Riding and Disappointment with a Plan

After I brought my ponies home last Sunday I was just itching to ride at home outside (there only is outside at home, lol so kinda silly to mention that)  but there was so much snow and mud and I was so tired from the weekend, so the ponies got Monday off.  It was so cold Neil had to plow a trail to the round pen so I could get there with the ponies and there was no water their so I had to take them to water in the corral.  it was like back in the old days, cause the waterer where the bulls were wasn't working either so they got chased to water everyday as well, and our heifers were in 2 different bunches and they all had to have water and we were all using the same waterer.

(boss horse always drinks first)

I cleaned out my truck from the show and the stuff at the barn,

 it kinda took over the house for a while)

Tuesday I was on my way to take Jess to water and I thought I should brush her too and since everything was just right there I saddled her up and took a ride.  It was only about 20 minutes, around the yard and then we trotted up and the road, the road was the only dry spot I could find.  And funny thing is I rode in my jogging pants cause I had no intention of riding but it was actually comfy and I might do it again :)

(just glanced out the window and saw the cat with a mouse in front of my tack shed)

Then Wed I made a water trough for the girls cause the water was running and I figured I could probly keep an unheated trough in there and it would melt, even if it was a little frosty at night.  I never had time to ride after I got home from town (and the chiro) so I just worked them in the round pen.  I dunno if they needed it but makes me feel better if they can move around and stretch their legs out some.

(have to fill the tub in my truck at the hydrant then drive to the pen 

and drain water into the water tub for them, 

will be so much easier when I can string a hose out)

Thursday I figured I would go for a ride and maybe try to ride out where the cows are I figured there should be some dry spots out there.  But since I was kinda lazy I just rode Jessie and ponied Razz.  Been since last summer since I did that and so I had made no plans on how long I would go.  We headed out and it was really good, Jessie was pretty happy to get out and was walking out really nice, which was good cause everytime she slowed down Razz tried to eat grass.  We went out quite a ways, there is  still a lot of water sitting out there and a little snow, but not as much as in the yard.  On the way back Razz saw the other horses and they nickered but never come over but Razz was having a freak out and so I shortened her rope an was ready to get off if I needed.  She was swinging her butt back and forth and just in a tizzy she couldn't get over there.  Jessie was awesome, she just kept on a trucking home and after we were out of sight Razz was fine.  It was like ponying a baby not a 7 year old!  So after we got back to the yard I tied up Razz and unsaddled and let Jess eat grass and she got to be a model for the pics of the blanket I won in a door prize at K & K livestock on Sat.  I thought I would send them a pic and my thanks again.  Its a pretty nice blanket, Jess may get to wear it next winter.

 (Razz stays up nice and close, I hate when they drag behind when ponying)

 (Love the view between the horses ears, she just saw there were cows out there, lol)

 (Jessie modeling the new blanket)

(Best treat after a ride.  Ever.)

Then Fri I went to another lesson and it did not go well.  I worked cows and was having trouble again getting her to stay straight with the cow so we really worked on that and I kinda think I now know when I have to correct her.  I asked about going to the show and he suggested not too, go to the Central show on May 4/5 and maybe go in 2 classes and correct her in the first class if I need and see if she is better in the second one.  Since the classes are about half price of the Alberta shows it will be about the same price so that will be OK.    I got looking up classes and they have a 2000 limit class and a 500 limit class so those are probly what I will enter.  He figures I will have to work cows more than once a week, so I guess I will start going twice a week for a while and see if that helps.  He also suggested that sometimes I will go for lessons and he will ride her and make her correct every turn.  And he will call me when they go practice at Thorlacksons (which is only about 20 min from his place) and we will practice going straight across like in a show setting.  So there is a plan in mind its just not what I had really planned.

 (Our main road, the water is sure running and creeping on to the road on our side)

(Bare ground was showing yesterday, the snow is disappearing, until today had to start again)