In Which I Do Morning
Jul. 27th, 2004 10:53 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dancinghorseI do not Do mornings. Despite having horses and therefore being up at what used to be a highly uncivilized hour, the best I can manage before 10 a.m. is a sort of growly half-consciousness. Which is why I do my horse chores (feeding, cleaning, whatever else needs to be done) in the morning, and generally prefer to ride in the late afternoon and into the evening.
However. This is Southern Arizona in the summer. Which means not only a whole lot of heat after about 9 a.m., but also, these days, a whole lot of thunderboomers from about 3 p.m. onward. Not exactly conducive to riding a large, steel-shod animal in an open arena.
So, in summer, I suffer. I get up, feed, clean corrals, then ride somebody. But this morning I did one better. I got up and rode before horse breakfast--which means 6 a.m. Totally unnatural and a bit cruel-and-unusual for me (especially considering that last night we had a major, and I mean Major, electrical storm after 11 p.m., and sleep was not a factor), but I have not been able to ride da Pook for two weeks because every time I try, the storms roar in and the lightning walks and it's not such a good idea. He's the hard one because (since he's the stallion, and everybody else is either Gelding Who Must Be Ripped To Bloody Shreds or !!!MARES!!!) he needs the arena completely clear, and the arena is also the turnout area. The others I can ride in among the crowd, but to ride Pook, I have to stow the rest of the herd well out of the way. That is a hassle, and best done in the evening, when I can feed the gang, then ride Pooka.
Last night, as I said, we had a lot of lightning. A Lot. It was like being inside one of those electrical thingies you see in science museums, the name of which totally escapes my tired brain. The cats were in hiding, it was so bad. You know that one-minute time exposure of Kitt Peak totally surrounded by lightning? Like that. I didn't get a lot of sleep. But I was still awake before 6, so grabbed the saddle and trundled down to the barn.
Da Pook was surprised. We ride after breakfast, in lessons (with Teacher and all), or we ride in the evening, after we've had some dinner but before we get our grain. That's the way it is, Mom. But he was delighted to get a ride, and he got some breakfast so that was good. There was an Interlude during the saddling up when the neighbor turned her horse out in her own arena and started running him around, causing the Girlz to have some fun blasting around in the paddock, but he settled down and we got the saddle on.
Pooka in the mornings is on a hormone high--that's when he's at his liveliest. Part of it is that it's cooler then, but part of it is his daily rhythm. So we had an Interesting warmup--free longe devoted to getting his attention off the side of the arena where the !!!MARES!!! were, then working on his opinion of wearing a saddle at that hour of the morning (badword badword buck Buck BUCK!). He got that out of his system, then was Mr. Perfect.
It was a bit too wet to do work above a walk--with Capria or keed I'd have tried some trot, but Pook is still worried enough about his balance that it would not have been a good idea. So we did walk work, and he was nice and quiet and relaxed. And that was pretty good for two weeks without a ride, as well as a break in routine.
Then on to the regular morning drill, including a trail ride for keed, who was delighted. Also, a bit wired, especially when the local trash-collection truck came rattling through and a couple of kids started running rapidly down a driveway, dragging a lot of very odd-looking cans and bags. Keed had definite thoughts of piaffe, and was trying some half-steps. But he didn't go bananas and he settled down eventually. (Ayrab side Up!)
Now I get to see if I can function for the rest of the day, with that much activity at the start of it. I'm actually feeling sort of fictionally functional, which is pretty good after a week away. And if tonight doesn't feature yet another round of boomers, Capria will get a ride. And Camilla may get walkies. She's feeling Abused And Neglected, even if I did lie over her back last night just for fun. (She approved of that.)
However. This is Southern Arizona in the summer. Which means not only a whole lot of heat after about 9 a.m., but also, these days, a whole lot of thunderboomers from about 3 p.m. onward. Not exactly conducive to riding a large, steel-shod animal in an open arena.
So, in summer, I suffer. I get up, feed, clean corrals, then ride somebody. But this morning I did one better. I got up and rode before horse breakfast--which means 6 a.m. Totally unnatural and a bit cruel-and-unusual for me (especially considering that last night we had a major, and I mean Major, electrical storm after 11 p.m., and sleep was not a factor), but I have not been able to ride da Pook for two weeks because every time I try, the storms roar in and the lightning walks and it's not such a good idea. He's the hard one because (since he's the stallion, and everybody else is either Gelding Who Must Be Ripped To Bloody Shreds or !!!MARES!!!) he needs the arena completely clear, and the arena is also the turnout area. The others I can ride in among the crowd, but to ride Pook, I have to stow the rest of the herd well out of the way. That is a hassle, and best done in the evening, when I can feed the gang, then ride Pooka.
Last night, as I said, we had a lot of lightning. A Lot. It was like being inside one of those electrical thingies you see in science museums, the name of which totally escapes my tired brain. The cats were in hiding, it was so bad. You know that one-minute time exposure of Kitt Peak totally surrounded by lightning? Like that. I didn't get a lot of sleep. But I was still awake before 6, so grabbed the saddle and trundled down to the barn.
Da Pook was surprised. We ride after breakfast, in lessons (with Teacher and all), or we ride in the evening, after we've had some dinner but before we get our grain. That's the way it is, Mom. But he was delighted to get a ride, and he got some breakfast so that was good. There was an Interlude during the saddling up when the neighbor turned her horse out in her own arena and started running him around, causing the Girlz to have some fun blasting around in the paddock, but he settled down and we got the saddle on.
Pooka in the mornings is on a hormone high--that's when he's at his liveliest. Part of it is that it's cooler then, but part of it is his daily rhythm. So we had an Interesting warmup--free longe devoted to getting his attention off the side of the arena where the !!!MARES!!! were, then working on his opinion of wearing a saddle at that hour of the morning (badword badword buck Buck BUCK!). He got that out of his system, then was Mr. Perfect.
It was a bit too wet to do work above a walk--with Capria or keed I'd have tried some trot, but Pook is still worried enough about his balance that it would not have been a good idea. So we did walk work, and he was nice and quiet and relaxed. And that was pretty good for two weeks without a ride, as well as a break in routine.
Then on to the regular morning drill, including a trail ride for keed, who was delighted. Also, a bit wired, especially when the local trash-collection truck came rattling through and a couple of kids started running rapidly down a driveway, dragging a lot of very odd-looking cans and bags. Keed had definite thoughts of piaffe, and was trying some half-steps. But he didn't go bananas and he settled down eventually. (Ayrab side Up!)
Now I get to see if I can function for the rest of the day, with that much activity at the start of it. I'm actually feeling sort of fictionally functional, which is pretty good after a week away. And if tonight doesn't feature yet another round of boomers, Capria will get a ride. And Camilla may get walkies. She's feeling Abused And Neglected, even if I did lie over her back last night just for fun. (She approved of that.)
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no subject
Date: 2004-07-27 01:34 pm (UTC)---L.
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Date: 2004-07-27 05:13 pm (UTC)I saw the city getting hammered. It's unusual for us to get storms from that direction--usually they hit us first, then you.
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Date: 2004-07-27 06:09 pm (UTC)I know about Arab-side Up!
Date: 2004-07-27 09:41 pm (UTC)Left for town yesterday, rolled the window down to say I wouldn't be late to the gang, and had the shock of seeing 3 greys (for the first time). Bay-bee is gooooone. What's left is a delightful girl with hair like down that looks like a horse for the first time.
http://www.photo.lynnesite.com/gallery/176112 to see the Andalusian stallion I shot on Sunday, quite the boy. Has a bond with his person like you with da Pook.
no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 11:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-07-28 08:49 pm (UTC)It's often useful, but this getting up at 5am while on vacation is the pits...
The spell checker is on the fritz, hope this is close....