Fun Sundays

My other boy helping me write papers last night

Although the barn is usually pretty busy on Sundays, it was actually just me and M at the barn today.  I like riding with M and Lark because we're the only adults at the barn, and sometimes it's just nice to have another adult around.  Lark and Walker seem to get along pretty well actually, especially since Lark doesn't exactly get along with all the horses at our barn.  I also never worry about anything happening because I know that if Walker had a freak attack, Lark can handle herself and so can M.  Sometimes I just worry when I'm around kids, especially little kids, that they might get in the way at the wrong time, since they don't necessarily know any better.  I find it good practice for me to ride with M because she and I got back into riding around the same time, so it's not as intimidating as it is to ride with people who are busy being awesome while we bumble around the ring.

Today we worked on a little bit of everything.  I especially was glad to work on some cantering while another horse was in the ring because our indoor ring is so small that it is going to be difficult in lessons with 4 people.  In fact, in lessons, we usually only have room for 1 - 2 people to canter at one time, so the others have to wait.  I'm often at the barn alone, and of course, we rode outside for most of the summer and fall.  So it was nice practice to canter and maneuver around Lark, the speed demon, without also hitting M's mom who comes out to the barn with her most days.  Walker's lope and Lark's canter are two different speeds altogether, so it takes some thought not to hit each other.  We even set up some crossrails, and although Walker was lazy at first, he really seemed to get into it once he saw how excited Lark got.

Then, before we finished our ride, we practiced riding around the ring without any reins.  I do that a lot with Walker because he has nice slow gaits and he's really super about moving off the leg.  We're getting pretty good, and I can almost pivot him on the spot with just my leg.  Lark, on the other hand, being trained English, seemed quite distraught that M didn't have any contact on her mouth.  She's also so much faster than Walker, and I died laughing while Lark pretty much took M for her own guided tour of the arena at top speed.  I then convinced M to hop on Walker, and it was a whole different kind of hilarious.  Of course, he felt so slow for her, and she couldn't tell if he was trotting or walking! Then, when I convinced her to lope him, she started to yell: "Why is he putting his head down?  Why is he putting his head down!  Natalie, where is his head?!"  By this point, some other girls had shown up to ride their horses, and they were laughing also. Of course, that's Walker's thing: his head never goes above level.  Whereas sometimes, when he's feeling a little fresh, his head goes up at the trot, his head NEVER goes up at the lope or canter.  He's trained so that every time you apply leg, he puts his head down - which, might I add, really does take a long time to get used to!  All in all, it was a pretty fun ride, which is nice to have.

Other than that, I tried Walker's rainsheet on him to make sure it fit because my instructor says that it's best to start them out with a rain repellent summer sheet for Winter because of the barn being heated.  The lightweight sheet won't make him overheated while he's in the barn but will offer some protection when he goes outside.  Then we'll slowly move him up to his midweight Winter blanket that I bought him.  Unfortunately, temperatures are going back up and today after it snowed, it rained :S  I left the rainsheet hanging on his stall but I doubt he'll need it for a couple weeks again.  Make up your mind, Winter!