Arena Play Days

On Saturday, I trailered both horses up to the farm for a play day. We started out with Heather on Boo (Jaz's beautiful-but-squirrelly blood bay half brother), Kris on Rover, Shane (Kris's non-horsey BF) on Jazu the Wonder Horse, Nita on Doodles (her husband Jim's horse and a real sweetie pie), and yours truly on you-know-who.

Kris and Rover, Heather and Boo

Musical Ponies
Jaz was being an itch and kept kicking it up into his teeth-jarring, pogo-stick trot, so Nita traded with Shane, who had never been on a horse before. Some bug got up Poco's butt, because he was on high alert. Seriously, his ears were higher than I am tall in the saddle. I have no idea what was bothering him, but it was windy and there was a lot going on around us. I rode out a couple hard spooks, but it just wasn't getting any better. I ended on a good note and got off. I rode Jaz, Heather tacked Poco down for me, and Nita took Boo from her.

Shane and Doodles

From left to right: Heather (holding Poco),
Kris and Rover, Nita holding Boo and Jaz.

I set out some barrels. By this time, Shane was done, so Heather took Doodles. Kris took Rover through the barrels and all of a sudden, he started limping on his right front, his pastern visibly swollen. So Rover was out.

A conversation ensued between Kris and Heather that culminated in Nita fetching a black snowcap Appy mare named Velvet (Empress Black Velvet) from the pasture. They took Kris's tack off Ro and put it on Velvet. They longed her awhile, since Velvet hasn't been ridden regularly. Once Kris was up and Velvet settled down, Jaz and I walked in front of them to keep Velvet calm and on task. Things were going well until Velvet pulled a Poco by lying down (with Kris on her back) and rolling. Heather and I were yelling at Kris to kick the crap out of her, but I think Kris was too shocked to do much more than save herself. She did get back on long enough to get the win. Inexplicably, no pix of them.

The day ended with a quick decision to leave the Boyz there and we'd do it again today.

Second Verse ...

These two sorrowful faces greeted me in the arena when I arrived this morning. "Mama, I can't believe you left us here. They starve us and beat us, and it's AWFUL." Sorry, Boyz, but you're too chubby to be pathetic.

I pulled Jaz out and put him with the junior stallions so I could ride Poco. My only intent was to reinforce the fact that acting all spooky in the arena will not get you out of work forever. Well, as soon as Jaz and I walked away, Poco started carrying on. Mind you, Jaz was still in plain sight and there were horses all around him, but he ran the fence line, calling and snorting. Heather and I looked at each other, shook our heads, and grabbed longe whips. We ran him around that arena until he was heaving. Make no mistake, he loved it. He bucked and ran full bore. He was gorgeous. Took enough of the snot out of him so I could have my way with him on another windy day in a strange place.

You can't see it because of his fat ass,
but we just rounded a barrel directly behind us.

And another

Nuttin' but butt

There are rewards for ponies that behave.

Hosed down

Home and ready for a beer and a shower, in that order.

Damn, life is good.