What's Up Wednesday

 

I think I messed up a little for poor Al this week. Nothing major, but maybe some bad timing on my part. I mentioned yesterday about changing up the course on Monday. Seemed like a good plan, because I wanted space for lunging and more options to hopefully expand Al's "safe space" circle. I like the new course. It's just a very simple hunter course with no oxers because who cares about oxers when it's going to be winter? I did make sure a couple of jumps could easily be converted to trotting poles, meaning they're just standards and rails with no fill, planks, nor gates. And should I get to feeling fancy there are a couple options for bending lines too. Perfect. 

But what I didn't consider was that this week is also the first week of the time change AND a full moon. Not just a full moon, a SUPERMOON. On top of all that, the wind won't quit. And poor Al is having a hard time. He's trying to be a good boy. Really he is. But that's a lot to throw at a sensitive boy all at once. I should have waited another week to change the jumps. His safe space is all different and he hates it. Poor dude. I did ride him today; we stayed on a circle up here at this end of the ring. He wasn't terrible, but he wasn't good either. He did try hard though, I could tell he was doing his best. And I give him credit for that. I did almost eat dirt once. At the walk. Because of a squirrel. But I held on and he was polite enough to not finish me off. So small win, yes? Haha. Should be less windy tomorrow. Maybe that will help our cause. 

He's such an open book, you can easily tell that he's not feeling settled just by how he interacts with me. He's a little clingy, watching everything I do in the barn. He even wanted me to come out and play with him in turnout which was adorable, and we had lots of fun. He followed me over a cross rail, helped me set up some trot poles, and then repeatedly knocked over the little end jump while I was trying to put it back together. That last one was more fun for him than it was for me. But it did give me a giggle. I think tomorrow we'll spend some time hanging out in the ring before I get on and see if that helps. 

In Shiny news, she got de-furred on Thursday. It was a rain day and I had told myself that the next rain day I had to clip the pony. And I actually listened to me! Doesn't always happen. I make up a lot of rules, and sometimes I don't want to follow them all. But I did this time. I left her legs and head furry. I was originally going to do everything, but honestly, come winter, I don't mind the parts outside the blanket having some furry insulation. I'll have to clip her again in the spring I'm sure (hopefully not before that!) and I'll take everything off then. 

I was too lazy to bathe her beforehand, so she's pretty line-y but whatever. It's winter. And also, I'm getting a little faster at clipping! Proud of me for that. I previously held the titles for both slowest stall cleaner on earth AND slowest clipper on earth, and I think maybe I've lost the clipper title. Hopefully.

It's amazing to me how much hair one little pony can have attached to her. Each of these photos is from one side of her. (She got to have a potty and water break halfway through.) Not including legs nor head even. It's a lot of hair! 

She's been good for work this week too. For sure the most consistent anyway. We popped over a few fences one day last week. No real plan, and I don't think even did a full course. Just bopped around over some singles and called it a day. I kind of love having no direction this time of year. We might get some storms tonight but as long as the ring isn't too wet I'm hoping to jump around the new course with her tomorrow. She's the only one really capable of jumping the actual course at the moment, so I'm feeling extra grateful for her this week. She's really hanging on to that MVP award this year! 

Eros is holding his own in the MVP running though. He had his first moonlit ride last night (I'm not sure if it's his first ever, but I think it might be) and I was shocked at how good he was for it. He's often spooky this time of year especially at the end of the ring, but in the dark he wasn't at all. Maybe because of his questionable vision? Maybe he couldn't see anything to spook at it in the dark? I dunno. No complaints from me though! Also we do have lights on the barn side of the ring, so it's not quite as dark as that photo seems. I'm not that crazy! 

He's still feeling decent to ride, not quite 100% yet, but better than he was a couple weeks ago. We're still taking it easy with shorter rides, and mostly stretchy work. So no new course for him any time soon. But it's just precautionary. I think he's fine, but why test it? 

In other news, I got a little blanket rack for Rita's winter clothes. And yes, she has matching clothes with the horses:

Cute right? I set it up in the entryway next to my own smelly barn coat rack.

And lastly, Al somehow got himself stuck in the hay feeder over the weekend. He does enjoy pawing, and I think he took it too far this time. Chaos feet on that one.

He did indeed break it, but I cut that section off the rest of the way, and it's still working fine. Maybe even easier for me to drag around from the hay barn to the ring and back. So perhaps he improved it? 

Lastly, I'm contemplating taking Sunday off from riding (it's supposed to rain anyway) and head up to Equine Affair to spend some money I don't really have. I have a couple of silly things I'd like to hunt for. I got some new hoof picks last week at a tent sale that I really like and would like to grab a few more for the trailer. But I'm a weirdo and want specific colors and no place online lets you pick colors. (Man, I hate that!) So I thought I could probably find them up there. I also have a whole pile of Dreamers and Schemers spare socks that I'd like to try and find matches for. (They sell socks as a pair plus a spare, and I like to try and get matching spares to make real pairs, ya know?) The other thing I want to look for is the Back on Track Haze cooler. I think I want them for the horses to marinate in after turnout and before we ride this winter. They're 200 grams of fill, so nice and cozy (warmer than the mesh sheet anyway). But I really want to touch one first and see if they're soft and lovely or stiff and icky. Plus, I know they're polyester, but I want to make sure they're not fleece. We don't want all the static! My barn has heat, so it gets pretty staticky in there if we use the wrong materials. It's expensive enough that I'd rather see and touch it before buying. Do any of you have that one? Thoughts if you do?

Alright, that's all I've got for this week. Any of you heading to Equine Affair this weekend? I think most of you are pretty far away, but hey, you never know!