I snapped 2 quick pics last night before my camera ran out of battery.

Cook was frisky last night!

Cook and Miss in the pasture. They look like twins here.

Richard was in a tourney this past weekend and his friend snapped this cool picture of him. I really wish I could set Rich up with a perfect girl for him. Sigh. Everyone I like has issues - either too young or too married or not located here. Double Sigh.

Nothing interesting to really blog. All the blogs have slowed down, and traffic has died down here. I know family members check in every once in a while and a few friends out of town. It’s just slow here.

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On saturday, I had a lesson on Miss with Mere. Lesson was productive, felt accomplished. Miss was …hmm.. B-. Because of the heat, she had had four days off… so she was a little fresh. I’m trying to figure out how to say this next part…. Mere said I have improved greatly on fixing things faster. Basically I don’t let Missy get by like I used to. Part of it is that I am stronger and more knowledgeable, but also I am more confident in my relationship with Miss. Mere also hopped on the Miss, which I love. One, I like seeing her ride. It helps me pick up on subtle techniques of her riding. and two… she feels my pain. The good part about Mere… she never downplays, or under-estimates what I am going through. She ALWAYS gives me credit for doing the best I can do on whatever ride I’m on. She listens. When I say I’m tired, I’m done, I want to go again, She’s leaning on me, I’m afraid, I’m hurt… whatever. Actually our relationship is so close now, she reads me really well without me saying. She actually switched with me cause we still had more work to do with Miss, but she could tell I was getting too fatigued to be effective.

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Went to the new barn and hopped On Elvis. We played lead pony for her to do some work with Ella. Ella is a good good little pony just getting started. I absolutely LOVE doing the ‘lead pony’ stuff. Elvis is almost as good as Cook. (almost). He would never kick and he’s easy to slow down and sped up without changing ur gait. I say ‘almost’ ’cause cook is just so natural to me to steer and change gears that I don’t really have to pay attention to what she is doing underneath me. I can turn around and watch behind me :-)

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I rode today, even though Mondays are my usual day off. The rest of the week is gonna be so hot again, that I don’t want to give them days off when it’s “cooler” … “cooler” being under 100. We don’t have any showing planned until September so this week I am making a concerted effort to just sit to walk trot work and let them have a mental break, especially Miss. I feel like I am really hard on her, wanting and expecting progress and engaged, active effort each time we go out. I want her to have a few days of just trotting around, on the buckle, all over, no steering exercise.

“We’ve had enough drama to write a novel”

-remix to last night by diddy and cole.

Ha! 

Man, is it hot!!!

It’s 99 today with a heat index of 105. 

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I did ride Miss today and she was way good.  I’m trying some different things with Miss… really trying to analyze what our problems are and how we can fix them.  Miss has auto-changes but I think that is part of our problem right now.  She takes over and decides what we are doing.  So right now, I am taking away her decision to change.  I am not letting her do any flying changes.  (and even if you *think* YOU’RE asking… she still thinks she’s in charge).  So if she lands on the wrong lead, I am breaking her down and making her do simple changes. 

It’s been much much much better.  I need Miss to trust me and listen and respect me at ALL times. 

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Cook is doing well.  I appreciate everyone’s well wishes.  She had a mild case of (prolly) gas (or Spasmodic) colic.   She is worm-ed on the most regular schedule, and her schedule is the most routine of any horse I know.  There have been no changes in hay or feed.  It was just a tummy gas ache.  The vet asked if she was stressed and I told her that she has the easiest life she has had since I have had her - no showing, she loves her pasture mate, Miss, gets walk-trotted 2-3 times a week, in the same pasture every day…  shes’ completely stress free!  The only way I could make her any less stressed is if I quit my job and patted her back all day.

Which she would prolly vote for, but I can’t do!  Get a life, Cook! 

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The only one who has been stressed is me.  :-)  This is the fourth day I have been living at the barn 3-4 times a day.  I go out at 730 before work to check on her, I go right after work to check on her, and then I go out at dark to give her a final dose of meds and check on her.  My barnmate Sue checks on her at lunch. 

And this is Monday and Tuesday!  Over the weekend was even more hell.  On Saturday, I was out there with the vet for hours, then had to go back 10 times, to walk her every hour until she passed poop.   Then on Sunday, went out there 4-5 times to check on her and make sure she was definitely ok.

I need a shift off from the barn but I can’t bring myself to do it just yet.  Cook means everything to me and I HAVE to make sure she is ok.  It does me no good to NOT check on her and then just be worried about her all the time.  I’m just grateful that I live down the street now. 

What songs get you motivated?…

even if they are cheesy?

What a feeling (flashdance)

One moment in Time

Break away

Don’t stop believin’

(Don’t say R kelly’s I believe I can fly… that song gets on my nerves)

cross ur fingers folks!  I cantered Cook yesterday!  She was sound.  I didn’t push her very far - just about half way around the ring - both leads. 

awesome!

Please God…. give me back my pony. 

It’s so ridiculously hot this week.  I have been waiting until 7/730 to ride when it’s cooler. 

So tonight I rode Miss with Patty and Rachel.  She was ok.  I give it about a C+ ride.  She had 2 days off so she was a little rearing to go…. but what was really annoying was her spookiness.  There was a tarp on the outside of the ring …. which made her want to not canter on the rail in one part of the ring.  The annoying part was her absolutely shying (mid- canter) away from the part… almost a mini bolt, where I am having to really hold on.  Well, Miss is stubborn but I’m even more stubborn that she is.  I was determined to make her sanely canter next to it, regardless of her personal feelings about it.  So I was nice … walked past it, made her look at it, made her stand there, blah blah, blah. 

It took about 3 canter tries and me really growling / being mean to get her to listen.  Once she stopped the spooking, I made her canter that path 3-4 times.  I really had to hold her together to stop her from bowing out, but at least she was listening to my cues, instead of making her own agenda. 

By the time we were done, I had soaked through my shirt. 

Man, she can wear you out.