Single Girl Weekend

been partying with this guy all weekend

My other half has been away on business since Friday, so I spent this weekend with my pony, dog, and girlfriends.

It's been pretty great!

Saturday was basically an epic barn-fest. I got up early as per usual to feed the herd and do the barn, and experienced the first frozen hoses of the season. I died a little inside. So not ready for winter yet. I also cleaned out my tack locker and put in about a million mouse-repellant packets because the %^&$#* mice have been chewing holes in my polo wraps and blankets, and I'm not angry enough to kill them. Yet.

Then I decided to clip Dino's white legs because I'm still battling two tiiiiny patches of fungus there, and it seems to do better when I remove as much hair as possible. Then I decided to clip his bridle path. Then I decided he needed his under-jaw area clipped as well. Then I decided what the heck, I'll just start re-doing his whole body clip because he's a hairy monster and I needed to get it done before all my carefully drawn lines grew over, so I did his under-neck area down to his shoulders before I rode.

We had a fabulous flat ride! Dino was working really well over his back the entire time, and we rode for about an hour. It was hard work for EuroPony. He was much more in front of my leg than he's been lately, which was a huge relief for me. We worked on everything from transitions, to leg yield circles, to haunches-in, to halting from the trot at X. I was even super-disciplined and did a bunch of no-stirrups work as well. By the time we were almost done, Jeannette pulled in to the farm and we ended up taking a nice relaxing hack with her and Hugs down the road. Poor Dino was SO tired from all the dressage work that he could barely keep up!

Since I had a sleepy half-clipped pony on my hands, at that point I just dove right in and finished his clip.

And you know how everyone always tells you not to wear fleece when you body clip? You know how I've definitely offered that advice a few times? I will add to that advice. PLAN IN ADVANCE when it's body clipping season so that you don't go to the barn wearing FLEECE PANTS AND A FLEECE JACKET and end up body clipping your pony, because then all the little hairs will work their way through your clothes and into your very soul, and you will be itchy for a decade.

Anyway. My most recent handiwork:

iPhone why you no focus?

I think the color contrast is so crazy now that Dino's full winter coat is in! He looks pretty snazzy if I do say so myself.

By that time it was already 2pm, so I ran home to take Max out and bake cookies for the next event of the day... a horse girl bonfire!

Max and I headed to my friend Michelle's place where we sat around a fire with a bunch of awesome people, ate food, drank beer, and talked about horses into the wee hours of the night. I really couldn't imagine a more perfect way to spend a Saturday night.

Sunday was a whirlwind of church, lunch with friends, and then racing to the barn to get everyone in before it was pitch dark out. Since Dino had worked so hard the day before, I decided to just pop him on the lunge line in the chambon instead of riding. I tightened it up a bit so he'd hit the bit a little sooner than Llama Level, since I wanted to keep encouraging the awesome balance we've been working on.

You guys. My pony looked freakin' PHENOMENAL. Instead of hitting the chambon and diving down into a stretch like he usually would, Dino CHOSE to take the contact. He was so, so soft underneath his neck, his topline was beautifully lifted, and his whole body was traveling uphill. He looked like some sort of Grand Prix dressage pony. I was absolutely amazed. I've never seen him going this nicely on the lunge, ever. Never ever. And all it took was more contact. I even got walk-canter transitions both ways! I so, so wish I had video of how amazing he was going. Maybe when my pro photographer husband comes back home I can convince him to take some pictures!

Happy Monday everyone... we're not quite ready for the work week over here.

moar snuggles needed.