It's Been Hectic

Sorry for the even later than usual post. I've just been buried. By the time I get home trying to put a post together seems overwhelming.

I haven't gotten to my horses as I should. Had Top out the other day. The footing wasn't spectacular and I realized Top has no sense of self preservation. Yeah, I was scared. Not for the normal reasons. I wasn't worried about him being naughty. I was worried he was going to pull something, bow something, hyper-extend something, or we were going to land in heap in the slop.

I took Maisa out to lunge. There was a big puddle at the back of the arena, but plenty of room in a dry area with good footing to lunge. Maisa decided he wanted to run through the water. He drug me over to the large puddle and gleefully would accelerate his way into the water. He'd canter through, slapping his front feet to make a bigger splash. He did this over and over, like a child playing in mud puddles. One of the ladies from the barn hollered over to me, laughing, "Where are his rubber boots." Maisa is an odd one. At least he's never dull.

I always think of Maisa as a raw boned, kind of rangy thing, without much depth. And then I realize things like, he and Top pretty much wear the same size blanket. They cinch the same, but Maisa needs a wider tree on his saddle. I look at the pictures of him with BH on him, and realize how much shoulder is in front of her leg. It is really quite long and sloped. Kind of curious as to what he'll look like at 7. Most winter blankets are too snug through the shoulders for him. And if they are cut like a Big D...they slide behind his withers and will rub. So, Weatherbeeta's, Turnout Masta, and Pessoa's fit well. His Amigo Bug Buster fits well too. He wears a 76-78" winter blanket. Cob sized bridle with a full horse brow, 5" bit. Passier wide tree saddle. Medium splint boots, med bells. Not sure of his shoe size, probably 1's. Haven't shod him yet. He has very round feet. Perfect circle prints. Stands just about 15.2h.

Top's proportions don't make much sense either. Wears a medium to medium wide tree. Stands 16.2h. Wears #3 shoes on the hinds, and 2's on the front. Regular horse size bridle with 5.75" bit. Large and x-large splint boots, x-large bells. And...a 76"-78" winter blanket.

My student that usually cares for Top and Maisa in town went home for Thanksgiving. I had to move my pen and gravel while she was gone. Feed and clean and do my usual chores. I only got her mare Daf out twice while she was gone. Suffice it to say, Daf is a lunatic at this moment. I let the girl that was caring for Daf lunge her yesterday. OOPS. Kind of a mistake. She has Daf in just a halter on the line. Daf is flying around the girl, slinging her head, and starting to cut in on her. The girl goes to check her, to slow her up and stop the head slinging. A Daf I hadn't seen in a year appeared. She cocked her head toward the girl, and was eyeing her, sizing her up starting to move in on the circle. OH CRAP. I hollered in a mean growly voice, "DAF!" She slowed and looked toward me. Gave me the stink eye as if saying 'You fun killer, I could have had her. '

Daf can be pretty intimidating if she chooses. It is disconcerting to have her tracking around on the lunge with her head cocked toward you...moving steadily around staring you down. Waiting for you to weaken, or lose focus. When she first arrived she cow kick at you, or try and come in on the lunge to get you. One of our first few sessions she came in, head down snaking, stomping her front feet at me. Those of you touch feely folks should probably stop reading now. I slid my whip, handle up, and drilled her right between the eyes with a good deal of force with the handle end of the whip. She stopped, and looked at me in shock. I hadn't given any ground, and she was surprised. I put her directly back to work. We've never revisited the 'I'm going to stomp the trainer into the ground' again. Funny, I'm now one of her favorite people. If her owner is riding her, and she sees me coming, even my car coming...she'll bolt in my direction. "Hello, hello, I'm here..so happy to see you." She's quite the goob, and really terribly sweet. She just has these moments now and again. And if she can intimidate or bully she'll go for it.