"All my friends are horseback riders..."

Whoa, 5 followers! Eep! So exciting! I'm serious!

Today was a-mazing! Everything seems to have settled down in the pasture. Greta was all by herself munching on hay, but I didn't see any new wounds and she wasn't nervous. Just keeping to herself. Poor thing. She glanced over to me when she saw me walking up. I think she's having to make sure it's me all over again now that we're in a new spot. If I could've rode in the trailer with her on the way there yesterday, I totally would have, just she would see that I would actually be there at the other end!

Regardless, she was happy to see me (I'm flattered) and especailly the apple. She let me lead her - though her head was up and she was excited, but she wasn't out-of-control like yesterday - all the way up to the barn were our tack room and washrack/grooming area is. Lessons were already going on in the outdoor arena and the indoor arena, and a little girl on Peter the Great (one of the English lesson ponies, totally adorable and super sweet!!!) was having a private lesson in one of the round pens. I felt like the new kid at school, so I just walked by and tried to stay out of everyone's way. Greta thought that we were supposed to go right past the cross-ties and through the door, so I had to lead her around the barn and through the entrance again, and she walked right through, again. So I led her back around and made her stop-and-go through the barn until we reached the cross-ties. Thens he stood still. She was very excited, the big old turkey!

I groomed her off, put the new ointment on her boo-boos, and the barn manager came by. Very nice, said Hi to Greta and I, and went along. Tacking up went as usual, though it took a little bit longer since I still developing the "routine" now that where everything is located is different.

I took her into the round pen and she was vey good! Beautiful trot and canter. The dressage (well, really she does combined training, but she'll be the new dresage instructor to me. I will miss Joanne though) came over and said that she had never seen that horse around here before and I told her she was new, yada yada yada. She was very nice and very complimentary of Miss Greta and I apologized for her anxiousness (she was tossing her head all over the place!) and that is normally very calm and sweet. She totally understood - anyone who knows horses should!

She introduced me to her daughter, who was riding a gorgeous grey paint horse named Socks in the outdoor arena, and her daughter was super nice too. She talked me into riding with her and her friend, riding a flashy chestnut paint named Finale, to walk around the property and take a tour. She flagged down anyone she knew and introduced me and Greta to them. I felt very welcomed.

Rode around in the arena: Greta was much more anxious since this was a big arena! She wanted to go, go, go! Sock's rider and Finale's rider both understood. I met a very good rider (I'm not giving out names, so hence why everyone is a "rider") and her gorgeous black horse named Mithrandir (heehee LOTR name! Sweet!) and they were an amazing pair, though her flash noseband was way too low, but that's just me being picky. Honestly, all of the students and horses looked great. They were all bending at the poll, no third-vertebrae crooked over. That says good things about the instructor to me.

We cooled down in the round pen so we could keep out of everyone's way in the arena (it was noticeably cooler out there, even though the day had progressed....) and I got off and talked some more with the instructor and then Finale's rider. I will be going to watch a lesson Thursday night! Yay!

I cooled down Greta (though she only broke a sweat under her saddle pad even after almost two hours of riding) and hosed her off and brushed her teeth and put some more ointment on her ouchies. I just now realized I forgot her liniment gel. Shame on me! Regardless....

I took Greta out and led her to the water and she chug-a-lugged down (had to pull her away after a while, didn't want her to get sick!) and then I let her go. She was a happy girl and went back over to eat her hay. We cuddled and I gave her a kiss and then I was off. I'm going back out tonight to see how feeding goes. She needs to eat: she only was able to sneak in a quarter of a scoop this morning! She got three apples today, if that helps any!

But all in all, I adore this new facility. Nothing short of wonderful.