BOOM! New cart time!

Ahhh! I went to go see the navy cart in person today. I sat in it, loved it, and put a deposit down for it. So excited!!

I picked it over the Meadowbrook for several reasons:

1) While I actually technically liked the Meadowbrook better - the detail on it was JUST SO GORGEOUS - it was quite a lot more expensive, and also required a russet harness. Russet harness is $$$$$$. My current harness is a very well loved Smuckers, and while it is old, it cleans up nicely enough to use for local shows - so with the navy cart, so long as we swap out the black/chrome parts for brass parts, it will match AND look super fancy. 

2) It's easy entry... gotta love that part.

3) The carriage maker is right here in town! I know her and if I need anything, I can just zip my cart right over to her for touchups or repairs. She'll switch everything out to brass for me!

4) The cart itself is also right here in town. I don't have to pay for shipping or deal with going really far away to get it!

5) I took a *really good look* at what the carts would look like with O's color:

Here's a chestnut colored horse with a russet harness and a similarly colored cart (not the same cart). It's really kind of cool picture, but it is really kind of chestnut-intense.

And here is my cart with the carriage maker! She actually made it for herself before selling it to the lady I am buying it from. Conveniently, she made it for a similarly colored red horse, so you can get a good idea of what it will look like. Very flashy! Picture it with brass hubcaps, brass shaft tips, and a brass rein rail (and with O, of course) - it will be awesome!

It is really kind of amazing to me that 6 months ago, I hadn't even considered ever doing this with her yet. Now here we are, already upgrading to show-worthy stuff. Who would have thought it? I've enjoyed this so much that I haven't ridden at all in several months. While it feels really weird to say that, and when I think about it I'm definitely uncomfortable with that idea, in reality I've been enjoying the pain relief. I miss riding sometimes, but am thoroughly fulfilled by driving - I definitely don't miss it enough to swing a leg back up onto my fire-breather. This is probably the longest I've ever gone without riding, from about 7 years of age on. I didn't ride much when I lived in New Zealand for 6 months, but we did go on two horse treks during that time, which were wild and full of galloping. I do hop up on Pmare once in awhile for a bareback toodle, but that's about all I've done. I do really enjoy those little rides though... I will need to make a point of doing them more often.


We had a fun little drive today... I wasn't asking for too much connection, just forward motion, seeing as she started off a bit lazy. (I also have some injuries and need to take it easy!) Since her dental, she has suddenly found the ability to really bend left for the FIRST TIME EVER! Unfortunately, now she thinks that is all she can do, and she is perpetually stuck in left bend with no interest in bending right. I need to have the bodyworker back out and see if she is stuck somewhere... if I had a good chiropractor, I'd start there first, but there isn't one around here that I like. Doing carrot stretches (which I am notoriously bad about remembering to do), she is equally as locked up on both sides, but when she releases she stretches all the back to her loins... so who knows. It's always something! In the video, you'll see me doing some tight turns and see her fighting me pretty hard. I'm not pulling on her, she is just actively trying to counterbend while being bent anyway - the contact is very light. SHe is quick to bend to the left, but as soon as you release the left rein, she flies to the right - like a car with some alignment issues. Some long lining exercises will help this as well - and will tell me if this is an evasion or an actual body issue somewhere.

I was stepping on the gas in that last shot... she was lifting her head, powering on, and giving me the "all right fine" ears!

I'm having a lighter week because of not one but TWO sprained wrists AND a damaged rotator cuff. As far as we can tell, it's just repetitive stress to old injuries. It doesn't hurt me to drive (and my wrists are wrapped), but everything else HURTS, especially motions where I'm rolling my wrists a lot. I'm doing some light work tomorrow, and then will have off until Friday... hopefully by lightening my schedule, I'll be back to full work soon.