Today was such a chaotic mess of a day! I arrived at the barn around 9:30am, as the woman who had committed to buy my horse trailer was scheduled to arrive at the barn around 10:00am. Keith and I waited... and waited... and called...left voicemail messages... and waited... and called. This inconsiderate, cowardly woman did not show up and did not even bother to call me. I was LIVID!! I had emailed her several times throughout the week, gotten reassurance after reassurance from her, passed up other offers (one even offering me MORE than my asking price!) and I put them all on hold because I had given this despicable woman my word. So at 10:30am, I called someone else who showed extreme interest in the trailer and had said that he could come out right away on Saturday morning. He answered and stated that his wife needed to finish cleaning stalls and then they would be out.
Shelley promptly arrived at 11:30am for our lesson and hopped right on J. Our lesson today was to quicken my aids for a half halt and get a more genuine response to that half halt. We didn't worry so much about suppleness or keeping him round, just on quickening his hind end and getting a prompt response. Some moments did not look too pretty, but he did get the idea as to what our goal was, as did I. Shelley had me ask him to hesitate, with a very short rein aid, then immediately use my whip with very gentle but annoying taps to get an immediate response, concluding with another short rein aid to keep him from diving on the forehand during the burst of foreword movement that he gave. I had to be very careful not to overlap my rein and whip aids, not use my reins to get in his way or punish him from going forward and get a big push from behind as quickly as possible. It was tough, but I can see where it is heading once he is more consistent and reliable.
In the middle of my lesson, my niece and her mother showed up at the barn, as we are spending the weekend with Jaden since she is moving to California with her mother in less than a month. So Jaden and Laura were waiting around during my lesson, with four year old Jaden chasing cats, jumping off tack trunks and generally not sitting still- LOL!
As I was dismounting from my lesson and Shelley was giving me a wrap-up lecture, the interested buyers in the trailer showed up. I felt like I was rude to Shelley and hurried her to leave, but I later sent an apologetic text. I showed the trailer to the prospective buyers and while the husband was very quiet, the wife expressed interest. They asked if they could call me later today with an answer, which I agreed.
I am still waiting to hear back from the potential buyers, they intially low-balled me, but I am holding out. They only have a few more minutes to decide and then I've got a plan. I am going to email all the people who are interested in buying the trailer and tell them that they have from 12:30pm-2:30pm tomorrow to come out and take a look at the trailer. First one with the cash will take the trailer home. I gave the potential buyers until 5pm to make a decision and of course, they just texted me at 4:59pm and offered me nearly all the asking price. I turned them down- I'm only taking full asking price now. We'll see if they cave or if I'm composing a mass email!
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
The next Anky?
So I took my first reining lesson yesterday and it was the most fun I have had on a horse in a long time! Don't get me wrong- I LOVE riding dressage and love riding J, but it was so much fun to learn something new and not have the pressure of trying to be perfect. Tawney, my amazing barn owner, is a reiner and has an awesome reining horse named Twist, whom she offered to help teach me reining.
So yesterday was the day that I got a crash course in reining and I couldn't get the smile off my face! Tawney coached me through flying changes, sliding stops and spins and Twist was just fantastic about putting up with me! It was pretty difficult for me because many of the cues were exact opposite of dressage- the canter depart is cued by the outside leg and no inside leg and no rein, flying changes are also cued by the outside leg and to do spins and turn the inside leg is taking completely off the horse! I had many "do-overs" fortunately but I eventually was able to get some passable work, although I'm sure it wasn't pretty! Twist is incredibly sensitive to the leg, which made it that much more fun!
Tawney has promised a second lesson, although it might not be for a little while as she has a couple of shows coming up and I would hate for me to ruin Twist before one of her shows! But Keith is going to video the next one, so I'm sure there will be some funny moments to be seen!
So yesterday was the day that I got a crash course in reining and I couldn't get the smile off my face! Tawney coached me through flying changes, sliding stops and spins and Twist was just fantastic about putting up with me! It was pretty difficult for me because many of the cues were exact opposite of dressage- the canter depart is cued by the outside leg and no inside leg and no rein, flying changes are also cued by the outside leg and to do spins and turn the inside leg is taking completely off the horse! I had many "do-overs" fortunately but I eventually was able to get some passable work, although I'm sure it wasn't pretty! Twist is incredibly sensitive to the leg, which made it that much more fun!
Tawney has promised a second lesson, although it might not be for a little while as she has a couple of shows coming up and I would hate for me to ruin Twist before one of her shows! But Keith is going to video the next one, so I'm sure there will be some funny moments to be seen!
My silly horse!
Here are some pics that Keith took on Saturday. My horse cracks me up!
This horse is willing to do ANYTHING for a treat. A simple carrot (well, mint) stretch turned into this. I laugh out loud every time I see this picture!
This horse is willing to do ANYTHING for a treat. A simple carrot (well, mint) stretch turned into this. I laugh out loud every time I see this picture!
Some things stay the same... some things change
So I haven't posted in awhile as things were pretty status quo until the weekend. My lesson for last week was cancelled, so I've been working on the same stuff for awhile now, which has been really working and I notice a big difference in J's work. Between the thaw, rain and then freeze, the horses have been inside for about 4-5 days now, so it has impacted our work in that I've had to spend a lot more time on warming him up, getting him stretching, forward and supple. But he does get there eventually and he is definitely bending his back more reliably and moving into the outside contact with more assurance. This makes a really big difference in his movement! When he is really solid we do some lateral work and I truly feels like he is dancing underneath me- such a great feeling! My back has been bothering me again, and I'm going to the napropath and massage therapist to have it worked on, but in the meantime I've been mostly posting the trot with a little sitting towards the end of the ride when my back is more supple and he is working over his back, giving me a good place to sit. It seems to be working out okay for now.
I have also been practicing the 1-3 test, getting anxious for show season, so playing around with the tests. I've noticed that the first leg yield can be a little tricky as it is moving off the wall and I have to make sure he is really straight through the corner to prepare for the leg yield. I practiced this movement a few times and then realized that while I was asking him to change outside reins through the corner with my legs and my rein, I was not changing my seat- DUH! So when I did this, it made the transition of outside rein much easier and his leg yield was much straighter and honest. So that will definitely be something that we will be diligent about.
So on Saturday we got our trailer ready to sell... took all the measurements, swept it all out and took pics for the ads. It was a beautifully sunny day and a good day to be outside, albeit a bit chilly. So on Saturday night, around 6pm, I posted the trailer for sale on Illinoishorse.com, TackTrader.com and Craigslist. In about 2 hours I had a committed buyer for the full asking price! She is scheduled to come out on Saturday, pay cash and pick up the trailer, so I agreed to hold the trailer for her until then. In the meantime, I have gotten nearly 100 responses for the trailer, most of which seem very serious. So I have told everyone that they would be contacted if the original seller falls through. So it looks like the trailer will be sold and then we will be trailer-less for a few months. My barn owner, Tawney, has a friend who is selling her trailer and we are very interested in it, but Keith and I both agreed to wait until the Midwest Horse Fair (which is in mid-April) to check out their selection and deals. Then we will make a decision after that. I can't wait to have a trailer with a dressing room!
I have also been practicing the 1-3 test, getting anxious for show season, so playing around with the tests. I've noticed that the first leg yield can be a little tricky as it is moving off the wall and I have to make sure he is really straight through the corner to prepare for the leg yield. I practiced this movement a few times and then realized that while I was asking him to change outside reins through the corner with my legs and my rein, I was not changing my seat- DUH! So when I did this, it made the transition of outside rein much easier and his leg yield was much straighter and honest. So that will definitely be something that we will be diligent about.
So on Saturday we got our trailer ready to sell... took all the measurements, swept it all out and took pics for the ads. It was a beautifully sunny day and a good day to be outside, albeit a bit chilly. So on Saturday night, around 6pm, I posted the trailer for sale on Illinoishorse.com, TackTrader.com and Craigslist. In about 2 hours I had a committed buyer for the full asking price! She is scheduled to come out on Saturday, pay cash and pick up the trailer, so I agreed to hold the trailer for her until then. In the meantime, I have gotten nearly 100 responses for the trailer, most of which seem very serious. So I have told everyone that they would be contacted if the original seller falls through. So it looks like the trailer will be sold and then we will be trailer-less for a few months. My barn owner, Tawney, has a friend who is selling her trailer and we are very interested in it, but Keith and I both agreed to wait until the Midwest Horse Fair (which is in mid-April) to check out their selection and deals. Then we will make a decision after that. I can't wait to have a trailer with a dressing room!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
It's definitely shedding season!
Well, my horse has been shedding out for a month now, so it has been a constant battle of little white-ish blonde hairs in my car, on my clothes and even in my house. I keep thinking that one day soon I am going to whip off his blanket and he is going to be bald, but that has not happened yet. I had clipped him in the fall and have not clipped him since as he is really slick! I would imagine that it's because Tawney has him bundled up in nearly every blanket I own and he is in a heated barn. I really enjoy not having to do a second (or even third) clip of the season!
So we have battled through the hair with lots of brushing with both the curry and the "flower" brush and have been able to have some good rides the past two days. I have been really working on keeping him working to the outside rein while staying supple at the same time. I vary between flexing him to the inside (while keeping his head out of that hole), making him straight, both while doing lateral work and straight work. Most importantly I have been keeping his tempo, which makes him very exhausted, but is making a noticeable difference. He is less fussy in the bridle and more honest and reliable about his contact, which feels great. I also notice that he is much easier to sit in his trot, as he is working better over his back and giving me a good place to sit.
I had an exciting ride yesterday as I got to use my new "gadget"- it's portable speakers that are small enough to clip onto my saddle, but loud enough to really pump out some noise without a lot of distortion. I was able to ride to my freestyle music- for the first time since summer- and it was immediately apparent that I was able to keep the tempo better throughout the entire piece! I felt great about our progress since last year and it made me even more excited to be able to show my freestyle this season!
Speaking of show season, the schedule complete with Judges was finally published on the Internet this week. I get a little OCD about planning show season, as it takes budgeting, time management, vacation planning, etc. And while I want to continue showing with Shelley, I'm not sure how it will all work out. So Shelley and I have agreed that while it will be great to show together, I am ready to do some shows on my own and be able to hold my own. So today I took a good look at the schedule and got a rough draft together. Hopefully I'll be able to go to a majority of the shows with Shelley, but we shall see after she gets her schedule worked out.
So we have battled through the hair with lots of brushing with both the curry and the "flower" brush and have been able to have some good rides the past two days. I have been really working on keeping him working to the outside rein while staying supple at the same time. I vary between flexing him to the inside (while keeping his head out of that hole), making him straight, both while doing lateral work and straight work. Most importantly I have been keeping his tempo, which makes him very exhausted, but is making a noticeable difference. He is less fussy in the bridle and more honest and reliable about his contact, which feels great. I also notice that he is much easier to sit in his trot, as he is working better over his back and giving me a good place to sit.
I had an exciting ride yesterday as I got to use my new "gadget"- it's portable speakers that are small enough to clip onto my saddle, but loud enough to really pump out some noise without a lot of distortion. I was able to ride to my freestyle music- for the first time since summer- and it was immediately apparent that I was able to keep the tempo better throughout the entire piece! I felt great about our progress since last year and it made me even more excited to be able to show my freestyle this season!
Speaking of show season, the schedule complete with Judges was finally published on the Internet this week. I get a little OCD about planning show season, as it takes budgeting, time management, vacation planning, etc. And while I want to continue showing with Shelley, I'm not sure how it will all work out. So Shelley and I have agreed that while it will be great to show together, I am ready to do some shows on my own and be able to hold my own. So today I took a good look at the schedule and got a rough draft together. Hopefully I'll be able to go to a majority of the shows with Shelley, but we shall see after she gets her schedule worked out.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Pretty much amazing!
It has been another tough week in regards to getting good ride time in- damn the winter weather! Shelley rode J on Tuesday and I was so happy when I got an email indicating that he did really well and tried very hard. That was so great to hear!
I couldn't ride on Wednesday due to sub-zero temperatures, so J got the day off, which wasn't too terrible as he had worked pretty hard for several days in a row. But then he got Thursday off too! I had been checking the weather temperature all day while at work and it didn't look good, but I wanted to get out to the barn to at least let him run around in the indoor and groom him, as I had a lesson scheduled for Friday morning and J hadn't been outside for a couple of days. So I went to the barn on Thursday night, donned in sweat pants, and found that the barn temperature was absolutely balmy- CRAP! So I gave him a good grooming and shook a lunge whip at him for a little bit in the indoor. Then I decided to hop on him bareback, with only his halter and lead rope. This has been done THREE times in his life (not kidding!) and he was a bit confused at first, but quickly got the idea. We walked for a bit and even did some lateral work!
So my lesson came this morning and I wasn't sure how J would feel, as he has been inside since Tuesday, with only one (real) ride and some turnout time in the indoor each day. I lunged him first to get him stretched out and moving and then Shelley got on him. She worked on getting him really solid on the outside rein- especially when going to the left, as he is very dependant on the left rein and doesn't want to go to the right rein. She commented that he wasn't as supple as he was on Tuesday, but that was understandable as he hasn't been worked or even turned outside since then. He eventually got more reliable and honest about his contact, although not without some protesting. J has MANY tricks in his bag, all with the goal of getting out of working correctly. Whether it be hanging on the left rein, throwing his haunches to the inside, slowing his tempo or lowering his poll into his little "hole" where he cannot be bothered, it is all to get out of working properly. So we addressed many of these issues today- first by making sure that my body position was correct and relaxed, secondly making sure that he kept up his tempo the entire time, then asking him to yield to my inside rein (whether it be using a slow, short "take" on the inside rein with a straight neck or using a bit of overflexion if was being especially resistant) and finally using my inside leg to push him to the outside rein, either doing an actual leg yield or capturing that energy with my outside leg and sending him straight forward. While doing this, he would typically want to slow his tempo or lower his head to a point that he was curling behind the contact and in his "hole". So my aids had to be quick, not allowing him to lean on the inside rein, keeping his hind legs quick and asking him to raise his poll if he got too "into" himself. The aids were super close together but never overlapping- which is much easier said then done!
So with all this work and effort, it was amazing because everything actually came together beautifully! I felt so connected to him and felt that I wasn't fighting my own body. He got more and more consistent and it was nothing short of fantastic! The canter that we produced felt like the best canter we have EVER done! It felt truly powerful but under complete control- such an adrenaline rush! Our most successful leg yields felt like he was truly dancing underneath me! I am addicted to this feeling and it gives me so much motivation to work hard this week and hopefully show Shelley some improvement in my next lesson next week!
I couldn't ride on Wednesday due to sub-zero temperatures, so J got the day off, which wasn't too terrible as he had worked pretty hard for several days in a row. But then he got Thursday off too! I had been checking the weather temperature all day while at work and it didn't look good, but I wanted to get out to the barn to at least let him run around in the indoor and groom him, as I had a lesson scheduled for Friday morning and J hadn't been outside for a couple of days. So I went to the barn on Thursday night, donned in sweat pants, and found that the barn temperature was absolutely balmy- CRAP! So I gave him a good grooming and shook a lunge whip at him for a little bit in the indoor. Then I decided to hop on him bareback, with only his halter and lead rope. This has been done THREE times in his life (not kidding!) and he was a bit confused at first, but quickly got the idea. We walked for a bit and even did some lateral work!
So my lesson came this morning and I wasn't sure how J would feel, as he has been inside since Tuesday, with only one (real) ride and some turnout time in the indoor each day. I lunged him first to get him stretched out and moving and then Shelley got on him. She worked on getting him really solid on the outside rein- especially when going to the left, as he is very dependant on the left rein and doesn't want to go to the right rein. She commented that he wasn't as supple as he was on Tuesday, but that was understandable as he hasn't been worked or even turned outside since then. He eventually got more reliable and honest about his contact, although not without some protesting. J has MANY tricks in his bag, all with the goal of getting out of working correctly. Whether it be hanging on the left rein, throwing his haunches to the inside, slowing his tempo or lowering his poll into his little "hole" where he cannot be bothered, it is all to get out of working properly. So we addressed many of these issues today- first by making sure that my body position was correct and relaxed, secondly making sure that he kept up his tempo the entire time, then asking him to yield to my inside rein (whether it be using a slow, short "take" on the inside rein with a straight neck or using a bit of overflexion if was being especially resistant) and finally using my inside leg to push him to the outside rein, either doing an actual leg yield or capturing that energy with my outside leg and sending him straight forward. While doing this, he would typically want to slow his tempo or lower his head to a point that he was curling behind the contact and in his "hole". So my aids had to be quick, not allowing him to lean on the inside rein, keeping his hind legs quick and asking him to raise his poll if he got too "into" himself. The aids were super close together but never overlapping- which is much easier said then done!
So with all this work and effort, it was amazing because everything actually came together beautifully! I felt so connected to him and felt that I wasn't fighting my own body. He got more and more consistent and it was nothing short of fantastic! The canter that we produced felt like the best canter we have EVER done! It felt truly powerful but under complete control- such an adrenaline rush! Our most successful leg yields felt like he was truly dancing underneath me! I am addicted to this feeling and it gives me so much motivation to work hard this week and hopefully show Shelley some improvement in my next lesson next week!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Show season... where are you???
The weather finally gave us a break and I was able to ride three days in a row! It was heaven! On Saturday I worked on his suppleness, really working him over his back and letting him be deep, but not on the forehand. Lots of circles and some leg yields, all while staying very round and actively pushing from his hind end. He tired pretty quickly, probably from the lack of work as of recent and the quality of work. I was happy with his effort and did not work him too long, as I didn't want him to be sore or anything like that.
On Sunday J's farrier, Joe Gnaster, reset J's front shoes and trimmed his back hooves. Joe is a really great guy and an awesome farrier. Joe commented that J needed to be done on a slightly shorter schedule as his front hooves had really grown! Which was great news (well, not for my wallet!) as we have been working really hard at correcting some nasty damage that a previous farrier had done to J's hooves, so the growth is a good thing! When we had arrived at White Spring, J's "feet" were a disaster- both due to terrible farrier work and terrible footing at the previous barn, but there is a definite noticeable change with the change in farrier and the great footing at the new farm. So I rode J after he got his feet done and while he was a little testy at times (J can get an attitude when there are other horses in the arena, but that's a whole different post!) he felt really good once he settled into his work. I started off working him deep again, asking him to really take up my rein and have a steady, even contact. We did various figures, working towards a nice bend through his back. Then I asked him take on a more "proper" show "frame", carrying himself in a higher carriage while keeping the suppleness, and he did a really nice job. We worked on some lateral work and some lengthenings, mostly in the trot. I could really feel him pushing off his hind end and lifting his shoulders in a way that is much improved.
Monday came and I was feeling very lazy, wanting to go home and curl up on the couch with the dogs. But I knew that I wouldn't be riding on Tuesday and a blast of arctic air was on it's way to our area. So I bundled up and headed out, which I was so happy that I did. J was so nice! Moved great off my legs/aids, nice contact through the reins, supple and working over his back. I did some leg yields, half passes and lengthenings in the trot and some leg yields and lengthenings in the canter. I felt that he was "coming back" to me much easier while keeping the impulsion and not falling onto his forehand, especially going to the left in the canter. I was able to really use the corner to balance him back with my outside rein- it felt great! I feel like he is really getting more and more reliable in his 1st level work and it's such a great feeling to be confident again! I can't wait to get out there this show season and show the regular 1st level tests and our freestyle!
Shelley is doing a training ride on J today and I think tomorrow is going to be below zero temps, so it might not be until Thursday when I get out there next. But that's okay because J will need a day off so he doesn't get sore or anything. I hope he is a good boy for Shelley today!
On Sunday J's farrier, Joe Gnaster, reset J's front shoes and trimmed his back hooves. Joe is a really great guy and an awesome farrier. Joe commented that J needed to be done on a slightly shorter schedule as his front hooves had really grown! Which was great news (well, not for my wallet!) as we have been working really hard at correcting some nasty damage that a previous farrier had done to J's hooves, so the growth is a good thing! When we had arrived at White Spring, J's "feet" were a disaster- both due to terrible farrier work and terrible footing at the previous barn, but there is a definite noticeable change with the change in farrier and the great footing at the new farm. So I rode J after he got his feet done and while he was a little testy at times (J can get an attitude when there are other horses in the arena, but that's a whole different post!) he felt really good once he settled into his work. I started off working him deep again, asking him to really take up my rein and have a steady, even contact. We did various figures, working towards a nice bend through his back. Then I asked him take on a more "proper" show "frame", carrying himself in a higher carriage while keeping the suppleness, and he did a really nice job. We worked on some lateral work and some lengthenings, mostly in the trot. I could really feel him pushing off his hind end and lifting his shoulders in a way that is much improved.
Monday came and I was feeling very lazy, wanting to go home and curl up on the couch with the dogs. But I knew that I wouldn't be riding on Tuesday and a blast of arctic air was on it's way to our area. So I bundled up and headed out, which I was so happy that I did. J was so nice! Moved great off my legs/aids, nice contact through the reins, supple and working over his back. I did some leg yields, half passes and lengthenings in the trot and some leg yields and lengthenings in the canter. I felt that he was "coming back" to me much easier while keeping the impulsion and not falling onto his forehand, especially going to the left in the canter. I was able to really use the corner to balance him back with my outside rein- it felt great! I feel like he is really getting more and more reliable in his 1st level work and it's such a great feeling to be confident again! I can't wait to get out there this show season and show the regular 1st level tests and our freestyle!
Shelley is doing a training ride on J today and I think tomorrow is going to be below zero temps, so it might not be until Thursday when I get out there next. But that's okay because J will need a day off so he doesn't get sore or anything. I hope he is a good boy for Shelley today!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Making an official record...
So not extremely important, but I have to take note. I actually took apart my bridle today... and cleaned the entire thing, every crevice, every millimeter of sticky crud, stuck-on peppermint saliva and dried up feed that was slobbered all over it. What brought about this tedious feat? Well, J is getting new bling of course!
I ordered an absolutely stunning hand-strung browband from Janet Quinn at Crown Jewel Design. This is no ordinary browband, but is strung with only the finest swarovski crystals and 24 karat gold rondells. Now I would never spend this kind of money on a piece of my own jewelry, but with a nice contribution from my generous father, it is nothing but the best for my little golden boy. LOL! So I had to take my old browband off my bridle to measure for the new one. And with that I reasoned that I should clean it since I had gone through all the effort to use a screwdriver to pry apart the nearly permanent dirt encrusted buckles.
And just for fun, I've attached a picture of the beautiful beads for the browband, but just on the strand as they are not sewn onto the black leather browband yet. The beads are garnet and golden topaz. I think it will look really great! http://www.crownjewelsdesign.com/
I ordered an absolutely stunning hand-strung browband from Janet Quinn at Crown Jewel Design. This is no ordinary browband, but is strung with only the finest swarovski crystals and 24 karat gold rondells. Now I would never spend this kind of money on a piece of my own jewelry, but with a nice contribution from my generous father, it is nothing but the best for my little golden boy. LOL! So I had to take my old browband off my bridle to measure for the new one. And with that I reasoned that I should clean it since I had gone through all the effort to use a screwdriver to pry apart the nearly permanent dirt encrusted buckles.
And just for fun, I've attached a picture of the beautiful beads for the browband, but just on the strand as they are not sewn onto the black leather browband yet. The beads are garnet and golden topaz. I think it will look really great! http://www.crownjewelsdesign.com/
Snow, snow and more snow!!!
It's been a few days since the last post, as absolutely NOTHING has happened in regards to riding. The midwest (and rest of the country, really) got hit with one of the worst snow storms in history, essentially barring any road travel. The storm started on Tuesday and the roads were finally some-what passable on Thursday, however Thursday came with below-zero wind chills. We just can't seem to catch a break!
So I have not ridden since Monday, and I wouldn't even count that as a real ride. I mostly went on a "trail ride" around the arena with my barn owner and her adorable reiner, Twist. We both chatted like two little old ladies at tea, our horses loving that neither of us were concerned about their output of work. Then my eldest niece, Emalie came out to the barn and got her mini-lesson on J.
And to top it all off, there has been no turnout since Monday because of the awful conditions. Thankfully Tawney does turn them out for a little bit in the indoor arena, but as she has to rotate several groups and individual horses, there is only so much time they can get in there. So I am headed out there today after work, hopefully to do some light work, but at least get in some good grooming (a.k.a. bonding time) and let him run a bit in the indoor, under supervision. Then tomorrow is supposed to bring a warm up, so we'll get back to regular work tomorrow.
I am so sick of the snow! Supposedly that big, fat rat is predicting an early spring... he had better be right!!
So I have not ridden since Monday, and I wouldn't even count that as a real ride. I mostly went on a "trail ride" around the arena with my barn owner and her adorable reiner, Twist. We both chatted like two little old ladies at tea, our horses loving that neither of us were concerned about their output of work. Then my eldest niece, Emalie came out to the barn and got her mini-lesson on J.
And to top it all off, there has been no turnout since Monday because of the awful conditions. Thankfully Tawney does turn them out for a little bit in the indoor arena, but as she has to rotate several groups and individual horses, there is only so much time they can get in there. So I am headed out there today after work, hopefully to do some light work, but at least get in some good grooming (a.k.a. bonding time) and let him run a bit in the indoor, under supervision. Then tomorrow is supposed to bring a warm up, so we'll get back to regular work tomorrow.
I am so sick of the snow! Supposedly that big, fat rat is predicting an early spring... he had better be right!!
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