Sunday, August 16, 2009

What an incredible three-day weekend! Shame it all has to end. Friday, with the temps in the 90's, I brought swimming gear. Taking mare swimming! I begged while helping with chores for P and J to go swimming. "Gosh! It is sooooo hot out, wouldn't it be nice to go swimming with the horses?" "Man! It sure would be nice to cool off with a swim!". I pulled out the big guns at the end - "It has been my goal this summer to go swimming with Josie and you could be most instrumental in helping me make my goal". Ha! They had been yanking my chain all along, wanting me to beg, as they had planned to go swimming. Tee hee hee.

We rode the trail bareback, up and down the hills enjoying the feel of Josie's power as we cantered up one of those hills. Coming back to the water crossing we took a right and headed out into the lake. The water was the perfect temperature, most refreshing. Josie was loving it. She faithfully followed Sassy and Corey into deeper water. The water came up to my calves, then my thighs and next I am following the carousel horse movement of Josie as she swims. My lower legs grappling for a hold as the pressure of her forward motion pushed my legs back, I am laughing and laughing. P took pictures - I can't wait to see them. I didn't want to stop but thinking of how hard this workout was for Josie, I headed to shore. Wyatt and Pix were anxious. It looked like Pix had tried going underwater to reach us as she was wet head to toe. Wyatt swam out to meet us. I have had a silly grin on my face for days now.

Saturday night I brought the ball out to do some unmounted then mounted work prepping for soccer. The only thing Josie doesn't like is when the ball is held up high on her body. She doesn't do anything nutty but steps away from the pressure. You can see in her expression that she isn't digging it. I hopped on bareback and we headed toward the ball. We walked and pushed it here and there. I got her trotting and recognized Cowpony Josie right away - ears pinned, head and neck arching down towards the ball. That's my girl, get it! Oh, what fun we had.

J brought Sassy in and within five minutes she was pushing the ball around, we passed it back and forth. We took turns practicing our ball handling skills.

Sunday was a day for breaking in the jumping saddle. It is getting better and better. I seem to be getting better and better at my homework - Josie off my leg. I attempted to take Josie and the pups for a trail ride but the skeets have returned with the recent rains, hot temps and humidity so we called it a night. What a delightful summer we have had.