(no subject)

[quietann]

I rode Minnie for the first time in two months today. She was very, very good, much better than we were expecting her to be. I just walked her for 25 minutes; that's all she, and I, are allowed to do right now. At the start, she really wanted to trot, and I had to keep settling her. By the end, she was tired.

Unfortunately, it's pretty obvious that she's going to need Bute when she's ridden; her bad hock is only a little better after the joint injection :( She really needs to work, though, to stay happier and saner. Luckily, her bad hock will *not* get any worse if she's ridden lightly.

After I rode, I turned her out in a small paddock so I could watch goddessfarmer have her lesson on Skippy. Minnie got really nervous at first, and was talking to any horse she could see. She has been around no other horses for almost two months now; next week her companions the pigs go away, and she'll get her lovely Trumpie back to replace them, and we'll all get to go hacking.

Here's the pretty girl :



I love this shot!


On the other side of the slightly open window is a big gelding named Nick, and Minnie really wanted to get to him:


Silly girl:

Comments

[tempusxfugit.livejournal.com]

I love that last one. When I forget something in the tack room, I make the horses stand outside the door while I stretch across the room for it. Never fails.

[quietann.livejournal.com]

Joc was writing a check to her dressage instructor. Skippy's a pretty calm guy; almost nothing phases him.

[goddessfarmer.livejournal.com]

Thanks for posting! those are some great shots of Minnie.

[quietann.livejournal.com]

Minnie was having a "beauty queen" day :)

[deguspice.livejournal.com]

I need to go back and take a couple of pictures of the faded paint on the barn without horses in front of it.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

The girl's still got a lot of zip, huh? Love the Thoroughbreds. Love them.

[quietann.livejournal.com]

She's really athletic, and absolutely beautiful to watch at the canter/gallop. When we first turned her out she was running around because she was upset, but by the time Ben took the video, she was just doing it for the joy of it.

I like TBs a lot; I like their athleticism and forwardness. I just need them to be a bit calmer than average. Minnie is usually calmer, and also much more bombproof because she's been exposed to a lot of things. There is no way I'd take an OTTB right off, though... I am just not up for that kind of crazy at my age.

Next step is to re-teach her to stand still while being mounted. By August, I'd gotten as far as being able to get on her without someone holding her, and then doing a quick halt if she took a few steps just to get her listening to me. Friday, J had to hold her facing a wall, and let go of her pretty quickly, though I was safely in the saddle, and she didn't halt the first time I asked.