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dancinghorse...on trying to get any work done today. It's my dad's birthday so dinner Out is early, and I spent the morning riding horses, and I've been washing horse blankets for two days, and I think I need a Nap Now.
Tomorrow is Another Day.
Morning riding consisted of ponying ze keed on a short loop--he was busy with breakfast and I almost went out without him, but when he realized Mom's saddle was going on, he came marching up to demand that He Go Too. So he did.
Beautiful day--hasn't hit 100 here, though it's still toasty, and the sky is this amazing pure blue. There are clouds to the southeast, what I call the Monsoon Direction--too dry and thin yet, but they're a promise that in a month or so at the most, we'll get our annual influx of moisture up from Mexico, and our daily dose of thunderboomers.
Meanwhile it's hot, dry, and breezy, and in its own way kind of lovely.
After keed and Capria got their outing, Camilla planted herself at the rail, because she had seen her Very Own Leopard-Print Pad coming, and she knew she was getting a turn. A turn consisted of walking out around the back, stopping to think every few feet (but soft and happy in expression), then going to the mounting block which was outside the arena and doing lesson homework. I'm supposed to lie over her back, but not sit on her, until it's no big deal.
Good deal, except that she never got anxious. The anxiety factor is Teacher and the lesson environment. On our own, just standing there, she's fine. I even stood in the stirrup. No sweat. No fuss. No grinding of teeth. The only teeth-grinding came after she was unsaddled, when she wanted to go in and get saddled and do it all over again and I (mean cruel thing that I am) said no.
OH dear.
How to tell the War Mare that it is not safe to ride a nearly totally unbroken horse all alone without anybody to spot me or call 911? She doesn't want anybody there. She just wants me. Which will be perfectly fine--in about a year when she has steering and brakes and I can predict what she's likely to do in a given situation.
OH dear.
She is now one happy pony--all soft and squoodgy--and that is wonderful. However we do have to figure out how to keep her happy while also keeping me safe.
That's Camilla. Always a challenge.
Tomorrow is Another Day.
Morning riding consisted of ponying ze keed on a short loop--he was busy with breakfast and I almost went out without him, but when he realized Mom's saddle was going on, he came marching up to demand that He Go Too. So he did.
Beautiful day--hasn't hit 100 here, though it's still toasty, and the sky is this amazing pure blue. There are clouds to the southeast, what I call the Monsoon Direction--too dry and thin yet, but they're a promise that in a month or so at the most, we'll get our annual influx of moisture up from Mexico, and our daily dose of thunderboomers.
Meanwhile it's hot, dry, and breezy, and in its own way kind of lovely.
After keed and Capria got their outing, Camilla planted herself at the rail, because she had seen her Very Own Leopard-Print Pad coming, and she knew she was getting a turn. A turn consisted of walking out around the back, stopping to think every few feet (but soft and happy in expression), then going to the mounting block which was outside the arena and doing lesson homework. I'm supposed to lie over her back, but not sit on her, until it's no big deal.
Good deal, except that she never got anxious. The anxiety factor is Teacher and the lesson environment. On our own, just standing there, she's fine. I even stood in the stirrup. No sweat. No fuss. No grinding of teeth. The only teeth-grinding came after she was unsaddled, when she wanted to go in and get saddled and do it all over again and I (mean cruel thing that I am) said no.
OH dear.
How to tell the War Mare that it is not safe to ride a nearly totally unbroken horse all alone without anybody to spot me or call 911? She doesn't want anybody there. She just wants me. Which will be perfectly fine--in about a year when she has steering and brakes and I can predict what she's likely to do in a given situation.
OH dear.
She is now one happy pony--all soft and squoodgy--and that is wonderful. However we do have to figure out how to keep her happy while also keeping me safe.
That's Camilla. Always a challenge.
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Date: 2004-06-08 05:07 pm (UTC)And Camilla has a Leopard-print pad? I definitely have to meet this horse!
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Date: 2004-06-09 09:05 am (UTC)As for Camilla, oi.
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Date: 2004-06-10 12:50 am (UTC)She wanted me to get on her bareback today. I Don't Think So.
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Date: 2004-06-10 12:51 am (UTC)