A Short Ride is Better Than No Ride

I was determined that we were riding tonight. It seemed as though things were conspiring against me from noon on. Everything we did in town took longer than I expected. And of course the panel clips and bolts with the proper nuts were not where they were supposed to be. I had to bribe my daughter to help me with everything. She wasn't happy so she only worked at half speed (which is quarter speed for me). I was so frustrated!! The dog kennel got assembled though and the puppies are happy to be outside in the sun.

I sent a Suffolk lamb to his new 4-H home today also. Weaning weight was 56 pounds!

I watched the last 30 laps of Darlington while I ate a sandwich. The two racers I follow finished in the top 5 and Mark Martin won. Gotta hand it to him. He's doing well in a young person's game.

So then it was time to ride. After the other night I wanted to ride with someone so that we could play games and my mare would gain confidence in my leadership on the trail. You would have thought I asked my daughter to walk barefoot across burning coals. How I had such a non-horsey kid is beyond me. She wanted to spend the night at a friend's - the same one who spent last weekend with us, the same one she spends hours on the phone with. I said no So she sulked but did get on the horse and rode.

You know, it's amazing what the outside of a horse can do for the inside of a person. Halfway through the ride she started to perk up and by the end of the ride she was smiling and having a good time. So I let her go off and spend the night.

We did play leap frog, took turns being in front, trotted past each other, one would stop and the other go on, and all sorts of games like that. Voosh was so good about letting The Mare leave and come back or moving away from The Mare. She doesn't try to speed up or chase The Mare when she goes by. She just pricks her ears and watches. Maybe tomorrow I will ride by myself.

Tomorrow is the Stallion Parade. The Alaska Morgan Horse Association hosts a showcase for Stallions on Mother's Day. It's the first real horsey social event of the summer. Lots of people will be there and the weather is supposed to be great.