Aires' progress (and mine)...

He is, MHFQ! My friend rode him on Saturday because I had to work all day and she instantly fell in love with him (I mean, she liked him before, but now... lol). She said they were waiting to cross the highway and about eight motorcycles (cruisers, like Harleys) came roaring past them and he just stood there like "Ok. Whatever."

We had some fun on the trail bridge today. I asked him to stop and stand on it, which he did without issue and was very "Ho-hum" about. Then we circled around and went across it the wrong way (width wise, instead of length wise) and I asked him to stop with his front hooves on it. He did and was like "Ok. This is soo easy, Mom!" So, I decided to challenge him a little more and asked him to finish walking over it, but stop with his hind hooves on it...which he did perfectly!

We even wove the poles a couple of times working almost solely off leg.

And to top it off, his two best friends (CJ and Rex) were turned out right next to the arena and kept watching him and he completely ignored them and concentrated on me. He was even really good when another boarder came into the arena with her mare and started walking and trotting around a little.

So sorry to hear that you are about to move because of another boarder. That kinda sucks. Do you know where you want to move him? Will you have to start w/a different trainer? Happy though that he is doing so well w/the riding, that's great news!

I don't know where we'd go if we moved, to be honest. I have a friend who runs kind of a boarding facility, but it's really far away (about 10 miles...where we board now is less than two miles away). One of the girls who used to board where we do now moved her horses to her own property at the beginning of the month and told my friend and I that we could board at her place if it got too bad at the place we're at (for free and with half-price hay, since her boyfriend works for a local feed store) and it's closer than where we're at now (about halfway in between). I'm sure I could find somewhere, though, especially for cheaper than what I'm paying right now (most people in my area think $250 a month for partial care is ridiculously high).

Went for a dude string ride today with the trainer. I got to the barn super early because my friend's gelding was getting shod and she needed a ride. Then the BO and his son started getting a couple of the dude string horses ready for a ride, so I wandered over and asked when they were leaving and how long the ride was. They were leaving at nine (it was about 8:45 at that point) and were going for an hour, so I decided to tag along. Saddled Aires double quick, then fought with him for almost five minutes trying to bridle him (he kept sitting back on his lead rope and throwing his head up in the air). The trainer got the two ladies that were going on the ride mounted and then it was my turn to use the mounting block. That was another few minutes of fighting, trying to get him to stand. The trainer led the two ladies out the driveway onto the road and finally I got Aires somewhat positioned and climbed up. Little bugger walked off while I was still trying to catch my right stirrup! The ride was relatively uneventful, but Aires was definitely feeling like a two-year-old today. We argued several times out on the trail, including about whether or not he was going to go through the ravine on the way out, but overall he wasn't horrible...just horrible for him. Lol

Anyway, we did have one VERY proud moment. We were almost back to the main road from our ride up the mountain when this big dump truck turned onto the road we were riding on, coming toward us. The trainer was in front on Jazzy (paint mare), then came one of the ladies on Jack (dead broke older QH gelding), then the other lady on Bubba (well broke QH that came from a ranch in New Mexico at the beginning of the summer), then I was riding drag. The guy started revving his engine as soon as he turned onto the road and saw the horses. Jazzy and Jack were okay with it (didn't like it and sidled to the shoulder of the road), but Bubba freaked. He did a little half rear and spun toward the side of the road and then bolted and ran into a fence. Luckily the lady riding him grew up on a ranch and knew how to ride, so she was completely fine. Here's where the proud part comes in for me, though. My big boy (who I would be willing to bet money is going to be 16hh by Christmas) didn't flinch at all and just kept walking down the road. Didn't move away from the truck at all (we were about 1-2 feet from the edge of the road, but there's a fairly deep ditch to the side of the road, so everyone always rides on the road) and didn't even get tense or anything. I was shaking my head at the guy as he revved his engine even harder when Bubba freaked and, riding one-handed (Aires still just direct reins), made a "lower" sign with my hand to let him know that he needed to stop what he was doing. The jerk was LAUGHING as Bubba freaked out!! It made me soooo mad! I'm just glad that Aires was so good, so I could concentrate on helping the lady who was riding Bubba.

I found out that he doesn't like a regular snaffle bit, though. My bridle was at home (in pieces 'cuz I've been oiling it) and so was my bit, so I used one of the BO's bridles (on the largest setting lol) and an O-ring regular snaffle. Didn't get nearly the precise, supple response out of Aires that I get with our eggbutt french link.

Horses definetely have their "favorite" bits!

Hey Drafty I hope you and Aires are doing well :)

So I've been bragging a lot about Aires lately, but I'm going to brag about me for a second. Around April or May of this year, I was transferred from being a cashier at work (I work at Goodwill) to working in production, sorting and pricing linens. You'd think with such a move, I would lose a ton of weight because I'd be more active (bending in and out of gaylords, folding, walking around putting stuff away, etc). Well, such was not the case. I gained enough weight due to stress to go from a size 12 (was *almost* down to a size 10!) to a size 18. I was horrified. I was transferred back up to being a cashier a couple of months later. Since then, I have steadily been losing weight. I am now back down to a size 14 and those are starting to get loose on me. My goal is to get down to a size 8. No time table, just want to get down there.

Anyway, I've been thinking a lot about school lately. I moved back up to my hometown almost three years ago to go back to school full time (my parents were paying for it). After two semesters of community college and one semester of regular college, I dropped out because I couldn't handle the way the classes were run at the college I was attending (went to Prescott College, which is a liberal arts school...heavy on the liberal, light on the arts ). The classes were basically DIY mentored courses where you didn't have classes at set times or days, you just met whenever and did your own coursework whenever and you and your mentor decided what grade you got at the end of the semester. I don't do well in such an unstructured environment. However, I am two (hard) semesters away from graduating with my BA in English Lit, or three (hard) semesters away from graduating from with my BA in Secondary Education with an emphasis in English and my teaching certificate. There is a third option, but I don't know what it would take to get there. They also have an Equine Management degree. With the Adult Degree Program through Prescott College, you can take life experiences and apply them toward required courses (basically, your life experiences can count in lieu of certain courses, provided they are approved by the college). If what I'm doing with Aires doesn't count toward at least SOME of an Equine Management degree, I'd be greatly surprised. My only concern about the Equine Management degree would be: what can an Equine Management degree be used for? Any ideas?

I don't know what sort of career it can be used for -- possibly a barn manager sort of thing. But look at it this way: it will probably have more practicality than an English degree. :)

Equine management I'd think would be for a barn manager, maybe a nice thing for a trainer or a breeder. I'm thinking of taking equine management do depending on what I finally decide I want to do.

Awesome job on losing the weight again! Sometimes, no matter how active you are, you end up gaining. When I went to horsecamp in the summer, all I did practically was ride horses and be active, but I didn't watch what I ate and I ended up gaining weight! (Not a lot, but enough to be noticiable). I'm the kind of person who gains and loses weight relatively easily if I do the right things for both. However, I lost the weight again, but now I'm gaining and losing the same couple of pounds left and right. It's nice.... So I know how hard it is!

You go girl on losing the weight! Now....photos!
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