Bah humbug!

Okay, now the weather is seriously messing with my plans. If the forecast for snow continuing through Wednesday and Thursday is correct, I won't be hauling Horton down the hill for our first lesson this week. :-/

My son thinks the snow is GREAT.

Horton think my son is SCARY.

I think the timing of all this STINKS!

Wait-a-minute weather

The weather forecast this week is rather abysmal for outdoor riding, but there's always a chance for a break in the weather to coincide with a break in my schedule – and when they occur I know I have to act!

This morning while I did chores it was raining, but by the time I finished a pale winter sun was peeking through the clouds. I threw the lunging surcingle and bridle on Horton and hurried to the Land of Many Lakes, otherwise known as our puddle-filled little outdoor sand arena, to exercise the boy. Before long the clouds closed up and soon Horton was adorned (quite festively, I might add) with teeny little snowballs with a name that auto-spell-check won't let me type – which changed to cold raindrops. By the time I finished with our short lungeing session, we were both quite wet.

Today's notes:
1) No poop.
2) No evasive movement during back lift rump tucks.
3) No mysterious "goosing" incidents.

The clinician I've used for Russell and Larry is in town for the holidays, so I'm setting up three dates with her – two for Horton and me, one for Horton and his owner. After the last ride, I plan to haul Horton back to Sylvia's barn. Then I'll be off to Lincoln City to pick up my Lancelot!

May both Sylvia and I be blessed with long, happy, safe and sound relationships with our respective dancing partners. Amen.

Same song, second Sunday

Today it is RAW outside for NW Oregon – cold, wet, windy. Yesterday there were snowflakes among the raindrops! But it was a "must exercise Horton" day since he got Friday and Saturday off, so I lunged him in surcingle and sidereins.

I should have ridden him Friday; it was mostly dry that day and would have followed on the heels of a good ride on Thursday. But after reading something cryptic about Connecticut on someone's blog, I turned to the news, which left me stunned and stumbling through my indoor to-do list while watching updates on TV.

Anyway, back to today. I wondered if Horton might be a little stiff or sore, because I'm pretty sure he got cast in his stall Friday night. Rick heard banging in the barn in the wee hours and went down to check it out. He didn't find anything amiss then, but the next morning while picking stalls I noticed packed bedding right next to one of Horton's stall walls, vertical scrapes on the upper half of that wall – and boards loosened at the end. And normally neat Horton had wet bedding across the top of his back (although no scrapes or swellings). But he moved out fine and worked normally for me . . . to the left. When I asked for canter to the right, he acted once again like something goosed or bit him, tucking his tail and rump, kicking out with his right hind, and bucking as is to rid himself of something. Once he stumbled badly in the hind end doing this and I thought he was going to fall, but he caught himself. Eventually he worked out of whatever it is that bothered him, but I'd sure like to know what it is!

Back in his stall, I tickled his tummy and got a good back lift. But when I asked him to tuck his rump, he did it while stepping sideways to avoid more of the same. He also pooped once while I was getting him ready today. Filing it all away as part of the puzzle....

Today's haul

Tummy and rump tickles still effective. Because I had limited time, I just got on and rode this morning. Horton was a little sticky trotting left, never getting consistently soft and forward, so I didn't ask for canter. Reinbacks are definitely straighter. And Horton gave me another piece of the puzzle. Actually he gave it to me yesterday as well, but confirmed it today.

Horton is a pooper. I think he has pooped every single time I have worked with him, sometimes two or three times – while I'm grooming or tacking him up, while I'm leading him out to the arena, while I'm working him on the lunge line or under saddle. Yesterday he didn't poop once while I was around. I thought maybe it was a fluke; maybe he had pooped just before I started grooming him. But he didn't poop again today, so this is definitely something the hunter-gatherer in me noted. I think it indicates that he's not stressing as much over – what? anticipated discomfort? At any rate, I think it's positive.

Off to Lincoln City to walk Lance!

Hunter-gatherer

That's what I am; always hunting for clues and gathering information on Horton, trying to figure out what makes him tick/tock/balk. Each bit of data adds to the picture, even if it isn't readily apparent how.

Today's pieces of Horton's puzzle:

1) I tried the "butt tickle" (see yesterday's comments) for the first time since his injections. He tucked his rump, lifted his back – and DIDN'T sashay side to side to avoid a repeat tickle! Tummy tickles were still effective, too.

2) He was very mellow – almost lazy – on the lunge line. He might have worn himself out good yesterday. Or . . . maybe he's sore from using his muscles differently now that he's not falling to the left. Or both.

3) Everything was normal when he was tracking left on the lunge line. But going right at the canter, he repeated a weird little behavior from yesterday. All of a sudden he would clamp his tail and tuck his rump – looking for all the world like someone just goosed him, and he was not at all happy about it! Yesterday he bucked sometimes when this happened; today he just looked on the verge of bucking. I checked his tail both yesterday and today to make sure nothing was caught in it; nada.

4) He continues to carry himself ever straighter on the circle under saddle, and shoulder-in on the circle and down the long side of the arena seemed easier for him than in the past.

5) I contemplated not cantering him to the right under saddle because of #3, but things progressed well and I ended up getting nice canter work both directions. He did pick up the counter canter the first time I asked for the right lead, though – and wasn't inclined to come back to the trot.

6) Oh, and he's backing straighter now, too!