Winter Music

  Well that was just a marvelous ride!!! We had a lesson with Kelly Eaton again today and whooo hooooo!!! I got there early enough to tack up and do a tiny bit of in hand work. We jogged in the little grassy area in front of the arenas and trotted up the hill halfway to stadium twice in an effort to avoid disturbing the lesson before us. Which, in retrospect, might have been more disturbing than just going in the arena. Ha ha. Whoops! Sorry!   Then I got on and headed over. And, we pretty much went right to work. Which... was nice. We didn't need a long warm up to stretch her out. She came ready to work! (Granted, she was a bit up because as I turned Dan out and went to grab her, I noticed the opossum was dead in the field and there were a bunch of vultures.. who I set off.. which then set the horses off, so she was a little amped... then add in the remarkably cool weather and fairly stiff wind....). Anyways, we did a little bit of the same thing with Dan. Can you move off my ...

 so hot and steamy. sweaty before we started good ride. a bit quick and rushed today but at least she's not mincy. not wanting to go into right rein, but holding it isn't necessarily the answer (i tried). head tilt is back a little but better when I'm straighter. finished with really good moments canter was nice today too photos: Steamy ride

 in parenthesis. ;) Single vertical.  photos: 5-26 jumped also sunset photos in field

Happy Day! Lyric had FUN hauled to ashland, tacked up. rode with sharon. saw 4 snakes, big box turtle, two heron sightings (one with two of them though we only saw one), geese, and a hawk. No deer interestingly.  lovely fun hack with trotting and hills and creeks. then a nice canter in the XC field. got a little quick so redid it and she was better. jumped the ditch and a tiny log. happy camper. yay. then splashed in the lake. lots of splashing. then headed home.  made it in the nick of time. downpour started once we loaded up. did spook at the raindrops hitting the roof but was good and then loaded. did bite trailer divider twice on the way home. sharp left turns.  photos: wildlife safari and video of snake

  We had the farrier this morning and then I had a lesson with Funny at 12:30 at Barbaras, and then plans to ride Dan with Sharon after my lesson. So, since we finished at 10 ish with the farrier and I didn't have to leave til 11:30 for my lesson, I decided it was worth hopping on Lyric for a quick ride. Otherwise, I'd likely run out of time this afternoon after Dan and/or we'd get rained out. And tomorrow I have my nephews graduation party, so may not be able to ride them all. And then Sunday we're going to Aiken to horse show, so... unlikely I'll ride then. Then on Monday, while I have the day off for the holiday, that's Mike's day. So... it was worth the quick ride.  It was hot and steamy though... the humidity... we really need the rain, so.. come on and rain already! I tacked up and then we walked up to the arena. I did a tiny bit of reinback, turn on the haunches and forehand and then we jogged in hand. Then I hopped on. We did some leg yield, some sho...

 Rode at home. sO hot and humid. tacked up, walked up, did backing and turn on forehand and haunches and then lunged. both ways, with 3 separate small bendy circles (no draw reins) and a few big circles. then got on. rolled right hind fetlock once while lunging, but mildly.  walked with leg yields and then trotted. did some circles to work on bend. lost hind end once. bend is better to the right, but she feels less symmetrical to the right. bend is hard left but she feels sounder. weird. worked on getting correct bend and opening that rib cage. did the weave poles. did some figure 8's. Super good girl. trying hard. then cantered both ways, from a really nice trot. Not too shabby! only did one circle of canter each way. no bucking. ended with a nice trot. Got a nice lifted back and nice contact and connection.  yay walked home. got a bath.  photos: 5-26 good pony