Catch Up!

 So I need to do a little catch up I suppose. No there aren't pictures. I was mostly concerned with not dying... No seriously I am horrible about photo documenting anything. I have plans to take some pics tomorrow. Now for the happenings of the last few days. I would also like to point out that it has apparently been over a year and a half since I've had a saddle on Rev according to The Husband and he is right...

So They Say...

They say what you are doing on New Year's is what you will do for the rest of the year. Uh oh... You see I had big plans. The Husband and I were both going to ride on New Year's. We both wanted to start off right and we both want to ride more this year. The weather disagreed. It was cold and raining sideways and all the horses were interested in was warm mash, blankets, and dry hay. I couldn't deny them that and to take off blankets and let them get wet would have been quite miserable for them. The way our weather works here is a recipe for colic anyhow and I just don't think there is a need for me to add to the temperature fluctuations.

Helmets to wear or not to wear? What a question...

I will admit that maybe I haven't been super diligent at helmet wearing. Maybe I haven't worn one in years. I won't say. The truth of the matter is I've had quite a few rough falls in my life and was never scared into wearing a helmet. It's not even for my hairdo. I usually wear a hat. I just find them irritating. They are hot. They are sweaty. They fit my head weird or more likely I just have a weird head. I just don't like them. I own one but I've only worn it in a few English shows on client horses and never at any western event. 

Bitless Endurance?

There sure are some uh... strong opinions on both sides of the bit vs bitless camp if you will. I have been reading some of them. I think it would be the most convenient (for me)for endurance to go bitless. I think it would more easily allow for drinking and eating on the trail. I will divulge a secret now. I have never purposely let a horse eat while I was riding it. I'm not saying a few of my craftier steeds haven't managed to snatch a bite on a trail with high grass covered banks but it was a rare occasion. It was even rarer that they managed to keep that bite. I'm not to slow when it comes to snatching stuff right back out of their mouth whether I'm riding or not. I know that's so mean. I'm evil and should obviously be banned from horses forever. However since there is no "OMGyoudidn'tletyourhorseeatwhileyouwereworkingsoyourevilandbannedfromhorsesforever!" committee, I guess I'll just keep on truckin'. 

Random Thoughts on Future Endurance Gear:Saddle

He is always mugging this muck tub. It's completely destroyed as a bucket and we don't put anything in it but he just regularly raises hell on it. I will try to get a good video of him doing it. He does a quality levade(collected rear), a really high and crisp capriole(just google it), and then he will get down on his knees and fight the bucket like it's an offending stallion. All of this of course is interspersed with plenty of bucking and farting. He slings it around and mock charges it. Then usually he likes to chase BOB(my husbands mare) around with it. You don't get too close when he has his muck tub. He wants to play and he will very adeptly beat the shit out of you with it.

The Fat Pony Exercises:Rev Channels His Inner Lipizzaner Stallion

Rev finally did a little work. Not much but we have to start somewhere. This is his second time on a lunge line instead of "free" in the round pen, so it was interesting. He actually did really well. Maybe tomorrow We'll try it with a saddle. In the pictures where he is zooming note his eye. It's still very relaxed and unafraid he's just having some fun. Going back and looking through the pictures it's nice to see that his ear is still on me paying attention as he drags me around ha ha. His excitement was after some walk and trot in both directions and we cantered a few laps to the left. I asked for canter to the right and I think he just needed to get the zoomies out. Which is fine he tried so hard to be good. 

ZOMG!!!

Maintenance Post: Trimming

Rev Pony finally got half a trim today. Ahem That sounds bad without a little follow up. Basically since we just moved here and we don't have the most ideal set up for grooming/tacking/trimming/etc.(meaning we don't have a hitching rail or wash bay set up yet.) My husband was at work, so I finally tried out tying him to the tree. The tree has no place to tie. I have to rig a rope up around a huge branch and then tie to that rope. Rev disapproved being tied like some sort of savage but he tolerated it well. Considering it was a little wobbly and weird and bark from the tree was falling on him, and the chickens and the dog were vying for hoof trimmings. Note to self: Rev is a good boy and deserves a legit setup.