It's a Hot One

Yesterday was the first day that NJ got above 90 degrees. I love hot weather so I am not complaining! Of course I had planned to ride so I didn't let that stop me. The breeze was nice, but it was not cool enough for Spyder. I was sweating tacking up! Oh boy, this was going to be a fun ride.

At first, I stuck to w/t and worked on that bit pressure business. I think Spyder is starting to catch on... you give, I give. What's so difficult to understand? He got a lot of walking time out in the field, and we worked on the canter for just a few strides in each direction. UGH! When it is hot, I know he is lazy, BUT we needed to at least pick it up. He didn't want to go, but I hadn't ridden since Monday and I spend a lot of time and money on this horse. He needs to listen (if only they could understand).

And so I kicked and kicked and kissed and kissed, and Mr. Grump has his ears back. I used my spurs, but 90 wasn't making him move. I'll have to use a crop when I ask him do so something that he doesn't want to do because we don't need to get in the habit of not doing something that's being asked. Once he picked it up (finally), I brought him back down to a walk. Hopefully he'll start to get that if he at least tries, he won't have to work that hard. We're going to go when I tell him to and stop before he feels like stopping on his own free will (his favorite move). I hate riding with a crop, but when it's hot, we'll save us both the trouble of getting hotter and more tired than we need to.

We walked back to the barn where I hopped off, and he was DEAD. He didn't move while I untacked, and I put him in his stall while I put everything away. I was so surprised that he didn't even move to check his grain bucket like he always does. He waited a few minutes and checked like I knew he would! If he didn't, something would have been VERY wrong.

I took him over to the outside wash stall to hose him down because he was so miserable and sweaty. He stood perfectly like he always does, but the bugs really get to him so he was aggravated. I made sure that I got every inch of him and he looked like he was so happy to be getting wet. He is REALLY loving this new hose trick, and he makes faces when he wants a drink. I put it near his face and he learned to put the end in his mouth to get more water! He used to just put his nose through the water or stick his tongue out to try to get it, but he's learned that biting the end of the hose, the water goes right in. I wish I had a video because it was too funny, but I didn't want to ruin my phone at the farm.. again.. for the third time.

I walked him back towards the barn to get my phone in the event he did something else cute and hilarious. I was about 10 feet away from it, and I felt a tug. I look behind me to see why he stopped. HE SAT DOWN... like a dog... butt on the ground and front feet on the ground still straight! This is the second time I've seen him do this, but I never thought it would be on the lead! He was in such "distress" from his relaxing/easy ride in the heat and his hose that he HAD to sit, lay, then roll in the grass while on the lead! I have a big dog. I was laughing, but REALLY? I had the shank on him (just because he can't help but help himself to grass the entire walk to/from anywhere) so I tried to get him up, but nothing was stopping him from rolling all over the clover. Hey, at least it wasn't dirt. It's just too bad I was [     this      ] close to having that on camera.