Red Light Green Light

There's actually been a lot going on here but I've been a bad blogger.  I'm not going to put everything into one post, it'd be way too long. 

First, Artemis has been great lately.  We've also been working with her and the saddle a lot.  She's graduated up to the western saddle and I have to say, I like how ti looks on her.  She really could have cared less when I put it on her for the first time. 

We're still working on leading, since I think she could always be better.  Her biggest problem is she tends to rest her nose against your shoulder when she walks and I don't like my horses to touch me when we walk.  Other than that, she's pretty good.  She's gotten great at stopping. 

One of the big things we work on every second week or so, is standing at the mounting block.  I can now get her to stand beside it, while I'm on it, and lay over the back of the saddle.  My feet stay on the mounting block so she's not actually supporting me, but she doesn't seem to mind it.  I'm really trying to get her used to things on her back and some weight, since hopefully this coming summer, she'll have her first ride.

Today my mom and I went out to the stable early to help them with chores.  We're hoping it'll be good for my arm.  I'm really, really bad at mucking out stalls.  In the time I did one, T managed to do three, and I started a good ten-fifteen minutes before her.  For the last two stalls I did (I did three in total) L helped me.  L and I also dumped one of the full wheelbarrows and we sucked at it.  Okay, I sucked at it. 

We rode after that, my mom and I and T and L.  It was fun.  We played Red Light Green Light for a bit.  Socks and I were awful but it was fun.

The ride was great until the end.  My mom and I were riding side by side, letting the horses cool off, and just as we approached the gate, a woman came rushing around the corner up to it (the gate) and scared poor Jimmy.  He shied sideways, right into Socks and I and of course, it was my right side. 

Needless to say, my arm hurt quite a bit after that.  I needed help getting off.  Dismounting is already difficult enough with barely being able to use my right arm, but I didn't think I could have done it today.  My mom held Socks next to the mounting block and I got off from that.

Also, Artemis is growing again.  I know I say it all the time but I can't get over how big she's getting.