He looks cute, and Stacie says he is a lovely mover. I am keeping my fingers crossed for her.
Then, the phone rang again and it was my accountant telling me my income tax forms were ready to go. I drove over to sign the paper for E-filing which means the forms will be processed through the computer and my refund will be directly deposited in my bank account. Sweet. That is some of my retirement "extra" fund.
Got home and finally managed to get out to the barn. Since my vet is coming tomorrow for annual inoculations, etc. I needed to do at least a cursory tidying up out there. I got a bit carried away, but at least it looks neat. The whole barn needs a super good spring cleaning and I have a pile of blankets/sheets in various stages of ripped and non-ripped that need sorting. Some are totaly losses, and some need repair. I can to most of the repair work myself. Guess I will be very busy after I retire.
Chance came in the barn to snoopervise, so I haltered him and set out to ride, planning on doing a school in the arena. But, oh my goodness, what a lovely cool and sunny day it was. Out we went on a nice hack instead. I took him all the way back past the flooding and along the back field of the farm we are trying to save. There we had a nice trot/canter and just enjoyed the sunshine. We hacked back through the woods and, with Chance grabbing a mouthful of tree sprigs along the way for a snack, just had some good fun.
I rode Tucker in the arena for about 25 minutes of schooling. When I was riding Chance out the other day, I felt myself weighting my right stirrup and sure enough, on Tucker, I was doing the same thing! (Mary Lou, I do the same thing wrong myself. No wonder I can tell when someone else does it. *G*) As a consequence, he was hollow to the right and a little stiffer to the left--meaning mostly that he wrapped around my right leg, but was not wrapping around my left. I focused the rest of my ride on being even and not allowing my seat to weight too heavily to the right. Ah, well, riding is a continual evolutionary process. Just wish I could evolve faster. *sigh*
After the school, I took Tuck out on "his" hack as well. He was a good boy, but I did have to laugh. The evil mound of dirt that scared him over the winter, has some nice patches of lush green grass growing on it. Though it evokes bad habits, I have let both Toby and Tucker graze on it, and I call it "stopping at the salad bar." Today Tucker was so enthusiastic, he started to climb up the mound to get the grass on top. So much for the "scary, killer mound of death!" Apparently his stomach commands all fear.
By the time I finished up with Tuck and emptied the wheelbarrow, I was cooked, so Toby had the day off, something I don't think he minded at all.
Sounds like a busy and productive day - glad you're feeling better as well.
ReplyDeleteCute Hanoverian - let us know how he works out for her (your daughter?)
Glad your neck is feeling better. I don't know where you get all your energy from. You certainly are busy everyday.
ReplyDeleteStacie is a good friend. Her own horse, a sweet warmblood, had a bone bruise. (She raised him from a yearling and adores him.) Stacie spent tons of money on surgery...as the bruise had killed the bone, only to have him end up totally lame at age 7. She has retired him, but still keeps euthanasia in the back of her mind should he become too lame to be happy at all.
ReplyDeleteShe has been looking for a replacement horse now for over a year. One disappointment after another. Maybe this time she will be successful.
So glad that you felt better enough to ride. Headaches of that type are debilitating.
ReplyDeleteI weight my left stirrup and as a result Tetley is stiff to the right and hollow to the left. However I am sure that I am a hundred times worse than you. I have never ridden above first level!
glad you are feeling better!
ReplyDelete