Like the weatherman predicted, it was a beautiful, glorious sunny day. Just like it was taunting me - don't get to go to a horse show = beautiful day. All other days = gloomy and rainy. Anyways, I didn't feel like riding (still depressed) but instead worked with Jetta on the ground. She was super good, even though she was in raging heat, trying to flirt with all the boys outside.
Someone left a crossrail up in the arena so I worked on trying to get Jetta to jump it at liberty. It was about 4' off the wall, and generally, even if on a lunge line, if it's not on the wall, Jetta will not jump it. Why work so hard when you can go around it right? But with a little manipulation and body cues I got her to jump it twice. Boo ya. Because she'll make a small circle around me, instead of using the whole arena, I could draw her in on the side of the arena where the jump was so she was conveniently perfectly lined up to take the jump. Of course she could avoid it if she wanted to with one of her very athletic "drop shoulder and run the opposite way" but she ended up taking the jump a couple times! Awesome. Of course she'd only jump it in one direction, but it still made me happy.
Then we broke out the bouncy ball, one of Jetta's favorite things. Usually we play with it when in the saddle, not on the ground, so she wasn't too sure about it at first. I got some pics and a little video so you can get an idea of the cuteness. Much easier when someone else is videotaping and I am riding, but at least you get to see the cuteness!
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| "Wat is dis?" |
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| "My ball." |
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| "I nudge it with my nose" |
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| "Then I chased it" |
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| "Then I kicks it" |
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| "And then I watches it roll away" |
Then I headed home for the weekend. There's nothing like a long drive in the sunshine with the windows rolled down and radio blasting to cheer you up a bit :)
Once home I went and groomed the boys. I was planning on removing Grady's blanket, but I guess he couldn't wait for me and did it himself. He broke the front snap and wiggled out of it, leaving me to go fetch it in the far corner of the pasture. Both boys got a good grooming. Grady's so close to being done shedding and he looks great without all the fur. Colton got his ginormous tail brushed out. Gosh it's huge. I feel like I might go through and try to thin it out a bit. Next week, I hope to give him a bath and try to make his tail look white-ish.
My neighbor, LC, with the fancy barn behind me just got a new horse on trial so she came over to chat while I was grooming. Turns out that TS, the trainer I've been taking lessons with through the dressage team at school, trained this horse so she was coming out to give LC a lesson on this horse and invited me over to watch and meet the new horse Wes. I had a fun time watching and I really like this horse (though I still think she should have bought Jazz but she doesn't like mares...) and he's trained to 3rd level. LC has no interest beyond training/first level but she said that I can come over and play with him to keep him tuned up :) I love third level work, I hope she keeps this horse! A bunch of LC's friends came over too to see the new horse so I had a fun time chatting and TS is just so nice. I guess she's going to come over during the summer and give lessons, so I'm going to join in on a lesson group of about 5 or so people. Can't wait!
So overall, not a bad weekend.
I wish Pippi liked playing with the balls, she acts like an old lady.
ReplyDeleteI should get Henry one of those balls... what is so cool!
ReplyDeleteYou should get a bouncy ball! Some horses don't like to play with them (like Grady - completely unafraid yet totally uninterested) or they love playing with them, like Jetta and Katy. Or somewhere in between. Jazz was a champion soccer player, but had no interest in just playing with the ball for the fun of it :)
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