It rained all night Monday and the forecasters were calling for more rain all Tuesday. I got to the barn by 7:15 and saw some clear skies so I tacked up Pie. Here he is looking at the wet tennis court as we head out on our ride.
We rode for 53 minutes. Recently, I've added in more trotting and cantering. I think Pie's belly is coming up and his cresty neck is starting to return to proper dimensions. Mostly, our program is made up of long walks.
Pie is good-natured about everything lately. Foggy has wiggled himself like a sandwich filling into a middle place in the pecking order. Foggy still listens to Sovereign, but he plays his way out of any altercation with Pie. Therefore, Pie is not truly above Foggy. They share that role and because of it, Pie isn't as bossy to Sovey. Sovereign is above Foggy and below Pie, but the lines are blurred now and the three seem very comfortable and happy together.
I opened the noseband on the bitless bridle and Pie gobbled apples after our ride. Click the photo for the sound effects and hilarious monster gobbling noises that he makes. I have never witnessed a horse eating apples in such a way. He creates an applesauce-y sloppy mess that flies everywhere when he moves about or bites at flies. Hysterical!
I groomed and rode Foggy next. It rained on us a little, but not too bad. Sovereign was last. He is a bugger, completely aware that the low branches are full of water. He runs me under them and we both get drenched. I can't tell if he is doing it to be annoying to me or to get wet himself because he loves water. Probably the latter since I don't think horses are vindictive. At least other horses. Sovey, hmmm, well, I don't know about him. We walk along so nice and then he wheels around to the side and ducks under a low branch and I get all the leaves and water full in the face!
Rainy and wet again today. It is September - last year's record rainfall month.
I just walked Maizie to the bus stop. She told me that she can tell that she is maturing because the Yankees lost again last night to Tampa Bay and she is still able to smile today. Oh, to be so young!
I just walked Maizie to the bus stop. She told me that she can tell that she is maturing because the Yankees lost again last night to Tampa Bay and she is still able to smile today. Oh, to be so young!
Isn't it funny how they manage to get you nice and wet under the branches. I think they may do it to get bugs off their heads, and yes, I too don't think they are vindictive.
ReplyDeleteLove the appley-slurpy-crunchy sounds! Best reason to use a bitless bridle, right?
What kind of saddle do you have? Since mine seems to be a bit wide for Harley, I'm on the lookout. But so many have big bulky kneerolls. Yours looks similar to mine--very flat and close contact.
How's them apples Pie?
ReplyDeleteThem's lip smackin' good!!!
:D
I'm so impressed that you can fit in three rides in a day!!!
ReplyDeleteImel - My saddle is an original (made in England, not Switzerland or Argentina) Crump Prix de Saute. It is a 16" which fit me perfectly when I was a junior rider (long before Maizie!) - I should probably have a 17" now but I feel good in it and there is no judge on our property! I love my saddle and have had little success in any other.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing about saddle fit in horses is that a good fit for the horse is actually dependent upon the intensity of what you are asking them to do. My Foggy can go on a short, 30 minute ride with my saddle, but his withers and back muscles are not developed for anything longer than 30 minutes. I ride longer most days (45 min - 1 hour, but I ride him bareback). There isn't a saddle made in the world that would save him from soreness if I didn't get him muscled and used to the saddle in tiny increasing time increments. It is kind of like finding the right shoes for us. You can rarely just buy the perfect shoes and walk in them for many hours without blisters. My Foggy has to be bareback because I don't have time to work on getting him fit and ease him into long rides slowly with my saddle. So my perfect Crump Prix de Saute rarely is on him.
C,F,S - Pie says, "You so funny!"
Kristen - Three horsey rides and not much else in a day! Too tired!