Brian and I have a real knack for utterly miscalculating the weather on the weekends and heading to the barn at precisely the wrong time. Today was no exception. We found ourselves with two mostly tacked up horses and a storm that rolled in and started dumping rain. We went inside and dawdled, hoping it… Read more »
Brian
A Step in the Right Direction
We got to the barn early again today, and although it didn’t cool off much in the night and it was pretty humid, there was a nice breeze that kept things from feeling too bad. I did some groundwork with Steen before mounting. I’ve been starting to teach him to side-pass from the ground, and… Read more »
Steen vs. The Floaty Thingies
It was pretty hot by the time we managed to get to the barn today, so we decided to tack up indoors to stay in the shade for a while. We also decided to park the boys right next to our tack locker because the barn was quiet and there is a spot to tie… Read more »
New Peeps
Today we had the day off! (Which is to say Brian had the day off and I chose not to work.) We also have some friends who have long been wanting to meet our horses, so we headed for the barn in the late morning to introduce everyone. Steen and Bear, and actually all the… Read more »
Good Sweat
Although groundwork used to be a regular part of what I did with Steen, in the last six months or so as he has mellowed significantly and his ground manners have become excellent, I have been pretty much skipping groundwork so I can ride more. I’ve also gotten pretty lazy with suppling exercises while mounted… Read more »
Slick Grass
I had a bit of trouble motivating to go to the barn this afternoon, but Brian wanted to go with or without me, and when it came down to it I couldn’t resist heading out with him. I was glad I went. The weather was perfect and Steen was happy to see me. He almost… Read more »
Dressage Day!
Today I met my friend Jean out at the barn. We hadn’t ridden together since Schooley had to be put down, but since Bear is pretty settled in now, it seemed high time to get her out for a ride on our two boys. Since Steen currently has no saddle that will fit him, she… Read more »
A Ride in the Sun
We had crazy winds here all morning but by late afternoon things had settled enough that we headed out to see how the boys were doing. Steen was a bit jumpy during tacking, but Bear was back in awesome mode. I gave Steen some chopped hay and we took our time grooming them in the… Read more »
Steen the Solid
We had threats of storms today but nothing materialized, so Brian and I headed out to the barn in the early afternoon. We found the horses a little more settled than yesterday, and were out riding on the strip before long. I was bareback and after Brian gave me a leg up Steen did something… Read more »
A Stirring in the Herd
While in general I am pleased that we are able to board our horses at a place that offers a large pasture and a small herd for the social and physical benefits this affords our horses, every now and then upheaval in the herd causes some issues. Today we found the boys in rather a… Read more »