Around the Lake

On A Misty Evening

It did rain, off and on for a good part of the day.  It was enough to wet things down and tease the plants and grass with some much needed moisture, but not enough to make a huge impact.

After I fed the Boys dinner, I waited about an hour and then saddled Chance up for the ride around the lake.  While he was a good boy, he does have an annoying habit or two.  The first is trying to select the trail we are going to take.  He will stop at an intersection and lean in the direction he wants to go and I have to insist we go my way.  The second is a bit of "body wandering": when he looks to one side or the other and his whole body simply follows his head.  This is made more annoying at times when the reason for looking is a nice patch of grass somewhere or a nice leafy tree branch.  I'll admit I have let him browse now and then, but he has taken this as his right rather than a privilege. So I will have to correct the habit before it gets too serious.

Then too, with the "tourist gazing" he also occasionally just loses his forwardness and I have to push  him on.. It's not napping or being bad, it's just a lack of concentration on being ridden and a fascination with something else he sees.  I made a point of giving him a good leg or a little slap on the shoulder with the reins to bring him back into focus and it was OK.  When he's walking out and going forward on his own, he is really fun.  It won't take much to fix these issues, so I'm not worried.

When I got back, Tucker seemed really interested in some attention, but my left knee had cramped up on the ride--have to lengthen my stirrups--so I decided to lunge him.  Well, although he marched into the arena on his own when I opened the gate, he did not want me to halter him.  Apparently he decided he was quite capable of lungeing on his own without my holding a line, and that's exactly what he did.

He went around and around on a nice circle to the right at the trot, and, when I commanded, cantered around on a somewhat more oval circuit.  I had a bit of an issue getting in front of him to reverse him, but I managed. The left "circles" were a bit more silly as by then he'd warmed himself up into a bit of a joyful exuberance.  But I have to admit, even though it wasn't an honest, totally organized workout, he surely did look nice out there on his own throwing in an occasional arched neck head toss and a buck.  We did have a good time and he seemed quite proud of himself for his independent efforts.

Toby wanted nothing to do with halters or work, so, as usual, I catered to his retired rights and simply gave him an apple.

All in all, a fun Sunday.  And again....NO BUGS!!