Back on Track

Yesterday:

Today was like a confirmation to me that things are back on track, horse-wise. Greta's tendons are back to beautiful, I got in the last of all our registration and membership papers for whatever showing we do next year (USDF and SWANA) and it was just overall a lovely day (in the low 60s, warm enough I didn't need a jacket and definitely warm enough to not need a blanket).

I hand walked and trotted Greta around the indoor arena to warm her up, and she did wonderfully, no gimp, no swelling, nothing! She has been like this for the past two days, so I felt comfortable to let her do a bit more than walk and trot. Warmed-up, I turned her out into the round pen, which was thankfully dry.

Now, Greta has been very polite this entire time. So polite, in fact, that I was almost dragging her about the arena when we were walking and trotting. I would think that a horse that has been in for two days (but thank goodness there's no mud!) would be quite rambunctious and excited to be out and about. Nope. Not Greta.

I turned her out in the round pen, unclipped the lead rope, and shut the gate and watched from the edge. She walked to the center and back, and looked at me. I shrugged. She came up to me, as if to say "You're supposed to be in here. Making me do stuff. Right?"

I told her (because she can totally understand me) that she can romp around for a bit. She walked back into the pen a bit, turned and looked at me, and then proceeded to roll and nice hearty roll. She got up, shook herself off, and looked at me again. "You still not gonna make me do anything?"

Nope.

At this point she proceeded to kick loose, trot around the pen and whinny at the other horses, mockingly, before continuing on to little leap in the air and nice buck. I had my camera with me. It was just in my car. Why didn't I catch this moment of cuteness?

After bouncing around like a two-year-old on caffeine, she stood in the center, shook herself off, and cooly walked back up to me. "Okay, I'm done!"

I waited for a few seconds to see if she would do anything else, but she continued to stay with me by the gate. I took her, curried some of the dirt off her and picked out her hooves, and we grazed.

That felt wonderful for me and must have felt wonderful to her after those pathetic looks she gave me watching the other girls do lessons last night. At least I think she appreciates having a job. I've told her when she acts like it's just so hard to trot a twenty meter circle for the third time that it could be a lot worse: I could be making her do eventing. How's that for hard work, Miss Nibbs?



Today:

I rode her today, and yup, we are back on track!!! Our riding was atrocious (it's always been pretty atrocious, even for noobs) but she wasn't lame! I did shorten my stirrup holes by two, and my seat felt more secure and my aids more efficient. Also, the new half pad is awesome, now that I've finally had a chance to try it. $20, fleece (washable!), super soft and cushioning, on SmartPak. Go look at it.

I will work with Miss Greta again tomorrow and of course for the rest of next week (not Christmas. That would be just wrong. But she will get a special souper delicious bran mash.)

And 14 followers! That's almost 20! How exciting! I need to get some more interesting posts up!

Thanks, really. You guys have helped a lot in sharing ideas on this blog. Go you.