Finally got to ride....

Lance and Zephyr

I finally got over to the barn today to ride. Haven't been over since last Friday. Had a busy weekend. My step-son bought us a 55' flat screen TV. We wall mounted it and that meant moving some furniture. And that was a good excuse to buy some new furniture to replace some old, mis-matched stuff. So, the weekend was spend installing the TV and shopping. It was a nice weekend too so a shame to not spend it outside. But, Monday was just plain cold so I wimped out.

Anyway, the little red dog and I went over this morning. Lance was very happy to be at the barn. I had to search around for Louie's halter, it was trampled into the snow....again.... but unharmed. There is SO much ice on the ground right now. Wendy has sanded around the barn so it's manageable though her driveway in is a sheet of glare ice. Louie did not fuss about coming into the barn today. And he was quiet on the cross ties. I lunged him first and he was pretty good. A bit inattentive but not doing anything bad.

We then did some tarp training. Louie has walked over the tarp laid out flat on the ground quite a few times and doesn't mind that. And I have put a tarp on him without him seeming too concerned. When I first brought the tarp out he snorted at it a few times and backed away. Then seemed to realize it was a familiar object. I put it on him and pulled it over his head. Other then backing up a few steps the first few times, he did not object to this. Then I put it on him and led him off at a walk. No problem with that. So, then I asked him to trot. At that point the tarp started to flap. This he didn't like so much. When the tarp floated off him, he spun around to snort and stare at it. I then asked him to walk over it. It was not laying flat and he was not particularly inclined to do this. But, with a little patience and persistence, he finally did walk over it. I repeated this exercise of putting it on him, trotting him and letting it flap and float off and then asking him to walk over it. After about 4 times, he was fine with this.

Then I rode him for a while. He was good and lined right up to the mounting block and stood like a rock. And there were no mule eating dragons in the arena today. The dogs startled him a couple of time suddenly appearing in a doorway or overhead in the hay loft. But, he didn't do more then stop and look. He was just a very good boy today.