Look, there I am on Bella! This picture was taken yesterday. I took a few days off of work this week, mostly to hang out with Lilly and get some christmas shopping in. So I went over to the barn in the AM. Bella is up in the near pasture and I have been wanting to get on her. I just love her. I love her Haflingerness. Riding her around as she speedily trots hither and yon is like riding an industrious little gnome. I know she's as strong, or stronger, than Lilly, but her shape is so cute to me. Plus, she's the color of maple honey. And that mane? Honestly, who can resist it? She's greenbroke--her head is not as soft as Lilly's. But oh, I do love her.
After zipping around on Bella for a little bit, I got on Lilly. Christine, Bill and Jackie were all in the ring. We decided to test each other's riding skills by making one loop around the ring doing certain things while the others judged, with 1 being terrible and 10 being perfect. For the first loop, we each had to jog around the ring in western pleasure style. I got a 6 from Bill and Christine who said my reins weren't loopy enough and that I was going too fast. For the next evaluation we had to walk a few steps and then canter for the first half, come to a complete stop, and then for the second half of the loop, trot a nice, collected trot. My score was better on this one. Thanks goodness Lilly was on the correct lead or I would have gotten another 6 again. The next test was to canter around, doing a lead change midway through. Christine and QTee executed this flawlessly and beautifully with flying lead changes that looked like ballet. This kind of ring work is great fun.
Lilly had something in her eye the whole day. Here is Bill anointing her eye with ointment to make it better. I was glad Bill did this because eyeballs, be they horse or human, make me feel weird and squeamish. (By the time I arrived today, her eye was cured!)
Today Christine and I headed out on the trail. It is shotgun season now so wearing safety orange is a must. It was really cold but I better toughen up because it is going to get a lot colder! Also, before it snows I have to mark a few trails with my trail tape. That way when there is snow, I will not be wandering off the trail and into trouble. A rider's work is never done!
Rosalie was just showing up for her lesson as Christine and I returned from our trail ride. She looks appropriately bundled!!!
Look, there I am on Bella! This picture was taken yesterday. I took a few days off of work this week, mostly to hang out with Lilly and get some christmas shopping in. So I went over to the barn in the AM. Bella is up in the near pasture and I have been wanting to get on her. I just love her. I love her Haflingerness. Riding her around as she speedily trots hither and yon is like riding an industrious little gnome. I know she's as strong, or stronger, than Lilly, but her shape is so cute to me. Plus, she's the color of maple honey. And that mane? Honestly, who can resist it? She's greenbroke--her head is not as soft as Lilly's. But oh, I do love her.
After zipping around on Bella for a little bit, I got on Lilly. Christine, Bill and Jackie were all in the ring. We decided to test each other's riding skills by making one loop around the ring doing certain things while the others judged, with 1 being terrible and 10 being perfect. For the first loop, we each had to jog around the ring in western pleasure style. I got a 6 from Bill and Christine who said my reins weren't loopy enough and that I was going too fast. For the next evaluation we had to walk a few steps and then canter for the first half, come to a complete stop, and then for the second half of the loop, trot a nice, collected trot. My score was better on this one. Thanks goodness Lilly was on the correct lead or I would have gotten another 6 again. The next test was to canter around, doing a lead change midway through. Christine and QTee executed this flawlessly and beautifully with flying lead changes that looked like ballet. This kind of ring work is great fun.
Lilly had something in her eye the whole day. Here is Bill anointing her eye with ointment to make it better. I was glad Bill did this because eyeballs, be they horse or human, make me feel weird and squeamish. (By the time I arrived today, her eye was cured!)
Today Christine and I headed out on the trail. It is shotgun season now so wearing safety orange is a must. It was really cold but I better toughen up because it is going to get a lot colder! Also, before it snows I have to mark a few trails with my trail tape. That way when there is snow, I will not be wandering off the trail and into trouble. A rider's work is never done!
Rosalie was just showing up for her lesson as Christine and I returned from our trail ride. She looks appropriately bundled!!!
3 comments:
Aaaaawww, Bella is adorable in her Halfie splendor -- I love her round little body and fluffy flaxen mane. And, yes, her coat is the color of maple, which makes me think of maple sugar candy (YUM!). I also love that you are clearly very much enthralled to be atop such a little bundle of cute-ness.
I, too, am squeemish about eyes...and teeth. Give me a pus-filled infected wound or a blood-spewing gash any day and I'm totally fine. But anything involving eyes or teeth gives me the heebie-jeebies. Yep.
Haflingerness! How cute! Glad Brumby's eye is better and that your orange clothes kept the hunters at bay!
Those arena exercises sound like fun although I'd be stuck on lead changes. One of these days I'm gonna get them figured out. LOL
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