Spring Rains

I love, love, love rainy hazy days. Spring has arrived in this part of the world, bringing my favorite weather with it. Many people find rainy days gloomy and depressing, but I relish in them. There is something about a good rainy day that fills the very air with energy. I love the way that the rain or mist conceals things far away, or changes the way light hits them. It makes you look at everyday things in a different light - literally and figuratively. 

Weather like this reveals layers where you don't expect them. What was once is now three-dimensional. What seemed simple in the sunlight carries a new complexity in the layers of grey. 

And this our life, exempt from public haunt, 
Finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks,
Sermons in stones, and good in everything.
I would not change it.
~ from As You Like It by William Shakespeare

Thunderstorm

I love thunderstorms. I have been craving a good thunderstorm since March when spring first arrived. I think there have been a few electric storms at night after I was asleep, but not during the day. Finally, Sunday afternoon, it thunderstormed. We went out to feed the horses right before the storm, but they could sense it, so they wouldn't even come into the barn to eat. 

"Can you feel it too?"

I caught him red-handed under the trees.

Love. This. Picture.

Perfect Weather

I was skimming through old pictures and I happened upon this one. I don't remember the picture, but I remember when it happened. Gambler is spooking at a saddle pad laying on the ground out of the picture. He looks gorgeous. That neck! And he looks so much skinnier. Part of that is that now he has a summer coat, but part of it is that I don't see him often enough to keep him in shape. He's definitely an easy keeper. But I'm not worried, it's good to go into winter with a bit of chub.

It's a reminder of just how far we've come. Today I put a big blue tarp on the ground right where that picture is to set all of my stuff on (it is a misty, moist day and I didn't want the camera or my equipment to get wet). When I walked Gambler by it he didn't blink an eye. He was curious and wanted to eat everything, but I didn't get the slightest spook out of him.

I went to see Gambler by myself again today, so I only have a few pictures. The weather was perfect. It was my very favorite kind of day. All day there was a layer of fog drifting in the air, thick enough to make everything seem magical, but thin enough that you could see. I absolutely love that weather. It was wet, but thanks to the sandy nature of the pastures at the barn, the footing was great. The temperature was about 39-42 degrees Fahrenheit. Overall, it was the perfect day.

I only had about half an hour of daylight to work with, but I made good use of it. I started by playing the friendly game with the bareback pad and the girth/cinch thing that comes with it. I lightly threw the pad onto his back and then pulled it off then repeated those two steps until he either licked and chewed or cocked a leg in relaxation. In the end I never did get the girth/cinch thing tightened, but he did relax and we ended on a good note.

He was grunting again today. I have a new theory about the grunting. I think that he is remembering an old injury. If I very, very lightly set the girth on the place where his back becomes his butt, he grunts loudly. But when I feel it with my hand, lightly slap it with my hand, groom him, or anything else I don't get a reaction. He isn't hurt, but he acts like he is hurt. For a long time this weirded me out. I know my horse, and I know when he's pulling one over on me. When I rub the girth on his neck and he grunts, someone is definitely just trying to get out of work. But whenever I touch that one place with the girth he genuinely thinks that he is in pain. But he isn't, I've messed with his back a ton and he isn't. So my new theory is that he was injured there, probably with a saddle on or while being saddled, and he freaks himself out and thinks that if he lets me saddle him he'll hurt himself again. So I'm just going to keep on keeping on and slowly step-by-step show him that I'm not going to hurt him.

After he relaxed I put the pad away to give him a release. Then I longed him for the first time in a long time. I was amazed at how responsive he was. He backed up with a wiggle of the hand (I didn't even have to shake the rope!) and he picked up a trot with a cluck and a pointed finger. I asked him to canter a little, but not too much because I haven't worked with him in a while and he's seriously out of shape. He seemed to enjoy himself and even offered a canter once when I wasn't asking for it.

Finally I ground tied him (sorta, we're still working on that) and gave him a good grooming. I picked out his left front foot and his right front foot! Since I was grooming him in the arena instead of the barn I had the room to back him up. So when he kicked out with his right front I backed him up and tried again. Right away he was licking and chewing and let me clean out his right front for the first time in weeks. Not that I haven't cleaned out his right foot, but it's always a battle and he usually pulls it away before I'm done.

Doldrums

I'm sorry that I haven't written in a while. Winter has me a little down. I love sunlight and while I know that the sun is still shining behind the clouds (I'm gagging on cliche-ness right now), I still find it hard to be cheerful on a cold, grey, and gloomy day.

Monday was exciting. I got home from school and received a phone call from the barn owner saying that Gambler was colicking again, and it was more serious than the last time. Of course, I start freaking out, with a thousand worse-case scenarios rushing through my mind. We arrived at the barn, and went through the typical motions. Walking, waiting for the vet, pumping mineral oil, etc. In the end, he was okay. He pooped and perked up, so everything is okay. It sure gave me a scare though.

My wonderful friend Arianna came out to the barn with me and stayed through the whole thing. It was entirely last minute and we both were freezing our faces off, but it was good to have her there. I'm so blessed to have friends like her to rely on when I need them.

I didn't bring the camera, which in retrospect would have been a good idea, no matter what the outcome of the night, but obviously I was a tad bit distracted. I did get a few pictures on Arianna's phone after it Gambler was out of the danger zone.

I got out to see him yesterday afternoon. I didn't stay for long, because I had plans for the evening (Mockingjay part II was just as depressing as I expected), but I spent some time just relaxing with him in his stall while he was eating. I also took many pictures of my very-much-alive horse. I am especially thankful for my horse this thanksgiving. 

Another Day

Today when we pulled up to the barn Gamble and Kezi were running around in the arena like crazy. I think Kezi may be in heat. When they saw us they took off running to the far pasture. I couldn't see them at all while I closed off the arena from the pasture and set everything up. Then they reappeared on the top of the hill where they grazed and watched Mom and I walk all the way across the pasture to get them.

I played the circling game with Gambler as a refresher and a warm up. I was impressed by how well he responded to a slight amount of pressure. The canter takes more energy, but he still did better than he has in the past. 

I spent a lot of time on Gambler's feet too. He is improving every day. 

The rest of the session was dedicated to mounting prep. Gambler will now stand still while I stand on the mounting block, rub his back, press down on his back, and lay over his back. He still moves around when I jump up on him sideways, but he'll figure it out with time. 

I Rode My Horse! (First Ride)

The title says it all. After six months of hard work I got to ride my horse for the very first time.

I started the session by longeing Gambler in a figure-eight shape around two barrels. He caught on to the new exercise quite quickly. Next I sent him over a jump once or twice, because I know he loves that. It is really difficult to send him over the jump from the ground though, because the rope gets caught on the jump standards. It will be easier to play with jumps once I can ride him comfortably walk/trot.

Then I longed him for a while, and realized that while I've been focused on other things his transitions have gotten pretty gross. When I asked him to canter he just jump-bucked into one or two strides before falling back into the trot. When I increased my pressure he fell back into his old habit of stopping and backing up. I was going to pressure him to go forward, but then he started backing up toward the horse-eating trees. Aha! Instead I asking him to keep backing up and then we played the circling game right underneath the scary trees. Granted, it wasn't a windy day, but I say that's a huge step in the right direction.

After that, I asked Mom to hold Gambler while I did mounting prep. I set up the camera at this point, but afterwards I found out that it ran out of memory and stopped recording only a few seconds in. I started out like I have before, standing on the mounting block rubbing Gambler all over his neck and back. After leaning over his back and then jumping up and laying over him sideways; I finally jumped right up onto his back. The first time was so smooth and perfect - I don't think I touched his flank with my foot at all. I caught Gambler (and myself) by surprise. I didn't even know I was going up; it just happened. So weird. Anyway, I sat up there for a little while rubbing him on the neck and rear and then I got off. I got on two more times (at least once on both sides). The last time I asked Mom to lead him just a couple steps forward because the light was fading and I didn't have time to put a legitimate first ride on him. He was a little grumpy, meaning that he turned his head around and tried to bite my foot, but he didn't spook at all.

Since I didn't get any good pictures or video, here are the gorgeous fall pictures I took at the barn on Thursday. I will try to get good videos/pictures of Gambler's official second first ride.