Heaping pile of crap

My barn told all the boarders this evening that they are no longer going to be operating a public boarding facility. This is effective as of December 1st. The six current boarders were given the option to stay, but board will increase from $400/month to $500/month.

I’d been looking for a new barn anyway. I’ll leave it at that instead of going into all the boring points on why this place isn’t worth the $400 I’m paying now.

Tomorrow I’m going to go look at a barn about 20 miles from my house. The board is significantly higher than what I pay now. I think its $525, but it has a lot of amenities. Personally I’m sold on the miles of trails they have available. Huge indoor, good farrier and vets brought in often, quality feed, a heated observation room, and heated bathroom right in the barn (no more intruding on the barn owners by entering their house).

There’s another barn a smidge closer to my house that is cheaper, $350, but the indoor is really small, no trails, a smallish outdoor, and a huge long drive way that made us wonder how well the snow removal in the winter was. I went and looked at it last year, and I don’t remember what exactly turned me off from the place, but at the time I wasn’t all that enthused about boarding there (other than the small arena and the lack of trails). I may have to rethink that option quickly though.

Ava’s still gimpy on the left hind. As soon as I start trying to work a bit of collection she’s ruined for two days. I’ve been trying to schedule x-rays (and possible treatments) for Ava, but I’m hesitant to set anything up when our bank balance is hovering at $40. We can’t even pay for the gas to get to the vet’s office at this point in time. It’s been a bad couple of months money wise…

And to top it all off, I am one lesson away from finally learning flying changes. I cannot express to you enough how badly I have wanted this day to come. Except, I can’t afford that last lesson, my horse isn’t sound, the trainer leaves next month until April, I have to find a new barn for Ava, I’m worried about my dad because he has no Charlie, and the little dog we adopted is peeing on the carpet when he thinks no one is looking (the little rascal!).

So that is my life in a nut shell. I hope you and yours are faring better.