Friday, March 28, 2008

Left work early to exercise the dogs as it will be a late night for me. We walked about three miles. There has been less pulling on both of their parts now that we are getting out more. It makes the walks so much more pleasant. We have been practicing look. Wyatt has it down pat but Pix takes a few attempts to distract her from glaring at another dog.

Josie was a bit muddy but luckily she was up at the barn so I didn't have to slog through "a river runs through it". I gave her some grain and then tied up a hay bag in a stall and let her eat while I groomed the mud from her.

We got to the Big Muddy with plenty of time to saddle. Having daylight is so much nicer. It still is such a long way. My hands got a bit cold but nothing like that first practice. Josie snorted a bit as we walked to the barn. Once inside she settled pretty well. We had been practicing her letting my zip up my chaps once I am on so in addition to the helmet I don't look like a total geek by having to use a mounting block.

The warm up area has the look of a merry-go-round you have to get going to get on. The faster horses are on the outside but at any time someone might lope in front of you. Josie just pins her ears - out of our space you yahoos! After all this a dressage warm up will seem like nothing.

We got bumped into a couple times. I was very proud of Josie for not doing anything - kicking or biting and myself for not saying what I wanted to say. There is no reason for them to get that close to us.

I don't know what it is with those number eight calves but we had another one with attitude. It may have been the same one not sure. He stands there defiantly and Josie gave him her best game face and he snorted and blew snot at us. She didn't back down or freeze she stepped forward and the calf considered challenging us and saw we meant it and he moved off. What a good girl. She is doing better about getting up and in the calves but if they make a quick movement at us she edges away defending her body.

When we got to the barn, I stayed up with her and let her eat hay. She doesn't eat a lot in the trailer on the ride out or back. A flake if that.

Almost 50 minutes home - gee been on the road for 5 hours today. Pups were not overly wound up but not ready to go to bed.