Not much horse activity the last couple days as I've been trying to clear out the massive stack of paperwork in my office. I took on way too many projects! But today is Saturday (Derby Day, no less) and while I did do some office work, I spent most of the day working in the garden and then played with horses. I rode Cowboy a little first to see how he's doing--a little stiff but much improved over the last few months. Then I ponied Dublin while riding Cowboy to see how that went. I've done that, but Dublin is getting a little more full of himself, and before I try ponying him on the trail, I want to make sure we're under control! We still have some work to do. Dublin seems to think he should be in the lead. Kind of surprising, considering his race track record. I had to get quite insistent with him that he stay submissively in the rear. Cowboy, as usual, was a prince, even when Dublin managed to get his rope stuck under Cowboy's tail. I do love my little brown horse! Wouldn't say he was happy about Dublin being in his space but he tolerated it. Dublin himself has a pretty big "bubble" but he doesn't seem to think anyone else should have one.
Cowboy was rewarded for his efforts by getting turned out on grass with Dexter, and Dublin and I continued on with groundwork. He is getting better about yielding his forequarters and I actually got him to sidestep over a pole. It took a long time and I wouldn't call it a linear process, but we did accomplish the task. Then we worked with the dreaded plastic bag on a stick. He's not terrible about it but is just edgy around it--keeps an ear cocked toward it and moves away from it. Finally I managed to touch him on the withers and even give him a little backrub with it. And then he was fine. I rubbed him all over with it, even down his legs.
Then it was saddling time. I followed Julia's suggestion and saddled from the right side--easier to manage the girths since you don't have to swing them over his back. He was fine about being rubbed all over with the pad, including over his ears and head, and down the tail, and didn't mind me swinging the saddle around him, but he did take exception when the saddle actually went on his back--he swung his head around and threatened to bite. That was a pretty common occurrence when he first arrived but he's largely given it up. So obviously something about this makes him uncomfortable. The saddle itself seems to fit well but he may have some lingering back issues, or he may just be a little claustrophobic about it.
I forgot my 22-foot rope so wasn't able to canter him online with the saddle--he's just too big to canter a circle around me on a 12-foot rope! He did some trotting, including over poles, and was fine with that. I'm starting to drive him from next to the saddle to get him used to receiving directions from that position. Hardest part is to keep him moving! I'm trying to get him to go forward when I cluck.
Tomorrow I need to remember that 22-foot line so I can give him a more thorough pre-ride checkup.
I was going to try to get Derby Day photos of both boys wearing roses and maybe hats, but it just took too darned long to try to figure out how to do it and I thought my time would have been better spent actually working with the horses. I'm sure they would have looked stunning, though, and I think they both deserve a blanket of roses.
My personal fitness program has made some stumbling progress. The yoga video and even the Pilates video have been put to some use. I'm trying to also watch how I sit, both at my desk and on the horse, to keep my spine aligned properly. I tend to lean forward and crane my neck, and not surprisingly, I've been getting some back and neck issues. It's easier to sit properly on the horse, to be honest, as I don't have the added challenge of trying to work with a white cat in my lap!
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