Comfort Zone Expanded!

Sunday when I woke up I thought I heard rain outside. Rain on a Sunday? So unfair! As it turned out, it wasn't rain at all but just some leaves skittering across the road, clicking like rain on the pavement. I was glad it wasn't raining, but leaves on the ground already?? Say it isn't so!!


By noontime I was back over at the barn to see how my brumby's hoof was doing. I figured I'd "help" Bill strengthen the hoof with more stuff, and then take Lilly out for another trail ride. Here is a picture of the hoofbuilder Bill has been using to rebuild and support Lilly's foot. It is tricky to apply because there are two components and they have to mix (via a special plastic mixing tip), and then it hardens so fast that you have to move quickly and expertly to get it on right. It's one of those things where the planets have to line up perfectly and the rising moon of gemini has to be in anti-retrograde motion for everything to set right. Bill is getting very good at it. Practice makes perfect. As it turned out, there wasn't very much of the hoofbuilder left so we worked with what we had and let Lilly go back to the pasture.

But a day without riding? Not exactly!

Who is that under my saddle??? Hey! It's Bella, the new Haflinger! Now, I'm sure you have noticed that out of all the horses at Bill's, I only ride my own. Lately, my husband has been putting pressure on me to try other horses to get more experience, a good idea that frightens me. But ever since Bill brought Bella home, I have been thinking about it. Today I decided to go for it. I wish I had a photo of the look on Lilly's face when she saw me taking Bella out of the pasture!

Bill said he'd come down into the ring so I should not be nervous. He told me to ride Bella with a loose rein, and ride just like I ride Lilly. She is much shorter than Lilly! But her neck is gargantuan!

Within a few minutes I wanted this horse to be mine. She has very good brakes, neck reins better than my own horse and has a zippy little pony trot! She was wonderful! (I thought I would like her!)

Now whaaaaaaat??? There I am on Freddie!!! What has come over me?????? Freddie has a few quirks which made me tentative to get on him. But with some encouragement from Bill, I put the pink tack on him and took a ride! I only walked on Freddie. Maybe next time I'll try a trot. When you dismount Freddie, you have to turn his head so he can see you getting down. He also does not like a lot of contact with his mouth. He's very calm and very good, he just isn't like climbing on Lilly. He's trickier.

That's CC. She was riding Glitter bareback. How I wish I could canter bareback like Christine and CC can! They sure make it look easy.

That's me with Freddie and CC with Glitter.

Here's another good album cover. The Bear River Girls Greatest Hits.

I got this particularly sweet snap of Bill and Freddie.

The clip below is when Bill got on Freddie and was reminding him how to back up. Looks pretty good to me!