Attack of the Burr Monster

Lately Artemis has been trying to make a new fashion statement.  Each time we've gone out for the past few weeks, we've been greeted with this sight.

My mom likes to joke that it's her crown.  I don't know where she's finding them, she didn't have this problem last year but this year she's covered in them, and not just in her forelock.  She's somehow managed to get her mane and tail tangled with them too. 

The first time we brought her into the barn to get them out, the father of one of the lesson students just burst out laughing.  He didn't think we'd be able to get it out and offered to cut it off for us.  I preferred to at least try first.  Call me vain but I'd rather spend as much time as it takes to get them out then cut her forelock and have her look stupid.  She's at least an angel when getting them out.  I stand on the stool and it takes me extra long with my bad arm but she'll stand there for as long as it takes. 

We brought her into the barn last week.  It was...interesting.  We didn't go out to catch her, but she followed us up to the gate so we figured we might as well.  I hung with her while my mom went to grab her halter.  At first leading, she was fine.  Then E started the feed truck up and she was done.  Everything was suddenly terrifying.  The wire fence was going to eat her, a pigeon flying overhead was a blood-thirsty monster.  It seems like  a certain little princess needs to go into boot-camp.

She's grown too, she looks massive.  I can no longer look out in the pasture and tell which is her just by her size.  We measured her last week and she came out to 14.1 hh.  Another inch and a half and she'll be the same size as Jimmy. 

Socks and Jimmy are doing well.  Socks is the same as ever.  My mom's been focusing a little more on riding Jimmy.  He's still going great in the bitless bridle, his stops are amazing.  He'll start to get stupid, trying to go his own way instead of wear my mom wants him to, but the second she says whoa and pulls back a bit, he'll stop dead.  He's so much better than he ever was in the bit.

In non-horse news, I've been given night-time splints for my arm.  They're working really well, although they're extremely uncomfortable to sleep with.  I've gained five more degrees in my arm after a week and a  half of using it and just today we added even more to the stretch.  I have a problem though, I've been taking it off in my sleep.  I've never had a problem with sleep-walking before but the past few mornings I'll wake up and everything on my night table will be rearranged and my splint will be on the floor.  I have no idea why I've started this now, or how to stop it. 

We'll be working with Artemis this weekend, provided it doesn't freeze us out.  We went from baking hot to freezing overnight.