Spring Glow Up

Marissa is one of my best and dearest friends. She and I met back when I was still in college when we boarded at the same barn, and we became close friends in and out of the barn over the years. Our horses were best pals too. She is a horsewoman whose judgment I trust so completely, she is responsible for figuring out what to do with Tilly in the event of my untimely demise. She is also one of the two people I trusted with Goose through caring for him after I moved south and he needed surgery, and was a key part of the crew that helped me bring him down here once he'd recovered enough to travel. She's a fixture in my life that isn't going anywhere, no matter how far away I now live, and I always make a point to visit her when I'm in NJ and she makes trips down here to visit when she can. 

Goose and Tucker, 2016.

If you knew her back in her blogging days, you knew Tucker who was Goose's bestest friend. I'm happy to report that he is living his absolute best life retired at a lovely farm in NJ and I can't imagine a better situation than what Marissa has set up for him. It makes my heart so happy to see him when I go visit. 

Tucker a few weeks ago when Marissa got back to NJ and started de-fluffing the majestic beast. I just adore him and his flamingo begging.

It's been a whole year since I bought Tilly (another post coming on that, I will catch up at some point), and it was unfathomable to both of us that M hadn't met her yet. I knew she'd love her but I also had the demon in my head wondering what would happen if she didn't actually like the baby horse. 

Ha. Hahahahah. As if that could possibly happen. 

They're obviously in love.

It was love at first sight. M got here on a Friday and after she dropped my mom at the airport on Saturday, we went straight to the barn to see the Tilly. It instantly became clear that for the next two weeks, this was Marissa's baby and I was just there so I could feel included. 

Brb gotta go find a new baby horse because this one isn't mine anymore, she belongs to Auntie M. 

We had some goals for while M was here, and the first one we had to address was a bit of a spring glow up for the Tillykins. I try to keep on top of her mane and trimming her goat hairs on her jaw, but winter is winter and I've been more than a little busy. Tilly had also started shedding like a beast, and currying was on my hard-no list and still makes me kind of uncomfy feeling five weeks post-op. Something about the way my body moves side to side as I curry really makes my innards slosh around as they try to figure out their new home in my pelvis with the extra space from yeeting the uterus. Who knew THAT was a thing, but makes sense. 

Before: A shaggy but dappled beastie

Okay the lighting sucks because clouds and she won't stand square but her mane came out LOVELY and she was gorgeous after her bath.

Over the first two visits, Marissa happily bonded with Tilly with lots of grooming, thinning her mane with a blade, and trimming her long goat hairs on her jaw. Tilly also got a lovely bath and was looking like a brand new woman before we knew it.  

Up next: I need to upload a bunch of clips to the YouTube since blogger hates when I dump videos in here. Tilly had lots of playtime and exciting things happen!