Musical Horses & Some Organization

The horses got rotated around in their stalls this week. And I don't like it.

I mean, it's not bad, Queenie gets a stall right next to Jetta instead of at the opposite end of the arena and Jetta got moved to the giant stall, but still. I think there needs to be another rotation. Originally, they put Queenie in the giant stall (obviously because she's giant) and the new gelding on the end stall. Well, this gelding, named Roddy, likes to pop his head over the stall wall to say hi. And this freaked Queenie out, so they swapped Jetta and Queenie around. Now Jetta is next to obnoxious Roddy and he pops his head over the stall wall and hassles her, she squeals and kicks the wall. Oh the joy.

You can see his orange beak going in for the bite

What really needs to happen in this line of four stalls, is that Jetta stays in the big stall (second from the barn door), Roddy needs to go from the first stall to the fourth stall, Queenie needs to go in the first stall next to the door, and the quiet little withdrawn gelding named Mocha needs to go in the third stall next to Jetta. Problem solved! I'm going to ask the BO if another musical horses can be done...

Roddy is already in love with Jetta. He gets super upset while I ride Jetta, rearing and pacing in his stall and nickering to her. He just bothers me - typically he's what I like, a big chestnut appendix QH that looks more like a TB but I hate his personality. He's seven, but he acts like a baby and he's not the sharpest crayon in the box. Basically he's just annoying. I miss the little palomino Arab gelding I liked :(

Speaking of horses that have gotten sold and keeping on the topic of musical horses, boy do my barn owners go through horses fast! Here's a list of horses they've owned in the almost eight months I've been there:

• Baby - only horse not for sale, they've had him this whole time
• Sampson - on again, off again for sale or not
• Cool - had her when I was first there, then sold her, then got her back, then sold her again
• Sissy - got her and sold her shortly after
• Nugget - had her before I was there, sold her, then got her back and sold her again
• Ellie - the yearling, got her, had her for several months, then sold her
• Jake - the mini, sold
• Toby - nice solid paint horse with blue eyes, sold
• Logan - partial trade on a horse they sold? barely there for a week before he was sold

And they helped two boarders sell their horses, Dusty and Legacy. I've pretty much been one of the only constants this whole time with Jetta! Geez, they go through horses more quickly than anyone I know, but I guess they like the whole buy/sell process. I love having buying horses and doing project horses, but I hate selling them. Too much legal nonsense. And of course they sell all of the horses that I like. If I had the money, I would have bought Dusty and Sissy in a minute. Sissy was a very pretty bay roan paint that had just the right markings, sweet personality and nice conformation and movement. She was pretty much the complete package and could have easily transitioned from western events to dressage.

Anyways, I have a question for readers: I need some organization tips. Since there's only three of us boarders, we have a whole tack room to ourselves. I have a ton of stuff and already take up enough room, so I need to figure out better ways of organizing my stuff before I take over the entire room. Any thoughts?

Right now I have my big plastic "tack box" with various spare bridle parts, vet stuff, my quarter sheet and whatever other bits and bobbins there might be. I have eight bridle hooks, all taken (not pictured is Queenie's western bridle and my helmet). Spare english saddle pads that don't fit in the big plastic box in my trailer that's specifically designated for pads go on top of my tack box. Surcingle, extra reins, breastplate, side reins, etc go on the little round dangly thing. I just put up hooks for my bits, but I also hang my spurs there. Then there's two shelves for everything else: treats, extra browbands, polo wraps, tack cleaning supplies, etc, etc. Then there's a hook for my cooler and everything else goes in the corner: supplements, my bucket full of wash things, and my boots.

I'm thinking of asking if I can put a blanket rack on the wall to the left behind the door to hold all my pads which will make it a lot easier to access stuff in the tack box. Then maybe bring a three drawer plastic container from home - one drawer for bits and random tack, one for boots and wraps, and one for vet supplies? Any other/better ideas? I also have a vet box in the trailer and it's too small for my stuff, but I need something that doesn't take up much more room - does anyone use a tackle box or tool box and think that that is a better choice than a plain plastic box?