Reposted from our advertisement on VirginiaEquestrian.com:

Listed in: Ring, Track & Field - Boarding Full board on private farm near Purcellville $400.00 Date Added: 7/23/2007 Posted By: Pam Ochs    Purcellville, VA   20132 Email Address: pam.ochs@gmail.com Phone: 703-615-7807 One full care stall space available on small private farm near Hillsboro, VA (Loudoun Co). *Lighted 50x80 bluestone paddock *100x150 bluestone ring *Near Blue Ridge Center (brces.org) with 15 miles of trails *12x12 matted stall with dutch doors opening to bluestone paddock *Run-in shed with fan *Heated tack room with bathroom and laundry facilities *Hot/cold wash stall. Personalized care, call to discuss particulars.

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However, we now have one gate that goes "beep beep" and opens by itself. I still have two more "doorbell pushes" to wire up on either side of the gate so you don't need to be carrying a remote control around. Then I can fill in the last of the trenches, staple wire and pvc conduit "weed-whacker" guards into position, and voila, the first of three gates is up. We actually only _ need _ two, as the third one encloses a pasture which hasn't been fenced yet. Of course, I'm tempted to put it up anyway, as installing an automatic gate that secures absolutely nothing amuses me in a "Bridge to Nowhere" sort of way.

However, at the pace I've been maintaining, even with "learning," I'll be extremely lucky to get the 2nd gate operating tomorrrow.


I'm all for teaching DUH
in America's schools!

prettypammie worked Con and Red in the small ring today--Con is a little gimpy--pretty much normal for him, but Red looked great. For a little strength conditioning and as a cool-down, I took Con up and down the steep driveway to the house. He limped a little and bobbed his head--not happy about the gravel and the slope, no doubt, but he went willingly. He's really quite a good horse.

Then, after Pam finished working Red, I took him for a mini "trail ride" to the end of the driveway and back. He trotted for me when I asked him--but I wasn't able to sit it properly and Pam made me stop before some boy got his back hurt. [I think she was talking about the horse, though]. I probably looked like a bobble-head doll of myself up there. Con went crazy that Red was out of the pasture and off doing fun things with the people. He whinnied and neighed and GALLOPED around the pasture to show his distress. This resulted in a few cases of "bad manners" by Red, when he felt he had to answer, look for, or even go to his buddy. We got that "straightened out," though and had a nice, if brief ride.

In any event, at long last, the "horse property" has actually been used for equitation.

I guess I need a barn icon now, too.  I'm sorry that prettypammie and I have been less than prolific picture posters...time has been lacking.

Well, we moved back on June 10th, 2005.  Our horses had been happily ensconced at Sylvan Mysts Stable ever since, until today.  We made one last push to get the electric fence finished; the oddmix came over and offered some advice.  About that time, Henry's hay truck showed up.  320 bales of hay later, and my biceps were barking.  I tried to get our Ford 4610, affectionately known as "Tonka" to break up enough of the frozen tundra to bury electric fence hook-up wire under the two gates, but basically it just was not meant to be, today. gonzy317 and the entire family came over--bearing Lasagna.  We got to meet her niece for the first time.  After dinner her niece and Stipple spent some time getting to know each other.   I gather he was a bigger snake than she expected.  This visit made Q happier than could be--because while the various parents were making runs to buy fence supplies, pick up horses, etc., he and J, the eldest son, played Lego Star Wars...for hours.

gonzy317 went with Pam to get Con and Red over; they are in the turnout pen for the night.  Tomorrow, I'll get the electric-fenced pasture squared away, and we'll turn the boys loose in the 100% board fence pasture so they can stretch their legs

The day is a bit of a blur, and utterly exhausting--but it was a really good one.

It's weird--I can look down the hill, and in the light of the flood-light, there are these two horses milling around the turn-out pen.  On our land.  Horses.