THREE DAYS!!!!

Can Wednesday be here...like now? Please?!
I met with the B.O. today and got the full tour of the facility. I'm in love with her already and this barn...oh my...there just aren't appropriate words. It's like horse heaven. No joke. I honestly can't believe I'm going to be boarding at this place!
The plan in the beginning is for Missy to go for a week or two in "the old barn." It's the barn that was built first, hence the name. It's the smallest and has the least bells and whistles, but its nice and quiet. Once June comes, Missy will be going to live in what is called the "Baby Barn" or the "House Barn." It's gorgeous and brand new. It's not the barn connected to the indoor, but one of the two outdoors is right behind it and the indoor is just a short walk away. I absolutely LOVE this barn, maybe even more so then the Main Barn because it's a little quieter. It's a cool barn because there's literally a guest house built above it. Missy will love it in there.
The pastures are all super safe board fencing with grass everywhere. No more than three horses per pasture, though she'll probably only have one mare buddy. Everyone lives on the property, so the horses are always supervised. One thing I'm kind of excited about is the fact that they do night turn out during the summer. I'm a fan because Missy's two biggest enemies are sunburn and bug allergies. I think it will really help prevent skin issues from being bad this year.
I was really thankful that Margy and Molly agreed to come with me today. I was a little nervous to finally meet the B.O., but the second I met her, any thoughts of "I'm way out of my league" vanished instantly. She is very kind and down to earth. Definitely my kind of person. Missy will get absolutely amazing care, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind about that.
One bummer is that, I was so busy talking, I forgot to take pictures. Oops. But, I've decided to use a couple from their website just to show you this amazing place. I'M FULLY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THESES ARE NOT MY PICTURES!!! (I'd credit the barn page, but frankly there are people who don't need to know where I live!) I will take pictures for myself on Wednesday when we move her!
Main Barn Pics:

Missy's Barn To Be (House Barn):

So can you see why I might be a tad excited?! ;) Pretty sure we are never ever ever leaving this beautiful place! Totally worth the money I will be paying!
Three days!!!

I've Become a Barn Hopper

So I'm wiped out...took a 4 hour AP test today and then now just got off work. Haven't had a day off in a week and don't have one until Monday! But it's cool, because I have two days of school left until summer break and I'm making some major money (which I need in order to pay for this barn)! I thought about waiting until tomorrow (frankly, it could already be tomorrow for all I know...what time is it anyway?!) to update, but a promise is a promise...plus I went through WAYY too much coffee just to get to this point and now I am WIRED. Sigh.
Sooooooo...yeah...ummm...where were we? My unending boarding difficulties...Yes, I am going on my 4th barn in 3 years. It sounds really bad when I type it out! I would have never left the second one (Marissa's = love ) had it not been so far. But yeah, this barn is so ridiculously close to my house, it's crazy. I can't believe it. Missy has never been so close to me ever (not even when she was at BDS--not much closer than BDS, but still closer. These barns are pretty much on opposite hillsides lol). She's going to be 4 minutes from my house.
4 MINUTES. 4 FREAKIN' MINUTES! LIKE 4! SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO PUMPED! 
Yes this barn is super fancy (probably way way way out of my league) and yes there is an huge indoor and two huge outdoors and dutch doors and heated wash racks and 500 acres of trails and perfectly groomed pastures, but all that is just details (awesome details). The thing I am *most* excited about is having my baby DOWN. THE. ROAD.!!! I could walk if I really wanted to. The thing I have missed most about having Missy 45-50 minutes away and then 25-30 minutes away is having the ability to just stop in and check on her whenever. I don't have to plan barn time around working now! I can do BOTH!!!
If you couldn't tell, I'm a little excited! LOL!
But yeah, Margy and I are going to meet with the BO this weekend and check on Missy's living arrangements (in the beginning she's going to live in a barn different from the one she will eventually live in. They have bent over backwards to make this work for me and I am very very appreciative).
But yeah, it's looking like Wednesday (a week from today) is out big day. I can't believe how fast this has all come together. Thank you Margy and Bill for agreeing to move The Mare for me!
My plan is to get pictures this weekend. I contemplated sharing a couple off their website, but I don't really like doing that and it's not as fun...something to look forward to, my friends!
BTW, I am totally done moving after this! I haven't even been at my current barn two months and I'm already doing this all over again! BLAH!

Missy's New Home!

Pretty damn exciting! Confirming the final details for moving her (yes, I am THAT fast) and I will update everyone tomorrow! I will have pictures of this place by the weekend!

Relief

I have been so stressed for days not knowing what to do...and then about an hour ago, as I was taking a Pre-Calculus exam, I found out that I got Missy into the barn I was praying would open up!!!! The absolute relief I feel at the moment is unbelievable! It's like a thousand pounds has been lifted off of my chest. 
Actually, it was all my mom's doing. She is not a horse person and has never been involved with Missy. But she has seen how horribly stressed I have been and called the woman who owns this barn and apparently made her feel pretty sorry for me. Needless to say, I will be moving Missy within the next week or two! 
I called her once I got home from school and was amazed about how nice she is. Such a kind, warm person and I felt welcomed and reassured immediately. I am so excited! Just wait until I get you pictures of this amazing place!

I Love You Not For What You Are...

...But For What I Am When I Am With You.

Guilt

I'm passwording (prob. not even a word) this as I an afterthought. It's really not that interesting, but you can read it if you want!! lol Same as always...comment with email!

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Well then...

Haven't used one of these in a while! For those who don't know, this is a password protected post. Totally cool with most people reading it, just being careful with a sensitive subject:) If you want to read this post, comment below with your email address and I will get you the password! Thanks!

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What I've Learned About Insurance

I asked opinions about insurance a couple months ago, but since then I haven't said anything about it. I feel like now is a pretty good time for me go into detail about what I've learned given that as of yesterday, Missy is officially insured.
First off, let me start out by saying that what I'm about to say is simply what I have discovered through doing the research and talking to friends, fellow boarders, and insurance providers. In other words, all I have to write about is my own experience. Though I have done my homework, I am not an expert...like at all. So just like everything I write, take my words for what their worth and always do your own research:)
With that, let's begin, shall we?
When I started on this journey. I had a couple things that I was mainly interested in finding out. Mainly, is this something that I can afford and is it worth the expense. Pretty quickly I figured out the answer to both of those questions was "yes."
What I was truly looking for in insurance had less to do with being reimbursed monetarily if something were to happen to Missy and more with being able to provide her with veterinary care and not think twice about the bill, because in all honesty I don't have 5 grand to just pull out of my pocket. I don't have 3 grand to pull out of my pocket on a whim. I have a small savings but nothing that wouldn't be quickly eaten up by an emergency.
Upon beginning my research, the first thing that I learned is that all equine insurance policies begin with what is called a Full Mortality Policy. Meaning you insure a horse for X amount of money and if they pass away, then you get that X amount of money from the company. I like to think of it as a Life Insurance Policy for horses. You can't insure a horse for an ungodly amount of money. You have to insure your horse for what is considered Fair Market Value (FMV). If you haven't owned the horse very long, then FMV would be considered what you paid for the horse (in most cases). If you've owned the horse for couple years (as I have), then you can try to prove that the horse is worth more (show record, training receipts, etc.).
You can then add different types of coverage to your Full Mortality Policy for additional money. These include such things as Major Medical, Loss of Use, etc.
I personally decided to insure Missy through Broadstone Equine Insurance. There was a couple specific things that made me go with them. I asked for quotes from several other companies including Blue Bridle, Hallmark, and Markel, but Broadstone had all the things I was looking for, had very reasonable prices, and I was contacted by a FABULOUS representative to graciously answered all my questions. She laid everything out in a way that I forgot about the worry of "what's the catch?" or "is there something in the fine print?" After reading reviews, I also discovered that they tend to pay out very quickly. All really good things.
I purchased the Full Mortality Policy with the addition of Major Medical. There's different "amounts" for Major Medical, but I purchased the "level" that I thought would be most reasonable and the maximum that I could ever imagine using in a given year. Major Medical is coverage in the incidence that a horse suffers an illness, injury, or disease. There is a deducible (not a bad one at all) and the deductible is PER injury. Meaning that if a horse injures a hind leg and you need to have the vet out 5 times, you only pay the deductible once. Things like x-rays and ultrasounds are 100% covered. My insurance would also pay for things like stem cell  and PRP treatments. Obviously, it's called MAJOR medical, so it doesn't cover maintenance of the horse (vaccines, dentistry, etc.).
A couple things that are often misunderstood about equine insurance:
 The first is that the insurance company is NOT going to pay the vet, they are going to reimburse YOU, which is definitely an important thing to remember. 
Also, companies like Broadstone and Blue Bridle are AGENCIES. They do not write policies. They "match" you to an insurance COMPANY'S policy, you fill out an application, you get approved, and then the insurance COMPANY issues the the policy to you through the AGENCY. Broadstone issues policies from several companies depending on the horse and what you are looking for. So while I say I bought insurance for Missy through Broadstone, she's actually on the Hartford Plan. Does that make sense? It's almost as if in the world of equine insurance, companies like Broadstone are the middlemen between the buyer and the seller.
Lastly, with Broadstone and with what seems like most companies, you pay YEARLY premiums, not monthly. I like it because I paid it and now I don't have to worry about it, but it is a chunk of cash to pay all at once (though honestly, it's not all that bad). Seriously, Equine Insurance is not nearly expensive as you think (well, at least as what I thought!) Mortality Policies alone all seem to be under $75 yearly and Major Medical coverage seems to run $200-$600 yearly depending on the company and the amount of money you are insuring up to.
Overall, I'm glad I did it. Hopefully, I never have to use it, but at least I won't lie awake at night worrying (as much) about money. It definitely feels like a weight off my chest! Feel free to ask questions if you have them. I'll try my best to answer any that anyone would have.