You're putting *what* under my tail?

The goats are now contained in a stall. Apparently they managed to get out of the turnout into the open area. I told Robert I hated goats!

Pretty average day today. Bella is in weekly lessons with her person. She is learning to lead/lunge. She basically bowls over her person.

Then I lunged Dylan, with plans to start longlining him on Thursday. So I put the equipment on. He was fine with the bit, and stopped chomping on it nearly as much. Surcingle he could have cared less about, and he was okay with the crupper, but damn his face was priceless! He lunged pretty much perfectly again. The more we put on him, the less he wants to go flying around on the lunge. He's probably ready to start being really crosstied, but I'm either too soft with him or reasonably paranoid about crossties, so I usually clip one tie on and then run a lead through the other side, and either casually hold onto it or drop it.

I had half an hour after Dylan before we scheduled Luca, so I got on Reno and walked and trotted him around the outside arena. Then in a fit of bravery we went over the culvert and trotted almost the entire way around the field. I let him walk for the last bit to cool off, though I suppose he didn't really need it, and during the twisty bit he tried a little canter. I might let him, next time; it depends on how I feel. I was holding him back pretty hard, but I think he just wants to have fun and go fast.

Then Luca. He was, predictably, very good for leading and tacking up, and stood still for me to mount but spun off as soon as I was done. I let him warm up at the trot for a while, asking for circles and softness, and he was pretty good. We also did the test B, and I need to remember this: he halts better coming from the left. It shouldn't matter and I don't know why it does, but I need to remember that for our first salute. Robert dragged Lil in to watch and she thought it was lovely (and apparently has a very good eye for judging), and Shana also got to see. At that point Luca's attention was wavering pretty badly. I got two cuts to the left, and the first was a bit of a surprise but the second I'd already known I'd lost him. He was good for as much as he could focus on, though, and I didn't want to punish his good work by making him refocus. We did get a couple good lateral movements, a nice sidepass to the left and a very nice turn on the forehand.

I played with minis and new harness for a while, then helped tack up Rocky for Sherri the rescue lady. She'd brought her 9-year-old grandson with her (named Dylan apparently) and so I entertained him for a bit by showing him the horses. Then I made feed, and fed, and watched drill for a while. And then I went home.