This is what greeted me at the barn this morning – and it's not the first time. My mouthy mustang apparently wants to play "pick up sticks." We are going to have to keep the broom and manure forks somewhere else. But never fear; besides the milk jug hanging from the rafter in his stall, I bought Lance a Jolly Ball!
It was on sale, so I added it to the cart when I ordered Lance's stall plate from Dover Saddlery. Those SSG winter gloves and Kerrits Powerstretch full-seat breeches were on sale and might have found their way into my cart, too. The stall plate is still en route, but the rest arrived today. And you know what? My hands stayed warm for the first time during this cold snap! And while I'm not usually a fan of full-seat breeches, these are very comfortable, warm, and even have a cell-phone pocket on the thigh. Score!
Lance didn't get out yesterday and was self-combusting in his stall this frosty morning, so I was expecting airs above the ground this afternoon when I finally got a chance to exercise him. But other than the usual difficulty of keeping the rein out of his mouth while leading him around, he was a gentleman on the ground and under saddle. This in spite of the scary rams being out in their lot and my son "prowling" around in the foggy woods wielding a hatchet (what can I say; he's 11)! I praised Lance to high heaven for being so brave and steady, and have been smiling ever since. :-)
10 comments:
Sounds like great finds as Dover's!! Love looking at their catalog.
I love working horses with lots of distractions. Makes the show ring that much less scary for them. Good to hear you had a great ride!!
Try soaping the bit end of his reins heavilly with ivory soap. He won't like the taste and it won't hurt the leather. Did Rick pass along Horton's update to you the other day? He's being a good boy.
I've thought about getting Tang a Big Ball (she's a Big Girl, after all) - since she started playing with her winter water bucket. It has since been removed and I'm using her stock tank, but after I would fill it with buckets, she'd take a big drink and then dump it over and carry it around. She's not as mouthy as Lance, but has those tendencies - a ball sounds good.
Glad your boy is so good - that's a blessing!
Fun and interesting times ahead with Lance. I chuckled at the mental picture of your son prowling the foggy woods, hatchet in hand. All boys should be so lucky. :)
Yes, distractions are good for the horse, even if they are annoying for the rider. :-)
Hey, I'll have to try that! Thanks for the tip! No, Rick hasn't said anything; didn't know he'd talked to you. Glad Horton is still being good!
Lance is definitely using his Jolly Ball. Yesterday I had to retrieve it from outside the paddock fence, and this morning it was in his stall. :-)
I wish Brian would ride with me, but at least he's outside playing, not glued to some screen.
Hi Michelle,
I've been gone for a very long time but must say, I've very much enjoyed catching up on your story of Horton and LANCE! I'm so happy that you've found another dance partner. He's gorgeous!
It will be great fun to watch as the two of you develop and fine tune your relationship.
Congratulations and best of luck to you and Sir Lancelot!
NANCY! SOOO good to hear from you, woman! I have been worried about you!
Yes, I have been blessed both by the opportunities to train horses for others AND get my own beautiful boy home. I'm a happy girl. :-)
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