[gottatrot]

Looking at the above photo...my phone has a great camera but the lighting is tricky here. It might look like the exposure is wrong, but that's what it actually looked like out there!

We have a traveling nurse at work and she says she has to get out of our winter soon. She says in Maryland it might get foggy for a few minutes, but it never stays foggy all day. Apparently when it stays cloudy and rains for days and days it depresses her.
I'm used to driving when it looks like this, very frequently.

I love reading about and seeing photos of all the various weather people experience on the forum.
Frequently I try imagining doing horse chores in snow, ice, desert heat, and trying to ride in the same. It seems very challenging!

 

[Knave]

That sounded scary!

I kinda like the fog, when it’s down. It doesn’t make me depressed, but I feel more like I’m living in a fairy tale. Here it always means it’s really really cold though, but it leaves the pogonip which is beautiful.

 

[boatagor]

I love fog, but now it always seems to be "rising" from the old well in the cleared area. So that's really creepy and not at all what you want to wake up to, lol.

 

[gottatrot]

I've had a cold the past couple of days. I don't have the right to complain one bit; this is the first symptom of illness I've had since before Covid started. DH has also not had any illnesses. One day a while back he felt chilled, so he took a Covid test which was negative, and then he felt better LOL. We're quite sure neither of us has had Covid since it doesn't seem likely both of us would manage to have no symptoms, not even a sniffle. So I thought it was finally my turn to have Covid, and took a test, but it's just a cold. Getting better already. But as you might imagine, I have a lot of sick days saved up so I took a night off work.

That being said, I was wishing I had someone to do horse chores yesterday. DH had a hand surgery several days ago for trigger thumb, and I was not going to let him go anywhere near such a dirty environment with fresh incisions. The temperature was in the high 30s, which is very cold for here, and some of the ground was frozen in the horse field. Even though I was going slow and taking it easy, I took a rake and broke up the hard ground since I was worried it could bother Hero with his thin soles. I'm a bit paranoid right now since Aria had an abscess, and her hooves are so great I still can't quite understand how.

Of course I broke one of the tines on the manure rake trying to pick up frozen manure.
The horses were very cute. Their coats were super puffy in the cold, and they looked like stuffed animals. A thoroughbred is kind of cute all fluffed up, but a pony is simply adorable.
Both of them wanted their heads scratched extra, and behind the ears.

I'd ridden or worked with Aria at least the last several times I'd been out. So after I put Hero back in the field, when I put Aria through the gate she came right back out. She was thinking I was doing something wrong, forgetting to work with her. It made me feel that even though our last ride was a bit scary for her, she might actually enjoy getting out working. Maybe it makes her feel superior to Hero, being selected specially for extra time outside of the field to do things. It made me think of @Knave's horses and how their mindset can be about wanting to be taken out.

 

[Knave]

I’m sorry you were sick! I also cannot fathom you haven’t been sick since covid started! I’m super jealous!!

She does sound like mine.

 

[gottatrot]

Yes, I'm sorry @Knave, you've been sick a lot!!

Feeling like a zombie, I've been mostly just watching movies. The "Man with no name" series is great for sick days, and we just bought it in 4k recently. I was noticing that in the first movie, "A Fistful of Dollars," the main character rides in on a poor horse that looks like it has Cushing's. Poor topline, thin, patchy long coat. But maybe the horse is supposed to reflect the rider's financial status.

Anyway, the horse disappears during the show and the main character rides other, fancier spanish type horses until the very end. At the end, it appears his horse has been hiding out and resting, because there he is standing hitched to a wagon, and the main character takes him out of harness and rides away. I'd never noticed that little storyline before.

The filming was done in Spain, and the horses appeared to be spanish breeds, often gaited.
Something else I noticed, was that most of the riders' legs came down well below the horses' barrels, some down almost to the horses' knees. It didn't look strange, and I'd never noted it before, but now that I'm riding a pony I realize it's purely an english riding aesthetic to think a rider's legs should not hang below the barrel of the horse. In western it has traditionally been accepted.

Looks more comfortable and balanced to me than those who go to great lengths to not have their leg hang down.

 

[gottatrot]

I'm having fun remembering "sick" stories. I was remembering once when I had a fever, and was laid out on the couch. DH told me my riding friend had texted to ask if I could go for a ride.
Without even thinking, my legs slid to the floor and I started trying to hoist myself off the couch.
DH was like, "You can't go riding, you are too sick!"
It was just instinct.

Another memory I have is being at a riding lesson, which apparently I went to despite being sick. I recall looking up through a haze after trotting around the arena, and watching the instructor picking up all the tissues that had fallen out of my pockets as I went.

When I haven't planned well, I've had to use winter gloves to keep my nose dry. Lol.

 

[gottatrot]

Nice ride on Aria this evening. We went down the road, and about three blocks into the paved neighborhood. That was brave, because Aria hasn't been in there alone, without being ponied. I haven't even led her there alone. We thought of @bsms, because there were lots of garbage cans out. Those didn't seem to bother Aria much, go figure. Something close to where we turned around startled her, because I felt her think about spinning a 180 degree turn and running for home. But she stopped herself after a fraction of that movement happened, and we barely even turned off a straight line. I rewarded her by turning back a short time later. Also didn't want to push my luck, since she was doing so well.

After the neighborhood, we went down through the horse fields, and did some trotting and spooked up a few ducks and watched a beaver, who I think has pretty well dammed off one of the horse pastures (lakes? LOL). It was a very pleasant ride, with no real issues. I'm very grateful for the neighborhood since it has big trucks and cars going by the horse field routinely, and tons of wildlife. We probably passed 20 deer on our ride, saw geese, ducks, a blue heron, peacocks, and a few other birds, and had some cars and trucks pass us. It's very helpful that she sees all these things in her own field regularly. For a green horse, Aria really is outstanding and only got a little nervous here and there.

I went back to my L & R dressage saddle. It appears to sit too far forward, but it doesn't seem to block Aria's shoulders when we're riding. The panels sit level, and I think it is over the last rib area. She moved much better and more relaxed compared to the Thorowgood. I might have to pass that one on, unfortunately.

After the ride, I brushed out Hero's tail, which wasn't as bad as I feared. I haven't had time to tackle it lately, and he prefers to keep it full of dried mud and twigs. While I was working on Hero's tail, I told him, "You are a pretty cute pony too." Since I always call Aria "cute pony," she heard what I said and popped over from the other shelter to see if I was calling her. I told her she wasn't the only cute pony in the world.

You want your horses to get along great, but also you don't want them to get along perfectly when it comes to feeding. Tonight after I put Hero's big pile of hay in his shed, and Aria's little pile of hay in her shed, I was doing other things and then saw Aria go into Hero's shed, and he obligingly switched over to her side. After that they stayed eating each others' hay. Currently both horses are "just right" weight-wise, so it seems to be working out, but I don't need Hero giving Aria too much of his hay!

Here is a short video of the start of our ride, and Aria drinking water, LOL.

 

[gottatrot]

I went back to check, and last year at this time I hadn't even thought of riding Aria yet! I started thinking about it in mid-February. Little did I know that soon I'd be having a lot of fun riding my own horse again.

When I was riding today I was thinking about why I like training a green horse mainly outside of the arena. A great thing is that it's so much easier to get the rhythm and impulsion going, which is the beginning of everything. But there are so many opportunities for the horse to learn why she wants to be in a team with and to trust the rider. For example, today many times I asked Aria to step over here, turn here, or go a certain way or at a certain pace. Often I could feel a slight hesitation if there was something a little worrying in the direction I was asking for. But I could feel how when I asked and she did comply, she was thinking at times "that worked out well." So after she listened and followed, she discovered it had been a good idea.

Proving this to the horse over and over is what I believe helps build a really trusting relationship with a horse. Amore was an oddball and got to the point where she decided I could do the thinking for her, and then I had to watch or I'd run her into a ditch or tree. But I think Halla and I had an amazing give and take like that, which after many miles together eventually began to feel as if I had a thought and she acted on it. Or sometimes she'd have a thought and I'd act on it. It's really an incredible feeling, and I think I am in the first stages of it with Aria.

 

[knightrider]

Love your journal!!!

I wanted to get off and lead her, but she was not able to get it together enough to slow.

I know that feeling! The most scared I have ever been on a horse was the first time I took Windy out into the woods solo. She was 3 years old, and we had been riding her about 6 or 10 weeks. I figured it was time she did a solo ride. She had been going in the woods since she was a yearling, so being in the woods was old hat to her. But riding solo was a first.

She was wonderful and marvelous, and I was delighted. We rode on and on because I was so happy. Finally I knew it was time to turn around and head home. Windy's dam didn't have any nice running walk (no fancy gait at all, only a shambling mess), and so far we hadn't been able to get any kind of decent running walk out of Windy. Windy's dam suddenly was able to do a lovely running walk when she turned 6 . . . so I figured we had some time and didn't worry. Windy's sire had a super gait, and all his babies did too. It was going to come.

Windy wanted to move out, and where we were riding was perfect for it, so I let her. She started giving me the most amazing running walk. It was glorious. I was grinning from ear to ear. What a horse! She was young, so I reluctantly brought her back to a walk. A little later, she asked to move out again. Another breath taking running walk! I was delighted. We kept doing running walk from time to time heading home. It was so exciting.

Finally we were at the last mile before home, and I knew she needed to walk the rest of the way in. That was when the trouble started. When I signaled to her that we would walk, no more running walk, she exploded into bucking, rearing, and bolting. She had an amazing repertoire of bucks, rears, and bolts, which she did one after another in no particular order. I wanted to dismount and lead her home . . . it was only a matter of time before one of them got me off. I couldn't get her to stop bucking, rearing, or bolting long enough for me to leap off. We rode that whole mile home rearing, bucking, bolting over and over and over. I was terrified. I still don't know how I stayed on through a whole mile of horror.

When we got to the back gate, I took her into the sacrifice pen with the other horses and rode her around and around for 45 minutes. I was furious with her. Of course, in the sacrifice pen, with her herd around her, she was fine.

Then I woke up my daughter, made her get dressed, saddle her pony, and go back out on the trail for 45 minutes, which Windy did perfectly because her buddy was along.

That is the most scared I have ever been on a horse, that awful mile coming home. And now, at age 10, Windy is still difficult coming home when she is out solo. She doesn't buck or rear anymore, but she bounces from side to side and bolts. She is easy to stop. It shouldn't bother me, but it does. She is getting better, but whew!

 

[Knave]

I was thinking as I was reading your journal this morning about Moon. Moon was just excellent. I wish she had been as big as Aria. She was also older. So, I have this hang up, like an older horse would be awful to start, but Moon was a lot like Aria. Maybe Moon was a bit touchier, but she came along just as intelligently.

Then I thought about how Aria was in a bad situation. We’ve had two pound dogs. Hobo and Margaret, and both were really nice as far as being a pet goes. So, that made me wonder if Aria is so willing to be your partner and learn because of how awful her prior life was.

 

[gottatrot]

Maybe someone can explain the reason for this?

The Rascal is Radiant

It was rather wet so I did some driving with Aria instead of riding. I haven't been liking my shaft trainer, it is too floppy and flimsy. But came up with a much better idea, and removed the bamboo poles from the shaft trainer. Then I just put them through the tugs and tied them onto the breeching so they basically just were poles attached to the harness. As we went along I pushed them against Aria's sides and turned her hard into them. Honestly, she is ready to be hooked up to the cart, so I should just get around to ordering one.

I've heard that a reason some people don't like Arabs or ponies is because they are too smart for them. Tonight when I started putting Aria's boot on, she started hopping around. I reprimanded her, but she kept hopping, and so I really got after her. Then I felt really stupid because I realized I was trying to put a hind boot on the front. It fit, but somehow she knew it was the wrong boot. These sensitive types!! So of course I had to apologize for being a dummy, and then she was perfectly well behaved when I put the correct boots on the correct hooves.

 

[Knave]

Husband walked by as I was watching your video. He said “that is something Queen would do.”

 

[egrogan]

Can’t stop laughing…

 

[boatagor]

At the end he did that one final head toss like "what you gonna do about it?" Lol

 

[knightrider]

When Isabeau rolls, she lies down and paws dirt onto her stomach . . . every . . . single . . . time. I've never seen a horse do that before.

How do you get a blanket that dirty clean?

 

[gottatrot]

@knightrider...after a couple of days, they are never clean again. I wash them in the spring, but the mud stains are permanent.

I thought this was funny...my sister has two Highland cows, and she's never let her cattle dog around them because she was afraid he'd be too aggressive and either he or the cows would get hurt. Today her cows somehow opened the gate between their field and the fenced dog yard behind the house. When she is at work, the dogs can go out a dog door from the house and they have about a 1/4 acre yard.

She came home for lunch, and her cattle dog comes bolting toward her in the house, scared because the cows are in his yard. Meanwhile, she goes out and sees her 15 lb Chihuahua/Min pin/Beagle mix is doing his best to herd the cows out of the yard. The youngest cow was responding and allowing herself to be herded along.

Some cattle dog!!

 

[gottatrot]

As far as small pets go...I had parakeets and finches for quite a few years. Birds are beautiful and fun to watch. Still, I think I enjoy my hamster even more. It's like having a tiny wild animal in a habitat, and getting to interact. Abbey is very shy and extremely near sighted, but her nose helps her recognize me and she'll take food out of my hand.
She decided tonight she preferred breakfast in bed.

Usually when I feed her, I do what is called scatter feeding. There are a few tunnels, a sand box and a dirt box, and a log, various places where I hide her food so she has to go hunting for it. I also buy stalks with grains on them and nuts and seeds in shells so she can dehull them. They have techniques for removing the hull from seeds on stalks.
Here she is eating a wheat spray:
Eating Wheat

 

[knightrider]

I love that you are enjoying your hamster so much!

 

[gottatrot]

I was thinking about imagination and how it both helps and hinders horse people.
Having imagination can get us into trouble. A lack of imagination can get us into trouble.

I've seen many people who imagine bad things happening with horses, especially after having an experience like a fall or a bolting horse. Their imagination creates fear that limits them and their riding.

Sometimes before that point, it was a lack of imagination that got them into trouble. They didn't imagine what might happen if they started going faster when the rider they were with was unable to control their horse, causing their own horse to gallop off. They didn't imagine what might happen if they didn't adequately prepare the horse before riding down to the beach. They couldn't imagine what a horse with a certain kind of temperament might do if overfaced.

It seems important to me that we have a lot of imagination, but we need to take if much farther than our fear. We need to be able to imagine all the things that might happen, and then we need to imagine all the ways we could respond to those things. I think people get stuck in their mind with the bad thing that could happen instead of going on with how to deal with the bad thing.

My imagination is always working overtime when I am around horses. Sometimes I don't take it far enough (considering bad things that might happen), and I regret it. Something I've always done is be a wallflower when I'm not working with horses myself. At every barn, every show, every arena or ride I've been to, I observe other people working with horses. This really helps me with my imagination, both good and bad.

I'll see someone who has somewhat wobbly balance, and they're attempting to mount a horse with the reins sitting on the horse's neck nowhere near their hand. My mind plays through reels of things I have seen happen, along with things I could imagine happening. I saw a trainer halfway on when the horse bolted, she slipped and was hanging off the horn by her coat. I've seen horses spook, buck, and jump sideways, or flip around when being mounted. I can imagine the horse running, stepping through the looping reins.

I dislike a lack of imagination in others, which seems like over confidence to me. Yes, it might affect me more if they randomly pick up a canter and leave us behind, if I'm on a green horse. Yet those effects don't enter their imagination. But if I lose my horse, it might turn their sedate canter into a panic as their horse decides my horse is bolting from danger. In the end, even if I have a bad experience, it's still less likely to bother me, but they don't realize they are risking not only their safety but their confidence. Their bad decision might mean years of fear as they try to work through how their horse they trusted ended up scaring or hurting them.

An example of how my imagination helps me: Say I'm getting on Aria for the first time, and I don't know if she'll take off in a gallop or start bucking. I imagine those things happening. Then I imagine myself falling off. In my imagination, she's not that far off the ground and when I fall, I only feel the shock of landing, gain a few bruises. In my imagination, I'm prepared for those things to happen, and I stay loose and ride through several bucks, and then she smooths out into a canter. In my imagination, she runs into the fence, but I only bang my leg against it, and then we trot away.

Sometimes I imagine myself with a cast, my leg broken, and I am using my vacation time to read and relax. In my imagination, the bad things are very bad, until I think through to the other side and how I would deal with the worst case, and realize how much more likely it is that the effects will be more minor. Then I relax, and it really helps me ride with confidence.