Spring and Sprenger

 If I have learned one thing so far in my multi-horse life and household, it's that no matter how many horses you've ridden or how generally reasonable your current horse is, you are never done experimenting with training strategies and tack. Each individual horse presents it's unique physical and mental challenges, and rising to and taking on those challenges is what truly cements the horse and rider bond in my opinion. I can't pinpoint when or what exactly changed in my brain, but in the last 5 years I have come to see and understand horses in a much deeper way, though I have ridden and been around them since I was 5 years old and owned one or more since I was 14. I am totally enamored with the beasts in their physical form, and in the mental and spiritual forms they take in my life and heart. I have moved to new places because of them, lost a significant amount of weight to be better for them, and run and ridden farther and longer than ever before, purely for the joy of being with them throughout.

Scrap today, rocking the Sprenger bit

Riding my goofily spooking Rushcreek through our gorgeous springtime neighborhood today I was just so incredibly grateful for this gorgeous place and these amazing horses I am lucky enough to call my own. And--I was experimenting, because remember, we're never done with that! Said goofy Rushcreek opened up a new level of spunk at the start of Nevada Derby a week ago, and I quickly realized that the very real stopping power of the mechanical hack I was using was not at all going to help in collection or correct performance when his brain was gone, but instead was stopping forward motion only to cause *upward* motion. Yes, my charming gelding reared, and I was once again reminded that ride starts are exciting, even on the coolest customers.

Today's effort then, was to stretch his legs after a week's rest from the 50 and because I will be gone for the coming week as well. I rigged Blaze's Herm Sprenger Dynamic 3 piece snaffle bit onto Scrappy's simple strip-o-beta headstall, figured out where in his amazingly deep mouth the thing was supposed to sit, and away we went! 

There was a LOT to stare at and snort about, and Scrappy pranced and acted a fool a little so I could really test how he handled in the bit. Thanks bud! ;-)

'hood horses!

'hood bush noises!

 'hood cows!

 lots of gorgeous flowers out right now

 <3 love where I live <3

 marching back up the driveway through the auto gate to the dog greeting committee

 Scrappy watched his mash soak eagerly while I gave him a warm bath AND, and, and--I washed his tail with blueing shampoo! For perhaps the first time since I've owned him, *ahem*  Aww, so purty, for at least 2 minutes. Yeah, he isn't this color anymore already..

 getting all grown up and fit looking, I must say!  :D