Anudder Weekend Dun Come and Gone Already

Last Sunday when I left Lilly, she was just getting to a better place with the scary lariat. While I was at work during the week, Bill took the lariat out and gave Lilly some more exposure to it. Imagine my delight when this picture came to me at work in an email. There is my brumby all wrapped up in the lariat! One step closer to being a bona fide cow horse! This weekend with Lilly I got the lariat out again. We didn't spend much time with it, but I am happy to say that by this Sunday PM, I was able to ride Lilly around the ring while dragging the springy, uncoiled lariat with no issues at all. We still aren't done with our frenemy the lariat. But we are in a better place than we were a week ago.


When I arrived at the farm on Saturday, Jackie was already there doing a hay run with Bill. Bill doesn't store his hay in his barn. There is not enough room. So he keeps it where he buys it and once a week goes and gets what he needs. Lately, Jackie has been helping him.


Bill says it is so much easier and faster with 2 people getting the hay. If I didn't have a job, I could take part in getting the hay too! Having a job really cramps my style. Sure I like my co-workers and the team I work on. But I like my horse a lot better.


Jackie has noticed for the last few weeks that Lilly's feet had a few flares. Bill has been showing her how to trim hooves so on Saturday she worked on Lilly before we saddled up. I would let Jackie work on Lilly anytime. I know with Bill's supervision she will do everything just right. She has already trimmed several of Bill's horses. She has picked it up so fast. Lilly was good for Jackie at first and then got a little wiggley. When Bill stepped in, she stood as still as a statue! I think this is because Jackie has never touched Lilly's feet before. I wonder if she was thinking, who is that back there pecking at my foot?

Saturday was such a glorious day! Although there are still patches of snow in the shady spots, I think that finally spring has sprung! This means instead of snow we have a lot of mud. When I plucked Lilly from the pasture on Saturday AM, she was a mess! And I even saw a few bugs!


Lilly was so good in the ring on Saturday. She cantered around so prettily with her head all collected. She did not once try to tanter! Now that's progress!

There in the back you can see some of the snow that refuses to melt away. The trails still have unmelted, hardpacked snow so we have not ventured out on them yet. (Well, I haven't anyway. Bill and CC did and decided they aren't quite ready yet) But frankly, I am really enjoying the ring. There is so much to be done there. On Sunday for eaxmple, Lilly was not so good in the ring. She didn't want to budge. I had to get the crop out. Some of the mares around here are in heat. Maybe Lilly is about to be in heat too and was feeling cranky. When she is like this I always think: Well, this is a horse, not a robot.


But seriously, how can a person not love a mare like mine? J'adore ma belle jument!


I haven't been able to blog as much lately because at home we are having two of our bedrooms and the hallway sanded. This has turned everything in our house on its head, including the computer space. This is a before picture of Kestrel's tiny room. You can see it needs a total renovation, starting with the painted floors. Yegads. Hopefully I will have an after picture sooner rather than later!