Two Lame Horses

English is on top in Laramie, WY

 Yes, sad but true.  Pico has been just slightly off, on and off, for a couple of weeks so we started him on glucosamine supplement (Sunny has been on that for months).  He seemed ok at the show last weekend.  Sunny was fine until the show last week when he hobbled for a few steps doing showmanship but them seemed to be fine when Alaina was riding.  Although he did try to do a jump like a trail pattern - stepping on the jump and breaking a jump standard.

Alaina's first lesson on Sister

I spent a few days in WY for work inspecting the pipeline and gave the horses a few days rest. Off to drill practice on Friday evening and Sunny was off. So, Alaina rode Sister for practice and Ivy worked Pico - he was a little off. We left Sunny home on Sat. and took Sister for Alaina and Ivy planned to work with Pico, but alas, he was worse so he got to eat hay at the trailer. Ivy got the chance to ride Ahab. Both girls worked on jumping and Ivy enjoyed riding a willing jumping horse (her smile was so big she made her cheeks sore). Alaina worked on canter using the little jumps as the transitions from trot to canter - Sister makes those very smoothly but wrings her tail and resists canter departs from cues. They made progress and Alaina really did a nice job.

Ivy riding Ahab - He LIKES to JUMP



In Splash news.... He has been learning about neck reining and western leverage bits. The first contact with the chin strap several weeks ago made him rear up but he is accepting the mild Tom Thumb. Dawn D gave me a western lesson in Alaina's western saddle on Friday morning. I had to wear HUGE western spurs and hold split reins in my left hand - and let go of my contact (read death grip). We worked on walk/trot, figure 8's, side passing and pivot/turns on forehand. Splash was doing better than I was.  But I didn't fall off.  I did get a blister on the inside of my knuckle from the split rein - very sad.







Call and Missy have NICE....

Thank goodness we got to have the Saturday Party Lesson at Patty's. Kathy B brought Missy for me to ride and get some western training. I used Alaina's saddle and Ivy's bridle with Rommel reins. Missy was very good for me and I even got to experience the the feel of a reining spin. I gathered all my courage and grabbed the saddle horn for our canter left lead.  Then I remembered you are supposed to neck rein to steer!  Ooops.  We tried again and stayed on the rail.  And let go of the horn.  Then we tried right lead.  Not Missy's good side, but we stayed on the rail and I didn't fall off.  We finished the lesson and went to lunch.  Yum.  The Party Lesson is an all day affair.

YaYa!