Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Happy Fourth!

Happy Fourth everybody. I headed out early to the barn to beat the heat wave. 80 degrees by noon, yikes! The girls were all modelling their fly masks down in the pasture, so I had to get some pictures. The barn was busy today. We had lessons going on in the arena, a new boarder moving in, and horses getting their first "soapy" bath of the summer. Maddy was in a goofy mood today. She was very soft and silly. She just wanted scratches and treats. There were lots of people in the arena, so I decided to do all my work outside. We rode all over the property and she was going so well, we hit the trail. This was our first official ride out there. Previously, I had done lots of hikes with her on foot. I would mount and ride a bit once I was out there. It is a little scary for horses because the trails are completely enclosed by trees. Maddy grew up in the desert. Lots of wide open spaces, so this is a big change for her. She really did great. I picked a nice, lush spot to let her graze and then I would head out on the trail and after a time head back to her spot. She managed to walk all the way back without getting agitated and for most of the ride felt very relaxed. Her only spook was around the ducks. They decided to splash as we were going by and she did a little side step, nothing too serious. Really a great way to celebrate the fourth.

2 comments:

Molly said...

Congratulations. That's wonderful. I understand your concern, but isn't it wonderful to give her something else to think about.

Rising Rainbow said...

What a great way to spend the fourth, RIDING!! Soon, I hope to be back in the saddle.