Brave Pony

***Added later: I'm really sorry if my comments are not showing up on your blogs. The idiot tech guy did something to my work computer so google thinks I'm a bot and blogger keeps randomly signing me out. So frustrating.****

I'm feeding in the mornings all week because Cathy's out of town. How fun! She's very glad I could help, and said she owes me several lessons to make up for it. Hooray! Usually, we just skimp along on one or two lessons a month, but Izzy's getting to the point where she can do more.

That said, she was a very brave girl this morning. One end of the arena is right next two about a half acre or so of dense cottonwood trees that most of the horses find terrifying. That's what Izzy spooked at when she hit me in the head last week. While I was lunging her today (not by the trees), there was something back there. I know the horses usually pretend there are monsters there, but this time I think there really were. Lots of crashing and heavy breathing, and then just silence. It rattled me a little, what with my hyperactive imagination.

Izzy just stopped and looked very alertly at the trees for about 30 seconds. Then we proceeded with our workout.

As for the workout itself, I'm trying to get her ready for the show. Sunday we started working over multiple trot poles in a row. Tomorrow I'll set a mini course of trot poles and we'll work on going from one to the next. I'm easing her in to it, though. First I lead her through the poles, then I lunge her through at the walk, then I ask her to trot through. She actually seems to enjoy it.

The best part of the morning, though, was when I was tacking her up. She was acting like a twit, so I turned her out in the arena. She galloped and bucked and ran like a maniac. She ever put herself through the chute that Cathy built to take videos of the sale babies. Good news: She's a nice jumper. Bad news: she's not the most careful. I'll see if I can't get some pictures or video this week while the chute is still up.