Bleh, Winter.

I figured I should get in one last post before my surgery on Wednesday and I can't type for a while.  For the past few weeks I've been out at the stable almost every second day it feels like.  I've been trying to get in as much riding as I could because I'm not sure when I'll be able to get back on.

To make it easier, I'll split this post by horse.

Jimmy

I've ridden Jimmy twice in the past few weeks.  I really should have ridden him more and I have no good reason for not riding him, other than I just honestly prefer riding Socks.  It's bad, I know. 

He's had a lot of time off since my mom fell off.  She hurt her back and hasn't been able to ride much. 

He was...difficult...during our rides but he always started listening by the end of them.  I ask for more from him than my mom does and he doesn't always like that.  A big thing we were working on was that I choose the speed we go at, not him.  He has a bad habit of the second he gets to trot or lope, he tries to go as fast as he possibly can.  I spent a good hour and a half working on him trotting at a nice, slow, steady speed I chose.  (Of course he wasn't trotting straight for the whole ride, that would have killed the poor boy).  It wasn't perfect at the end of the ride but he was doing much better.

Socks

Here, finally a picture of Socks in her blanket.  Her very dirty blanket.  You have to love Alberta weather, last week was so warm, the snow was all melting and the stable was one big mudpit.  A day later, we were all buried underneath a massive blanket of snow.  Lovely.

Socks has been great lately.  Her and I haven't been doing much other than getting on and messing around in the arena.  The more exciting news is that K has ridden her a few times for me.  She offered to ride Socks for me while I'm recovering (which is great, seriously, I can't describe how grateful I am).  I love when someone else rides my horse because I think it's great for Socks.  There's a lot I don't know that other riders can help us with.  It's still strange watching someone else ride my horse though.

Artemis

Okay, I've been slacking off in this department majorly.  I haven't done any real work with her in a while.  Just the usual leading, barn manners and that stuff.  She's had it pretty easy for a while now.  And she'll keep having it easy for a while longer.  I don't think she minds too much, she still comes in at least once a week. 

The horses' had their feet done last week and, surprisingly, she was the best behaved of the three of them.  She's usually pretty good but tends to get impatient by the time her feet are almost done.  Not this time, she stood quietly the entire time.

One more inch and she'll be fifteen hands.  I keep hoping she'll reach it by her birthday at the end of April. 

That's all from me.  I'll be back, eventually.