mild times

I'm writing before my busy busy week begins. I'm going to have 5 horses a day to work with, 4 ridden, one on the longe, as well as turnouts, bringing in from far fields and general cleaning and barn chores. Normal life :)

I have Chelsea to ride western, practicing patterns and lateral movements for my FEQ Western rider qualification. I have Tatoum working on lateral movements and starting flying changes, Mae is coming back into work just walking with a few steps of gait, Bond is coming back into work before he leaves in the next month, Stormy is still working on her canter and accepting a bit without putting her tongue over it, although I'm not her main rider right now, I am working with her trainer on the ground. Amber is working through a shoulder injury and is longed every day for 20 minutes at walk and trot. Grace is entering her 6th month of pregnancy and is working on gentle fitness. So it's a full, varied schedule. Oh yes, and I ride the stallion and Dee Dee once or twice in the week if necessary.

We received good news today that we're going to exhibit at Quebec's version of Equine Affaire, Salon du Cheval, I think. We'll likely take 3 horses, ride one English, one Western and one bareback or general trail and do obstacles and such with that and all of them.

I've already ridden Tatoum bareback, although she isn't a rocky mountain, so when Mae is a little fitter, I am going to have a sit on her bareback and try her out with handy things like gate opening, and small mazes. She - and all of them - are already used to bridges and hopping over small obstacles.

I think the boss wants the horses to be versatile and tolerant of most things, so the next thing will be to do this with the already used-to-it horses, Mae, Grace and Dee the stallion, and then try it with Ella.

I did all this with Frankie when he was young and think it's best if horses can be ridden bareback, in a halter, whatever. I did it because I was a kid and it was useful to be able to ride and lead down to the field which was a good walk away!