Labor Day Weekend

This past Labor Day weekend was particularly great. Why? Well! Read on my friend, and you shall see!

Saturday started out a little sad, saying farewell to Stumpy, a very cool horse who was here for training, and now has gone home. He made me absolutely proud with his new found trailer loading confidence though, and I have since seen and heard from his owner that he has loaded a bunch of times, perfectly for her! YEY!

The day progressed from there to Stella coming over to drop off my shiny new Red Light from Photonic Health! It has been literally YEARS that I have wanted to get one of these. I finally managed to squirrel away enough money this summer to be able to order. And so, dream achieved, light arrived, and Stella was able to give me a super tutorial along with a great treatment for Mo!

Sunday morning was spent teaching a few lessons, and then loading up to head to Jeanette's place in Luskville with the girls - Zephyr's first field trip!! She is so great, she loaded like a pro, her and Mo both ready to go. When we arrived though, Zephyr was pretty sweaty. She wasnt worried or emotional, she was eating hay in the trailer happily, and was in no rush to get out. I think the very bumpy road on the last leg of the drive concerned her a bit. We were able to skip that on the way home, and she unloaded dry on Monday night!

After getting the girls settled in their pen for the time being, Jeanette and I got the farm ready for what was our first time co-teaching! When that was all settled we both go ponies and had a great time. Mo was FEELING GOOD!!!!!! Whether a by-product of her new supplements, her red light session or a long trailer ride [or all of the above!] she was ON! Holy cow!

We walked into the arena and before I even asked her anything, she was dancing, squealing and trying to run around. Oh boy! So off we went, we played with the energy! Backing up at the speed of light - practically trotting, cantering sideways all collected like it was the easiest thing, and flying changes of direction over a pole. Chock full of vocals with squeals and grunts all over the place. What a goofball.

Once she was connected, I saddled and we had a great ride. She felt really nice in a soft feel rein, and we had lots of go. We played with nice HQ yields, sideways, and about a billion flying changes! She got quite a few clean ones over a pole - when she wasnt trying to jump the pole LOL! Silly horsey. We also played with the 7 strides exercise from our lesson with Grits, and Mo nailed it!

Mo enjoyed a really nice roll in the fantastic sand/pea stone mix footing after our ride. It must feel like a nice back massage:) I did the post performance points on her with the red light after we rode, just to see if/how it would affect her.

It was dark/dinner time by the time I finished with Mo, so Phyr didnt get to play on Sunday. I dont think she minded to much, there was grass that needed eating!

Monday dawned bright and sunny, and we were up early to get everything harrowed and set up before the students showed up! We had six amazing students for an online and freestyle session. Everyone was so great! I was on foot for the Online portion, but come Freestyle time, Mo was my chosen mode of transportation. Zephyr wasnt terribly thrilled, but neither did she panic. She made amis with other ponies.

Mo was pro in helping me demonstrate the topics we had chosen to share that day. She even helped another horse with his back up by driving him! At the end of our ride, there was a thunder storm rolling in, so I just pulled off the bareback pad and let her roll again. As she paused before getting up, I climbed aboard just for fun! It is such a neat feeling, to be on her as she stands up from laying down. All the muscles that are needed and such. Plus the trust! Love it :)

I put Mo back in her pen, but Jeanette was still playing with Toby, so I decided Phyr needed an outing before we went home, and what better time than with thunder rolling, and a storm coming...! We made our way back to the arena, and Toby was at liberty, so I suggested allowing them to play together. They ran and goofed of so much, it wore out Zephyr! She stopped cantering and galloping everywhere and started trotting ! Not in such great shape afterall, are ya kid? There were a couple of times where she had SUPER draw to me, and came in at a power trot, but then would leave again to gallivant with Toby. Which was absolutely fine! For her first shot at any kind of liberty outside of home, with another horse around, AND in a giant arena, I think we did great! At the end, when she really connected with me it was solid :) She got two feet on the pedestal and we played some tag/stick to me at the trot. Such a super star kid :)

The storm was really coming by then, with some big lightnings starting, so I put Phyr away and we took cover in the house to wait out the storm. There was one GIANT crack that we think hit in the field next to the arena about half way through - we could smell the burnt smell, thats how close it was! 

Finally the storm passed and it was time to load up and head home. Both girls loaded up like the road warriors they are/will become and we headed out. I was able to take a different way home, and avoid the crazy bumps. Zephyr unloaded calm and dry when we got home :) Mo is of course, used to the whole rigamoroll and was fine going both ways.

GREAT weekend, really proud of both ponies. :D I played a little bit more with the red light today with Mo, she really seems to appreciate it. At the end when I was trying to stretch out her front leg, she went all the way down in to a cat stretch, stretching both shoulders and her belly almost to the floor! I guess it felt good :) When I did Zephyr, she stretched out both hind legs, one at a time, after I finished.  Im still learning, but with responses like that, I think I can feel confident that I am on the right track.

:)
S