Celebrating

Celebrating getting to ride 4 days this week! With the wedding coming up, I need to keep myself busy and focused... riding helps! I have yet to become a bridezilla, and with less than a month left, I am proud to say that! Saturday, I had a very quick ride because I had to meet up with the photographer and get to my bachelorette party!

I got the the farm around 10:30, and was ready to get up and go since I had to leave/get off around 11:15. Lucky Spyder because it was on the cooler side again (because it NEVER stops raining), and I had a time limit. I grabbed my tack and saw Spyder's face pop up in the stall. Umm, OK? What's he doing inside? Why was he being so quiet? I mean, I was happy because I was rushing and he was right there, but he's out 24/7. He comes in to eat, but he was just hanging out. "Oh hey, you're here. I'm finished eating... can you get me out of here?" I guess that when he came in to eat, they forgot to put him back out. I know that he comes in around 8 - 8:30 so he'd been in there without water (which I didn't think of until after).

I didn't bring it up to the BO because it's not THAT big of a deal, and I HOPE it was just this once. Do you think this is something I need to bring up? "Just so you are aware, Spyder was never put back out?" Just like the wedding, I'm lax about my horse. I don't tend to worry much as the BO lives on the property, and the vet lives up the street. I assumed since he was in that he was hurt, but I walked him around, and he didn't appear lame. I figured if he was hurt, I would have gotten a call... so I put him on the cross ties and checked out his whole body to see if maybe he was in for a cut or something. Nothing, he was just forgotten. I know it's not a big deal, but the water thing kind of upsets me. Had I not come, would he have been left there until dinner? Would he have been thirsty as the day got hotter? I know, I know, he wouldn't have died without hay or water for a day, but poor dude. Next time, Spyder needs to be a little louder and not hang out quietly in the stall next time. Good horse, yes... but make a scene if you're forgotten!

I got on and headed over to the track since the ground was wet. The sand was PERFECT for riding, and there were no puddles as they have been dragging it a lot. We used a huge area where we practiced our pace at the trot and the canter. The canter was a little rough since the sand makes it harder to move, but he tried his best. The left is still wonderful, and the cue is on par, but the right is something we need to continue to work on. Since it's not his best side, I feel like he's a little more hesitant to pick up the canter that direction. Nagging him with my spur seems to work perfectly, and I think I need to get something a bit more "wake up and go" so that we can pick it up that direction. I'll have to look for a new pair, and then bring them back down once he's a little better at being asked then responding.

Since he was so good and wasn't complaining about the right lead/nagging, I walked him around the farm to cool off. We went in the field with the cross country jumps, and he didn't throw any fits. The only issue we had was him drifting towards the barn, as usual. This happens on the track when he's unwilling to work, and I was just persistent in pushing him forward and looking where I wanted him to go to get him there. Once cooled out, I hosed him off and put him back in his paddock. He was happy to have water (poor dude), and to get to the hay that he looks forward to after his grain. I watched him roll (thinking he would do the sit like a dog move which he failed to perform), and then he looked at me and made me feel bad for leaving. Back to another week of a chance of rain/thunder/storms EVERY day!