Mud is Beautiful

Today was another beautiful spring day, just perfect for getting the horses out and heading off down the road. The trails in the woods are still quite slippery, but the road is just fine. Even warmer than yesterday, today was what every horseperson dreams of: big blue sky, warm temps, and a weekend day--so no office to hustle off to. I have posted a few pictures. You can see that it is quite muddy.

Before heading down the road, Lilly and I started our day in the ring. I set up a few cones to practice weaving in between them. I also made a makeshift round pen by placing some tiny orange poles on the ground. These are not so much to work inside of (because there is no real "inside") but rather to provide a circle to trot around and practice neck reining. Let's just say it was VERY makeshift. In any event, these kinds of tools are important because down in the ring, Lilly can get a little stubborn. She only wants to walk, and at a snail's pace. Yes, a horse moving as slowly as a snail is a slow horse indeed. She will pin her ears a bit when I ask her to trot, and then can act irritated when I ask her to canter. I am torn between showing her I am IN CHARGE and not wanting to make her angry. Letting the horse know that I am calling the shots when I am on her back is essential. The more I can get Lilly to move around to the beat of my drum and not hers, the more she will perceive me as the leader. The more she sees me as the leader, the more respectful and safe she will be. Besides, nobody likes a brat. Even a very cute brat.
This picture is of Bill (on Ruby) and Christine (on Qtee) in front of me on the road.




This is view from up top! It's the best view in the world!



This is me with one of Bill's horses, Ruby. She seemed particularly interested in the camera. Perhaps she thought it was a cookie.

Here's Lilly peering over Elvis's back.