Bits and Bobs
Sep. 1st, 2006 10:44 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancinghorseMy hay came early. I was not prepared for it to show up this morning. Now must go to feed store and give them money instead of giving money to delivery guy. Oops.
Meanwhile, interlude for hot, dusty job of pulling tarps over the pile before afternoon thunder and/or ex-Hurricane John arrives.
The dogs are the world's worst watchdogs. Evar. They sleep through everything but a cat getting up to go to the litterbox (alert! point!), the washing machine changing cycles (alert! bark!), a doorbell on the tv (alert! wig out!)... Hay truck? Zzzzzzzz....
Editor to whom I sent blurb is Out of Office. Gee, writers don't get vacations. Or long weekends. Or holidays. (The author sent me a nice thank-you note. Proving my point.)
Lessons yesterday. Pook was copping a 'tude thanks to Pandora being in standing heat. (Gold is not. They've been in synch so far. Hmmmm...) In warmup he got the longeline wrapped around his jaw, which had unfortunate results for a bit, but he's smart; he stopped, we sorted him out (must get new longeline), Teacher finished longeing him in all three gaits. He was a little ear-droopy at the end so she said no riding. His neck is about halfway transformed, so we're being careful.
And, since I had a lot of extra lesson time left, I grabbed Camilla, threw saddle on her, did some in-hand work (she insisted; Teacher had some useful suggestions), then had a short ride. Again, very useful suggestions. My hands have been too strong--as usual. A very soft, light touch, just touching the corners of her mouth, keeping bit alive as SRS Guy says, is the way to go. Excellent results there. Also reminded to not crank the turns--set up slowly and let her take her time.
She feels wonderfully solid and safe in spite of being as green as new grass. Her back is extremely strong and she's discovering her balance. No trot under saddle yet, but soon. She's finally ready to work. It's been a slow process, with a lot of teach her a thing then turn her out for weeks or months to process it--latent learning is important for horses, and for Lipps even more so.
Camilla is a happy horse. Finally! I'm riding her!
I finally posted some ads for Oreo. We'll see if anything comes of them. I'm always leery of publicly advertising the babies, but the world does need to know he exists. He's growing up big and beautiful--conformation just about perfect, and he has the nicest mind. Very smart and calm, and he just naturally cooperates. He has a really sweet temper; his idea of a tantrum is to flip his nose and look Annoyed. He and Tia are very similar that way--and they're the best of friends. They make a pretty pair; he's not much smaller than she is (and wow, does he have bone), and they're not far off the same color. Though she does, at 16 months, have more hair. A Lot more hair. She has a thick, straight, shiny mane down to her shoulder, and a forelock halfway down her nose. Best hair on the place. (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
lynnesite, imagine her future Pooklets--considering what he does with mares who have long manes, e.g. Ember --> Twix)
I should add that I adore Tia. Oreo I love to bits but I can't keep him and what would I do with a(nother) crossbred gelding? Her, I get to keep. She's my girl. She's so much like her mom, who is one of My Lipizzans even though she lives outside of Tacoma. Tia is going to grow up just like mom.
Meanwhile, interlude for hot, dusty job of pulling tarps over the pile before afternoon thunder and/or ex-Hurricane John arrives.
The dogs are the world's worst watchdogs. Evar. They sleep through everything but a cat getting up to go to the litterbox (alert! point!), the washing machine changing cycles (alert! bark!), a doorbell on the tv (alert! wig out!)... Hay truck? Zzzzzzzz....
Editor to whom I sent blurb is Out of Office. Gee, writers don't get vacations. Or long weekends. Or holidays. (The author sent me a nice thank-you note. Proving my point.)
Lessons yesterday. Pook was copping a 'tude thanks to Pandora being in standing heat. (Gold is not. They've been in synch so far. Hmmmm...) In warmup he got the longeline wrapped around his jaw, which had unfortunate results for a bit, but he's smart; he stopped, we sorted him out (must get new longeline), Teacher finished longeing him in all three gaits. He was a little ear-droopy at the end so she said no riding. His neck is about halfway transformed, so we're being careful.
And, since I had a lot of extra lesson time left, I grabbed Camilla, threw saddle on her, did some in-hand work (she insisted; Teacher had some useful suggestions), then had a short ride. Again, very useful suggestions. My hands have been too strong--as usual. A very soft, light touch, just touching the corners of her mouth, keeping bit alive as SRS Guy says, is the way to go. Excellent results there. Also reminded to not crank the turns--set up slowly and let her take her time.
She feels wonderfully solid and safe in spite of being as green as new grass. Her back is extremely strong and she's discovering her balance. No trot under saddle yet, but soon. She's finally ready to work. It's been a slow process, with a lot of teach her a thing then turn her out for weeks or months to process it--latent learning is important for horses, and for Lipps even more so.
Camilla is a happy horse. Finally! I'm riding her!
I finally posted some ads for Oreo. We'll see if anything comes of them. I'm always leery of publicly advertising the babies, but the world does need to know he exists. He's growing up big and beautiful--conformation just about perfect, and he has the nicest mind. Very smart and calm, and he just naturally cooperates. He has a really sweet temper; his idea of a tantrum is to flip his nose and look Annoyed. He and Tia are very similar that way--and they're the best of friends. They make a pretty pair; he's not much smaller than she is (and wow, does he have bone), and they're not far off the same color. Though she does, at 16 months, have more hair. A Lot more hair. She has a thick, straight, shiny mane down to her shoulder, and a forelock halfway down her nose. Best hair on the place. (
lynnesite, imagine her future Pooklets--considering what he does with mares who have long manes, e.g. Ember --> Twix)I should add that I adore Tia. Oreo I love to bits but I can't keep him and what would I do with a(nother) crossbred gelding? Her, I get to keep. She's my girl. She's so much like her mom, who is one of My Lipizzans even though she lives outside of Tacoma. Tia is going to grow up just like mom.
