Getting into shape tires a person out

Tule had a lesson today, and I really couldn't ride him as long as I should have. This was due to two things. One, I've been riding almost every day for weeks, but I'm still not in shape to drive him onwards when his feet get stuck in arena mud. Two, I got a little frustrated with my teacher. Not to disparage her methods, because she's great, but there are some times when I just know my horse better than she does. And honestly, I don't want to teach Tule to explode under pressure, I want him to learn that there's a less bothersome way of dealing with it and that's just to move on. So, in order to preserve my sanity, I got off before it got ugly. I do know what I need to work on, however, so when I can this week I'll be working him on those things.

Then, joy of joys, another trail ride! I have a friend at the barn, Ann, who has the most beautiful mare, a Percheron named Libby that all the geldings are hopelessly in love with (you should see them, it's like she's the prom queen or something). We've been on one trail ride previously, months ago. Ann works a lot so she can't be at the barn as much as she'd like, but last week we decided to meet up today and give it a try. We also wanted to try out my other Western saddle on Libby. And it went great. There were a couple of moments, again, where Tule needed convincing that my way was the better option, but we made it with much less fuss this time. He's learning! And we had so much fun.

Pepper is sooooo busted, too. I actually saw her, with my own eyes, galloping through the pasture. She ran up and down at least three times. She was motivated...all the other horses left her alone in there! She panicked! It was hilarious :) If I hadn't been kind of worried about her, I would have let her get some much needed exercise doing it longer. There are only three other horses that live in that pasture right now. Two of them are lesson horses and were out with students. The other, Charlie, is a gorgeous OTTB bay whose owner Amy came to feed him, which left Pepper alone for the first time in a very long time. So she's totally, completely busted...she can move that big tushie!

Dillon got a new stall today. Well, not new really, but he got moved to the other end of the row. The horse previously there, Blue, has been a very bad boy indeed. He bit another horse yesterday when the barn owner, my friend Rhonda, was bringing everybody in for the night, almost causing her to be squished between two horses. So Blue is banished to the other end of the hall, and Dilly-doodle gets the end with the view. I think he'll like it.