Surprise Sunday

So I Lunged Tucker

Choir/church in the morning, then out to lunch with the gang...I was going to opt out, but since it was my friends' wedding anniversary and the husband's birthday, I ended up going. I hate to not go out, anyhow, because it is a great group of people I really enjoy spending time with.

But, at lunch, I found out the wife had called me yesterday and left a message as she was hoping I could go out to dinner with them to celebrate the birthday. When I got home from all my Saturday adventures, I forgot to check my phone messages and missed out. I was disappointed, but perhaps would have been too tired anyhow, though I doubt it. So when I got home from church, I listened to my messages.

Oops. One of the potential riding student's mother had called to see if they could arrange a lesson today. There were two messages, for she had called again this morning. This was great as I was hoping to pick up a few students. I called back and sure enough, they were able to come.

That drastically changed my plans for the afternoon. I went out to the barn to clean stalls. Then I got everything ready for evening feed and went out to poo pick the arena--since is now part of the daily turnout. Once I'd finished all that, I had some leftover time, so I gave Tucker a lunging session.

He is quite the master on the lunge line now. I is a little lazy at the trot unless I push him along, but he is very obedient to the commands. I actually don't mind if he is a bit too relaxed on a day like today as all I really needed or had time for was an exercise session, rather than a training session. We finished up just at the trailer pulled into the driveway.

R, my student has a sweet little golden quarterhorse mare. R. is also an excellent rider with a good feel. This was proven out half way through the lesson when her horse suddenly came on the bit for us and a great big smile spread over R's face as she began to feel just how nice a forward, on the bit horse can feel. It wasn't long before she had figured out on her own how to combine her aids to get her mare to pretty much stay in the frame. It was much easier on the right rein, than the left, but there was a nice difference when her aids started to work.

I was really pleased with her progress. Since her mother is part of the crew that will be helping take care of my Boys while I am laid up, R may be able to come over to ride once in a while during my layup. I have offered to give some free dressage lessons in exchange. Once I am up and about, I figure R can learn a lot by riding Toby and Chance. Her cousin is the young rider who offered to help teach Tucker the flying change, so between the two of them, my horses may get some training attention over the next month or so. And, with a horse like Toby to ride, R may learn some really fun stuff. And, since Chance is not yet a "made" horse, she showed me today that she could also learn a lot riding him and developing his skills as well.

So, even though I did not ride as it was nearly dark when the lesson finished, I must say the surprise lesson made me feel a lot better about the horse situation during my recovery.

The Boys were cute as anything when the mare arrived. I'd left them in the pasture adjacent to the arena, but we were working at the opposite end so they could do little more than watch. But, for at least the first fifteen minutes or so, watch they did. It would have been the perfect time for me to have my camera. Ears up, eyes wide, and just total focus on the visitor made a gorgeous picture of three very handsome Boys. They really did look stunning.

But, they soon grew bored and went off to nibble on the little bit of grass left and then work on the hay piles I'd put out in the morning.

At least I thought the lesson was interesting. (Guess not. *G*)