A Wild Long Weekend

I have been having a pretty wild long weekend - not.  I have pretty much been lazing around the house, reading a good book, and forcing myself to go to the barn to lunge Walker.  Unfortunately, he just doesn't seem any less stiff despite our daily lunging sessions, so we'll see what the masseuse has to say on Wednesday.

I decided to oil my bridle last night.  I figured that it has just been sitting there for months now and could probably use a little cleaning.

I also got an interesting email from my current barn owner.  I emailed him to let him know that I would be staying on, and all he emailed me was "I'm on vacation.  I'll call you next week."  Normally, this wouldn't be ominous but he doesn't ever call me so I can't imagine a reason why he would.  My guess: either he is going to tell me that he expected me to leave so he filled my spot or else he is going to tell me he doesn't think I should ride my horse until xyz (which probably includes The Program).  He has told me the latter before, and I had mentioned in passing in the email that I was going to start riding again soon.  It wouldn't shock me, but I will not be impressed if he does.

With this going on, I figured I should explain why I chose to stay.  There are three main reasons why I was going to leave:

1. money
2. lessons
3. turnout

In my search for another barn, I found only a few that were suitable.  Either the care was substandard or there was no indoor arena, which simply isn't doable for me.  Frankly, I think all barns in Atlantic Canada should have an indoor.  Just sayin'.  One barn I found was just around the corner and would have been a perfect place - if I had been able to get a hold of the owners and go visit.  When I spoke to a horse friend in the area, she said that she wasn't surprised that I couldn't get a hold of them and that this was probably the type of treatment I could expect from them anyway.  So that got crossed off the list.

The main barn I loved was the one that was 40 minutes away.  I know that 40 minutes doesn't seem like a long distance, but I can sometimes work very long hours (like 8 o'clock at night wouldn't shock me if I was busy).  This was problematic enough since it meant coming home after 10, driving on dark Winter roads, etc., but then I did up the finances.  It turns out that even though the barn was cheaper, the cost of gas was going to double for me.  In the end, that barn, despite being absolutely perfect in every other way, was going to cost more (there goes the number 1 reason for moving), and if it cost more, I wouldn't have any money for lessons (which takes care of the second reason for moving).  The only thing we'd be getting out of the situation was better turnout.  Which is important to me, that's true, but perhaps not the best reason to rush out of my current barn.

So I decided not to give my notice so rashly and be forced into another situation that might not work for us.  Assuming that we are not about to be evicted, I will probably reevaluate our options on a monthly basis.  Things can change.  Barns can open up.  Finances can improve.  And when that one necessary factor does, Walker and I will move on.  Or maybe we won't.  Maybe things will improve where we are.  Who knows.