Friday...one of those days

One of those days when you struggle to get up, you feel tired and overwhelmed.......so many things to do, so many things to catch up on.
Probably a change in the weather has caught up with me. I have gravel to shovel and my shoulders already hurt, paddocks to clean and my neck aches.

I have a lesson on my own horse at 10:30 this morning. I am late getting out of the house and rush back to the farm for the second time (I fed at 7am,then returned home to shower,change and do some work related items).

I halter Winston.

He is happy to be haltered, lowers his head, comes right out of his stall and through the barn. Nice big walk. Happy horse. He is always happy...like a big dog. a 17h BIG DOG. sort of like a giant Irish Setter.

He sees the trailer......hmm. His eyes go large.

I walk him to the back of the trailer, open the door and ask him to step up.....He says "NO thank you" and braces himself.

I ask again.

"NOPE, I would rather not."

Maybe you want to ride in the back of the trailer? I shut the divider so he can load into the rear section.

"NOPE."

I look at my watch........10:15. Going to be late.

Cmon Winston....step up....come along.

"Maybe just my front feet."

How about an encouraging whack?

"Well jeeze....., okay".........he gets in and then he immediately scrambles back out.

One more time.......

"Okay....I will get in, but I feel completely claustraphobic in the front as of today, right now and I will tuck my butt under me, turn my head towards you and you cannot shut the divider on me because my feet are planted........"

then he busts out past me and the divider.

He is normally not a problem to load or haul. Not sure what got into him. Probably realizes I am grumpy. He has been hauled the last several times with a buddy, so he probably thinks a buddy is in order.

I am now late....it is 10:30am.

Okay......I latch the divider back. I don't have time to coerce him into the front......he is going to haul loose.

Get in Winston, load up.

"NOPE.....I need to go over there........"

Small whack on the behind and a ten meter circle.........

Load up.

"yeah, I heard you........I am going right now!" and he jumps in.......I shut the door.
He screams for his buddies and you can hear him banging around.

Too bad mister.......we are off.

Check all the doors, slam the tack room door shut.........we are moving.

We get to our destination and I let him out......he is sweaty....he has never hauled loose before. He gets out and I lead him into the barn.

Big eyes, a spring in his step, his tail in the air.......like he has never been here before.

Right.

Did I mention that my poor rebuilt shoulders hurt and now I am hanging onto 1400 lbs of Hanoverian ....supercharged?

We have not gotten through the big rolling doors yet because there is paper blowing in the wind from the bulletin board and we simply cannot pass it because it could potentially kill us.

Finally I get him through the doors and he wants right behind me......I say no. He looks right down the aisleway.....then left.....OMG......it is a man with a blower.
He jumps....yeah....I was saying about my shoulder.........

He is a chicken in a Hanoverian suit.

I open the arena gate and lead him in....he looks around and then visibly relaxes....his friend is in the arena....he calls to him. I walk him around the arena....he pees....he looks around and must remember that he comes here once a week.

We saddle and put the surcingle on for lungeing.........I ask my trainer to lunge him ...my shoulders cannot take the bucking bronco routine today. My trainer says he should not play on the lunge line.

Okay.

AHHHH.........side reins.......yes, side reins.

Side reins mean work.
Side reins must be adjusted if it doesn't seem like work.

Winston has his butt worked off on the lunge line....only a few small bucking bronco scenes.......it is simply too hard and too much work

YAY.

Time to get on........just a short lesson because he is now tired. Spiral in, spiral out, turn on the forehand, turn on the haunches.....leg yield...halt, trot off, halt, walk....good boy.

Time to get back in the trailer......he is no longer claustraphobic......I shut the divider on him.......we hit the road........

lesson over.

I made the decision several weeks ago that Winston had to get out and get some experience with going places .......new places, new things......
and I will continue if it kills me........(Advil for my shoulders).........linament for him. He is my only sound horse and I will ride him, I will give him experience and we both will eventually like it. ..........Eventually.

He is a very kind horse, but immature......more like a three year old than an eight year old. My problem because I have not done much with him in the last year. I need to change that. I have committed.....or I should be committed.

I could be riding a Quarter Horse.....okay, I don't have one......maybe Sully? No, my legs would be dragging.

We are stuck with each other.


On a good note........Rio went to his new home yesterday.....huge paddock with GRASS. Big stall of his own.......and a girl who loves him.
Wish them luck on their thirty day trial.

Hammy looks almost normal today.......he is actually a big horse now that his weight is good or almost good. He still has a few thin spots. He loves his mush.

Sully is on a diet because he has a gut on him. I must get with the rhythm of feeding a smaller horse.......I feel like I am depriving him when everyone else gets so much.

Beaver had someone come and look at him for adoption......but they never came back?
strange huh?

Enjoy your weekend!