Struggle Bus

All aboard the struggle bus! Not for riding, thankfully, that's going well. But the writing about riding... Well... Like I said. Struggle bus. I'll give you deets about the last rides on each mare (since those are the ones I remember) then try to get back on board for the future.

This mouse was also on the struggle bus -- or in his case, the struggle boat. He hitched a ride with us to the river yesterday and then really regretted his life choices haha.

Overall, both girls are working really well. Summer hours means they're getting much more regular work, and actually making some fitness gains. I rode Cinna last week in what was intended to be a mostly walk ride -- she had come out quite stiff and tense so I was focusing on trying to unlock the base of her neck. I was really pleased with her after about 25 minutes of walk and trot so I was going to call it quits when suddenly she absolutely LOST HER FUCKING MIND about walking through the corner of the arena by the pasture... You know, the corner we'd already walked through like 15 times? After the second time she slammed on the brakes, giraffed, ran backwards, then tried to bolt sideways across the arena, we went to the far end and WORKED.

The face of a very tired baby horse who made poor life choices.

I'm 100% certain Cinna thought she was going to die from all the cantering but funny enough, once I had her attention focused on moving her feet at the speed I dictated, she had much less energy to waste on spooking at imaginary pasture monsters. We ended the ride walking on a loose rein through the scary corner a few times. Of course, being the hippo that she is, that much work had her completely drenched, so she got to have a nice bath after (which is actually when the idea of shaving her mane off occurred to me, so I did it the next day, lol).

Still love it.

"Cookies plz?"

Everybody got the day off Friday, since it was my birthday and I decided to be lazy, and then they got this weekend off because both days I slept in a little so by the time I finished chores it was already too muggy for me to want to ride.

Birthday beignets 😍😍

Wooden Andalusian Breyer keychain from a friend!

Gorgeous painting from my SIL of one of my favorite photos of Topaz!

She also made me to-die-for UNICORN cupcakes.

Iberian pendant from Greylock Silver (cannot recommend her work highly enough, I need to blog about it).

This morning I rode Ruby and holy cow, the canter was ON FIRE. I seriously wanted to ride it all day. She still struggled a little bit to the right, but to the left it was fantastic. She was so light and uphill and round, and so adjustable to everything I asked. She got a little dive-y in the trot, so I think I'm going to go back to the eggbutt snaffle on her other bridle (I rode her in the Verbindend today). It was disgustingly humid even at 6 am, so she also got a good scrubbing post-ride, and I cleaned up her tail a bit. Now I just need my friend to come out and shorten her mane so she looks like a real dressage horse again! ;)

Looking a little feral. Although I did at least give everyone a bridle path again? 

Whew! So there you have it, and now you're mostly caught up on what we've been up to lately.