July 12, 2010

Setting up my HORSE--COURSE

I'm just not inspired to swelter down the trail this time of year and I've decided that is okay by me. Even though I know that the cure for heat related illness is exposure to heat related activity, it takes so little to send me over the edge that it isn't worth it to me anymore. Having succumbed to heat bad enough to be hospitalized on one occasion and probably "should have been" on a few others, I'm not going to stress my body that way any more. I'm on about three medications that have BOLD LABELS that say CAUTION: EXPOSURE TO SUN NOT RECOMMENDED. Phebes moves like winter molasses when it is like this anyway. So what's a person going to do? I can whine, and moan, and lay in the bed reading like I have been for the past few hot humid weeks, or I can find some activities to at least work on our human ~ equine partnership when the weather and my free time coincide. Tonight I mowed the front lot as short as I could cut it. I rolled three barrels out there to start working a slow barrel pattern, cones for leg yielding at the trot, and a 10 ft. X 10 ft. log box where we will work on turning of the fore & hind without stepping out of the box. Doug (LSEGH) is contemplating on how to build us a safe jump. I would be interested in what the height should be for just starting....especially when you ride a western endurance saddle! It is meant to be a mental exercise more than anything. If I put two jumps out there how apart should they be spaced? Have NEVER done anything like that before. We also have the roundpen where we worked today. She joined up and followed me around, yielded her fore and hind with "air" pressure from my hands, backed up in time with my right foot and left foot also off line, and followed me without a lead rope as well. She free longed in a circle both directions at the walk, trot, and canter, turned and stopped based on my body language. Lots of licking and chewing going on. So even though we haven't set into motion lessons, we will at least have something constructive to do until I find the thing that is right for us.

Still on our agenda is The Spook Run at the end of October. Certainly not the year I'd hoped for, but if you get lemons...may as well shave some ice, add water, sweeten it, sit in the shade and enjoy what you have. ~E.G.

1 comment:

  1. OTOH, if life give you limes , you might as well find a pirate and make some grog!

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