So far you have met Ruby, my Aussie big sister, and Rose, the cat goddess. This post I'd like to introduce one of Sandi's horses, Annie. Her full name is D'Annalynn. She is a Hanoverian mare - and she just had her 18th birthday! Sandi got her when she was about 4 years old, and Sandi spent a lot of time training her and taking her to shows. Annie won the Filly of 1990 class at Dressage at Lexington (VA) Breeding show, and she qualified in 1997 for the Bengt Ljungquist finals at Training Level. Sandi said the finals were great fun, although it was pouring rain.

Of course all of this was before I was even born, but Sandi and Annie have done a lot of training together. In November 2007 Annie got a fungal infection penetrating her hoof wall (white line disease). It was a very opportunistic infection with some coffin bone rotation; Annie had to have a hoof resection, meaning that part of her hoof wall had to be removed. So Sandi spends a lot of time with Annie while her hoof grows out, keeping her feet dry and serious farrier work (and lots of radiographs). I've been around Sandi's horses a little, and they are really big. I think it's best I stay clear of them, and respect them - definitely no chasing!