Sometimes You Just Gotta

I've been in mourning for The Spook Run.   I think that is the one ride I've been able to do most consistently since I started this distance thing.   Journey isn't ready for it. I feel horribly down that I do not have a horse ready for Spook Run.  Sometimes you just gotta SUCK IT UP. She has been fairly idle since the whole crash on my head thing.  Not "because" I crashed on my head except for the first couple of weeks, just a lot I've neglected around here needs attention.  Trimmed out a big hedge row and dragged brush all last week.  LSEGH cut up a tree and I loaded and stacked it yesterday.  Flower beds need ripped up and ready for next year, and we have more wood to cut for winter.  A brush pile needs burned, the horse building ditches need re-dug for drainage.  Blech!
 I've been placating myself by working with Phebes and had a nice calm arena ride on her tonight.   She had been rather flighty lately so it felt good to see her brain connected to me tonight rather than every leaf that flutters off a tree. We've been working on some of her bad habits.  Primarily biting her lead rope when you put the saddle pad on, biting it when you adjust the breast collar, biting the rope when you set the saddle on her back.  Have made good progress on those by flopping her with things until she quits biting the rope, and then rewarding with a carrot when she accepts it without a snarky face.   Doing the same thing when I mount as she always got pissy mare ears...now she just bends round and waits for a carrot.  I am slightly considering a slow start back into LD for her.  But I mean S-L-O-W like she should have started way back when. Starting so far back in the pack that they think we died...and maybe just doing a few 15 intro rides to see how it goes, how the muscle tone looks, how she takes care of herself and stuff.   She's had almost three years to mend and heal...if I am going to see how she may do as a more adult horse, now is the time.  But I have to counter that with keeping Journey able to compete, and I never have quite enough time for two.  I need someone to ride Journey while I ride Phebes.