riding log

[quietann]

Well, this is for 2 rides actually.

Tuesday I went up to ride Minnie with J. She was tired from being ridden the previous day. We planned to ride in the woods and J wanted me to try a very small jump (a fallen tree across the trail on a smooth uphill slope) that Minnie had handled very well the day before. But before we could get there, Minnie lost a shoe in some very sticky mud, so no jumping :( We did ride up into one of the fields where I got some practice with downward transitions. When we got back, J and I set up a temporary fence so Minnie and Trumpie could graze on the lawn. Happy horses! (They were also happy because I had apple slices for them. And I saved a few for J's little heifer who was tied to the apple tree. The heifer wouldn't take them from my hand, but she sniffed at them while I held them and then ate them when I dropped them on the ground. She's a cute little thing, but I prefer horses to cows.)

Later Tuesday I went to see roozle and helped her with shopping for a fancy dress for a family wedding. We found something lovely and green and deeply discounted at Lord and Taylor.

And then my life got very unhappy for a while with rat stuff, and work stuff.

But today was riding lesson day at Windrush. It's definitely time for sunscreen, as we are now riding in the outside ring. I had Guiness again and did much better with keeping off his mouth this week. The bugs were really bad, though, and even though he was wearing a fly net over his face and ears, he was still pretty bothered by them. Marge was very complimentary of my riding, and we got to chat a little about my previous experiences. She was surprised that I hadn't done Pony Club as a kid. Of course, if she thinks well of me, she didn't see that awful lesson I had on Judge in March. She doesn't know that I can get very frustrated with a horse, to the point of tears. I look nice on *willing* horses, and can handle a horse who's a little hot/fast, but a slow and stupid horse... not so great. OTOH I have a small dream of being able to be a "work rider" at Windrush someday, someone who just helps exercise the horses.

BTW Marge has a new puppy, an Australian Shepherd who's the most adorable little fluffball! One of the women who works at Windrush says that Marge is failing at being her usual stern self with the puppy; in just a few days it's progressed from sleeping in a crate to sleeping curled up around Marge's head!

Hippotherapy was fine; I led Skittles this week, with the same little boy as last week riding her. Skittles is a bit "goey" for therapeutic lessons, so I had a lot of work to do. It's hard sometimes for me to remember that I have to wait for the boy to give a cue to her (however ineffectively, as long as he gives it) before having Skittles follow it. It's actually not easy at all!

I also dropped off Minnie's application to be a Windrush therapy horse. I don't know if they'll take her, but I have my fingers crossed. She has a lot of good features but perhaps a few things that would make her less suitable.

Comments

[n5red.livejournal.com]

You don't do so great with slow and stupid. Ummm, like this is a surprise?

[quietann.livejournal.com]

well, there are people who feel much safer on a slow horse. And in absolute terms, one is actually safer on a slow horse because they tend not to do silly things like spook at quacking ducks (Minnie) or birds in the rafters (Guiness) or bicycles (Minnie and Skittles.) Or maybe it's just that a slow horse's spook might be a few sidling steps and some eyerolling, while a quick horse will *jump* sideways and maybe try to run away.

ohhhh.... you meant slow and stupid in general :) Actually, you might be surprised. At least with people, there's a range of abilities, and I'm very cognizant of needing to adapt my expectations to what someone is capable of.

Working with horses is different, because it's much more of a partnership. In a way, finding the right horse can be just as difficult as finding the right spouse.