Catching Up

[dancinghorse]

Hmmm, seems to be back and up to speed.  I feel for the poor Geek Gods in their awful ice storm, having to deal with total meltdown.  With, I'm sure, mondo screaming from cut-off customers.

Anyway.  Life is getting back to (ab)normal here.  I've been taking lots of naps and getting more sleep than usual.  Had to make one run to town--the manure fork literally fell apart, which was a minor emergency--but otherwise I've been holed up, recovering.  I was very pleased on Friday to go out with intent to longe Capria and ride ze keed, and end up longeing Camilla and taking da Pook for walkies as well. 

Camilla asked for her longe.  I haven't done much of it with her because she's  not-forward and a huge mover, and for a horse like that, work on a 20m circle is not just difficult, it can be impossible.  They feel all cramped and shut in and they can't move.  For them, a better option is ground-driving, work using the whole arena, and walkies and work outside the arena.

However she wanted a longe, went on a pretty decent circle, didn't fall in too badly, and best of all, when she got confused, squirted forward instead of stopping or backing up.  A forward reflex!  Hallelujah!  She was praised lavishly for that.

So I'm considering trying to longe her once a week or so, if she'll do it, because it's very helpful for building strength for ridden work.  It's also good for developing rhythm and relaxation, and if you add sidereins, can help the horse learn to take a contact  (though she might find sidereins too constricting).  I'll try it, anyway, and see what she thinks.  It's all about what she thinks--and convincing her she wants to do the things I want her to do.  She's quite cheerful and her eyes and ears are soft, so she's not mad at the world.

Today I ring-rode Capria, did a little lesson homework, then decided to take her out instead.  It was lovely out, 65Fand perfectly clear.  I threw the halter on keed, who was Hinting Broadly about going Out, and we headed on out.  Keed was a bit draggy, and Capria was lively, which made life interesting, but it was a beautiful day for a ride.  We even met someone else ponying out, though both of those horses were in full Western gear.  Keed is daring, he goes out naked except for his halter.

I heard from June in WA this afternoon--Pandora has left Goldendale and is on her way down.  The roads must be clear;  she's coming down  the Columbia Gorge through Portland, I think, and down the coast, though it's also possible the shipper is taking an inland route.  She should be here sometime on Monday.  Her owner has arrived  in Arizona and got to Benson on Friday, so can be here to welcome her new Lipizzan.  Pan will board with me while Sue looks for a farm to buy, somewhere probably between Benson and Willcox.

The weather here has shifted to Chamber of Commerce mode: it's supposed to get well up in the 70s (low 40s at night) and be beautiful.  It's a nice break from all the cold.  In fact  I'd better use the time to clean the horse blankets, they're disgusting.  Yick.

And it's getting toward time to get the books back on track.  I'm noodling with Song of  Unmaking while I wait for the editor's revision letter, polishing here and there, but in the next week or so, I need to get going with a new novel in a new series for Tor.  It's been germinating for a year and more, now it's about ready for its writing blitz.