Day 145

Brie was still limping today, so we let her rest. We put them all out in the paddocks and she didn't want to do much, so we put her in the round pend and asked her to lunge and her limp wasn't noticeable at a walk, but when she started trotting/gaiting, you could see her limping. So we decided that another week of rest would be good, and if she's still limping next weekend, we'll call the vet out.

We also found out that the baby across the aisle from us was weaned yesterday. How horrible, of course Ray had to do that for Mother's Day. Jerk. I mean, horses don't know the difference, but still. It was sad =[ He was watching us and kept crying when we took all of them outside or in the arena to ride.

My mom warmed up Harry and then I got on. He gaited super fantastic until Ray came in the arena with his horse, then he tensed up really badly until Ray left. He's got to get used to distractions! Personally, I think it's just something he has against Ray. Luckily, Ray doesn't have any geldings to ride in show =] After we gaited some more when Ray left, we worked on WALKING! The hardest thing in the world! I worked with him for about a half hour trying to make him walk. Every time he started to pull me forward, I made him stop and he was getting very antsy about me on his mouth almost constantly because of that, but as soon as he realized I'd lay off the pressure when he slowed down, he was a doll. And he went in the trailer like an angel today too! We didn't even need to nose chain lead to walk him in! Now watch, he'll magically forget everything when we're trying to come home from Springfield, right? Isn't that how luck goes?

Next weekend the farrier is supposed to be out, and then it's off to Springfield the week after! I'm so excited, but I only get to be entered in one class now that I'm no longer a Youth competitor, so I'm just going to be in Amateur Owner's class. We better get a ribbon!

Day 132

Sunday

I had my camera today but it was super low on battery and only let me take a few pictures =[

Harry running in the paddock

We let them out to play again. We're waiting for the big paddock to dry out that way they can really run around!

Brie in mid-buck

Winner of cutest picture! Don't they look like they're kissing?

And what angers me the most about low camera battery is that I thought I got this great video of my brother freaking out and jumping off of Nina, but it just got the end and beginning shots.

We dared him to get on Nina bareback in the paddock.

After he got on, we were like "Okay! Make her walk!" so off she went, but then Harry saw her walking away and got crazy and started bucking, so Nina got excited and bolted around the paddock. My brother got freaked and jumped off and onto the fence border next to Brie's paddock. It was hilarious (and pretty dangerous) and I wish I had gotten it on camera! All I got was this.

Great picture, right?

While we were outside, we also went by the trailer. Everyone went in and out except for Harry, of course. But we played the YoYo game until he got super close to the ramp (after about a half hour) and decided to call it quits.

I also have a picture of the baby for you. He's getting so big!

He loves to come up to the bars and rub his head on your hand. So cute!!

Now here's my mystery. I wrote about this last week, but got pictures of it. These are the weird things on his back legs.

This is his left foot. Those spots are kind of raw and get kind of icky like these next pictures.

This is his right foot. That little gunky on the bigger spot comes off when you rub it, and he gets kind of bothered when you do that. We don't really know what they are. We think they might be scars from when he fell through the hay trailer. The little gunks kind of look like plantar warts, but I don't know, can horses get warts??

Onto training, I rode Harry today. Colin was there for a while, and I was so embarrassed that by the time he was leaving I still hadn't gotten Harry to stand still next to the mounting block. Even though he's tiny enough that I don't need one, it's still a good habit to have, and it took forever for him to do it! He started off in a circle very relaxed and gaiting nicely, it's just that when I tried to go on the wall he kept pulling me towards the sound board and rushing forward. It wasn't the greatest ride, so I decided that we'll stay away from the sound board for a while. Manners are more important than having a great board, at least they are for me! And I believe that once the wall-calmness comes, so will the relaxed gait, so we won't need to keep practicing over the sound board. It really bothers me when people make a big deal over the board instead of actually riding anyways.

After we rode, we hosed them all down and had some of Brie's birthday cake! I can't believe she turns 10 on Tuesday! 7 years has gone by so fast. We like to describe her as "growing up to be one of those old ladies on their porch with a shotgun."

So we sang her Happy Birthday and tried to feed her a little bit of frosting, which of course she ate. Harry and Nina both spit it out and made faces once they tasted it. It must've reminded them of wormer!

Post bath with her carrot cake!

My mom's car is acting kind of funny, but hopefully she fixes it soon that way I can drive it out sometime during these next two weeks while I'm home! It's supposed to be 60 during this week and I would love nothing more than driving out and giving them all a good scrubbing one afternoon.

Day 120 & 121

Saturday

Baby!!!!!

 He's so adorable!! I wish my camera/the lighting was better =[ He's very very curious for such a little guy! We all stuck our hands by the stall, of course, and he just marched right up to us and let us pet him, and kept nudging his whole face into our hands! Sooo soft! Brie was very curious about him too, but the momma didn't let her get anywhere near him of course. She just settled for looking at him over the side, just kind of watching him.

I started Harry today again. He was better lunging, but we had our fair share of games. In the end, he lunged pretty well. His gaiting could be a little better, but it sufficed. I have a bittersweet thing with Saturdays: I look forward to them, but I hate them because we always have to leave early!

I rode around on Brie afterward. Nothing too big, just roaming around the arena for fun.

I can't wait until it's warm out. I want to give them all a good scrubbing, especially in their tails! So dandruffy.

Sunday

I rode only Brie today. My mom and I had a disagreement, but I'll get to that.

So I lunged her as usual and walked to warm up, did some figure eights and serpentines. We walked and corto'd a lot. Then we finally did some largoing and right at the very end, I wanted to work on cantering. She's really good at picking up the signals and everything, I just wanted to work on the pace because she canters super super fast and I just get scared that she'll slide in a corner or I won't have enough time to avoid a collision in the arena. So to try to remedy this problem while still keeping a canter (since she goes back into a largo when I tug on the reins), I did circles along the wall and it worked: she did slow down her canter a little bit.

Now, my mom said I worked her too hard today. Brie was pretty hot afterward and I had to put her under the cooling sheet. But I don't think that I did. It wasn't like I was fighting with Brie to canter. She likes going fast, she always has. I didn't run her around the arena over and over again. And I was trying my hardest to keep her from running like a bat out of hell, and it worked. I don't know. I'm just thinking about it now, because what if I did work her too hard? Then I feel awful.

Then there's the whole showing issue. She doesn't like showing...but I always thought that I would be able to work her up to it, and that some day I would be able to get her to win a class where it's not just herself in that category (costume class). I mean...that was the whole point of this blog. To chronicle our journey to a blue ribbon. If I just stop trying to get her to go to shows, what am I supposed to do? There aren't any trails around, and I'm not too keen on the idea of letting her just waste away in the pasture and becoming a wild child. I'm honestly at a loss for ideas.

Then I just keep going back to this afternoon and my mom telling me I worked her too hard. I mean, yeah she was sweating, but she likes running...she loves running around. The majority of her life, we've had to fight with her to keep her from running and pulling out on us...

I don't know. I'm just at a loss for words, for ideas...I really don't know where to go from here now.

Day 119

This post is for yesterday because I didn't go out today. I watched the Bears game and THEY LOST! Shoot. Next time it comes down to football or riding, I'm picking riding.

But read on! I have exciting news!!

Saturday

We stayed for a short while today, as all Saturdays, because my dad had to go to work. It was a mere 5 degrees and made me thankful that our barn is heated! I rode only Harry---for the first time in a while, I started him. I had a bad start lunging, as he got really excited and pretty much almost dragged me through the dirt, but I didn't get dragged and I didn't let go and I managed to get him back in and start over again calmly. He lunged well after that, and then I decided that before I got on, I would address his issue of not wanting to flex while I was on the ground. It took some work, he got a little angry with me, but we worked through it and by the end, he was flexing like a pro! I got on and made sure that he would give me his head and he was like a rockstar!

We walked around, did some figure 8s and circles, and took a few passes around while gaiting before we had to get off to get ready to leave. While I was brushing him off, the pregnant mare across the aisle from us started pacing and then abruptly squealed at looked at her stomach. My mom stated, "Yup, she's in labor, she's having contractions." So of course I started pleading to stay and watch! But sadly, we had to leave. She tried to comfort me with the fact that the mare would hold off until the night time when everything was quiet and people weren't around.

Well an hour later, Paco called.

THE MARE HAD A COLT!

I can't wait to go this weekend and take a bunch of pictures!!! It got my mom thinking of all these baby plans and possibly buying the colt and possibly breeding Nina and starting babies under saddle and it's just so exciting! I absolutely can't wait until this weekend! Hopefully the week will fly by!