Pooklet!

Hot off the phosphors, from lynnesite:

She beat on the gate, said get out here, and by the time I did she was down in the oat hay at the back of her pen delivering. Pretty textbook so far. Hasn't gotten up successfully yet, was born trying to get up.
Double wide blaze, a real cutie.

...Am presuming it's a girl, though it could have outdoor plumbing; one gets Very Excited when the mare achieves ignition. There Will Be Pictures.

This is Pooka's only offspring this year. First half-Arabian. (One of our very most favorite Lipp crosses, as ze keed can attest.)

Speaking of whom, I have to go out and saddle him up--it's lesson day. So, more baby details later, and Lesson Neep, of course.

Lesson Report, and Baby Update

Not necessarily in that order. It's a girl, that's been confirmed. Pictures will be up soon--will post URL--and I'm sure lynnesite will be by with all the details once she's got a minute. Baby-minding is a lot of work.

In between the baby reports, Joni came and we had Lesson Day. We're still struggling with saddle fit for keed. What he really needs is a Reactor Panel, but that is Right Out Of The Budget, Dear. We're winging it as best we can. He managed a little bit of decent work at the end, but that was after a series of experiments that didn't work.

Good thing his Western saddle works just fine for trails.

Capria's lesson went much better. It was the inaugural voyage of The Boots. Jerri recommended heel lifts, and a spray of water on the ankles to help them soften and drop, plus only wear them to ride in. And talcum spray to help with getting them on. With the lifts it was possible to walk in them, though mounting was fun--almost couldn't bend my knee enough--and adjusting to riding in tall boots after over a decade will take some doing.

Capria was baffled at first because she's used a lot more active lower leg--lots of subtlety in the ankle--and with boots, all the activity has to shift up above the knee. Plus I was kind of locked in, with them being so stiff and new and all. Took a while for both of us to adjust.

In the process I discovered that I've been cheating on the left leg. My left hip turns outward and it's a real effort to turn it in for a thigh aid. I've been inadvertently compensating with the left calf and ankle. I had a struggle to deal with that, while Capria kept wandering off to the left. Finally got it sorted out.

And we worked on Contact. For this style of riding, that's very advanced. First you learn the seat (which takes years). Then the leg (which takes more years). Then finally you're allowed the hand. I tend to throw away the outside rein, hang on the inside rein, and let go in transitions, all of which makes Capria Annoyed, and throws her off balance, and makes her want to run away. So I had to keep my hands right above the saddle, extend a pinky to make sure they stayed there--and I discovered just how much movement is really in my hands. Oy.

Eventually of course I'll go back to the correct, closed hand, but for now I have to keep those fingers at the same spot. Capria's response was spectacularly relieved. On the bit, round, through, and forward, without rushing or fussing, in all gaits. And I found that once I got the idea, my seat got better and deeper, and the gaits got better, and the transitions got much, Much better. And Capria was happy. Which meant we were happy, too. (Capria the schoolmaster does not evade unless the rider is incorrect. Rider is correct, Capria is right there. It's something Lipizzans are famous for.)

And after my ride, The Boots came off easily with a jack. All hail talcum power and elastic gussets!

A good lesson day. A good baby day. And a Happy May Day to all!

Pooklet Piccies

Follow the adventures of the Pooklet at http://www.lynnesite.com/emcard.html.

At this particular point, the baby picture isn't up yet--but that's herself in the icon. :)