100 Happy Days - Day 39

Day 39:

My "Texas Armadillo" I was given by my best friend made a reappearance when I found him hiding between the bed and the wall today. I couldn't turn up the chance to take a picture of him staring at the raining and let her know he wanted to be back in Texas where it is warmer.

100 Happy Days - Day 38

Day 38

This is an old photo so I'm kind of cheating but the thing that made me happy yesterday was Optimizer running a close second to 2x Horse of the Year Wise Dan. I have followed Optimizer for years (since his Derby trail days) so to see him put in what was probably his best career run was definitely a highlight of the day!

100 Happy Days - Day 37

Day 37:

After a few weeks away from yearling prep, I returned and realized how much I missed it! By the end of the day I was exhausted since I was stupid during my time away and didn't work out but it was worth it. I caught a glimpse of the next generation of farm superstars on my way out and couldn't resist snapping a photo for today's post. 

100 Happy Days - Day 36

Day 36:

After two weeks of not seeing them, I finally got a chance to catch up with the girls!

100 Happy Days - Day 35

Day 35:

She enjoyed her packet of new toys a bit too much but it's nice to be home and spend some time with her.

100 Happy Days - Day 34

Day 34: 

Just a few minutes before I left for the airport, I got to meet our newest calf ... born Sunday night. I love spending time with new babies.

100 Happy Days - Day 33

Day 33: 

"I believe I can fly!" (Or run past humans really fast)

100 Happy Days - Day 32

Day 32: 

Escaped cows are annoying but it was nice to feel useful on the farm again!

100 Happy Days - Day 31

Day 31:

A trip to the zoo yielded some awesome photos but this is definitely my favorite!

100 Happy Days - Day 30

Day 30: 

My first mountain spotting of the trip!

100 Happy Days - Day 29

Day 29: 

Hello Ocean! I missed you.

100 Happy Days - Day 28

Day 28: 

Sunset at Pleasant View Dairy is always spectacular.

100 Happy Days - Day 27

Day 27: 

Every day is a good day when it involves a Derby winner.

100 Happy Days - Day 26

Day 26: 

I'm back in the land of Evergreens and mountains (and lakes).

100 Happy Days - Day 25

Day 25:

Since we're officially a quarter of the way through the challenge (fitting that the Arlington Million falls on No. 25 since it is one of my favorite days of the year) I decided to share a few photos of what made me happy today.

Morning at the track: 

The Afternoon's Races:

100 Happy Days - Day 24

Day 24:

We arrived late but we're finally in Chicago! Arlington Million Day is tomorrow and it should be a blast.

100 Happy Days - Day 23

Day 23:

I bought Bella a bunch of "don't get mad that I'm leaving" toys ... if the fate of the first one is any indication, she's going to have a blast tearing them all up.

100 Happy Days - Day 22

Day 22:

I don't think an explanation is needed for this photo.

100 Happy Days - Day 21

Day 21:

I took this the other day but stumbled upon it tonight and cracked up. It may be the most hilarious photo I've ever taken of Crystal and there have been some exceptionally funny ones in the past.

100 Happy Days - Day 20

Day 20

I'm currently recovering from a flu that has had me down and out all weekend. Because I can't go anywhere, I turned on the New York-bred sale up in Saratoga to see how some of the farm's babies sell this weekend and stuck my laptop on the floor since I've also been having a movie/tv marathon. I looked down to see what hip number they were on and saw Bella intently watching the auction. She found it quite fascinating and stared at the screen for a good 10 minutes, including one attempt at trying to turn the horse in the ring into a toy.

100 Happy Days - Day 19

Day 19

I went out to the barn to groom and feed the mares and didn't even have my boots with me. But while grooming Crystal, I got the idea to hop on board. I didn't tack up, just threw a bridle (her) and helmet (me) on and jumped on bareback. I'm so lucky this mare is so kind (most of the time) because she hasn't been ridden since February. I haven't been on a truly broke horse since then so I had to reacquaint myself with how sensitive her cues are but it was wonderful to be back on my "heart horse", even if I'm not planning on making it a regular thing.

100 Happy Days - Day 18

Day 18

My favorite "must attend" race day of the year is the Arlington Million and today my press pass arrived for the event. The four stakes races on the card attract some of the best turf horses from around the world so for me it is like being in a candy store. Don't be surprised if you see some photos of the event in this blog in about two weeks because at least one photo is sure to be my "happy photo of the day" from August 16.

A Real Blog Post

“I could be a professional student. I love it. Just go down another road and see what else you can learn” - Leah Gyarmati

It was fitting that as I was planning out this blog today, I ran across the above quote by trainer Lea Gyarmati. If you know me, you know that I'd be the cat killed by curiosity because I am a "need to know" type when it comes to learning. No matter what I'm doing in the racing industry, I want to learn the hows and the whys of why I'm doing it.

That is why the one day a week farm job I've been working has been so fun and informative. I've made it my mission every day I'm there to ask at least one question that will farther my knowledge about why the barn and overall industry does the things it does. I do get a few weird looks when I ask questions with answers that seem pretty simple but there is a method to my madness. 

For example, while I know why I use shavings to bed my horses when they are stalled, I wanted to learn the whys of the hay vs. shavings bedding that the farm uses. I noticed that some yearlings had shavings while others had hay for bedding in their stalls and a quick question to CB gave me the answer as to why that is. The farm uses hay bedding for those who don't need to lose weight while those who are built a little heftier and need a little more help to look a little more like a racehorse get the straw bedding because it helps them lose the final few pounds they need to shed. In addition, I also learned that grain builds a horse's top line and hay "builds" the belly (to put it simply), something I've already put into use on my own horses.

Working on the farm has been a dream come true for me both on the learning front and the satisfaction front. It's nice to be doing actual farm work again, even if it is different than the work I did on the family farm growing up. It is also nice to actually feel like I'm doing something productive with the actual animals that I write about. Don't get me wrong, I love writing about racehorses but as a horse person something is always missing when I can't actually spend time working with them. And yes, I have my own horses, but again it is different than handling (future) racehorses so this gives me my "fix". 

One thing that I've learned about myself while working on the farm is that I LOVE seeing how the horses develop. I've been working there long enough now that I've seen how the yearlings have changed from when they first enter sales prep to the final weeks when they are more confident in themselves. It is fun knowing that I have had a small hand in that and while it makes them a bit hard to handle at times, it is fun to see how proud of themselves they are after they've spent time on the walker or swimming. 

I've always enjoyed watching the development of young horses of all breeds but haven't had a real active hand in it outside of my own youngster so I never knew how much I loved it. I'm hoping to spend some time in the breeding division of a farm (hopefully the same one) this winter to experience that part since Thoroughbred breeding and pedigrees are my passion. 

But to be honest, anywhere I go from here is just a cherry on the top. I never really imagined I'd find someone who would give me the opportunity to get the hands-on experience I've wanted ever since I was hired in the Thoroughbred industry, especially with my crazy schedule. To say I'm grateful for the opportunity is the understatement of the century, but there really aren't enough words to express just how lucky I feel.

Until next time,
Mel

100 Happy Days - Day 17

Day 17

Every morning (with the exception of Fridays) I drink tea in the morning. One of my favorite things to do is enjoy it while sitting out on my porch catching up on news. I haven't been able to spend time on my porch lately so it was nice to be able to enjoy a pleasant morning that also brought out a rabbit and a few chipmunks and squirrels.

100 Happy Days - Day 16

Day 16:

Building this bookcase was the worst part of my day. It broke half way through the building process and I had to steal pieces from another bookcase I was throwing away, hence the upside-down look. But even with the annoyingness of the building the bookshelf itself is the home to some of my favorite books now and more will be added later as I didn't finish unpacking the boxes so it is my "happy" picture of the day.

100 Happy Days - Day 15

Day 15: I've been slacking on this the last few days so here are two photos for you.

I showed up to work early today so had a chance to drive around. It was foggy out so I had a chance to get the "Kentucky fog" photo for the first time ever. It's been something I've wanted to do since I got here but haven't had a chance in the past so it was nice to get one finally. Next time, I'll have to try and get one with my good camera.

I only have one more workday before my boy ships out for the next stage of his life so I grabbed a few photos during his grooming session today. I'm sad to see him go but excited to see what he does in the future!