I tried a new bus route! The 10 up to the 71 to the 31. The connection between 10 and 71 is slightly unnerving tight. Oh well.

I got Keno out first. We had a discussion on his saddling issues. He said, Oh. Fine. He stood still for the mounting block, twice-- I'd put my helmet on, ready to get on, realized he hadn't had his hooves picked out, took it off, did his hooves, undid his halter, got on the horse. Kept him from moving off. I sat there for a minute. Something was off. I thought about it. My head was cooler than it should have been. Oh, right. Helmet. I thought about keeping it off, but I was thinking about going into the field, so I wanted it. Rode in the arena with Shana. Keno wanted to go slow. He said it was too hot. I told him, too bad. I'll give you breaks as long as you earn them. Robert spent most of Shana's lesson pointing out what I was doing on Keno. It was a little weird. They followed us around the arena at a walk and a trot, establishing a good rhythm. Robert is always telling Shana to speed Jade up. So we led the way, they were supposed to keep a certain distance, and we moseyed along. He was resistant during the canter, pulling my hands and breaking into a trot. I cantered him around the arena once without his head in the air and called it good.

Ever since Xsarena met him and thought he was cute, he thinks he's hot stuff. There were four mares in the aisle when I put him back and he kept looking at them. Hey, it's me! The Pretty Palomino! I told him he didn't have the right parts anymore.

Jerry and Imp were going to solo for the first time, so Robert harnessed up Reno for a pas-de-deux in the arena, and I was requested to compress potential wounds. Everything went okay, Imp was delighted to follow Reno and got a little too close, but nothing bad happened. Dylan's people came and watched, as did Linda.

I felt I needed to do more productive things. Robert had promised me we were going to work Dylan later today, so I didn't want to do that. Which left me with Star, Lady, Papillon, and Colonel. Right.

So I longlined Star, partially to remind her about her head/neck positioning and partially to have fun throwing her off balance. She did really well trotting through her turns and staying pretty upright, I was impressed. I was less impressed with her crabbing around her left circles. She's too flexible. Growl. I am entertained by her and the crupper. She clamped her tail a little bit, and I was worried about getting hair under it. But, really, she lifts her tail so much when she's doing anything, I doubt any hair could actually stay unless it was about six inches long or more.

Put her back, pulled out Lady to determine lameness level and groom her because she makes the best faces. I think the cutest part was when she started rubbing back and forth against the currycomb, all the while flopping her ears and twitching her lips and snapping her teeth. I commented on her back hurting to Robert, who said she was pretty thin-skinned. Thought, what the hell, I'll saddle her up and lunge her. Really girthy for the initial saddling, stood still for the actual tightening. She was moderately sound at the trot, until I asked for a little more movement and she took off bucking. Then she was lame. Fabulous. Thanks, Lady.

But! She was saddled. And I was curious about this back thing. So I took a page from Ian's book and did Annoying, Idiotic Thing #36. Pulled her stirrups down, led her to the mounting block, put weight on her back. No response. Leaned harder. No response. Put a foot in a stirrup and leaned. No response, except eventually she started moving her haunches. No upsetness, just impatience. What the hell, why wasn't I riding her yet? Led her back, said a brief prayer, pulled her head towards me with the lunge line, hopped on. She said yes! Finally! and moved very purposefully towards the door, I hopped off, said fine, you like getting ridden, I will walk you around in the arena. With reins. And a helmet. And the gate closed. I'm a wimp.

But there were Scary Things happening by the hay barn. Her solution to this was to stand there facing them and snort. Then, when I asked her to turn around and walk out the door, she tried to race past me. I had a hand on the closest rein. No pulling, just didn't move. She was unhappy. We repeated this a few times. I think my favorite part was when she swung her butt into the wall and was severely displeased. And proceeded to do it again. Eventually she remembered, oh right. You're in charge. And I'm making my own life unpleasant. I said yes! You're correct. Also you are slightly sweaty now, but to hell with it, you have your bridle on and I have my helmet on.

Massively Fleecy Mare did stand totally still for mounting and until I asked her to move off. There was minimal jigging. I did one arena circuit on her better direction and hopped off. She was okay with it all, I think, though less happy about the minor hosing that followed. It was good.

At some point I tried to teach Dylan about water. It didn't work very well. He started stepping into my space and stepped on my toe at one point. It ended poorly for him. We stopped midway through and went outside for a little leading lesson. We ended by leading him back into the wash stall and standing. Just standing. His front legs got wet again, but I think he kind of lost it when it started touching his barrel. Maybe sponging is an intermediate step, less with the hissing and pressure, and more with the grooming type action. If wet is the main problem, that will help. I think he will need it when we start actually working him. My goal for this boy is to have him be a solid equine citizen-- clips, ties, trailers, bathes. He ties more or less. He trailers, or at least he's been shoved into one before. He lunges and he's a sweet boy.

Out of our horses, Reno, Keno, Imp, Dylan, Star, and Lady got worked today. I call that good.

Riding Jade on Saturday, probably. Also asked Robert what he thought about me/us riding Bella. I see impending doom for Jessi and Bella. Green, stubborn horse + green, gentle rider, possibly unpleasant combination.

My skin is about two to three shades darker than it should be. I need to shower, because those shades consist of dirt. Also, I left the barn at 5:20. I got home at 7:30. The half hour trip to Clackamas Town Center took fifty minutes. I got on the 71 at 6:30. I waited. And waited. And waited for the 10. It took marginally less time than walking home, but I was tired.

I think the low/high point of the day was when I walked into Keno's run, haltered him, wanted to check out the hole in his hoof, and dug in the horse-dirt in his hoof with my fingers, because I didn't have a hoof pick. Sigh. I am a horse-girl.

Been reading a lot of Mugwump Chronicles lately. This style of writing is the result. Oops.