New Boss Mare

It was slightly less nasty out, so I felt slightly more motivated. I worked with Dylan twice. The first was just crosstying and leading. He was very nervous about the hay barn, so we took our time, and after the first he only hesitated once. The crosstying is good in that he feels the pressure and either yields or doesn't pull more, but bad in that he still doesn't quite understand that he isn't supposed to follow me when I move around to get another brush. Then Jessica came around and talked to the horses and opened their stall doors ZOMG and that was a little scary, and then a trailer came around and that was pretty scary too. He was moderately reactive to everything, but listened to me as soon as I asked him to back or move his hind end. His front right frog is a little terrifying, but he's good on all his feet-- the backs he pops up really quickly but I don't think he's trying to kick. A couple hours later I took him out to lunge and he walked up to the hay barn no problem. We started out with the I MUST TROT syndrome but after yanking the lunge line a few times he decided it was much easier to walk. He definitely knows the "trot" command, and we're still working on down transitions and reverse. He was good though.

I saddled and lunged Lady, no problem with saddling (barely even any dancing) but she's still lame. Did her hooves and put her back.

I saddled and worked Papillon, who was sound. I trotted her a fair bit and then gave her some bute with dinner, and did her hooves too.

Robert came in to distract me at various points throughout the day, because he was doing some contracting work all day and he would get frustrated and come out to the barn.

Oh, and Nicky is Robert's brother's little POA mare. She's sweet as can be when it's not feeding time, but bluffs when it is. She'll pin her ears and turn around like she's about to kick you. Chuck and Robert said she didn't do that with them, and that where she used to be she had all the women cowering in fear of her. So for dinner I came in with a crop and after a few smacks, whole new attitude! I smacked her when she was acting aggressive and she fled her hay and grain to stand outside. She wouldn't come back in until I'd stepped far away from the door. When I was closing the door she thought I wasn't looking and made faces at me, so I opened it up a little and pop! went her ears forward. Who, me?

The goats have a run full of grass to eat, but the grass might be wet so they won't step a foot out. Everything nearby them was stripped, though. Bridget let me pet her head and seemed to enjoy it, while Cotton Candy is much more reserved. I am trying to like these goats.

ETA: Pam and Breeze were out today. She was talking to me and saying she'd read something that went something like this: the trick to a good seat is not bouncing. I laughed and SEIZED the opportunity to ask her to try tilting her pelvis forward so she's not in as much of a chair seat. I don't know if it helped, though.