Time Out

I'm going to my dad's this weekend so I'm sure I'll have a lot of updates which is why I wanted to get this post out of the way.  At least now I won't have an insanely long post to write when I get back. 

On Monday my sister dropped me off at the stable early and then helped me bring Artemis in.  There six deer out in the field, hanging with the ponies.  Four ran off when we got close but one doe and one buck, and eight-pointer, just hung around, completely oblivious to us.  Artemis was in a hyper mood.  Leading her back to the barn was a bit of a challenge as she kept trying to run ahead.  I didn't do much with her but I wanted to see her since I was sick on Sunday and we couldn't go out.  I just groomed her and then put her out.  Considering she was so naughty when I brought her out, she was perfect.  I was leading her, trying to open the door (which can be difficult sometimes) and holding her lead rope and another halter (which for somer eason was so much more difficult that it should have been).  It was dark so I couldn't see very well and of course I led us over a patch of ice.  We both almost faceplanted at the exact same time.  Luckily we didn't so we kept going.  She was pefect.  Although, Socks got excited when we went by her and then electrocuted herself on the fence, and then when Artemis didn't stop to see her,  my horse started running around screaming her head off. 

I ended up riding Jimmy that night Socks was distracted by her baby ignoring her and Jimmy came trotting up, practically begging to be caught.  It was nice to ride him.  He was stubborn at the beginning and he didn't want to do what I was telling him but we worked through it and by the end he was listening nicely.  My mom came halfway through the ride and decided she didn't feel like riding, but she brought Socks int o groom her.  After my ride and after both horses were back out in their paddocks, we ended up talking to K for a while. 

A funny thing that happened, we were talking to K about her horse, Tango, who had a rough life previously and was actually deemed basically unridable by the training program at my brother's college (which if you knew this horse, is unbelievable, she is amazing!)  Feline's owner was riding Feline in the arena, and Feline's, owner's mother, was standing near us, watching Feline.  I asked K what breed Tango was, and K mentioned who Tango's sire was.  Feline's Owner's Mother laughed as soon as she heard.  Apparently Tango and Feline have the same sire.  They've been at the stable together for years and they never knew.  It was pretty cool.  It  make sense, both Tango and Feline are such nice, sweet but quirky mares. 

On Wednesday I was dropped off early again so once again I brought Artemis in.  She was much better than she was on Monday.  Zanza and M were in the barn so at first, Artemis was calm.  Zanza and Artemis both really like each other (they look funny together since he is a GIANT Thoroughbred and she's a cute, fuzzy little baby) so when Zanza went in the arena for M's lesson, my baby pony reacted by throwing a temper tantrum.  She got time out in the round pen for that.  The round pen is outside near the outdoor arena.  She can see other horses but it's far enough away that she has a panic attack about being alone, and it's much safer for her to throw a fit in there than in the barn.  And throw a fit she did.  She threw an even bigger fit when I walked farther away from her.  Then she seemed to realize that throwing a fit didn't work for her so she tried seeing what standing still without all the yelling like a good pony would get her. 

That worked great for her until E started up the truck and began feeding the horses.  The second her focus is lost, you're just done.  It's so hard to get her to focus.  When he started up the truck I had been in the outdoor with her, working on leading but she started running in circles around me.  So back into the roundpen we went.  It only took a few minutes for her to calm down this time, once she realized E wasn't going to come save her. 

That's when she tried to approach of being the sweetest horse ever to walk the face of the planet.  She followed me all around the roundpen.  I stood at the gate, with my back facing into the roundpen, listening to the coyotes howl, and she came up behind me and slung her head over my shoulder, just resting her nose against my shoulder gently.  And she just stood like that for a while. 

I took her back in once it was too dark to see anymore and she was fully calm.  When my mom got there we put Artemis back out and grabbed the big guys.

Socks and I worked on barrel racing while Jimmy and my mom worked on Jimmy listening.  Socks was doing everything I wanted, just not quite to my satisfaction.  I didn't really push it, she hadn't been ridden in a week and that always makes a huge difference.  And she was listening to me, I just felt like we could have done better.  K and Tango were riding with us again and she took Tango around some of the barrels, at a walk, to see how Tango would do.  It was good for a few laughs.  Tango is awesome but she'd have a long ways to go before she could be a barrel racer. 

Here's a little video of Artemis.  Sorry it's bad quality but I took it on my Ipod.  She's not that easy to get a picture of.

Also, Artemis is seven months old today and almost 14 hands.  I can't believe she's that old.  This seven months have flown by.  And I have no idea if 14 hands is average for a seven month old or not.  I know Cas wasn't anywhere near that at seven months, considering she's only an inch and a half bigger than Artemis now, but Cas was an extremely small foal.