I had a long talk with the BO.

My mom and I did, actually. We told her all the problems we're having with Cynthia and Mitch, and she still doesn't get it. She's basically willing to put up with all their shit. She doesn't see the severity of the issue. Cynthia's stupidity doesn't seem to bother her. I've told her how much of a liability she is, and she still isn't bothered.

Just last night, Cynthia's daughter persuaded Cristy's daughter (7 year old) to go out in the dry lot with all the loose horses. Well, Norman got pissy with Jack while Cynthia's daughter was in between them. It's a good thing she's as quick as she is, because Norman almost ran her over. So I told her it wasn't safe and to get out of the paddock. So she goes, "Why?"

I don't know, maybe because I'm much older than you and I just told you to do something for your own safety? I told both of them twice to get out of the pasture, and finally Cristy yelled at them two more times before they finally got out.

Come to find out, Cristy asks Cynthia if her daughter was allowed out with loose horses, and she said, and I quote, "Yes she is, because she can make that judgment."

HELLO!!! She's fucking eight years old! What little kid can go out with a bunch of horses and be smart enough to not get a hoof to the head? And she doesn't seem to have any grasp on how dangerous horses are! She just has no idea. Mostly because her mother isn't teaching her any better. What if one of my horses hurts her kid? That's a lawsuit right there. A huge liability. Like I said, Cynthia just doesn't give a damn about anything. She just thinks nothing will ever happen.

If I see her out there again, I'm letting her have it. I don't care if her mother says it's okay. I will NOT have little kids running around my horses and risk being injured. It's just not going to happen. If Cynthia gets mad at me, boo hoo. Cry me a river, bitch. I guess if your daughter ever gets rushed to the ER with a hoof-shaped indentation in her skull, I told you so.

I think the BO is more open to possibly kicking Mitch out, though, which would be a giant step in the right direction. We're trying to reason with her. We'll see if it gets us anywhere. I'm still on the hunt for a new barn, which has so far proved fruitless. But if and when I get a place lined up, I'm getting out if Mitch and Cynthia don't leave.

Klaus 19?? - 2009

We had a sad day today. The BO made the decision to put one of her horses down due to health problems that seemed to just keep piling up. Klaus was a Percheron/ Thoroughbred cross in his late 20's. He had extensive schooling and was a barn favorite, especially to the lesson kids. He was blind in one eye, but it didn't seem to bother him and he was one of the kindest and sweetest horses out there.

Unfortunately, he had arthritis that would have crippled most horses, but he had an incredibly high tolerance for it and was still ridden up until last summer when he was diagnosed with ringbone. In the last year, his health continued to decline and he had several abscesses on his feet, along with a bad ligament. Just recently he was diagnosed with cushings, and that's what solidified the decision to euthanize him. He was kept reasonably comfortable and happy for as long as possible, but he'd lost weight and his fur was coming out in clumps. His owner couldn't watch him suffer any more, and he passed away today at about noon. He's going to be burried out in the pasture.

He was the coolest big, black horse in the world. He was spoiled rotten and had a good long life. He really was a perfect horse and we're all going to miss him terribly. Rest in peace, Klausie.

Another case of blatant stupidity, curtesy of our good friend, C.

Before I begin, I'm going to be giving names to the people I've been talking about, since it gets confusing using only letters and I don't have permission to be using anyone's real name. So here's how it's going to work:

C = Cynthia. She's the idiot that's at the center of all the conflict at the barn.

M= Mitch. Cynthia's cousin who boards his two horses there and is a lazy asshole and just as stupid and idiotic as her.

My trainer = Lorena.

My friend who's daughter also takes lessons from Lorena = Cristy

And the BO will just stay the same.

Okay, here we go. Remember Jack, the pony that Cynthia bought her 8 or 9 year old daughter? Jack was only trained to drive when they bought him, and Cynthia had this wacko trainer out there working with him. So Saturday Cynthia comes out with her kids and husband and suddenly has everyone on this pony. Herself, her little girl, and her husband. A little 13 hand pony that has maybe ten hours of saddle time. Her husband (who is not a horse person) rode him for a good hour and a half, and the whole time, poor Jack was running away with him and misbehaving and trying to get him off. Cynthia was instructing him, which I think only made matters worse.

It looked ridiculous. A couple of adults riding a pony. Needless to say, Jack was not happy about it, and it looked like he tried to rear several times, but he obviously couldn't given the riders that were almost as big as he was. And then during my lesson, I was in the outdoor and they were in the indoor arena. I don't know what they were doing, but there were whips cracking and scaring the bejezus out of Victor. I'm telling you, it was a freakin' circus act. A joke.

Then afterward, they just threw Jack and Nikki back out in the pasture, saddle marks and all. Didn't hose them down, didn't brush them, nothing. Cynthia just drove off because she "had to be somewhere". It was a hot day, and they were both dripping sweat. It was disgusting. I can't imagine riding a horse down to nothing and then not even bothering to do anything for it afterward. I've never even seen her give her horses cookies after a hard ride. I think a horse has earned a couple treats after a good workout. But she never does because apparently she only believes in doing the bare minimum.

Lorena and Cristy want to work something out with the BO so they can lease the front isle of the barn. With any luck, Mitch and Cynthia will want to leave. If it works out, Lorena will come back as the barn trainer.

And that place that was offering free board that I was looking at? My mom drove past it and it was a total dump. So that's a no-no. We can't find any other affordable barns that are in decent shape, so I'm hoping this deal works out.