Just another day at the looney factory

On Sunday I wasn't really feeling good, but I felt compelled to go to the barn.  I decide, you know what, I'm going to just get on my horse without lunging.

I love my horse for being the kind of horse that you can do that with.  While everyone cautioned again and again that this was a horrible plan since the horses have been a little wild lately, I just threw my leg over and Walker ambled off at a turtle speed.

Let's be honest.  The one time this horse has ever been fresh, he had been on stall rest for 9 months.

Gorby Guts devouring his apples

We worked a lot on lateral moves as I had promised and also on circles.  Although I'm happy with how forward he has been going large, he loses impulsion in the corners and on circles.  So we worked on a 20 metre circle to remedy that.

The circle also gave me the chance to work on lateral movements because I constantly had to leg yield him in or out to stay consistently on the circle.  He was ok but not as light as I wanted him.

We also worked on actual leg yields.  I was really happy going right - like I wish I had videotaped it happy.  Going left was a whole lot of just crossing the diagonal and screw the leg yield.  Meh.  Next time.

Then the lady who I have been helping brought her horse into the arena.  She started lunging while I was riding, and her crazy ex-racehorse standardbred mare managed to rip free of its halter and took off careening around the arena.

No big deal.  Just an angry Walker-hater mare galloping at us with its teeth bared while I'm riding my horse and its owner is chasing after it.

Once again, I say: "Thank god I have a sensible horse".  His response to this was like, "What is wrong with that mare" and continued on about his business until I got to a place where I could dismount safely (i.e. not be run over) and help her catch the horse.

Just another day.

PS: Check out Hillary's contest.  I want soap.