Today was my first ride on Desire with her 4 Easyboot Gloves on. I lunged her walk, trot, canter in the arena, then rode her w/t/c in the arena. We headed outside the arena into the pasture itself and had some fun trotting and cantering up and down the hill with Blaze and the mini running behind us. I was a little wary how they would behave with us riding out amongst them for longer than the quick route from gate to gate we usually take. Blaze seemed quite into it and was trotting along behind us like I was ponying him. No shenanigans, though I was watching for them. I love watching Napoleon the mini run, its HILARIOUS. He is SO tiny, he has to be like 32" tops, but he gives 'er hell up the hill bucking and kicking and having a ball. Plus he is getting all hairy for winter and with his pig-esque markings and woolly fatness...he is just so ridiculous looking! The Gloves stayed on fine, though I know that wasn't much of a test of them. I figured I had to take one small test run from home before I ventured out-- and all seemed well. The gaiters are full of stickers from running around in the field..ugghhhh I am so sick of all the crazy thistles and prickers we have here. We HAVE to make sure we keep some money in our spring budget to get our pastures fully mowed by a big tractor or something. And sprayed.
After riding Desire I snagged Blaze out (so far no sign of his past tendency to run like hell from the halter when living in the big field) and went for a bareback ride. Just a couple miles out one of the dirt roads and back. I used the bareback pad this time and it was actually really perfect. Since Blaze has prominent withers and an uncomfortably pokey backbone the thick suede-ish seat of the pad was just enough to make it comfortable while still obviously bareback. Last time I rode with it I felt like it was harder to hold on with the pad on but this time it was nice and I did as much trotting as I could safely. Just on straightaways where I can easily stop him if a car comes, since I'm not a total ninja when bareback riding. Yet. This no saddle thing is turning into the thighmaster supreme workout. Posting Blaze's trot bareback for 2 miles makes me a hundred times more sore than riding a 30 mile endurance ride does!! I'm going to be walking crooked for four days after this morning's rides lol.
I got 3 heaped wheel barrow loads of manure and dead weeds out of the weaning paddock. That sounds bad, doesn't it? I clean it pretty regularly but the dead weeds were the majority of what I took out today. We sprayed and killed all the weeds in the two smaller paddocks and there's still some remnants of that to be scooped up and taken out. Luckily it heaps right onto the poo fork nicely and the paddock looks much better. Shhhh don't tell the horses but I'm separating them tomorrow.
I took a couple of photos. I think Desire is so pretty!
kitty loves to sleep on my western saddle
"say what? You want me to come close to that zappy fence?!"
You've been busy, 3 horses (with 2 to ride) is a lot of work! I love Desire, but I love white arabs. My first lesson horse and first actual horse were white (gray) arabs. I also think that saddle is really pretty, I love what they look like, and while I am happy and secure in my dressage-style, I keep my eye out for a western to have fun with.
ReplyDeleteAnd your kitty! Looks just like my SO's cat, Jack.
Oh, missed this comment somehow! Wandering around the layout of my blog and saw it come up so glad I caught it. Thanks, I think Desire is just a dolly. She makes some weird secret girly part of me want to dress her up like Barbie because she has such a nice head and mane and tail, lol. My first horse, though it really belonged to the old rancher next door, was a giant fat hay bellied couch of a gray Arab mare named Pretty Lady--she was amazing!! We used to race next to little airplanes taking off at the county airport, there was a big open stretch of dirt alongside the runway and we would haul ass. Someone wrote a letter to the editor of the local paper about some crazy girl racing airplanes LOL. Oh yep gray Arab mares are great. I had a little cremello mare that was an important part of my life. I guess my love affairs with horses have been with gray mares so far. But I do loovvee my little bay boy. My first gelding.
ReplyDeleteOh thanks, the saddle is actually a leather Abetta, which I never knew they did until I found this one. It belongs to a friend, though I don't know technically since we have swapped so much tack now its like stealing out of each other's closets lol. Its so LIGHT. You wouldn't believe it. Much lighter than my panel saddle. I really like it and its comfortable, the only thing is the stirrups suuckk. The twist that the western fender puts on the knee doesn't feel that great. I could put endurance stirrups on it which would probably help some.
That is one of our many cats, lol. We brought a couple and the lady we bought the place from left us 4, ahem. They are pretty much scarce barn cats though. That cat is Paws, he belonged to my husband before I even met him and boy is he a survivor. And loves him a good comfortable spot. Anything from a backpack to a saddle, if its soft, he is there.