Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Bony pillow

Okay, I'm going to brag.

So apparently Greta finds it quite wonderful while I'm cleaning out her stall or picking up all the hay she scattered everywhere and putting it back in her built-in hay bin (once again, another reason I love this stable is that the hay rack is on the ground in such a way that is natural to the horse and no shavings get in it, super nice) or just simply snuggling in the stall (or wash rack, or grooming station, or the very rare arena standings) to simply put her head on my shoulder and fall asleep. She just... put her head up there.... like, all 15 or 20 pounds..... and dozes! Seriously dozes! As in, I can feel her do a little jerk to keep herself somewhat awake every few seconds, and I can feel her head slowly weigh down on my shoulder. I look up, and her eyes are almost closed, and of course I'm sure her lower lip is drooping ten thousand leagues below the sea.

I'm sure I make a pretty bony pillow, bless her.

Last night I went out to help with jumping lessons (among many other things) and Greta was watching me the entire time. It's only on lessons nights or anytime when it's busy. Because that usually means I'm talking to OTHER people (oh, the thought!) and not paying attention to her (oh, the horror!)

Ears perked up, eyes alert, one nostril picked up funkily in her "curious" gaze. What a ham.

And today, after we snuggled and she took a nap on my shoulder (I had to prop myself up against the stall wall to support myself, but what the heck.... she does enough for me around here) I had to leave of course, and as I was leaving the stall I saw her eyes go from that relaxed, normal look to having little worry wrinkles above them! Don't give me that look, now, hun!

I'm starting to notice and fully grasp all these little things about her personality on and off the saddle, and the worry wrinkles today just really touched me. She's snuggly but not in an obnoxious way, and just likes to keep her eye on me. I could go on and on :)





Also, I finally received the med-wide Wintec "gullet" (technically, it's more like the tree, but whatever) and switched that out with the medium gullet today. Once I figured it out, the gullet change system really was quite easy. I was able to do it pretty much by myself, with the help of a friend when I needed to line the screws up (but then we realized that I had to velcro lined up wrong, so this whole screw-lining-up ordeal wasn't necessary, oops!)

L took a looky-loo at it, and we believe this one is nice in that it gives her more shoulder movement, but I do need to check the sweat patterns over the course of this next week. We might have to move up to a wide gullet. I hope not, and the sweat patterns today didn't enforce that we needed to, but you never know!

But the Wintec Easy Change Gullet system = win! Who wouldn't rather spend $20 versus buying a whole new saddle?

This is all for you, Greters :)

3 comments:

  1. Cash used to get wrinkles on his withers when he got tense. I'd always watch for that - it was an early warning sign!

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  2. Wintecs are awesome. Sofie loves her Wintec! Well, not really, but she hates it less than a different saddle or me riding bareback. Ha.

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  3. It is such a beautiful thing when an animal looks at you and you know that they know that they belong to YOU. I am old enough to have had that experience a number of times, mostly with dogs, but also cats, pigs, birds, and even a snake. When they look at you and the wash of relaxation that you sense come over them. You inspire me to horses. I have never owned my own horse, I can't wait to experience half of what you have with Greta. The ball is rolling...

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