Field Trip

Oh, it is soooo nice to be on winter break. I get up early and clean stalls, ride both horses in no rush to go anywhere, then grab a hot chai tea on the way home and settle in bed under the covers with a good book. Nothing better!

Today I rode Jetta and she was ok. Warmed her up on the lunge line in side reins which definitely helped settle her down though, she was nice and relaxed by the time I got on.

But she made me work for it today, which shouldn't be a surprise. The theme for the ride was soft and steady. She refused to soften and wanted to be all strung out in the canter to the right so we worked with lots of transitions within the canter to get her sitting back on her butt and bending her to the inside and then to the outside and then inside again. It worked and by the end she was better, but geez horse! We also worked on leg yields. She was surprisingly attentive to my leg today. Usually she's attentive in a more forward manner when I ask her for lateral work, rather than going sideways, but she was very good today. The problem: bracing. You'd think I was asking for something incredibly difficult rather than just a step or two crossing over in front and behind without bracing her jaw and neck. Some transition work - trot, halt, back up, all asking her to be soft in the bridle really helped by the end. I really would like to move up to first level since I think we've got training level down, but anytime I ask for something more difficult, like a leg yield or shoulder-in the braces on me so that has to be fixed!

Tux didn't get a ride today, instead we worked on his newly least favorite activity. Trailer loading. He has just decided for some reason or other than he no longer wants to get in the trailer and it is a terrifying horse eating contraption, even though he was fine before. Luckily he is a fast learner so I don't think we even spent 20 minutes on it until he figured out what I wanted was easier than any other option and that the trailer isn't so scary after all. We now have a self loading horse who will nicely trot into the trailer. We'll have to see if that sticks though tomorrow.

Yesterday was a fun sort of "field trip". One of my roomies who hasn't gone home over break quite yet had promised to come ride a horse one of these days so I finally convinced her that there was no time like the present! It was fun. She's not quite a horse person, but she took it all in stride. It helped that I bribed her out with the thought of two very snuggly barn cats.

Tux was on his best behavior. He's only had one other person ride him before and never anyone who was inexperienced.

Being silly - "Do I look noble?"

Cuteness

My favoritest kitty