I don't know exactly to describe New Barn.  Y'all will probably have to help with that.  The BM shows regularly, but focuses on breed shows.  She's got paints and Quarter horses, and rides both English and Western.  Is that pleasure showing, then?

She teaches lessons and is the one who told me, a million years ago, that I wasn't at a level that she could teach and then referred me to the Second Trainer, who did dressage.  I took monthly lessons with Second Trainer before getting frustrated that I was riding a horse with too few buttons and that I was spending most of my lesson ignoring the trainer and installing buttons.  Third Trainer is supposed to teach "dressage and jumping", which, actually, is perfectly me right now.

I'm really excited.

I asked the trainer at my (future) Old Barn what she knew about Third Trainer and I got sort of a mixed response.  It boiled down to them having different methods, but that Third Trainer had even had a kid (or kids?) go to the Maclay's.  We both laughed about the fact that if she was there, no harm came from trying.  And then I felt super awkward because I never asked her about taking lessons or anything like that.

While I definitely don't think that I have any sort of impact on Old Barn's other horses or, really, anything there, I had a brief pang of concern.  I'm pleased to say that BO really seems to respect the trainer and listens to what she says.  Likewise, the trainer doesn't appear to have any sort of problem stepping in and just doing things she thinks ought to be done.  She's done loads more than I have, but this is also her job and her reputation.

Migratory pattern of a ground-tied Thoroughbred.

Er..

Is short.

So, in preparation for our move:

• Pull mane.  Did that last night.  Took off so much!
• Trim bridlepath and maybe whiskers.  I like his whiskers, though.
• Start pulling out stuff that I won't be using for the next week - saddle pads, extra saddles, extra bridles.  Might as well clean all this crap, too.
• Start looking into getting a tack trunk of some form. Clean out a rubbermaid container for the time being.
• Put the nifty hand-stamped tags I made on Archie's stuff.

I'm not ashamed.  I'm learning!

• Archie's coggins are expired (THE SHAME!), so he has a vet visit on Wednesday and I'll put a rush on the coggins and get them emailed to me on Thursday or Friday.  It's going to be a super expensive visit anyways, because he's due for all vax and possibly a dental.  But no rads or I/A injections!  (knock on wood)
• Get a bale of peanut hay from BO in order to transition Archie back to Coastal at the New Barn.  After a few weeks of being on Coastal, we'll transition him from sweet feed to senior.  Because pony doesn't need sugar.