met Marv and his wife at the Mane Event in Red Deer in April. I totally forgot that's him giving this clinic. It was interesting to see how he works with horses. Some stuff was similar to Chris' things. I like to check out other trainers just to see what they can offer and maybe I can use some stuff of them if I would get stuck on something. Linda took Oreo, her newest mare. They both did good. It was Oreo's first trip to another place since she came here to Canada. She is from Oregon. Oreo scared herself twice when she was tied up on a post. So we had to put her somewhere else. This place was pretty good, she could see all the other horses and also what's going on in the round pen. The weather was good, sun and also big clouds to give us a break from the heat. I almost got too much sun even I wore my baseball cap. After a potlock supper (every person brings something to eat) we went home to feed the animals at the farm. On our way home I spotted this huge brown bum in the bush.... I thought, holy.... this is a big horse bum !!! Then I saw that it's not a horse and her foal- a moose mom with her twins. Sooooo cute ! I really like their ears, they are sooo long ! ;) I wanted to see a moose and now I saw three !!! That's pretty awesome !!!

two friends together again....

After a rainy day yesterday, the sun was shining today again. And of course with the sun the black flys and horse flys were out too :( which means bugs spray for people and horses ! In the morning we fed and kinda took it easy 'cause it was pretty muddy still and so we needed to wait for the sun and wind to dry the ground a bit. The turkey-birds (my students ;D )were pretty active and getting braver every day. They are in the horse pen's, barn yard and also come in the hay yard in front of Oreo' pen now. After lunch we opened the gate so Rio could go in Banner's pen and buddy up with Banner again. Both were so glad to have each other again so they can play all the boy games again. They were squeeling, kicking, sniffing and running. Amazing ! The next project was putting two more rows of barbed wire on the one fence on the stud pen. We ran out of barbed wire and so we only finished the one line... At 5 pm we had a lesson with two students. I had to do a seat lesson with them. They did pretty good. After supper we grabbed Honour and Oreo and worked with them in the arena. I worked with Oreo. She did pretty good. She is like a young horse when it comes to training. Her focus always went away from me and out to other horses. But I could manage that she never drifted away to dreamland. That's what she is doing when she gets stressed... poor girl. And she is fast with that !!!

rain, clouds and wind... Summer ??

A rainy day again. It was pretty windy when I woke up in the morning. At feeding time (9am) it was raining. Linda decided to go to town again. I needed to go to the Service Canada office 'cause of my application for Employment Insureance. I totally forgot that ! It was a short visit in this office and then we carried on to the grocery store. We had to buy some ingredience for Lynn's birthday cake tomorrow. We decided to give him home made cookies and a home made birthday cake. It's difficult to find the right birthday present for guys sometimes.... So this is something he would like, I guess. He loves sweet stuff :) The weather is still crappy, cloudy and windy. We were suppost to go for a trail ride tonight :( Oh well, I guess I will get a few more chances to go for a trail ride here. Oh by the way I have an invitation for an interview in a barn in Sherwood park. :D it sounds interesting, learning how to break young horses. I really hope this time it works out better then the last time... would be awesome !!!

warm days and impatience

The weather wasn't too bad today. The sun was shining and a wind was blowing, in the afternoon we got some grey clouds which disappeared in the evening again. The black flys and horse flys were still pretty annoying. Fabienne and I put Honour and Oreo out in the outdoor arena so they can eat grass. Around 11 am we had to get them back in their pen 'cause the black flies were chasing them around. We also put fly spray on them. It was not the right weather to work with the horses 'cause of the flys. It would be pretty annoying and the horses would not concentrate on us at all. So Fabienne and I went to the one fence and put some more ribbons on it. The ribbons are good visibale for the horses especially the foals so they won't run in the fence. And it keeps wolves out too. At the moment it's a nice sun down.... I am getting pretty antsy and impatient soon. First signs are already here. It feels I am wasting my time just sit around without a real job. It's not that I don't like it here but this is not why I came to Canada this year ! I know it sounds not right when you look at the situation I am in now. I didn't think this job in Jasper will go south ! It happend.... Well, patience was never one of my strengh at all !!! I guess I would be happier when I would work the whole day and really tired in the evening.... That's what I need. I guess I have to ask Linda to give me a huge pile of work ;D

summer is here, 30 degrees in the shade :(

The summer is here, it was 30 degrees today. Waaay too hot for me. We had two lessons today and we were glad there was a light breeze otherwise we would get boiled ! After the afternoon lesson we all went in the house to get out of the sun. I tried to find a homepage where I can apply for a job at the race track. I found one but there you only can apply for the kitchen, restaurant, casino, housekeeping or other stuff. No offer for the horse part ! So frustrating ! After supper we had to feed the horses and birds. Linda wanted to trim a horse or two but she decided it is still too hot for this kind of work. So she said we could do what we want, since it is also way too hot to do ground work and the horse flys are still pretty active ! I decided to hide in my cool room and read. I don't like temperatures over 25 degrees. All I wanna do then is sleep. Yesterday, Fabienne figured out why Molly is so skinny. She is afraid of the self-service feeder. Looks like she had a bad experience with it. We feed her twice a day now outside the feeder. Molly is also afraid of small ice cream buckets which tells you she also had a bad experience with that ! We put the food on the ground and then she eats it. Molly is pretty sensitive and shy. Poor girl ! At least we know now the reason and can feed her which works pretty good.

day in town, muffins, brownies and watch a movie

Another rainy day. So Linda decided to go to town. I had to mail a letter and go to the bank so I said I will go with her. Linda suggested to go to the theathre in the evening to watch 'Eclipse'. GREAT IDEA ! I wanted to watch it anyway. It was still not the best weather when we left town and I was in the mood for brownies so I decided to bake some. And since I am in the kitchen anyway I could bake muffins as well... :) That's what I did. Both turned out very good. After supper we fed and Linda harrowed the pasture and now we are almost ready to head for town again. Theatre, here we come !!!! ;D

western games

Today we decided to go to the Rodeo ground of Edson to watch the games. These were kind of western games like wild cow milking, greased pig race, double barrel race, stake race, wild pony race,... It was soo funny to see the calves and ponys when they got away from the people :D awesome ! I had so much fun. Unfortunatly the one horse injured himself in the arena. I guess it did a wrong step and after that it was pretty lame. I guess it must injured his tendon. There was a vet who had a look at the horse, good thing she was there.

baby # 5

I can remember what we did yesterday morning... I guess not so much, just take it easy. After supper when the flies aren't so bad anymore we should help put round bales out in the pastures. I was just coming out of the door and looked over to the mom's and babies in the one pasture when I saw Jazz laying flat on the ground, holding her tail a bit strange... Oh, I guess something is not quit right there !! Linda walked over to check on her and yelled to bring the foaling kit. I ran in the house to grab the bag. When I reached the spot where Jazz was lying the two feets looked out of Jazz's butt. I had the idea to go back to the house and grab the camera which I did. I hurried out in the pasture again and there he was... a cute little man :) a black and white Pinto. He was in a hurry to get up and use his legs. Soooo cute. He looked like a spider with his legs streched out to the side. After awhile Linda decided to bring both in the garden where mom and kid can have a rest without all the noses of the other horses in their face. Then the placenta had to come out too. So we waited for that to happen. After around 3 hours Linda and Erin, Jazz' owner they started to talk about giving the mare an injection to speed up the process of getting rid of the placenta. I suggested to do acupressure. Linda holded to placenta to make sure it has enough weight on it to get pulled down and I did acupressure. The placenta came out and everything was good. So mare and foal had time to rest and we could go to bed as well ;)

two riding lessons

Today started with a 'say goodbye', Nora, the farmstay girl left. Linda brought her to the bus station. I stayed home and fed the animals. At 11am we had a girl coming for a riding lesson. Linda asked me if I wanna ride Scooty in the lesson. GREAT !!! :D Of course.... So I saddled him and headed for the arena. Holy... this horse has pretty quick movements, nothing dull or slow going forward. I had to tune myself down a lot otherwise we would trott and canter all the time. I was pretty busy to adjust to my animal under the saddle. But I made it and it was getting better. Then in the afternoon I had another lesson this time I was the teacher. I rode Scooty again this time in the english tack. My student should learn and work on a correct seat on the horse. I already showed her a few things before and so we continued what we started. It was basic stuff like feeling the horses barrel swinging, which feet is when on the ground, feel how the horse walks and follow with the hips and then as an exercise to practice the spirling in and out of a circle. We had a good time and so much fun. It was pretty warm and the horses took every chance to take a bath in the sun. It was good to work on the seat again. I also really needed that after my trail ride adventure in Jasper.